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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - In a time when communication methods are plentiful, candidates are looking to a popular online networking tool to reach the voting masses.

Three of four candidates are using Facebook as a way to communicate with potential voters during their campaigns.

A Facebook group called Re-elect Dennis Bevington has at least 229 members supporting Bevington and his campaign for re-election.

"It' a very cost-effective way of keeping supporters up-to-date," said Mark Heyck, campaign manager for the NDP's Dennis Bevington. "It's a great tool for getting donations and volunteers.

"It's added a new dimension to campaigning."

Brendan Bell to Western Arctic is a Facebook group supporting the Conservative candidate. It currently has 53 members and Rick Bargery, campaign manager for the Bell campaign, expects it to grow.

"We think it'll be a useful tool," he said. "It's a good way to connect to new voters and to get the message out about what Brendan is doing."

Liberal candidate Gabrielle Mackenzie-Scott has two groups supporting her, totalling 116 members as of yesterday.

Green Party candidate Sam Gamble doesn't have his own specific facebook group, although his party does: Green Party - Western Arctic. The group has 17 members.

Greens challenge other parties to go carbon-free

Green Party candidate Sam Gamble has challenged other election candidates to run a carbon-free campaign.

"It's something four of the five national leaders are doing, so we thought we'd try the challenge with our riding," Gamble said.

Stephen Harper and the Conservatives are the only party not participating in the challenge at the national level.

The challenge will combine the end-of-writ financial audit with a carbon audit while purchasing gold standard carbon offsets through Planetair to counteract the effects of its campaigning activities.

Recommended for NWT organizations by the Arctic Energy Alliance, these credits explicitly exclude tree-planting projects, contributing instead to energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.

As of press time, Gamble had yet to hear from other candidates about taking the challenge.

First Peoples Party expected to name candidate

The First Peoples Party of Canada might enter into the race with a fifth candidate for the Western Arctic riding.

According to media reports, the party is expected to name Salt River First Nations member and former Dene Nation grand chief Noeline Villebrun as one of five potential candidates to run nationally despite a lack of funding and resources.

The party ran five candidates in the 2006 election. The biggest vote-getter in 2006 was John Malcolm who ran in Fort MacMurray-Athabasca and received 437 votes, good for last place.

Villebrun could not be reached for comment.

Western Arctic Liberal in the Himalayas

David Connelly, secretary for the Western Arctic Liberals, will not be around to help candidate Gabrielle Mackenzie-Scott during her campaign as he will be in Bhutan.

Connelly will be climbing in the Himalayas east of Mount Everest until Oct. 25. In an e-mail received by Northern News Services, Connelly said he will be hundreds of kilometres away from any form of communication and apologised for any inconvenience he might have caused by his absence.

Lana Roeland, president of the Western Arctic Liberals was unavailable for comment.