Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

INUVIK - An Inuvik town councillor is being accused of posting controversial comments on a federal election forum.

The residents who raised the issue at the Oct. 22 town council meeting pointed fingers at Coun. Terry Halifax, according to Coun. Clarence Wood.

Town councillor Terry Halifax, right, is being accused of posting some controversial comments regarding NWT candidates on a federal election forum website. Halifax, seen here at a council meeting in September, declined comment until council could meet on the topic. - NNSL file photos

The comments refer to the NDP's Dennis Bevington as "a numbskull incumbent" and a "Groucho Marxist" and suggests he smokes from a "bong."

Noeline Villebrun, of the First Peoples National Party of Canada, is described in the post as having started off the night by burning sweetgrass, invoking the spirit of the great white buffalo and telling the mostly-white audience that she has treaty rights and they were trespassing on her land.

The post, made by someone describing themselves as True North S, was made on CBC North's website after the federal all-candidates public forum held before the Oct. 14 election.

Deputy mayor Chris Larocque said council will hold a private meeting on Nov. 4 to discuss the incident.

"There is no proof of who wrote those things," said Larocque.

However, although Coun. Halifax has declined to comment on the situation, Mayor Derek Lindsay indirectly identified him as the person being blamed for the fiasco.

Speaking in regards to the controversy raised at the Oct. 22 meeting, Lindsay said, "We're dealing with it in camera. The person being accused was not in attendance to defend himself at that meeting."

Later on, Lindsay said Halifax was the only one not in attendance at the Wednesday meeting.

Gerri Sharpe-Staples and Lawrence Norbert were the two residents who spoke out against the comments during the council meeting. Sharpe-Staples could not be reached for comment by press time.

On Tuesday, Norbert said upon further reflection the comments look more like satire than anything else, but his initial impression was that it was "on the edge."

He declined further comment until council has made a decision on the matter.

Larocque said he disapproves of the comments.

"I thought they were insensitive and derogatory," he said.

"I wasn't pleased to see attacks on the candidates, aboriginal cultures and the people who asked questions."

He added the person who wrote the comments on the forum website should have used a real name.

"I don't agree with hiding behind an alias. If you're coming out with comments at least use your real name," he said.

Coun. Brian McDonald refused to comment on the situation until the meeting with the other councillors on Tuesday night.