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Meet the candidates
Mayoral and council hopefuls share thoughts on issues

Danielle Sachs
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012

INUVIK
In the lead up to the Oct. 15 municipal elections, Inuvik Drum is striving to ask all candidates for council and the mayor their thoughts on current issues in Inuvik.

NNSL photo/graphic

Two council candidates and one mayoral candidate, who wish to represent residents at the town office, share their views with readers. - Danielle Sachs/NNSL photo

For this week's edition, Inuvik Drum has spoken to a candidate for mayor and two for council. Here's what they had to say, respectively:

Todd Shattler

Inuvik Drum: What was behind your decision to run for mayor?

Todd Shatler: I did not wish to become mayor. Rather I felt it was my duty as a Canadian citizen to run for mayor to save Inuvik and all the citizens' life investments that they may have put into this community.

ID: Why are you the best person for the job?

TS: I am the best man for the job due to my knowledge of the statutes, regulations and policies of the NWT and Canada. I have dealt with almost all departments of the GNWT over the years, getting to know a lot of people.

ID: What is the most important issue facing the community right now?

TS: All issues are important in Inuvik: homelessness, vandalism, security of our elderly, making sure everyone can live within their means, children's education and making sure students are not hungry at school – the list goes on. We have to prioritize the list and the first thing on the list is the gas situation.

ID: What do you plan on doing to address it?

TS: I am working hard to collect as much information as I can from the businesses and the public to find a solution to our price problem for natural gas and at the present moment things are looking up. At the same time we need more assurance that Inuvik Gas can supply a safe, reliable air/propane mixture.

Alana Mero

ID: What was behind your decision to run for council?

Alana Mero: I have demonstrated my commitment to the community through my volunteer work and want to use the knowledge and experience I have gained to contribute to Inuvik's future. I see town council as an opportunity to create effective change for the community.

ID: Why are you the best person for the job?

AM: I have a great deal of experience in addressing community concerns from both a grassroots perspective and as a leader. I have demonstrated this in my volunteer work. Some of the groups I currently volunteer, and have volunteered, with include the justice committee, victim services, parks and recreation board, interagency committee, Inuvik Petroleum Show, Civil Air Search and Rescue, family counselling, NWT Training Centre and the NWT Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee.

ID: What is the most important issue facing the community right now?

AM: The most important issue facing Inuvik is one of infrastructure and stability. This includes finding a solution to the natural gas crisis and advocating for the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway and Mackenzie Valley Pipeline because these projects not only provide employment and revenue for the community, they also provide long-term stability and growth.

A community with a strong economic base is better able to meet the social issues we face – addictions, homelessness, family violence, support to children and youth and the need for a child development centre.

ID: What do you plan on doing to address it?

AM: Addressing these concerns requires a willingness to work as a team with the mayor and members of town council, community groups, territorial and federal government officials and the public. There is a need to look for solutions that fit our community's needs in ways that are realistic and sustainable.

Jim McDonald

ID: What was behind your decision to run for council?

Jim McDonald: I want to continue to contribute to the growth and well-being of our community.

ID: Why are you the best person for the job?

JM: I have a lifetime invested in this community. All my children and grandchildren live here and I feel that I still have the energy and commitment to make a positive contribution to improve the quality of life in Inuvik.

I feel that I have worked well with the current council and will continue to do so with the new council if I am re-elected. Also, there are a number of issues and projects the current council is working on that I would like to follow through to completion. I will leave it to the people of Inuvik to decide if I am the best person for the job.

ID: What is the most important issue facing the community right now?

JM: The most important issue facing Inuvik right now is the cost and supply of energy to the community.

ID: What do you plan on doing to address it?

JM: I will continue working to ensure that we have a fuel source for the short term. However, I feel that we need to explore all our options to secure a long-term reliable source of energy that we can afford. The problem is not a shortage of natural gas. The problem is the cost of delivering gas to such a small market and that is why we need to look beyond the short term, and our border. With the low price of natural gas making a pipeline uneconomical, we need to investigate the feasibility of using natural gas to produce electricity for the southern market. This would not only benefit Inuvik, it would benefit all the NWT.

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