SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The race for the NWT Liberal nomination for the next federal election has just become a little more crowded. Former City of Yellowknife councillor Gail Cyr confirmed to Yellowknifer Wednesday that she will be throwing her hat into the ring.

Gail Cyr, a former city councillor who retired from the GNWT last October, has confirmed she will be seeking the nomination to run for the Liberals in the NWT in the next federal election. - NNSL/file photo

"I still have to forward my papers but I will be doing that before the end of the week," said Cyr.

Cyr will challenge the two previously announced candidates, Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins and former NWT Liberal Association president Kieron Testart.

All three of them attended Liberal leader Justin Trudeau's meet-and-greet Sunday afternoon at the Explorer Hotel while Trudeau was on a three-day visit to Yellowknife. At that time Trudeau said that he knew there were others thinking about running for the nomination.

Cyr said she would talk further about her intentions after her papers are filed. She is no stranger to politics or to Yellowknifers for that matter.

According to her resume, Cyr served on city council from 1984 to 1994. She spent time as assistant deputy mayor and a special advisor to the acting mayor. She ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2000, losing to David Lovell.

Cyr retired from the territorial government last October. Her most recent position, held since July 2007, was special advisor to the minister responsible for women, Premier Bob McLeod.

She was also the deputy electoral officer for NWT Elections in 2007; was the legislation and political development advisor and chief municipal elector officer from 1995 to 2006, and was the first executive director of the Native Court Workers Program in the NWT.

Cyr worked for the Native Women's Association of the NWT and on the victims' assistance committee.

Cyr has also also held several positions in Yellowknife's arts community including producer and director for the play The Rez Sisters in 2001. She is also an actor, singer and short story writer.

Cyr grew up in Winnipeg and moved to Yellowknife in 1974 when she was in her early 20s. Her first job in the city was as a waitress at the Gold Range tavern.

No date for a nomination meeting has yet been announced by the Liberal Association of the NWT. Unless Prime Minister Stephen Harper calls an early election, the federal vote is slated for Oct. 19.

The riding's current MP, New Democrat Dennis Bevington, has not confirmed whether he will be running in the fall election. Inuvik mayor and former premier Floyd Roland has said he will be running for the Conservative nomination.