Councillor appointed to fill vacant seat
Runner up from last election selected to finish Halifax's term
Shawn Giilck
Northern News Services
Thursday, April 2, 2015
INUVIK
Inuvik's newest councillor is facing a steep learning curve in an abbreviated term in office.
Natasha Kulikowski was sworn in as the newest member of Inuvik town council March 23. She has been appointed to replace Terry Halifax following his sudden death. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo
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Natasha Kulikowski, a familiar face around Inuvik, has been appointed to fill the vacancy left by the sudden death of four-term councillor Terry Halifax.
The announcement from the town came March 19, two days after Kulikowski accepted the appointment.
"I think Inuvik has a lot of potential," Kulikowski said. "I think for a long time we were on a kind of an upward flow, but we've been kind of stagnant and I'd like to continue to see it be vibrant as a community, culturally, and financially."
Inuvik senior administrative officer Grant Hood said the discussion on filling the vacant seat took place during in-camera meetings.
When contacted by Inuvik Drum, Kulikowski was not aware the appointment had been made public.
The town contacted her about a week earlier, said Kulikowski. She was the runner-up for a council position in the last election, finishing just out of the running in ninth place.
Kulikowski said she realized it's an ambitious move to step into the seat held by the well-liked and well-respected Halifax, who was frequently the voice of dissent on the council. Not to mention, she has only six months to make a mark.
"I can't change people's minds on whether they like appointments or not. It's what's happened. Frankly, I didn't know what they would do and when I was approached, I was thankful, I guess, and happy to have the opportunity. I have a lot of learning to do," she said. "I don't have any agendas or anything I need to bring forward right now."
She said she believes the council moved quickly to fill the position to ensure enough councillors would be available to hold meetings consistently.
"It's probably better to have decision-makers at the table, rather than wait for them to show up," Kulikowski said, referencing an ongoing problem with achieving quorum at the meetings. "To hold a byelection now would be far more costly than to appoint someone."
She said she hasn't put any thought towards whether she'll run for re-election, considering the truncated term she'll serve.
"I haven't even sat in on a meeting yet, so it's not a decision I can make yet," she said. "It's a bit of a tough position to be in, but I'm also looking at it as a bit of an opportunity to see what the position holds."
The last election was Kulikowski's first run for a position on council.
"On a personal level, I'm a face you see out in the community. I'm a person who takes part in community events, who organizes as well as volunteers for things," said Kulikowski. "It's not as if I'm someone who came in from nowhere. Inuvik has been my home for 15 years. I'm part of the community."
Kulikowski was born in Inuvik, but left with her family as a toddler. She returned as a youth to experience some of the things she grew up hearing about.
She plays on the Inuvik Benchwarmers women's slo-pitch team, runs an exercise class, helps with the indoor soccer league and helps organize the Terry Fox Run.
"I love this place, I love the people," Kulikowski said. "After moving here, I learned how much I appreciate living in a small town rather than a large city and that's one of the things that keeps me here."
