Mayors already chosen in most N.W.T. communities heading to polls Monday

A voter drops their ballot into a box in this file photo from a 2021 municipal election in St. Johns, Newfoundland. Municipal elections in five N.W.T. communities, and school board trustee elections in Yellowknife, are taking place on Monday. (Curtis Hicks/CBC - image credit)

Residents in five N.W.T. communities head to the polls Monday to vote in municipal elections.

After all the ballots are counted, there will be newly elected councillors in Inuvik, Fort Simpson, Fort Smith, Hay River and Norman Wells. Fort Smith, however, is the only community with a mayoral race — mayoral candidates in the four other municipalities ran uncontested, and have already been acclaimed.

Communities will also elect members for their local District Education Authority (DEA) on Monday, the same day that Yellowknife residents can vote for trustees with the Yellowknife Catholic Schools and Yellowknife Education District #1 school boards.

Inuvik

Clarence Wood, a current councillor, has been acclaimed as the mayor in Inuvik, after Natasha Kulikowski, the outgoing mayor, decided to run for council instead.

There are eight council seats up for grabs, and 11 candidates vying to fill them.

The council candidates:

• Donovan Arey.

• Tony Devlin.

• Ruth Elanik.

• Jesse Harder.

• Jillian Fitzpatrick.

• Grant Gowans.

• Natasha Kulikowski.

• Desmond Loreen (incumbent).

• Alana Mero (incumbent).

• Alfred Moses.

• Kurt Wainman (incumbent).

Only two people — Jennifer Costa and James Ruttan — have been nominated as members of the DEA. There are seven positions available.

Residents in Inuvik will be able to vote from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at one of two polling stations. People who live west of Reliance Street will vote at the Ingamo Hall Friendship Centre, and those east will vote at the Midnight Sun Complex.

Fort Simpson

Sean Whelly will serve another term as mayor in Fort Simpson. There are 15 candidates vying for the village's eight council positions.

The council candidates:

• Celine Antoine (incumbent).

• Troy Bellefontaine (incumbent).

• Cynthia Browning.

• Walter Blondin.

• Charles Blyth.

• Kylo Christiansen.

• John Dempsey.

• Rosemary Gill.

• Muaz Hassan (incumbent).

• Liza McPherson (incumbent).

• Chris Snider.

• Randal Sibbeston.

• James Tsetso.

• Leslie Wright.

Meanwhile, there are seven people running for six member positions available on the DEA. They are Troy Bellefontaine, Julia Anne Erasmus, Travis Hanna, Muaz Hassan, Renalyn Pascua-Matte, Ray Michaud and Brendan Whelly.

Voters will be able to cast their ballots at the Fort Simpson Recreation Centre from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Fort Smith

In Fort Smith, Fred Daniels and current councillor Jessica Cox are competing to become mayor after Lynn Napier decided to run in the council race instead. Napier and 13 others are running for eight council seats.

The council candidates:

• Louise Beaulieu (incumbent).

• Kevin Campbell (incumbent).

• Michael Couvrette (incumbent).

• Dana Fergusson.

• Kevin Heron.

• Don Jaque.

• Al Karasiuk.

• Dianna Korol.

• Jay MacDonald.

• Lynn Napier.

• Ann Pischinger (incumbent).

• Athena Sharp.

• Kevin Smith (incumbent).

• Leonard Tuckey.

Four people are also running to be members of the DEA. They are Laura Aubrey, Rebecca Cabell, Hilary Turko and Roger Vail.

Voters in Fort Smith can head to the polling station at the Community Recreation Centre from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. to cast their ballot.

Hay River

In Hay River, Kandis Jameson will be mayor again after she was acclaimed to the role, and 10 people are competing for seven council seats.

The council candidates:

• Robert Bouchard (incumbent).

• Kimberly Brockway.

• Emily Chambers (incumbent).

• Keith Dohey (incumbent).

• Linda Duford (incumbent).

• Jeffrey Groenewegen (incumbent).

• Keanan Kipling.

• Peter Magill.

• Karen Wall.

• Brian Willows (incumbent).

Five people from Hay River have been nominated for the DEA. They are Nikki Ashton, Mark Harris, Glen McPhee, Pennie Pokiak and Annette Rupert.

Residents will be able to vote at the Hay River Community Hall from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Norman Wells

In Norman Wells, Frank Pope will also serve as mayor once again, and 10 candidates are vying for six council positions.

The council candidates:

• Pascal Audet (incumbent).

• Chris Chivers.

• Kacee Hunter.

• Carol Lorentz.

• Kelly McCoy.

• Timothy Melnyk.

• Alexis Peachy (incumbent).

• Trevor Smith (incumbent).

• David Wever (incumbent).

• Dorathy Wright.

Seven people from Norman Wells are running for six positions on the DEA. They are Shannon Audet, Sarah Baker, Danielle Crawford, Shauna Spilchak, Tamara McNeely, Katrina Rose and Dorathy Wright.

The polling station will be at the town's community hall, and is open to voters from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.