Meet the candidates running for town council in Hay River

Municipal elections for communities across the N.W.T. are less than a week away, on Monday, Oct. 15. In Hay River, nine candidates are seeking eight seats on town council, while the town's mayor-elect, Kandis Jameson, was acclaimed.

• 'Our town is poised for growth and development': Hay River mayor-elect outlines priorities
• Hay River councillor on why he's stepping away, and why so few people are running for office

CBC North asked each candidate for council to tell us a bit about themselves, their priorities, and why voters should tick their name on election day.

Here are their replies in their own words.

Responses received by CBC are listed in alphabetical order and have been edited for clarity and style. If you are a candidate for council in the N.W.T.'s upcoming municipal elections and would like to have your response included, please email garrett.hinchey@cbc.ca.

Steve Anderson

Steve Anderson provided CBC with a copy of his campaign brochure. It states that his father was in the air force, resulting in him growing up in several countries overseas, including Scotland, England, Germany, and Bahrain. He arrived in Deline, N.W.T., in 1976, at the age of 19, to work for the Hudson's Bay Company. 

"Over the past 20 years, Hay River has become home to me, my wife Judy and our sons," the brochure reads.

"I am committed to working together with the mayor and members of council for the betterment of our community. I believe my involvement with the Hay River Elks Club, the Hay River Chamber of Commerce, St. Andrew's Anglican Church and the Hay River Housing Authority puts me more in touch with the citizens of our town and their individual needs," says his brochure. "I am also a local businessman."

Anderson's brochure states three main goals if he is re-elected: land development, community development, and community wellness.

Emily Chambers

I'm a northerner, originally from Yellowknife. And after many visits to Hay River, I fell in love with the town and the people and decided to move here and make it my home. Since living here, I have tried to be involved in the community as much as possible by volunteering, most recently with the Arctic Winter Games and the fall fair.

Running for council felt like the next step for me. Having a say in the future of our town and giving back to the community on that level is really important to me. 

If elected, priorities of mine will be to address the cost of living as well as the shortage of housing in Hay River. There is a real potential for growth here, but only if these issues are addressed. 

I hope to bring a fresh perspective to town council and hopefully represent a demographic that may not have been interested in politics before. I will be approachable and willing to listen to everyone's concerns and ideas and work together with my colleagues to come up with solutions that the residents are looking for. 

Keith Dohey

I'm 29 years old and [was] born and raised in Hay River. I work for the family business my grandfather started over 55 years ago. I've been on council for six years (two terms). I have served on various committees and boards, both outside of council and as a councillor. I chaired the fundraising committee for both the Arctic Winter Games bid, and the Arctic Winter Games themselves. I've served on the recreation board, coached minor hockey and have been one of the organizers for Lobster Fest.

I'm running again because I believe I have more to contribute. We have accomplished a lot in six years and I feel we are on the right track. However, there are files I want to see through and projects on the horizon I want to be part of.

My priorities if elected include seeing our power franchise agreement completed, continuing our land development plan to create options for housing, planning for the eventual closure of our landfill, and working with our MLAs and the territorial government to advance Hay River's interests.

I'm committed to continuing to serve the community. I'm experienced and have knowledge of ongoing issues. I'm passionate about seeing our community move forward. I'm not afraid to voice my opinion, popular or not. I'm approachable and easy to talk to.

Linda Duford

I am a longtime Hay River resident (my family moved here in 1980) and have lived most of my life in the N.W.T. Most people know me as a part owner of the Back Eddy restaurant in Hay River (with my sister, Nanette) and a longtime musician and music teacher who loves working with children.

As we have recently sold our restaurant, I am very eager to fulfil a dream of mine to enter local politics, as I will have more time and lots of energy to give back to Hay River.

There are lots of things I would like to work on with our new mayor and council, if elected, but some that I am focusing on are:

• Stimulating our economy by working to promote more fall and winter tourism opportunities, including the winter market and aurora watching.
• Promoting more youth programs and activities with a focus on drug awareness, with the advent of cannabis legalization.
• Further beautification of Hay River.
• Addressing the cost of living and food self-sufficiency.

I want people to put an "x" beside my name because I love Hay River, and I really want to give back and work hard for our town to keep us moving forward toward a bright and prosperous future!

Jeff Groenewegen

I was born and raised in Hay River. I have been married for 15 years and have three school-aged children. I work for the Department of Infrastructure and am a journeyman tradesman with an extensive background in maintenance and construction. I am also a licensed realtor and small business owner.

I want Hay River to remain a community that is competitive in attracting new residents and businesses and where everyone has the opportunity to create a financial future for themselves and their families. We enjoy a great quality of life in the North. I believe we need to celebrate that, and, at the same time, ensure that the next generation can do the same.

Fiscal responsibility, sustainable development, and environmental stewardship will be my guiding principles on council.

Sandra Lester

I came to Hay River as a young teen, turning 13 just after we moved here from California. My parents brought a herd of dairy cattle and we established a homestead at what was known as Linton Road (mile 16). Winter conditions were too harsh for my dad's beloved Brown Swiss cattle, and they were moved to the La Crête, Alta., area. Dad then started a sawmill, which is still in operation. My brother owns it. I still live on the same homesteader property, now called Patterson Road. 

I worked as a purchase agent/expeditor in Edmonton for several years and moved back to manage the local development corporation. In 1983, my late partner and I bought the Hay River Bakery. We ran it for over 20 years, until he passed away from cancer.

Throughout my life, I've been a volunteer for many different groups. I conceptualized the Canadian North Arctic Briar and was chair for several years. It was a wonderful curling event that put Hay River on the map. I worked on the Hay River federal day school reunion and the last major jet boat race. In 2012 ... I helped create the event "Hay River Homecoming 2013." It turned out to be a hugely successful gathering. I'm most proud of it. Currently, I volunteer at the Hay River Seniors' Society. I sit on the board and I cook the social lunch for members every two weeks. I was also part of the team that resurrected the fall fair about 10 years ago. 

If elected to council I will certainly be attentive to the duties, reading and understanding the packages prior to meetings. Housing, including senior housing and young family housing, will be one of my main priorities. I also am in favour of putting on the brakes for any town-generated projects, except a new landfill site. I maintain that we need to keep our current infrastructure viable. This is me. I'm an extrovert. I have strong opinions. But I love my community and will do my best to move it forward. 

Brian Willows

I have lived in the North for 46 years. I spent my working years with the Northwest Territories Power Corporation. I began my career as a summer student labourer and apprenticed for four years as a power electrician lineman. I finished my career as chief operating officer of the power corporation. My wife and I both retired a number of years ago and have made Hay River our retirement home.

Over the years, I have been active in the community. I served on the tourism and trade committee and was a member of the town's original electrical franchise committee. I have worked with the Family Support Centre to assist in developing a business plan and to develop a request for proposals for the demolition of their aged-out facility, and facilitated the development of architectural plans for a new building. I had the opportunity to work with their executive director and the town council to acquire a transitional building for the Family Support Centre.

I have worked closely with the president and treasurer of the Hay River Soup Kitchen to develop proposals to secure funding from various organizations and government agencies, to secure some economic security for the soup kitchen.

Needless to say, I have a significant interest in the ongoing negotiations of the electrical franchise. People often ask: "What is government doing to address the high cost of living in the North?" Well, this is a real and tangible step toward lowering the cost of living in Hay River for every resident and business. Given my experience, I believe I am well-suited and prepared to be part of the team that will continue the work toward this important deal.

Other issues of interest are our waste management facility, a bylaw enforcement officer, and matters related to the old town hall/fire hall.

Robert Bouchard and Joseph Melanson are also running for Hay River town council, though they have not sent responses to the CBC.