Iqaluit city council chooses to fill vacant seat with 2019 election runner-up

Iqaluit might be getting a new city council member — and it's a familiar face.

On Tuesday, council voted in favour of filling a vacant seat with the person who received the next-highest number of votes in the 2019 municipal election.

That person is John Fawcett, who says he is "through the moon" to fill the role.

"I'm honoured to accept," Fawcett said. "I'm doing this for my family. I'm doing it for my friends. I'm doing it for anyone who feels like they don't have a voice. They do now and I want them to know that."

Fawcett will fill the spot left by the suddenly departed councillor, Malaiya Lucassie. He'll be sworn in once the city ensures that he meets eligibility requirements with Elections Nunavut.

Two weeks ago, Lucassie said she'd step down immediately, after council moved to ask for her resignation. It followed comments she made on a controversial Facebook post by her father, MLA Patterk Netser, who criticized Black women for having abortions and made reference to "all lives matter." Lucassie's comment was in agreement.

Fawcett lost to Lucassie by 56 votes in last year's municipal election. He says he found out he'd be joining council while watching Tuesday's meeting online.

"Before I even ran for council I was thinking about doing it for years. So I wanted to do this for a very long time," he said.

"I love Iqaluit, it's my home. I really want to do whatever I can and spend whatever energy that I have to improve it however I'm able to do so."

'I'm just going to give it my best'

Fawcett says he's lived in Iqaluit since 2006 and that he received his education at Arctic College as a computer systems technician. He works at Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated as the information systems manager.

"A lot of people trusted me in the last election by giving me their vote, and I want to make sure that those people are justified in those votes and I want to make them proud," he said. "I'm just going to give it my best."

Deputy Mayor Janet Brewster thinks choosing the next in line is the most democratic way to fill the vacant seat.

"I've put some thought into this, and I'm partial to being as close to the democratic process as we can be," Brewster said.

"I think that's fair, and I think it reflects what voters in Iqaluit may have wanted."