Iqaluit city councillors share priorities for upcoming term

Although they won't be sworn in until Nov. 2, Iqaluit city councillors are already setting out their objectives for the next three years.

Iqalungmiut elected a mix of new blood and seasoned leadership, with four new councillors, four incumbents and a new mayor who has held the position before. 

Megan Pizzo Lyall, the youngest member of the new council, was elected with nearly eighty per cent of voters marking an 'X' next to her name. She wants to translate a strong mandate into more accountability at the city. 

"[One] of the things I am going to implement is a communications plan" said Pizzo Lyall. "I believe it is definitely one of the things that is lacking, and that will include monthly reporting from directors to council."

Along with strong communication between administration and council, Pizzo Lyall also wants more regular and meaningful dialogue between council and residents.To facilitate this, she thinks the city should hold a series of open houses where, unlike at city council meetings, citizens can ask questions and be part of the discussion.

That's an idea Romeyn Stevenson says could work. Last Monday, he received the most votes of anyone running for council, paving the way for his third term.

In the next three years, he says the city must deal with its waste management issues. Stevenson admits it's not a new issue, but he says it's one that can't be put off any longer.

"We are nowhere near where we need to be with waste management," Stevenson said. "We should be composting in this city and we need a new landfill site. The old site has expired; it needs to be closed in the next two years."

He says says some of the onus needs to fall to residents, too.

"Citizens of Iqaluit who make garbage need to be able to separate that garbage," Stevenson said. "I don't see any issue with asking Iqalungmiut to compost. I don't see any issue with asking them to separate their cardboard. I don't see any issue with asking them to keep their metals out of the regular garbage stream."

Kuthula Matshazi is one of a new cohort of councillors elected on Monday. He has only lived in Iqaluit for three years but was able to garner a great deal of community support for his candidacy, receiving more than 1100 votes.

Matshazi agrees with Stevenson that the dump needs to be dealt with, calling it a "time bomb." But he says basic issues like housing and food security must be the city's top priorities.

"If you are hungry, or you don't have shelter, you will not think about any other issues," Matshazi said. "Those are the very basic issues. You can't develop as a city or a country if those issues are missing."

To grapple with those problems, Matshazi says the council needs three things: strong leadership, a healthy budget and a comprehensive strategic plan — all things the city's new mayor-elect Madeleine Redfern is promising.