In a sudden announcement on her Facebook page, Yellowknife Mayor Rebecca Alty has just shared that she will be running as the Liberal Party Candidate for the Northwest Territories for the upcoming federal election.
After the appointment of Mark Carney as the new Canadian Prime Minister, it is widely expected that a new federal election will be officially called sometime soon.
In the announcement, David Monroe, the Chair of the Northwest Territories Federal Liberal Association speaks highly of Alty, saying that “the NWT has had a strong voice in Parliament with Michael McLeod, and will continue to have a strong voice with Rebecca. She will be a valuable member of Mark Carney’s team in the next government.”
Alty has a long history of leadership in Yellowknife, having served with the City Council since 2012. She has also worked in various leadership positions with non-profit and mining industry groups.
After the announcement, Alty shared her reasons for taking this next step in her career.
“I love the Northwest Territories. This has been my home forever, so I really want to be able to help when it comes to housing, cost of living, the economy, infrastructure, mental health, addictions and all of the other challenges we’re facing. With my experience on Council, I think I have a lot to give in this role, so that’s why I decided to put my name forward to be the Liberal candidate.”
Alty explained that she has been considering this move for about a year now, and was motivated by the uncertain and tumultuous state of the world. Alty has been in close discussion with current MP Michael McLeod to help prepare for the possibility of taking his place, as the two have already worked together for some time.
If Alty does become MP, she shared what one of her key areas of interest will be.
“It’s always hard to choose one focus because there’s so many key issues, but I would say housing is always one of my top priorities, and I find it really interconnected with everything. Without housing, it’s hard to address mental health and addictions. Without housing, it’s hard to increase economic development, so I do think housing is a key factor to improving the North, so I think that’s one of my big areas of interest.”
While Alty is pursuing this new position, the duties of her current seat will fall to Deputy Mayor Ben Hendrikson. Mayor Alty is currently seeking the City Council’s approval to temporarily step away from her position until the election is over. Once the election has been decided, in the event that Alty is not chosen as the new MP, the Council may decide to allow her to resume her position as Mayor.
