Yellowknife has chosen it’s new mayor. After spending two terms as a council member, Rebecca Alty will be taking the next step, to the mayor seat. Alty is also part of the senior management team at Diavik as the manager of community relations and communications. She will be taking over for current mayor Mark Heyck. The unofficial total has Alty at 2938 votes, followed by fellow council member Adrian Bell at 2210, Bob Stewart at 102 and Jerald Sibbeston at 93. Adrian Bell conceded to Alty part way into the night.

Alty told Moose FM before the election that as mayor, she wants to continue her work on the ten year plan to end homelessness, to work on the economic plan and to work on the city’s power distribution.

She told Moose FM that it was her leadership style that made her different than the other candidates. Alty said her use of collaboration to achieve bigger goals and her listening of what residents and administration has to say helps her find the best solution to problems that come forward.

Alty will be the second female mayor for Yellowknife, and with the by-law votes in favour, Alty will hold the position for four years instead of three.