Mark Heyck and John Himmelman, candidates for Yellowknife mayor, on radio

Incumbent Mark Heyck and challenger John Himmelmanappeared on The Trailbreaker in the N.W.T. Oct. 1 to talk about whythey both want to beYellowknife's next mayor.

• LISTEN: Yellowknife's candidates for mayor on The Trailbreaker

Heyck, 39, just wrapped his first term as mayor. He grew up in Yellowknife and served as a city councillorfor three terms before becoming mayor.

He says the experience has taught him how to work with council and the community to get things done.

"I think I've shown an ability to pull council together and build consensus and keep us moving forward," he says.

Himmelman, 52, is a chartered accountant, originally from Ontario. He says he wants to refocus council's priorities.

"I think there's a big disconnect between the current administration and what the public is really asking for," he says.

"I think there's an emphasis on revitalization and beautification when the priorities of the public are actually housing costs and social issues."

He says the city is contributing to high housing costs by having too much involvement inland sales.

Heycksayscouncil has done a good job of making sure there's a variety of new housing options available, including medium and high density projects that tend to be more affordable.

Himmelman says he disagrees with the city's purchase of a parking lot at Franklin Avenue and50th Streetfor $1.4 million as part of a downtown revitalization plan.

Heyck says that,asa councillor, he was once opposed to buying it.

"I thought somebody else would step up...and do something with that lot, turn around the downtown core, do revitalization without the city stepping in.

"I came to the conclusion during this past term of office that that wasn't going to happen and thatthe city neededto play a leadership role."

Himmelmansays the owners of the adjacent mallwere always interested in buying the lot, just not at that price.

"I don't know why we paid more than they're willing to pay for it," he says.

He says he would look at selling the land to the mall owners, and that the city needs to focus onsocial issues, such as homelessness and addictions treatment, rather than downtown revitalization.

Heyck says the city has taken a more active role in dealing with homelessness, as a partner in severaltransitionalhousing projects that have opened in recent years.

He saysif he is re-elected mayor he'll champion establishinga task force on homelessness, mental health and addictions to get governments to work together "in a much more cohesive fashion" to "better focus our approach and produce more results."

Election day is Oct. 19, the same day as the federal election.