Rankin Inlet’s newest council member comes with some diverse political experience.
Megan Pizzo-Lyall will be replacing Gabriel Karlik, who resigned at the Feb. 14 council meeting, for the remainder of the term until October 2023.
Pizzo-Lyall was a former city councillor in Iqaluit and ran for the Liberal Party in the 2019 federal election, finishing second to the NDP’s Mumilaaq Qaqqaq.
“I feel like I make good choices,” said Pizzo-Lyall, manager of operations at Atuqtuarvik Corporation.
“The team that’s there with council now, they’re doing great things, and I want to be part of that to be able to serve the community. I love Rankin.”
Following Karlik’s resignation, council decided to appoint a replacement and solicited candidates. Four emerged, with Pizzo-Lyall edging out Patrick Tagoona, Bernard Krako and Simon Okpatauyak in council’s vote at the Feb. 28 meeting.
Pizzo-Lyall said she wants to help advance capital projects and infrastructure needs in the community, such as the water system, as well as strengthening relationships with other organizations and businesses.
In Iqaluit, Pizzo-Lyall was proud to help work towards eliminating the city’s deficit while maintaining services. She found campaigning for the MP role an entirely different experience from being on council, with the challenge being to reach people in every community.
“Something that stuck out from that experience was that no matter what party you’re running in, or what you’re representing, at the end of the day, we all want to make Nunavut a better place,” said Pizzo-Lyall. “And at the end of the day, that’s what everyone on council is there to do.”