Dwayne Simmons is a real estate agent for Century 21 Prospect Realty. In an interview with the Yellowknifer, Simmons shared some thoughts on his campaign to become a city councillor.
Could you please introduce yourself for anyone who may not know who you are?
“I’ve been a Yellowknifer for 15 years now. I moved here in 2008. I actually worked for NNSL Media for five years as their web manager. Afterward, I moved on to be the project manager for Kasteel Construction until 2017, when I went into real estate. I’ve been a realtor in Yellowknife ever since.”
What made you decide that you wanted to join the city council?
“I liked some of the candidates that were coming forward. I think we have an opportunity to do some important work over the next few years. It’s always been an idea that I’ve had. I never really considered myself a politician per se but I think I can bring a lot of value to the council and I thought if I was ever going to do it, now would be the time.”
What do you hope to change if you’re elected?
“I am new to the process, so I’d love to say that I’m going to come in here and make huge changes or make a big difference right away, but I know that there’s going to be a bit of a learning curve. The main thing that I’m going to be focusing on as a councillor is economic growth and stability over the next four years. We obviously have the diamond mine scaling back and potential closings coming up. As a result, we’re going to have to put in some type of economic plan in place to focus on what we can control over the next four years to continue to have a strong economy here in Yellowknife.”
What is one of your ‘must haves’ for things you would like to change economically?
“My first and foremost thing that we can be in control over and something that needs to be a focus in the coming years is the tourism sector. I’d love to successfully implement the hotel levy, which was started and passed years ago. I know it’s been a bit of a challenge to get it up and running, but I’d like to say that I think it’s a vital revenue stream that can help boost the tourism sector and help market our city to the rest of the world. That’s probably the most important thing that I’d like to see happen.”
Are there any other comments that you would like to add?
“I’m really looking forward to the challenge. Anybody who knows me also knows that I’ve always put 110 per cent into everything that I do when I choose to move forward with something.”