Dez Loreen is throwing in the towel in the race to become Inuvik鈥檚 next mayor.
Previously, the 38-year-old town councillor had announced his intentions at the end of a March comedy show fundraiser for Arctic Paws.
鈥淢y life has changed since February,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y employment changed in April and I was made some pretty good offers from that point on. I鈥檝e got a lot going on.
鈥淛ust looking with the wrestling and what I want to do with comedy, it just doesn鈥檛 gel with being a politician at that level right now.鈥�
With his wrestling promotion Totally Arctic Wrestling beginning to take off, a VJing opportunity with MuchMusic legend Ed the Sock and a budding comedy career, Loreen said he just didn鈥檛 have the time commitment to focus on being Mayor.
He added he felt Clarence Wood, the only other person to put his name forward for the job so far, was the right man to lead Inuvik.
Loreen said he was still debating whether to seek another term as town councillor, saying he was proud of the work council has done over the past three years, but added his growing entertainment career is requiring more and more focus.
However, he didn鈥檛 rule out a mayoral run in the future.
鈥淚t鈥檚 tough, I had full intentions,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e wanted to be mayor of Inuvik since high school, but I鈥檓 being realistic in that I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 my time right now.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a tough one right now, if I鈥檓 going to put my name forward for council again. I think there鈥檚 a lot more I can do on council. I think I鈥檓 worthy of it, but at the same time politics is a real fickle game. It takes a real thick skinned individual to let it slide off your back and take all the comments and the brunt of what is essentially a thankless job at times. So I鈥檓 going to sit down with my wife and daughter and we鈥檙e going to examine what鈥檚 on the plate for us. A lot of me wants to, but it is a big commitment.鈥�
Live wrestling show next Sunday
He鈥檚 not wasting much time regretting his decision. Loreen said he鈥檚 already received clearance under the loosened Covid-19 requirements to have a live show and was racing to put one on within weeks.
The show will be Aug. 29 at the Chief Jim Koe Park performance pavilion.
鈥淲restling does not have any prohibitions. There鈥檚 nothing against wrestling in the NWT,鈥� said Loreen. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just up to the venue as to their rules. It looks like its all green lights ahead.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to put on a real show for Inuvik. We鈥檙e going under capacity at the pavilion, they said we could fit up to 270 people there, 90 people per bleacher. But we said we don鈥檛 need that, we鈥檙e going to play it safe and go 50 each so they鈥檙e spread out.鈥�
Loreen had initially planned to host a live show last spring, but TAW Retribution had to be cancelled as the first waves of the Covid-19 pandemic made their way north.
Recognizing a lot of people bought tickets, Loreen said anyone holding a ticket for TAW Retribution would get a free ticket into the new show, TAW Goldrush.
He wished his former political opponent the best.
鈥淚 fully back Clarence, I think he鈥檚 a great candidate for mayor,鈥� he said. 鈥淐larence is exactly the mayor that Inuvik should have.鈥�
With Loreen鈥檚 withdrawal, Wood is now the sole person intending to run for mayor of Inuvik as of current. Nominations for the municipal election open Sept. 6 and close Sept. 20. Election day is Oct. 18.
