Nunavut election: Uqqummiut candidate profiles

Five people are vying to replace former Uqqummiut MLA James Arreak. This time, all but one come from Clyde River. If Samuel Nuqingaq is elected, he would be the first person from Qikiqtarjuaq to serve in Nunavut’s legislature.

Apiusie Apak

​The mayor of Clyde River for nearly four years, Apiusie Apak was involved in getting a new municipal building for the hamlet and planning a snow fence. He’s also worked with various committees, including the hunters and trappers organization and search and rescue.

Apak has been a firefighter for nearly 16 years and a Canadian Ranger for 13.

If elected, he says his priorities would include working to get more bilingual services from nurses and RCMP officers. He also wants to see a breakwater in his community, better airport maintenance and infrastructure and a bigger community freezer facility.

Niore Iqalukjuak

​Niore Iqalukjuak, 47, spent the last 22 years in Arctic Bay, but he was born and raised in Clyde River.

Iqalukjuak was the mayor of Arctic Bay for three terms, where he dealt with some tough issues, starting with the closure of the Nanisivik lead/zinc mine. He’d worked there himself as a weather observer; as mayor he lead the community through the mine’s closing, and the destruction of most of the mine's infrastructure, badly needed in Arctic Bay, because of contamination. Now he says he’s prepared to tackle the new challenges that come with the Baffinland mine.

As a community liaison officer with the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, Iqalukjuak also worked to stop seismic testing in Lancaster Sound. He spent 10 years with Arctic Bay search and rescue, and 10 years establishing the Nunavut Quest dog team race.

If elected, Iqalukjuak says he’d work on poverty reduction, improvements to Nutrition North, and changes to the rent scale. He also wants to help get more local impact from Nunavut’s offshore fishery—ideally, with a dock or a fish plant in either Qikiqtarjuaq or Clyde River.

Charlie Kalluk

​Charlie Kalluk, 53, grew up in Clyde River but spent a few years of his life working at the Nanisivik mine, nine years in Pangnirtung, and a few years in Iqaluit. He studied seamanship in Nova Scotia and Hay River, but now works as a heavy equipment operator around Baffin Island with Qikiqtaaluk Corporation. He also spent many years as a community health liaison.

Kalluk has taken part in three different elders gatherings. He’s also been involved in the local hunters and trappers organization.

He says he’s running to give back to the community. In particular, he wants to help support the local women’s group, which does a lot in the community, and the hunters and trappers' organization, that also contributes. Poverty and education are his two main issues. He also wants to see a wharf or dock in Clyde River, and measures taken to prevent elder abuse.

Samuel Nuqinqaq

​Samuel Nuqingaq, 42, first ran in a territorial election in 2004. He says he won in Qikiqtarjuaq but James Arreak won in Clyde River.

Born and raised in Qikiqtarjuaq, Nuqingaq says he’s currently unemployed, but he’s been chair for the Nattivak Hunters and Trappers Organization for the past four years. In the past, he’s also worked with the local church committee.

Nuqingaq says he won’t make any election promises that he may not be able to keep. If elected, he plans to ask his constituents what they want him to work on first. “The only way it can work is to help each other out,” he says.

Loseosie Paneak

​Loseosie Paneak, 47, was born and raised in Clyde River where he works as an interpreter/translator. He studied his trade at Nunavut Arctic College and has worked for several different government departments and organizations. He also spent two years as a court worker with the Maliiganik Tukisiiniakvik legal aid clinic.

Paneak has been a board member with Qikiqtaaluk Corporation for three and a half years. He’s also been part of the local alcohol education committee and is very involved in the elders' committee.

Paneak says his broad experience has given him insight into how the government works. If elected, he says the most important thing is the constituents. “I would like to first find out what they want and then fight for what they want.” But Paneak admits that if it were up to him, devolution would be his number one issue.