Peter Akkikungnaq beat out incumbent Joseph Aglukkaq for the position of mayor Dec. 9.

Of the 330 voters who turned out to cast ballots, 247 people, or nearly 75 per cent, voted for Akkikungnaq. Eighty-two people, or the remaining 25 per cent, attempted to re-elect Aglukkaq.

"Peter very clearly won," said returning officer and assistant senior administrator Sterling Firlotte.

A total of 506 residents in the community of nearly 1,000 were eligible to vote. Firlotte called the 65 per cent voter turn-out "excellent" and assumed it had something to do with the excellent weather the community experienced the day of the election.

"There was possibly more awareness of the election, but I also believe the weather was in our favour for a change. We had a real nice day and I think that made a difference," said Firlotte.

Akkikungnaq is scheduled to take office Jan. 1. He said his first order of business was to meet with hamlet residents to ask about their concerns. The second item on his mayoral agenda he said, is asking small business owners about their needs.

His goal is to revamp hamlet council and their priorities to better serve residents of Gjoa Haven.

"For the last eight years, I've seen that the way we have operated as a hamlet council is not right for the community," said Akkikungnaq. He said he believes the hamlet has seized the best business opportunities for itself and left small community enterprises out in the cold.

"I'm not going to try to make those changes -- I am going to make those changes," he said.

Akkikungnaq is a heavy equipment operator by trade. He has served on council since 1982.