INUVIK
Jimmy Kalinek is not your typical candidate for MLA.

Jimmy Kalinek is challenging incumbent Robert C. McLeod for the Inuvik Twin Lakes seat at the legislative assembly in the election Nov. 23. He joined the children on the ice at his first campaign event at Twin Lakes for a few quick shots on net. - Sarah Ladik/NNSL photo

More comfortable in camo gear than formal wear, Kalinek is running against incumbent Robert C. McLeod for the Inuvik Twin Lakes seat.

"I like to help people," he said at his first campaign event at Twin Lakes itself, where children skated on the newly shovelled ice and warmed up by the fire. "Myself, I think there could be some changes, some new ideas."

Kalinek said he sees low-income families in town struggling to make ends meet and saw an opportunity to step forward to do his part to make things better for them. He works seasonally for the government and said he usually works in the winter but that things have been slow.

"Running for MLA isn't something I thought I'd ever do," he told the Drum. "I think I can contribute. It wasn't an easy decision to make."

Kalinek said he enjoys helping with on-the-land programming for students and just being out on the land himself. He thinks steady employment is the key to making things better for many Inuvik residents.

"I think we should be trying to create more opportunities for work, trying to find more ideas for employment," he said. "Steady employment will solve a lot of problems."

Those problems stretch to younger generations as well, with students from low-income homes more likely to struggle in school. Also, he said that with more employment, there will come more programs, which will benefit everyone.

"I see that I can help people in my community," Kalinek said. "We're like a big family. When one suffers, we all do."

One of the things Kalinek said he would like to change is what he termed the "breakdown" in communication between government and residents. When people ask questions, he thinks they should be answered in a timely matter, which he says isn't always happening.

"It's a problem in every town, in every city," he said. "A lot more people need to work together. It takes the community as a whole to deal with issues."

Martha Blake, Kalinek's official agent, said she is pleased with how many people turned out Nov. 7 to support Kalinek, adding that the Twin Lakes location for the event was a good choice for the MLA contender.

"He's outgoing, helpful, respectful, he listens to others," she said. "The list goes on."

If Twin Lakes voters agree, Kalinek said he looks forward to heading to the capital.

"I want to work with other MLAs, show people that something is being done," he said. "I just want to make people smile. Everybody deserves to be happy."

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