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Meet the candidates Baffin Island mayor-hopefuls state their casesCasey Lessard and Jeanne Gagnon Northern News Services Published Monday, December 5, 2011
Ikpiarjuk/Arctic Bay
Esau Tatatoapik, 53, resigned from hamlet council after one year of service to run for mayor. The former chair of the finance committee wants to improve "the relationship and partnership with stakeholders in the community, including the elders committee, hunters and trappers organization and other society status committees," he said, using their "expertise to make the community better and to build better economic growth."
Frank May, who is "so close to 60 that I can see it from here" is Arctic Bay's deputy mayor and has 10 years of council experience. Over the years, he has chaired the hamlet's health, economic development, finance and administration committees.
"This hamlet faces serious challenges in its fiscal management and productivity," May said. "I hope to be able to assist the community in meeting and learning from these challenges."
Leah Koonark, 58, said she hopes to help the residents of Arctic Bay. As mayor, she would also work "to protect our environment and the animals," she said.
David Kalluk did not respond to requests for information about his campaign by press time.
Kangiqtugaapik/Clyde River
Andrew Iqalukjuak, 42, is hoping to return to the mayor's office, which he held from 2008 to 2010. He said he has no specific projects he wants to address, preferring to wait to hear what the community wants. "I'm just hoping to be a voice for community concerns and I'm all for what council wants. I'm not doing anything alone."
Clyde River's current mayor, 37-year-old Apiusie Apak, has held the post for two years, during which time he has "had the opportunity to learn the issues and concerns of the people," he said, and worked to "improve the lives of the residents of Clyde River."
If re-elected, Apak would like to continue the good work being done to increase recreation opportunities for youth, including setting up a youth centre at the community hall. Roads, airport improvements, and improved radio communications are also high priorities, he said.
Jerry Natanine, 42, has been on a number of boards and committees in Clyde River and has worked as assistant senior administrative officer. "I want our voices and concerns heard by the government," he said, "and I want to try to get all the mayors to get closer ties so we can tackle common problems with unity."
Noah Kautuq, Clyde River's deputy mayor, declined to answer our questionnaire.
Kimmirut/Lake Harbour
Maliktoo Lyta was unreachable all week as he was actively involved in the search for missing Kimmirut mayor Jamesie Kootoo.
Mathewsie Mingeriak, 28, withdrew his comments after responding to our questionnaire.
Qinnuajuaq Pudlat did not respond to our requests for information about his campaign.
Panniqtuuq/Pangnirtung
Manasa Evic has lived in Pangnirtung for five years, he said, and wants to lead the community to improve the situation for youth and to lead improvements to the community's arena. He has been actively involved in fighting for improvements to the hamlet's port, which is in the process of construction, to improve the turbot fishing industry.
"I would try to do things that my council requests," he said, noting that "some things require quick decisions."
Norman Mike, 32, has been a member of local associations, and says he has been "stepping up." He has run Aqviq Marine Limited for 13 years, developed the Baffin Fisheries Coalition for a number of years, and was a member of the Kakivak Association from 2007 to 2010. If elected, he expects to see a lot of development in the community, continuing the harbour and dump site projects currently in progress.
"The harbour hasn't really been well-maintained," he said, "and my goal is to focus on sustaining employment in this community, especially at the harbour."
Adamee Komoartok, 57, hopes to return to municipal politics after serving as a councillor and deputy mayor, subsequently serving as MLA from October 2009 to March 2011. Komoartok wants to ensure local concerns are heard during capital project consultations, the relocation of the hamlet runway and community input sessions on fish plant operations. He wants to "maximize local employment opportunities and having proper recreational facilities for the community," he said, and wants to see problems at the elementary school, where a fuel leak has forced students to attend school at the high school, resolved as soon as possible. "It affects the future of children and our community," he said of the situation.
Sakiasie Sowdlooapik was out of town and could not be reached for comment.
Sanikiluaq
Elijassie Sala, 29, was elected to hamlet council in 2008, at which time he was asked to serve as deputy mayor. He turned it down because it was his first term, but took the job later in the term after the deputy mayor resigned. In April 2009, the mayor resigned and Sala became interim mayor until the end of the term in 2009, during which time he worked with the hamlet's senior administrative officer to eliminate the hamlet's deficit
He ran as mayor that year and lost by 26 votes. He's hoping to recover those votes this year so he can create "more jobs in the community," he said. More recreational activities are also a priority, as is fixing the dock, where boats have been sinking due to high winds, and changing the dump's fences, which he says are too low.
Frank Audla, 39, says he may not have much political experience, but he knows "this town needs a mayor to look after it." If elected, he wants to "see this town grow, and I want to help this town grow."
Joe Arragutainaq, 74, is Sanikiluaq's current mayor, and he says he "knows what to do if he's elected again."
Kinngait/Cape Dorset
Padlaja Qiatsuq, who is running for mayor for the first time, said he wants to expand the community hall, as well as clean both the metal and garbage dumps.
"I want to try to help my people. I want to try to improve Cape Dorset," he said.
The 26-year-old carver and owner of Kinngait Taxi added youth will be his priority.
"Focus on the youths as our next leaders. More sports and more programs for the youth," he said.
He also wants more traditional programs, such as sewing classes and carving lessons, for all, he added.
Simigak Suvega is an unemployed former councillor and former mayor in his 60s.
"It all depends what the councillors have planned for the community. I'm still planning to help the community to get more involved to plan for the future what they have been wanting in the past," he said, adding that would be his priority.
Jamesie Alariaq, who co-owns MJ Taxi, said he believes he has the experience to be an effective mayor for the community.
"I want to work to strengthen the foundation our parents and grandparents built for us to improve our living standards, to build a better and more prosperous future for our children," he said.
The 29-year-old said recreation as well as search and rescue funding are issues he would like to tackle. He added he would like to use the recreation hall for more events, and set up a working group to promote tourism.
"I believe we could better utilize the resources we have to provide better programming," he said.
Iglulik
Joe Immaroitok has been on hamlet council since August and will stay in that role until this month. The 48-year-old also served on council in the past.
"I care about Iglulik and I want to help the people about the health centre," he said. "I'd love to see more about Iglulik taking care of the jobs around, like supervisors or something like that, and they can look after the workers at the hamlet."
Nicolas Arnatsiaq, in his late 50s, works as a Baffinland community liaison officer and served as a councillor approximately four years ago. He said he is running because the mayor and council need to start putting more emphasis on the needs of the community.
"There is a need to make improvements in the hamlet," he said. "The needs are the council and the mayor must begin to get the electors involved in the operations of the hamlet. Basically, what I mean is that the hamlet council must begin to start paying attention to their electors in meeting the needs of the community by contacting the people within the community."
Thomas Kublu, who was the community's mayor from 1987 to 1990, is seeking the mayor's chair once more.
"Nobody is looking after the hamlet business," said the 70-year-old. "I would like to help Iglulik right now."
Eric Nutarariaq and Joanna Quassa could not be reached for comment.
Sanirajak/Hall Beach
Paul Haulli, a former mayor of Iglulik, Pond Inlet and Hall Beach, said smaller communities should be treated pretty well the same as the big ones, especially when it comes to jobs.
"I want to work with the people of Hall Beach and the community. My priorities are working with the elders and the youths," said the 53-year-old who is currently unemployed. "I've been the mayor in three communities so I sort of have that background in big communities and small communities as the mayor."
Incumbent Ammie Kipsigak, 59, stated via e-mail he is running for mayor because there are unfinished business items from this year that he wants to finish. As well, he said the municipal bylaws need to be updated.
"My priorities are to work with the mining companies (Advanced Exploration Inc. and Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. ) to get direct benefits from the mining to the community of Hall Beach," Kipsigak stated.
Mike Ammaklak, Philip Anguratsiaq, and Timothy Kuppaq could not be reached for comment.
Qausuittuq/Resolute
Paul Amagoalik, who is the Qikiqtani Inuit Association representative for Resolute, said he is running to help the community get more active.
"My priority is to get the people moving again," said the 58-year-old. "We're lacking recreation and lacking jobs here and there. Maybe I can point the way to get people moving."
Amagoalik describes himself as a professional hunter and High Arctic expert. He is also a former councillor.
Saroomie Manik is again seeking the mayor's chair after she served as the community's mayor from 2007 and 2009. The 60-year-old is a casual CBC reporter.
"The priority is our garbage dump," she said, adding she wants to clean it up and improve it.
When she was the mayor, she added, she thought the garbage needed to be removed because it was close to the beach.
Incumbent Tabitha Mullin has been the community's mayor for the past nine months and also works at the airport's community aerodrome radio station doing hourly weather observations and radio communications with aircrafts and airport maintenance crews.
"I enjoy being a mayor and there are some issues that are not finished I would like to pursue," said the 49-year-old. "What I want to work towards is getting an emergency generator for the community. In other communities, it's placed either at the school or the hamlet office. For this community, I think it would be best to have it at the school since it's all equipped with fridges and stoves and multiple rooms, where, if we have to, we can accommodate the community."
She added she also wants a floating dock for the community and continue the good relationship they have with the military.
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