Jason Iqaluq will be the new MLA for the Hudson Bay riding in the Nunavut legislative assembly. He was elected in a byelection Monday, Sept. 28. He replaces Daniel Qavvik, who resigned from the legislature in June. (Photo courtesy of Elections Nunavut)
Jason Iqaluq prepares to head to Iqaluit after byelection win
Newly elected MLA says he feels ‘a bit anxious’ but adds he has a feeling ‘I can do this’
Jason Iqaluq said Friday he was preparing to head to Iqaluit, after having been elected to represent Hudson Bay in Nunavut’s legislative assembly.
He said he found out the results of the byelection around 9 p.m. on Sept. 28, while relaxing at home and playing video games. Voting took place at the council chamber in Sanikiluaq, the sole community represented under the Hudson Bay riding.
“I was trying to keep my mind busy,” he said in a phone interview Friday, adding it was a pleasant surprise to find out he won.
Iqaluq has lived in Sanikiluaq his entire life. He’ll now commit himself full-time to politics, after working as a team leader at the airport and serving on the board of his local Arctic Co-op.
The trip from Sanikiluaq to Iqaluit was expected to be a long one, Iqaluq said, since he had to first fly from the island community in Hudson Bay to Winnipeg and stay overnight before he could catch a flight to Iqaluit on Sunday.
“I’m a bit anxious, but overall, I’m feeling that I can do this,” he said about the journey ahead.
He said his MLA orientation should begin this week and that he expects to be sworn in formally at the legislative assembly by the end of October.
He received 168 of the 228 ballots cast, while his opponent, Nukaja Sala, received 54, according to Elections Nunavut. Voter turnout was 48.61 per cent, with 228 of the 469 eligible voters casting ballots.
The Hudson Bay seat became vacant after former MLA Daniel Qavvik resigned June 1. He was elected in 2022.
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