Harper in Nunavut? Maybe not this year

Prime Minister Stephen Harper greets people in Arctic Bay during a brief stop in that North Baffin community in August 2014 during his annual northern tour. (PHOTO BY CLARE KINES)

Since his first election to the prime minister’s job in 2006, Stephen Harper has made a point of visiting Nunavut once each summer, usually as part of a tour of the northern territories.

This is the time of year when Harper is usually gearing up to head north, on trips often tied to military exercises like Operation Nanook, designed to bolster Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic.

But the PM might break with tradition this year, media reports suggest, to prepare for the upcoming federal election campaign.

This year’s election is scheduled for Oct. 19, which means a typical campaign should start around early to mid-September.

But there are reports the Conservative party plans to begin its campaign early this year, in the hope of draining the finances of the country’s less-wealthy opposition parties.

And that means the Harper would skip out on his summer trip north this year, in favour of campaigning elsewhere across the country.

The Globe and Mail reported July 17 that the PMO has already dropped its northern tour plans, and intends to start campaigning next month.

The prime minister’s office would not confirm the cancellation, telling Nunatsiaq News only that all of Harper’s travel and events are announced through media advisories.

The summer trips north usually take the prime minister on a week-long multi-community tour through the country’s three northern territories.

Last year, Harper made stops in Cambridge Bay, Pond Inlet, Arctic Bay and Iqaluit; in 2013, he visited Rankin Inlet, Gjoa Haven and the Raglan mine in Nunavik.

But a cancelled tour doesn’t rule out a possible campaign visit ahead of the October election.

The federal environment minister, Leona Aglukkaq — Nunavut’s twice-elected MP — confirmed as early as January that she will be running again in this federal election.

To challenge her, Clyde River mayor Jerry Natanine is waiting for the final okay to run for the federal New Democrats in Nunavut, while the territory’s Liberal party association has yet to announce a candidate.