QIA election brings new vice president to Baffin Inuit org

Here, Olayuk Akesuk (centre), sits with Enookie Inuarak and Stephen Williamson-Bathory of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association at the 2016 annual general meeting of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, where they made a presentation on the Inuit Impact and Benefit Agreement with Baffinland Iron Mines Corp. (FILE PHOTO)

It took until 12:37 a.m., when most people in Nunavut’s Baffin region were sleeping—but in the early hours of Dec. 13, the Qikiqtani Inuit Association was finally able to release the unofficial results from its Dec. 12 election.

And those unofficial results show that voters in the regional Inuit organization, which represents Inuit in the Qikiqtani region, have elected a new vice president—Olayuk Akesuk of Cape Dorset, who defeated the incumbent, Larry Audlaluk of Grise Fiord.

Akesuk received 1,962 votes, while Audlaluk received 1,558 votes, according to the unofficial count.

Akesuk, born in 1965, was raised in Cape Dorset, where he now resides with his children and grandchildren.

Akesuk is a longtime QIA board member who has worked on the implementation of the Inuit Impact and Benefits Agreement for Baffinland Iron Mines Corp.’s Mary River mine.

Before 2008, Akesuk served as MLA for South Baffin, having won the seat in the first 1999 Nunavut election.

While MLA, Akesuk also served as Nunavut’s minister of the environment, minister responsible for the Workers Compensation Board, and minister responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corp. In 2008, Akesuk was appointed health minister after Leona Aglukkaq stepped down to run in the 2008 federal election for the Conservative party.

Akesuk did not stand for re-election in the 2008 territorial election.

The official QIA election results will be announced once all the ballots have been received by the chief electoral officer.

“We will post the official results when they are made available in the next few days,” the QIA said in its release.

The list of elected officials in other QIA positions, with the number of votes which they received, include:

Secretary-Treasurer
Joe Attagutaluk (Acclaimed)

Community Director, Arctic Bay
Levi Barnabas, 103
Moses Koonoo, 41
Jeremy Tunraluk, 73

Community Director, Cape Dorset
Mathew S. Jaw, 132
Tikitoq Kingwatsiak, 6
Simigak Suvega, 95

Community Director, Grise Fiord
Liza Ningiuk (Acclaimed)

Community Director, Qikiqtarjuaq
Harry Alookie, 80
Loasie Audlakiak, 29
Stevie Aulaqiaq, 62
Jaloo Kooneeliusie, 13
Adrian Toomasie, 16

Community Director, Pangnirtung
Peter Evvik, 221
Lasalosie Ishulutak, 87

Community Director, Resolute Bay
Paul Amagoalik, 25
Martha Idlout, 11
Mavis Manik, 14

Elections of positions in Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., the Kivalliq Inuit Association and many hamlets around Nunavut also took place Dec. 12.

The results of the NTI election for a new president were delayed after weather closed the poll in the western Nunavut community of Kugluktuk, which, weather permitting, is to open for five hours Dec. 13, NTI said.

The results of all municipal elections are not yet available— although results from Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay, where new hamlet councillors were voted on, were posted on these communities’ Facebook news pages.