Six running for two council positions in Nunavut’s capital

According to an unofficial list released March 6 at the close of the nomination period, six men are running for two open seats on Iqaluit city council. Election day is April 10, with advance polls April 3. (FILE PHOTO)

Six candidates will jockey for two seats on Iqaluit’s city council when voters head to the polls on election day, April 10.

Candidates had until 3 p.m., March 6, to submit their nomination forms for the election, which will fill the two vacant seats left by former-councillors Gideonie Joamie and Megan Pizzo-Lyall.

In alphabetical order, here’s the unofficial list of candidates, as released by the city March 6:

• Dushyenth Ganesan;

• Stephen Austin Leyden;

• Jean-Luc Nevin;

• Former-councillor Noah Ooloonie Papatsie;

• Kyle Sheppard; and,

• Sutheat Tim.

The official list of candidates will be released March 8. Advance polls will be held April 3 at Iqaluit’s Cadet Hall from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Election day polling stations will be open from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. at both the Cadet Hall and Abe Okpik Hall in Apex, April 10.

Eligible voters must be at least 18 years old, a Canadian citizen and resident in Iqaluit for at least the past 12 months.

Iqaluit’s current city council has been operating below capacity for more than half of its tenure since being sworn into office November 2015.

Former-councillor Gideonie Joamie resigned from office May 5 last year, but Iqaluit mayor Madeleine Redfern and city council decided to continue on as an eight-member council without holding a by-election—citing an estimated $90,000 price tag.

But after the abrupt resignation of Megan Pizzo-Lyall in January—and deliberations behind closed doors by councillors—the City of Iqaluit announced it would hold a by-election to fill both seats.

Ayaya Communications was awarded the contract to run the election for a price of $62,311.05.

Franco Buscemi of Iqaluit was selected as the election’s returning officer.

Ayaya Communications is partially owned by partners who also own the company that publishes Nunatsiaq News.