Incumbents Johnny Peters, Anthony Ittoshat re-elected

QUAQTAQ – Despite many pre-election calls for change, Makivik Corp. beneficiaries re-elected two incumbents, Johnny Peters and Anthony Ittoshat, in the organization's April 4 executive elections.

That's because the numerous candidates competing for the two positions – vice-president for renewable resources and treasurer – produced big vote splits that allowed each incumbent to win with small pluralities.

Johnny Peters, Makivik's vice-president for renewable resources since March 1996, won with 1,283 votes, about 40 per cent of the total. Peters ran strongly in Chisasibi, Kuujjuaraapik, the Ungava Bay communities and Montreal.

Paulusie Novalinga, an outspoken defender of Nunavik hunters, finished in second place. Novalinga, the president of Nunavik's hunters and trappers association, received 865 votes, 27 per cent of the total. In Puvirnituq, three of every four beneficiaries cast ballots for Novalinga, who is a former mayor of the community.

George Pirlutuut received 473 votes or 15 per cent; Henry Alayco 216 votes or seven per cent; and Aloupa Kululua 294 votes or nine per cent.

Makivik's incumbent treasurer, Anthony Ittoshat, was re-elected for a fourth term.

Ittoshat's 1,057 votes, only 33 per cent of the total, was enough to put him over the top. He won with strong support in Chisasibi, Ivujivik, Kangiqsujuaq, Tasiujaq, Montreal and his home town of Kuujjuraapik.

Senator Charlie Watt, a former Makivik president, finished second in the race for treasurer with 819 votes, or 26 per cent. Half of Watt's votes came from Salluit and his home town of Kuujjuaq.

Sarah Airo, the only woman to contest a position in the Makivik election, received 678 votes or 21 per cent of the total. This was her first attempt at an elected office.

Airo, coordinator of schools for the Kativik School Board, said that despite her loss she "felt like a winner" because voters in her home town of Kangirsuk supported her.

Eliaisie Nowkawalk received 369 votes or 13 per cent of the total. Most of that came from his home community of Inukjuak, where he won 236 votes. Marc Carrier of Kangirsuk received 216 votes for seven per cent.

More than half of Nunavik's eligible voters braved windy, snowy conditions to cast ballots. Of 6,177 eligible beneficiaries, 3,167 voted in the election, which coincided with the final day of the Makivik Corp.'s annual general meeting in Quaqtaq April 4.

Polling stations were set up in all of Nunavik's 14 communities, as well as Chisasibi, Montreal and at the Quaqtaq AGM.