Woos voters with seal, walrus

Fred Schell may be the mayor of Cape Dorset, but it was neighbouring Kimmirut that put him over the top in Monday's by-election in South Baffin.

Schell captured 60 per cent of total votes cast in Kimmirut and won the by-election with 203 votes. Adamie Nuna, also of Cape Dorset, finished second with 118, Kimmirut's Joannie Ikkidulak captured 116 votes and Zeke Ejesiak of Cape Dorset took 72.

"I spent three days in Kimmirut and I went door to door with pamphlets, handed ‘em out, [and] explained to [people] what I was planning on doing there," Schell said Tuesday. "I also brought some walrus meat and I had some seal there and we had a feast at the school one evening."

Schell said he wants to help Kimmirut win a new longer runway for its airport, finish a breakwater that was started eight years ago and build a community hall.

For Cape Dorset he wants to see a needed upgrade for that hamlet's community hall, and the construction of a breakwater.

While in Cape Dorset, Schell drove around in a pickup truck with a "Vote For Fred" sign attached to the bumper.

A perennial worry of smaller communities that share ridings with larger hamlets is that they'll be ignored by an MLA from the larger community. Schell said he's determined not to let that happen.

"I can guarantee you one thing: I will be looking after [Kimmirut's] needs. I will paying attention to them as much as I am Cape Dorset," he said.

The 18-year resident of Cape Dorset, who owns a hotel and a construction company there, said he was mulling a run for a second term as mayor during the municipal elections scheduled for December.

But no candidates came forward when the deadline for the general election passed in late September. Olayuk Akesuk, the environment and health and social services minister, didn't run again.

"When nobody did I said ‘Well, I'm going to make sure somebody's running,'" he said.

"Once I got into it I got serious about it."

Schell said he'd consider serving in cabinet and said he didn't know yet whom he'd back for the premier's job. He was to fly to Iqaluit this past Wednesday for legislative training with his fellow MLAs.

The assembly will likely meet early next week to pick a speaker, premier and ­cabinet.