Infrastructure, language dominate talk in Arviat North-Whale Cove
Tony Uluadluak takes on incumbent John Main in 2-way contest
Tony Uluadluak, left, is challenging incumbent John Main for the Arviat North-Whale Cove seat in the Oct. 27 territorial election. (Photos courtesy of Elections Nunavut)
This story was updated on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025, at 8:45 a.m. ET.
Nunatsiaq News is publishing riding profiles ahead of the Oct. 27 territorial election. Keep your eye on our website to learn more about who is running in your area.
Arviat North-Whale Cove has two contenders for MLA: Arviat resident Tony Uluadluak and two-term incumbent John Main.
The riding encompasses all of Whale Cove and the northern half of Arviat.
Main was first elected to represent the riding in the 2017 election. The rookie territorial politician was passed over for a cabinet position.
Re-elected in 2021 by acclamation, Main made his way into cabinet and was given the health portfolio under Premier P.J. Akeeagok, with the additional portfolio of minister responsible for suicide prevention.
“The biggest feeling that I have in terms of this election is one of gratitude,” Main said, when asked what he is most proud of from his time in office. “I just feel so thankful to have been given this opportunity.”
He said accomplishments over the past two terms include new housing and infrastructure projects such as a new water treatment plant and airport in Whale Cove, and a new mental health programming space in Arviat.
Behind the scenes, Main said he has learned how to get new projects established and how to fund new programs.
Before entering politics, Main worked as a television reporter for CBC North, an economic development officer for the Hamlet of Arviat, and as regional business officer for the Kitikmeot Inuit Association.
He is a past president of the Kivalliq Chamber of Commerce and a former member of the board of directors of the Nunavut Development Corp.
Main, who is fluent in Inuktitut and English, lives in Arviat with his wife and three children.
For Uluadluak, “our language” is among the most important issues in his campaign.
“The language is very important to speak in Nunavut, along with hunting and sewing,” he said in Inuktitut, speaking through a translator. “These are the main lifestyle [practices] Inuit yearn to live.”
Uluadluak serves as director for Arviat with the Kivalliq Inuit Association.
He started working at 13, “because my parents have been telling me to work hard and keep working.”
His late father, Donald Uluadluak, advocated honing one’s listening skills, he said … and the young Uluadluak listened.
“That is how people learn, by listening,” he said. “I’m saying this because my late father used to say this a lot growing up.”
Uluadluak has experience co-organizing recreational programs, such as the Arviat fishing derby. He worked with the hamlet since 2005 in a variety of roles, including bylaw officer, sewage truck driver and water truck driver.
Homelessness is among the most prominent problems in the riding, he said.
“Many people live in overcrowded homes,” Uluadluak said, adding it’s an issue territory-wide.
Health care is a concern to the constituency as well, he said.
“Looking at Arviat, the population is rising as well as the number of patients is getting high due to sickness, and we need to do something about health care,” he said.
Medevac is too slow at times, he said, and cancer diagnoses are slipping through the cracks.
“If we can somehow catch the early signs of cancer, it lowers the chance of getting higher stages” of the disease, he said.
Correction: This story was updated to correct information pertaining to how John Main did not get a cabinet seat when he was first elected.
It must be nice to live in a bubble. In your own world where you make up what you want to see, when you see it and how you see it. Build your own narrative. Not going to spend a long time on this one. Former Minister Main is “grateful”…. and absolutely lives in a bubble.
No need to rehash everything that happened while he was a Cabinet Minister in the last 4-year dumpster-fire Government. In his bubble it was all good. He did great, the government was awesome. So, for those outside the bubble. A reminder; The Health Care and suicide crisis/emergency facing Nunavummiut (ooppss.. he was The Cabinet Minister) The housing disaster of NU 3000 which he was aware was happening long before the AG Report in May 2025 but did nothing (ooppss.. he was a Cabinet Minister). The Social Services Colossal failure of Nunavut children and youth, think 2023 & 2025 AG Reports (ooppss.. he was a Cabinet Minister). Yes, all that and much more over the last 4 years.
Mr. Main also found his passion for photo-ops. He discovered you can even do them for projects that are not finalized and that you actually don’t have final approval for.
It wasn’t always like this. I remember a time when Mr. Main was not a Cabinet Minister (his first term in government); he had fight, he pushed for answers, he was a thorn in the side of the Cabinet and held the Cabinet and Premier to account and to higher standards. We anticipated and looked forward to when he stood up in the Legislative Assembly to ask questions of Cabinet Ministers. Yup, he was a major pain in the backside but many of us loved that version of Mr. Main. I personally truly admired and respected that version of Mr. Main. He lived outside of the bubble. With the rest of us. Unfortunately, that seemingly all went away and now he wants you to vote for him again based on his version from inside his bubble. Thinks maybe you live in there too.
Candidate Uluadluak talks about the value of listening. He is absolutely right. But you also have to have a plan, ideas, strategy and then articulate that to people so they know what they are voting for. Unfortunately did not read any of that here and he is perhaps articulating that to the voters of this constituency directly.
Remember. Ask the candidates tough questions and expect tangible answers. Then make the decision you feel is best. Give an Elder a lift to the polls and grab a friend or family member and GO VOTE!
Speaking of narratives… here’s one. Crafted cynically under a pretence of insight. Granted, that’s how narratives often work, they are reflections into the mind of their creator.
I could not have said it better. You just made my point. Enjoy the bubble.
Confirmation bias is awesome
Mr. Main has witnessed the deterioration of healthcare and did nothing! In fact he told the numerous nurses willing to report publicly on the problems (complaint process, harassment, incompetent care), to “follow the process”…..he is not listening. Nunavumiut need to demand safe health care, truth and transparency of dept of health and action on the reported problems. The health delivery is at an all time low in 20 years. Community health centers close for days and weeks, QGH ER is staffed with paramedics after senior management pushed the nurses to quit. From hospital senior management to the ADM of health, they know and refuse to address the most basic issues.
That was about as tone deaf as one could get…
Complaints, harassment, incompetent care – did they follow the process to raise the issues? The Minister would likely never intervene directly in these instances if the staff were not presented with due process! The Minister, fire a staff person? Call them up for a disciplinary meeting? Can you say lawsuit?? Give your head a shake!!! This Minister followed process because of a high ethical standard. Something all GN employees and all health patients deserve!
The processes in place did not work, that was the point of the article we are talking about. To say “hey that sucks, just try using the processes in place” is tone deafness from another planet.
Based on your apparent misunderstanding of the situation and the three-part article, it might be a good idea to give it a read.
Inuit employees are being replaced by directors’ children recruited from the South, who are provided government housing for entry-level positions. In some of John Mains departments, up to two-thirds of the workforce operates remotely under the guise of “term contracts” that extend for five years. Meanwhile, the poor health outcomes of Inuit are being covered up and left uninvestigated.
Nunavummiut are experiencing far more hardship than most people realize; however, the ADM’s and ministers are fully aware of it.
This is not what the article was about
process followed?
so, were processes followed to get to a resolution? Or just a regular Nunatsiaq warrior complaint? if nurses wanted to report publicly, why didn’t they?
There is no info on plans other than “listening”. Listening is the first step, what’s next? Pointing out what the issues are without a clear path forward is empty.
As for John, he has actually worked towards some progress. Its not perfect or not everyone will agree. That’s ok.
I’m bored of what was said by both candidates. Can we also point out how Uluadluak’s family was raffling off country food for facebook shares of his campaign.
Back on November 7, 2019, John Main, as a regular member, when he brought up basic income for Nunavut, referenced a Caledon Institute 2013 report.
During the 2000s, basic income (BI) was pushed by WEF 2009, Davos Panel 2011-12, and UN, 2018 UN Habitat, 2009 UN General Assembly discussion, 2013 UNICFE India Pilot.
Now the push is on for digital ID, which is also tied to Social Credit Score, carbon credits. Start looking at food packaging listing carbon footprint. Everything you do is tracked. Allowed or not allowed. Debanked for political views.
It was only a few years ago when the Nunavut Gov was on the radio announcing they’d fine you hundreds of dollars if sang in a church while shopping stores were full of people.
Will basic income/universal income become the Nunavut Government carrot for digital ID sign-up while taking away massive amounts of freedom on the other side?
Over in the UK, people are being flagged for social media posts the government doesn’t like. Thus 30 people a day are arrested for a post.
Of course, the federal government would have to fund the BI. Thus, it’ll be a given one must be signed up for digital ID. And of course carbon compliance and social credit score would be tied to it if you want your monthly money.
If about half the population in Nunavut was given a BI – $20,000-$30,000 a year, it would consume 22%-33% of the Nunavut budget.
What would Basic Income do to education? In some areas of Nunavut, only 15% of students who start in grade one graduate. Though Nunavut says the graduation rate is around 43%.
Basic income will give the Feds 100% control of Nunavut and its people. MLAs agree?
Good to see you back on the air, MF
Thanks S. Just trying to stay out of the ignored comment arguments and perspectives jail…lol. Great to see the continued growth of likes on your posts. Just maybe some cracks of light are melting mass formation hypnosis. Creating sparks of one own thoughts and… pondering a different perspective on what has been told to believe.
You may notice that EDO contracts are all minimum wage due to contracts of Municipalities taking advantage of Municipal Admin fees to other make-up budgets just to cover its Municipal Administration operating costs to other mark-up budgets that are known to perceived crooked budget make-up numbers just to cover Management salary admin fees operations!
Yes, its about time that Economic Development contracts should be pull-out of Municipalities due in part crooked operations to perceived corruptions under the ROOF of Community Government Services contracts that are administered and contracted by the Municipalities across this Territory. This is on-going issued due in part NOT to take advantage of conflict of interests and to cover increase salaries of Senior Managements operations of Municipal operations and its backward systems! Notice this crooked trend under CGS contracts between Municipalities!?!
This may result in day-to-day Municipal operations Affairs such as conflict of interests of elected councils that may perhaps focus personal affairs, hiring of intern Crooked senior Managements that administer Hamlet budgets operations, and hiring of unqualified Finance Officers that administer Hamlet financial operations. That results to mismanagement if NOT monitored closed by CGS regional OFFICE. This leads to crooked operations to perhaps doubling pay cheques salaries under the contracts of Community Government Services. What do you think of this system!?!
Is the Minister that was part of the disaster of the last 4 years nervous of a sewage truck driver
GN have to change health care system amongst its Inuit citizens. I see alot of Inuit unemployed but rather have good education background and alot of potential. Arviat doesn’t have alcohol issues or have AA meetings or has drug problems where cocain and hard drugs is not a problem.
I see why those health care is in the way of living a normal life for some locals who are willing to work and get work enjoyment. Rather I see many without the right diploma and high school diploma freely able to work and some with education are on income support. I hope power of abuse from business leaders stop being dictators of jobs, instead arviat do don’t have much drugs and alcohol problems. Those health care mental health are suited for those with alcohol problems, or drug problems.
“Arviat doesn’t have alcohol issues”
Look, this isn’t true and we all know it.
What a bunch of baloney on these comments, keyboard warriors, and trolls, look at all the candidates , we are screwed even before the election, John may be our best mla in Nunavut , another house of cards coming to us shortly.