Language, housing top priorities in Netsilik
Four candidates running to represent riding that includes Taloyoak, Kugaaruk
Four candidates are running for the constituency of Netsilik in the Oct. 27 Nunavut election. From left, they are Emiliano Qirngnuq, Johnny Qilluniq, Joseph Quqqiaq and Cecile Nelvana Lyall. (Photos courtesy of Emiliano Qirngnuq, Johnny Qilluniq, Joseph Quqqiaq and Cecile Nelvana Lyall)
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.
Four candidates — Cecile Nelvana Lyall, Emiliano Qirngnuq, Johnny Qilluniq and incumbent Joseph Quqqiaq — are vying to lead the people of Netsilik in Nunavut’s territorial election.
Multiple requests for an interview with Quqqiaq went unanswered. Qilluniq also could not be reached for an interview.
Nelvana Lyall is a first-time councillor for the hamlet of Taloyoak. She took a leave of absence to run for MLA.
“We are at a point within Nunavut, in our growth as a society, where we really do need to come in and reflect on where we’ve come from and where we are going as a society and as a government and I feel like I can play a role within that,” she said.
Nelvana Lyall previously worked for Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. in various roles, including policy analyst on housing and homelessness. She studied business administration at Red River College in Winnipeg.
“Housing is a very big topic and will be on everyone’s platform because there is such a dire need within Nunavut,” she said.
Very few Nunavut communities have emergency family violence shelters, she said, adding homelessness is also a big problem.
Nelvana Lyall said preserving Inuktitut and the region’s specific dialect, Netsilikmeot, is also important.
On the question of preserving Inuktitut language, Qirngnuq agreed with Nelvana Lyall.
Qirngnuq, who is from Kugaaruk, noted the strict divide in the constituency along hamlet lines. People tend to vote for candidates from their home hamlet, be that Taloyoak or Kugaaruk. He wants to see the constituency split in two so that each community is fully represented in the legislature.
Qirngnuq has been married to his “beautiful wife Katrina for 54 years,” he said.
He retired as senior administrative officer for Kugaaruk in 2024, he said. From 2016 to 2021, he served as MLA for Netsilik after winning a byelection.
Qirngnuq also believes housing is a top priority.
“As you know, housing is very difficult,” he said.
“That’s the one thing I would like to focus on. Get more housing for young people.”
Qirngnuq pointed to collaboration as a way to tackle the territory’s problems.
“We must be able to ask questions of our government,” he said. “We have to work together as a team.”
Joseph Quqqiaq announced his platform on Facebook.
The incumbent has his sights on cabinet if elected again. He said he wants to be minister responsible for Nunavut Housing Corp. and minister of community services.
He also said he would continue advocating for the revitalization of the Netsilik dialect of Inuktitut.
Quqqiaq’s last term as MLA was not without controversy. He took a leave of absence from his role from October 2022 until March 2023 to deal with an assault charge. The charge was ultimately stayed.
The fifth candidate, Mary Anaumiq Neeveacheak, is no longer running. She said she is recovering from surgery and apologizes to the people of Netsilik. She intends to run in the future.
Nevertheless, her name will be on the ballot because the deadline for candidates to withdraw was Sept. 25.
Vote Cecile!
Vote for educated and capable Inuit.
Vote for a better future.
Capable Inuk, NOT capable Inuit. we are speaking of one person. Not the the whole territory. Re: Cecile.
It was a general statement, nothing wrong with using the term Inuit in this way.
I really do hope the people of Taloyoak and Kugaaruk will vote for Cecile. She is the most suitable, out of all the others, to best represent the people there. She’s educated, aware of the needs, and one with actual common sense.
Everyone mentions housing. One candidate wants to be Housing Minister. Can we all agree that the housing issue with NHC and NU 3000 is beyond just about any candidate’s competency that is running for election this time around. That applies to all candidates for every constituency not just this one.
All that is going to end up happening if strong competency is not brought to this issue, is a continuation of what Nunavummiut’s have seen in the last 4 years. Unless someone extremely strong, and experienced can come in and demand answers from the current NHC CEO and administration. Not accept just the words of the bureaucrats that, “everything is fine”. It’s not fine. Everyone except the people in charge seem to realize that. Without the capacity to truly understand this largest capital project in Nunavut’s young 25 years, then Nunavummiut’s will be doomed to another 4 years of underperformance, failed schedules, budget overruns, excuses and more contracts that will not be respected.
All while we listen again to the bureaucrats go on and on about how great the project is. At the very least, candidates should be committing to take the necessary steps to investigate the current set up at NHC and the Sole-Source Contract with NCCD, NCC 3000 or whatever they call themselves… Commit to requesting an AG Report exclusively on the NHC-NCCD Contract and performance and commit to implementing the recommendations that are made. Then they need to commit to go out and get the necessary resources, talent and knowledge to help guide and inform them (independently) from the NHC structure. Only then will they be on the right path to ensuring the homes that are so desperately needed get built and delivered in a timely and cost-effective manner. Not sure anyone of these candidates can pull that off.
Remember, regardless of who you vote for get out and vote. Give a lift to an elder, take a friend or family member with you to vote. GO VOTE!
I am waiting for the day when our candidates can not only speak to their priorities, but add a thought or two on how they intend to take meaningful action on these priorities.
If you did public coffee and tea chat in both Taloyoak or Kugaaruk you would find out very quickly that housing and Netsilingmeot are important issues to the people that live there.
Recognizing the importance of issues to voters is the first step that a candidate can take to become a good leader. The next step is to use your grey matter and experience to propose specific things that you will do to address these issues. That should include changing government policies or programs in specific ways, reallocating resources, or coming up with brand new laws. The final step is to follow through with those ideas and actually make a change that is hopefully for the better.
If your ideas are good enough, or at least better than the other guy, this should be the basis for the decision voters will take.
The incumbent MLA for Netsilikmeot mentioned the importance of housing and language in the legislative assembly several times over the years. This commentary went no further than stating that the Netsilik riding needed as much housing and language support as any other place in the territory.
The incumbent’s awareness of these issues by itself did not mean he as an MLA did anything at all to increase the housing available to his constituents, or increase the use of our dialect.
From that point of view, there is nothing to distinguish between the candidates based on their answers to these questions this time around.
We need leaders who will speak from the heart and not a written script that is too difficult to enunciate for the MLA. All across the board, not just this constituency.
I look at their platforms , who responded. No doubt who I would vote for if I was in that riding. A woman with an education who has already done so much in her young life. We need the youth voice, the voice of a woman, and a new energy to the legislature. Thank you to have all served! Your service is commendable. On to the next generation!