Sam Tilley resigns from Iqaluit city council

Iqaluit Coun. Sam Tilley has resigned from city council.

The City of Iqaluit announced his resignation, which is effective immediately, in a news release.

Tilley didn’t go into detail about why he resigned but said he was grateful for the opportunity to represent the community and that he’s proud of the work he did on council.

“I’m stepping away to focus on personal matters and taking some time for myself,” he said via Facebook Messenger.

“I appreciate the support I’ve received and wish council and the city continued success.”

Iqaluit Mayor Solomon Awa thanked Tilley in the city’s news release for his contributions to council and the community.

“We understand that decisions like this are not always easy,” Awa said.

“At times, taking the time to focus on personal priorities is the right step, and we respect that decision.”

Tilley was first appointed to council in October 2022 to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Joanasie Akumalik. Tilley later won a seat in the October 2023 municipal election.

He temporarily stepped away from his duties in early 2025 to seek treatment for alcohol use. He returned to council two months later.

Tilley is the second Iqaluit councillor to resign since the 2023 election. Jack Anawak was the first.

Council has two options to fill the vacancy, under Nunavut’s elections act: councillors can offer Tilley’s seat to the next-highest polling candidate from the most recent municipal election, or put out a call for applicants and choose one of those to serve out the rest of the term.

It’s not clear when city councillors will discuss how to move forward. Their next council meeting is Tuesday evening.