Transit, hamlet communication key issues for Sanirajak mayoral candidates

Leading up to Nunavut’s Oct. 23 municipal elections, Nunatsiaq News is publishing snapshots of races in the territory’s 25 communities.

Sanirajak is on track to elect a new mayor on Oct. 23, as the current mayor opted not to run.

Mayor Jaypeetee Audlakiak was first elected in 2017 and then again in a 2020 byelection after Jayko Simonie resigned. However, Audlakiak will not be running in this year’s election.

Vying for his seat as mayor are four new candidates, including one who held the position more than a decade ago.

Ammie H. Kipsigak was mayor of Sanirajak from 2009 to 2011 and said he wants another go at the top job.

“There are a lot of things that are behind in our community of Sanirajak, especially upgrading roads,” he said.

Improving transit infrastructure would be one of Kipsigak’s priorities, he said.

That includes better maintenance of roads that lead to people’s cabins in the community and building a winter road connecting Sanirajak with neighbouring Igloolik about 70 kilometres to the north.

That would mean people could rely less on the expensive 15-minute flight between the hamlets.

“That is needed very much,” Kipsigak said.

Getting a taxi or transit service to and from the airport is also a project he wants to work on as people “struggle” with getting to the airport.

Kipsigak wants to work with Canadian North Airlines to improve delivery services as well.

“Canadian North is not working too good. Sometimes no mail for weeks, no cargo for weeks, and we’re at the bottom of their list,” he said.

“As a community leader and as community councillors we have to talk to the airline company [about] why we are at the bottom. We need schedules and cargo right away,” he said.

He also wants to update hamlet bylaws, create more opportunities for residents to run small businesses like a coffee shop, fix the dock by the shoreline, remove old buildings that can no longer be used, move the dump site to a new location, increase housing and get a new morgue with more drawers for the community.

“We need to work on Sanirajak itself to go forward,” he said.

Kipsigak will face competition from Philip Anguratsiaq, who was born and raised in Sanirajak.

“I am running for mayor [to] make a solid foundation for the food bank so the community members will have access throughout the day,” Anguratsiaq said.

He said he wouldn’t make too many changes at the hamlet. However, he does want to improve communication between the hamlet office and community members by holding more frequent public meetings.

Anguratsiaq also said he would “recognize all the employees of the services they’ve been working for years so they will feel appreciated and perform and improve the work [they’ve] done.”

Increasing employment opportunities in Sanirajak is another priority for Anguratsiaq, and he wants to build stronger relationships with the community’s territorial and federal representatives Premier P.J. Akeeagok and MP Lori Idlout.

Two other candidates running to be mayor, Jason Kaernerk and David Curley, could not be reached for comment.

Voters in Sanirajak will also cast ballots for two other races on Oct. 23.

A new eight-member hamlet council will be elected from a slate of 12 candidates: Valerie Curley, Danny Arvaluk, Isaac Issigaitok, Eunice Tungilik, Manasee Ulayuk, Margaret Qayaqjuaq, Iga Maliki, Irene Morgan, Elijah Kaernerk, Luther Triggs, Trisha Grosset and Jopie Kaernerk.

A new district education authority will also be selected from a list of eight candidates: Eunice Tungilik, Anne Curley, Elizabeth Ikeperiar, Nunia S. Ammaklak, Priscilla Curley, Mary Kuppaq, Solomon Nasook and Marie Christine Kipsigak.

All eight members of Sanirajak’s alcohol education committee have been acclaimed: Janice Curley, Mary Angotautok, Rachel Aglak, Eunice Tungilik, Laimiki Innuarak, George Innuksuk, Asena Kaernerk and Anne Curley.