Two women vie for mayor of Sanikiluaq for the first time
Translator, high-school graduate, add names to ballot after no one answers original call for nominees
Alice Mickiyuk, left, and Masako Kittosuk, right, are running for political office for the first time as Sanikiluaq’s mayoral candidates. (Photos courtesy Masako Kittosuk and Alice Mickiyuk)
Leading up to Nunavut’s Oct. 23 municipal elections, Nunatsiaq News is publishing snapshots of races in the territory’s 25 communities.
After no one initially stepped up to run for mayor in Sanikiluaq, two women threw their hats in the ring.
Masako Kittosuk, 18, and Alice Mickiyuk, 33, have never run for office. But they have lived in their community all their lives and describe having a passion for positive change.
Both women say they want to work towards addressing housing in the community.
Mickiyuk works as an Inuktitut translator, substitute teacher and is single mother of three children.
Even with her busy schedule, she finds time to volunteer with the recreation department, the health committee, and the Christmas committee. For a time, she was a member of the district education authority, but left to pursue studies in translation at Nunavut Arctic College in Iqaluit.
“I want to advocate for my community,” Mickiyuk said.
She described roads as a top priority.
“We have a lot of potholes in the community,” she said.
Mickiyuk also said food security was a major concern and said she’d like to work to decrease food prices.
Kittosuk is likely one of the younger candidates for mayor in the territory, but her age has never stopped her. She took her first job at the Northmart at 13 and she still works there now. Kittosuk also volunteers at the food hamper.
Kittosuk just finished school and still trying to figure out what to do next, aside from her run for mayor. She said her family is proud of her and encouraged her to run.
“I want to work in community development,” Kittosuk said, like youth and elder oriented programs.
Kittosuk said drug and alcohol abuse in the community are also a major concern. She wants to see more community programs to address alcohol and drug addiction.
“I promise to work and fight for the people of my community,” she said.
While there’s a two-way race for mayor, the hamlet’s eight council seats have been acclaimed. The members of the next council will be Christina L’Heureux, Lucy Appaqaq, Sarah Kittosuk, Lucy Uppik, Dinah Kittosuk, Johnny Appaqaq and Johnny Inuktaluk.
There are eight council seats, so council will appoint one more member after the new council is sworn in.
District education authority members Johnny Inuktaluk, Lucy Appaqaq, Lucy Uppik and Christina L’Heureux have all been acclaimed as well.
The election in Sanikiluaq will be pushed back by one week, to Oct. 30, because Elections Nunavut had to put out a second call for mayoral candidates after no one came forward to run for mayor in time for the Sept. 22 deadline.
No, Alice will mislead the community.
Mislead you say? Can’t you think of anyone in these voted positions that don’t mislead? And the misleading starts at the day you make your vote for the one you believe don’t mislead. Or as the saying goes: you voters are all mislead. You don’t even know you are.
All elections in Nunavut are a popularity contest. No matter what your education, knowledge, skills are, friends and family will vote for their favourite.
It’s foolish to vote. It’s the same pack of ideas and uselessness. It’s called democracy, and it’s really not, when it comes to favouring family members, it’s then called popularity contest. Like my ugly aunt and gross looking uncle was once voted the most beautiful couple in town, remembering family encouragement to vote for uncle billy and aunt silly, and they won.
I agree with Bepsi 🤦🏻♂️
And there is a qualified, educated female running for Mayor in Kugluktuk as well.
Bepsi is already pointing fingers on a mayoral candidate. Why don’t you be the 3rd candidate if you can lead a straight line to the voters.
Pointing fingers ? When is it not appropriate to point fingers at someone who wants to be the leader of the community? What people suppose to do just accept, and vote without any question? There’s more then her that needs a finger point at them. Some need a finger point towards the exit, telling them to get.
They should get an education first. Stay in school, or continue into college or university. That the problem in the north, it’s too easy for anyone to just run for the contest. And watch the popularity votes. Not good people , not good. Years and years of rejection to education leads to having leadership with , you guessed it.
They’ll always be a few haters (like you) but let’s just say you aren’t running for mayor, and why didn’t you?
Again critics; Sanimiut, why didn’t none of you put in your names to the ballot box before the closing date? You didn’t so shut up please, and I am asking nicely…
What are the odds that there are enough adults with expertise in finance, accounting, insurance, history, math, geography, engineering, public works, infrastructure, human resources, education, law, contracts, and social work – with a willingness to give of their unbiased energy – in a Nunavut community to offer benefit to Council or any of the other boards?
They look like kids. Are adults hiding away? Just notice when you go around the communities, how kids are doing the work these days , adults are exhausted , from what I don’t know. There’s one store in Nunavik, when you go in, you see one old man , manager, and the rest of workers are kids that should be in school still. We’re talking about society that wants and talks from adults, about being their own government. I think most adults are on committees and enjoying going south for meetings and parties. Not good.
Hi Alice, unblock and add People to Sanikiluaq Announcements group to get more votes for you.
Treat people equally, show what you can do, otherwise you showing your true cooours
This isn’t about Sanikiluaq Announcements ☺️
Alice and Masako 2023!