Isaac Shooyook is facing 8 challengers, but says he's 'not done' as MLA

Canada's northernmost constituency has the most candidates campaigning for a seat in this year's Nunavut territorial election.

Eight candidates are trying to unseat incumbent Isaac Shooyook, who during much of his tenure as Quttiktuq's MLA spoke of the importance of Inuit qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) Inuit traditional knowledge in governance.

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The 78-year-old this year's oldest candidate across the territory has done more than just talk about the issue dearest to him. He walked out of Question Period in the legislature in 2015 to protest the lack of traditional values in government.

Last year, after his grandchild died by suicide, Shooyook pleaded with legislators to include traditional knowledge in its response to the territory's suicide crisis.

He says if re-elected, he'll continue that fight.

"I feel I'm not done my job. I'm not done," Shooyook said in Inuktitut.

"I want this to continue well and I enjoy it. It also helps me. That's my main concern why I'm running. I need to get the job done that I started."

David Akeeagok

While he's held a number of high-level government positions most recently as deputy minister of Environment this is David Akeeagok's first crack at running for MLA.

The 48-year-old, who was born and raised in Grise Fiord, says he wants to take his experience in government and "turn it into action."

Akeeagok said education is high on his list of priorities. But on a constituency level, he wants to ease the cost of travel for people in Quttiktuq's three communities: Resolute Bay, Grise Fiord and Arctic Bay.

"Especially for families who want to travel up to this beautiful riding, it's very expensive and the food cost is very high," he said.

"We need to make it affordable to travel together. [Families] need to make a very difficult choice on buying a snowmobile, or going on holidays."

Akeeagok also acknowledged the important work Shooyook has done pushing the need for IQ in government, and said if he wins he'll continue the work Shooyook has done on that front.

Mishak Allurut

Mishak Allurut also wants to tackle the high cost of transportation, in an effort to combat food insecurity. Specifically, he wants to see country food more accessible.

Allurut, a constituency assistant for Shooyook, wants to turn sharing country food into an economic development opportunity, which he says doesn't exist in Nunavut right now.

"Country food, as it stands now, we are able to share, even traditionally, we've been sharing food with friends and the community. But there needs to be economic part of that," he said, adding he wants to create a social enterprise as a Crown corporation of the Nunavut government.

"That would be my priority. To create a social enterprise so we can start trading and selling country food among communities."

The 55-year-old, who was born and raised in Arctic Bay, has also been involved with Arctic Bay's hamlet council, the recreation committee, the alcohol education committee, the planning committee, and the community empowerment committee.

Kataisee Attagutsiak

Another former hamlet councillor in Arctic Bay, running in Quttiktuq, is Kataisee Attagutsiak.

The 52-year-old and former district education authority chairperson, is setting her sights on housing.

"It's just so worrisome. I've been advocating for housing for some of the elders in our community," Attagutsiak said.

"The Government of Nunavut is doing a wonderful job for housing, but there's still a question of 'Have we done enough yet?' "

Attagutsiak also said that pride needs to return to the government, like it was when Nunavut was first created.

"When we got Nunavut in 1999 we were so passionate, we were so excited that we were finally getting our Nunavut. [But] is it for the people? Is it for the communities?

"Now, there needs to be a reversal [from what] we've clearly been seeing in our communities and for Nunavut the governments have been working for the government, and it should be the other way around. The government should be working for the people."

Leo Eecherk

Leo Eecherk has contemplated running for MLA before, but shied away since he had relatives who were also running. This year the 56-year-old decided to give it a shot.

He wants to find a way to keep Quttiktuq's elders in their communities, rather than send them south for long term care.

"It's tough for everybody. Not just for the elder, but for the family," he said.

He also wants to make improvements in the constituency's smaller communities.

"I like to find something for the smaller communities. Getting some kind of government department or a shelter for Quttiktuq area. Something like a shelter or an elder centre or something like that."

Gary Kalluk

The youngest candidate in the field, Gary Kalluk, wants to get people in Quttiktuq working.

"I'd like to get more locals working in the workforce. The community can't really develop itself without an economy," Kalluk said.

The 31-year-old volunteer firefighter is, himself, unemployed and says the future of Nunavut is its youth.

"They're our future workforce and future leaders, and education is key to that," Kalluk said. "They need good education."

He says if elected, he wants to get more involved in his home community of Resolute Bay and be the community's voice in government.

Mavis Manik

Former Resolute Bay mayor Mavis Manik is also vying for the Quttiktuq seat.

Manik declined CBC's request for an interview on her platform.

Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley

Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley has a wide-ranging platform, but the 64-year-old who was born on the land near Pond Inlet keyed in on environmental issues as an area of focus in Quttiktuq.

She said Inuit have historically had little control of what's happened to them, and are still vulnerable to outside forces.

"I think people have to be very aware that the environment is very vulnerable. If there are, say, oil spills, accidents, it will be a very fragile area to clean up. And that will be difficult to do. It's my plan to at least have some protective measures in place," she said.

"Right now Quttiktuq is particularly vulnerable because of its isolation. [If anything happens] it will not only be expensive, but it will also take a lot of teamwork between the different agencies that I plan to work with, to make sure people who live there [and] are going to be impacted have a say if anything, like development or oil spills, happens."

Qitsualik-Tinsley graduated from Western University in London, Ont. with a degree in world history and religion.

She said she's running to give young Nunavut women a bigger voice.

Andrew Taqtu

Andrew Taqtu's platform includes something no other Quttiktuq candidate spoke about: a port in Arctic Bay, which currently has no marine infrastructure.

While the 61-year-old says a port is important to his constituents, he's focusing on elder care.

"We have no elders facility here. They have nobody representing them. That's the main reason why I'm running," he said in Inuktitut. He also mentioned the need for improved education, and better roads in the community.

"Also there's not enough teachers to teach mining. Especially students that are forced to not continue because of lack of teachers. This needs to improve."