Candidates:

David Alagalak
Peter Alareak
Peter Two Aulatjut
Kevin O'Brien
Jay Saint
Kono Tattuinee

Current MLA:

Hon. Kevin O'Brien, Speaker of the Assembly

Constituency Profile: Arviat (pop. 1,899) is situated just north of the Manitoba border on the shore of Hudson Bay. It is Nunavut's third most-populous community, and has the territory's third-fastest growth rate. The surrounding land is flat and windswept in winter, but the treeline is nearby, and summer temperatures are comparatively balmy. As a "decentralized" community, Arviat has received nearly 80 Nunavut government jobs, including the administrative functions of Arctic College. Still, unemployment is significant, and housing is in desperately short supply: As of last autumn, nearly 140 residents were on the community's housing waitlist. Kivalliq leaders have long been pushing for a road and hydro corridor linking Manitoba to Arviat and, possibly, points north.

Political History: Kevin O'Brien, a former housing director for the Kivalliq region, has had a lock on this Constituency for the past eight years. He gained a seat in the N.W.T. assembly in 1995, tallying more votes than Baker Lake incumbent Silas Arngn'naaq and four other challengers combined. O'Brien's 1999 win over Arviat's Kono Tattuinee was equally decisive. With the retirement of Kelvin Ng, a win in this election would make O'Brien one of the longest-serving Nunavut MLAs.

1999
Kevin O'Brien	474 (62.70%)
Kono Tattuinee	282 (37.30%)
Voter turnout	92.68%

1995*
Kevin O'Brien	700 (54.43%)
David Simailak	211 (16.41%)
Silas Arngn'naaq	140 (10.89%)
Voter turnout	90.08% (second highest in Nunavut)

1991*
Silas Arngn'naaq	424 (39.59%)
David Alagalak	349 (32.59%)
Gordon Wray	298 (27.82%)
Voter turnout	85.77%

*Prior to 1999, Arviat was in the N.W.T.'s Kivallivik electoral Constituency, which included the community of Baker Lake.