Candidates:

Natsiq Alainga-Kango
Mike Courtney
Kevin MacCormack
Pauloosie Paniloo
Mary Ellen Thomas
Hunter Tootoo

Current MLA:

Hunter Tootoo

Constituency Profile: As its name implies, this Constituency is the core of Iqaluit (pop. 5,236). Much of the housing here is high density, like the aptly named Six- and Eight-Storey apartment buildings. Some of it is also low income, like the much-maligned White Row units. Iqaluit's most notable landmark, the Astro Hill shopping-and-recreation complex, stands prominently at the heart of the riding, overlooking the hospital, the Anglican church, and Nakasuk and Inuksuk schools. Unlike in Iqaluit's other two electoral Constituencys, little new development has taken place here since 1999.

Political History: Hunter Tootoo, an NDP loyalist and former director with the N.W.T. Housing Corp., won this Constituency easily in 1999, collecting three times the votes of the runner-up, councillor Lynda Gunn. Prior to division, Iqaluit Centre was part of the N.W.T.'s Iqaluit electoral Constituency, and was represented from 1995-99 by Ed Picco. Voter turnout in 1999 was very high, with the number of ballots exceeding the number of enumerated voters.

1999
Hunter Tootoo	261 (54.83%)
Lynda Gunn	96 (20.17%)
Johnny Nowdlak	64 (13.45%)
Voter turnout	114.94% ** (second highest in Nunavut)

1995*
Edward Picco	695 (48.30%)
Mary Ekho-Wilman	644 (44.75%)
Gordon McIntosh	100 (6.95%)
Voter turnout	105.24% (highest in Nunavut)

1991*
Dennis Patterson	866 (60.14%)
Val Haas	405 (28.13%)
Bryan Pearson	169 (11.74%)
Voter turnout	90.20% (third highest in Nunavut)

*Prior to 1999, Iqaluit Centre was part of the N.W.T.'s Iqaluit electoral Constituency **Because of problems in enumeration, voter turnouts occasionally are greater than the voter's list.