Candidates:

Joe Allen Evygotailak
Donald Havioyak
Millie Kuliktana

Current MLA:

Donald Havioyak

Constituency Profile: Bordered on three sides by the Northwest Territories, the Kugluktuk electoral Constituency is the westernmost in Nunavut. It covers the southwest corner of Victoria Island, then jumps across Dolphin and Union Strait to the mainland. The famous Coppermine River and Bloody Falls are here, and the southern edge of the Constituency is below the treeline. The only community is Kugluktuk (pop. 1,212), Nunavut's ninth largest. About 90 per cent of residents are Inuit, and many speak Inuinnaqtun - a language considered distinct from Inuktitut. "Decentralization" has brought three dozen territorial jobs here since 1999. At the south margin of the Constituency is the Lupin gold mine, which suspended operations last summer. About 300 employees were forced out of work, including 40 northerners. Not far from Lupin is Tahera's proposed Jericho diamond mine, which the company hopes to open by 2005. Construction and mining would provide labour for more than 100 people. Despite the development prospects in this Constituency, many voters feel ignored by Iqaluit-centric leaders far to the east.

Political History: In the narrowest victory of the 1999 election, economic development officer Donald Havioyak squeaked past Ida Ayalik-McWilliam by six votes. Havioyak, who had campaigned on a platform of job creation, was then named to cabinet. He resigned his ministry a year later, saying he wanted to give more attention to his constituents. For six years prior to division, Kugluktuk was represented by Cambridge Bay MLA Kelvin Ng.

1999
Donald Havioyak	200 (35.15%)
Ida Ayalik-McWilliam	194 (34.09%)
Stanley Anablak	125 (21.97%)
Voter turnout	87.67%

1995*
Kelvin Ng	792 (71.10%)
Ernest Bernhardt	322 (28.90%)
Voter turnout	85.02%

1991*
Ernest Bernhardt	367 (33.03%)
Kelvin Ng	316 (28.44%)
Joe Ohokannoak	274 (24.66%)
Voter turnout	95.15% (highest in Nunavut)

*Prior to 1999, Kugluktuk was part of the N.W.T.'s Kitikmeot electoral Constituency, which included the community of Cambridge Bay.