Nunavut

Nunavut is the largest federal electoral district in Canada by land area, covering roughly two million square kilometres of Arctic and sub-Arctic territory across the eastern and central Arctic. The riding encompasses 25 communities spread across three regions — Qikiqtaaluk (Baffin), Kivalliq, and Kitikmeot — connected almost exclusively by air, with no road links between settlements. The territorial capital of Iqaluit, located on southern Baffin Island, is the largest community, while regional hubs include Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay.

Candidates

Hunter Tootoo (Liberal) — A veteran of Nunavut's territorial legislature, Tootoo represented Iqaluit Centre as a Member of the Legislative Assembly from 1999 to 2013, serving as Speaker from 2011 to 2013. During the 3rd Legislative Assembly he held multiple cabinet portfolios, including Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. Before entering politics, he worked in municipal administration in Arviat and later with the NWT Housing Corporation in Iqaluit.

Jack Anawak (NDP) — One of the most experienced political figures in the Canadian Arctic, Anawak served as the Liberal Member of Parliament for the former riding of Nunatsiaq from 1988 to 1997, during which time he was parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. He left the House of Commons in 1997 to become the Interim Commissioner of Nunavut, overseeing the creation of the new territorial government before it officially launched on April 1, 1999. He later served in the Nunavut Legislative Assembly and as Canada's Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs.

Leona Aglukkaq (Conservative) — The incumbent MP, Aglukkaq was first elected in 2008 and made history as the first Inuk appointed to the federal Cabinet, serving as Minister of Health during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic response. She subsequently held the portfolios of Environment and Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, and chaired the Arctic Council during Canada's 2013–2015 presidency. Before entering federal politics, she served in the Nunavut Legislative Assembly and held senior positions in the territorial civil service, including Deputy Minister of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.

Spencer Rocchi (Green Party) — Rocchi had spent three years teaching in Nunavut communities including Kugluktuk, Naujaat, and Arctic Bay before his candidacy. By the time of the campaign he had accepted a teaching position in Alberta, acknowledging that he viewed his candidacy primarily as a way to give voters a Green option on the ballot.

About the Riding

Nunavut's population of approximately 36,000 had the youngest median age of any jurisdiction in Canada, and roughly 85 percent of residents identified as Inuit. The territory faced acute challenges around food security, with nearly 47 percent of households experiencing food insecurity according to 2014 survey data — a rate the United Nations Special Rapporteur had called the highest documented for any Indigenous population in a developed country. The federal Nutrition North Canada subsidy program, which provided retail subsidies to reduce food costs in isolated communities, was a central point of debate during the campaign.

Housing was another defining issue, with severe overcrowding in many communities and long waiting lists for public housing units. The territory's economy depended on a combination of government employment, the traditional hunting and harvesting economy, and a growing mining sector anchored by the Meadowbank gold mine near Baker Lake.

The riding's vast geography posed unique challenges for campaigning and governance alike. Issues of language preservation, mental health services, infrastructure investment, and the terms of resource development on Inuit lands all featured prominently in the 2015 campaign.