The beauty and challenge of the election in the frigid north in Canada

Nunavut is the largest federal district in Canada. The whole territory – all 1.8 million square km (695,000 square meters) and its 40,000 people – will be represented by one person in parliament.

“Nunavut is at least three times larger than France. If it was its own country, it would be the 13th largest behind Greenland,” said Katie Ketler, manager of the campaign for local liberal candidate Kilijak Kablo, in front of the BBC.

Situated in the Arct, where the average temperatures in the capital Iqaluit are freezing for eight months a year, it is so huge and inaccessible that the only way to travel between its 25 communities is by air.

“Yesterday, after 24 hours, we were traveling 1700 km (1.050 miles) with air and campaigning in Pangnirtung, Ikaluite, Rankin Log and Arvat,” said G -Kaja Ketler.

“There are not many people who understand the reality of the North,” said G -Kettler, describing the challenges of conducting a campaign that is so different from South Canada.

She recalled that she had knocked on the doors earlier this month as she was running a campaign for her candidate at -24c (-11f).

She said it was rare in the northern communities so that people could knock before entering someone's home. Instead, a tightly woven culture allows visitors to simply “enter and greet” – almost unthinkable in other parts of the country.

Like Inuk from northern Quebec, she said that she “feels strange” even for her to knock and wait for an answer.

In Nunavut, one of the three northern territories in Canada, the population of the majority of grandchildren speaks inuktitut.

Kettler said that one of the biggest costs is to translate campaign signs and hire a Kabloona translator, the candidate.

Election problems and northerners are also unique.

“The national campaign is really focused on Arctic security and sovereignty, while our campaign here is focused on food security and people can survive,” said G -Ja Kettle.

Food can be extremely expensive and there are challenges for the infrastructure to access clean water for a number of indigenous and northern communities.

She was boiling water to drink during an Arvat campaign, she said, and described that she couldn't rely on voter call while she could manage, because the telephone plan was the first thing they were sacrificing to afford food.

The seat is currently occupied by the new Democratic Party (NDR), with the current Lori Idlut running for re -election.

James Arerac is the conservative candidate.

Jean-Claude Nguyen, the returning officer to Nunavut, is responsible for holding the election in the field.

He described how difficult it is to ensure that newsletters and voter lists reach each community – including workers in remote gold mines.

“(Canada elections) sent a team from our headquarters to Ottawa through Edmonton and Yellowif to the mine where they work, gave them plenty of time to vote and then they returned the ballots,” he said.

D -Nguyen also talks about security reasons.

Once the polls are closed, the ballots are counted at the electoral section and then stored safely or with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) or a local neighborhood – a small community that provides municipal services to its residents.

The urns are then transferred to IQaluit, then to Ottawa.

D -Nguyen recalled how the election in 2019 arrived with a large hole.

“When we asked the charter flight company what happened, they said it was eaten by a raven,” he said, laughing.

“This is part of the reality here in the territories, you have wild animals that eat the ballot box.”

No ballots were damaged by the bird.

Beyond all the challenges, Katie Katler said he was most attracted to the spirit of people.

“The generosity, love and care that people have for each other in every community is shining,” she said.

“This is what makes me continue, and that's what makes the Nunavut campaign so meaningful.”