Baker Lake, Nunavut, mayor resigns

Kevin Iksiktaaryuk says the part-time role has required his full-time commitment

The mayor of Baker Lake, Nunavut, has resigned after being in the position for a year.

In a letter posted to the hamlet’s Facebook page on Tuesday, Kevin Iksiktaaryuk said he’s leaving the job

“Although this role is and was to be part-time, it has most often required my full-time commitment,” Iksiktaaryuk wrote.

He said he also has another full-time job that provides his main source of income, as well as family responsibilities.

“It has become clear that I cannot rely solely on the mayor’s position, nor can I give it the time and energy it truly deserves.”

He also said the stress, responsibility and high expectations in the job “are beginning to take a toll.”

“Balancing these pressures with my career and family has become more challenging than I can handle in a healthy way and I can no longer continue.”

He said he’s proud of what the hamlet has accomplished over the last year, but he “must be honest about the demands of political life.”

Iksiktaaryuk also included a long list of future projects he hope the next person in his role will take on, including a community economic development plan, expansion of the dump, a new family violence shelter, a new subdivision, a new police detachment.

“I must recognize my own limits and put my mental health first. It would not be fair to the community — or to me — if I continued without giving you the attention and dedication you deserve,” he wrote.

Iksiktaaryuk was first elected in October 2023.

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