Hunter Tootoo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Hunter Tootoo Hᐊᓐᑕ ᑐᑐ PC
Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
In office November 4, 2015 – May 31, 2016
Prime Minister	Justin Trudeau
Preceded by	Gail Shea
Succeeded by	Dominic LeBlanc
Member of Parliament for Nunavut
In office October 19, 2015 – September 11, 2019
Preceded by	Leona Aglukkaq
Succeeded by	Mumilaaq Qaqqaq
7th Speaker of the Nunavut Legislative Assembly
In office May 31, 2011 – November 15, 2013
Preceded by	Paul Okalik
Succeeded by	George Qulaut
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut for Iqaluit Centre
In office February 15, 1999 – October 28, 2013
Preceded by	Territory Established
Succeeded by	Riding Dissolved
Personal details
Born	(1963-08-18) August 18, 1963 (age 61) Rankin Inlet, Northwest Territories (now Nunavut)
Political party	Independent
Other political affiliations	Liberal New Democratic (1997-1999)

Hunter A. Tootoo is a Canadian politician born on August 18, 1963. He served as a Member of Parliament for Nunavut from 2015 to 2019. First elected as a Liberal, he became the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard. He later served as an independent member of Parliament.

Before his time in federal politics, Hunter Tootoo was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut. He represented the area of Iqaluit Centre from 1999 to 2013. He also held the important role of Speaker from 2011 to 2013. Besides politics, he is very involved in curling and became the president of the Nunavut curling association in 2020.

Early Life and Career

Hunter Tootoo was born in Rankin Inlet, a community in Nunavut. His father, Batiste Tootoo, was Inuit, and his mother, Sally Luttmer, was from Montreal. She had family who were Lithuanian Jewish immigrants.

Hunter Tootoo is a businessman in northern Canada. He helped start the Iqaluit branch of Arctic Insurance Brokers Ltd. He also served on several boards, including the Northwest Territories Co-op Business Development Board.

He has a lot of experience in government work. In 1993, he was a regional coordinator for the town of Arviat. He later worked for the NWT Department of Recreation and Tourism and the NWT Department of Finance. In 1997, he became the assistant director of the NWT Housing Corporation in Iqaluit.

Political Career

Hunter Tootoo started his political journey on the Hamlet Council of Rankin Inlet. In the 1997 Canadian federal election, he ran for a seat in the Canadian House of Commons. He was a candidate for the New Democratic Party in the Nunavut area.

Territorial Politics in Nunavut

In 1999, Nunavut became its own territory. Hunter Tootoo ran in Nunavut's first general election. He was easily elected to represent Iqaluit Centre. He was re-elected in 2004 and again in 2008.

During his time in the Nunavut legislature, he held several important positions. He was the Minister Responsible for the Nunavut Housing Corporation. He also served as Minister Responsible for Homelessness. The government of Nunavut works differently from other parts of Canada. All members are elected as independents, meaning they don't belong to a political party.

Federal Politics in Canada

On July 27, 2015, Hunter Tootoo was chosen as the Liberal candidate for the Nunavut federal electoral area. He won the election on October 19, 2015. He defeated the Conservative politician Leona Aglukkaq.

Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

On November 4, 2015, Hunter Tootoo was appointed as the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard. This was a very important role in the Canadian government. He was the first Fisheries Minister to be from Northern Canada. He resigned from this role on May 31, 2016.

Serving as an Independent Member of Parliament

After leaving his cabinet role, Hunter Tootoo continued to serve as an independent Member of Parliament. He did not run for re-election in the 2019 federal election. He announced that he would be leaving politics.

Post-Political Career

In November 2020, Hunter Tootoo became the president of the Nunavut Curling Association. His term began during a challenging time because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nunavut. Many curling rinks were closed, which made it hard to hold qualifying events for major curling championships.

Tootoo has also continued to play curling himself. He was a player for the Nunavut curling team in the 2021 Canadian Curling Club Championships and the 2024 Canadian Curling Club Championships. At 61 years old, he was one of the oldest players in the 2024 competition.

Personal Life

Hunter Tootoo has family connections to other well-known Canadians. He is the cousin of hockey player Jordin Tootoo. He is also the nephew of Manitoba politician George Hickes.

He is a very enthusiastic curler. He has played for the Nunavut team at four Canadian Curling Club Championships (in 2013, 2019, 2021, and 2024). In 2021, he was part of the Wade Kingdon team in the Nunavut Brier Playdowns. They played a close series, losing three games to two.

Electoral Record

Federal Elections

Territorial Elections