John Ningark facts for kids

John Ningark (March 17, 1944 – November 17, 2016) was an important politician in Canada's northern territories. He served as a member of the law-making groups for both the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. These groups are called the Legislative Assembly.

A Life in Public Service

John Ningark was born in a place called Naujaat, which was then part of the Northwest Territories. Later, this area became part of Nunavut. He dedicated many years to serving the people of the North.

Starting His Political Journey

John Ningark began his political career in 1989. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. This happened during a special election called a by-election. He represented the Natilikmiot area.

In the next election in 1991, he was re-elected without anyone running against him. This is called winning by acclamation. He briefly worked as a Minister for Renewable Resources in 1992. A minister is like a leader for a specific government department.

Serving Multiple Terms

John Ningark was elected for a third time in 1995. He won by a very small number of votes against Uriash Puqiqnak. Uriash Puqiqnak later became a politician in Nunavut too.

John Ningark decided to leave politics in 1999. He did not run for a seat in the new Legislative Assembly of Nunavut when that territory was created.

Returning to Politics

After some time away, John Ningark tried to return to politics. In 2004, he ran for a seat in the Nunavut Legislative Assembly. He ran in the Akulliq area but was not elected that time. He was defeated by Steve Mapsalak.

He ran against Steve Mapsalak again in the 2008 election. The results were very close, with both candidates getting the same number of votes after a recount. This meant a new special election had to be held. In this new election on March 2, John Ningark won. He defeated Steve Mapsalak and returned to the Legislative Assembly.