The commissioner of Nunavut (; Inuinnaqtun: Kamisinauyuq Nunavunmut; ) is the Government of Canada's representative in the territory of Nunavut. The office is vacant until a replacement is selected for Eva Aariak who stepped down in 2026.

The commissioner is appointed to represent the Canadian federal government and performs many of the same duties of lieutenant governors in Canadian provinces, such as swearing in members of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut and approving territorial legislation. However, unlike a lieutenant governor or the governor general of Canada, the commissioner is not a viceroy and does not represent the Canadian monarch; instead, they represent the federal government.

History

The position was created in 1999 with the creation of the new Nunavut territory. Like other territorial commissioners, the commissioner is appointed by the Government of Canada and represents the Canadian cabinet in the territory.

{| class="wikitable"

|- valign=top style="font-weight:bold; background-color: #DDDDDD"

!#

!Name

!Term

!Premiers

|-valign=top

|1

|Helen Maksagak || 1999–2000

|Paul Okalik

|-valign=top

|2

|Peter Irniq || 2000–2005

|Paul Okalik

|-valign=top

| rowspan="2" |3

| rowspan="2" |Ann Meekitjuk Hanson || rowspan="2" | 2005–2010

|Paul Okalik

|-

|Eva Aariak

|- valign="top"

|–

|Nellie Kusugak (acting) || 2010

|Eva Aariak

|- valign="top"

| rowspan="2" |4

| rowspan="2" |Edna Elias|| rowspan="2" | 2010–2015

|Eva Aariak

|-

|Peter Taptuna

|- valign="top"

| rowspan="3" |5

| rowspan="3" |Nellie Kusugak|| rowspan="3" |2015–2020

|Peter Taptuna

|-

|Paul Quassa

|-

|Joe Savikataaq

|- valign="top"

|–

|Rebekah Williams (acting)

{| class="wikitable"

|- valign=top style="font-weight:bold; background-color: #DDDDDD"

|Name

|Term

|-valign=top

|-

|Helen Maksagak || 2005–2009

|-

|Nellie Kusugak || 2010–2015

|-

| Lew Philip || 2024–present

|}

Duties

The duties of the commissioner are similar to that of the lieutenant governors of the provinces. However, since commissioners represent the Government of Canada rather than the Crown, they are not viceroys.

References

  • Official Handbook for Commissioners of the Territories (Canada)
  • Coat of Arms of Nunavut