The Commission
Photo by Felix Willie
Meet the the Commissioners
Billy Dan May
Chairperson – Nominated by NMRPC
Billy Dan was nominated by his peers on the Commission to be the NMRPC Chairperson. He’s held this position for over 3 years now. Billy Dan grew up in Kuujjuaq and moved to Tasiujaq in 2012.
Billy Dan has had training in heavy equipment maintenance and diagnostics, rescue boat and small vessel operation; has his restricted radio license and is a certified Nunavik Arctic guide. He is also the president of the LNUK (Local Nunavimmi Umajulirijiit Katingajingi), the local hunters and trappers’ association. He currently works at the school as a Culture and Land Survival teacher. Billy and his wife Lucina have a blended family with four children. Together, they’re raising a dog team and they enjoy spending as much time as possible on the land doing traditional activities. Billy Dan’s hobbies are really a lifestyle, and he goes as often as he can to harvest, hunt and fish to feed his family and his community.
Billy Dan has traveled extensively throughout the Nunavik Marine Region. He cares deeply for the marine environment and Nunavik, a respect and love for the land and marine region that inspired him to become part of the NMRPC.
Lorne McNeice
Commissioner – Nominated by the Government of Canada
Lorne McNeice was appointed by the federal government to sit on the Nunavik Marine Region Planning Commission. He has held this position since December 16, 2009. Lorne was born and raised on a farm on the Saskatchewan prairies. His first career was with the Hudson’s Bay Company. He went on to take Engineering at the University of Saskatoon and became a Commissioned Land Surveyor for Alberta and a Commissioned Canada Lands Surveyor. He spent fifteen years surveying in the Northwest Territories, the Yukon and Nunavut. In 1984 he joined the Surveyor General’s office in Yellowknife. He went on to become the Regional Surveyor for the NWT and later the Deputy Surveyor General for the North. Lorne retired from the federal public service in 2008 and now resides in southern Manitoba on a small farm with his wife Julie. Their combined family of seven children and ten grandchildren live in western and northern Canada.
Lorne is an avid hunter and continues to enjoy hunting deer, antelope and upland birds in the adjoining provinces and states.
Saali Alaku
Commissioner – Nominated by the Makivik Corporation
Saali Alaku was appointed by Makavik Corporation to sit on the Board of the NMRPC as commissioner. He’s held this position since January 2021. Saali’s hometown is Kangiqsujuaq, but he has spent time in Kuujjuaq for schooling. Saali is an avid hunter and fisher, hunting snow goose, seal, beluga, and caribou, and fishing arctic char. He enjoys woodworking, helping in the community and teaching youth to hunt and fish. Family is very important to Saali and he enjoys spending time with his wife, three sons and his daughter.
Saali was Mayor of Kangiqsujuaq for 6 years, served as a Board Member for Kangiqsujuaq’s Anguvigapik for 4 years, was the KRG representative for Kangiqsujuaq for 6 years and is currently the General Manager for Nunaturlik Corporation. Saali enjoys being involved in a positive way in his community and doing what he can to make things better for his community.
Saali heard about the NMRPC when Makivik advertised on the radio and wanted to learn more and be involved. He saw an opportunity to do something that benefits all of Nunavik while also taking on a new challenge while contributing his experience and knowledge to the Commission.
Joannie Ikkidluak
Commissioner – Nominated by the Government of Nunavut
Joannie Ikkidluak was appointed by the Government of Nunavut to sit on the Board of the NMRPC as a commissioner. He has held this position for 8 years. A lifelong Nunavut resident, he was born in Tatchitu and moved to Kimmirut when he was young.
Though he’s now retired, Joannie brings years of Board and political experience to the NMRPC. He was a member of the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board and was both a council member and Deputy Mayor in Kimmirut.
Joannie loves to hunt, fish, and carve, and was interested in joining the Board of the NMRPC to be able to share his knowledge and abilities.
Bobby Epoo
Commissioner – Nominated by the Makivik Corporation
Bobby Epoo was appointed by Makivik Corporation to sit on the Board of the NMRPC as commissioner. He’s held this position since January 2021.
Bobby has spent his whole life in Inukjuak and is currently a municipal services foreman, which mean he’s a firefighter and rescue boat operator. In addition to training to be a rescue boat operator, Bobby has done training in PC repair and ground to air communication.
In his spare time Bobby loves boating. He has two daughters and two sons, and part of the reason he wanted to join the NMPRC was to do more to better Nunavik.
Janelle Kennedy
Director
Janelle has travelled and worked extensively across the Canadian Arctic and currently resides in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Over the last 20 years she has been immersed in the research and development of the fisheries, sealing and fur sectors in the north. She has worked extensively in aquatic and marine science, training, management and policy development. Her education is in the environmental sciences and she has a Master’s in Marine Management, which was focused on ocean and coastal issues facing communities across the Arctic. She joined the NMRPC in November 2020 and thoroughly enjoys working with the commissioners and the communities in Nunavik.
She is looking forward to being a part of the development of a Marine Use Plan for the Nunavik Marine Region, a plan that will represent the values and desires of Nunavimmiut and ensure the NMR is developed in a way that respects what the communities want.
