What happened

**The City of Iqaluit has published its 2025 property-tax arrears list, showing $5,298,534.80 in arrears as of July 15, 2026.** The list, released July 28, names properties with more than $500 owing and offers owners help to set up payment plans. It does not announce a tax sale, a collection deadline beyond the normal process, or a council-approved plan to deal with the long-running arrears. SourceCity of Iqaluit↗

The reported total is $760,773.92—or about 16.8 per cent—higher than the $4,537,760.88 on the City’s 2024 arrears list, published a year earlier. Several of the same high-arrears roll numbers appearing on the current list also appeared on the City’s 2019 list, including records for Jonah and Lizzie Kelly, Annie Ataguyuk, Steve Martel, Mosesie Korgak and Jacoopoosie Peter. A listing does not establish why an account remains unpaid: an owner may dispute an amount, make payments, have a payment agreement, or face title or leasehold complications. SourceCity of Iqaluit↗

**The City does have a legal route to sell eligible property interests for unpaid taxes, but it is not automatic.** Under Nunavut’s Property Assessment and Taxation Act, a sellable property that remains on an arrears list after Dec. 31 may be put to public auction when the taxing authority considers it appropriate. For Iqaluit, council must set the auction date by resolution and establish a minimum sale price and conditions for each property. The law can apply to registered land and improvements, and to a registered leasehold interest on Commissioner’s or municipal land; it does not mean the City can simply confiscate a house without the statutory process. Sourcenunavutlegislation.ca↗

The safeguards are substantial. Before an auction, the City must send registered notice to the assessed owner and registered interest holders, publish auction advertisements in the Nunavut Gazette and local newspapers, and allow the owner to redeem the property within 30 days after an auction by paying arrears and reasonable collection expenses. A court challenge is also available within 30 days on specified fairness or compliance grounds. If a property receives no qualifying bid, ownership remains unchanged, the debt remains owing, and the City may offer it again later. Sourcenunavutlegislation.ca↗

Other northern municipalities have used the same type of statutory mechanism. For example, Hay River published formal public-auction notices identifying properties and minimum sale prices under the comparable Property Assessment and Taxation Act process. Iqaluit also publicly scheduled a tax auction in 2003, though that sale was later cancelled after a lease-registration issue emerged. Those past examples show that public auction is a real collection tool, but do not establish that every Iqaluit property now listed is legally eligible for sale. Eligibility depends on the particular title or registered leasehold interest. Sourcejustice.gov.nt.ca↗

Why it matters

Property-tax arrears affect City revenue used for local services, while the list raises a practical public-interest question about whether longstanding, eligible arrears are being actively collected. The City’s current notice says it is meeting the legal requirement to publish the list and offers payment-plan assistance. It does not explain whether council intends to authorize sales, pursue court collection, negotiate payment arrangements, or use another approach for accounts that remain unresolved year after year. SourceCity of Iqaluit↗

What happens next

The July 28, 2026 publication itself is complete. Any auction or City recovery strategy remains pending unless the City provides a council resolution, public auction notice, court filing or other primary record. SourceCity of Iqaluit↗

Important details

Key verified figures: 2025 arrears list total, $5,298,534.80; 2024 arrears list total, $4,537,760.88; increase, $760,773.92 (16.8%). The current list is dated July 28, 2026 and reflects an update as of July 15, 2026; despite its name, it concerns 2025 property-tax arrears. SourceCity of Iqaluit↗

Legal distinction: the Act says an eligible property **may** be offered for sale after remaining listed beyond Dec. 31; it does not require a sale. Council must pass a resolution for an Iqaluit auction, and the City can cancel or adjourn an auction before it begins. The City may also remove a property from the list if arrears and expenses are paid, if it was mistakenly included, if the owner enters an instalment agreement, or in certain complaint or appeal circumstances. Sourcenunavutlegislation.ca↗

Supplied Facebook link: opened but could not be verified because Facebook returned an internal error. The City’s official July 28 notice and attached list independently verify the core publication.