Aerial spotters will join the search Wednesday morning for the missing mayor of Kimmirut, Nunavut, who has not been seen or heard from since a weekend hunting expedition.  Jamesie Kootoo left for a caribou hunt on Saturday and was due to return the same day.  While a blizzard prevented a resumption of the rescue effort on Tuesday, volunteers and search and rescue crews are expected to carry on trying to find Kootoo on Wednesday by setting up a base camp near Qurvik Lake.

RCMP Cpl. Dennis Lamb said the Qurvik Lake location, which is close to where the Kimmirut community leader was last seen, would make the search easier in snowy and icy condition.  "They wanted to set up there just because the travel to and from the area, with there just not being very much snow and thing like that and hills being pretty icy trying to get out on the search, it just takes more time getting there, and less time searching."

About two dozen people participated in the search for Kootoo on Monday, and more searchers will fly to Kimmirut later Wednesday, Lamb added.  Police said it's not known how much survival gear Kootoo had with him when he departed for his hunt on Saturday.  On Sunday, searchers were able to follow snowmobile tracks that they believe were left by Kootoo, but fresh snow later covered the rest of the trail.

Donations will be accepted from anyone who wishes to support the Kootoo rescue effort, said Maliktoo Lyta, a search and rescue committee member.

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