Alexander's new chief pledged this week to bring an era of open governance to the band a week after residents swept all but two councillors from office.
About 87 per cent of Alexander residents voted for chief and council during the band's general election last Thursday — about the same as the 90 per cent that voted in 2008. It was a crowded ballot, with some 33 candidates for council and eight for chief. Six candidates, including former councillor Martin Arcand, dropped out of the race during the campaign.
Elected chief with 123 votes was Herbert R. Arcand, a 49-year-old oil and gas consultant who served two terms on council in the 1990s. Coming in second was Clayton Kootenay with 75 votes, followed by incumbent chief Allan Paul with 68.
This is probably one of the biggest turnouts in band history, Arcand said in an interview on his first day on the job, and he thanked the community for believing in him.
"I know we have a lot of work ahead of us," he said, particularly on issues such as housing and good governance. One of council's first steps would be to hold more forums to talk with locals about how to address the band's issues.
"We are going to take a different approach here and try to unify the people again."
Four new, two old
Newly elected to council were former public works official Curtis "Chewy" Arcand, journeyman carpenter Marty J. Arcand and Armand Arcand.
Also elected was rookie councillor Marcel "Jack" Arcand, a 30-year-old resident who has worked in the band's housing, industrial relations and economic development divisions. "I'm glad we've got a good mix of experience," he said of council, adding that he planned to work on economic and youth issues while in office.
Back for a third consecutive term is Coun. Bernard Paul, who, with 195 votes, was the top vote-getter in the election. "We're in the middle of some big issues coming up," he said, such as the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline, "and we have to work together." He planned to focus on treaty rights and youth recreation while in office.
Also back for a third round is Coun. Kurt Burnstick. The new councillors will bring a lot of fresh ideas to the table, he said, and he looked forward to working with them. His top priority in office would be fixing the reserve's roads and supporting a new Cree language program.
Former councillors Sheldon Arcand and Norman Kootenay placed eighth and 20th in the council poll, respectively.
Work to do
Residents said loud and clear during the campaign that they wanted more openness from their government, said Chief Arcand. "That was one of the things that was made very clear: there was hardly any community discussion on a lot of things that were happening."
Arcand vowed to bring in good governance policies and to better train the band's elected and unelected officials. "The key is to restore the faith [in government]," he said. The band would also re-examine the issue of letting off-reserve members vote in elections, which they currently cannot do.
Housing is an ongoing issue in Alexander, he continued, and the community would face some tough choices on how to use its limited funds. (The band spent $341,745 of federal funds on housing in 2009-2010, according to Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada.) He also hoped to get some development in the reserve's industrial park and its lands near Fox Creek.
While former chief Paul opposed the Enbridge pipeline, which crosses the reserve's land, Arcand hinted that he was more willing to negotiate with its builders.
"If we don't sit down and talk with them, we may be losing out on an opportunity."
