Thousands of St. Albert-area Métis will cast their votes this September to elect their representative in Alberta’s new Métis government.
Métis Nation of Alberta chief electoral officer Del Graff published the official list of candidates for the 2023 Otipemisiwak Métis Government general election Aug. 16.
Members of the Métis Nation of Alberta ratified the Otipemisiwak (Cree for “the free people”) constitution in November 2022. The constitution establishes a government that will interact with other Canadian governments on Métis-related issues such as health care, housing, and education in Alberta.
The new government divides Alberta into 22 districts, explained Archie Arcand, president of the St. Albert-Sturgeon County Metis Local #1904. Each district now has to elect a citizens’ representative to serve on a provincial council, with some districts also electing district captains. The council, which includes a president, a youth representative, and a woman’s representative, will set policy for the Métis in Alberta.
Four candidates
St. Albert and about half of Sturgeon County fall within District 11, which includes Morinville, Clyde, Waskatenau, Hilliard, Daysland, Millet, and many other communities.
Running for citizens’ representative in District 11 are Luc Gauthier, Alfred L’Hirondelle, Alexander MacLeod, and Gwenn Thiele.
Gauthier, 28, is a lifelong St. Albert resident who works for Métis Child and Family Services. He is often seen performing with the Métis Child and Family Jiggers at community events.
“I’ve been an educator of Métis culture since I was a child,” he said, and he has introduced many St. Albert residents to Métis heritage.
Gauthier said he decided to run to ensure youth had a voice in the Métis community. He had a background in public speaking as an event host and worked extensively with area youth as a cultural support worker. If elected, he planned to focus on youth outreach and cultural retention.
L’Hirondelle, 55, also lives in St. Albert. He is a past president of the St. Albert-Sturgeon County Métis Local #1904 and past president of the Métis Nation of Alberta’s Region 4 (which included St. Albert).
L’Hirondelle touted his honesty, integrity, and decades of work with the Métis Nation of Alberta, non-profits, and First Nations groups as reasons to vote for him. He said he had extensive experience in developing programs for Indigenous communities and helped establish the Hinton Friendship Centre.
“This is a historic time for us,” he said of the election, and it is a great opportunity for residents to get involved in services that could help the Métis.
MacLeod was conditionally declared a candidate in the District 11 election as of Aug. 16. The Gazette was unable to reach them and could not confirm if they were an official candidate as of Aug. 29.
Thiele, 60, is a quality management analyst and Indigenous cultural trainer for Alberta Justice who lives in St. Albert.
Thiele described herself as an outgoing, boisterous person with a background in policy-making, legislation, and advocacy, as well as 40 years of involvement with the Métis community, including past work with the Métis Nation of Alberta. If elected, she said her first priority would be to reach out to district residents to find out what they needed from this new government.
“I want to show pride in the Métis,” she said.
“I want to be a leader that brings our world to (the non-Métis) world and works together.”
District 11 voters will also get to vote for either Joseph Pimlott or Andrea Sandmaier as provincial president. Tai Amy Grauman has been acclaimed as women’s representative, while Rebecca Lavallee has been acclaimed as youth representative.
Forum and vote
Any citizens of the Métis Nation of Alberta aged 16 and up can vote in this election by mail, online, or in person. Mail-in ballots (which will be sent to every voter) are due Sept. 19. The online and in-person votes will happen Sept. 13-19, with details on the vote set to be published in the coming days.
Arcand estimated that there were some 6,000 eligible voters in District 11. He encouraged them to take part in the election.
“We’re establishing a new government,” he said.
“You’re electing your representative, the person who will you represent you at the government level.”
Arcand said the Local #1904 will hold a town-hall-style forum for District 11 candidates at the St. Albert Inn at 7:30 p.m.
Visit www.metiselectionsab.com for details on the election.
