Lake Babine Nation (LBN) voters have chosen their council for the next three years.
Gordon Alec has been elected as LBN’s new chief after receiving 307 votes.
Incumbent Chief Wilf Adam received 275 votes while Cindy Lowley received 134. Candidates Mary-Ann Poirier and Fred William received 78 and 29 votes respectively.
“I’m feeling great,” the newly elected chief told Black Press after winning, adding that for the next three years he plans to focus on economic development.
“For far too long we’ve been in a slow economic development… my main objective is to get people on top, and let’s get moving,” he said. “I know it will be a big task, but we can do it as a team.”
Incumbent Chief Adam was running for an unprecedented fourth straight term as chief of LBN. He first served as chief from 1988 to 1994 before leaving to sit on the B.C. Treaty Commission and then returning to become chief again in 2009. He was re-elected in 2012 and again in 2015.
READ MORE: Wilf Adam pursues fourth term as Lake Babine Nation chief councillor
Chief Adam told Black Press that it was an honour to serve as leader of LBN for as long as he did.
“I always had the best interest of the people as to me they are our bosses,” he said, adding that he wishes all the best to the new council.
A total of 26 people were running for the four Woyennne community council positions.
READ MORE: Crowded field for Lake Babine elections
The new Woyennne councillors include Murphy Abraham (284 votes), Melvin Joseph (175 votes), incumbent Derek C. MacDonald (173 votes) and Cheyene Crouse (132).
The two spots on council for the Fort Babine community went to incumbent Bessie West, who received 42 votes, and John West, who received 30.
The Tachet community also had two spots on council. Shane Modine took the first spot after receiving 48 votes.
There was a tie for the second spot after three candidates – Dolores Alec, Mildred George and Paul Joseph – received 34 votes each. Incumbents Alec and George lost their councillor spot to Paul after the three names were put back in a ballot box and drawn.
The Old Fort community only has one spot on council, which was taken by incumbent Verna Power after receiving 35 votes.
With a membership of approximately 2500 people, LBN has three principle communities — the largest being Woyenne in Burns Lake.
Lake Babine Nation is the second largest First Nation in the north, with members also living elsewhere in the province.
Advance polling took place June 16 while the regular polls were held on June 26. Polling stations were set up in Woyenne, Tachet and Fort Babine, as well as Prince George, Smithers and Vancouver for nation voters who live away.
The new council will be sworn in on July 4, 2018.
For a full list of results, visit https://onefeather.ca/nations/lakebabinenation
– With files from Rod Link
