The results of the 2016 Onion Lake Cree Nation election are in, and both new and old faces will be leading the band for the next two years.
The campaign period kicked off after a nomination meeting held on May 5, which generated a total of 71 candidates seeking the eight council positions available, and six candidates aiming for the position of chief.
The vote took place on Friday, with voters coming in to the Onion Lake Memorial Communiplex from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in order to make their decisions. Candidates made last-minute pitches outside the doors of the arena, gathered in the parking lot where vehicles streamed in and out throughout the voting period.
A copy of the election’s official results was given to 106.1 The Goat on Sunday afternoon, and gave the exact count of each candidate’s votes. According to those results, Wallace Fox has been re-elected as chief for the next two years. He won with a total vote count of 621, with the closest runner-up being former band councilor Thomas Chief, who garnered 483 votes.
Fox had previously announced in 2016 that he was not planning on seeking the position, but was nominated for the position back in May, despite the public statement. He later told La Ronge-based MBC Network Radio Online that he had accepted his nomination, and if the people of Onion Lake decided to vote for him, it was their decision.
While the role of chief remained unchanged, the council positions have seen significant change. The members of council for Onion Lake Cree Nation for the next two years will be Florence Blois, Delores Joan Chief, Ivan Scott Harper, Roy Littlewolfe, Doreen Masson, Joe Dillon, Dolores Pahtayken, and Hubert Pahtayken.
Former councilors Quincy Littlewolfe, Joe Waskewitch, Leon Whitstone, and Walter Pahtayken were not re-elected.
A full breakdown of the vote count can be viewed at the link below.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/cxqr11rv3yvd0ut/Election%20Results.jpg?dl=0