Congratulations to all the nominees for the upcoming Chief and council elections scheduled on March 9 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Ullus Community Complex. Come out and vote.
There is a lot of talk in the community about looking for change. Take this opportunity to have a hand in these changes; by voting for the candidates that you feel will work in the new team that we are building with this election and that will help guide the changes we are all looking for.
Included in this election day will be a couple of referendums for the Lil’wat Citizenship Code and the Lil’wat Elections Code. Take the time to review copies of these codes by contacting the Band Office.
These codes have been in the works for many years, including information sessions where you as band members had the opportunity to give your input on what should be included. Drafts of the codes have been reviewed and amended to these almost final drafts of what we are about to vote on.
There is information meetings scheduled to ask any final questions, or to make any final suggestions on these codes before we vote on them. Two meetings are scheduled in Mount Currie at the Ullus Community Complex from 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday (Feb. 5) and on Feb. 26. Two meetings are scheduled in Vancouver at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday (Feb. 6) and on February 27.
If you have family in the lower mainland, pass the information along to them to ensure they have the opportunity to have their say in this important matter.
A couple of the main points proposed to the Election Code are to change the term of Chief and council from two years to four years and change from a one Chief to a two Chiefs system — one political and one cultural. There are many other points involved, so be sure to review the codes in detail before election day.
One of the main points proposed in the Citizenship Code is to change from double parents rule to single parent rule, where having one parent as Lil’wat is all that is required for automatic membership. Again, there are many other points that will be included, so review the code and share it with family and friends so that everyone is informed.
If you have family that lives off reserve that would like to vote, please forward their mailing address to the membership clerk at the band office or to the electoral officer, Fred Schiffner at fschiffner@dccnet.com.
Points to Ponder
When you think of drinking and driving, does the idea of alcohol come to mind? Have you ever considered that it goes far beyond that? If someone is driving and holding a cup of coffee, where does the cup end up if the driver had to suddenly adjust to avoid a situation such as an accident, or a child, or pet on the road? Chances are they will be wearing that cup of coffee, or the passenger in the front seat will be wearing it and possibly have gotten a serious burn in the process. Or what if it was a bottle of water or juice or pop? If the driver dropped the bottle, it could end up at their feet and hinder their ability to work the gas or brake peddles. Drive with care.
If you have an achievement to be acknowledged or an event that you would like to share, please forward the information to me at radcase@telus.net before my next column on Feb. 28.
