Members of the Kwikwetlem First Nation (KFN) head to the polls this month.
Chief Ed Hall, who was voted in four years ago, is seeking the top seat against Coun. John Peters, Ron Jackman and Ron Giesbrecht, a former KFN chief.
Giesbrecht, who was elected leader in 2012, came under national scrutiny a year later after he received a controversial $914,000 for his role as chief and economic development officer — the latter from which he reaped an $800,000 bonus as part of 10 per cent cut from an $8-million land deal on Burke Mountain.
As for the two councillor positions, Coun. George Chaffee is being challenged by Lyle Cunningham, Stephanie Patterson and Fred Hulbert Sr., a former councillor.
Currently, there are about 133 KFN members, of which 84 reside off the Coquitlam reserve; for those members, ballots were mailed out in advance, a KFN spokesperson said. There are 101 eligible voters.
For the local members, the election takes place on March 30 at the Kwikwetlem First Nation Community Centre; polls are open between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.
The base salary for the chief and councillors is about $75,000 each.
According to the KFN’s Consolidated Statement of Operations and Accumulated Surplus for the year ending March 31, 2022, KFN received $10 million in federal and provincial grants, as well as rental income, and spent $8 million on band programs, community services, education and social housing on its reserve.
KFN also owns three entities through bare trustee companies: KFN Enterprises Ltd., KFN Enterprises Limited Partnership and Choxw Holdings Corp.
In 2016, KFN filed a land claim for a portion of its traditional territory that includes the Riverview Lands and the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital grounds, as well as Colony Farm Regional Park and a part of Gates Park in Port Coquitlam.
