GULL BAY FN – “I humbly thank the members of Gull Bay who saw fit to reaffirm myself and my Council as the government who has been and will continue to be responsible to take up the difficult tasks that face us. I am committed to continuing to act in an open, transparent and accountable matter as I take our Nation forward. Chi-miigwetch”, stated newly re-elected Chief King.
On Saturday, January 10th, the members of Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek – Gull Bay First Nation went to the polls to determine who would lead their community for the next two years. When the tally was posted at 4 AM on Sunday morning, after the ballots had been counted by independent electoral Officer Dennis Robinson, the results indicated a clear victory for Chief King and the members of his Council.
The historical vote differentiation between the first and second place candidates for the position of Chief in Gull Bay is usually only separated by 40 to 50 votes. Saturday’s results saw Wilfred King overtake the next runner- up by a margin of almost 200.
Of the 12 seats for Councillor, 11 of the successful candidates were endorsed by Chief King during his campaign as persons he would desire to see formulate the next government. Oddly enough, the last of the 12 council seats was won by past Chief Miles Nowegijick who himself was a member of a former Council which is currently under heavy scrutiny regarding the financial and operational management of the community during his tenure as leader from December 2010 through January 2013.
“I see this victory as a clear mandate from the people as an endorsement of the direction that I have taken the community in since I reassumed leadership in 2013”, said Chief King. “The road ahead for GB remains a difficult one as the community is still reeling from the financially devastating decision-making consequences of the Council that was in control from Dec 2010 through Jaunary 2013. I have taken an aggressive stand to mitigate the negative impacts to my community and will continue to reinforce the federal government’s obligations to provide services which are not only essential to the health and well-being of members but should also begin to flow funds that our Nation is clearly entitled to while we continue to make great gains in establishing legitimate traction”.
Chief King relays that he looks forward to the challenges that lay ahead including the continued work on community infrastructure items such as the provision on onsite drinking water, repairs to wastewater management facilities and the completion of the development plan for the construction of the new community school. He is also excited to resume negotiations with Ontario and open discussions with Canada concerning their associated liabilities regarding the community’s past grievance settlement on historical flooding in Gull Bay of which Chief King just successfully completed agreement this fall with Ontario Power Generation.
