Fort Liard (May 20/05) - Two months from a planned election, Chief Floyd Bertrand is facing a petition calling for an immediate trip to the polls.

Disgruntled band members held a public meeting on May 9. They drafted a list of nine recommendations, including a snap election rather than wait until July 14. Neither Bertrand nor any band councillors was in attendance, but more than 60 Fort Liard residents were there, according to band member Dolphus Codille.

Bertrand, reached for an interview a few days after the public meeting, said he refuses to resign no matter how many signatures appear on the petition.

"What's two more months? Why do people want an election that bad?" he asked.

There is widespread concern about the financial state of Beaver Enterprises, a band-owned venture, Codille said. Chief and council have not been informing band members of the company's dealings, he said.

"There's no communication between band council, the chief and the community," said Codille. "He (Bertrand) is more concerned about the business end and it's causing conflicts within the structure of Beaver Enterprises."

Tom Wezelman and John Gonet have resigned as directors of Beaver Enterprises after less than a month of service. Both men work for Beaver Enterprises and declined to discuss their reasons for leaving the board.

Dolphus Hardisty, who has been a Beaver Enterprises director for a year, said he has drafted a letter of resignation but is still debating whether to submit it.

"There was supposed to be a cut down on (Beaver management) wages, but nothing happened like that," Hardisty said. "There's too many cooks. Too many cooks spoil the soup."

Bertrand countered that Beaver Enterprises is in better financial shape now than it was when he became chief. He said he would fax a copy of the company's financial statements to the Drum to prove it. The documents didn't arrive prior to deadline.

The chief said he's sending out a letter to band members to address the confusion that "certain groups are causing in town."

He noted that the three remaining Beaver Enterprises board members - himself, Angus Capot-Blanc and Raymond Kotchea - would be enough to form quorum. He added that there is an existing list of candidates for directors and more will be appointed soon.

Elect the board

Another recommendation to arise from the May 9 public meeting was to hold an election to fill seats on the Beaver Enterprises board.

Bertrand responded that the directors must be accountable to chief and council and therefore should be appointed by chief and council. Otherwise "you lose control of your whole business and the board can do whatever they want whenever they want, and who's going to control them," he said.

Concerned band members are also demanding that pay advances for directors and chief and councillors only be approved in accordance with policy. All advances must be repaid in full, is another recommendation.

Bertrand replied that advances are "all being paid back." He added that they are granted only in emergency situations and are limited to $500.

Codille said some band members planned to present their concerns to MLA Kevin Menicoche this week and at the Dehcho First Nations leadership meeting in Fort Liard, which has been postponed until next week.

Despite the strong opposition, Bertrand insisted he can still govern effectively. He said he and council didn't show up at the May 9 meeting because they suspected the meeting was organized by politically motivated individuals who are on the campaign trail, looking to deliver "a sales pitch."