Dettah chief wins in a landslide
Preliminary polls showed Sangris coasting to third term victory
Evan Kiyoshi French
Northern News Services
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Dettah Chief Edward Sangris won a third term Monday night, trouncing his rivals yet again by a nearly two to one margin.
Edward Sangris: Incumbent Dettah chief won his third term in office Monday, beating challengers Shirley Tsetta and Nuni Sanspariel. - NNSL file photo |
Preliminary poll results for the Yellowknives Dene community show the incumbent chief with 210 votes, ahead of Shirley Tsetta with 88 and Nuni Sanspariel with 62.
It is the second time Sanspariel - a 34-year-old originally from the Tlicho region - has been defeated by Sangris in a bid to become chief, having lost by more than 100 votes in 2011, claiming 104 ballots to 237 for Sangris.
Having previously served as a Yellowknives band councillor, Sanspariel stepped down in 2012 citing a loss of confidence in the aboriginal government amid allegations of mismanagement and corruption.
Before polls closed on Monday, Sangris said he would use his third term to focus on land claims and housing issues.
"Affordable housing for our community members has been a problem," he said. "Our First Nations members are having a hard time because of the government. Some of them don't qualify ... they can't get affordable housing in the community. That's one of the big issues."
Sangris said he will also work to improve education for community youth and tackle social problems during his new term.
Yellowknives members will now choose 10 band councillors - five from Dettah and five from Ndilo - during a vote on June 15.
The deadline for council nominations is June 29.
The Yellowknives' returning officer Lynda Comerford said the candidates forum for Ndilo councillors will be held June 10 at the community gym at 7 p.m., while the forum for Dettah council candidates will be held the same time the following day at the Chief Drygeese Centre in Dettah.
