LUTSEL K'E/SNOWDRIFT
Darryl Boucher-Marlowe says he will give youth in his community a voice after being elected chief of the Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation on March 28.

Darryl Boucher-Marlowe was elected chief of the Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation on March 28. - photo courtesy of Darryl Boucher-Marlowe

Boucher-Marlowe received 103 votes while incumbent Felix Lockhart received 80 and Irene Catholique received 36 votes.

"I want to get the young people's voices heard," Boucher-Marlowe said. "I just want to support whatever the youth want to accomplish."

At 30 years old, Boucher-Marlowe said he believes he could be the youngest LKDFN chief ever elected.

He is no stranger to the issues impacting the community's young people. He has been working as Lutsel K'e's youth and recreation co-ordinator for the past five years.

Boucher-Marlowe said it was his presence in the community that helped him win the election.

"I got a lot of respect from the community through my job," he said.

"Ever the years, people have seen the good work I've done for the community. They felt it was time for me to take on the role to be the leader in the community. I'm pretty active in the community, me and my family."

Boucher-Marlowe and his common law partner have five children together.

Finding ways to boost infrastructure and investment in Lutsel K'e, such as developing a hotel and restaurant to increase tourism, are high on his list of priorities, Boucher-Marlowe said.

"I wouldn't mind trying to build a hotel for the First Nation, just to get the ball rolling," he said.

"When we get visitors into the community, we have nowhere for them to stay or for them to come and spend their money."

His vision includes creating a restaurant menu that features local meat and fish, which could also help create employment for harvesters.

"We have a lot of local people that harvest," he said. "We want to help create jobs more sustainably for our First Nation."

Supporting tradition while ensuring residents are keeping up with a changing world is also important to Boucher-Marlowe.

"We have a lot of really great people who still carry on their traditional way of life in the community," he said. "We need to incorporate new technology and traditional ways of life, get them both together."

That means creating new ways to teach residents, such as offering classes to teach computer skills.

Along with the other candidates and their families, Boucher-Marlowe was in the Zah Lockhart Community Hall when the final votes were tallied and announced.

"I was just really overwhelmed and just so excited," he said. "There was a big cheer from all the youth and young people in the community. It felt good knowing I had all that support behind me."

In addition to his goals now that he is chief, Boucher-Marlowe said being a role model to the community's youth is just as significant.

"I just wanted to show a good example, as young people, it's always good to accept the challenge and overcome it," he said. "I wanted to show the youth anything is possible."

Bringing residents, especially youth and elders, together will be the main theme of his term as chief, Boucher-Marlowe added.

"I'm willing to working with everybody," he said.

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