The results of the re-election are in, and Dean Nelson has once again been elected Chief of the Lil'wat Nation.
In a re-election held July 11, Nelson received 403 votes to secure the win. Kathy Wallace received 144 votes.
Former Chief Lucinda Phillips withdrew from the election on June 19.
Cultural Chief Leonard Andrew was elected by acclimation.
Re-elected Lil'wat councillors are Joshua Ryan Anderson, Helena Edmonds, Vaughan Gabriel, Luke Johnny, Lois Joseph, Maxine Joseph-Bruce, Felicity Nelson, Martina Pierre, Rosemary Stager, Alphonse Byron Wallace and Carl Wallace.
"It's a good mix of wisdom and youth, and they're all community oriented," Nelson said of his new council on March 24. "I think it's just a really good feeling to have all these people together and going in the same direction. Community based, culturally based, I think we all just happen to see the same vision."
The re-election was ordered by an appeal board after a member of the community appealed the results of the original March 15 election, which Nelson also won.
Deaths in the community around the time of the nomination period and Election Day — with nothing specific written into the Election Code to address what should be done in such events — meant a difficult decision for Phillips.
"As Chief at the time, I was faced with a difficult decision of how the timelines for nomination and Election Day should be met and also honour the wishes of the deceased's families and the community," Phillips wrote in a statement last month.
Phillips eventually decided to postpone the nomination day and relocate the polling location — though she knew the decisions would leave the election open to an appeal.
On May 14 the appeal board delivered its ruling that the results of the election be overturned and the previous Chief and council be reinstated.
Phillips said she decided to withdraw from the election after seeing the division the appeal had caused in the community.
"It hit this community pretty hard, and I don't want to be putting my family through this anymore. I don't want to put my community through this anymore," Phillips told Pique on June 23.
Whistler receives provincial grants
Communities along the Sea to Sky corridor will soon receive more than $1.8 million in grants from the provincial government.
The money is part of almost $75.2 million being invested in communities across the province.
Whistler will receive $223,903 from the Small Community and Regional District grants fund and $160,904 from the Traffic Fine Revenue Sharing grants fund.
Squamish will receive $110,123 from the Small Community and Regional District grants fund and $168,079 from the Traffic Fine Revenue Sharing grants fund.
Pemberton will receive $266,323 from the Small Community fund.
Other communities receiving funding are Lions Bay, Bowen Island and West Vancouver.
"These grants recognize the important role local governments play in delivering much needed public services," MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky Jordan Sturdy said in a release.
"The Traffic Fine Revenue Sharing program helps West Vancouver cover the cost of policing, while Small Community Grants help municipalities and regional districts renew infrastructure and keep communities safe and livable."
The payment is the second of two annual payments. A payment of $40 million was made in March.
According to the provincial government, the two funds have provided more than $792 million in funding for B.C. communities since 2009.
