FORT WILLIAM FIRST NATION – Re-elected leaders of Fort William First Nation hope to continue to repair issues from the past while moving the community toward a brighter future.
Peter Collins was re-elected as chief following Saturday’s vote. Electoral officer, Paula Hyslop confirmed Collins as the winner over his opponents Kyle McLaurin, Leo Bannon, and Walter Bannon.
“It feels really good,” Collins said. “Sometimes as a leader you don’t think the people in the community appreciate the work that you do and watch what you do. It says volumes. They have been paying attention to my commitment to the work I do on behalf of our community and trying to repair some of the things from the past and build a brighter and healthier future for our community.”
Collins has served six terms as chief of Fort William First Nation since 1998. In 2013 Collins decided not to run for chief and Georjann Morriseau was elected. In 2015, Collins ran again and was elected.
“There are some pretty substantial projects that we are working on,” Collins said. “When your term is only two years that is sometimes the issue that we face at election time, we get some projects that take a little long to get off the ground and become a reality. That’s the time frame that we look at.”
Collins said his top priority will continue to be the James Street Swing Bridge, which he said has always been a priority, though other projects have required some of the focus.
“The other big issue I have started is the taxing authority on land that rightfully belongs to the community of Fort William,” Collins added. “That process is moving along, not at the speed I would like it to, but it’s moving along.”
And while it can be difficult to accomplish everything he would like to in only a two year term, Collins said the community will be looking into extending terms for chief and council to four years.
“That is one of the other issues will be trying to move forward, to try and implement a longer term for council,” he said. “It has been on our radar, it was on our radar before the election, but according to the new election act, we had to sign in before November and we didn’t get that done.”
“I got the feeling from most of our community members today that they would like to see a longer term and have the opportunity to get a lot of things on the ground,” Collins added.
Elected to council are incumbents Leo Bannon Jr., Leo Jiggs Bannon, Valerie Chapman, Jennelle Charlie, Anthony Collins Sr., Kyle MacLaurin, Philip Pelletier, Sherry Lynn Pelletier, and Michelle Solomon, along with three new faces at the council table, Cathy McKenzie, Murray Pelletier, and Yvette Anne Greenwald.
