With election day set for Jan. 29, three candidates have been nominated to run as chief of the We Wai Kai First Nation.
Campbell River city councillor Tanille Johnston has been nominated, alongside incumbent Ronnie (Ronald) Chickite, and Brian Assu, a long-time councillor and former chief.
Johnston said the nomination was a surprise as she anticipated being nominated for the nation's council. She said she is backing her mother Tammy Johnston's campaign for council, but has allowed her name to stand. She was nominated to run as a councillor in the nation's 2021 election.
"My passion for caring for community is never-ending," Johnston wrote in an email. "I believe that we deserve a leadership that is transparent, that is inclusive, that leverages community capacity, that takes advantage of federal and provincial granting opportunities, that believes in climate mitigation strategies, and embeds those in all projects from the start, that continuously strives to engage and include our away from home membership, that seeks out ways to include community participation in guiding decision making, that keeps their word, and that cares about the whole of community and is invested in carrying our lineage forward."
In September, Johnston was also announced the new NDP candidate for the next federal election contesting the North Island-Powell River riding. She is the first-ever First Nations person to be elected to the role.
READ ALSO: New Democrats announce candidate for North Island - Powell River riding
The Mirror contacted Chickite who declined to comment. He completed his first term as chief after being elected in 2021, succeeding Assu, who held the position before him.
The Mirror was unable to reach Assu for comment before deadline. He served as elected chief of the We Wai Kai Nation for five years and as an elected councillor for more than 30 years.
