Mi’kmaq Matters hosts a debate of the three candidates for chief of the Qalipu First Nation this Thursday (October 4) at 6 pm in the main floor lecture room of the College of the North Atlantic on O’Connell Drive in Corner Brook.
Brendan Mitchell, Clyde Russell and Hayward Young will take questions from Mi’kmaq Matters host Glenn Wheeler and from a live audience.
Media plug-ins will be available.
Glenn Wheeler can be reached at 647-280-7968.
| Qalipu First Nation Band Election 2018 | |
| Position | Candidates |
| Chief | Mitchell, Brendan Russell, Clyde Thomas Young, Hayward George |
| Vice-Chief (Western) | Cormier, Keith Ford, Blain Greene, Gary Jesseau, Ron Miller, Edith Tobin, Andrew (Andy) |
| Vice-Chief (Central) | Bouzanne, Joe Drover, Randolph (Randy) |
| Benoit’s Cove Ward Councilor | Greene, Darren White, Bernard |
| Corner Brook Ward Councilor | Dicks, Brian McDonald, Bob Soper, Jeff Sparkes, Geoffrey |
| Exploits Ward Councilor | Barker, Andrew (Andy) Bennett, Rod (Blackie) |
| Flat Bay Ward Councilor
ELECTED BY ACCLAMATION |
White, Ivan |
| Gander Bay Ward Councilor
ELECTED BY ACCLAMATION |
Francis, Calvin |
| Glenwood Ward Councilor
ELECTED BY ACCLAMATION |
Skeard, Francis (Frank) |
| Port au Port Ward Councilor | Alexander, Michael Gordon Benwah, Jasen |
| Stephenville Ward Councilor | Pike (nee Muise), Odelle Marie White, Gerald (Joe) Young, Stefan Brennan |
| St. George’s Ward Councilor | Lee, Kenneth White, Ivan |
Please be advised that we have now published an updated version of the Elector’s List to include Electoral Wards.
Please check the list and ensure that you are listed in the correct Electoral Ward as this determines at which polling station you will be eligible to cast your vote, and the candidates for which you will be eligible to vote.
To request a change to the Electors List, please contact Electoral Officer Carol Lahey at election@qalipu.ca or call 709-634-7823.
Remember, you may be listed in an incorrect Ward because you have moved and have not updated your mailing address. To update your mailing address, please contact our Indian Registration Administrator Charmaine Bath at cbath@qalipu.ca or call 709-679-2142 or toll free (NL only) at 1-855-263-6440.
2,742 individuals who were notified they were not eligible for Founding Membership have maintained registration via an automatic category amendment if they were card holders with a parent on the updated Founding Members list. The letter dated August 31, 2018 confirms you have retained your registered Indian Status under a different category of the Indian Act, you remain eligible for services and benefits and your SCIS card remains valid.
If this situation applies to you, but you did not receive an automatic category amendment, and your card was deactivated, please contact the INAC Qalipu phone line at 1-800-561-2266 and notify the call centre agent of the situation. The agent will create a call back ticket for the Winnipeg Processing Unit and your file will be reviewed.
Please note, this notice does not apply to children of the 5,096 new Founding Members. While children of new Founding Members are eligible for Indian Status under their parent, they will have to apply to INAC in order to be registered.
Mi’kmaq Matters will host a public debate of candidates for Western Vice-Chief this Thursday (September 13) in the Hutchings Room at Corner Brook City Hall from 6 to 7 pm.
Host Glenn Wheeler will quiz the candidates on their policies, positions and vision for the second largest First Nation in Canada. This free, public event will be aired live on Facebook.
Mi’kmaq Matters is an independent weekly podcast and radio program about the Mi’kmaq people and the Qalipu First Nation.
Glenn Wheeler can be reached at 647-280-7968.
Nominations are now being accepted for the positions of Chief, Central Vice Chief, Western Vice Chief and Councilor for each of Qalipu’s nine electoral Wards (Flat Bay, St. George’s, Stephenville, Port au Port, Benoit’s Cove, Corner Brook, Exploits, Glenwood and Gander Bay)
Have you thought about representing your community, region or maybe the entire nation as Chief? Working on the Qalipu Council is an important job and we hope that many good candidates will present themselves before the nomination period ends at 4:00 PM on Wednesday September 12.
If you’re thinking about it, and wondering what’s involved, take a look at the roles and responsibilities associated with each of the Council positions:
For information on nominations, including a link to the required form, please go to:
https://qalipu.ca/notice-of-call-for-nominations-qalipu-first-nation-band-election/
We wish to advise our membership that the updated Membership List has now been provided to us by INAC. There are 22,251 members on this list which reflects the current membership in the Qalipu First Nation.
On August 31, 2018 individuals who did not meet the criteria for founding membership had their names deleted from the Indian Register.
Of the 10,400 individuals who were removed from the Founding Members list:
If you were removed, a letter from the Indian Register dated August 31, 2018 was sent to you advising of the deletion of your name from the Indian Register, which means:
2,742 individuals who were notified they were not eligible for Founding Membership have maintained registration via an automatic category amendment if they were card holders with a parent on the updated Founding Members list. The letter dated August 31, 2018 confirms:
Letters regarding removals from the register and category amendments were mailed on August 31, 2018. Individuals who remained on the updated Founding Members List will not receive confirmation in writing of such.
If you do not receive your letter by September 14, please contact the INAC Qalipu line at 1-800-561-2266 and let them know.
If you do not agree with the decision rendered in your letter, you can submit a protest. Protests must be submitted within three (3) years of the date of your decision letter. The notice of protest must be submitted in writing to the Indian Registrar:
Protest Unit
Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada
10, rue Wellington
Gatineau, QC
K1A 0H4
It is the responsibility of the protester to firmly establish the grounds on which their protest is based and must clearly indicate how they believe the Indian Act was misinterpreted, or what evidence they believe the Registrar overlooked in reaching the decision.
The Registrar will not consider protests if there is no clear indication that the registration provisions of the Indian Act were incorrectly applied or interpreted.
Please see the protest page on the department website for more information.
If your address has changed, please call the INAC Qalipu Line at 1-800-561-2266. You can also send a signed letter by fax to 1-204-984-3032. Make sure to include:
5,096 new Founding Members were added to the Indian Registry. Letters regarding new membership were mailed on July 31, 2018.
All new members will be added to the ginu membership database in the near future. We will notify you when this has been completed.
Please see below for information on applying for you Secure Certificate of Indian Status.
Children of Founding Members are eligible to apply for Indian Status under the Indian Act.
Please note, if you were registered previously and your parent remains a Founding Member, you will not have to reapply. You will automatically receive a category amendment and maintain your active Indian Status under a different provision of the Indian Act. Letters regarding category amendments were mailed on August 31, 2018.
The application forms can be found on the INAC website here: https://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1462806841047/1462806896945
You may also seek assistance at any of our office locations by calling the Indian Registration Administrator Charmaine Bath (appointments in Glenwood and Grand Falls-Windsor offices), or SCIS Clerk Jody Davis (Corner Brook, St. George’s and Stephenville Offices).
Charmaine Bath: cbath@qalipu.ca or call (709) 679-2142, toll free (NL only) 1-855-263-6440
Jody Davis: jdavis@qalipu.ca or call (709) 634-4010
Please Note: We are experiencing a high demand for the application of SCIS cards. For instance, appointment times in Corner Brook, Stephenville and St. George’s are booked up through September, and we are making appointments for October.
We kindly ask that callers not leave more than one voicemail and be patient as Charmaine and Jody make their way through hundreds of voicemails and return your call.
Remember, you do not need your card to access services and benefits. Your letter confirming registration can be used for up to 12 months from the date that it was issued.
We have used the updated membership list to generate our electors list for the upcoming Qalipu election. If you are or will be 18 on the date of the election (October 23, 2018), you are a new member, a member who received a category amendment or a continuing Founding Member, you are eligible to vote in the election.
It is possible that some errors could have occurred with a large membership list, and with category amendments. Please let us know if you feel your name should be on the voters list but isn’t.
We are working on adding Wards to the Electors List so that members can confirm they are listed in the correct Electoral Ward. If you are not listed in the correct Electoral Ward, we can update that before the election. We will post the Electors List with Wards added in the near future.
Email the Electoral Officer at election@qalipu.ca
Find the Elector’s List here: https://qalipu.ca/qalipu/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Voters-List.pdf
The Qalipu First Nation is pleased to share its Annual Report for the 2017-2018 fiscal year. This report contains the audited financial statements, gives an overview of all activities of Qalipu’s service areas including Education and Training, Culture and Heritage, Tourism, Member Services, Health, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development. The report provides insight into our Strategic Plan, and the 2018 Election and includes messages from the Chief and Band Manager.
The content of this report, and more, will be presented at the upcoming Annual General Assembly. This meeting, open to all members of the Band, will take place on September 15 at 1:30-4:00 at the Parish Hall in St. George’s. Copies of the report will be available at the meeting. Members are reminded to bring their Secure Card of Indian Status to register upon arrival.
In accordance with the Custom Rules Governing Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band Elections, nominations are invited for the positions of Chief, Central Vice Chief, Western Vice Chief, and Councilor for each of the following Electoral Wards: Flat Bay, St. George’s, Stephenville, Port au Port, Benoit’s Cove, Corner Brook, Exploits, Glenwood, Gander Bay.
Nomination forms are available for download below, and are available at the Band office at 3 Church Street, Corner Brook. A nonrefundable fee of $25.00 shall be submitted with the nomination papers in the form of cash, money order, bank draft or certified cheque. The deadline for nominations is September 12, 2018. Nominations received by that date at the Band office will be considered as filed with the Electoral Officer for purposes of the Band Election to be held on October 23, 2018.
Members can view the Electoral Voters List at the Corner Brook Office, at the office of the Electoral Officer or linked below, to confirm their eligibility to vote.
Carol Lahey
Chief Electoral Officer
Suite 313
93 West Street
Corner Brook, NL
A2H 2Y6
Click here to view the electors’ list
See below for links to view the Nomination Forms
Chief
Central Region Vice-Chief
Western Region Vice-Chief
Benoit’s Cove
Corner Brook
Exploits
Flat Bay
Gander Bay
Glenwood
Port au Port
St. George’s
Stephenville
We wish to advise our members that the Qalipu Chief and Council have appointed Carol Lahey to the position of Electoral Officer. In this role, Carol will administer the upcoming Band Election in accordance with the Custom Rules Governing the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band Elections.
Carol Lahey was a Deputy Electoral Officer in both the 2012 and 2015 Qalipu elections, and as such has become proficient in her understanding of our election process, rules and procedure. She also brings with her experience working in both provincial and federal elections.
We look forward to another successful election in 2018.
To reach Carol, please email election@qalipu.ca
or call 709-634-7823
The Election Office is located at:
Suite 313
93 West Street
Corner Brook, NL
A2H 2Y6