Tough election night for First Nation candidates

When the votes were tallied Oct. 25, the First Nation candidates seeking municipal election seats were on the outside looking in.
In Thunder Bay, Cindy Crowe received 3,706 votes in her bid for one of the five councillor-at-large seats. The winners received between 13,396-22,516 votes.
Crowe, a Lake Helen band member, had hoped to bring a new perspective to council and serve as a link between the area First Nation population and the city.
“I see myself as the connector, as the bridge,” Crowe said, prior to the election. “(First Nation people) need to feel like they can trust the city council and have faith in what they are doing.”
She said the diversity of the city should be represented in its workforce, noting the Aboriginal population continues to grow rapidly in Thunder Bay.
Sharon Ostgberg, a former Pic River band councillor, also sought a councillor-at-large seat in Thunder Bay.
She received 3,631 votes.
Ostberg wanted to give First Nation people a voice on council.
“This is your home, this is your city,” she said, prior to the election. “You need to have a say in what is going on.”
In Sioux Lookout, incumbent councillor David Gordon failed to retain his seat.
He received 691 votes but needed 106 more votes to earn the fourth and final position on council.
Gordon had hoped his experience in municipal government would earn him a re-election.
“Now I feel really comfortable in that environment so I think I can work towards making changes a lot more effectively,” Gordon, the former Lac Seul chief, said prior to the election.
In Kenora, both Adolphus Cameron and Waylon Scott fell short in their councillor election bids.
Cameron garnered 1,811 votes but needed more than 2,744 to gain a seat. Scott received 1,146 votes.