Ahead of the Feb. 3 shíshálh Nation hihewus (councillor) byelection, Coast Reporter reached out to each of the five candidates.
Age: I turned 31 back in November.
Contact: [email protected]
Introduce yourself, What is your experience / background ?
My Name is Benedict Pierre IV. (Tsesote is my traditional name) I'm a husband to Alyssa and father of three boys, Kyson, Sebastian and Parker. This is my second time running in a byelection. I've been working at Heidelberg Materials for the past nine years. I started as a labourer and eventually worked my way into becoming a shift boss. This is where I gained most of my experience managing and leading a successful operation. I've been in construction most of my life and feel more than ever that now is the right time for me to try my hand at Chief and Council.
Why are you running for election?
Being a part of Nation leadership has always been in my heart. My grandfather and father were both respected council members in the past and seeing them be leaders instilled my desire to help and work for my people.
If elected, what projects or priorities would you bring in the next three years?
As this is a byelection, I will not have a full three year term. With the time I would have, I would like to focus on our youth as well as our elders. Soccer has been a way of life in our nation in the past and I would like to see more investment from the nation to propel us back to the top of our game. I would also like to offer more in-home support to our respected elders. I feel they have been let down to a certain extent in this matter.
What are some concerns you have heard from the community?
As mentioned before, in-home elder support is a big one. The drug dealers/users that have been using nation land as well as how nation members are supposed to afford housing in the newly built Selma Park subdivision.
Jordan Copp is the Coast Reporter’s civic and Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
