M'Chigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island postpones election until May
The M'Chigeeng First Nation on Manitoulin Island has decided to cancel its upcoming election scheduled for Monday, March 27.
The First Nations’ Election Appeals Committee (EAC) made the decision based on a number of grievances and appeals received due to confusion with nominee requirements related to criminal record checks (CRCs).
The EAC disqualified a number of candidates for failing to comply with the CRC requirements found in the M'Chigeeng First Nation Custom Election Code 2019.
In a news release issued Thursday, the EAC announced that the election would be postponed until May following the confusion.
“EAC members found this section of the Code to be very confusing,” the committee said in the release.
“(It) was causing a lot of the confusion among candidates who had been nominated and other members of the community.”
The new election date is set for May 13, with polls opened from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the M'Chigeeng Community Complex with advanced polls to be held on April 22 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the same location. Ballots for off-reserve voters will be mailed by April 11, according to the release.
“The candidates who were disqualified for not meeting the requirements related to the criminal record check are reinstated,” said the EAC.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
The decision, in the release, states that those candidates that did not meet the CRC requirements must submit a valid CRC dated on or after Feb. 13 by April 8.
“Any ballots cast at the advance poll of Wednesday, March 22, 2023 will be invalid and not counted,” said the committee.
“Any mail in ballots received as of March 23, 2023 will also not be counted.”
As a result, the current Chief and council’s term of office has been extended to May 13.
“The EAC strongly recommends that the new council amend this code to make it clearer to interpret.”
Members of the committee thank the community for their patience during this difficult time.
The full release can be found here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
W5 Investigates Car security investigation: How W5 'stole' a car using a device we ordered online
In part two of a three-part series into how thieves are able to drive off with modern vehicles so easily, CTV W5 correspondent Jon Woodward uses a device flagged by police to easily clone a car key.
South African government says it won't help 4,000 illegal miners inside a closed mine
South Africa's government says it will not help an estimated 4,000 illegal miners inside a closed mine in the country's North West province who have been denied access to basic supplies as part of an official strategy against illegal mining.
'The Woodstock of our generation': Taylor Swift photographer credits email to her connection with the superstar
Taylor Swift has millions of fans worldwide, but Brampton, Ont.'s Jasmeet Sidhu has gotten closer to the musical icon than most.
opinion Why the new U.S. administration won't have much time for us
In a column for CTVNews.ca, former Conservative Party political advisor and strategist Rudy Husny says that when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau goes to the G-20 summit next week, it will look more like his goodbye tour.
A look at how much mail Canada Post delivers, amid a strike notice
Amid a potential postal worker strike, here’s a look at how many letters and parcels the corporation delivers and how those numbers have changed in the internet age.
This Canadian airline will adopt Apple's new AirTag feature to help recover lost baggage. Here's how
Apple announced that a new feature, 'Share Item Location,' will help users locate and recover misplaced items by sharing an AirTag location with third parties including airlines.
Strong typhoon prompts more evacuations in Philippines, the fifth major storm to hit in three weeks
The fifth major storm in three weeks slammed into the northeastern Philippines on Thursday, prompting more largescale evacuations and a United Nations call for emergency funds to help the government address the plight of hard-hit rural villagers.
What makes walking so great for your health and what else you need to do
Medical experts agree that walking is an easy way to improve physical and mental health, bolster fitness and prevent disease. While it’s not the only sort of exercise people should do, it’s a great first step toward a healthy life.
More than $400 million pledged by nine foundations to help solve climate change in Canada
A group of families and foundations from across Canada have pledged more than $400 million over the next decade to help solve climate change.