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
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Pro-Palestinian protesters demand endowment transparency. But it's proving not to be simple
Over the last decade, students have pushed universities to cut financial ties with fossil fuel producers, weapons manufacturers, tobacco companies and prison firms. Here's why it's not always that simple.