Shawn Grandjambe elected chief of Fort Good Hope, N.W.T.

The new chief of Fort Good Hope, N.W.T., says involving and empowering young people is at the top of his agenda. 

Shawn Grandjambe was elected chief of the Sahtu community Monday night, beating incumbent Collin Pierrot, and Ronald Pierrot. Grandjambe said he's excited to work with the new council and to finish the projects the former chief and council began. 

He said he plans to meet with community organizations and the new councillors to discuss their priorities and make a plan to improve Fort Good Hope.

Speaking of his own priorities, Grandjambe said he wants to improve recreation for youth. 

"We have no arena, no facilities for the youth. Once the school gym and all that stuff shuts down, really nothing for the youth to do and they got a lot of time on their hands," he said.

Building a multiplex is a project he said he started as a former board member on the Yamoga Land Corporation and something he hopes to pick back up as the new chief. 

Grandjambe also wants to get the roads chip-sealed. It's something he said the community has looked into in the past and he's not sure why it hasn't happened yet.

"It's pretty unhealthy in the community with all this dust going around, it's hard on people," he said. "So, gonna be looking at that right away."

In addition to his experience on the Yamoga Land Corporation, Grandjambe has experience as a board member with North-Wright Airways and has been involved with the community's self-government agreement. 

He said he decided to run for chief because he wants to bring people together and he believes he has the skills to do so. 

Grandjambe won on Monday with 110 votes, defeating incumbent Collin Pierrot who came in second with 68 votes. Pierrot extended his congratulations to the new chief and council and looked back on his term with pride. He said he's especially proud of navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, last summer's wildfire, and the community's drug crisis. 

"It's been a tough 48 months with COVID the fire, drugs. Everything that can impact a community hard, has impacted our community hard."

The drug crisis, he said, continues to be the biggest issue facing Fort Good Hope and much of the territory. 

Establishing an on-the-land healing camp for addiction recovery is among the final items he hoped to accomplish as chief and hopes the new leadership can get it to the finish line. 

Collin Pierrot said he's "very confident" in the new leadership and thanked the community and the council he served with for their support. 

Five of the nine councillors elected on Monday are new. The community's returning officer and senior administrative officer (SAO) said that the voter turnout for chief was 32.7 per cent, and 28.7 per cent for council. That's because of a difference in eligibility to vote for chief and council. To vote for council, a person is required to live in the community for two years and to vote for chief a voter must be a member of the band.

The swearing-in ceremony for chief and council's two-year term will take place Wednesday.