Northern Manitoba chief seeks Thompson NDP nomination in byelection

Shamattawa chief Eric Redhead is seeking the NDP nomination in a Manitoba byelection, one week after resigning from his role as acting grand chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC).

"I'm tired of knocking on the door and begging for a seat at the table," said Redhead.

"I think this is an opportunity to actually have a seat at the table and make real change along with the NDP team."

Redhead is serving his second term as chief of Shamattawa First Nation, which is 745 kilometres north of Winnipeg and 360 kilometres east of Thompson. He plans to resign from his role on May 11.

The Thompson seat has been vacant since NDP MLA Danielle Adams, 38, was killed in a motor vehicle collision in December. Adams was elected in 2019.

"Danielle was a great advocate and a great MLA for the region, and I want to build on the work that she's done," said Redhead.

He said he has accomplished goals that he set out to do when he was elected as chief of Shamattawa, which includes more housing and a new water treatment plant, which is expected to be completed in October.

While he is proud of his accomplishments as the chief of his community, he said a lack of jobs, health care support and economic opportunities can make it a challenging role for anyone who puts their name forward for First Nations politics.

Redhead was born and raised in Thompson, worked at Thompson General Hospital, and his children attend school there.

"Thompson has always been in my heart," said Redhead.

Byelection expected in June

Manitoba NDP leader Wab Kinew said Redhead is "somebody who stands up and gets things done, especially when it comes to health care."

"I think it's super important for us to have a candidate from the region representing the area and [who] knows the people, both in terms of Thompson itself, but also many of the surrounding communities," said Kinew.

Cornell McLean, who replaced Redhead as acting grand chief of the AMC, said Redhead will get an opportunity to showcase his leadership skills if elected as MLA.

"He's done very well in his community, and I'm sure he'll do very well for the people of Thompson," said McLean.

Redhead is so far the only person running for the NDP nomination, which is expected to happen on Saturday. 

The Manitoba Liberal Party said it does not plan on fielding a candidate in the byelection out of respect for Adams.

The Progressive Conservatives said it plans to announce its candidate in the near future. 

Kinew said a byelection is expected to be called by May 10, with the vote happening in early June.