Elections

Update re 2026 Election

May 19, 2026

Dear Members,

We are excited to announce that this year we plan to have our election on Treaty Day on June 20. 2026. This is important for us after our 2023 last election had to be postponed due to a wildfire evacuation.

Further to the 1996 Custom Election Regulations, our custom election code, the announcement of election will be made next week, and nominations will stay open until on or about June 6, 2026. Please stay tuned for more information.

We are aware of a Federal Court application filed by a member attempting to force online voting and to use the Peace Point polling station in the 2026 election. We can advise members as follows:

With regard to online voting, this issue was put to a vote on February 22, 2025 at a Special General Meeting Fort Chipewyan in accordance with the amendment process in section 17.1 of the Customary Election Regulation. One of the proposed amendments was to allow further amendments by online vote so all membership could participate. Unfortunately, none of these amendments passed with a majority as required. As such, we must follow the voting mechanisms in our Customary Election Regulation.
With regard to polling station locations, in 2021, the Federal Court in Waquan v. MCFN decided that the replacement of the Peace Point polling station had now become an unwritten custom because it had been used over several decades. We must follow this Federal Court decision.

While we had also hoped for amendments in February of 2025, we must follow our laws and Court decisions. As such, because we are following our law and the Federal Court decision, we fully expect an election will proceed on June 20, 2026 as required under our election law. The Court hearing for this member’s application will be scheduled expeditiously as we are cooperating in good faith on June 10, 11 or 12, 2026.

Hiy hiy,