STONEY NAKODA – Four candidates have stepped up for the open Bearspaw councillor position following the death of the Eden Valley representative Gordon Wildman.
The Eden Valley-born Wildman served as a Bearspaw councillor for 15 years after first being elected in 1998, sitting on council until 2011, and then from 2016, when he was re-elected, until his death in August 2018.
Known as an advocate for health and wellness, Wildman sat as a board member for several programs while also working various jobs throughout his life, including a bus driver in Morley and Eden Valley, a social worker and an addictions worker with the National Native Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program (NNADAP) in Eden Valley.
Described as serving “his people with humbleness and compassion,” Wildman was also known for loving his community and having devotion to his people.
“[He was] devoted to his culture and to maintain their identity in the complex world we have today,” his obituary read.
Nominations for the position opened last week, with four band members entering their names for the position. Nation members will have the choice to vote for Keith Lefthand, Cameron Lefthand, Larry Daniels SR or Ally Lefthand.
Advanced polls open Feb. 6 at the Morley Administration Building from
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or at the Bighorn Medical Centre from 1 to 3 p.m. Regular polls will open Feb. 8 at the Bearspaw Youth Centre from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
