There's been a changing of the guard at Squamish Nation band council.
Band members voted for their new 16-member council on Sunday, putting five new faces at the council table while voting out several long-term members.
That is enough to shift the balance of power, according to two new council members voted in on Sunday.
"It's a huge change," said Deborah Baker, now starting her third term.
"This one is going to be positive in transparency," added Richard Baker, back on council after failing to get on in the last election. "It needs to be more membership involvement - more stuff going to membership before it's passed at the table."
Top priorities for the new council are likely going to be the development of a constitution and allowing band members more input into the band's finances, which are now deep in debt, Richard said.
"It's just gotten larger, instead of paying it off. We just keep borrowing on top of borrowing. Eventually you're going to be so far in debt, you're going to have to look at your lands and develop but also maybe do a deal you don't want to do. That's what people are worried about," he said.
Deborah shared those concerns, adding that the band needs to stop doing "crisis management" and get into wealth management.
"I do believe what with the development of a constitution with membership support, not driven by leadership. .. that will make things a lot better for protecting our rights as citizens of the Squamish Nation, as well as our land and our resources and that's the biggest thing our membership is concerned about today," Deborah said. "We live in the most prosperous place in Canada, if not North America. There's no reason why we should have over 300 people on welfare right now."
Re-elected to council are Christopher Lewis, who topped the polls with 648 votes, Alroy Baker, Joshua Joseph, Carla George, Krisandra Jacobs, Ann Whonnock, Dennis Joseph, Chief Ian Campbell, Chief Richard Williams and Byron Joseph. First timers and those elected after having previously been on council are Wilson Williams, Veronica Baker, Danielle Mellish and Anthony Moody.
Noticeably gone from the council were Chief Dale Harry, Chief Bill Williams and Chief Gibby Jacob, who has been on council for the last 32 years.
