Ballots have been cast for the next səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) chief and council.
Justin Sky George has been elected as the new chief for the next four-year term beginning July 1.
George received 116 votes, winning against six other nominees for chief including incumbent Jen Thomas, who received 68 ballots cast.
Thomas has been elected chief since 2021 and previously served as a Tsleil-Waututh Nation councillor for 21 years.
Six Tsleil-Waututh Nation councillors were elected. Couns. Curtis Thomas, Deanna George and Dennis Thomas were re-elected, and Kalila George-Wilson, James Sandover and Nicholas Kofi were newly elected.
Twenty-seven people ran for six spots on the Tsleil-Waututh Nation council.
In total, there were 269 ballots cast for each race, according to the Nation’s website.
Members of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation community elect one chief and six councillors to represent the Nation.
The new chief and councillors will serve their term starting July 1, 2025 and end on June 29, 2029.
Current elected chief reflects on her time as term ends
As Thomas’ term as elected chief comes to a close, she shared some of the accomplishments her council has made since 2021.
Some of those achievements include increasing financial support for elders, advancements in renovating homes in the community, and a reconciliation agreement with the federal government.
Another thing is building a strong relationship with the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nation the last four years, but also with other nearby municipalities and the province.
“Our priority was to build relationships and build them stronger,” Thomas said.
Thomas said she felt “empty” after hearing the election results, as she had been part of council for 24 years.
“I felt empty because it was like a big breakup,” she said. “Worse than a breakup, because I’m breaking up with 600 members. I’m breaking up with the relationships between the municipalities and different governments that we made.”
Connecting with different parts of the community was one of the aspects Thomas enjoyed most about being elected chief. While Thomas is closing her time as chief, she's hopeful about the new chief and council continuing the Nation's good work.
“I just hope that they keep practicing the good governance in the best interest of our members,” Thomas said. “The Tsleil-Waututh isn’t a small nation, we’re actually a big nation … and there’s big decision making that has to be made.”
“I told our members I’m still here for them no matter what,” she added in a follow-up statement to North Shore News.
Newly elected chief Justin Sky George is declining media requests until July 1 out of respect for the current chief and council, a spokesperson from the Tsleil-Waututh Nation said.
Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
[email protected]
https://x.com/abbyyluciano
https://bsky.app/profile/abbyluciano.bsky.social
Want to stay updated on North Vancouver and West Vancouver news? Sign up for our free daily newsletter.
