By Ashley Legassic

Three-term councillor elected chief of Tk’emlups te Secwepemc

Nov 12, 2018 | 3:40 PM

KAMLOOPS — Rosanne Casimir has been elected chief of the Tk’emlups Indian Band after serving roughly nine years as councillor.

Casimir defeated opponent Joshua Gottfriedson by a vote of 268 to 228, and although the numbers are unofficial right now, Casimir says it was a tight race for the seat.

“It was very intense,” says Casimir. “It was very exciting, and at the end of the day our membership believed in both of us.”

Casimir says she’s honoured to have been elected chief of Tk’emlups te Secwepemc, and said Gottfriedson ran an amazing campaign.

Five new faces will be joining council this term — Thomas Blank, Marie Baptiste, Sonny Leonard, Justin Gottfriedson and Colleen Mosterd-McLean will be joining incumbent councillors Jeanette Jules and Katy Gottfriedson.

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Casimir says slightly more than 500 votes were cast, although some ballots were spoiled, but points out that out of roughly 700 eligible voters in the band, it was a fair turnout. She adds that each of the new councillors brings a different perspective to the table, including different areas of knowledge within the community.

She considered running for chief during her second term on council, but Casimir says this election was the first time she was ready for it and felt she had the support, trust and commitment of band members.

“What (band members) can expect from me is my commitment to the community, for me to continue ensuring that our community thrives and benefits for our future generations, and that I stand tall in my code of ethics which always includes fairness, honesty and trust, and that I’m going to continue representing all of them and that no one will be excluded.”

Casimir says improving the lines of communication is one of her first priorities as chief, along with having more community involvement including more open houses and communication when it comes to planning.