Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation elect new chief

Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation have elected a new gimaa or chief.

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Unofficial results of Saturday’s vote posted on the First Nation’s website say Claire Sault will fill the vacancy left by long-time Chief Stacy Laforme’s retirement.

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Sault served on the previous council as Pillar 1 lead which covered inclusive prosperity, economic growth and job creation.

The unofficial results say Sault received 220 votes in the election held Saturday. Her nearest rival, Margaret Ann Sault received 211 votes while third-place finisher Karen Andrea King received 61.

Voters on the Credit First Nation also elected seven councilors including Erma Ferrell, Fawn Sault and Veronica King-Jamieson who returned to council for another term. They will be joined by Leslie Maracle, Larry Sault, William (Bill) LaForme and Jesse James Herkimer.

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The unofficial results were posted on the band council’s website at

https://mncfn.ca/?s=election&post_type=postsults and are expected to be confirmed this week. The swearing-in ceremony is expected to take place Dec. 15.

Meanwhile, tributes for Laforme, who was first elected to council in 1999 at age 50 and secured his first two-year term as gimaa in 2015, from the people of New Credit and from across Ontario.

“We would like to take this opportunity to recognize Gimaa (Chief Stacy Laforme for his years of dedicated leadership with the MCFN and say congratulations on his retirement from MCFN politics,” statement from the First Nation said. “

Largely thanks to his appearances and relationship building, MCFN has recognition almost everywhere across our territory. He has built relationships with municipal, provincial and federal governments, and many educational institutes that have allowed us to have our voices heard and rights exercised.

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“With his tireless work, Gimaa Laforme has grown MCFN’s recognition exponentially,” former Chief Bryan LaForme said in the statement. “He always took time to share our story even if he was attending up to give events a day.

“He has a gift of capturing an audience and connecting with people.”

To read the full statement visit https://mncfn.ca/statement-for-gimaa-chief-stacey-laforme/ .

Several Ontario municipalities posted tributes to Laforme on social media.

“The City of Mississauga thanks Gimaa Laforme for his many years of friendship with the City. We will treasure his wisdom and poetry, and commit ourselves to Reconciliation. Our relationship with the MCFN will continue to grow, thanks to its efforts over many years,” the city said in a post on X formerly Twitter.

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