Chiefs back NDP Bill 50 amendments to allow vote
By Lethbridge Herald on May 8, 2025.
Alexandra Noad
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Alberta NDP have amended Bill 50, Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, 2025, to allow Indigenous citizens living on reserve to vote in local elections.
On-reserve Indigenous people are still unable to vote in municipal elections in Alberta. Meanwhile provinces such as British Columbia have extended the right to vote to people living on reserves adjacent or surrounded by a municipality.
In a news conference prior to the tabling of the bill, Chief Allan Adam of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN), said his reserve is in Fort Chipewyan and once it changed to reserve status, residents were unable to vote on municipal affairs, even though it directly impacted them.
“And now, because we changed it into a reserve status, we’re taking our democracy away from us because we’re not allowed to vote on municipal affairs, yet it controlled 100 per cent of all the municipal services to the ACFN,” said Adam.
He added by not allowing Indigenous people on reserve to vote, up to 60 per cent of the eligible voters are excluded from having their voice heard.
Adam compared it to living in 1956, when Indigenous people didn’t have the right to vote at all.
“I think it’s a slap in the face to the First Nations…Alberta still follows the same process in 2025.”
Trevor Mercredi, grand chief of Treaty 8, said while Indigenous people may not pay rates, the decisions made by municipal government directly affect them.
“What bothers me about that is they say we’re not rate payers but they don’t mind using our numbers for hospitals, schools, facilities that help their children grow up to be healthy people, while our communities are suffering,” he said.
He added his people just want to have their voices heard.
“We aren’t looking to become a fourth level (of) government here, but we are looking to have our voices heard in democratic processes.”
Adam said that the money they should receive from the federal government goes directly to the municipal government after making an agreement with the municipality.
“In other words, we are part of the municipality regardless of what, because the money, we should have been given…from the federal government.”
He added that the money was intended for roads, modern treatment plants and schools, but the people don’t get a say in how its used without a vote.
Mercredi said Indigenous Albertans many issues with the Alberta government and they just want their voices heard.
“We do have issues, it’s not just Bill 54, there’s many other issues that we’re dealing with when it comes to our children: the water, the land, all of the resources that are stripped from our people. We’re taking them back and it’s hard for the general public, it’s hard for governments to understand or want to give us what truly belongs to us back. “What we do have control of, we will stay in control of; we’re not giving up any of our rights, not today, not tomorrow, not ever.”
Mercredi also pointed out that the relationship with the Canadian government is not perfect and many programs are underfunded, but they wanted to make people aware people are aware of the Indigenous issues in Alberta and Canada.
“I wouldn’t say we have a perfect relationship, we never did and it’s going to be a long time before the issues that we face are rectified to the point that we can say we have a good relationship with any level of government at this point and time.”
20-19
This sounds like there is more to the story, but looking at various reserves, it would have to be decided on a case by case basis. For example, if people living on the Kainai reserve wanted to vote in the Lethbridge municipal election, I would not agree! We have no involvement with their infrastructure or any of their services, and they have want to be their own sovereign nation.
That would not be fair to the citizens of Lethbridge! Would we then be able to vote in their election? There appears to be a lot of information missing here but this sounds like a special case that would not warrant giving all reserves the right to vote in a municipal election that is outside their reserve, but adjacent. We could use many examples of where people are living in adjacent communities, but still registered as living on the reserve, so that reserve is still collecting the federal supports monies for those people, while they are living in shelters, encampments, etc., in those non-reserve communities, costing those communities, so there if you want to mention “they don’t mind using our numbers for hospitals, schools, facilities that help their children grow up to be healthy people, while our communities are suffering” I know many of those reserve residents end up being treated in our hospitals, going to our schools or post secondary institutions.
We pay taxes for our services, municipally, provincially and federally, which provide for all of our services/supports. Perhaps this model could be used in your communities so help in some areas?
As stated, I do not know all the details, but you should have distinct boundaries, and the federal government is in charge of those issues, not municipalities. The NDP is probably pushing this for their own agenda to gain more votes/support!
If you are being treated unfairly, I support you but to there is no need to change provincial legistation in this matter!
the say what reply is so cobwebbed with colonial mentality. us and them, foremost, and an utter failure to accept that we are an inclusive society, and one that was built upon violence and subjugation, and a serious attempt at genocide.
i prefer input from all stakeholders, and we are each stakeholders. it is ridiculous that indigenous peoples, in 2025, no less, have been without the right to have a fair say all the way through our political approach.
it is also utterly ridiculous that our political approach is so divisive and infantile, corrupt and undemocratic.
My, my, my! After reading many of your posts over the years it appears you would be much happier in Russia or another similar country! You have little understanding of how government functions or why a First Nations community, which has its own government, be allowed to vote in another community’s election, if they do not live in that community!
I wonder where you grew up or how you have come to believe such Marxist-Socialist thoughts in democratic country such as Canada. Not much seems to please you in this country so why do you decide to live here where it goes against all of your beliefs?
You also mention that I, a Canadian born person, 5th generation, had something to do with attacks on First Nations 100-150 years ago! I may be old, but not that old! Have you bothered to research the attacks on the early settlers coming to southern Alberta 150-160 years ago, which were similar to the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7th in many ways, without getting into detail? I have studied many of those attacks that occurred within a 150 mile radius of Lethbridge. You will never find a path forward until you end the blame game.
Allowing someone who resides in Standoff to vote in a Lethbridge city election is ridiculous!
you infer and make up a lot here, and little is accurate. moreover, i was replying to say what; thus, nothing i wrote was with you mind.
to reply to you: we all should acknowledge our history here, which echoes much of the history that has been everywhere. mostly, we are a bloodied, foolish creature, too full of hubris, and lacking in compassion. there are always exceptions, but our history in canada, as with the other nations of the world, is rife with outcomes that underscore our poor character, hard hearts, and dullness in general. it is not the mistakes; it is our lack of earnest toward remediation.
as for the comment that i would be happier in russia…i suggest such a govt system might serve your approach. russia, china, nations where govts routinely deny human rights, would appear to most uphold the outlook of social conservatives and horribly narrow, “all knowing” dark ages driven cronies; you know, the kind who determinedly strive to force people to conform to a prescribed official outlook, and go so far as to legislate matters of preference.
i sense you seem to dislike that i push for basic human rights, at least the ones you do not like. the canada i envision and strive for is tolerant and inclusive…actually a place that values and preserves the right of each to freedom, privacy, one’s body, one’s conscience, one’s preference…so long as one’s choices do not infringe upon the rights of another.
In you own mind! As stated, I have observed your comments for several years and one example: you believe you should be allowed to do whatever you want to your own body, including living on the streets addicted to drugs. I don’t care if you kill youself with toxic drugs, but I do care when it costs me from my property taxdollars millions and millions more from other government taxes. When it destroys our city, reduces business revenues for small businesses struggling and many of those business owners get assaulted, endure damages to their property and vehicles and we cannot have anything nice downtown, because it gets destroyed!
Your comments fail to acknowledge this and other important issues and you idea of freedom is far from it, because it impacts others! I have a right to walk downtown without having drug smoke blown in my face or own a business whose entrance isn’t used as toilet.
But after noting many others who have attempted to explain issues to you, you just cannot see the forest for the trees!
On-reserve people have the right already to vote in their own elections, and the thought is absurd and just another way the NDP is trying to cause turmoil!
If on-reserve people are allowed to vote in our local municipal election, then the people who live in the city next to that reserve should have the right to vote in band elections, because we are impacted by the reserve as well! It is absurd! The NDP is going down a pathway of destruction, just as the federal NDP, especially after selecting Nenshi as their leader who never has a plan or good idea to benefit Alberta, but is always attacking good plans that will benefit Alberta. Perhaps the longest ballot committee should run multiple candidates in the by-election where Nenshi is going to run!