Stella Lavallee elected to RMWB council in Ward 4 byelection

Article content

Stella Lavallee is Ward 4 councillor-elect for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) with a 42 per cent victory, or 93 out of 221 ballots. She is expected to be sworn in next week.

Article content

Lavallee has also been president of the Willow Lake Métis Nation since 2019 and was recently reelected to her second term. She is the third Métis leader to join the current RMWB council. Ward 2 councillors Kendrick Cardinal and Loretta Waquan are the respective presidents of Fort Chipewyan Métis Nation and Fort McKay Métis Nation.

“I am very excited and pleased and humbled,” said Lavallee in an interview shortly after her victory was announced around 9 p.m. Monday. “A lot of my priorities right away will be learning the processes, and delivering on my campaign messaging and my campaign priorities.”

Nina Caines, a former senior manager with the RMWB’s public works department, finished second with 66 votes, or 29.8 per cent. Chad Shkopich, the business development manager for the Fort McMurray First Nation Group of Companies, finished third with 62 votes, or 28 per cent. Voter turnout for the ward was more than 32 per cent.

Article content

Mayor Sandy Bowman congratulated Lavallee for her victory in a statement and thanked all three candidates for running in the byelection.

“I’m just really grateful to everyone that voted for me,” said Lavallee. “For everyone that didn’t, we’re all living in the same communities and we’re all moving forward, and I would like to very much be the voice for our communities.”

In an October interview, Lavallee said her priorities include improving municipal services in the RMWB’s southern communities. This was a common concern also mentioned by her opponents.

“I’m excited to work with the current council we have right now. Being able to have an opportunity for this next year to be vocal is something we need in the rural communities,” Lavallee said at the time. “There’s a lot of issues we need to bring to council and a lot of what has been identified to me from other people in the community is an improvement of municipal services.”

Article content

Ward 4 includes Anzac, Conklin, Gregoire Lake Estates and Janvier. The seat was previously held by Councillor Jane Stroud, who represented the ward during four terms since 2010. Stroud passed away suddenly in August, one month shy of her 77th birthday.

“I know following in Jane’s footsteps is going to be big shoes to fill, but I am willing to do so for the challenge and willing to do it for our communities,” Lavallee said in an October interview.

The byelection results will be made official on Nov. 8, after the normal legislated time period for the other candidates to demand a recount. Lavallee will hold the seat until the next municipal election on Oct. 20, 2025.

Get the news and events of Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo in your inbox every Friday morning by signing up for our newsletter.

vmcdermott@postmedia.com

Article content