We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. Aaron is your BCNDP candidate for Fraser-Nicola, a councillor and former Chief of the Lower … Lali has since been serving as riding association president. After years of serving his community in several leadership roles, Aaron Sumexheltza (pronounced: Shoo-muh-hetsa) was nominated as the BC NDP candidate in the riding of Fraser-Nicola on Thursday. © 2021 Vancouver Sun, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. This is not democratic. Briefly, my reasoning is … We encountered an issue signing you up. Telephone and email . Safe Spaces | Interior Community Services. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. As a Grand Chief of the Statimic Nation, in this provincial election campaign of 2020, I am supporting the New Democratic Party, therefore I will vote for Aaron Sumexheltza, the NDP candidate for the Fraser-Nicola Riding. With 24 hours left in the campaign, Sumexheltza joined Q101 to provide some final thoughts and his level of confidence heading into Saturday evening. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. “I wasn’t the one that made the rules but I think it would be important to talk to people at the party themselves and I’m just really excited to begin the work of earning the trust of people in the riding”. I’ve been involved with the local riding the last few years. First Nations lawyer Aaron Sumexheltza was recently named the NDP's candidate in the riding of Fraser-Nicola, but the party's local executives have resigned in a dispute over the way the race was handled. The entire riding association for the BC NDP in the Fraser-Nicola riding resigned en masse over the naming of its candidate ahead of a potential fall election. For his part, Harry Lali accused party president Craig Keating of undemocratically parachuting a candidate into the riding. He was asked when the last time he spoke with the now former riding association president Harry Lali and vice president Dennis Adamson. Aaron Sumexheltza: 1 on 1. Read more about cookies here. Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Vancouver Sun, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. “You are a member of a team and suddenly you have to go to the world and tell them the team is no good and it’s corrupt.“. Adamson said he’s also quit the party. 1 talking about this. Fraser-Nicola is currently held by the B.C. Aaron Sumexheltza. Aaron Sumexheltza COUNCILLOR. Log In. Castanet Staff - Oct 16, 2020 / 9:00 pm | Story: 313648. Aaron Sumexheltza, Merritt, British Columbia. Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Acknowledging that he trails Tegart after the initial count, he says he knows he has an uphill battle if he is to win the riding, but says it’s a question now of waiting to see what the final results are, and what the people have decided. Appearing on the NL Morning News, the former Chief of the Lower Nicola Indian Band said he followed all the rules. Telephone: 250-378-5157 Toll Free: 1-888 … “I think we’re in a really good position in Fraser-Nicola with the energy he’s bringing,” said Keating. This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Aaron Sumexheltza. I will not be giving any money to his campaign because I find him an illegitimate appointment as candidate.”. “It’s time the … “He never volunteered any of his time during the last election,” Lali wrote in his resignation letter. NDP under Craig Keating’s and Raj Sihota’s leadership does not respect the democratically elected voices of the Fraser-Nicola NDP membership or the needs of those who live outside the Lower Mainland.”. Aaron is a current Councilor and former Chief for the Lower Nicola Indian Band and serves as Chair of the Indigenous Business and Investment Council. Appearing on the NL Morning News, the former Chief of the Lower Nicola Indian Band said he followed all the rules. Instead Lali says he’ll be helping to keep John Horgan in the Premier’s office by working on outreach to the South Asian community in the Lower Mainland. 943 likes. A married father with an infant son, Aaron believes strongly in our plan to expand $10 per day child care and to invest in schools and healthcare. Keating said the party is pleased with Sumexheltza as its final candidate, and he’s already signed up 150 new members. First Nations lawyer Aaron Sumexheltza was recently named the NDP's candidate in the riding of Fraser-Nicola, but the party's local executives have resigned in a dispute over the way the race … We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. The next issue of Vancouver Sun Headline News will soon be in your inbox. It was an honour to run for the BC NDP, and I look forward to seeing the important work of the BC Government over the next four years, to improve life for all British Columbians. “Fraser-Nicola deserves better treatment,” the executive wrote in its resignation letter. NDP president Craig Keating and executive director Raj Sihota of disrespectful behaviour in a campaign to appoint local First Nations lawyer Aaron Sumexheltza as the candidate against the wishes of local members. Lower Nicola Indian Band 181 Nawishaskin Lane Merritt, B.C. “He gave no donations to Fraser-Nicola NDP in the election or since then. Aaron Sumexheltza is the NDP candidate for the 2020 election in the Fraser Nicola riding in BC. I did what I could to try to get him elected and unfortunately the last two elections he didn’t win so this time I decided to put my name forward because I love the communities in Fraser-Nicola and I want to make them better.”. Stories about First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples The Fraser-Nicola dispute stretches to the 2017 election, when former MLA Harry Lali beat Sumexheltza in a vote among local members for the party nomination. He said most of the local executive are now planning to work against Sumexheltza’s campaign, as a message to party headquarters. NDP members have become embroiled in a bitter internal battle in a key battleground riding on the eve of a potential election, after the party’s entire Fraser-Nicola riding association resigned and pledged to work against the candidate. Aaron is your BCNDP candidate for Fraser-Nicola, a councillor and former Chief of … B.C. NDP fights itself in key battleground riding on eve of potential election. “Well I’ve been assembling a team for actually many weeks and months,” he said. (from l) Dora Winwood; River Winwood; Aaron Sumexheltza; Gloria Mertens; Daniel Collett; Marina … “No matter when the election is called COVID-19 is going to be with us. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. All 13 members walked out in protest over the process in which Aaron Sumexheltza was nominated as the candidate, with some members calling the process ‘undemocratic and corrupt’. Aaron has never been to any of Fraser-Nicola’s fundraisers. As part of Castanet's … Aaron Sumexheltza is running under the NDP banner in Fraser-Nicola. He didn’t dispute that once the party set the nomination date it was too late for anyone else to apply. Liberals but was formerly a New Democrat seat. The 13-person riding association quit en masse Friday, accusing B.C. The process disenfranchised the local members, he said. APTN News. BC NDP candidate Aaron Sumexheltza spent election night watching the results with a small group of people, some of them part of his campaign team. And its right in the name, the New Democratic Party. Keating defended the process, saying members were told July 12 that the nomination process was open. Horgan publicly appealed for Lali, a transportation minister in the 1990s’ NDP government, to step aside and allow Sumexheltza, a younger candidate, to run. REGISTERED MEMBERS OF THE LOWER NICOLA INDIAN BAND CAN LOGIN HERE LOGIN Contact Info. 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4. “My understanding is the party set the rules for the nomination process and I did my best to follow them and of course I wanted to be the candidate so if there’s any specific questions to the process I would suggest talking to the party about that,” he said. Fraser-Nicola NDP candidate Aaron Sumexheltza was in Ashcroft on Oct. 9, where he met with members of the Ashcroft Slough Society on Evans Road. Adamson said party headquarters called the nomination meeting when Sumexheltza’s was the only vetted candidate, set such a short timeline that it was impossible for anyone else to run and then cancelled the meeting to declare Sumexheltza appointed as the lone candidate — all within eight days. The fallout comes amid speculation Premier John Horgan is preparing to call a snap election as early as Sept. 24, after the conclusion of the annual Union of B.C. Aaron is your BCNDP candidate for Fraser-Nicola, a councillor and former Chief of … “It is obvious that the B.C. “Since I made the announcement on Thursday and I was acclaimed as a candidate, I’ve had an overwhelming amount of people contact me and excited about my campaign.”. — Aaron Sumexheltza (@ASumexheltza) November 7, 2020. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. I’m convinced that with Dr. Henry at the helm and her work with Elections BC that the election will be done safely,” began Sumexheltza … It’s seen as one of the ridings the NDP needs to recapture if it hopes to secure a majority government. Lali, in his resignation letter, said he would try to help the NDP organize the South Asian vote in the Lower Mainland. “I met with the vast majority of the executive on July 12 in Hope, and everybody knew then nomination papers could be had at that point and nobody applied except Aaron Sumexheltza,” Keating said Sunday. tap here to see other videos from our team. Sumexheltza previously served as Chief of the Lower Nicola Indian Band. We feel that we have to let them know by defeating him.”. NDP headquarters will have to parachute in outside organizers to run Sumexheltza’s campaign. VICTORIA — B.C. “The campaign is going quite well. All 13 members walked out in protest over the process in which Aaron Sumexheltza was nominated as the candidate, with some members calling the process ‘undemocratic and corrupt’. or. - NDP Aaron Sumexheltza - Green Jonah Timms. Despite the mass resignations from the party association, Sumexheltza feels he has plenty of support. Municipalities meeting. “There were several other people who were interested in running for the nomination but Craig Keating and Raj Sihota – the Executive Director of the BC NDP – again rigged it so that at the end of the day Aaron got appointed,” Lali told NL News. To connect with Aaron Sumexheltza, join Facebook today. “Harry was a very good MLA and I worked on his last campaign. “We’re putting effort into not getting him elected. We’ve been engaging the best we can, are we’re … View Aaron Sumexheltza’s profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. Sumexheltza, a current councillor and former chief of the Lower Nicola Indian Band, said Sunday he simply put forward his name during the period in which applications were being accepted. Keating meanwhile says the Fraser-Nicola Riding Association received multiple notifications that applications were being received dating back to July 12 – but only one application was submitted and approved – that of Aaron Sumexheltza. Lali adds he is not turning his back on the party, just the party President and candidate Sumexheltza. Photo: Contributed. “I will not be voting for him. If you don't see it please check your junk folder. “I haven’t spoken to Dennis Adamson for a while and I have spoken to Harry. Aaron Sumexheltza. Thank you to my team, volunteers, donors and voters. I haven’t spoken to him recently but we have spoken over the last couple or few years,” Sumexheltza said. 1 talking about this. “We really didn’t want to do this,” Dennis Adamson, the riding association’s former vice-president, said. 381 Followers, 179 Following, 90 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Aaron Sumexheltza (@qiaus) Following the snap election call, NDP candidate Aaron Sumexheltza joined Q101 to discuss why now is the time to send people to the polls. “It’s hard because some of these people are life members,” said Adamson. He says that his travels through the riding show that while the communities are similar, they each have different priorities. This is Aarons second attempt at running for the NDP. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings. Aaron.Sumexheltza@lnib.net 250-315-7563. Aaron is currently a member of the board for the Assembly of First Nations – Advisory Committee on Climate Action and the Environment, the BC Aboriginal Justice Council, and the Lower Nicola Indian Band Development Corporation. He too resigned Friday, saying Sumexheltza has “provided zero contribution” to the riding’s organization or fundraising since 2017. Sihota has taken leave from the party to run as a candidate in Vancouver-Hastings. The former local executive has pledged to turn its experience and connections in the riding against Sumexheltza’s campaign, actively undermining him whenever the next election is called, said Adamson. Join. “I’m glad Aaron is in the race but gladly would have had a contested nomination if anyone had bothered to apply.”. Aaron has 12 jobs listed on their profile. Lali lost the 2017 election to Liberal Jackie Tegart by just 524 votes. “I’m looking for a new party,” said Adamson, a former federal NDP candidate. “You believe in a organization and what they stand for, and find out it’s not that way and it’s disappointing.”. “Now, he hasn’t done any work for the NDP in the last, forever actually, and he only became a New Democrat because Craig Keating wanted him to take me out and this is his payoff.”. Story continues below advertisement. All Aaron has done since 2016 is hob-knob with the ‘bigwigs’ of the NDP.”. Liberal MLA Jackie Tegart won by 524 votes, and is expected to run for re-election. Congratulations to MLA Jackie Tegart of Fraser Nicola, and all those who put their names forward as candidates for this election. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. Ski’us Aaron Sam Sumexheltza (Aaron Sumexhelta) is a Councillor of the Lower Nicola Indian Band and a practicing lawyer. V1K 0A7. His legal work included representing residential school survivors and criminal defence. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. PostPandemic: How COVID-19 is reshaping Canada, B.C. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited. Please try again. Aaron has dedicated his career to social justice and has created jobs and generated economic opportunity for his community as chair of the Lower Nicola Indian Band Development Corporation. “I can only speak for myself and that is that I will not be supporting Aaron,” he added. … Portfolio(s): Title & Rights, Economic Development. Lali refused. Aaron Sumexheltza is on Facebook. NDP members are embroiled in bitter internal battle in Fraser-Nicola on eve of potential election.