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Following a two month delay due to COVID, the FDL election had been scheduled to take place Jan. 29. (File photo/ paNOW Staff)
Political pause

Fond Du Lac election postponed

Jan 22, 2021 | 5:00 PM

Plans for an election later this month on the Fond Du Lac (FDL) First Nation in Northern Saskatchewan have been brought to a halt with no immediate explanation why.

According to a letter published Friday on the Fond du Lac Facebook page by Electoral Officer Derek McDonald, the scheduled Jan. 29 election has been postponed for “reasons beyond my control.”

No further explanation has been provided and paNOW’s attempts to speak with McDonald by phone were unsuccessful.

The letter does indicate new dates for the advance polls and the general election will be announced “as they are determined.”

A photo of the letter signed by Derek McDonald. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

The advance poll was originally scheduled to take place Friday at the FDL band hall, but when band members showed up, they discovered the doors were locked. When paNOW attempted to call the band office later in the day, there was no answer.

Band members told paNOW they observed RCMP at the band hall Friday morning, leading to speculation from some that there may have been some sort of disturbance.

However, police said in a statement: “Fond Du Lac RCMP regularly attend the band office to engage with elected officials and band staff.”

nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell