SIOUX LOOKOUT – Cat Lake has a polling location lined up for the Ontario election, but it seems a lot of other First Nations in the Kiiwetinoong riding do not.
The campaign manager for one of Kiiwetinoong’s candidates said Tuesday in a post on Facebook that voting locations have not been confirmed yet for many First Nations in the sprawling electoral district that includes many remote reserves.
Cat Lake First Nation Chief Russell Wesley told Newswatch that’s not the case for his fly-in reserve, population 470 or so, about 180 kilometres northwest of Sioux Lookout.
The polling location is set but the person to oversee the local vote won’t be on the job until later this week as he is in firefighter training, Wesley said.
“Then the plan is for everybody to register and we’ll hold the vote.”
Three days of advance polls are to open across the province on Thursday, but Wesley said Cat Lake is “probably just going to do the polling thing on election day,” which is Feb. 27.
“I’m not worried,” he added. “It’ll happen.”
Elections Ontario said by email that six advance voting locations across Kiiwetinoong electoral will be open from Thursday through Saturday. Their locations can be found at the Elections Ontario website.
Ballots can also be cast at the Kiiwetinoong returning office on First Avenue in Sioux Lookout. Its phone number is 1-833-715-2113.
Each polling location needs at minimum one deputy returning officer (DRO) and one poll clerk.
Their duties include verifying individuals’ eligibility to cast a ballot and registering some voters at the polling location.
The DRO is paid $22.42 per hour, the poll clerk $21.25/hour. They will work up to 13 hours on election day.
Approximately three and a half hours of paid training, which can be done in person or online, is provided at a rate of $20/hour.
Anyone interested in these positions can call their band office administrator or chief, or call Elections Ontario’s Sioux Lookout office at 1-833-715-2113.
