Becoming a Councillor for Pabineau First Nations felt like the truest of all homecomings.

Growing up, I lived in Montreal with my family. My parents took every opportunity they could to return to our roots and travel the world. We had our traditions sewn into us while gaining a broader perspective of the world. We grew up knowing who we are and the origin of our history.

One of my favorite memories was sitting side by side with all of my cousins listening to Uncle Gilbert sharing stories. These stories were the history of our ancestors, legends and folklore told by one of the most vibrant members of our community.

The years spent living in various provinces were utilized for amassing experience and business savvy. Those skills have helped me with my organization abilities. I can organize anything. From building a home to creating a memorable Christmas party I feel that my years of experience has equipped me to tackle any challenge.

Some of the first noteworthy projects I have had the privilege to collaborate on are:

• Water treatment system
  – Assisting the water operator in maintaining the system. What this means is we coordinate with ISC and Health Canada to make sure everything is running correctly to provide the community with safe water.
• Upgrading our landscaping
  – Sacred Garden
  – Maintaining our community’s outdoor spaces and assisting our elders.
     (Snow removal, lawn mowing, flower beds)
• Communal roads
  – All of the street care services; we monitor potholes, snow removal, monitoring pavement and chip sealed
• Environmental protection
  – Sustainability of natural resources
  – Monitoring flood zones and erosion
• Land designation
  – Addition to reserve
  – Acquiring land for the expansion and furthering the development of the community
• Power pole management,
  – Working with NB power to ensure the power lines are maintained and our community is up to the latest safety standards.
• Asset management planning

Working with INAC, CMHC, Health Canada, JEDI, FNIIP, ACRE is a challenging but rewarding opportunity that I face every day.

In order to accomplish these projects, I need to present an airtight plan of how we will acquire and use resources appropriately to complete projects. I ensure the resources are spent in the right places and that we never let greed surpass the greater good for the community.

My vision moving forward is to bring a flowing stream of possibilities and opportunities for Pabineau. Even though I own another business, I get up every day and pour my heart and soul into this community. Together we can change the future for our community. We can rise up like the phoenix from the ashes, we can repair what’s broken, we can amend mistakes, we can overcome trauma and we will lead the way to positive change. I am confident that we can and will use our story and our voices to lift each other up for a more abundant Pabineau.