Voting day for WFN

Photo: WFN

It's voting day for the Westbank First Nation.

While only the band's 800 members are able to vote for the chief and four councillor positions, about 10,000 people live on WFN land on the Westside.

The controversial proposed private hospital has emerged as a hot-button issue during the campaign, with former Westbank First Nation chief Ron Derrickson calling it a financial disaster, claiming it has cost band members more than $8 million.

"That's a debt of more than $12,000 a person or $50,000 for every family in Westbank," said Derrickson. "This is scandalous, and we are still under the threat of more multi-million dollar lawsuits."

Derrickson has since bowed out of the race, leaving Larry Derrickson and Roxanne Lindley as opponents to current Chief Robert Louie.

Louie, who has led the band since 2002, admitted the hospital plan has cost a lot of money. However, he said the hospital could still move forward if band members choose to stay the course.

Louie said he plans over the next three years, if elected, to bring the WFN to "100 per cent self-sufficiency," to bring land claims front and centre and to eliminate homelessness within the band.

“We will not have homeless people on this reserve that are members of WFN.”

Members vote between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the WFN's administration office.

The band said election results will be publically posted on Friday.