Meet the Indigenous candidates in YQR Ward 6
- Jeanelle Mandes | October 20, 2016
Regina's 2016 Civic Election is coming up on October 26th. Ward 6 consists of three main neighbourhoods: North Central, Core Ritchie and the Eastview. The following five Indigenous candidates focus on what the main issues they see in Ward 6 and the strategies they have to address those issues. The five candidates are; Joseph Joe Daniels, Bill Stevenson, Connie Deiter, David Lerat, and Shelley M. Lavallee. Each candidate shares their own unique plans if they are elected.
Here are their stories. All photos have been supplied by the candidates.
Joseph Joe Daniels
Joseph (Joe) Daniels grew up in Regina – Ward 6 area his whole life.
Daniels is a single father who raises his two kids, one is 12 and the other is 14. He is working full-time at the Government of Saskatchewan Subsurface Geological Laboratory as a warehouse worker. Currently, he took a leave from his full-time job without pay and concentrating on running for the upcoming election. Daniels reason for running in the upcoming election is that he grew up in the ward in North Central—the heart of Ward 6.
“Contrary to some other beliefs out there that it’s the worst neighbourhood in Canada; I tend to argue the opposite. It’s a great, vibrant and diverse neighbourhood,” he says. “We’ve got a lot of great things going on within the ward, but there’s still a lot of things that we still need to do as well.”
Daniels says there are still problems in this neighbourhood but states that he is willing to listen to everybody and try make change, if he is elected. One of the issues that are lacking in Ward 6 is safer communities.
“The stats speak for themselves within the ward here. We just recently had some new stats come out and everything is on the increase. But being proactive, working with the young generation and working with the generation that are out there making some bad choices. Working with those people and creating some programs where we can give them healthy and positive choices positive people around there helping them out.”
Daniels has door knocked on 950 houses so far and hears the issues from the people which includes affordable housing is a concern. He says there are responsibilities that are out there with homeowners or landlords, and renters and there’s a need to educate those rights and responsibilities of both parties. The revitalization initiative is a huge project for Ward 6, as Daniels says, he sees residents working on it and having a say on how it’s going to be planned.
“We need to continue to support programs like the ‘Neighbourhood Watch Program’ and support the White Pony Lodge. I’ve walked with them and I’m thankful for that. I felt it’s important…because it’s a community-based group, grassroots driven,” he says.
Another focus that Daniels emphasized as important is implementing programs for the youth by opening up facilities on nights and weekends, and senior programming—even if it’s a simple thing as getting out and visiting them.
“I’m planning on being at city hall on 27th and elected on the 26th,” he adds.
Connie Deiter
Connie Deiter has been a writer, a researcher, and considers herself a reluctant activist and wants to make a change in the North Central community.
“I can’t stand what’s happening in North Central, people are dying and no one is saying ,” says Deiter. “Somebody has to stand up and say something and I’m the one.”
First thing Deiter said she will do, if elected in Ward 6, is to promote a safer community, address the housing concerns which includes landlords who, as she says, are charging too much for people who are on limited incomes, work on home ownership by approaching landlords and suggest a rent-to-own project, parking concerns—to name a few. Deiter also wants to incorporate some sexual assault programs in North Central because of the rise in sexual assaults.
Deiter’s last comment on why people should vote for her in Ward 6,
“I am the one person who is going to speak on what’s going on and I have experience and I am a fundraiser. I have raised over $3-million dollars in grants,” she adds. “I want to evaluate all the services that are being delivered here in North Central.”
Deiter highlights that she speaks for all people in Ward 6, not only Aboriginal people and that the people need a strong voice.
Shelley M. Lavallee
Shelley M. Lavallee is running for Ward 6 because she says she meets all the necessary requirements and qualifications for the position.
“I have my Bachelor of Administration degree for education; I have all the necessary work, volunteer, corporate and executive board experience that is required for this type of position,” says Lavallee. “I’ve been on the Regina Board of Police Commissioners for 17-years. I’m the longest standing First Nations board member woman across Canada. I am the only one that sat that long on a police service board,”
Lavallee has found that the biggest concern she wants to address is safety in the community—which includes crime prevention by Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), which means looking at surroundings in your area and finding what can be fixed to reduce crime.
“It could be something simple as clipping trees, making sure all the lights are working, making sure people have their back lights on, making sure the yards are kept up, the back alleys are nice and clean—that’s environmental design,” she says.
She said CPTED would improve the living environments for everyone, not only for Ward 6, but a Regina-wide initiative. In her campaign, she notes another key area is the unemployment rate needs to be brought down. Lavallee walked with the White Pony Lodge, which is a new group who walks picking up needles, and other paraphernalia that might be left on the streets or sidewalks to prevent kids from picking them up.
“Keeping the streets bright and visible day and night, that’s one of the things that will help drop the crime rate because crime grows in the dark...as soon as this campaign is over, one way or another, I will get these street lights fixed. Someone has to do it,” Lavallee says.
If elected, Lavallee says she will follow up on things in city council, have meetings with the community, attend events, go to the senior meetings, and meet with the people and keep in touch so she’s aware of what the real issues are.
David Lerat
Ward 6 candidate, David Lerat, is hoping to create change if he is elected in the 2016 Civic Election. Born and raised in Regina, Lerat says he cares about the future of the community—his reason why he’s running for running in the upcoming election.
“Ward 6 is very diverse...I don’t think our inner cities are being looked after. I seen an opportunity to make the community better. I am certainly eager to see a fresh perspective,” says Lerat. “I think it’s time for a change. Regina is full of young people—how come we’re not represented. Regina is full of First Nations people—how come we’re not represented.”
The main issue that Lerat sees in the warehouse district, their next big project is going to be the revitalization of the railroads. He adds that North Central is another area of focus as he describes the area as ‘swept under the rug’.
“I walked the entire North Central and delivered all the flyers myself. You walk down some of these streets and there’s refrigerators, and garbage on some people’s front lawns—how come it’s not addressed? If it were any other neighbourhood in Regina, it would probably be in the paper,” he says.
Lerat also participated in the White Pony Lodge and during their walk; they picked up fifty-sum needles in an evening. The next day when he was delivering flyers on the same block, he had seen six more needles on the ground. He highlights the White Pony Lodge, which he says gets zero support from the city, is a fantastic group and wants to see more of that in North Central.
“Another big thing that I think needs to be addressed in North Central is youth mobilization...I don’t think enough is being done for the youth.”
Lerat says why he thinks he’s the best candidate to represent the ward because he can relate to people best and that a fresh new face is needed in Ward 6.
Bill Stevenson
Bill Stevenson, candidate for Ward 6, is from Cowessess First Nation but lived in Regina most of his life. His interests in politics originated when Elijah Harper, former politician and Chief of his Red Sucker Lake community, first stood up in the Manitoba legislative with an eagle feather and said ‘no’ to the Meech Lake Accord.
“I think that was a turning point in my life...I wanted to be a part of a future change of a future voice so that’s where it all started,” says Stevenson.
Stevenson decided to run in this year’s Civic Election because he says Ward 6 needs a new voice. When he went door-knocking, he said people have voiced their concerns about the crimes getting out of hand and they feel the city council or city police aren’t doing enough about it and they want more done.
“I didn’t feel that our current councillor really spoke to our needs as constituents. I felt with my experience, education, my involvement in the community, that I can provide a clear alternative,” he says.
Another focus is on small businesses in Ward 6 and Stevenson wants to encourage growth and to continue small business development and wants to see more opportunities for employment. He also wants to see more after school programs for the youth in Ward 6—many changes he plans on implanting, if he is elected.