At 37, he's 'ready for the challenge' of leading the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador
CBC
Francis Verreault-Paul was surrounded by his family, wife and two-week-old son when he was elected regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) on Tuesday evening.
His 88-year-old grandmother, or kokum, travelled hours to surprise him for the occasion.
"She told me, 'hey you need to win. You need to win this'. I said 'listen kokum, we'll see how it goes.' But I did what I had to do," said Verreault-Paul with a laugh.
"It was pretty emotional … but one thing [for] sure is that I'm ready for the challenge."
Verreault-Paul, 37, received approximately 58 per cent of the vote. Thirty-six out of the 43 chiefs represented by the AFNQL participated in the vote for the head of the assembly.
Top of mind for his mandate is defending Indigenous rights to land, language, culture and children's future.
For the past two years, Verreault-Paul has served as chief of staff to regional chief Ghislain Picard. When Picard announced in January he would not seek reelection after over 30 years in the role, Verreault-Paul decided to throw his hat in the ring for the top position.
"I just felt I was ready for it," said Verreault-Paul, who is from the Innu nation of Mashteuiatsh, located on the western shore of Lac Saint-Jean.
"I've always thought about running in politics," he said. "Ghislain did an amazing job for this and I want to pursue that in the same way."
Outgoing chief Picard was the same age when he was first elected to the role. After 11 consecutive terms as regional chief, he's held the position for over 30 years.
"Three decades later, we've come a long way at a time when Indigenous issues didn't occupy as much space as they do today," said Picard.
Throughout his career, he's focused on Indigenous autonomy and the right to self determination, something he says still needs advocacy.
In recent years, Picard has denounced the sometimes difficult relationship with Quebec's CAQ government.
"What we've seen in terms of the evolution of Indigenous rights, Indigenous title on the land … we're certainly not there yet," said Picard.
City Hall, alongside two London-based economic development groups, announced the first steps toward shoring up the local economy in the face of the threat of crushing tariff threats from the United States.
Just a day after Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey announced his resignation, at least three high profile Liberal candidates say they're considering putting their names forward to be the next leader of the party.
The fire chief and deputy chief of a Nova Scotia volunteer fire department have been removed from their positions following the death of a snowmobiler who was struck and killed by a fire truck last week.
A woman who stood beside a woman bleeding to death in Moncton, didn't call for help, and drove the perpetrator away from the scene has pleaded guilty to an accessory charge.
Francis Verreault-Paul was surrounded by his family, wife and two-week-old son when he was elected regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) on Tuesday evening.
Just when you think a provincial boundary is set in stone, the geological whims of the Rocky Mountains have other ideas.
The City of Prince George in north-central B.C. has applied to the courts in a bid to close a homeless encampment in the Moccasin Flats area, in what is the latest chapter in a long-running dispute.
Pride Toronto says three large corporate sponsors have pulled their funding from the festival this year in a move it says is connected to a backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs in the U.S.
Premier Rob Lantz says he was "very direct" with the prime minister Wednesday about the need to eliminate Confederation Bridge tolls and fees for the ferry service between P.E.I. and Nova Scotia.
The extent of the Calgary Police Service's role in helping provide security for the G7 leaders' summit in June is still unclear, and details are still being finalized ahead of the event.
A Yukon placer miner says delays in the territory's permitting process could cost him his mining season this year.
Transport Minister Anita Anand is set to reverse her decision to retire from politics and announce she will seek re-election, CBC News has learned.
The lawyer for the man accused of murdering a woman and trying to kill her husband argued the prosecution's theory of the fatal shooting being a paid hit "doesn't make sense."