Chris Derickson is ready to tackle the issues and priorities important to Westbank First Nation as their newly elected chief.

Derickson was recently elected with 376 votes being cast during the WFN鈥檚 general election on Sept. 19. Four new band councillors were also elected.

Christopher Raymond Derickson elected new chief of Westbank First Nation

Derickson said he鈥檚 still full of emotion after his election victory.

鈥淚t鈥檚 still sinking in,鈥� said Derickson.

鈥淧eople call me chief and I forget to respond. We鈥檙e all overwhelmed by it, but we鈥檙e all very supported by our members.

鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to a great three years.鈥�

Making sure the band鈥檚 economy remains sustainable is just one item Derickson wants to address during his first term as chief.

鈥淢y priority is ensuring all of our members are looked after.

鈥淎side from that, we also have 10,000 non-member residents and 500 businesses on our reserve.

鈥淲e want to make sure the economy we鈥檝e built here continues to flourish.鈥�

Westbank First Nation generated $1 billion in gross domestic product last year, according to their website, contributing $117 million in direct revenue to the reserve from operating businesses.

Derickson said revitalizing their language is also on the top of his agenda.

鈥淚 think all of council is behind revitalizing our language and putting more of a focus on our culture.

鈥淲e want to get more fluent speakers in our membership. That鈥檒l be a very high priority for us.鈥�

At the opening of the newly-renovated s蓹nsisyust蓹n House of Learning Elementary School last Thursday, Derickson said he鈥檇 like to turn the facility on Quail Road into a full-immersion nsyilxc蓹n language school one day.

The Westbank First Nation unveiled their new House of Learning school today.

The house will provide five new classrooms at the existing facility and will help ease enrollment pressures over the coming years.

鈥� Connor Trembley (@ConnorTrembley)

Westbank First Nation is one of seven Indigenous communities that make up the Okanagan Nation where the nsyilxc蓹n language is spoken.

The new chief and councillors were officially sworn into their new positions at an oath of office ceremony Sept. 24.

connor.trembley@kelownacapnews.com
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