Saddle Lake members hoping for change

Page 3

Saddle Lake residents hope their new leaders will pave the way for change on their northern Alberta reserve.

According to optimistic band members of the Saddle Lake reserve, they could be in store for long awaited road improvements now that a new administration is in place.

Ben Houle, co-owner of Houle and Cardinal Bus Lines, believes the new chief and council have the potential to boost band moral and complete vital projects that have been put off

for more than two years.

One of which, he suggests, is paving the rough and bumpy roads that run throughout the Saddle Lake reserve, located 120 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.

"There are a lot of reasons for doing it. It would create employment and it would save money on bus and care repairs," he says.

"It costs more money not to have them paved."

Houle says the majority of band members have been demanding chief and council negotiate with the province to pave the seven kilometre highway that runs through the reserve.

"For two years we've been waiting for something to happen -- and nothing."

He said it would help make driving on the reserve safer and less costly if highway 652 was paved. And then, says Houle, repairs to the rest of the reserve's roads would follow.

A premature election earlier this month resulted in the election of nine new councilman and Chief Carl Quinn.

The election resulted from a band plot to overthrow the leadership.

"We want some things to get done now," declared band member Donald McGilvery.

"Things will start changing around here now if we can get people to back it up."

McGilvery, 49, noted that band members always questioned the role of the Saddle Lake political body headed by Chief Eugene Steinhauer, but never made their concerns known

during band meetings.

He trusts the new chief and council will be more receptive to their complaints.

McGilvery claims the reserve have been stricken with low unemployment and morale since Steinhauer took office.

"It looks promising now," he insists.

Quinn, who's been holding private meetings with his council since being elected chief Aug. 7, wouldn't discuss any new initiatives he has for the reserve, but admitted there will be

changes made.

"We're only in the meeting stages now" to see what could be done, he said.