We Wai Kai First Nation elected chief Ronnie Chickite has earned another four-year term. 

During an election on Jan. 29, Chickite was re-elected with 258 votes of 432, defeating Brian Assu, who received 99 votes, and Tanille Johnston with 75 votes. Chickite was first elected in 2021. 

Art Wilson, Cindy Inrig, Kim Duncan, Jonathan Chickite, Nicole Assu, and Glenn Assu were re-elected as councillors. Merci Brown and Samantha Chickite were newly elected to the council.

In March 2024, the Nation announced it would be constructing a new administration building on the Quinsam Reserve. The building will host the Nation's administrative offices and will provide some commercial office space. 

At the time, the project was estimated to cost about $27 million, most of which would be made up for through commercial rent, economic development manager Jason Wilson told the Mirror last March. 

Also in March, the Tlowitsis, We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum and KB次元官网网址櫭砿oks First Nations, alongside Western Forest Products announced they had successfully agreed for the Nations to acquire a 34 per cent interest from forestry company for $35.9 million. The newly formed partnership is called the La-kwa sa muqw Forestry (pronounced la-KWAH-sa-mook).

The partnership includes assets and liabilities from Western's mid-Island forest operation, according to a March 2024 media release. The partnership covers about 157,000 hectares of forest land in the traditional territories of Nations near Campbell River and Sayward on eastern Vancouver Island. 

"The Nation has made great strides over the last four years as we've taken a large leap under my leadership to be involved with economic opportunities for the Nation to be one step closer to being a self sufficient nation," Chickite wrote in an email, adding the Nation also purchased four forest licenses from Interfor. 
 
"We will also be focusing on bringing language and culture revitalization back to the membership as it's been a part of our strategic plan. I would like to thank the membership for their support as their elected Chief for the next four years and will continue the growth of our economy, and well-being of our people," Chickite wrote. 

In the past four years, the Nation also purchased land near its Comox Valley mill for future residential housing, including apartments and multi-family homes, Chickite said. The Nation is also partnering with WestUrban Developments Ltd. on two 96-unit apartment buildings in Kelowna and plans to initiate a project in Campbell River next.

It also is beginning the planning phase of the elders subdivision and residential area, creating 37-residential lots and 36 units, which was part of the Indigenous Housing Fund, he added.

Together, the community administration building, Interfor assets, and 390 acres of land came with a whopping $57-million price tag. The We Wai Kai First Nation  from the First Nations Finance Authority (FNFA) last March, according to a loan document on the FNFA website.