The Comox Valley Regional District Area B will have a new director - the first-ever Indigenous director for the CVRD.

Arzeena Hamir lost her seat to KB次元官网网址櫭砿oks First Nation member Richard Hardy by 23 votes - 766 to 743. The third candidate for Area B, Keith Stevens, garnered 89 votes. (Results unofficial as of press time.)

For Hardy, getting a First Nation voice on the board was a main motivating factor in his decision to run.

B次元官网网址淭he commitment from the Comox Valley Regional District, regarding reconciliation with the KB次元官网网址櫭砿oks First Nation (is important), and to me, reconciliation means inclusion from the CVRD side of things, but also from the KFN perspectiveB次元官网网址� we need to be participants and be part of that inclusion, and be involved in the process.

B次元官网网址淪o I went to (KFN) Chief and Council and said this is what my feelings are, and they said, B次元官网网址榶eah, we should do that,B次元官网网址� so they pointed the finger at me and saidB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址榞ood luck.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

Hardy said there was some confusion as to the eligibility of KFN members to run or even vote in the municipal election.

B次元官网网址淭hat was one of the things I researched back in June - whether or not I could even run as a CVRD director, and the other question from a KB次元官网网址櫭砿oks First Nation perspective was whether the KB次元官网网址櫭砿oks First Nation had the ability to vote for an Area B director. A lot of us didnB次元官网网址檛 know we could participate in the process, either running or even voting. So it was a real eye-opener for the KB次元官网网址櫭砿oks First Nation, at the end of the day.B次元官网网址�

He said that while he leaned on his First Nation family for support, he made sure to campaign throughout the area.

B次元官网网址淲herever there were doors, I went and knocked on them,B次元官网网址� he said.

The 2022 election brought out some adverse campaigning, and while Hardy was the victim of one attack ad in particular, he said he tried not to let that tactic bother him.

B次元官网网址淚 know there was a lot of divisiveness within the Valley - smear campaigning, kind of like Trump stuffB次元官网网址� but I just chose not to go down that road. I just tried to stay focused on what it is that I bring to the table, and not focus at all on what other people were doing or saying. I just stayed in my own lane.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 was born and raised here in the Comox Valley, so I care very much for the Comox Valley.B次元官网网址�

Giving back to the community runs in the Hardy family.

B次元官网网址淢y father received the QueenB次元官网网址檚 Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 for his 48 years of community service. So watching him over the years, I will never come close to the service he did for our community, but with that being said, it must be in the gene pool.B次元官网网址�

Hardy said he could not have done this without a large group of supporters.

B次元官网网址淭here are so many people to thank - all my friends who helped me through the campaign process, family members, friends - I really have to give a shout-out to everyone who helped me through this process.B次元官网网址�

The voter turnout for Area B was a region-low 18.8 per cent.

terry.farrell@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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