Canada needs a new direction. Unless you’re living in a cave on the island of Sardinia, you likely know that. Justin Trudeau has to go, and polls are now suggesting that might just happen..Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre continues to go on the attack, and has taken the lead in the latest polls..And let’s face it, other than help destroy our economy and overspend, Justin has not accomplished very much except get in trouble with the ethics commissioner..Well, that’s not fair. He’s actually become a better surfer at Tofino, some say..Hey, a skill, is a skill!.Now, let me just say, I’m all in on Poilievre. Anything to get rid of Trudeau. And God willing, that will happen..But what about down the road, folks? What about Canada’s future. Our children’s future..We desperately need change, progressive change, but are we capable of it?.Look at Argentina..A firebrand economist nicknamed "the Wig" for his unruly hairstyle is being viewed increasingly as a real contender since he finished first in Argentina's primary elections this month. According to media reports, the latest polls show right-wing candidate Javier Milei in a powerful position heading into the nation's presidential elections on Oct. 22..Milei's trademark leather jacket, sideburns and piercing blue eyes have become a regular fixture on Argentina's political talk shows, earning celebrity status..The remedies he is proposing for Argentina's ailing economy are drastic — they include abolishing its peso currency and dollarizing the economy, the report said. He has promised to cut taxes, slash government jobs and end the direct government subsidies to the poor that sustain millions — policies that are somewhat revolutionary in nature..And maybe, just maybe, that’s what we need..I’m talking about change ... a new direction. New leadership..People say, there are no good Canadian politicians out there, that Liberals and Conservatives are just two sides to the same coin..But what if I told you, yes, there is a man, who could make a difference. A man with an impeccable record who could possibly heal the political divisions that exist in our country. A man with potential to rescue our land..That man’s name is Cadmus Delorme. And he just happens to be the former chief of Cowessess First Nation, a reserve nestled in Saskatchewan’s picturesque Qu’Appelle Valley..That’s right, a First Nations chief. First elected in 2016 to his first term, some seven years later, in February 2023, he announced he would not run for a third term..According to a CBC report, Delorme led his community of more than 4,300 members through potential unmarked graves being found at the site of a former residential school on his reserve, a global pandemic and the signing of the Child Welfare Agreement with Canada..Now, at 41 years old, he lives in his home community with his wife, three children and his wife's younger brother..Both his parents were residential school survivors. Despite their own struggles, Charlotte Bear and the late Bruce Delorme instilled the importance of pride, hard work, diligence, respect and patience..“They had a really rough upbringing but they made sure that I was protected,” Delorme told the Regina Leader-Post. “They overprotected me growing up.”.Charlotte, who spent 10 years at residential school and didn’t graduate with a Grade 12, went back to university at the age of 41 and was the first in her family to achieve an undergraduate degree. She wanted to show her kids that if she could do it, so could they..“That set the bar for me,” Delorme says..Qualities that just happen to be important for a leader..From kindergarten to Grade 6, a young Delorme missed one day of school. If the bus wasn’t running, Bruce, who served on council, fired up the truck. Missing class wasn’t an option..A Cree and Saulteaux and an ace golfer who won his share of tourneys (he would represent Saskatchewan nationally 13 times,) Delorme also sports a solid record of brilliant governance, decisions that have benefited his reserve..He’d come to office wanting to show that an Indigenous world view could work with — even improve — western-style development, that good governance started from the top, the Toronto Star reported..Following much research a large portion of land was reverted back to Cowessess First Nation to be shared collectively for farming. Today that land is effectively a corporation that farms 6,000 acres..Solar panels are also seen throughout the reserve, which help sustain utility bills and public buildings. Cowessess was also the First Nation in Canada to take back control of its child-welfare system, which is still in the process of being rebuilt..“When you’re a chief, you bring the enthusiasm, you bring the hope, you help chart the course,” he told the Toronto Star..“But you manage poverty 80% of your time. Weekends, evenings, days, it never ends. The poverty is mental, emotional, physical… You’re always on call. Sometimes you’re the peacekeeper chief, sometimes you’re the therapist, sometimes you’re the housing person.”.A playful social media presence and sense of humour have gone hand-in-hand with a laser-focused approach to reconciliation and other crucial issues..That, along with his push for indigenous world views in collaboration with development has created a modern First Nation. Delorme says he draws on his values and his teachings from his ancestors. His approach is also pragmatic, earning praise for his problem-solving take with the feds..“The response I often get is that I’m a breath of fresh air because of the way I approach it,” Delorme told the CBC. “I’m not in there pounding my fist and pointing my finger. I’m in there explaining [that the system] really doesn’t work and how are we going to change it..The man is also well educated, receiving a Master of Public Administration from the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy and a Bachelor of Business Administration along with a Certificate in Hospitality, Tourism and Gaming Entertainment Management from the First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv)..He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his student leadership and the hospitality he showed to Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, when they visited FNUniv in 2012..Recently, he was also appointed as chairperson of the Residential School Documents Advisory Committee for a five-year term..As such, Delorme said he will go to Ottawa every three months at minimum for the next four and a half years and chair the committee..“What makes this committee so unique is the chairperson, who is me, is not a public servant, because this is a very bureaucratic goal. It's all internal, it's 10 departments from Treasury to RCMP to Health to INAC — today we call it Crown Relations Indigenous Services Canada,” Delorme told the CBC..They could not have picked a better man. One of Delorme’s last acts in office was to sign off on a multimillion-dollar wind turbine project that Cowessess owns almost a fifth of, which is in addition to the community’s $25 million solar field..“Economic self sustainability is not just about drawing in a net profit. It’s about growing our confidence... It’s about lifting the ceiling on what we can do,” he told the Toronto Star. .It’s not surprising that both parties have made inquiries..Asked about a potential foray into federal politics, Delorme said he will have to pick a party first.."I tend to lean left at times and tend to lean right at times and I'll tend to stay centre," he said..And now the big question. Is Canada ready, for a First Nation’s prime minister? Could he face an uphill battle against the establishment in Parliament and Bay Street, or earn grassroots support among Canadian voters?.Could he get the financial backing needed, to run an effective campaign?.These are questions I cannot answer. But if Cadmus Delorme ran for PM tomorrow, he would have my vote, and my financial support..It’s time for change, folks. It’s time for revolution. Time we recognize the new generation of leaders, builders and change-makers in our great nation..To quote Billy Diamond, former grand chief of the James Bay Crees..“Great obstacles make great leaders.”
