North

Lynda Dickson re-elected as chief of Carcross/Tagish First Nation

Lynda Dickson has been re-elected as the chief of Carcross/Tagish First Nation in Yukon, with a five-vote margin.

Dickson wins with 5-vote margin over opponent Danny Cresswell

Lynda Dickson was first sworn in a Haa Shaa du Hen (chief) of the the Carcross/Tagish First Nation during a ceremony July 17, 2019. She was re-elected in the First Nation's 2020 general election on June 30. (Chris Windeyer/CBC)

Lynda Dickson has been re-elected as the Haa Shaa du Hen, or chief, of Carcross/Tagish First Nation in Yukon.

According to the First Nation's official election results, 336 voters cast ballots this election out of the 794 eligible voters.

There was a small margin of five votes between Dickson, who won with 109, and Danny Cresswell, who trailed with 104 votes. Chief electoral officer Tanya Silverfox told CBC that a recount would happen only if the margin was three votes or fewer.

The general election was scheduled for June 30, according the First Nation's website.

Dickson was sworn in as the new chief last summer, after former chief Andy Carvill was permanently ousted in wake of allegations of sexual harassment. At the time, there was less than a year remaining on the term.

During her swearing in ceremony, Dickson pledged to care for the land and water. She told an audience of more than 100 people she was thankful for the confidence of Carcross/Tagish citizens.

"Today is a new day," she said in July of 2019. "[There's] only so little one person can achieve, but mountains can be moved if we all work together."

With files from Jane Sponagle