Voters in Lorette will not be going to the polls in June, as originally planned.

The Rural Municipality of Tache has been making arrangements for a by-election in the Local Urban District of Lorette. The LUD committee has been short one member since the death of Tim Graham in January. Graham, who died of complications related to cancer, had been on the LUD committee for 13 years.

Christine Hutlet is Chief Administrative Officer for Tache. She says the by-election was supposed to happen in June, until COVID-19 resulted in significant restrictions within our province.

“Due to the uncertainty around COVID-19 and the requirements for gathering of groups of more than ten and being able to maintain that social distancing, I had to ask Council to make a judgment call to put the by-election on hold,” explains Hutlet.

The CAO says Council is hoping to be able to host the vote in September but says it has been postponed until they get a better sense of how to manage this moving forward.
According to Hutlet, a few municipalities in Manitoba have asked the province for assistance in developing some guidelines on how to manage by-elections during this period, while at the same time keeping public and staff safe.

“Giving the voters the ability to come in and cast their vote without fear,” says Hutlet. “And that’s what we are working on right now.”

Meanwhile, Hutlet says Graham has left a void in Lorette.

“He had been with the municipality and the LUD for many, many years,” she says. “And he has definitely left a significant hole in our community since his passing.”

Hutlet says she has heard there may be one or two residents from Lorette that are interested in running for the position.