Recreation, Culture & Social Support Services
Sonny Flett
Sonny Flett has lived in the community of Fort Chipewyan his whole life. He has fond memories of taking a Hudson's Bay steamer from Fort Chipewyan to Fort Fitzgerald as a young boy with his mother. He said at that time there were 11 boats going up and down the rivers on a regular basis.
As Councillor for Ward 2, Flett's reminiscing of a simpler time for his people helps him to keep a purposeful eye on the future. He knows that things have changed, and that younger generations are not going to go back to the days of hunting and trapping. The fact that they are surrounded by so many other career opportunities makes industry seem like a more appealing alternative.
As one of Syncrude's longest-standing contractors - providing transportation services for the Fort Chipewyan Rotational Employment Program since 1982 - Flett has witnessed first-hand the positive impact that industry has had on his community. He knows that while we can't stop industry from developing, we can find ways to work with it so that the companies understand the needs and traditions of the Aboriginal people. Proper and regular consultation is necessary to build this relationship.
He has many ideas about what he'd like to accomplish in his fourth term on Council. For example, he sees the potential of once again using boats to help connect Alberta's oldest settlement with career opportunities, as the oil sands edge northward. He'd like to see an all-weather road built from Fort Chipewyan to Fort Smith so that a ferry road could be used to cross the Slave River. Also, he'd like to see a swimming pool installed in Fort Chipewyan to complement the other recreational opportunities now available.
"There's plenty to be done and I'm ready to do it," says Flett.
Contact Councillor Flett
T (780) 743-7011
C (780) 714-4947
H (780) 697-3926
F (780) 743-7028
E sonny.flett@woodbuffalo.ab.ca
