Just months after he was elected, Area D regional director Gilbert Parnell has resigned.
Mr. Parnell, the first Haida citizen ever elected to the regional district, has taken a job in a sportsfishing camp on the west coast of the islands, said administrator Janet Beil. He offered his resignation because he won't be able to attend meetings for the next several months, she said.
A by-election will be held July 31 to elect a new director if more than one nomination is received, Ms Beil said. It will be the second trip to the polls this year for Area D voters, who elected Mr. Parnell in a January by-election following the resignation of Ian Lordon.
The by-elections, while necessary, cost around $5,000 each, Ms Beil added. (To complicate things further, long-time director Maria Parks, who represents a rural area on the mainland, has also resigned to move to Vancouver Island, forcing a by-election in her area.)
People interested in running for the Area D position have from June 14 until June 25 to file their nomination. Papers are available at the Queen Charlotte management committee office, the Masset village office, and the Port Clements village office.