Aaron Paquette facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aaron Paquette
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Paquette in 2024
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| Born | 1974 (age 50–51) Edmonton, Alberta |
| Occupation | CEO, writer, artist, and politician |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Genre | fantasy, young adult literature |
| Notable works | Lightfinder |
| Spouse | Clarice Anderson |
| Children | 4 |
Aaron Paquette is a Canadian artist, writer, and politician. He is a member of the Edmonton City Council. He represents Ward Dene in the northeast part of the city. He was first elected to the City Council in October 2017.
Aaron Paquette won the Burt Award for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Literature in 2015. He won for his first young adult fantasy novel, Lightfinder. As an artist, his paintings are displayed in many places. You can see his public art mural at Edmonton's Government Centre station. His artwork is also at the Royal Alberta Museum. You can find his pieces in the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. He also created important images for the Idle No More movement. Many schools and public places in Edmonton have his murals.
He was featured in a documentary called "From the Spirit." He also worked as a writer for the 2023 documentary "re-ken-si-le-a-shen." Since 2020, Paquette has been an Honourary Chief Factor for Fort Edmonton Park.
Aaron Paquette is Métis. He has Cree (Nehiyaw), Cayuse, and Norwegian family roots.
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Aaron Paquette's Consulting Work
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Aaron Paquette used to be the president of a company called Cree8 Success. This company offered consulting services.
In 2012, Cree8 Success organized an Education Conference. Many talented people spoke at this event. Some of the speakers included David Bouchard and Richard Wagamese. Other presenters were Ryan McMahon and the musical group ASANI. K.A.S.P. (Paul Sawan), Dawn Marie Marchand, and Amanda Woodward also participated. Richard Van Camp and Aaron Paquette himself were also presenters.
Paquette sold his company's assets in 2017. This happened after he was elected to the Edmonton City Council.
Aaron Paquette's Political Career
Aaron Paquette has been involved in politics for several years.
Running for Federal Election
In 2015, he ran as a candidate for the New Democratic Party. This was for the federal election in the area of Edmonton Manning. He was not elected at that time. Ziad Aboultaif from the Conservative Party won the election.
Joining Edmonton City Council
In 2017, Paquette ran for a seat on the Edmonton City Council. He ran in Ward 4. This ward includes areas like Northeast Edmonton and Clareview. He competed against 11 other candidates. Aaron Paquette won the seat with 23.79% of the votes.
In March 2021, Paquette announced he would run again for City Council. He wanted to be re-elected in October 2021. He said that as a City Councilor, he focused on improving services. He also worked to end "ward wars." These are disagreements between different city areas over money and services.
The 2021 Edmonton municipal election changed ward names and boundaries. Paquette was re-elected in Ward Dene. This new ward includes his former Ward 4. He received 54 percent of the votes in his ward. This was a majority of the votes.
Council and Committee Work
Aaron Paquette has served on several important committees. From 2017 to 2021, he was part of the Alberta Industrial Heartland Association.
He is also a member of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). He serves on these standing committees:
- Community Safety and Crime Prevention
- Municipal Finance, Infrastructure and Transportation
- Anti Racism and Equity
He is also a participating member of the Big City Mayors Caucus Indigenous Circle. This role is from 2021 to 2025. He also serves on the Regional Caucus/Prairies and Territories Caucus.
On behalf of the Edmonton City Council, he has served on:
- Climate Innovation Fund Executive Committee (Member) (2021–2025)
- Edmonton Design Committee (Councillor Advisor) (2021–2025)
- Enoch Stewardship Roundtable (Member) (2023–2025)
- Sturgeon River Watershed Alliance Steering Committee (Member) (2017–2025)
He is expected to run for re-election in the next municipal election. This election will happen in October 2025.
Electoral Record Highlights
Here are some highlights of Aaron Paquette's election results:
- 2017 Edmonton city election: elected as councillor
- 2021 Edmonton city election: elected as councillor
