Liard First Nation members to meet with 3rd party manager

Some Liard First Nation members hopea long-awaited meeting, scheduled for Wednesday,will address some of the issues being faced by the community.

First Nation members say they don't know what's going on because there hasn't been a general council meeting in a year, or any other communication from the band and council.

The LiardFirst Nation has been under third-party management since September 2014, following an investigation of its finances byAboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada.

Seven months later, some First Nation members feelmany responsibilitiesnormally assumedby theFirst Nationhave been forgotten.

Mary Caesar says elders usuallyreceive fuel funded by Liard First Nation, every winter.

"This winter they didn't get fuel," she said. "This caused a lot of hardship for my mom and some other elders, too."

Caesar also believes drug and alcohol addiction is on the risebecause some social programs are not running.

Wednesday's all-day meeting will include the third-party manager, federal government representatives and Liard First Nation members.