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Jason Goodstriker is pictured with Premier Jason Kenney. Goodstriker, a member of the province's Fair Deal Panel, has passed away (Twitter: Jason Kenney @jkenney)

Jason Goodstriker, First Nations leader and Fair Deal panel member, passes away

Jan 16, 2020 | 3:58 PM

AIRDRIE, AB — The province’s Fair Deal Panel has cancelled its scheduled town hall event in Airdrie Thursday evening due to the death of one of the panel members.

It was announced on Thursday that Jason Goodstriker, a former councillor with the Blood Tribe and former Alberta Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief, passed away.

As a result, the date in Airdrie will be rescheduled to a later date.

“We have lost an extraordinary person in Jason Goodstriker,” said Rick Wilson, the Minister of Indigenous Relations for the province, in a statement.

“He was the sort of person who left a strong impression on me and others around him with his generosity, sharp mind and easy laugh. These were the tools he used to serve the Kainai Nation (Blood Tribe) as a band councillor in the early 2000s before his election as Alberta’s Regional Chief for the Assembly of First Nations.”

Premier Jason Kenney also released a statement on Goodstriker’s passing on Twitter.

The Fair Deal Panel town hall in Medicine Hat will continue on Friday as scheduled. The panel, which has been touring Alberta since its announcement in November, is receiving feedback from Albertans on how to “give the province a bigger voice withing the federation, increase power over areas of provincial jurisdiction and advance vital economic interests,” according to a release.

Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes is one of the members of the panel.

The Medicine Hat town hall runs from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede auditorium. Those interested in attending are asked to register in advance. A registration link can be found here. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/fair-deal-panel-medicine-hat-town-hall-tickets-88531394785?utm-medium=discovery&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-source=strongmail&utm-term=listing