aga-060710-14-approved-070709-13

GermainCouncilor Pauline Saulnier, Region 7Councilor Maurice Sarrazin, Region 5Councilor Eric Scofield, Region 9 Anita Tucker, Post Secondary RepresentativeSenator Audrey Vallee CALL TO

Minutes of the 13 th Annual General Assembly of the Métis Nation of Ontario, held July 10-14, 2006 at

Ojibway Park in Sault Ste Marie, ON

PCMNO MEMBERS PRESENT:

Tony Belcourt, President

Gary Lipinski, Chair

France Picotte, Vice Chair

Tim Pile, Secretary-Treasurer

Senator Gerry Bedford

Councilor Cameron Burgess, Region 2

Ginny Gonneau, Youth Representative

Executive Senator Reta Gordon

Councilor Guy Lefebvre, Region 3

Councilor Sharon McBride, Region 8Councilor Brent McHale, Region 4 Senator Roland St GermainCouncilor Pauline Saulnier, Region 7Councilor Maurice Sarrazin, Region 5Councilor Eric Scofield, Region 9 Anita Tucker, Post Secondary RepresentativeSenator Audrey Vallee

CALL TO ORDER AND OPENING PRAYER

Chair Lipinski called the 13th Annual General Assembly of the Métis Nation of Ontario to order at 9:47 a.m Senator Brenda Powley offered an Opening Prayer Sierra Noble offered a fiddle song

WELCOMING REMARKS BY CO-CHAIRS

Ontario Agenda package: Welcome letters from Gary Lipinski, PCMNO Chair and France Picotte, PCMNO Vice Chair.

Chair Lipinski welcomed delegates to the 13th Annual General Assembly (AGA) of the MNO, whichwould set a vision for the PCMNO’s work in the coming year

Comments were offered regarding the First Ministers Meeting (FMM) in November 2005, which waspreceded by nearly two years of preparatory meetings of Métis, First Nations, Inuit,federal/provincial/territorial governments seeking means of filling the gaps between Aboriginal peoples

Minutes of the 13th Annual General Assembly of the Métis Nation of Ontario

MINUTES

DATE: July 10-14, 2006 MÉTIS NATION OF ONTARIO

and mainstream Canadians in areas such as education, health, housing, and economic development TheFMM was historical in that it was the first FMM where complete consensus was achieved, and given that

it had resulted in the Kelowna Accord and commitments of $5.2 billion over five years for distinctionbased solutions Although the term “Métis Nation” had been identified in the Throne Speech and thefederal budget in 2005, suggestion was that the new federal government was not living up to the Accordand so there was need to communicate to government that the Accord must be honoured andimplemented

An overview of other subject areas that would be reported on during the AGA was provided, and theChair acknowledged the MNO’s volunteers, staff, leadership and citizens who continued to provide thesupport and guidance that propelled forward the Métis Nation within Ontario

Alternating between English and Michif, Vice Chair France Picotte acknowledged the necessity of theAGA for the PCMNO to receive its mandate, adding that the AGA was also an important celebration ofMétis heritage and culture She referenced the Michif Language Initiative, noting that there wasopportunity for Michif speakers to be videotaped at the AGA

GREETING BY THE HISTORICAL SAULT STE MARIE METIS COUNCIL

On behalf of the Historical Sault Ste Marie Métis Council, Senator Brenda Powley welcomed delegatesand dignitaries, and extended a special thank you to PCMNO Executive Senator Reta Gordon for hercoordination of the Senators Forum that preceded the 13th Annual General Assembly

OPENING ADDRESS BY MNO PRESIDENT TONY BELCOURT

Ontario Agenda package: Welcome from Tony Belcourt, Métis Nation of Ontario President.

MNO President Belcourt recalled that the AGA had been held in Sault Ste Marie five years prior, anddiscussed the historical significance of the area In 1849 the Métis and the First Nations of the area hadturned back the miners at Mica Bay, an action that eventually resulted in the Robinson Treaty This wasimportant to First Nations because their rights were recognized, and to the Métis because it was thatperiod of time that led to the recognition of Métis rights in the Supreme Court of Canada decision in

Powley

Concern was noted that Ontario’s history books offered seeds of discrimination against Métis peoplebecause of their derogative references to Louis Riel It was shared that in 1872, Ontario and the Queens’Park Legislature had put a $5,000 bounty on Louis Riel’s head which led to him being unfairly tried andhung in 1875 He was the only person to be hung for high treason in Canada’s history Regardless, theMNO had hope that Métis people would soon be proudly recognized by Canada’s federal and provincialgovernments

Since the MNO began, it had reawakened the interest of Ontario’s Métis to learn and write about theirMétis history The MNO President suggested that there was need to rediscover and write about this richhistory, in order to paint a picture of the Métis Nation from Ontario to British Columbia

MNO President Belcourt discussed the history of his family, which included kin in Sault Ste Marie andthe surrounding area He then referenced sources for accessing historical records, including the 1999

provincial government document titled “The Historic Populations of Mixed Aboriginal Non-Aboriginal

in Ontario” that was prepared for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources The report identified at least

four heads of Métis families in the historic Matawa-North Bay area, whose descendants remained in thearea in significant numbers – some of whom worked for the MNO

On the subject of provincial relations, the MNO President spoke of the need to remind the Premier of pastdiscussions regarding the formation of a Chair in Métis Studies at an Ontario university Meanwhile, theMNO had taken it upon itself to do something about Métis education It proudly had endowment funds ofapproximately $4 million at 32 colleges and universities, which every year earned money that wenttowards helping Métis students get to college and university

MNO President Belcourt welcomed former Deputy Grand Chief Nelson Toulouse, and spoke of thenation-to-nation relationship of the MNO with the Anishinabek Nation The President reported that he hadrecently attended a traditional pow wow, and acknowledged the continued strengthening of therelationship Remarks were also offered regarding the MNO Development Corporation’s efforts towards ajoint MNO-Anishinabek Nation venture called the Aboriginal Voice On-Line Call Centre

At the international level, the MNO President shared that he had been involved in the discussions on theUnited Nations (UN) Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which was approved by the

UN Human Rights Commission on June 28, 2006 He added that although Canada had supported theDeclaration in its drafting phase, Canada in the end opposed the Declaration as a result of the recentchange in government

The MNO’s communications efforts were acknowledged, including its website, www.metisradio.fm, theMétis Voyageur, and video conferencing Telehealth facilities at 15 sites across Ontario In regard to thelatter, a demonstration of a system test which linked people from three communities who could not attendthe AGA was provided

The MNO President indicated that volunteerism was fundamental to the success of the MNO, sharing that

in one year 9,800 hours of volunteer services had been given by Métis citizens in the long term careprogram alone He led delegates in applauding the contributions of the volunteers, including MNO staff The President commented on the MNO Registry, which was launched 13 years prior and was comprised

of legitimate Métis descendants of historic Métis communities, as one of the Aboriginal peoples ofCanada that enjoy Constitutional rights as a people He offered that the right to hunt and fish for food wasonly one of the rights that the Métis had dealt with, but that the courts had made it very clear that theMétis had rights and that governments had obligations It was added that governments were entrusted toprotect Aboriginal rights that were recognized and affirmed in Canada’s Constitution, and that the MNOhad been built on a strong foundation of being a people that desired to take its rightful place withinCanada

In his concluding remarks, the MNO President expressed his honour to be President of the MNO, and tohave so served for the past 13 years He looked forward to the MNO’s next year, and invited delegates toenjoy the AGA, and to celebrate the wonderful history and culture of the Métis in Ontario

PRESENTATIONS BY DIGNATARIES AND GUEST SPEAKERS

Historical Sault Ste Marie Métis Council

On behalf of the Historical Sault Ste Marie Métis Council, Brent McHale, PCMNO Councilor – Region

4, acknowledged the honour and privilege of holding the Annual General Assembly (AGA) on Ojibwaylands, and welcomed delegates, dignitaries, First Nation representatives, Members of Parliament, theSenators, and others to the AGA He recognized the many volunteers and staff who had organized theAGA, and led delegates in a moment to remember the Métis citizens who had passed on during the prioryear, and the Métis veterans overseas

Minutes of the 13th Annual General Assembly of the Métis Nation of Ontario

Chief Lyle Sayers, Garden River First Nation

On behalf of the Garden River First Nation Council, Blaine Belleau welcomed the AGA to the area PCMNO Chair Lipinski presented Mr Belleau with a MNO 13th Anniversary AGA gift paddle

Nelson Toulouse, Nishnabee Language Commissioner

In his native language, Commissioner Toulouse extended a welcome to the attendees, noting that he wasofficially attending the AGA as a Nishnabee Language Commissioner He spoke of the primary goals ofthe Commission, which included: capturing intelligence; assessing what currently existed; formation of astandardization board to standardize orthography; development of a Dictionary Committee It was addedthat the Commission was seeking funding from the province of Ontario, which was commended for thechanges it had already made to curriculum

Commissioner Toulouse shared stories of having met with the Maori who today had their own educationalinstitution where it was possible to do a PhD in Maori He added that the Maori created an average of 400new words each year to stay caught up with modern technology, and recalled having witnessed the launch

of Microsoft Maori

As a result of its interactions with the MNO, Commissioner Toulouse shared that the Chiefs of Ontariowere reverting back to their traditional ways of meeting and now included some fun interaction in theirAssemblies He thanked the MNO for this gift

Commissioner Toulouse concluded with comments on his attendance at a recent graduation of languageimmersion teachers He offered that 30 years of language instruction did not provide one speaker, whileimmersion provided the ability for individuals to think and see things as an Indigenous person

PCMNO Chair Lipinski presented Commissioner Toulouse with a MNO 13th Anniversary AGA giftpaddle

The Honourable Christopher Bentley, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities

On behalf of Ontario Premier McGuinty, Minister Christopher Bentley extended greetings to all AnnualGeneral Assembly (AGA) attendees noting that he was very pleased to have been included in the arrival

of the dignitaries that morning

Minister Bentley offered that the Métis were still and had always been an important part of the country,and that Premier McGuinty was as committed as he had ever been to ensuring that the Métis achievedwhat they hoped to achieve – all the rights and obligations that were due to them He noted that Ontariohad established a new approach for Aboriginal relations, and offered that it would not be surprising ifconsultations took a little longer and had a few bumps as they had historically not occurred

Minister Bentley commented that the province would not achieve its full potential unless every person inthe province achieved their potential, including the Métis achieving the potential that they saw forthemselves For this reason, the Premier had established a Committee of all Aboriginal peoples on whichthe Métis were represented, and which considered investments for more Métis to achieve post secondaryeducation training and to achieve success

The Minister advised that he would inform the Minister of Education of the Métis interest in education

He also acknowledged his awareness of and commitment to achieving the Chair of Métis Studies, withthe need for advice from the Métis as to where and how that should occur The Minister looked forward toworking with the MNO on how to improve access to post secondary education and training, which wasessential for the future of the Métis, the Métis communities, the province and the country

Minister Bentley concluded with note that Premier McGuinty remained very much committed to the spiritand the fact of the Kelowna Accord, and would ensure that they fulfilled their obligations and more as agovernment

PCMNO Chair Lipinski presented Minister Bentley with a MNO 13th Anniversary AGA gift paddle Hereminded the Minister of the commitment in the Accord to improving access to colleges and universities,noting that the MNO had a related proposal to the federal government to enhance its existing scholarshipand bursaries funds The Minister confirmed his commitment on that front

Howard Hampton, Ontario NDP Leader and MPP for Kenora-Rainy River

MPP Hampton greeted the MNO Annual General Assembly (AGA) delegates, and expressed appreciationfor having been invited to attend He shared that it was an honour and privilege to be in the presence ofpeople that dedicated their lives to making things better for Métis communities, acknowledged that therewas much inequality in the province, and suggested that the Métis struggle for recognition and equalitywas a struggle on behalf of all Ontarians

MPP Hampton acknowledged that the Métis Nation was one of Canada’s Aboriginal peoples with adistinct culture, language, customs, government, and rights that were recognized in Canada’sConstitution, but not always in the day to day activities of the federal and provincial governments TheNDP supported the Métis in their struggle for equality, recognition, and to be able to take their rightfuland proper place in the history of the province and Canada, and in making sure that the McGuintygovernment honoured the agreement with the MNO in terms of harvesting rights

The MPP congratulated the organizers of the 13th AGA, and the Métis leadership that had shown truecommitment in the face of adversity He wished the AGA the very best in good discussions and debate,and the opportunity to enjoy and renew the unique Métis culture and traditions

MNO President Belcourt presented MPP Hampton with a MNO 13th Anniversary AGA gift paddle

Tony Martin, MP Sault Ste Marie

MP Martin welcomed all Annual General Assembly (AGA) attendees to the traditional gathering place,and encouraged them to have fun in the natural surroundings so that the important relationships could bestrengthened in order to move forward in confidence He looked forward to working with the Critic forAboriginal Affairs and the MNO to ensure that work was done on behalf of the Métis

MNO President Belcourt presented MP Martin with a MNO 13th Anniversary AGA gift paddle

Michael Ignatieff, MP Etobicoke Lakeshore

On behalf of MP Ignatieff, Christian Provenzano, Liberal Candidate of Record in Sault Ste Marie, readaloud a letter expressing appreciation for the invitation to the AGA The letter referenced a meeting withAboriginal and Métis leaders the prior week, and acknowledged the significance of Sault Ste Marie in thehistory of the Métis Nation It suggested that Canada was at a cross roads visa vie its Aboriginalcommunities and in achieving equality in education, health care and economic opportunities betweenAboriginal communities and the rest of the country The Kelowna Accord was seen as a real effort to levelthe playing ground and to match good words with good deeds However, with the federal governmenthaving abandoned it, the MP was committed to ensuring greater accountability at each level ofgovernment

MNO President Belcourt presented Mr Provenzano with a MNO 13th Anniversary AGA gift paddle

Minutes of the 13th Annual General Assembly of the Métis Nation of Ontario

Special Presentation to MNO President Belcourt

Councilor McHale and Senator Powley presented MNO President Belcourt with a golf club inappreciation of his ongoing efforts on behalf of the Métis Nation

Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario

Via video broadcast, Premier McGuinty extended greetings to the Annual General Assembly delegates

He indicated that Ontario valued and celebrated its diversity, and thanked the Métis for sharing theirculture and traditions The Premier looked forward to working with the MNO to ensure a higher quality oflife for all

Rod Bruinooge, Parliamentary Secretary

Via video broadcast, Parliamentary Secretary Bruinooge extended greetings on behalf of the FederalInterlocutor, and recognized the work of the MNO and its volunteers, which was greatly appreciated Parliamentary Secretary Bruinooge shared that his goals included developing productive relationships andaddressing issues to lead to improvements for Aboriginal peoples as an enormous and valuable resourcefor the future of the country The government was committed to working with the Métis, as well as FirstNations and Inuit, to make real progress To this end, government had taken steps through commitment of

$3.7 billion in support of Aboriginal peoples, and by striking a working group with the Métis NationalCouncil to move forward on mutual priorities

Parliamentary Secretary Bruinooge expressed confidence that the Métis would enjoy a cooperative,productive relationship with the new government, and wished the MNO a successful AGA

DELEGATES’ MEETING – JULY 10, 2006

CALL TO ORDER

Chair Lipinski called to order the 13th Annual General Assembly of the Métis Nation of Ontario’sDelegate Meeting on July 10, 2006 at 1:56 p.m It was noted that delegates were required to display theirDelegate Card at all times in order to participate in the voting process The Assembly Rules of Order, andthe process for making motions and voting as needed were reviewed

1 Messages of Conveyance

Nation of Ontario Agenda package:

 Welcome letters from PCMNO members Reta Gordon, Executive Senator; Tim Pile,

Secretary-Treasurer; Cameron Burgess, Councilor, Region 2; Pauline Saulnier, Councilor, Region 7; Sharon McBride, Councilor, Region 8; and Eric Scofield, Councilor, Region 9.

 Correspondence from:

 The Governor General of Canada, Her Excellency The Right Honourable Michaelle

Jean;

 The Lieutentant Governor of Ontario, James Bartleman;

 The Métis National Council President, Clemént Chartier;

 The Métis Nation British Columbia President and Métis National Council Minister of

Culture, Heritage and Language, Bruce Dumont;

 The Sault Ste Marie Mayor John Rowswell;

 MP Sault Ste Marie Tony Martin;

 MPP Algoma-Manitoulin Michael Brown;

 Leader of the Government in the Senate, The Honourable Marjory LeBreton;

 Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and Federal Interlocutor for Métis

and Non-Status Indians, The Honourable Jim Prentice;

 Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs, The Honourable David Ramsay;

 Minster of National Defence, The Honourable Gordon O’Connor;

 Minister of Children and Youth Services, The Honourable Mary Anne Chambers;

 Minister of Education, The Honourable Sandra Pupatello;

 Minister of the Environment, The Honourable Laurel Broten;

 Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, The Honourable Monte

Kwinter;

 Minister of Tourism, The Honourable Jim Bradley;

 Minister of Transportation, The Honourable Donna Cansfield; and

 Minister of Labour, The Honourable Steve Peters.

Materials distributed under this item were received for information at the Assembly

2 Establish Quorum

Vice Chair Picotte reported that there were 152 registered delegates in attendance at the 13th

Annual General Assembly, and advised that 50%, or 76, of the registered delegates were required

to be present to form quorum In order to pass simple motions the support of 50% plus 1 of theregistered delegates was required, and motions to amend the bylaws or that affected citizens’rights required 2/3, or 102, of the registered delegates to vote in support

3 Review and Accept Agenda

It was MOVED (Eric Scofield) and SECONDED (Sharon McBride)

That the Agenda for the 13th Annual General Assembly of the Métis Nation of Ontario beapproved as follows:

 Appoint a Resolutions Committee

 Review Minutes

 Business Arising From Minutes

 Presentation: Suzanne Rochon-Burnett, Volunteer Awards

 Presentation: Heritage Community Recognition Certificate

 Overview of Branch Administration

 Métis National Council President

 Legal Update/Métis Rights Issues

 Métis Litigation

 MNO Cases

Minutes of the 13th Annual General Assembly of the Métis Nation of Ontario

 Harvesting Agreements

 MNO Revised Harvesting Policy

 Environment Canada: Great Lakes Water Quality Review

 MNO Cultural Commission

 MNO Development Corporation AGA

RESOLVED BY CONSENSUS (AGA06-01)

4 Appoint a Resolutions Committee

Chair Lipinski outlined the responsibilities of the Resolutions Committee and presented thenames of individuals who had volunteered to serve on the Committee

It was MOVED (Judy Trott) and SECONDED (Eric Scofield)

That the 13th Annual General Assembly of the Métis Nation of Ontario approve the membership

of the Resolutions Committee as follows: Lawrence Gladue, Paul Heighington, André Lefebvre,and Senator Roland St Germain

RESOLVED BY CONSENSUS (AGA06-02)

Delegates were later informed that resolutions could be submitted to the Resolutions Committeeuntil 5:00 p.m on Thursday, July 13, 2006 Honouring this deadline allowed for printed copies ofthe proposed resolutions to be distributed on July 14, 2005

5 Review Minutes

2005.

It was MOVED (Eric Scofield) and SECONDED (Jacques Leroux)

That the Minutes of the 12th Annual General Assembly of the Métis Nation of Ontario held July 4-8, 2005 be adopted with the following amendments:

a) throughout, correct references to the AGA as being held in 2005 rather than 2004;and

b) page 1, replace “Total Attendance” with “Quorum” and replace the paragraph underthat heading with “A total of 154 Métis Nation of Ontario registered voting delegates as ofnoon on the first day of the AGA (Quorum therefore being 77.)”

RESOLVED BY CONSENSUS (AGA06-03)

6 Business Arising From Minutes

In response to a question regarding the status of the actions towards the establishment of a YouthCamp, it was noted that a related summary would be reviewed at an upcoming ExecutiveCommittee meeting

In regard to the establishment of a medal for MNO Veterans, it was noted that the MNO VeteransCouncil President had been working out of country for some time, but that there had beendiscussions with the Minister of Veterans Affairs on the matter prior to the change in government.

Minutes of the 13th Annual General Assembly of the Métis Nation of Ontario

7 Presentation: Suzanne Rochon-Burnett, Volunteer Awards

On behalf of the PCMNO, MNO President Belcourt introduced a proposed Suzanne Burnett Volunteer of the Year Award Ms Rochon-Burnett’s many volunteer efforts to championAboriginal people in the arts were recounted; and her vision of the MNO having a Métis ownedradio station, which led to the launch of www.metisradio.fm, was recalled A video recapping Ms.Rochon-Burnett’s volunteer efforts – first viewed when she was inducted into the CanadianCouncil for Aboriginal Business Hall of Fame – was played Her passing on April 2, 2006 wasacknowledged

Rochon-MNO President Belcourt announced the launch of a new Rochon-MNO website section about Ms.Rochon-Burnett and the Award following which a review of the website section was provided Itwas reported that the PCMNO had approved the establishment of the Award, the objective ofwhich was to honour one MNO volunteer per year as determined by a Selection Panel.Information on the Call for Nominations, the deadline, the Panel review process, and Panelcomposition was provided

The MNO President discussed the process for volunteers to be nominated for the Award, and alsoasked volunteers to submit their names to receive volunteer recognition certificates and pins for 3,

5 and 10 years of service It was requested that the Senators, the community council presidentsand the youth gather during the AGA to decide their representatives on the Volunteer of the AwardSelection Committee

It was MOVED (Wayne Trudeau) and SECONDED (Joanne Young)

That the 13th Annual General Assembly of the Métis Nation of Ontario endorse the PCMNOrecommendation to establish a Suzanne Rochon-Burnett Volunteer of the Year Award

RESOLVED BY CONSENSUS (AGA06-04)

It was MOVED (Tony Belcourt) and SECONDED (Eric Scofield)

That the 13th Annual General Assembly of the Métis Nation of Ontario endorse the PCMNOrecommendation that Suzanne Rochon-Burnett be named posthumously as the first recipient ofthe Suzanne Rochon-Burnett Volunteer of the Year Award

RESOLVED BY CONSENSUS (AGA06-05)

It was acknowledged that Ms Rochon-Burnett’s daughter Michelle Burnett had been unable toattend the AGA to accept the Award due to unforeseen circumstances, and had asked PresidentBelcourt to accept the Award on her behalf It was added that the PCMNO had appointed Ms.Burnett as a member of the Volunteer Award Selection Panel

8 Presentation: Heritage Community Recognition Certificate

Senator Claire Kearns read a letter from The Honourable Lincoln M Alexander, Chairman ofOntario Heritage Trust Commission, and on his behalf presented a framed Ontario Trust HeritageCommission Cultural Heritage Achievement Award to Olivine Teidema for her volunteerism inconserving the province’s Métis heritage

Cameron Burgess announced that the Ontario Heritage Trust had also recognized Scott Carpenter

in appreciation of his volunteer work to identify, preserve, protect and promote Métis heritage,and presented Mr Carpenter with a framed Award

DELEGATES’ MEETING ADJOURNED

The 13th Annual General Assembly of the Métis Nation of Ontario held July 10-14, 2006adjourned its Delegate’s Meeting on July 10, 2006 at 3:53 p.m Senator Roland St Germain offered aClosing Prayer

DELEGATES’ MEETING – JULY 12, 2006

DELEGATES’ MEETING RECONVENED

The 13th Annual General Assembly of the Métis Nation of Ontario held July 10-14, 2006reconvened its Delegate’s Meeting on July 12, 2006 at 9:30 a.m Senator Audrey Vallee offered anOpening Prayer

SPECIAL PRESENTATION

A representative of the Calabrians Multicultural World Society of Sault Ste Marie wasintroduced The Society was founded in 1985 as a non-profit organization, to promote culture through therespect and appreciation of history, and to promote fundamental rights guaranteed under the Charter Eachyear the Society recognized members for their contributions to promoting culture, and this yearacknowledged and congratulated the MNO for promoting awareness of Métis rights and culture for thepeople within Sault Ste Marie and Canada A framed Award was accepted by the MNO President

9.0 Meeting Reports

9.1 Senators

Senator Reta Gordon noted that the MNO senators were elders who were elected to sit onone of the 32 local community councils by the citizens in their region Four additionalsenators were elected to the PCMNO and one senator sat on the Veterans Council.Senators Marion Larkman and Earl Scofield were recognized as senators who were alsoveterans

On July 8-9, 2006, the senators met to discuss concerns, including deportment of MNOcitizens at the AGA and the need to act in a way that brought honour to the Métis Nationand so that they served as role models for the Métis youth The senators also consideredthe respect and sometimes disrespect shown to senators by community councils, andasked councils to open their hearts, minds and ears to the senators

The Senators looked forward to forming ideas for elders to be able to reside in their ownhomes to the end of life, and had considered the four phases of life: infancy, youth,maturity and old age Senator Gordon conveyed the recommendation that the MNOrequest all levels of government to supply funds so that the elders’ needs could be met,and reported that a talking circle in all councils was being put in place

Senator Gordon added that the senators had appointed Senator Earl Scofield as theirrepresentative on the Suzanne Rochon-Burnett Volunteer of the Award Selection Panel

Nation of Ontario Agenda package: Report from Evelyn Powley, Acting Spokesperson Women’s Secretariat of the Métis Nation of Ontario (WSMNO); and Women’s Secretariat

of the Métis Nation of Ontario Terms of Reference

Co-Chair France Picotte advised that the position of the Women of the Métis Nation ofOntario (WMNO) President and several other positions on the WMNO had been vacant

at the last AGA when a committee was struck to form recommendations for the WMNOstructure The committee drafted Women’s Secretariat of the Métis Nation of Ontario(WSMNO) Terms of Reference, which proposed a smaller, more efficient structure, andreceipt of an annual mandate at the Annual General Assembly

Minutes of the 13th Annual General Assembly of the Métis Nation of Ontario

Councilor Sharon McBride, Provincial Secretary for Métis Women, identified BarbParker as the WSMNO’s representative on the Suzanne Rochon-Burnett Volunteer of theYear Award Selection Panel.

Métis Nation of Ontario Agenda package: Report titled “Eliminating Barriers and Creating Opportunities”.

Ginny Gonneau, MNO Provincial Youth Services Coordinator, reported that – given thenumber of vacancies on the Métis Nation of Ontario Youth Council (MNOYC) – thePCMNO had struck a committee in December 2005 to review the MNOYC structure and

to form recommendations to address the barriers preventing youth from participating inthe MNOYC

A MNOYC gathering was convened at the time of the roundtable consultations, with 20youth from across the province participating (aged 16-26) From the gathering a reporttitled “Eliminating Barriers and Creating Opportunities” was developed, therecommendations of which were reviewed

Ms Gonneau advised that the MNOYC was coordinating with Canada World Youth tohave 11 Métis youth to spend 14 days volunteering in a community north of Ecuador’scapital Related fundraising initiatives would take place during the AGA

9.4 Community Council Presidents

It was announced that the MNO Community Council Presidents had appointed

Urgil Courville, Joanne Young, Wayne Trudeau and Natalie Durocher as theirrepresentatives on the Suzanne Rochon-Burnett Volunteer Award Selection Panel

10 Finance and Administration

10.1 Treasurer’s Report

Métis Nation of Ontario Agenda package: “Finance Report form Tim Pile – PCMNO Secretary-Treasurer”.

Secretary-Treasurer Pile reviewed the Finance Committee membership, and discussed theactivities of the Committee in 2005/06 He expressed concern that while the MNO wasaccountable to the government for its spending, the government was not accountable tothe MNO in providing funding on time, and announced it was anticipated that the MNOwould be debt free within the next three years

10.2 Administration

Métis Nation of Ontario Agenda package: Blue Tab – Finance and Administrative Report.

Pierre Lefebvre, Executive Director, reviewed the Finance and Administration Report

A delegate expressed concern that a breakdown of the program allocations to eachcommunity for each program had not been provided Clarification was offered that theprior year’s audited statements provided a breakdown of funding from each program, as

did the branch reports It was added that program funding was managed centrally by theMNO, and did not flow to the regions as was the practice of some other organizations

10.3 Financial Report

Métis Nation of Ontario Agenda package: The Métis Nation of Ontario Financial Statements for the year ended March 31, 2006.

Steve Berry, Director of Finance, reviewed the MNO Financial Statements for the yearended March 31, 2006

In response to a delegate’s question, it was clarified that the total revenue generationactivities of the community councils did not have to be included in the audited financialstatements (as explained in Note 8 to the MNO Financial Statements) Additionalclarifications included that: only profits made through the housing branch and the registrycould be applied to the deficit; and delays in receipt of government funding currently hadthe MNO running a deficit of $800,000 which affected the ability of the MNO to deliverits programs

A delegate noted that First Nations, Inuit and Métis across the country were dealing withthe issue of government funding flowing late, and suggested that the Métis work withothers to resolve the matter In response, it was noted that staff had recently met with theAuditor General and Ontario and would continue to seek ways of addressing this issue

10.4 Audit 2004/05

Métis Nation of Ontario Agenda package: The Métis Nation of Ontario Financial Statements for the year ended March 31, 2005.

Randy Tivy, Collins Barrow Chartered Accountants, reviewed the Auditor’s Report, asprovided on page 1 of the Financial Statements, and discussed the audit process, whichincluded final approval of the Financial Statements at the AGA

In response to a query, Pierre Lefebvre, Executive Director, confirmed that ServicesCanada was conducting an audit of MNO programs since 1999 If the reviewingaccountant was of the opinion that the MNO did not spend according to the program theywould make adjustments – but only for under spending The report would be provided tothe program funder and not to the MNO, as was occurring with many organizationsacross the country

Mr Tivy added that the Financial Statements were fairly presented, but that there could

be a contingent liability as a result of the Services Canada review

The MNO President offered further comments on the program review, which commencedapproximately 16 months prior The audit team had since been provided full access to all

of the MNO’s financial records and reports Assurance was offered that if the reviewershad found anything significant the MNO would have been informed Instead all of theMNO contracts had been renewed

Secretary-Treasurer Pile also noted appreciation for the community council staff that hadprepared and submitted their financial reports to the MNO in a timely manner

Minutes of the 13th Annual General Assembly of the Métis Nation of Ontario