Métis Nation of Ontario set to open 33rd Annual General Assembly following emergency relocation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 13, 2026
ETOBICOKE — The Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) will open its 33rd Annual General Assembly (AGA) today, bringing Métis Citizens, youth, Elders and Knowledge Keepers together from across Ontario to conduct the business of the Nation and set priorities for the year ahead.
This year’s Assembly will take place Aug. 13-16 at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Toronto Airport & Conference Centre in Etobicoke following an emergency decision by the Provisional Council of the Métis Nation of Ontario (PCMNO) to relocate the gathering from Thunder Bay amid the ongoing wildfire and evacuation crisis in Northern Ontario.
In the weeks leading up to the AGA, the MNO learned that maintaining its hotel reservations in Thunder Bay could require evacuees already displaced from their homes to relocate, potentially outside the city and away from their families. The MNO immediately engaged with local and regional Métis leadership, officials from First Nations directly affected by evacuation orders, Emergency Management Ontario, Indigenous Services Canada and the City of Thunder Bay. Those discussions confirmed that Thunder Bay’s infrastructure was severely strained and that proceeding as planned could put further pressure on the city and displaced families.
An emergency meeting of the PCMNO was convened, with Council passing two resolutions by consensus: to relocate the AGA to Etobicoke while keeping the original dates, and to establish a reimbursement process for eligible non-recoverable costs associated with the original event.
“We know how important it is to gather in Métis communities, and Thunder Bay is home to the MNO and to many of our Citizens,” said MNO President Margaret Froh. “But when we learned that proceeding with our plans could mean asking families who had already been forced from their homes to move again, the decision was clear. As a Métis government, that was unacceptable.”
This year’s Assembly comes at an important point in the MNO’s ongoing self-government journey. More than 2,300 Citizens have participated in the MNO Constitution engagement process, contributing more than 12,000 comments and submissions. Following an All Leadership Constitution Summit this summer, Citizens will have further opportunities to engage directly with the draft Constitution this fall ahead of a province-wide ratification vote.
Over the next four days, the AGA will also highlight work underway across the Nation in areas including housing, education and training, economic development, health and community well-being, alongside opportunities for Citizens, youth, Elders and Knowledge Keepers to connect and celebrate Métis culture.
“This Assembly may look different than the one we originally planned, but its purpose has not changed,” said President Froh. “Our Citizens are coming together to make decisions about our future and continue the work of building our government. I am incredibly proud of everyone who worked to ensure that could happen.”
The 33rd Annual General Assembly runs from Aug. 13 to 16, 2026. A livestream will be available on Youtube for those unable to attend in person.
About the Métis Nation of Ontario
In 1993, the Métis Nation of Ontario was established through the will of Métis people and their communities coming together throughout Ontario to create a Métis-specific, democratic, province-wide governance structure. The MNO represents and advocates on behalf of its Citizens who are rights-bearing members of Métis communities that collectively hold rights, interests and outstanding claims protected by sections 25 and 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.
Ontario is home to the 2003 Powley decision, in which the Supreme Court of Canada recognized the existence of the Métis right to harvest for food that is protected by section 35 of the Canadian Constitution. Powley was, and remains, the only Supreme Court of Canada decision affirming Métis rights protected by section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982.
Media Contact: media@metisnation.org