MNO News 42: President’s Message (March 2026)
Dear Citizens,
March always feels like a shift. The days get a little longer, the sun has a bit more strength, and many of us start watching for those cold nights and warm days that tell you maple season is near, if not here.
For Métis families, maple season is about more than syrup. It is a short, busy season filled with work, stories, and time in the bush. Even if you are not tapping trees yourself, there is something about this time of year that pulls you toward family, community, and the land.
That is where my mind is as we head into spring, because it is also how I think about the work of the Métis Nation of Ontario. A strong government is not only about big moments. It is about the practical work that supports Métis families in everyday life, and it is about staying connected to what citizens are experiencing and what they need.
Maple season reminds us that good things happen because people show up and do the work, often without much recognition. The same is true in our communities. Nominations are open for the MNO Volunteer of the Year Award, and I hope you will consider nominating someone who has kept showing up for others over many years, whether that looks like helping run gatherings, supporting Elders, or simply stepping up whenever they are needed. Their care and effort deserve to be seen.
March includes International Women’s Day on March 8. It is a chance to honour Métis women, past and present, whose strength has shaped our communities. One place you can see that clearly is in the seasonal work Métis women carried out on the land, including fishing, hunting, and maple sugar production.
In the Abitibi Inland and western James Bay regions, Métis women helped provision fur trade posts by hunting and snaring birds and game, and by fishing, especially for whitefish. They also did the steady, skilled work that kept families moving, such as making and repairing nets, gathering spruce gum for canoe repairs, and lacing and repairing snowshoes. Hudson’s Bay Company records from the 1800s even mention Métis women harvesters by name, including Emma, who was sent with others to the fishing place with as many kegs as could be found for curing fish.
Many of these important traditions are carried on by Métis women today. That is one reason I am grateful when citizens take the time to share what they are seeing on the land and in the water now. That knowledge matters, and it helps guide the work we do as a Métis government.
For example, many citizens have been taking part in our Fish Survey, sharing where they fish, what they catch, and what fishing means to their families. What stood out to me was how many people talked about fishing close to home, in their traditional areas, and how often the catch is shared with family members and Elders. That is such a clear picture of Métis values in action. When citizens take the time to share information like that, it helps us do better stewardship work and strengthens our ability to advocate for healthy waterways and for Métis harvesting rights.
March also gives us a chance to reflect on how we care for one another in community. March 31 is Transgender Day of Visibility, and it matters because everyone deserves to feel safe and respected in Métis community spaces. It is an important moment of visibility and respect, and a reminder to keep learning how to be more welcoming. The MNO is hosting a free virtual workshop that evening called A Place in The Circle, intended as a practical, supportive space to discuss inclusion, language, and how we ensure people feel safe and respected when they are with us in community.
As always, I hope you will take a few minutes to read through the full newsletter. There are events, opportunities, and deadlines throughout, and I do not want you to miss something that could be meaningful or helpful for you or your family.
Wishing you a good month ahead, and a gentle start to spring.
Margaret Froh
President, Métis Nation of Ontario