Over 150 Citizens participate in first set of meetings
MNO President Gary Lipinski (standing) and MNO Chair
France Picotte at the Community Consultation Meeting held
in Mississauga on October 31, 2010.Ottawa, November 2, 2010—This weekend the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) held the first of our province-wide community consultations to update our citizens on progress being made on the Métis agenda in Ontario, as well as to discuss the MNO Registry.
Over 150 Métis citizens joined MNO President Gary Lipinski, MNO Chair France Picotte, MNO Regional Councillor Peter Rivers and MNO Legal Counsel Jason Madden, at meetings held in Welland, Hamilton, Kitchener and Mississauga.
At these meetings, President Lipinski updated citizens on the progress the MNO continues to make towards advancing its agenda throughout Ontario. As well, the meetings provided citizens with an opportunity to discuss their priorities and interests in such areas as harvesting rights, social housing, economic development, the Crown’s duty to consult, scholarships and bursaries, promoting Métis culture and care for our elders.
Another key aspect of each consultation meeting was a presentation and discussion on the MNO Registry, and its importance to the credibility and integrity of the MNO and our rights-based agenda. These discussions are part of a multi-year, province-wide consultation process about the Métis identification and registration that the 2010 MNO Annual General Assembly directed the MNO leadership to carry out. These community consultation meetings are Phase I in this important process.
The next series of community consultation meetings will be held in Owen Sound, Midland and Parry Sound. For additional details on the consultations check here or contact Hank Rowlinson, MNO Manager of Community Relations at 1-800-263-4889 or 613-858-4809 or via email at hankr@metisnation.org.
In all, over 30 community consultation meetings will be held throughout the province over the next few months. Details on upcoming meetings will be posted on the MNO website and every MNO citizen will receive an invitation to the meetings held in their communities.
For additional information contact:
Mike Fedyk,
Director of Communications
Métis Nation of Ontario
613-798-1488
mikef@metisnation.org