Submitted by: Glen Lipinski, MNO Consultation and Community Relation Coordinator, and Beth Honsberger, MNO Community Relation Coordinator
The MNO Sunset Country Métis Council at the
Governance and Finance training. (L-R) Brady Hupet,
Treasurer; John George, Senator; Roz Calder, Chair;
Wendy Kabel, Councillor; Sarah Marusyk,
Youth Representative; Lesley Grienke, Women‘s Representative (Interim); Karen Chowman, Councillor;
Wade Nelson, Councillor; and, Clint Calder, President.
The Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) benefits immensely from the dedicated volunteers who are members of our chartered community councils. These hard-working individuals spend hundreds of hours building and strengthening their Métis communities.
The MNO has developed a Governance and Finance course that helps community councils perform their important work. The course is delivered by the MNO Community Relations team.
During the weekend of December 6-7, 2014, the course was offered to the MNO Sunset Country Métis Council. The following weekend, on December 13-14, 2014, the course was also offered to the MNO Ottawa Region Métis Council. In the past, courses have been available in Atikokan, Sudbury, North 
The MNO Ottawa Region Métis Council at the Governance
and Finance training. (L-R) Matthew Lafrenière,
Secretary/Treasurer, Alexandra Dusome,
Youth Representative; Shirley Lynn Pantuso, Women’s
Representative; Ginny Goneau, Councillor; Benny Michaud,
President; Lois McCallum, Senator; and Parmallia Burgie,
Chair. Bay, Ottawa, Peterborough, Georgian Bay, Toronto, Credit River, Milton, Grand River, Niagara, and Windsor.
The course is a two-day seminar, usually on weekends, in a hotel or meeting hall in each council’s community. The program explains the role of community councils as the MNO’s local governments, whose structure and purpose is coordinated through each council’s charter agreement with the MNO. The course covers everything from how to run effective meetings and engage citizens in council activities to budgeting and the various financial practices, regulations and legislation that community councils follow.