Grand River Métis Council Senator Ed Hass participating in Paddle for Peace,
near Victoria Island during the Ottawa Peace Festival
The Fifth Annual Ottawa Peace Festival was opened on Victoria Island in Ottawa on September 21 with a number of MNO citizens participating. These included Grand River Métis Council Senator Ed Hass and his son Duane who were part of the “Paddle for Peace.” They were among the many canoeists who travelled to Victoria Island from a variety of locations along waterways leading to Ottawa. Senator Hass and his son paddled all the way from Hillsborough to Victoria Island. Executive Senator Reta Gordon and Ottawa Métis Council Senator Lois McCallum were also among the crowd that gathered on Victoria Island for prayers in reverence for Mother Earth, communal harmony, social justice and peace and indigenous wisdom.