Province, Métis Settlements sign 10-year funding agreement

The province has signed an agreement with the Métis settlements committing to $85 million over the next 10 years.

“The cornerstone of the whole accord … is to ensure that the eight Métis settlements are economically viable, self-sustaining communities,” said Randy Hardy, president of the Métis Settlements General Council. “What we’re looking for is having our lands and traditional areas to realize what potential they have and maximizing on it and help to offset the cost to run fully functional local governments that can fit into the mosaic of this province.”

The agreement was signed on March 12, shortly after the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the federal government had been remiss in its land claim dealings with the Métis in Manitoba.

“What this agreement does today is confirms that we’ve always had a different relationship … with our Métis people in Alberta,” said Premier Alison Redford. “We have never taken the responsibility lightly in terms of being a provincial government. Very often we’ve seen the federal government take a different approach in terms of their responsibility. We’ve always thought it was most important to have constructive relationships and to look to outcomes.”

The latest signing with the province is “another historic agreement,” says Hardy, referring to the 1990 Métis Settlements Accord, which recognized Métis ownership of the 1.25 million acres of land in east-central and northern Alberta that had been set aside in 1938 for Métis settlements. Nearly 5,000 Métis live on the settlements.

 “Today there’s another significant milestone in our history and that’s the signing of this commitment, reaffirmation that Premier Redford’s predecessor had signed with us,” said Hardy.

The agreement fulfills a promise made by the province in 2011 to the MSCG.

“This is the culmination of a tremendous amount of work, a tremendous amount of trust,” said Redford.

“This agreement is five years in the making,” said Hardy, noting that the Métis are a patient people, who believe in conferences and not in protesting or blockading highways and bridges.
The money will be used for sustainable housing, enhanced policing, assistance in providing essential services and strengthening governance and improving infrastructure.

“We’re going to deliver services on par with neighbouring communities and most importantly of all, we’re going to ensure our people have the proper education and skills to contribute to this provincial economy and the local ones,” said Hardy.

He noted that these committed funds did not mean that the Métis settlements could not access other provincial government dollars, such as funding from the general revenue to build new schools.
He also said that resource revenue sharing was something he wanted to examine.

“I would be remiss to our people if I said we’re not looking at that…. When we’re talking about maximizing our resources, that’s exactly what we’re going to see, what the potential is within our boundaries because we have legislative rights there and within our traditional areas. We are working on a consultation policy now that’s going to recognize and reflect where our traditional areas are going to be beyond our legal boundaries,” said Hardy.

Photo caption: Premier Alison Redford, flanked by Aboriginal Relations Minister Robin Campbell (left) and Métis Settlements General Council President Randy Hardy sign an agreement in Edmonton March 12, 2013, that guarantees funding to Alberta’s eight Métis settlements.