Board and CEO costs go up…way up in the last year

(June 3, 2025) The costs for the Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) Board of Directors and its Chief Executive Officer have gone way up for the year ending March 31st, 2025. In just one year, the total costs took a jump of more than $200,000 to almost $2,000,000. In the previous fiscal year, the costs totaled $1.78 million dollars.

 

MNBC’s own legislation requires the total expenditures be posted by June 1st and the latest numbers were posted by MNBC just two days before the legislative deadline.

 

Some of the more shocking numbers:

 

• The President’s salary and remuneration to the end of March 31st, 2025 totaled $180,199. This is the same guy who in September 2023 claimed that Board members were “probably living on close to a poverty line”. In addition to the salary, per diems paid out for the President’s position totaled $14,010. Per diems are tax-free. These numbers do not reflect the salary increases that the Board voted themselves beginning April 1st, 2025.

 

• MNBC has also acquired a vehicle for the President. In January the Board approved leasing a vehicle for the President and by the end of March, just a little more than two months later the costs associated with acquiring the vehicle were at $62,684. If the vehicle is leased, how could the cost be $62,684 in just 60 days? Is the cost so high because of the type of vehicle it is? What kind of vehicle is it? Whose name is it in - his name or MNBC’s name? Who pays for the gas if used for personal use?

 

• The total travel and accommodation costs of the 12 Board members and the CEO for the period from April 1st, 2024 to March 31st, 2025 reached $335,069. The President’s costs were $55,800 while the highest costs for a regional director came in at $33,014 for the Region 3 Director, closely followed by the Region 4 Director at $30,283.

 

• The salary and remuneration for the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) increased 25.3% to a staggering $290,528 for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025. That’s on top of $700 per month or $8400 a year that she receives for car allowance. Plus she was paid $5491 for per diems.

 

• MNBC paid out $385,200 to a company called OneFeather to carry out the general election last year and the by-election that took place in early January of this year. The by-election which saw just a little more than 600 votes cast for a single position (LGBTQ Provincial Chair) cost almost $135,000. (The entire MNBC general election for 11 positions in 2016 cost about $80,000).

 

These are just some of the shocking numbers contained in the report posted on the MNBC website. Two additional important notes:

 

• The MNGA legislation states that the report is also to provide “…legal and professional fees, consultant and contractor fees…” but those numbers were not included in this report. Why not? Are they too high?

 

• This latest report was posted just 1 day before the start of the Métis Nation Governing Assembly (MNGA) this past weekend, but even though almost every community President was in attendance at a Q & A session on Sunday morning for the MNBC Board of Directors, not a single community President asked a single question about these Board and CEO expenses during that session. Why not? Presidents have an obligation and responsibility to hold MNBC accountable, so why did they not ask a single question.

 

The President of Red River Métis – British Columbia, Clara Morin DalCol says, “If the community Presidents aren’t prepared to hold this Board accountable when it comes to financial expenditures, then I will, on behalf of Métis people in British Columbia.”

 

Ms. Morin DalCol says, “This latest report on Board and CEO costs has flashing lights all over it showing huge expenses and salary increases but yet not a single President asked a single question about it.”

 

“Some of these same Presidents had no problem nor hesitation in coming after me about expenditures when I was President of MNBC, but now when Board expenditures are many times greater, including travel expenses and salary increases, nobody says a word. Shame on them.”

 

She says, “Every dollar that this MNBC Board spends comes from the public purse. These are not their personal dollars. If the community Presidents won’t hold the Board accountable, then I will on behalf of Métis people in British Columbia.”

 

If you have grown tired of the way that this MNBC Board spends money and their lack of accountability, you are invited to join Red River Métis British Columbia – a real grass-roots organization for true Métis. Any true Métis residing in British Columbia who meets our criteria, including the national definition of Métis can apply to join as a member of our Métis organization. We are based right here in British Columbia and advocate only for Métis in British Columbia. You can apply to join us by clicking on https://www.presidentclara.com/get-involved

    

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For further information:

Contact Clara Morin DalCol

President – Red River Métis – British Columbia

Email: cmdalcol@gmail.com