Here We Go Again! MNBC Buys Two Apartment Buildings that they are now having trouble filling

(April 12, 2025) In early February of this year Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) announced the purchase of two apartment buildings in Hudson’s Hope, in northeast British Columbia, and now they are having trouble filling some of the units.

 

When they made the announcement of the purchase, there was no mention of the price paid for the two buildings. Maybe they just forgot how much they paid and maybe they also forgot that they paid almost a half a million dollars more than the assessed value.

 

We have learned that the sale of the two buildings closed on December 17, 2024, about a month and a half before it was actually announced by the organization. MNBC purchased each of the buildings for $855,000 or a total of $1,710,000 for both. The assessed value of each of the buildings was $650,200 meaning that MNBC paid $409,600 or about 31.5% more than the total assessed value for the two buildings.

 

Now they appear to be having trouble filling all the apartments. In the last two months, they have posted messages and newsletters regarding vacancies in the building. So they spent more than $1.7 million on two apartment buildings that they are now having trouble filling, and according to their own wording here is what happens if they can’t fill it with MNBC Citizens: “Under circumstances where there are no applicants with MNBC citizenship, MNBC will consider members of Chartered Communities without MNBC citizenship, followed by Indigenous individuals and families.”  

 

Here are some accountability questions about this purchase:

 

1. Before making the purchase, was there a housing needs assessment done in the community? If so, publish it. If no needs assessment was done, why not? The MNBC citizens have a right to know!

 

2. Was there a business plan prepared for this project? If so, publish it. If no business plan was prepared, why not? The MNBC citizens have a right to know!

 

3.      Who negotiated the property acquisition? Given that MNBC paid 31.5% more than the assessed value, it is probably not a good idea to use that person again. If it was the same person who negotiated the purchase of the apartment building in Fort St. John in late 2023 in which MNBC paid nearly $4 million more than the assessed value, then MNBC really needs to fire that person because property purchases clearly are not their specialty. Who was the real estate broker in the deal and what was their commission? The MNBC citizens have a right to know!

 

4.      Why did MNBC itself not reveal the purchase price to MNBC Citizens? Why the big secret? The MNBC citizens have a right to know!

 

5.      What were the purchase arrangements? Full payment upon conclusion of sale or annual payments or a mortgage? The MNBC citizens have a right to know!

 

6.      A key requirement of good governance is transparency. Was it a Board decision to purchase the properties, or was it one person’s decision? If it was the Board’s decision, then publish the minute from the Board meeting. If on the other hand, it was one person’s decision then tell us who it was. The MNBC citizens have a right to know!

 

Former MNBC President Clara Morin DalCol says, “Here we go again. Just like the apartment purchase in Fort St. John in late 2023, this latest purchase in Hudson’s Hope is way over the assessed value and lacks any sort of transparency, and just like the Fort St. John apartment they are having trouble filling it with MNBC Citizens.”

 

Ms. Morin DalCol, who is now the President of Red River Métis British Columbia also points out, “In July 2018 when I signed the agreement with the federal government for housing funding for Métis people in British Columbia, these funds were intended to be for the use of Métis people, not for any other Indigenous group. Each year First Nations receive many many millions of dollars more than Métis do for housing needs.” She says, “If there are not enough Métis people in Hudson’s Hope to fill the 16 apartments, why then was the decision made to spend the precious housing dollars to buy the apartments?”

 

Ms. Morin DalCol says, “There are enormous housing needs for Métis people, especially seniors, in other parts of the province including the Lower Mainland, but yet MNBC continues to spend millions of dollars on these questionable apartment purchases. One has to wonder who is actually making the decisions at MNBC.” 

 

If you have grown tired of these kinds of questionable decisions, 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 which is based right here in British Columbia. You can apply to join us by clicking on https://www.presidentclara.com/get-involved

 

30-

 

For further information:

Contact Clara Morin DalCol

President – Red River Métis – British Columbia

Email: cmdalcol@gmail.com