Some Probing Questions Regarding MNBC Financial Expenditures

(February 4, 2025) Almost every dollar that Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) spends is from either the federal government or the provincial government. For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, MNBC reported in their annual financial statements total revenues of $80 million of which a majority of it comes from the Government of Canada. Because MNBC no longer posts an annual operating budget showing total line by line costs it is impossible to know how much money is actually being spent on employing staff, or on consultants or on the huge office space in Surrey or on property purchases or even on elections and by-elections.

 

Even though these are all public dollars, it is difficult for any MNBC citizen to know the exact amount of dollars being spent by this non-profit organization in specific areas. For example:

 

1. How much money did the by-election on January 5th, 2025 cost? Was it $100,000 or more? Only 637 individuals voted on January 5th in a by-election to fill the position of Provincial Chair of the LGBTQ Governance Council. Regional positions for Women, Youth and LGBTQ were either filled by acclamation or left vacant because nobody wanted to fill the positions. The lack of interest was overwhelming. So how much did the by-election cost?

 

2 How much money did the MNBC General Election in September last year cost? Was it $200,000 or $250,000 or more? How much did OneFeather actually charge to run the election? For comparison, the general election in 2016 for the same number of positions cost about $80,000. Why the big increase in costs?

 

3. How much money has been budgeted for the new LGBTQ Provincial Council which will be chaired by Louis De Jaeger who was defeated in the previous provincial general MNBC election? What will his salary be? Where are they pulling the money from for De Jaeger’s salary and the costs of carrying this new LGBTQ Provincial Council? What program funding that is meant for Métis families and seniors is being cut to cover these new costs?

 

4.      What is the annual cost of leasing the space at the head office in Surrey? MNBC will be paying out more than $1.6 million in leasing costs in 2025. How much of that will be for the massive head office in Surrey?

 

5.      How much money is being budgeted for 2025/26 to cover the costs of all MNBC employees? Back in 2022, MNBC budgeted $20.5 million for about 150 employees. If MNBC currently has more than 400 employees, what is the total annual cost? $35 million? $40 million?

 

6.      How much money did MNBC pay for consultants in this fiscal year? $1 million? $2 million? How much is being budgeted for consultants for the upcoming fiscal year and what will they all do?

 

These are very basic questions about MNBC financial expenditures and the answers should be readily available, but they aren’t. As a non-profit society they are supposed to be accountable and transparent. They also claim to be a government, but they aren’t.

 

BC Métis Leader Clara Morin Dal Col asks, “Where are the community Presidents to hold this Board accountable?” She says, “Community presidents are supposed to represent the interests of their community citizens but no one is asking the tough questions about finances.”

 

Ms. Morin Dal Col says, “Maybe a community president might actually step up and ask these questions at the next Métis Nation Governing Assembly. If they won’t ask the tough questions about financial accountability, then why are they in the position of community President?”

 

The former MNBC President says, “This MNBC Board is in for a big wake-up call after the next federal election because the money tap will be turned way down, if not completely off, and then what are they going to do to cover the costs of their big salaries and their more than 400 employees? Ms. Morin Dal Col says, “It may actually happen before the federal election is held because with Parliament prorogued, no new spending can be approved.”

 

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For further information:

Contact Clara Morin DalCol

BC Métis Leader

Email: cmdalcol@gmail.com