New home for Fort St. John Métis Society

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Fort St. John Métis  Society (FSJMS) welcomed members into their new home, located adjacent to the Crosstown Apartments, on August 21st.

The apartments are the first housing to be owned by the Métis Nation of British Columbia (MNBC), whose local headquarters are across the street from the complex at 9409 99th Avenue.

An open house was held for local Métis  residents, and according to FSJMS president Alana Copeland, there are big plans for the building.

“We’re just moving in and getting furniture around,” said Copeland.  “We’ve been talking to Northern Health and we’ll have a health hub where members can speak to a doctor via Zoom.”

“I hope this is a meeting place for all our people. I want to have kids come here and have a place downstairs with wi-fi in case they have no internet at home. For our elders to come and spread knowledge, they are our knowledge keepers.”

The complex was purchased by the Métis  Nation of British Columbia (MNBC) to address housing for local MNBC members in 2023.

MNBC Regional 7 Director Paulette Flamond and MNBC Vice-President Walter Mineault also attended, greeting visitors and answering questions.

Both are running in the upcoming MNBC elections, with Flamond seeking a second term as director and Mineault hoping to become the organization’s president.

Mineault described Flamond, who currently serves on the board of directors for the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia and the Metis Financial Corporation of B.C. as a “strong leader” who is “willing to fight” for the MNBC members. 

“[Paulette] is very passionate about what she’s doing for Metis citizens of the region and the province,” Mineault said about the director who he has worked alongside for the past three years.

“MNBC owns this building, but it belongs to the community. Paulette brought a lot of that forward.  Our communities have been funded up to $300,000 in the past four years for infrastructure. Every community in region 7 has benefitted from Paulette’s leadership.”

Attendees were served dinner, including burgers and salad. Representatives from Skills Training, Employment, and Post Secondary (STEPS) were also present.

According to MNBC’s website, the STEPS program is designed to assist its members with skills training, scholarship applications, and job seekers.

“We have 90,000 MNBC members of the nation,” explained training and career councillor Seidu Malik. “I hope all of them will apply.”

Further details about the FSJMS or MNBC can be found through their website and Facebook page.