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Winnipeg Free Press
11-06-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Vultures' preying on evacuees, Métis leader says
The Manitoba Métis Federation has warned evacuees about a scam that asks for their personal information. It's related to a fake social media post that claims to be from Manitoba Metis Federation president David Chartrand. Chartrand said the federation has been forced to send out thousands of messages explaining that the post isn't from him. It uses a photograph of him that's been copied from the MMF website, to make it look legitimate. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS FILES A scam targeting wildfire evacuees ripped off an image of Manitoba Métis Federation President David Chartrand. 'This has really upset us,' he said on Wednesday. 'Now these vultures are coming out and they are entering this world of hardship and disaster to take advantage of people.' More than 21,000 Manitobans have been evacuated from wildfire hot spots across the province. Scammers are taking advantage of the circumstances to try to victimize people at their most vulnerable time, whether it's through social media, emails or text messages. Numerous evacuees, even ones who were sent as far away as Niagara Falls, Ont., because of the shortage of hotel rooms here, were posting images of the text messages they had received from scammers who claimed to be from the Canadian Red Cross. They were asked to provide banking information so they could get financial help. Red Cross spokeswoman Heather Hogan said the organization would never ask for personal information via text. During registration, evacuees weren't asked to give their social insurance number, bank account information, a credit card number, or even pay money in return for assistance. 'Unfortunately, there are some people who may try to take advantage of those impacted by a disaster through fraudulent tactics,' Hogan said. 'The Canadian Red Cross communicates only via email, phone, or in person and would never send a link through a text message. 'The Red Cross wants everyone to be cautious of unsolicited requests for payment and confirm any details through official channels.' Hogan encouraged anyone who has been scammed to contact local police. Another scam, reported by the CBC, said a fake website claimed a clothing warehouse in Flin Flon had been destroyed by wildfire. It asked donors to buy the remaining stock by sending money to the owner, a single mother. No such warehouse exists. On Wednesday, both the website and its Facebook account had been deleted. Terry Dojcak, 67, one of thousands of displaced Flin Flon residents, said he has already received several scam emails on his phone, asking for banking and personal information, which he immediately deleted without responding. Dojcak said it was 'disgusting' that people are trying to take advantage of evacuees. '(They should be) hung out to dry somewhere,' he said. A spokesman for the RCMP said no one has reported being scammed. Chartrand said despite the federation's attempts to expose the social media scam using his photo, he is still worried people could fall victim to a fraudster. 'A lot of people could be hurt financially and it could cause hurt to our government and our people,' he said. Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. 'I'm very worried some elders may get scammed. The Red Cross is so far behind — there's some 21,000 people — and they are doing direct deposit. That's what the scammers are seeking.' Stephanie Meilleur, director of the federation's community resource department, called the scammers 'despicable.' 'It is horrendous that they have targeted some vulnerable senors and elders,' Meilleur said. 'These people are in dire need of these supports and the scammers are trying to trick people.' — with files from Massimo De Luca-Taronno Kevin RollasonReporter Kevin Rollason is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He graduated from Western University with a Masters of Journalism in 1985 and worked at the Winnipeg Sun until 1988, when he joined the Free Press. He has served as the Free Press's city hall and law courts reporter and has won several awards, including a National Newspaper Award. Read more about Kevin. Every piece of reporting Kevin produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Cision Canada
30-04-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
MMF celebrates ribbon cutting on multimillion dollar mixed use residence for Elders and seniors in Selkirk
WINNIPEG, MB, IN THE NATIONAL HOMELAND OF THE RED RIVER MÉTIS, April 30, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF), the National Government of the Red River Métis, officially opened our mixed-use residential complex in Selkirk, Manitoba with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The six-story property on Eveline Street represents a multi-million-dollar investment into the City of Selkirk and will provide 49 residences to Red River Métis Elders and seniors, with more than half dedicated to affordable housing. The building also includes common areas for residents to enjoy, along with commercial space for facilities like a Red River Métis-owned pharmacy, along with other businesses or service providers. "Our goal is to provide our Elders and seniors with a home where they will feel safe and comfortable, and we believe we have done just that with this beautiful building overlooking the Red River, which holds such a symbolic and important place in our history," said Will Goodon, MMF Minister for Housing and Property Management. "We're proud to offer these beautiful, accessible residences for our Citizens, who blazed the trail for us. It's the least we can do to give back to those who have given us so much." While the 77,900 square foot property on Eveline is the first of its kind for the MMF, it will be a template for other developments, most notably, a similar building on Henderson Highway, which will also offer a mix of affordable and market price housing options for Red River Métis Elders and seniors. "Housing remains a critically important issue for all Canadians, which was clearly shown in the recent federal election," said David Chartrand, President of the MMF. "For our Citizens, who have at times in Canada's history been called the road allowance people, adequate, safe and accessible housing has been a long-cherished dream that was once out of reach. I know that this housing complex, along with our other housing initiatives in all Regions, is not just a place to call home, it is a source of pride and a demonstration of our strength and advancement as a Nation."
CBC
26-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Canadian delegation in Rome for Pope Francis's funeral
Members of the Canadian delegation are in Rome for Pope Francis's funeral, with Métis leader David Chartrand and diplomat Joyce Napier recounting the moments they spent with Francis ahead of the ceremony, which will be attended by leaders from around the world.
CBC
07-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Cash crunch blamed as more than 60 workers laid off from Manitoba Métis, Michif CFS agencies
The Manitoba Métis Federation says budget constraints have led to dozens of layoffs across its child and family services agencies, but the union representing workers and Manitoba's families minister both say the issue is also tied to labour bargaining. About 60 staff at the Métis Child and Family Services Authority — which includes both the Métis and Michif Child and Family Services — were laid off this week, according to David Chartrand, the president of the Manitoba Métis Federation. A total of 100 to 150 staff are at risk of being let go eventually, he said. Most work at four shelters operated by the agencies, which were created as a way to prevent Métis children and youth in care from being placed in hotels and to help young adults aging out of care, said Chartrand. He said his organization was counting on the federal government to pay for the shelter programs through an agreement under Bill C-92 — a federal bill which affirms Indigenous nations have sole authority over their children — but the government hasn't signed it yet. Ottawa said it would fund the shelter program if Manitoba stepped up with half of the funding, according to Chartrand, which he said is a new requirement that wasn't included in Bill C-92. "We definitely are seeing a jurisdictional fight here," he told CBC News on Thursday. The shelters will close in the next four months, with children and youth being sent to different placements, a Thursday staff memo by Métis CFS executive director Scott Maksymyk said. "Unfortunately, we have reached a point where these reductions are necessary to ensure we can continue providing critical services to the families and communities who rely on us," he wrote. However, the union that represents over 300 workers between the two agencies believes the layoffs are tied to the Métis authority's bargaining process with its workers. The Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union called the layoffs "reckless," saying they threaten the safety of at-risk children and youth. In a Thursday news release, the union also accused the MMF of trying to intimidate front-line workers to accept wages lower than those of other CFS workers. Workers with both the Métis and Michif CFS agencies had been without contracts since Jan. 31, 2023, and rejected an offer of a collective bargaining agreement in December. 'Get back to the table' Manitoba Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine also tied the layoffs to bargaining. "I think it's really important to understand that this is discussion, or bargaining, between the authority and the workers," she told reporters on Thursday. The province provides upwards of $57 million in funding to the Métis Child and Family Services Authority each year, said Fontaine, but she also accused the federal government of dragging its feet lately when it comes to its funding commitments. "Canada has to get back to the table in respect of funding jurisdiction and funding child welfare in a good way," she said. "Other folks need to get to the table to ensure that the workers are being heard." An emergency agreement will be put in place by the Métis authority to protect the children and youth affected by the layoffs, Fontaine said.
CBC
28-01-2025
- General
- CBC
Nearly half of First Nations people off-reserve say rising prices impact ability to meet expenses
In a new Statistics Canada survey, 49 per cent of First Nations people living off-reserve, 44 per cent of Métis and 44 per cent of Inuit who responded reported rising prices affected their ability to meet day-to-day expenses. The data from the Survey Series on First Nations People, Métis and Inuit, collected from Aug. 30 to Sept. 22, 2024 focused on the impacts of rising prices on Indigenous people aged 15 and older. The voluntary online survey had 801 respondents who were First Nations people living off-reserve, 672 Métis, 404 Inuit, and 27 respondents who identified with more than one group. Betsy Kennedy, acting grand chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said in a statement last Friday that the findings confirmed what they already knew. "Our people are being left behind as the cost of living surges; First Nations families are struggling to afford food, housing, and transportation," she said in the statement. "This is unacceptable, and immediate, First Nations-led solutions are needed." The report says close to half of First Nations people living off-reserve (45 per cent) and Métis (44 per cent), and more than half of Inuit (54 per cent) reported that it was "difficult" or "very difficult" in the past year to meet their financial expenses. Younger people were more likely to report that rising prices were affecting their ability to meet day-to-day expenses "a lot" than their older counterparts: 58 per cent of First Nations people living off-reserve ages 24-44 versus 25 per cent of people living off-reserve 65 and older, and 51 per cent of Métis ages 24-44 versus 26 per cent of those 65 and older. The report said younger adults tend to be disproportionately impacted because they face increased living costs compared to older households, such as housing and child care. Manitoba Métis Federation President David Chartrand said it provides services for its senior citizens, like trying to help cover medical transportation, ambulance, medical accommodation and pharmacy costs. "It's the bits and pieces here and there, from different sectorial fields. It takes away the end cost for them. So they can actually buy more food, buy more personal needs," Chartrand said. Rising prices mean added stress Almost half of Inuit living in Inuit Nunangat, the Inuit homeland, (49 per cent) reported rising prices were affecting their ability to meet day-to-day expenses, compared to 39 per cent of Inuit living outside Inuit Nunangat. Nearly one-fifth of respondents reported their household was "very likely" to rely on community organizations for food, meals or grocery vouchers in the next six months: 18 per cent of off-reserve First Nations respondents, 18 per cent of Metis and 22 per cent of Inuit. Kevin Walker, executive director of Bear Clan Patrol Inc., a community organization in Winnipeg, says he sees the growing need in the city's neighbourhoods. "Even when we had our food hamper program running, we were able to get out donations at the door, there was always easily 400 to 500 people a day coming to the door," he said. "I can imagine all these other organizations that give out hampers or food or resources like that are probably maxed all out." Around 60 per cent of First Nations off-reserve, Métis and Inuit respondents reported rising prices added to the amount of stress in their household and relationships during the past six months. Fourteen per cent of Métis respondents, 17 per cent of First Nations people living off-reserve, and 32 per cent of Inuit reported rising costs of things like gasoline, ammunition, or equipment hindered their ability to collect food by trapping, hunting, or fishing. Over half of Inuit living in Inuit Nunangat (52 per cent) reported that rising prices limited their ability to hunt, trap and fish, compared to Inuit living outside Inuit Nunangat (12 per cent).
