SAMA Community Newsletter

January, 2012 

Salmon Arm Métis Association (SAMA)　 

Mailing Address: Downtown Activity Centre 451 Shuswap Street, S.W., Salmon Arm

Contact Phone: 250-832-7029

Email: samacommunity@yahoo.ca

Important 

COMING UP INFO

No meeting on January 14th.

Salmon Arm Métis Special General Meeting (SGM), Monday Jan. 28th/2013 at 7 PM in the DTA in the Lunch room, downstairs. Amendments for By-Laws/2013. Come and support the membership by voting on these important matters, your vote counts. contact; Eldon Clairmont….250-832-7029.

Please note that the SAMA Métis still operate from DTA centre and we have monthly meetings here, hold different events, use of an office room, so if you require application forms to be filled out just let me know and a room will be available at the DTA centre.

Our monthly meetings start Monday, February 11th, 2013 (If Monday falls on holiday, meeting will be next day).

Remember your 2013 membership dues; ages 18 – 49…$20 yearly and 50 and up…$10

Thanks for reading this newsletter. Eldon Clairmont….President of SAMA

)

                                    Merry Christams and a joyous New Year to all from TOM

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Métis Will Have a Key Role in the Off-Reserve Aboriginal Action Plan Abbotsford, B.C.

Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC) as the recognized representative was invited by the provincial government to be a partner on the Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation’s (MARR) ORAAP project.

The BC government has established a Provincial Co-ordination Team (PCT) to oversee the development of ORAAP. The PCT includes representatives from the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres (BCAAFC), Métis Nation British Columbia (MNBC), Aboriginal Affairs of Northern Development Canada (AANDC), Ministry of Children and Family Development, Ministry of Social Development and Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation (MARR).

MNBC Minister for Children and Families, Daniel Pitman, is encouraged by the MARR-ORAAP announcement, as he believes this is an excellent opportunity for Métis Community leadership to improve the socio-economic needs of Métis children and families of British Columbia. Minister Pitman further commented that he encourages Métis community leadership to become actively involved in the process of developing local community action plans to achieve healthier outcomes for Métis Citizens of British Columbia in the areas of education, employment, healthier families and strengthen Métis culture and traditions.

Five pilot communities have been identified as part of this roll-out: Vancouver, Surrey, Prince George, Kamloops, and Duncan. Communities were selected by the PCT based on a series of factors, including: high concentrations of British Columbia’s urban Métis, Inuit and First Nations population; alignment with the AANDC Urban Aboriginal Strategy; coverage of key regions of the province; critical mass of programs and services; and, the readiness of the community to participate in a pilot. Local friendship centers in Duncan, Kamloops, Prince George and Surrey will lead the community planning in acting as a host for the communities. The Metro Vancouver Aboriginal Executive Council will take the lead for planning in Vancouver.

The Métis Nation BC has Chartered Communities in the five identified Pilot Communities in which the Métis Peoples will engage in this Action Plan. This is an opportunity for the MNBC to assist and improve on the socio-economic needs of Métis in BC. We welcome and support this project and thank the Provincial Government for recognizing the Métis Peoples needs in this Province.

OFFICIAL NOTICE:

The Métis Nation British Columbia first incorporated under the Society’s Act October 23 of 1996 is recognized by the provincial and federal Government and the Métis National Council as the Official Governing Organization of Métis Citizens in the Province of British Columbia.

NOTICE OF REGIONAL VACANCIES

Saturday December 15, 2012

Regional Governance Councils

Métis Nation British Columbia

Attention: Members of Regional Governance Council’s (RGC’s)

Pursuant to the amendment passed at the 2012 Annual General Meeting whereas: Article 46, as amended states

Subject to available financial resources, a by-election shall be held within one hundred and twenty (120) days of the date

of any vacancy on the MNBC Board of Directors, (except for a vacancy in the office of President) and in the office of MWBC

Regional Representative or MYBC Regional Representative. In the event of a vacancy in the office of President and financial resources are unavailable, the sitting Vice-President will fill the office of President and the MNBC Board of Directors will appoint, from among them, a person to fill the office of Vice-President until a by-election or election is held for that position.

In the case of any other vacancy on the Board of the Directors, MWBC Regional Representative or MYBC Regional

Representative, the MNBC will request the assistance of the MNGA who, in consultation with the relevant RGC where appropriate, will appoint a director, a MWBC Regional Representative or MYBC Regional Representative to fill the Vacancy for such term and with such rights of participation in all of the governance processes as may be determined by the MNGA.

And whereas

Amended Article 12 of the MNGA Act states as follows:

12.2 The MNGA shall, at the request of the MNBC in accordance with Article 46 of the MNBC Constitution, receive

nominations for the appointment of an MNBC Director (except for the office of President) to fill vacancies on the MNBC Board of Directors, and the position MWBC Regional Representative or MYBC Regional Representative.

This letter constitutes notice of vacancies and a formal request for the submission of names for interim

appointments on or before 4:30pm on January 15th , 2013 to attention: MNGA Clerk, Dale Drown by email to:

traceyt@mnbc.ca by fax to: 1.604-557-2024 or by mail to: 30691 Simpson Road, Abbotsford, BC V2T 6C7.

Persons nominated must conform to the requirements of Article 8.3 of the Electoral Act.

Upon receipt of submissions by the deadline of January 15th, 2013 from the RGC’s, the MNBC/MNGA Clerk will

then advise the membership of the Metis Nation Governing Assembly (MNGA) of the appointments proposed by

the RGC’s, and the proposed appointments will then need to be confirmed by the MNGA. This latter process can

take place at a time up to 90 days from January 15th.

Regional Vacancies are as follows:

R1 – Vancouver Island

Regional Director

MWBC Regional Representative

R2 – Lower Mainland

MWBC Regional Representative

R3 – Thompson-Okanagan

MYBC Regional Representative

R4 – Kootenay Region

MWBC Regional Representative

R5 – North Central

Regional Director

MWBC Regional Representative

MYBC Regional Representative

R6 – North West

MWBC Regional Representative

MYBC Regional Representative

R7 – North East

Regional Director

MWBC Regional Representative

MYBC Regional Representative

In view of this notice all RGC members should contact their respective RGC Chairs to organize an RGC meeting at

their earliest opportunity before the deadline of January 15th .

Vernon and District Metis Association has a new email address and facebook address:

Website:

vdmametis.com

Email:

vdmametis@gmail.com 

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vernon-District-Metis-Association/304357456342979