Voyages

BY DANIEL CHARLAND

M y adventure intonorthern Ontariobegan the first

weekend after completing mysecond year in the DDS

program at the Faculty ofDentistry at the University ofToronto. For months I hadbeen planning this trip with

the help of my classmate MarcYarascavitch and contactsreferred from the Universityof Toronto’s First NationsHouse; it was now about tobegin.

We drove from Toronto toTimmins on Sunday June 4th,and on Monday morning wetook a flight from Timmins toAttawapiskat, a “flight-access-

only” First Nation on thewestern banks of James Bay.Our purpose was to give oralhygiene education to theelementary school children ofthe community. Before depar-ture from Timmins the firstglitch had become evident;our luggage was not going tomake it onto the plane withus, and we had

INVESTING IN PEOPLE | Métis dentalstudent brings healthy smilesto northern communities

MELISSA A young singlemother finds her wayin the world withsupport from theMétis Nation ofOntario. Page 2

TIFFANYA top student lands a dream job withfinancial aid from the Métis Nation ofOntario. Page 6

KURTThe Métis Nation of Ontario helps abudding ice creammagnate keep hisyoung business alive.Page 8

RYANStudent earns invaluable experi-ence thanks to theSummer CareerPlacement program.Page 9

SHELLY Métis Nation ofOntario assistanceprovides foundationfor professionaldevelopment.Page 10

MORE PAGE 5

BEYOND THE NUMBERS!What follows is a collection of first hand accounts of the struggles and achievements of Metis clients from acrossOntario. This snapshot moves beyond a statistical analysis ofperformance measures and instead illustrates success throughthe eyes and words of the real people beyond the numbers....

THE MÉTIS NATION OF ONTARIO’S EMPLOYMENT & TRAINING PROGRAMS ARE FUNDED BY

A Snapshot of Métis Labour Market Development

INSIDE

ISSUE 3 / FALL 2007

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I received my training throughthe MNOTI office inHamilton. I began training as

an office administrator in 2002,and from there I was offered acontract position as a Youth ProjectOfficer.

I was 17 years of age when Istarted working for a pet store. Iremained working there forapproximately six years, and myonly other prior work experiencewas working at a grocery store as acashier.

My last year working at the petstore came to an abrupt halt whenI was in a car accident. I took ayear off to recover and during thistime off work, I had become preg-nant.This lead to another year offfor maternity leave.

Two years out of work and anew baby at home, left meconfused and questioning wheremy life was headed.At this point, Idecided not to return to the pet

store, however, I still did not haveany clue as to what I should donext.

Throughout this time, I wasvolunteering on the MNO

Hamilton Wentworth CommunityCouncil. Being involved with thecouncil and the staff at the MNOTI

office introduced me to some ofthe opportunities available forMétis youth in the Hamilton area. Ihad been looking to change direc-tion in my life, and the trainingprograms provided by the MNOTI

seemed to be a good opportunityfor a new mother (who was now asingle mother) to get a fresh start.This is when I began my trainingas an Office Administrator at theMNOTI Hamilton office.

“Walking in the door with noother experience but working in agrocery store and pet store, left mewith little confidence, I didn’t feelI had many employable skills at all.

MÉTIS WAGE SUBSIDY MWS is intended to assist clientswho are having difficultiesaccessing employment due tofactors such as lack of recentwork experience or shortage ofwork. A subsidy is provided tothe employer in order toprovide valuable on the jobwork experience.

SUMMER CAREERPLACEMENT A wage subsidy provided toemployers in order to providework experience for Métisstudents.

MELISSA ButtonHAMILTON • ABORIGINAL YOUTH ADVISOR

Two years out of work and a new baby at home, left meconfused and questioning where my life was headed.”

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(above) Melissa Button and her son Seth.

The MNO really helped medevelop skills I didn’t even know Ihad. Before working for the MNO Iwas so anxious and shy, I wasn’teven able to call the pizza guy toorder a pizza! This job reallyopened doors for me; it alleviatedmany of my anxieties and built upmy confidence.

During my stay at the MNO Iencountered many wonderfulopportunities which would laterassist me in securing my currentposition as an Aboriginal YouthAdvisor for the Native YouthAdvancement With EducationHamilton (NYAWEH) at CathedralHigh School. I increased myknowledge of traditional teachingsand Métis culture.

The skills I developed trainingas an Office Administrator,impressed my current employers,which lead them to hire me as aYouth Project Officer.

A year later, I saw the second

posting for another AboriginalYouth Advisor for the NYAWEH

program. I knew this was the jobfor me, however, after reading thejob description and requirements,I was concerned that I lacked thequalifications. Prior to my experi-ence with the MNO, that concernwould have been true.With a lotof encouragement from MNO staffand other community members, Idecided to apply for the position; Ieven enrolled myself into a coun-seling course at Mohawk College.I may not have had a diploma atany college or university, but I wasconfident with the skills I acquiredthrough my time at the MNO, that Icould do the job and do it well.

I applied for the job and washired on the spot.

While all this was takingplace, I was also nominated for theNational Métis Youth Role ModelAward for personal achievement.To my surprise, I won. Everything

happened so fast, it was such awonderful experience.

None of this would have everbeen possible if I didn’t get mystart with the MNO.

I was living on my own tryingto support my baby and myself andI didn’t know what I was going todo, and then came along the MNO.They were very supportive, under-standing and compassionatepeople.This encouraged me towork harder and be a betterperson. It was a very enjoyable andpleasant work atmosphere.

I am truly thankful for all thatthey have done for me.Theyhelped me discover my roots andfind my path in life. I will neverforget all that I gained from myexperience with the MNO.

My experience with the MétisNation of Onatrio was absolutelyfabulous! It was the opportunityand change that I needed in mylife to make a difference. •••

T he MNO has focused a greatdeal of attention on theeducational needs of Métis

people and removing the barriersthat hinder the full participation ofMétis in the Canadian economy. In

1998, through the Province ofOntario’s Student OpportunityTrust Fund program, the MNO

established a bursary trust fund at32 colleges and universities acrossOntario. Bursaries are awarded

each year to Métis students fromthe interest that accumulates annu-ally.This has been a highly success-ful program assisting students in allfields of study as they prepare toenter Canada’s economy.

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MÉTIS STUDENT BURSARIES AWARDED

FUELLING A KNOWLEDGE-BASED ECONOMY:

MÉTIS SCHOLARSHIP & BURSARY PROGRAM

ALGOMABROCKCARLETONLAKEHEADLAURENTIANOTTAWAQUEENS

RYERSON TRENTTORONTO WESTERN

UNIVERSITIES

ALGONQUINCAMBRIAN CANADORE COLLEGE BOREAL CONESTOGA CONFEDERATION FANSHAWE

GEORGE BROWN GEORGIAN HUMBERLAMBTONLOYALISTMOHAWKNIAGARA

NORTHERNOCADST. CLAIRST. LAWRENCESAULT COLLEGE SHERIDANSIR SANDFORD FLEMING

COLLEGES

MÉTIS STUDENT BURSARIES Are Available at these Institutions

2001102

$102,050

2002114

$114,463

2003130

$118,972

2004130

$103,426

2005127

$105,595

2006140

$137,552

TOTALS603

$543,546

YEAR:# AWARDS:

TOTAL $ :

to wait untilTuesday morning for the cargoplane to arrive with our teachingsupplies. On Monday afternoon wemet our host, Principal VinceDumond and toured the commu-nity.

From a portable classroom atJ.R. Nakogee School, we gavepresentations on oral health, includ-ing an interactive plaque disclosingexercise and tooth brushing instruc-tion; the youngest students also hada little arts and crafts session wherethey decorated toothbrush shapedbookmarks and brushing charts.

The next morning we drove four

hours to Constance Lake.Aftermeeting Principal Leo Grzela and avolunteer coordinator, we set upshop in the life skills classroom.

On Tuesday morning our coor-dinator brought in the first group ofsix children. Over the next fewdays, groups of six elementaryschool aged students passed in andout of our classroom every 45minutes. Our coordinator’s assis-tance made it feel like a miniaturefactory producing educated anddiligent young toothbrushers!

We ended our visit to ConstanceLake with a parent educationsession at the local health center.We

provided booklets for the parentsand health centre operators outlin-ing important facts and frequentlyasked questions (with answers) oninfant, toddler, child and adult oralhygiene practices and technique.

In all we provided oral hygieneinstruction to over 400 First Nationchildren over a span of two weeks.

I would like to thank the MétisNation of Ontario TrainingInitiatives program for funding thisinvaluable experience. I am proudto have an active role in educatingchildren and promoting oral healthin under-serviced communities inOntario. •••

Dental student brings healthy smiles to northFROM PAGE 1

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T he Métis Nation ofOntario played a pivotalrole in helping me find the

career of my dreams and I cannoteven begin to express how gratefulI am for your kindness, generosityand assistance through this journey.

The financial support of theMétis Nation of Ontario StudentBursary Program meant a lot tome.As a student who was not eligi-ble to receive any financial govern-ment assistance I worked 2 part-time jobs for more than 30 hours aweek in order to pay for school.Thanks to the Métis Nation ofOntario I was able to work a littleless and focus more on my studies.As a result, I was able to complete2 college diplomas and maintainposition on the Dean’s List foracademic achievement.

Following graduation Icommenced my search to findemployment in my career field. Iknew that the job market in

Thunder Bay was limited so Ilooked to the Métis Nation forhelp. I applied for the MétisTraining Initiatives Wage SubsidyProgram and successfully receivedfunding to obtain paid employ-ment training at the Thunder BayRegional Health SciencesFoundation as a Special Events andVolunteer Coordinator.At theFoundation I earned invaluableexperience in fund development,events planning, graphic designand volunteer management.

I truly believe that without thesupport of the Métis Nation Iwould not have my career asDevelopment Coordinator of TeamDiabetes & Events at the CanadianDiabetes Association today.

There is nothing more reward-ing that watching your dreamscome true and then being able togive back to the community andthose individuals who helped youget there. •••

TIFFANY MillerTHUNDER BAY • DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR, DIABETES ASSC.

YOUTH PROGRAMS:The 2001 census profiles a Metispopulation with a median age of27 years representing significantpotential for Ontario’s workforceand economic success.The MNOin response to a growing andambitious youth population offersa wide range of programs andservices to Metis youth. Programsinclude summer placementopportunities, youth internships,on the job training and innovativecommunity-based youth projects.

MÉTIS STUDENTBURSARY PROGRAMIn 1998, the Métis Nation ofOntario established a bursaryprogram, to assist Métis students intheir pursuit of post-secondaryeducation. The initial investmentswere matched by the Province ofOntario’s Student OpportunityTrust Fund program.

There is nothing more rewarding thanwatching your dreams come true andbeing able to give back to thecommunity and those individuals who helped you get there.”

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The experience wasgreat, it came inexceptionally handyand enabled me to

take the next step with the MNO andstart participating as a mentor.

The program helped short termwith preparing a business plan andwith short term financing; cash isgod in small business and that wasvery helpful.

“[The funding] let me take thenext step with my business, whichwas to secure financing and getfinancial distribution. [It was a greathelp to] survival in my third year.

Both Bonny Cann (ProvincialEducation Coordinator) andStephanie Cruise (RegionalEmployment and TrainingCoordinator) need to be absolutelypatted on the back and praised for

helping to develop the UrbanCentre project, because as a group,[Métis] are not overly represented orrecognized in Toronto.They areinstrumental in community devel-opment and small business develop-ment.

The best demonstration you canbring is going into the school withsome of my ice cream, and saying,‘this is what a Métis Businessmanmade, and you’re eating it.’ I don’tthink there is any better way todemonstrate the full effect of howboth the Métis Nation of Ontarioand Aboriginal Business Canadakeep Aboriginal and Métis businessalive in Canada.

It’s about keeping dreams alive,because that’s what small business is,someone’s personal dream of auton-omy and control in their own life.”

Brad Kurtenbach accessedMNOTI’s Métis Self-Employmentprogram for support for his busi-ness Kensington Market OrganicIce Cream in Toronto.

MÉTIS SELF-EMPLOYMENT:The Métis Self-Employmentprogram helps a client to create ajob for themselves through self-employment, by providing clientswith various types of supportduring the period when he or shestarts up a business. Assistancecan include coaching, ongoingtechnical advice and financialsupport. Coaching is tailored tothe individual's needs and caninclude business plan develop-ment, accounting, marketing, useof computer skills, etc.

BRAD KurtenbachTORONTO • ICE CREAM ENTREPRENEUR

STEPHANIE CRUISE, Regional Employment and Training Coordinator:Brad had been trying for over a year to promote his business, Kensington Market Organic Ice Cream, but he was finding it difficult as manysmall business owners just starting out do. Brad also had a brand new family to support. We helped him out with a small living allowance andhe attended one of the self-employment workshops that we held here in the office. After the workshop Brad worked one-on-one with AlexLachine, the consultant that did the workshop. Today, Brad has successfully obtained funding from Aboriginal Business Canada and BMO.

I would like to take this opportu-nity to say thank you for allow-ing me to take part in the

Summer Employment Program youhave offered for the last 3 years.

The jobs that I have worked dueto the generosity of the Métis Nationof Ontario include working at anindependent CD store as well as atYouth Innovations as an employee ofthe City of Welland. My experiencethere taught me an immense amountof new skills that I believe will helpme in any job situation I encounter inthe future.

My role at Youth Innovations wasto run events for local youth as well asto organize volunteers. My proudestaccomplishment at this job was theproduction of Welland's first ever city-wide band compilation CD.The discbrought the musical youth of Wellandtogether which was the whole goal ofthe project.

Thank you for supporting mysummer employment for the last 3years! Without the MNO, these expe-riences wouldn't have been possible!

•••

I was awarded a Bursary from theMétis Nation of OntarioTraining Initiatives program to

conduct research for my Ph.D. thesison home-based family literacy.TheUniversity of Toronto managed thefunds through my thesis supervisor.The Métis Nation of Ontario staffwere very friendly and supportive.

The support assisted me incompleting my Ph.D. degree inDevelopmental Psychology andEducation. It helped me to offer afamily literacy program to over 100families representing a range ofcultural diversity in neighborhoodswhere families are often not wellconnected to community resources.The research on this program will helpme make a contribution to improvingearly education for all families, includ-ing minority families.

I feel that it is important tosupport Aboriginal Canadians tocomplete advanced degrees.As a MétisCanadian, I want to be able to giveback to my community throughsupport in education.

•••

SUMMER CAREERPLACEMENT

In their own words...

Opportunities for youth Educating Métis people Skills Development

STUDENTBURSARIES

ASHLEY PRESSPH.D. CANDIDATEUNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

LESLEY FROSTOFFICE MANAGERNORTH YORK

RYAN GUAYSUMMER STUDENTWELLAND

MÉTIS TRAININGPURCHASE

The MNOTI office in Region 8 (GreaterToronto Area) recently partnered with ViewCollege, a local training and placementservice, to run an Office Assistant TrainingProgram for Métis.The training wasconducted in MNOTI’s Richmond Streetoffice for the comfort of the 5 trainees someof whom had been out of the work force forsometime. Leslie Frost, one of the clientswho took the training, secured full-timepermanent employment with the ViewCollege as a result:

A fter the training theinstructor and Stephanieworked together to get me

on a Métis Wage Subsidy Program tomanage the office at View College.That was in September and now itssummer 2007 and I am still working atView College! I only had good expe-riences with MNOTI. They were allextremely nice and helpful. If it wasn’tfor MNOTI, I wouldn’t have this jobright now. I would be at home inPeterborough probably doing nothing.

•••

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Iwas fortunate to beinvolved with severalMNOTI programs within a

short period of time. First wasa Summer Career Placement(SCP) which allowed me thefinancial freedom of partici-pating in some continuouseducation. I attended theAcademy of Learning in SaultSte Marie takingMicroComputer BusinessApplications of which Icompleted with honours.

My next MNOTI interventionconsisted of a Job CareerPlacement (JCP) placing me as anoffice administration personnel forthe Historic Sault Ste Marie MétisCouncil.This position advancedmy office skills and confidenceenough to enable me to apply forthe AHWS Assistant position posted4 months later.A year later,

Michele Dale, the AHWS

Coordinator, took maternity leaveand I stepped in to successfullyfulfill one years’ submission.

Two months after Michele’sreturn a posting for DiabetesProvincial Coordinator cameacross my computer. I decided toapply and again was successful inthe competition with the stipula-tion that I would move to Ottawaand work out of head office.

Two years passed with me over-seeing the MNO Federal/ProvincialDiabetes programs. Because of therelationship between Diabetes,Nutrition and Physical Activity, Ibecame a resource to the MNO asfar as proposal writing and havemanaged to obtain over $500,000in Provincial Funding that hasbeen administered throughoutOntario to Métis people.

It was in January 2005 that I

first became a Supervisor withinthe MNO Health Branch and as ofDecember 2005 I am now respon-sible for 4 different MNO HealthPrograms with 29 staff.

As you can see, the assistanceprovided to me through the SaultSte Marie MNOTI office is thefoundation for the professionalgrowth within the MNO that I havemanaged over the past 4 years.TheRegional Employment andTraining Officer,Tammy Webb, isan incredibly ambitious MNO

employee that does everything inher power to see that Métis citizensare given the chance, throughMNOTI programming/services, thatmay not otherwise have been anoption in their life.”

SHELLY GonnevilleOTTAWA • MÉTIS DIABETES SERVICES SUPERVISOR

...the assistance provided to methrough the Sault Ste. Marie MNOTIoffice is the foundation for myprofessional growth within the MétisNation of Ontario.”

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T he Métis Nationof Ontario (MNO)delivers labour

market programmingthrough Human Resourcesand Skills DevelopmentCanada’s AboriginalHuman ResourcesDevelopmentStrategy (AHRDS).Employment and trainingprograms are client focused anddesigned to respond to localeconomic realities and labourmarket priorities.

The MNO works in partner-ship with Aboriginal organiza-tions, community agencies,employers, industry, and otherkey stakeholders across Ontario.These relationships ensure a

solid and inclusive deliverynetwork committed to buildinga diverse and empowered Métisworkforce.

Regional offices offerclients one-stop program deliv-ery and provide access to a

multitude of services includingemployment, education, longterm care, healing and wellness,youth initiatives, responsiblegambling, housing, economicdevelopment and communitycultural events.

EMPLOYMENT + TRAINING SERVICES:

Wage Subsidy: Employersubsidy to provide on the jobtraining experience.

Summer Career Placement:Wage subsidy for Métis students.

Culture-based DevelopmentGrant: Support for arts & culturerelated careers and initiatives.

Employability Program:Academic and skills upgrading.

Mobility Assistance: Travelsupport for securing employmentopportunities.

Training Purchases: Fundingfor specialized training.

Self-Employment: Support forMétis entrepreneurs.

Training Strategies: Labourmarket strategies for Métiscommunities.

Apprenticeship Support:Assists Métis people in skilledtrades.

Job Creation Partnership:Employment opportunities thatprovide benefits to clients,community and/or local economy.

Disabilities Support:Employment and/or educationassistance for Métis persons withdisabilities.

Youth Programs: Assists youththrough internships, on the jobtraining and innovative youthprojects.

Métis Student BursaryProgram: Assistance forstudents pursuing post-secondaryeducation in Ontario.

• Career counselling • Skills development• Pre-employment supports

• Resume assistance• Employment Readiness

Training

• Employment referrals• Training/Mentoring• Life long learning

EMPLOYMENT + TRAINING PROGRAMS:

CONTACT:PHONE: 613-798-1488TOLL FREE: 1-800-263-4889WEB: WWW.METISNATION.ORG

A SNAPSHOT OF THE MÉTIS NATION OF ONTARIO’S

EMPLOYMENT ANDTRAINING BRANCH