MNO passes economic development law

At its 20th Annual General Meeting in August, the Métis Nation of Ontario passed an economic development law. MNO President Gary Lipinski predicted that the law would soon prove to be a significant landmark in Métis history, along with other watersheds such as the 2003 R. v. Powley Supreme Court decision and the 2008 MNO-Ontario Framework Agreement. The law moves the MNO towards its long-term goal of self-government by establishing the structure that will permit the MNO to capitalize on emerging opportunities in a number of fields. The law comes on the heels of an announcement on Aug. 22 that the MNO, along with its investment partners, won several bids on green energy contracts through the Ontario Power Authority Small Feed-in Tariff program. Métis Nation of Ontario — BrightRoof Solar LP, a limited partnership formed between the MNO Solar Inc. and BrightRoof Solar, will be offered contracts for 36 FIT projects. As well, the partnership has a minority interest in a series of projects, with a combined generating capacity of about seven MW AC, will also be offered contracts. “It is this kind of success,” said Lipinski in a news release, “that will allow us to build a better and brighter future for our young people.”