Pembina River Metis Local hold executive election
The Pembina River Metis Local held its executive election on January 11, 2026, at the Strathcona Drop-In located in Belmont.
A sizable crowd was in attendance to vote in the new executive, which included a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. Chair by acclamation: Stephen Petrie; Vice Chair by acclamation: Clint Gudnason; Secretary by acclamation: Joanne McKay-Thompson; Treasurer by acclamation: Lisa Cuvelier Shiels.
Also in attendance was Will Goodon, Manitoba Metis Federation Minister of Housing and Property Management, and Minister of Identity Protection and Inter-Indigenous Relations.
Who are the Pembina Valley Metis Local?
They are a community branch of the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) that represents Métis citizens in the Pembina Valley. This Local is active in cultural events and upholding Métis identity and rights through MMF governance, focusing on their distinct culture and heritage. They hold meetings, elect officials, and engage in community building, emphasizing the importance of Metis heritage in the region.
Pembina Valley Metis Local Chair Stephen Petrie is also a historian in our area who visits schools to share Metis history with students.
We will be talking with Stephen, and over the next few editions, we will be sharing the history of the areas’ Metis people, as well as stories told to and shared by Stephen, starting with the Metis people’s move from the Red River area (Winnipeg area and south) to the Pilot Mound and Rock Lake areas.
If you would like to be part of the discussion on the history, or have story ideas on the topic for future editions, please contact the writer at news.mygazette@gmail.com.
PHOTO CAPTION: Will Goodon – Metis Federation Minister stands in the middle behind the newly elected borad of the Pembina River Metis Local (l. to r.) Lisa Cuvelier Shiels – Treasurer, Joanne McKay-Thompson – Secretary, Stephen Petrie – Chair, and Clint Gudnason – Vice Chair. PHOTO BY SUZANNE PADDOCK
