Mission
To preserve and promote the Métis way of life, by looking to our Elders, to maintain our Métis traditions, culture, spirituality and respect of Mother Earth. To ensure future generations carry on this mission, we are dedicated to educating our youth.
Vision
The Chard Métis Nation will strive to promote community enhancement, youth development, and Elder service and affiliation.
2023 Highlights
June 9th - 2nd Annual Golf Tournament - Click here to see the photos from the great day!
September 21st - We hosted our Inaugural Reverse Trade Show and Career Fair. Click here to see the poster! Our first ever trade show was a huge success! Dozens of community members visited to learn about our corporate partnerships, participate in the career fair, and enter the draws. Additionally, we were thrilled to have representatives from our partner organizations join us.
September 22 & 23 - Inaugural Community Culture Camp. Click here to see the poster! We had a delightful community event filled with delicious food, engaging games, joyful laughter, and valuable learning experiences. It brought together people of all ages, fostering a sense of togetherness and creating lasting memories for everyone who attended.
Our business partnerships now number 15! Ranging from healthcare, to matting, to construction, and more. Learn more on our Partnerships web page. We take immense pride in our partnerships as they play a crucial role in enhancing our community's services and infrastructure. We are optimistic that these collaborations will lead to significant improvements and bring about positive change for everyone involved. Together, we can build a stronger and more prosperous community.
We want to acknowledge the generous grant funding support from the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, the Rural Development Network’s Reaching Home Program, and Alberta Seniors and Housing’s Indigenous Housing Capital Program. Of course, a key contributor to the community remains Cenvous Energy with their Indigenous Housing Initiative.
2022 Highlights
Thanks to our partnerships with Cenovus Energy and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB), a total of 11 new homes for our community within the last two years.
Chard Métis Dene Group of Companies (CMD) (formerly Chard Métis Dene Inc.), our wholly-owned economic development entity, now has 10 partnerships working for the Nation.
We have applied for several funding grants from various sources, including the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo’s Community Impact Grants, Rural Development Network, Alberta Social Housing Corporation and others.
The Chard Métis Community Counseling Program had a successful first year with over 20 participants.
Two of our members successfully participated in the Portage Training program and completed the 24-week course.
We raised over $30,000, to fund our community social programs, at our inaugural Golf Tournament.
We secured several substantial government housing grants (over $600,000) to support the capital costs of preparing the land for these homes as well as the infrastructure requirements like water, sewer, and electricity.
We successfully organized both summer boating and fall hunting trips.
We became part of a history partnership, Athabasca Indigenous Investments. This organization is a limited partnership of 23 diverse Métis communities, Treaty 6 and Treaty 8 First Nations located in northern Alberta. We have each agreed to steward the communities' investment in seven Enbridge-operated pipelines. You can learn more by visiting the website athabascaindigenousinvestments.com.
2021 Highlights
Launch of the Indigenous Housing Initiative, sponsored by Cenovus, we received our first home in August and our second home in November.
Our wholly-owned economic development entity, Chard Métis Dene Inc., underwent a name change and is now recognized as the Chard Métis Dene Group of Companies (CMD).
CMD experienced substantial growth. We now have eight strategic partners and have experienced an 800% increase in revenue.
Successfully negotiated a nominal land transfer deal with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo where we were able to acquire five lots within the hamlet of Janvier, which now gives our community a land base.
Developed the Chard Métis Community Counselling Program. This program will provide much needed access to counselling and mental health support for anyone within, or from, our community. This initiative has been graciously sponsored by Meg Energy for National Truth and Reconciliation Day.
Successfully participated in the Portage Training program where two of our members completed the 24-week program.
Our entity CMD-CEDA was awarded a three-year contract at Suncor Energy’s Base Plant for Dredging Fluid Management (DFM).
Chard Métis has also formed a new partnership with Scarlet Group of Companies. Scarlet specializes in the provision of integrated security solutions. Through this dynamic partnership we will be able to execute anything and everything security related.
The community was able to purchase its first boat for harvesting and cultural retreats.
2020 Highlights
The Chard Métis Nation were pleased to have been chosen to participate in the Cenovus Energy’s Indigenous Housing Initiative. In January of 2020, Cenovus Energy launched the Cenovus Indigenous Housing Initiative. The largest community investment initiative in Cenovus’s history, this initiative is aimed at addressing one of the most pressing issues facing Indigenous communities in Canada – homelessness, overcrowding, poorly built homes that are in disrepair which cause unsafe conditions for families.
The program, announced in January 2020, involves a plan to commit $10 million per year for at least five years to build much needed new homes in six First Nations and Métis communities closest Cenovus’s operations in northern Alberta, with the potential to extend the project to 10 years. Cenovus views this initiative as an important way to contribute to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
Cenovus also plans to work with the communities to develop training programs, so that local residents can participate in the building and maintenance of the new homes.
The Chard Métis are incredibly humbled and thankful to be a part of this initiative, we are excited for the opportunities that it will bring to the community, not only housing but also the training that will be available to our members.
The community also successfully negotiated the first ever nominal land transfer in RMWB for 5 lots in the Hamlet of Janvier to the Chard Métis Nation.
Board of Directors
Justin Herman, CEO
In June 2019, the board of directors hired Justin Herman as the new CEO. Justin was born and raised in our community and we are very fortunate that his path has brought him back home. Justin brings extensive experience in strategic partnerships, business development, business management and negotiation.
Gratitude
The Chard Métis Nation would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Convergint Technologies, CEDA, Hines Health, NCSG, Saskana, Scarlet Group of Companies, Stream Source, Paradox Access, Primco Dene EMS LP, and Westward Electric Site Services for their partnerships and for placing their trust in us to help grow their businesses and help educate them about our culture and our people.
We also are very appreciative of our neighboring producers: MEG Energy, Cenovus Energy, Conoco Phillips, Enbridge, and CNOOC/Nexen, and Suncor Energy. These organizations are not just companies to us but are true partners in our community’s growth and development.
We are very grateful and humbled to have this opportunity to work and represent the Chard Métis Nation. We will continue to work tirelessly to always put the community first and operate with complete transparency and trust.