Métis Nation-Saskatchewan Opens Multi-purpose Space in Ottawa

The Métis Nation-Saskatchewan (MN-S) is now a resident on the doorstep of Parliament Hill.

On February 26, the MN-S opened Le Magazaen in Ottawa’s central and bustling ByWard Market. The multi-purpose facility is intended to be a meeting place for Métis culture, innovation, and community connection.

“The motivation is what we have our own space, and promote and highlight who we are as a Métis Nation,” said Richard Quintal, CEO of the MN-S.

“It’s a big step for us doing things in a low-cost, high-impact way that is not only about moving our government forward for our people but highlighting our artists and craftspeople from across Saskatchewan.”

Le Magazaen includes a large gathering room with a long wooden table at the centre, replicating the comfortable setting of a kitchen. The space was designed to honour the role of George Fisher’s family store in Batoche, where people gathered to meet during the resistance.”

“When you think back to 1885, the times of the resistance, it wasn’t an office space where plans were being made,” said Quintal. “It was done at the general store and the kitchen table. So out of respect for our ancestors and our ways, that’s how we do it today. The Métis Nation-Saskatchewan has stayed alive by having conversations at kitchen tables.”

Quintal said the proximity to the nation’s capital and federal government, where the MN-S receives the majority of it’s funding, will be beneficial for advancing many of it’s files, including their self-government treaty.

The facility is located on ground floor of an area that has foot traffic of about 20,000 people per day. Le Magazaen also sits across from the American embassy, and on the route that Prime Minister Mark Carney takes to get to Parliament Hill.

“This is a seat for us to negotiate on all levels, whether it be anything from economic development funds to any one of our priority areas,” he said. “It’s going to be a place to meet, talk, and create unique experiences for our citizens.”

In addition to a meeting space, Le Magazaen, which sits across from the National Gallery of Canada, also functions as a cultural centre showcasing Métis art. The building has a gallery space featuring Métis artists and craftspeople from Saskatchewan. The space currently exhibits art from 16 different Métis artists.

“We want to educate people on who we are as the Métis people from Saskatchewan. With our gallery space, we are providing an opportunity for our artists to be able to be supported, to give them the opportunity to be see, and provide some income for their families,” said Quintal.

The gallery will be open to the public, and will feature a rotating artworks, including artwork from Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC).

“People are walking by, looking in, coming by and asking questions,” said Quintal. “It’s not just a meeting space, it’s going to be an educational space as well, where people can learn about our culture.”

Quintal said they plan to staff Le Magazaen with two to three MN-S citizens during the winter months, and up to four in the summer to accommodate the influx of summer visitors. He said Le Magazaen currently has Métis students working their facility who are attending post-secondary in Ottawa. There will be opportunities for MN-S citizens to move to Ottawa for work, he said.

And in order share the art exhibited at Le Magazaen for those not in Ottawa, the MN-S plans to launch a Le Magazaen website this summer. They also plan to open a second Le Magazaen location at Batoche.

“We’re quite proud of this,” said Quintal. “It’s not a political space. It’s not an office. It’s something different, and something quite unique.”