Media Advisory - Métis Nation Honours Louis Riel throughout province of Ontario

OTTAWA, Nov. 13 /CNW Telbec/ - November 16, 2006 is the Anniversary of the hanging of Louis Riel. Ceremonies and events to honour Louis Riel are planned at various locations throughout the province (see below).

The day will commence at 8:00am with the raising of the Métis Flag at City Hall located at 100 Queen St. West. Métis leaders, friends and guests will be attending a commemorative ceremony that will take place at 11:00 am at the Northwest Rebellion Monument at the front entrance to the Ontario Legislature at Queens Park, which will be followed by a traditional moose feast at noon, in room 228 in the Main Legislative Building.

In addition to events being planned by the Métis Nation of Ontario, The Law Society of Upper Canada is hosting a panel discussion entitled "The Evolution of Métis-First Nations Relations" from 4:00pm - 6:00pm in the Don Lamont Learning Centre of Osgoode Hall, 130 Queen Street West. The panel will bring together legal experts, academics, political leaders and members from Métis and First Nations communities to discuss how a co-operative relationship between the two groups has developed in Ontario and what implications this alliance has for the future.

Panelists will include: Tony Belcourt (Métis Nation of Ontario President), John Beaucage (Grand Council Chief Anishinabek Nation), Gary Lipinski (Chair Métis Nation of Ontario and Chief Negotiator) and Rick Salter, (Legal Counsel and negotiator on numbers of Aboriginal claims).

Other events across the Province on or around Louis Riel Day:

November 16, 2006

Midland/Georgian Bay Métis Council: will celebrate Louis Riel Day with a potluck dinner, beginning at 6:00 p.m., at the Georgian Bay Friendship Centre.

Thunder Bay Métis Council: will be celebrating Louis Riel Day with a feast and dance, beginning at 5:30 p.m., at theThunder Bay Métis Community Centre.

Oshawa Métis Council: will celebrate Louis Riel Day with a Métis flag-raising ceremony at 9:00 a.m. at the Civic Square, Oshawa City Hall.

Other dates:

Toronto: Wednesday November 15, 2006: The Métis Artists' Collective will be celebrating Louis Riel Day with an expression of Louis Riel's life through art and culture, beginning at 6:00pm at City Hall in the Rotunda.

Ottawa: Saturday November 18, 2006: The Ottawa Aboriginal Healing and Wellness Program, in conjunction with the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health, will be hosting a Celebration of Métis Culture beginning at 2:00pm at 299 Montreal Rd.

The Métis are a distinct Aboriginal people with a unique culture, language and heritage, and with an ancestral Homeland that centers around Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, parts of the Northwest Territories, as well as the northwestern United States. The Métis played an instrumental role in the shaping of Canada, and work tirelessly to share their culture, music, traditions and knowledge of the environment with their fellow Canadians. Today, the Métis live, work, raise their families and pay taxes in communities all across Canada.