Duane Hicks
The Sunset Country Métis fall harvest fish fry last Thursday evening was a bona fide success, drawing a sold-out crowd of 140 people to the Métis Hall here.
But the hall may have to close down if the organization can’t increase its revenues by renting it out for more functions.
Located at 714 Armit Ave., the hall is the site for the organization and distribution of the community-based “Healthy Living Food Box” program, as well as Métis Nation of Ontario Health Branch programs such as “Kids Being Kids,” “Community Kitchens,” and “Diabetes Boot Camp,” not to mention community events like last week’s fish fry.
“It’s difficult enough for businesses to cover their overhead expenses let alone facilities that exist for the betterment of the community,” said Sunset Country Métis president Clint Calder.
“We don’t have an administrator and we don’t have funding to cover the expenses of the hall. The hall is run by volunteers,” he noted.
“The current council is doing a good job of increasing revenues and decreasing expenses, which will help in the future,” added Calder. “However, we have some back taxes to cover.
“We are examining all expenses, such as taxes, insurance, [and] heating costs, to look for ways of reducing.”
“We run community programs out of our hall for the entire community—not just Métis,” stressed Sunset Country Métis secretary Val Pelepetz.
“The problem is that community programs don’t necessarily generate income,” she explained.
“We make some revenue through renting the hall, but not enough.”
Calder said the Sunset Country Métis put out a call for help—and is getting it from many places it did not expect.
“We have many people who have come forward, not just from our own Métis community but from within our non-aboriginal and First Nation communities,” he noted.
“There are people who are donating their time by volunteering to help with fundraising, cooking, and maintenance.
“Some are donating items like a new sink for the women’s washroom; others are donating food items for gatherings,” Calder added.
“It is all very much appreciated, and will hopefully help us hang on to the hall.”
Métis Nation of Ontario president Gary Lipinski said the value of having a community hall should not be underestimated. The Sunset Country Métis is one of only two Métis communities in Ontario that have their own hall; the other one being in Thunder Bay.
“In my role as president of the Métis Nation of Ontario, I get to travel to almost every community in the province . . . and it’s the envy of many communities when they find out the Métis community has its own hall,” he said.
“It’s something to be proud of, it’s remarkable.
“Many people [worked] very hard to get this, and certainly I know there are many people that want to keep it,” Lipinski added.
“Let’s get the community more involved, let’s utilize it to its fullest potential,” he urged.
“Let’s see if people can come out and support it in many different ways.”
The hall used to be a church, recalled Lipinski, and before that it was the Polish Hall.
Fort Frances used to have the Ukrainian Hall and the KC Hall, and while there’s still the Legion Hall, “there’s not too many halls left,” he added.
“I think there’s a fundamental need to have places like this, to hold events like this, where our communities can gather for a multitude of purposes,” Lipinski reasoned.
“So we hope the community will get together, rally around, and support this—certainly from my perspective—important asset to the community here.”
Hall rentals, events
Calder said the best avenue Sunset Country Métis has for increasing revenue is to rent the hall out for more functions.
It can be rented for various functions, such as meetings, family gatherings, showers, funerals, and birthday parties.
For information on renting the hall, call Pelepetz at 274-9576.
Sunset Country Métis Coun. Wanda Botsford said there will be more events at the hall in the future, noting there’s not really been an increased focus on staging events so much as it has been a response to the demand for it.
“We have had some gatherings lately that are really fun with live music and jigging,” she noted. “Our community has been in awe of the level and mix of talent and there is a demand for more gatherings.
“We are very fortunate that so many incredible musicians feel at home in our hall and want to play,” added Botsford. “So we are going to try to do something on a monthly basis.
“It’s a great stage to showcase some of our up and coming talent in our Métis, First Nation, and non-aboriginal communities,” she enthused.
“We also have some entertainers that will be the cornerstones of our upcoming gatherings.”
These entertainers include “The Sunset Country Chicks” (Brittany Hayes, Charity Alverson, and Sandra Allan) and “Justin Boshey & Co.” (comprised of Justin Boshey, Martin Tuesday, Brian Kabatay, and Mark Beachey).
A Louis Riel Day event will be held at the hall on Wednesday, Nov. 16, and musicians will be back to perform.
More details regarding this event are forthcoming.
Meanwhile, event-goers at last Thursday’s fish fry not only enjoyed a delicious dinner, prepared by a team of volunteers with fish provided by Blaine Tucker, but also music provided by Abbey Calder, Sandra Allan, Brittany Hayes, Charity Alverson, Ericka Tymkin, and Justin Boshey & Co.
“We were very pleased with the terrific turnout and the awesome entertainers,” said Sunset Country Métis secretary Roz Calder.
“We have such wonderful talent in our district.
“We hope to continue with monthly events,” she added.
Union Gas also made a cash donation to help make last week’s fish fry possible.
As well, Clint Calder gave a brief update on recent Métis Nation activities, noting he attended meetings earlier that day with Rubicon Minerals Corp. and Horizon Hydro Inc., two companies looking to start projects in Red Lake and Ear Falls, respectively.
Both companies are going through the approval process, and have consulted with aboriginal peoples in the areas they’ve proposed to conduct their projects.
Neither project has been approved, and consultation with stakeholders, including the Métis, will be ongoing.
