Services
Community Programs and Services
The Northwestern Ontario Métis Community offers a variety of programs and services.
Northwestern Ontario Métis Child and Family Services
Northwestern Ontario Métis Child and Family Services protects and ensures the safety and well-being of Métis children, youth, adults, Elders and families in Northwestern Ontario, and was the first Métis child and family services agency in Ontario. NWOMCFS provides a variety of services to support the community, including: Preventative services, Family preservation, Youth services, Cultural services and Repatriation services.
For more information, see the NWOMCFS website.
Community Support Services Program
The Community Support Services Program provides information, advocacy, and practical support that allows individuals to remain in their homes for as long as possible. It also helps to ease the weight of care provided by informal caregivers such as extended family. The CSS Program is available to all Indigenous people who wish to access our services. The Program’s primary focus is to help people who are elderly and/or chronically ill and who may be experiencing isolation or are having difficulty managing their disease or dealing with a terminal illness.
The Community Support Services Program is offered in Fort Frances, Kenora, and Dryden.
Aging at Home Program
The Aging at Home Program offers support to Indigenous seniors 55 years of age and older by offering in home supports and contracted services to help individuals live safely and independently within their own homes. There are some eligibility criteria that a person must meet in order to be eligible for the Program. This includes having a financial review done and having a medical referral.
The Aging at Home Program is offered in Atikokan and Kenora.
Métis Family Wellbeing Program
The Métis Family Wellbeing Program provides a variety of family specific programming to help address the needs of Métis families who are working to heal from violence, have children who are in the care of family services, or have youth who are involved in the justice system. Through the Program, MFWB Coordinators work to develop individual and family wellness plans which are specific to the unique needs of each person. From there MFWB Coordinators can facilitate access to peer counselling, provide advocacy and referral services, help clients navigate the system, and help to connect them with traditional knowledge and practices.
The Métis Family Wellbeing Program is offered in Fort Frances, Atikokan, Dryden and Kenora.
Harvesting and Citizenship Applications
The Northwestern Ontario Métis Community is part of the Métis Nation of Ontario. The MNO maintains a registry of Métis citizens and harvesters who are eligible rights-holders in Ontario. Citizenship applications are assessed by an independent registrar who approves citizenship for those applicants who meet the criteria set out in the National Definition for Métis as voted on and accepted by the citizens of the Métis Nation of Ontario at the 2004 Annual General Assembly. Citizens can apply for harvester cards if they meet the criteria laid out in the MNO Harvesting Policy.