The Metis Nation – Saskatchewan’s Saskatoon office is down to two staff members due to financial difficulties and closure of the organization’s doors may not be far behind.
At one time, the organization employed as many as 30 people.
Recent staff layoffs include IT staff, employees who handle the Metis registry and members of the accounting department.
President Rober Doucette blames the dire situation on a group of area directors led by Vice-President Gerald Morin for refusing to hold a legislative assembly until the fall.
“Why are they telling people that we can’t cover off our deficit when we do have the money to that? If they would just call an MNLA earlier than September. Because if we have an MNLA eight months down the road, there will be no MN-S left.”
The MN-S has had its federal funding cut since late last year for failure to hold an assembly over the past two years.
Doucette says the rent on the Saskatoon office is paid until the end of March but things are uncertain after that.