The Métis Nation of Alberta (MNA) is taking climate change seriously.

Stewards of the land and harvesters of plants, berries and animals, the Métis people are witnessing the depletion of these staples alongside other environmental impacts of climate change. In 2017, the MNA engaged more than 1,700 of their citizens across Alberta, asking them what they thought should be done about these issues.

The outcome was the Métis Climate Action Plan which focuses on education, renewable energy, energy efficiency and environmental monitoring.

Renewable Energy

With the help of grants, installing solar at various sites was economical.

The MNA installed solar modules on over 25 properties sites across Alberta, including three sides of the Métis Urban Housing and Métis Capital Housing offices in Edmonton.

According to Bindu Bonneau, Senior Director of Operations for the Métis Urban Housing Corporation, these solar installations are expected to reduce operational costs by $16,000 per year. These savings are redirected to enhance community programs and benefits for their citizens.

Andrés Filella, Director of Environment and Climate Change, told us they’ve installed 550 kilowatts of solar but adds they need five to six megawatts to offset all of their electricity use (that’s about ten times what is currently installed).

Energy Efficiency

Soon after adopting their climate plan the MNA conducted energy audits and retrofits in many buildings. Upgrades included improved efficiency of water and air heating systems, lighting, appliances, windows and insulation.

The solar and energy efficiency improvements are providing socio-economic benefits, says Filella. The Métis people want to achieve financial sustainability and all of these efforts are contributing to that.

“One of the things we've learned is that many of our citizens care about climate change, and there's a lot of them actually becoming part of the solution,” says Filella.

These programs are also creating jobs within the community. Métis contractors installed the solar system on the corporate office and the MNA maintains a public online contractor database: Alberta MétisWorks.

Image: The Metis Nation is adding almost 5 megawatts of solar to the Metis Crossing Cultural Centre near Smoky Lake, Alberta.

Thinking Big About Climate Action

It was intimidating to know where to start five years ago, but these early climate action successes have inspired the organization to think bigger about climate action and resilience.

The MNA recently completed construction on the Métis Crossing Cultural Center near Smoky Lake, Alberta. It’s a nationally significant cultural interpretive center created for Métis people to share their stories.

They have funding in place to build a large solar project at the site. “It’s almost a five-megawatt solar project, which is going to generate enough energy to power roughly 1,100 Alberta homes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by almost 4,500 tons every year,” says Filella.

“It feels awesome to see the results of these projects. It gives us more momentum. We don't want to stop there. We want to do more. We want to do another 500 kilowatts of micro. We want to do another 20 or 40 megawatts of large-scale renewables, because we recognize that it has a real environmental impact, and it’s also a huge economic development opportunity.”

Changing For Climate is a series featuring everyday Edmontonians, businesses and organizations who are actively Changing for Climate—and getting us closer to our goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

For more information, visit edmonton.ca/ChangingForClimateSeries.