The president of the Métis Nation of British Columbia has been removed from office after an independent investigation and recommendation from former B.C. Supreme Court Judge Wally Oppal.
The board of directors voted to dismiss Walter Mineault after a series of what the Métis Nation called, serious misconduct findings.
Oppal concluded the board should remove Mineault, citing repeated breaches of fiduciary duty, intimidation, and conflicts of interest.
The Board of Directors appointed Robyn Gervais, a lawyer, to conduct an independent investigation.
The Gervais Investigation Report explicitly concluded that the threshold for a breach of fiduciary duty, which requires evidence of dishonesty, disloyalty, or bad faith, had been met.
The were also allegations of gender-based harassment, including the use of misogynistic language toward a female director and threats to block her future travel approvals.
The report outlines an alleged broader pattern of behaviour, including denying travel to dissenting directors, attempting to remove a treasurer who questioned expenses, and publicly berating staff and board members.
The “Weekend Warriors” Incident:
Mineault was alleged to have breached his fiduciary duty by negotiating an inflated performance fee for his brother’s band and pressuring MNBC staff to hire them. When the CEO declined due to the conflict, Mineault engaged in a 40-minute phone call where he allegedly yelled at, abused, and intimidated the CEO. He also allegedly threatened to publicly accuse her of bias against his family.
The Kelly Lake Resolution:
The report said that Mineault allegedly participated in and advocated for a resolution that provided a direct material benefit to property partially owned by his third cousin. He was accused of failing to disclose this family relationship to the Board and applied improper, confrontational pressure to directors who questioned the resolution.
Mineault was alleged to have made funding commitments without board approval and shared confidential board discussions on social media.
Mineault was also accused of denying travel to dissenting directors, attempting to remove a treasurer who questioned his expenses and publicly berating staff and board members.
The report goes on to say that Mineault was also found to have allegedly made funding commitments without board approval and shared confidential board discussions on social media.
Following a review of the findings, the board voted to remove him from his position.
The decision follows a recommendation from the Métis Nation General Assembly that he be dismissed.
-M. Popove/CJDC
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