Just months after opening a pricey Ottawa office to lobby the federal government from, saying it was cheaper than hiring a consulting firm, the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan has brought on a Saskatoon-based lobbyist to represent them on the file for a new health centre.
According to the federal lobby registry, Douglas Richardson has been representing the MN-S as its new voice in Ottawa since March 22.
“Douglas Richardson has been retained to support relationship‑building related to a health centre project, as reflected in the public registry,” an emailed statement from MN-S said. “This information is publicly available, and there is nothing further to add at this time.”
His hiring came just two months after MN-S said it was opening a meeting space just a few blocks from Parliament Hill in order to have a voice in the nation’s capital.
“The lease is just over $7,000 a month – far less than what consultants cost to maintain a presence in Ottawa,” the MN-S said in a Jan. 22 email to APTN News.
“Team members will use it as needed for federal meetings, policy work, and economic development activities, making it a flexible and cost‑effective presence in the capital.”
Just days later, the consulting firm who had lobbied for the MN-S since 2021 announced it was ending its relationship with the provincial Métis organization.
“Blackbird Strategies made the determination it could no longer provide services to MN-S. We respect the confidentiality of our clients and will have no further comment,” said the agency’s CEO Lisa Kirbie in a Jan. 30 email.
The office, which also serves as something of a gallery space for Métis artisans with a storefront became the subject of debate amongst Métis citizens in the province.
While the MN-S was spending money for a meeting space in Ottawa, citizens were told there would be no in-person meetings by the Provincial Métis Council (PMC) because there was no budget for it, according to Grassroots Zine in a Facebook post.
The opening of the office also coincided with the sunsetting of federal funding for a mental health program. MN-S initially announced the program would be terminated because it couldn’t fund it but then secured short-term bridge funding in February. While the program continues for now, the temporary loss caused concern among users relying on these services for addiction and mental health needs.
The Métis Nation passed a historically large budget in 2025 with over $200 million in spending, according to MN-S.
In a news release when the Ottawa office opened on Feb. 26, MN–S Vice President Michelle LeClair said that Métis Nation–Saskatchewan “must be present where decisions that affect its citizens are made.”
“We have, for too long, had others advocating on our behalf,” said LeClair. “To ensure federal leaders truly understand who the Métis Nation–Saskatchewan is, we must be the ones opening doors, walking into those offices, and building relationships face‑to‑face.”
Richardson lobbies on behalf of a number of organizations and governments in Saskatchewan, including the province’s electrical utility SaskPower, Intervac-the International Vaccine Centre, and the cities of Saskatoon and Prince Albert. It’s not clear how much MN-S is paying Richardson for his services.
APTN News has reached out to Richardson for comment but has so far not heard back.
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