Winnipeg Developer Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Peguis First Nation
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By Terra Indigena staff
A Winnipeg developer has filed a defamation lawsuit against Peguis First Nation following comments made in mainstream media coverage related to a land deal involving the former Meadows golf course in East St. Paul.
According to a statement of claim filed Feb. 13 in Manitoba’s Court of King’s Bench, developer Andrew Marquess alleges that remarks made by Peguis First Nation’s legal counsel in previous mainstream news reporting suggested he was “untrustworthy” and had engaged in improper business practices.
The lawsuit claims those statements were false and damaging to his reputation. Marquess is seeking damages and legal costs.
The dispute is connected to Peguis First Nation Real Estate Trust’s 2021 acquisition of the former Meadows golf course lands. Court documents referenced in media reports indicate the purchase involved $10 million from the Peguis Treaty Land Entitlement Trust and a $5.5 million loan from a numbered company owned by Marquess’ spouse.
Following a change in Peguis leadership in April 2023, the First Nation stopped working with several advisers associated with the previous administration.
Marquess had provided consulting and advisory services to Peguis prior to that shift, according to court filings.
The lawsuit states that when the $5.5 million loan matured in 2024, the trust defaulted. It alleges that 75 per cent of partnership units connected to the golf course land were subsequently transferred to a corporation controlled by Marquess in exchange for assuming principal and accrued interest on the loan, along with certain future development obligations.
The defamation claim also references a separate lawsuit filed by Peguis First Nation in 2024 alleging fiduciary breaches related to the land deal.
The lawsuit stems from comments made during coverage by other mainstream media outlets in 2025.
None of the allegations in either action have been proven in court.
Marquess’ lawyer declined comment in media reports. Peguis First Nation and its counsel had not responded publicly at the time of publication.
The matter is now before the courts.
It's about you as a number represented by lobby organizations
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BY TREVOR GREYEYES
Federal funding models — administered through departments such as Indigenous Services Canada — require measurable reporting.
Governance organizations must demonstrate reach: how many citizens are represented, how many programs are delivered, how many participants are served, how many initiatives are implemented. Funding agreements are built around metrics. Scale matters.
Read more: It's about you as a number represented by lobby organizations
Seeking to establish a Peguis First Nation off-reserve member database
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BY TREVOR GREYEYES
A Peguis First Nation band member is proposing the creation of a secure, voluntary contact database aimed at improving communication with off-reserve members, who he says are frequently excluded from timely updates on governance matters.
George Robinson says the initiative is intended to ensure off-reserve members receive accurate and complete information prior to major decisions such as elections, settlements, trust matters and other votes affecting the Nation. Robinson argues that while Peguis policy recognizes all members, it does not consistently require that off-reserve members be informed or consulted in advance of key decisions.
Read more: Seeking to establish a Peguis First Nation off-reserve member database
New trustees say missing records cloud Trust projects at Meadows, daycare and Wellington
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By James Wastasecoot
Band members who went to the Peguis First Nation Real Estate Trust AGM on Feb. 7 at the Peguis Community Hall were served up with facts and opinion from trustees and band lawyer John Gailus, but left with many questions unanswered. Gailus presented a PowerPoint about two projects that have raised big questions in Peguis in recent years: the former Meadows golf course lands and the Wellington property in Winnipeg.
For many members, there has been little public information over the past four years. That left room for rumours and guesswork.
Meadows and daycare
One belief in the community was that the current Chief and Council stopped the Meadows development because they opposed former chief and consultant Andrew Marquess. Gailus told members that was not accurate. Gailus said: “I know this is controversial, because people are saying, oh, Chief and Council, they're the ones who stopped the development. No, that's not the case. There was a stop work order. December 12, 2023 from Red River Planning District on meadows, saying, you can't develop without a permit.”
He added: “On January 4 [2024] there's another letter to Purchase Co. saying you need to pay your property taxes. What Chief and Council did do is in March of 2024, they passed the BCR demanding that the trust cease all operations until the annual audits are produced for membership.”
Read more: New trustees say missing records cloud Trust projects at Meadows, daycare and Wellington
The Meadows Daycare: Who Really Owns the Land?
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By Trevor Greyeyes
EAST ST. PAUL – A brand-new daycare building is sitting empty and cold just off Highway 59. While many Peguis families need childcare, this $4 million project is stuck in a big argument between the Manitoba government and the Peguis First Nation Real Estate Trust (PFNRET).
The provincial government says they aren’t opening the doors because they are worried about who actually owns the land. But new documents found through an information request tell a different story.
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