The $558,616 line item Peguis CFS won’t explain
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By James Wastasecoot
The Peguis CFS CFO told the AGM 2025 meeting that their board of directors is a “working board” and that its expense of $558,616 for travel and honoraria last year is a legitimate expenditure, honoraria payments are confidential, and detailed explanations are not forthcoming. The Peguis CFS Annual General Meeting was held at the Maamawibiway (former Shergold farm) east of Hodson on Thursday Sept. 25. The meeting was held under the recently constructed dome on artificial turf thoughout, an opulent setting where less than 50 band members were seated at the opening to hear reports and ask questions about the agency.
Days before the meeting, Peguis CFS posted a notice on their website asking people to pre-register because of “limited seating.” In reality, there was plenty of room. For many who were already uneasy with the agency, that message read like a barrier, not an invitation. It likely kept people away. That matters because confidence in Peguis CFS has been shaky. There was a protest at the CFS building just a few months ago. Many band members are hesitant to speak in public meetings at the best of times, let alone stand up to question a service provider about money and governance. If the goal is participation, you don’t start by narrowing the door.
Following the presentation of the 2024-25 financial statements by MNP, I asked a question about the Board travel and honoraria expense of $558,616 which is up from $391,444 last year. A rough calculation reveals this to be $111,723 per board member. Peguis CFS Chief Financial Officer Bev Stranger explained that the CFS Board of directors is a “working board” who meets more than once a month, and that “other costs that have to be allocated into that category. It's not paid to them directly.” She said this includes items such as meeting rooms which are at times not available in Peguis and must be rented elsewhere like Winnipeg, Selkirk, Fisher Branch.
Forging History: Stranger Bronzeworks’ Monument to Chief Peguis Takes Shape in Peguis
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By James Wastasecoot
Wayne Stranger’s ambitious commissioned project to honour Chief Peguis is steadily taking shape in his studio in Peguis. The 18‑foot bronze statue—designed and crafted by Stranger and his team at Stranger Bronzeworks—will be the tallest public monument to any Indigenous leader in Manitoba’s history.
Read more: Forging History: Stranger Bronzeworks’ Monument to Chief Peguis Takes Shape in Peguis
UN Ambassador Bob Rae Visits Peguis to Address Ongoing Flood Crisis
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By James Wastasecoot
PEGUIS, June 5, 2025 — United Nations Ambassador Bob Rae visited Peguis First Nation today to discuss the persistent flooding that has repeatedly devastated the community. The meeting with Peguis leadership highlighted concerns over alleged human rights violations linked to the flood crisis.
In a powerful presentation, Chief Operating Officer Cindy Spence invoked the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), declaring, “The ongoing failure to address the flood crisis in Peguis is more than a matter of poor policy – it is a violation of human rights.”
Chief Dr. Stan Bird urged Ambassador Rae to take action, saying, “Peguis First Nation is formally calling on Mr. Bob Rae to investigate potential human rights violations against Indigenous peoples. We ask that he engage the Human Rights Commission and the Government of Canada to address breaches of UNDRIP.”
Rae, a seasoned lawyer and former Ontario premier who has worked closely with northern First Nations, acknowledged the severity of the issue. “Let’s be clear. I’m the president of the Economic and Social Council, but I’m also a public servant of the government of Canada,” he said. “I will use every opportunity to raise awareness of these injustices.”
The Economic and Social Council collaborates with the UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples, whose mandate includes recommending measures to prevent and remedy violations of Indigenous rights.
Peguis First Nation filed a $1-billion lawsuit in April 2024 against the federal and provincial governments, as well as the upstream municipalities of Fisher and Bifrost. The claim accuses the municipalities of constructing drainage works—supported by the province—that exacerbate flooding downstream in Peguis. The federal government has yet to file a statement of defense. In addition to the main lawsuit, Peguis has filed a class action on behalf of individual residents seeking compensation for personal property losses and damages caused by flooding.
For over two decades, Peguis has faced flooding every two to three years. The 2022 flood was the worst in recent memory, leaving more than 700 residents displaced and living as evacuees in Winnipeg. “They want to come home, but there is no home to come home to,” Spence said.
Lawyer Brian Meronek underscored the long history of inaction. “Since 1984, there have been at least a dozen engineering studies—it’s been studied to death. One study even listed ‘do nothing’ as an option. The government said that was not acceptable, yet decades later, that is effectively what’s happened.”
Meronek added that flood mitigation funds, tied to provincial flood forecasts, were often inaccessible when the forecasts were incorrect, leaving Peguis vulnerable year after year.
The community is currently producing a documentary to document how repeated flooding has devastated Peguis’s infrastructure and eroded the social and health well-being of its residents.
Sale of Meadows property raises questions about transparency and accountability
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By Trevor Greyeyes and James Wastasecoot
New details surrounding the $10 million TLE Trust investment in the Meadows property are raising red flags — and more questions than answers — for members of Peguis First Nation.
Property records obtained through Teranet, Manitoba’s online land registration system, confirm that developer Andrew Marquess — through his company — now owns 167.31 acres of the former golf course known as The Meadows, located in the municipality of East St. Paul.
A second parcel of 16.26 acres remains with the Peguis First Nation Real Estate Trust (PFNRET) and includes the site of a provincially funded daycare. This arrangement likely reflects the original agreement for the daycare’s construction, which was signed between PFNRET and the province, not Peguis First Nation directly.
These land transfers come amid a $130 million lawsuit filed by Peguis First Nation on Sept. 27, 2024 against Marquess and several numbered companies.
Greg Stevenson, former chair of the Peguis First Nation Real Estate Trust, defended the arrangement in a recent interview, calling it a necessary deal to avoid default and total loss. “Peguis is going to get their money back — their $10 million — over five to seven years, plus interest,” he said, emphasizing that developer Andrew Marquess “took on the debt and everything else that came with it.” (On Jan. 8, 2025, Peguis FN held trustee elections where new trustees were elected.)
Read more: Sale of Meadows property raises questions about transparency and accountability
Peguis First Nation Welcomes Northern Evacuees
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Peguis First Nation Welcomes Northern Evacuees, Calls for Community Support
May 30, 2025 – Peguis First Nation
There are now 144 evacuees from northern wildfires registered at the Peguis Multiplex. After an urgent call went out for essential donations to support the incoming guests, the people of Peguis responded and soon the organizers posted a message that they had enough supplies. By Friday, cots were set up on the Peguis Multiplex arena floor and the kitchen was open serving meals.
Carlina Trout is from Cross Lake. This is what she told about her experience:
"So, when we first when we first got evacuated, we were sent to Norway house. We went by the private vehicle with my brother's vehicle, but others were able to be taken by bus or by plane. And once we got to Norway house, we were with friends. We were taken care of there at the arena, or private homes. When I was taken care of, at Norway, they opened their restaurant to the public.”
They also provided buses for the public to be transported to the airport.
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