By Trevor Greyeyes
WINNIPEG, Nov. 14, 2025 - A small group of Peguis First Nation members gathered on the steps of the Manitoba Legislature at noon today, calling for accountability, transparency, and an immediate meeting with the leadership of Peguis Child and Family Services (CFS).
In a handout, the group outlined a series of concerns they say have gone unanswered for months.
The protesters, many of them parents and caregivers, allege that Peguis CFS has drifted away from serving the community and is instead operating with little oversight, limited transparency, and questionable spending priorities.
Several held posters naming conflict-of-interest concerns, budget issues, and the lack of community consultation.
The handout distributed at the rally listed ten key allegations.
Among them is the claim that Peguis First Nation did not hold the required community vote to adopt Bill C-92 the federal "Honouring Our Children, Families and Nation Act" and that was before transferring child-welfare authority from provincial jurisdiction to a community-based system.
According to the document, no community ratification occurred, leaving many members feeling excluded from a decision that directly affects families on and off reserve.
The handout also raises conflict-of-interest concerns involving members of Chief and Council. It alleges that several councillors have family members employed or promoted inside Peguis CFS and that these relationships have not been properly disclosed in discussions about child-welfare oversight.
Another major concern centres on hiring practices:
- the CFS Executive Director is accused of hiring her husband as an in-house lawyer despite him being trained as an environmental lawyer rather than a family lawyer.
- as well as hiring other relatives in various roles. Protesters say this has created an environment where accountability is compromised.
Financial transparency was another major theme. According to the 2024/25 Peguis CFS annual reports referenced in the handout:
- the agency spent close to $30 million on salaries, benefits, travel, and administrative costs, while only spending a little over $2 million on prevention, a decline from previous
years. Under federal guidelines, prevention funds are intended to help families with needs such as home repairs, food, clothing, travel costs, and other essentials meant to keep children safely at home and out of care.
- document also states that Peguis CFS receives approximately $2,500 per registered First Nation member living on reserve to support prevention services. Protesters say the community has not seen the benefits of that funding.
Some attendees expressed anger over allegations that Peguis families have been routinely denied services or redirected to other agencies, including foster parents who claim they were refused additional supports or threatened with child removal when raising concerns.
These experiences were described as “documented personal disclosures” from community members.
Land purchases were also questioned. Peguis CFS reportedly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on lands in Fisher Branch, Hodgson, and St. Clements, without requiring that Peguis members be hired through those contracts.
One purchase highlighted in the handout was $704,000 for 166 acres east of Hodgson, and another was $380,000 for 5.7 acres in St. Clements. Protesters argue these moves provide little benefit to Peguis members while adding tax burdens and potentially paving the way for youth to be housed far from their home community.
Additionally, a July 2024 audit by MNP was cited, stating Peguis CFS “did not contain all disclosures required by Canadian accounting standards.”
The final point in the document noted a significant increase in board compensation: Peguis CFS board members reportedly received $558,616 in the 2024/25 fiscal year, up from $391,441 the previous year. At the Annual General Meeting of September 25, CFO Bev Stranger explained that not all of those funds are actually recieved by the board members, that this figure includes expenses for meeting rooms when rooms are not available in Peguis.
Despite repeated requests, the protesters say the Peguis CFS Executive Director has not yet met with them or provided answers to their concerns.
Today’s rally marks yet another attempt by community members to demand transparency in child-welfare governance. Participants said they plan to continue pushing for accountability and a formal meeting with Peguis CFS leadership.
Terra Indigena reached out to Peguis CFS for comment, but as yet, no response has been received.
