Métis Federation Wins Historic $11.8M in Costs After Failed Lawsuit

WINNIPEG, MB – May 04, 2026 – In a ruling that sends a powerful message about the consequences of baseless litigation, the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) has been awarded nearly $12 million in legal costs against the Métis National Council (MNC). The decision, one of the largest costs awards in Canadian history, marks a decisive conclusion to a bitter, multi-year legal battle that the court found was based on unfounded allegations.

Handed down by Justice Loretta Merritt of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the $11.8 million award is intended to compensate the MMF, its President David Chartrand, former MNC President Clément Chartier, and other defendants for the immense legal resources expended over four years. This follows Justice Merritt's complete dismissal of the MNC's lawsuit in November 2025, in which she cleared the MMF leadership of all wrongdoing and lauded them as “honest, straightforward, reliable and credible.”

“This is a victory for Red River Métis Citizens, vindicating their 2019 direction to me to leave the MNC,” said President Chartrand in a statement. “This case wasn't just an attack on me or the MMF, it was an attack on the reputation of our Nation.”

Anatomy of a Landmark Ruling

The court's decision to award “substantial indemnity costs” is a significant legal rebuke. This type of award is reserved for cases where a party has engaged in conduct worthy of sanction, such as pursuing unfounded allegations of fraud or dishonesty. Justice Merritt justified the high figure by pointing to the “unfounded allegations of wrongdoing, self-dealing and dishonesty” brought by the MNC, which struck at the core of the defendants' reputations.

The lawsuit, filed by the MNC in 2022, had sought $15 million in damages, accusing Chartrand, Chartier, and others of a conspiracy and a “scorched earth policy” to harm the national council by improperly funnelling assets to the MMF. These assets allegedly included $8.65 million earmarked for the Métis Veterans Legacy Program.

“The Court recognized the severity of the allegations levelled against the defendants and the enormous resources that were necessary to defend this complex litigation spanning more than four years,” said Rahool Agarwal, lead counsel for the defendants. “The allegations were deeply personal and struck at the very core of the defendants' character, integrity, and lifelong commitment to the Nation.”

The total costs were broken down to cover the extensive legal fight: over $6 million to Chartrand and the MMF, $1.3 million to Chartier, over $2 million to former MNC Executive Director Wenda Watteyne, and $2.3 million to several consultants who were also named as defendants.

From Political Rift to Courtroom Battle

The lawsuit did not emerge from a vacuum but was the explosive culmination of a deep political schism within Canada's Métis governance. The conflict's roots trace back to the Manitoba Métis Federation's withdrawal from the Métis National Council in 2021. The MMF, the founding government of the MNC, left the national body over a protracted dispute concerning the Métis Nation of Ontario's (MNO) citizenship criteria, which the MMF argued was diluting the identity of the Red River Métis.

Following the MMF's departure and the election of a new MNC executive led by President Cassidy Caron, the national council launched an internal review that formed the basis of its lawsuit. The MNC alleged that Chartier and Chartrand, during a period of political stalemate, had engaged in “secret, unauthorized and self-serving transactions” to benefit the MMF at the MNC’s expense.

However, the defendants maintained that they acted honestly and in the best interests of the Métis Nation during a time when the MNC was paralyzed by political infighting, with some governing members refusing to attend meetings. They framed the lawsuit not as a good-faith effort for accountability, but as a “frivolous political crusade” and an act of “vengeance” for the MMF’s departure.

A Decisive Vindication

In her November 2025 ruling that dismissed the lawsuit, Justice Merritt systematically dismantled the MNC's case. She found no evidence of a “scheme” or conspiracy and concluded that the defendants had not breached their fiduciary duties. Instead, she found they acted “honestly and with a view to the best interests of the MNC and the Métis Nation.”

The judgment was a powerful vindication for the MMF leadership. The court noted that political disputes are best resolved through democratic processes, not litigation. The MMF seized on this point, highlighting a statement from Ambassador Chartier regarding the trial.

“As a past president of the MNC for close to 20 years, I was shocked that MNC President Cassidy Caron admitted in court that they had no evidence to back their claims but hoped to find it during the trial,” Chartier stated. He added that the lawsuit was an attempt to “destroy our reputations.”

Justice Merritt's findings appeared to support this view, noting that even after the MNC learned that the Métis veterans' funds it claimed were missing had remained with the MNC, it did not correct the public record. The court found the evidence provided by Chartrand, Chartier, and Watteyne to be more credible and reliable than that of the MNC's witnesses.

The MMF has characterized the entire affair as a validation of its decision to forge its own path as the National Government of the Red River Métis. The court victory reinforces its autonomy and the integrity of its governance, free from the infighting that has plagued the national council. While the MNC has indicated it will appeal the decision later in 2026, the current ruling and historic costs award stand as a stark conclusion to a deeply divisive chapter in Métis politics.