Long before “economic development” became a popular catchphrase, the Métis had mastered the entrepreneurial spirit. Hundreds of years ago, the Métis were instrumental in establishing the fur trade and opening up vital transportation corridors across North America’s lands and waters. They nurtured what later became known the world over as Canada’s vibrant natural resource economy.
In this episode, host David Wylynko talks with Métis elder Paul Bercier about the connection between the Métis’ approach to prosperity and their strong belief in an inherent right to self-determination, self-government, and independence. Today, that resolve is driving the Métis to seek an ownership stake in the Trans Mountain Pipeline, which Bercier describes as “the project of all projects.”
The pipeline’s expansion line came online in early May. With the advent of a “green hydrogen” economy on the horizon, Bercier foresees the pipeline eventually becoming a key component of an environmentally sustainable energy strategy for the future, for both the Métis and Canada as a whole.
Notes
Paul Bercier biography
The True Canadians website
Intro and outro music by Métis musician Alex Kusturok
Opening quote from an address by Métis leader Jim Sinclair during the 1987 Canadian constitutional talks

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