Context:
In 2013, the National Aboriginal Lands Managers Association (NALMA) responded to a call for proposals from Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) for the establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Matrimonial Real Property (COEMRP).
The Centre’s objective was to operate at arm’s length from the Government of Canada and to provide services such as:
NALMA’s proposal was reviewed by an evaluation committee composed of representatives of:
- ISC
Royal Canadian Mounted Police,
Status of Women Canada;
Public Safety Canada
The Evaluation Committee made a recommendation to the Minister of ISC.
Building on NALMA’s extensive experience and link to reserve land issues, on November 14, 2013, Minister Bernard Valcourt officially announced that NALMA is hosting the Matrimonial Real Property Centre of Excellence.
This was a five-year commitment by the Minister that has been extended by three years and will end on March 31, 2021.
Success of COEMRP
The Centre has been instrumental in supporting the development of legislation and the rights and protections of First Nations under the Family Homes on Reserves and Matrimonial Interests or Rights Act.
Since its inception, the Centre has provided the following exceptional services:
- Development of 4 effective
toolkits Training provided to 306 First Nations across Canada
Funding 14 First Nations for the development and implementation of their PSM
laws National mail distribution to over 6,000 information resources to First Nations and their partners
Development of an interactive and ingenious
coemrp website Organization of 3 national conferences on THE MRP
Organization of 8 national
engagement sessions Responded to an average of 100 referrals per year
Built an amazing library of resources and tools
Moving Forward with Matrimonial Real Property (MRP) Support
Effective April 1, 2021, the Centre’s support services will transition to NALMA operations and will be standardized in NALMA’s mandate until March 31, 2023.
For more information, please contact Kathy McCue, NALMA MRP Program Specialist at kmccue@nalma.ca or (705) 927-5224