July 9th, 2026
NOTICE TO ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE NATIVE ALLIANCE OF QUEBEC INC.
Subject: Implementation of the New Membership Fee Structure
The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the Board of Directors of the Native Alliance of Quebec (NAQ) has decided to move forward the implementation date of the new membership fee structure. The new fees came into effect on July 1, 2026.
This decision follows the resolution adopted on June 1, 2026, by the Board of Directors of the Native Parajudicial Services, which decided to discontinue providing services to NAQ members.
In light of this situation, the NAQ had no choice but to initiate legal proceedings by filing an application for judicial review to ensure that the rights of our members are respected. It is essential that we take action, as failing to do so could create a precedent and encourage other service providers to withdraw services from our members as well.
As I explained during my provincial tour of our Community Annual General Meetings, the grants and funding received by the NAQ are subject to specific funding conditions and cannot be used to finance legal proceedings.
For this reason, the Board of Directors of the NAQ, of which I am also a member, decided to advance the implementation of the new membership fee structure. This decision is supported by the resolutions adopted by each community during their respective Annual General Meetings, where members voted in favour of establishing a Legal Defence Fund dedicated to protecting the rights and interests of our members.
The Board of Directors would have preferred to implement this measure following the Provincial Annual General Assembly (AGA). However, given the current circumstances, immediate action was necessary to safeguard the interests of all NAQ members.
As originally planned, the Provincial AGA will be asked to formally ratify the amendments to the Internal Governance By-Laws relating to the new membership fee structure and the Legal Defence Fund.
Please be assured that the Board of Directors remains committed to working closely with our communities to ensure the successful implementation of this initiative and to address any questions or concerns you may have.
We hope this information provides clarification and answers some of your questions. Please know that this decision was made only after careful consideration and with one objective in mind: to protect the rights, interests, and future of all members of the Native Alliance of Quebec.
Gérard Coulombe
President Grand Chief