Métis Crossing is Alberta’s first Métis cultural destination, offering immersive cultural experiences, cuisine, and accommodations. Built on the original river lots of Métis settlers from the late 1800s, the 688-acre site is a tribute to Métis heritage, values, and innovation. The Board visited Métis Crossing in Spring 2025 and learned about the facility’s journey to success.
Background
Métis Crossing is nestled along the banks of the North Saskatchewan River, just northeast of Edmonton. Owned by the Otipemisiwak Government of Alberta, and operated as a separate corporate entity, Métis Crossing offers immersive programming inviting visitors to actively engage with Métis customs, celebrations, and teachings. From trapper tents and camping experiences to the Cultural Gathering Centre and wildlife park, every element is designed to reflect the spirit of the Métis Buffalo Hunt—a guiding philosophy rooted in respect, collaboration, and regenerative practices.
Challenges
Métis Crossing faced several challenges in its journey to becoming a nationally recognized destination. The initial construction of the Cultural Gathering Centre, which cost approximately $9 million, was completed in December 2019—just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Centre remained largely unused for its first year, delaying programming, tourism revenue, and community engagement. During this slow time, Métis Crossing continued to build the Lodge and Wildlife Park, ensuring they were ready to welcome visitors once COVID restrictions lifted.
The vision for Métis Crossing extended far beyond cultural interpretation. Leaders sought to integrate renewable energy, economic development, and sustainability into the site’s operations. This required significant investment, technical expertise, and community buy-in. Ensuring that the project remained Métis-led and Métis-owned added another layer of complexity, especially in sourcing contractors, suppliers, and architects from within the community.
Solutions
The Otipemisiwak Government of Alberta responded to these challenges with bold, strategic action. They launched the Salay Prayzaan Solar Project—a 4.86-megawatt AC solar farm located at Métis Crossing. Named after the Michif phrase meaning “a gift from the sun," Salay Prayzaan is the largest Métis-owned solar project in Canada, featuring 12,840 solar panels.
The solar project was designed to offset the electrical power needs of all Otipemisiwak Métis Government buildings and affiliate operations across Alberta, generating enough electricity to power nearly 1,200 homes annually. The project also created up to 50 construction jobs and 5–10 permanent positions, with a portion of revenue reinvested into a community development fund supporting local sustainability initiatives.
Métis Crossing is committed to sustainability. The facility’s infrastructure design incorporates a potable water treatment system and a wastewater system that redistributes treated waste across the land base, fertilizing hay fields that feed the buffalo—who in turn feed the people. This closed-loop system reflects traditional Métis values of stewardship and reciprocity.
Results
Métis Crossing is a national success story in cultural preservation, environmental sustainability and economic innovation. Its 40-room lodge, Sky Watching Domes, and camping sites, make it a premier destination for cultural learning, business events, and eco-tourism. With $1 million in support from NACCA, Métis Crossing is expanding to include a spa alongside its existing facilities.
As the fourth-largest employer in the Smoky Lake region, Métis Crossing provides 50 full- and part-time jobs and serves as a leading model for Indigenous-led development.
The facility has earned numerous accolades, including:
- Leading the Way in Sustainability – Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada
- Best Cultural Experience – Edmonton Tourism
- Indigenous Business of Distinction – Alberta Chamber
- Prairie Wood Design Award
- Named one of the 50 Best Places in the World to Visit
- Globe & Mail Changemakers – Métis Crossing CEO Juanita Marois recognized among 50 Emerging Leaders Reinventing Canadian Business
In 2025, the Salay Prayzaan Solar Project was awarded the Emerald Award in Energy by the Alberta Emerald Foundation, cementing the Otipemisiwak Métis Government and Métis Crossing’s roles in shaping Alberta’s renewable energy future.
Métis Crossing is more than a destination—it’s a living legacy of Indigenous resilience, innovation, and pride.
“It’s been an honour and a privilege to lead this project. To take all the contributions of our elders and knowledge holders, our artisans, our business people, our youth—to put it together into something like this, which is now available to share with the world. It’s really a place of pride for Métis people.”
Juanita Marois, CEO Métis Crossing