Powley Day (Ontario)
September 19
On September 19th, the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) and Métis communities across the country mark Powley Day to remember the recognition of Métis rights in the R. v. Powley case. While other Métis rights cases had been fought in the courts before, Powley was the first to be appealed all the way to the Supreme Court. In a unanimous decision on September 19th, 2003, the Supreme Court finally affirmed what the Métis people have been saying for over twenty years – section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, is a substantive promise to the Métis which recognizes their distinct existence and protects their existing Aboriginal rights.
Powley Day is a non-statutory holiday.