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w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6 23 the lives of indigenous people and com- munities," Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne said in her introduction to the document. "We will continue to walk hand in hand with indigenous partners, and build trusting, respectful and mutu- ally beneficial relationships." Froh is the first woman to head the MNO, the umbrella group representing Ontario's 86,000 Métis. Born in Saskatche- wan, she moved to Ontario in 1993 to study law at the University of Toronto. She teaches at the Banff Centre's Indigenous Leadership and Management Program, and will con- tinue that role, and is a former president of the Indigenous Bar Association of Canada. "It was like a different language and a very powerful one," she says of her first experiences with the legal system, helping a friend and mentor battle a discrimination case. "I wanted to become fluent in that language and I wanted to bring it back to my community." Froh adds: "All the things that I've done in my past in terms of my practice, in terms of teaching, in terms of the work that I've done as a leader at a community level, all of those things have prepared me for this role that I'm in today. I think the fact that the Creator has put this in my path is a sign to me that I'm on the right path. And I'm going to bring all of my skills to bear, including my skills as a lawyer, as president of the Métis Nation of Ontario." Froh says legal issues will be high on her agenda, although she admits she won't be able to take the hands-on approach to juris- prudence that she did in her previous posi- tions at the MNO, where she has worked as in-house legal counsel, as director of strategic policy, law and compliance and as associate chief operating officer. One possibility could be to build on research that the MNO already carried out on health issues to try to get more informa- tion on how Métis interact with the legal system, and assess how that differs from the law's interactions with First Nations or with Inuit groups. "There are many, many similarities with First Nations, but there are also a lot of things that are quite distinct and quite unique about Métis experience, Métis identity, Métis history," Froh says. She also wants to take a close look at traditional dispute resolution, and see how traditional methods could be applied in present-day Canada, as already happens with the Gladue courts or with community- based methods such as sentencing circles. "There's a need for us to be develop- ing more scholarship. How can we engage with our community and our elders to talk about what has the Métis approach been toward resolving conflict between people, to addressing harm? What are the legal principles that we have employed as Métis people to address these things?" she says. "There is room for us to start to look at a Métis-specific approach to justice, and there's absolutely room there for us to be talking about Métis-specific services and programs for Métis people when it comes to the justice system." Froh lives in Barrie with her spouse Rachel and four rescue cats. "We're not married, so technically speaking I'm not sure spouse is the right word — you can see I'm not a family lawyer," she says of the partner she's been with for 16 years. "We decided not to have children. We decided to be really good aunties." New Edition Annual Review of Family Law 2015 Alfred A. Mamo and the late James G. McLeod (Founding Editor) New in this edition Children's Law • Unrepresented parents and appointment of amicus curiae: – G. (C.M.) v. S. (D.W.) (2015 Ont.S.C.) – Morwald-Benevides v. Benevides (2015 Ont.C.J.) • Domestic violence as very relevant factor when determining custody: – M. v. F. (2015 Ont.C.A.) – Trites v. Mallett (2015 Ont.S.C.) Child Support • Lawfulness of Federal Child Support Guidelines: – Strickland v. Canada (Attorney General) (2015 S.C.C.) • Appellant's diligence in pursuing appeal: – Near v. Costello (2015 N.S.C.A.) – Prochazka v. Alberta (Maintenance Enforcement Program) (2014 Alta.C.A.) Spousal Support • To meet SSAG objectives, court could order lower amount of spousal support for longer duration or higher quantum for a longer or indefinite duration: – Djekic v. Zai (2015 Ont.C.A.) Family Property • Whether expert can be disqualified due to close relationship with party or lawyer: – White Burgess Langill Inman v. Abbott and Haliburton Co. et al (2015 S.C.C.) • Mere existence of a trust document, even if signed, cannot justify jeopardizing a favourable sale of the property which was subject matter of trust: – Holdstock v. Holdstock (2015 Ont.S.C.) Domestic Contracts • Same sex couple that entered into a civil partnership regime under the United Kingdom's Civil Partnership Act declared spouses under the Divorce Act and Family Law Act: – Hincks v. Gallardo (2015 Ont.S.C.) • Despite binding agreement to arbitrate, court can disqualify arbitrator from proceeding due to apprehension of bias: – McClintock v. Karam (2015 Ont.S.C.) Manage the issues that are reshaping family law Order # 986552-65203 $165 Hardcover June 2016 approx. 1260 pages 978-0-7798-6552-9 Annual volumes supplied on standing order subscription Multiple copy discounts available Shipping and handling are extra. Price(s) subject to change without notice and subject to applicable taxes. Available risk-free for 30 days Order online: www.carswell.com Call Toll-Free: 1-800-387-5164 In Toronto: 416-609-3800 © 2016 Thomson Reuters Canada Limited 00237QF-A70017-CM

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