Will Goodon of Brandon has returned after participating in the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland.

Goodon was part of the large Canadian delegation. He’s Minister of Housing and Property Management with the Manitoba Metis Federation and also is involved with environmental work with the Metis National Council.

“This year’s conference was held in an area that is a big coal mining region so it was kind of ironic to have the conference in that area but maybe it was on purpose and a way of saying we need to do something about climate change but we have to also understand the importance of economics in the world.”

He said it was about fighting climate change while still allowing people a chance to make a living.

“I was part of the Canadian delegation and our country always takes people who represent indigenous people so I was there representing the Metis Nation and we had some direct input into the policy that Canada was pushing forward at the conference. It was maybe a small part but we had the Metis voice at the table which is the important thing.”

Indigenous People Caucus at the UN Conference.

Goodon says for indigenous people this year they were able to push through the local communities and indigenous peoples platform.

“It basically gives indigenous people a voice into the global conversation on climate change so it was really nice to be there when all that happened.”

More than 200 countries were at the conference and Goodon feels Canada did a good job of working to advance climate friendly policies while trying to work with other countries. “To get things done there has to be a lot of back and forth and I really respect our Canadian team because they really did us proud and I was pleased to be part of that.”

Goodon says climate change is real and is happening and we have to find ways to mitigate that, slow it down or even stop it.”