Joshua Letendre (MPAcc’20)

One to Watch Award

Joshua Letendre (MPAcc’20) is a proud Métis accounting professional, university instructor, and non-profit leader who uplifts Indigenous voices and strengthens the social, cultural, and economic well-being of his community. Through his grassroots leadership, cultural pride, and commitment to economic reconciliation, he is sparking transformative change in Alberta and beyond. 

Letendre earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree in accounting at MacEwan University before completing his Master of Professional Accounting degree at the University of Saskatchewan’s Edwards School of Business in 2020. Letendre went on to achieve his Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation in 2023 and was then awarded the CPA Alberta Early Achievement Award in 2024, an honour reflective of his rapid and meaningful impact on the profession and the community. Letendre began his career in public practice at MNP LLP, where he focused on agriculture and Indigenous audits, contributing to economic reconciliation and community development. He later served as director of finance and corporate services at Rupertsland Institute before launching his own firm in 2023—Max Accounting and Business Solutions—and providing individuals and corporations with culturally relevant services. Letendre currently serves as an Indigenous instructor with the CPA Western School of Business, where he plays a pivotal role in shaping the national Indigenous Learners in Accounting Initiative. He also teaches accounting, finance, and data analytics as a sessional instructor at MacEwan University. His mentorship, storytelling, and leadership in the classroom empowers students to envision and achieve futures once deemed inaccessible. 

In 2022, Letendre, who lives in Edmonton, Alberta, became the inaugural executive director of New Buffalo Education Circle, a non-profit organization that offers mentorship, institutional navigation, and career-readiness programming to Indigenous students. He was proud to serve as the executive director of New Buffalo Education Circle, which supports employers and post-secondary institutions to become positive and inclusive spaces, instilling a sense of belonging and cultural competency. The organization advocates for systemic changes to create equity for Indigenous students and employees. 

Grounded in his Métis identity, Letendre brings traditional values of reciprocity, respect, and community building into every sphere of his life, and his work has created direct pathways to success for many learners. Letendre gives back through governance roles that include serving on the Board of Governors for CPA Alberta’s Education Foundation and as treasurer of Special Olympics Alberta, where he chairs the Finance, Risk, and Audit Committee. His many contributions reflect strategic excellence, cultural humility, and an unwavering commitment to community impact.  

Outside of his work in accounting and instruction, Letendre has a long track record of volunteerism. While a student at MacEwan University, for example, he served with the Golden Key International Honour Society, supporting literacy and family programs. During his time at MNP LLP, he volunteered at the Bissell Centre, Santas Anonymous, and the Edmonton Humane Society, which helped to shape his understanding of service as a daily practice. Currently, he dedicates a large portion of his time to supporting Métis harvesters in Alberta with the Otipemisiwak Métis Government, where he and other harvesters volunteer to travel the province testing lakes for fish health, ensuring traditional food sources are still healthy, and teaching other Métis families how to traditionally fish. What distinguishes Letendre is not only his commitment but his ability to inspire others. Students regularly seek him out for mentorship, and his colleagues describe him as a connector, teacher, and role model. He inspires others by honouring his Métis identity through personal traditions such as hunting and fishing and by maintaining a connection to the land and to the teachings of his ancestors.