ONTARIO MÉTIS FACTS

Around the shores of the Upper Great Lakes, Métis women were far more than mothers and wives. They played vital roles in supporting their families, communities, and local economies. Through their labour and skills, Métis women helped sustain the Métis way of life, contributing to harvesting, preparing and preserving food, crafting goods, and serving as translators between Indigenous and settler communities. Their work strengthened both household stability and broader communit

DOWNLOAD THE DIGITAL COLOURING PAGE TO PRINT AT HOME In 1828, Métis mother Angelique Lepine, her family, and Métis community were forced to leave their home on Drummond Island. They boarded a sailing ship with all their belongings and set off on a long, cold journey to their new home in Penetanguishene. One night, a fierce November storm struck, and the ship ran aground. Thinking quickly, Angelique tied herself and her baby to the mast, bravely enduring the wind and rain unt

Angelique Lepine (nee Cadotte) was a Métis woman born in the Upper Great Lakes in the early 1800s. As a young woman, she married Pierre Lepine, a French-Canadian. Soon after, the couple welcomed their first child, Therise, into the world. However, that world was one of upheaval for Angelique’s Métis community. In 1828, Angelique, her husband, and their baby daughter were among the many Métis families forced to relocate from their homes on Drummond Island after the British ced