ONTARIO MÉTIS FACTS

Telling Our Stories and Histories.

Learn the facts about rights-bearing Métis communities in Ontario. All the images, videos, and original source materials you need with none of the spin.

Featured Stories

Dolores Pinder: Generational Storyteller

The practice of Métis storytelling is not merely a connection to the past, but a vibrant, ongoing tradition kept alive by the voices and memories of today's community members. Among these storytellers, Dolores Pinder (née Bussineau) stands out for her dedication to preserving the history of the Historic Sault Ste. Marie Métis Community. As an advisor, knowledge holder, and lifelong community advocate, Dolores shared stories rooted in her family’s original Métis River Lot hom

Elizabeth Longlade’s Keen Métis Memory

Born in 1847, Elizabeth Longlade (née Dusome) was a proud Métis matriarch whose strength and personality shone through in the everyday moments of her life. Her story, shared in a 1942 interview with the Toronto Star , captures her memories, determination, and independence. Elizabeth married Charles Longlade in Penetanguishene in 1866, 76 years prior to the article's publication. Together, they built a life rooted in family and hard work. For decades, Elizabeth worked alongsid

Celebrating Métis Matriarch Elizabeth Longlade (nee Dusome)

Elizabeth Dusome was born in 1847 at Highland Point, “across the bay” from Penetanguishene into the large and deeply connected Métis family that had moved from the Red River to Georgian Bay in the Upper Great Lakes in the years before her birth. As a “pioneer resident” of the region who grew up at a time when Penetanguishene was a “cedar swamp with a scattering of Indian wigwams and fishing shanties”, only a generation after much of the community had been relocated there fr

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Newest Stories

The Life of Sophie Beausoleil

Born in Penetanguishene in 1846, Sophie Beausoleil’s life unfolded within the tight kinship networks of the Historic Georgian Bay Métis Community. Sophie’s father, Alexis Beausoleil, was a signatory to the 1840 Penetanguishene Halfbreed Petition, alongside other Métis community members from families such as the Longlades, Trudeau-Papanaatyhianencoes, Payette-DeValleys, Labattes, St. Onge, and Vasseur-Longlades. Sophie was one of eight children, all born in Penetanguishene. He

The Two Marguerites

When recounting the story of her community’s 1828 relocation from Drummond Island, Métis storyteller Angelique Longlade offered more than a recollection of movement. She shared her family’s history, displaying a unique style of Métis storytelling and humour. In reflecting on her early life, Longlade comically recalled the unusual circumstance of how due to a priest’s mistake, two of her sisters were given the same first name: “Ma fadder, mudder, Charlie, Louie, Pierre, two

Marguerite Solomon’s Accomplished Life

Marguerite Solomon’s (nee Johnson) strength was reflected not only in her work but in the future she helped shape for her Métis family and community. Determined to provide her children with opportunity, Marguerite ensured her children received the best education she and her husband, William, could manage. Her support enabled her son Lewis to attend specialized schooling where he learned several languages, preparing him to build a successful career as an interpreter and guide