ONTARIO MÉTIS FACTS

Métis mail carriers have a rich history of helping isolated communities stay connected socially, politically, and economically. They often navigated long, difficult routes and hazardous conditions, relying on extensive knowledge of the land that was passed down from generation to generation. In the 1880s, the Native Copper Company operated copper mines on Michipicoten Island. While the company provided employees with amenities such as a store, a dance hall, and even a “compl

Métis across the Homeland played a significant role in the fur trade, including by overwintering at remote trading posts. With their deep knowledge of the land, waters, seasons, and animals, Métis hunters, trappers, and fishers helped sustain fellow overwinterers by providing food and guidance in challenging environments. Settlers often recognized this expertise and sought out Métis harvesters as authorities on the lands and waters around them. In a 1934 Sault Star article di

After the North West Company (NWC) and Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) merged in 1821, many longtime Métis employees chose to branch out on their own, working independently as “freemen.” As astute businesspeople, these Métis freemen recognized the continued demand for their labour as hired “jobbers” and could demand competitive wages for their work. This was certainly the case in the Upper Great Lakes region, where demand for Métis freemen jobbers, like Henry Sayer and Michel La