Known affectionately as “Jake” to his family and friends, James Begg was the third of eleven Métis children born to James Sr. and Jemima Begg in Kenora on April 19, 1895. James’ father, James Begg Sr., had relocated to Rat Portage–now known as Kenora–from Manitoba in 1888. He first worked as a bookkeeper for the Hudson's Bay Company at Northwest Angle before joining Murphy Brothers, a Kenora cartage business. He later turned to farming in the nearby township of Melick. In 189

Despite a considerable age difference and being one of eleven siblings, James Young maintained a close relationship with his younger brother, Lawrence, throughout his life. The strong ties of their Métis family extended beyond their home community of Kenora, as both brothers served in the Canadian military during the First World War. Before his service, James was a teamster, living in Kenora next to his extended family and his brother Lawrence through the early 1910s.  James,

On January 3, 1916, at the height of the First World War, Métis sixteen-year-old Lawrence Young voluntarily enlisted in the Canadian military. Not yet officially old enough to serve, Lawrence recorded he was older than his actual age on his military enlistment papers, joining the 94th Overseas Battalion in Kenora. Seven months later, Lawerence departed for England to receive training. After arriving in Europe, Lawrence was soon transferred to the 17th Reserve Battalion in Ken

Lawrence Young was born into a large Métis family on February 15, 1899, at Lac Seul in Northwestern Ontario. Lawrence, along with his five sisters and five brothers, was the son of Ellen Young (nee Thompson), a Métis woman also born in Lac Seul.  Lawrence shared a particularly close bond with his older brother, James. From ages twelve to seventeen, Lawrence lived with James and other extended family. The 1911 census reveals that much of the Young family resided next door to o

In 1942, at the age of 94, Métis matriarch Elizabeth Longlade (née Dusome) shared stories from her remarkable life, which were captured in a Toronto Star  article. Although brief, the article recounts Elizabeth’s reflections, revealing her family’s experiences spanning both generations and geography. The article was published at the height of the Second World War. For Elizabeth, these seemingly faraway global events were deeply personal, as several of her grandchildren were a

Loyalty to family has long been a foundational value for Métis in the Upper Great Lakes, including the Georgian Bay Métis Community, both before and after its relocation from Drummond Island in 1828. This observation was made by many, including A.C. Osbourne, who wrote about the community’s Métis families in 1902: “Fidelity, however, was a marked characteristic among them … This also explains the apparent anomaly of numerous couples, with large families … ”  Georgian Bay Méti