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

The Upper Great Lakes are known for their treacherous waters, where unpredictable weather and hidden shoals have led to untold numbers of shipwrecks over the centuries. Many—including the wrecks of the Hackett at Horse Island and the Labatte family at Thunder Beach near Penetanguishene—have been preserved by Métis communities through stories and passed down through the generations. With such events looming large in Métis communities’ memories, it should come as little sur

For generations, Métis have been expert all-season travellers of the lands and waters of their Homelands. As Christy Ann Simons recounted in her memoirs of growing up on St. Joseph Island, near Sault Ste. Marie, during the late 1800s, the local Métis community’s craftsmanship and place-based knowledge enabled them to travel freely all year long: “The sailboat was their method of traveling in summer, dog team and snowshoes in winter (homemade sleds and shoes).” For many, incl

The Hudson’s Bay Company’s post at Rat Portage was the northernmost outpost at Lake of the Woods, near present-day Kenora. For generations, it served as the bridge between the traders of the Red River and the Upper Great Lakes. George L. Huyshe, a solider in Colonel Garnet Wolseley’s 1870 expeditionary force to the Red River, described the post at Rat Portage as: “a small affair, three log houses roofed with bark and enclosed by a high wooden palisading. The Company maintain

The Labatte House at Thunder Beach, near the Métis settlement at Penetanguishene, stands as an enduring testament to Métis resiliency in the Upper Great Lakes. That legacy all began on a fateful Christmas Eve in 1834. Like many Métis families from Drummond Island, the Labattes were relocated to Penetanguishene after the War of 1812. Many, including Louis George Labatte, were promised land grants in the region as recognition for their service during the war. After settling br

Check out our Special Seasonal Colouring Page: Métis Mail Carriers The Upper Great Lakes is known for its snowy winters with high winds, once making it hard for families to stay connected during winter. They often relied upon mail carriers, many of which were Métis, to make long, treacherous winter journeys between communities to stay up to date on events of the day. Dogsleds and snowshoes were standard methods of travel for Métis mail carriers during the winter months. For e