Moose Factory’s McLeod House

In 1905, Métis brothers George and William McLeod stood together with members of their Métis community to sign the Moose Factory Métis Petition, asserting their collective presence, rights, and future. That same sense of solidarity and connection defined George and William’s lives as siblings and was quite literally built into the walls of Moose Factory’s McLeod House, which they had built together.

George and William worked together at the Hudson’s Bay Company post at Moose Factory, William as a skilled carpenter and George as a shipwright. When George married fellow Métis Isabelle McBean sometime in the 1880s and became eligible for company housing, it was William who used his own hands and expertise to build a home for his brother.

George and Isabelle lived in the house from about 1890 to 1911. When George later relocated, the home remained within the family. William moved in and raised eleven children there, filling the house with the voices and bonds of a new generation of Métis siblings. Built by one brother for another, the home continued to nurture Métis family life rooted in love and responsibility.

The McLeod home remains a cherished landmark and is preserved as a historic site today. Brought to life through the bonds between Métis siblings, the McLeod House was far more than a company dwelling; it was a home shaped by kinship, endurance, and shared history, still standing today as a testament to Métis family values.

See Our Sources

• HBC Worker’s House – McLeod House

• 1905 Moose Factory Métis Petition

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