From the Straits of Mackinac to Georgian Bay: 300 years of Métis history Report on the origins and evolution of the Penetanguishene area Métis community submitted to Louise Goulding, President, Moon River Métis Council of the Métis Nation of Ontario by Micheline Marchand, in association with Daniel Marchildon Box 29, Mactier, Ont. P0C 1H0 Phone : (705) 746-4974 Fax : (705) 746-7106 e-mail :
[email protected] December, 2006 From the Straits of Mackinac to Georgian Bay (2006) ii Acknowledgments The authors wish to thank: o Louise Goulding and the Moon River Métis Council for initiating this research project, o Scott Carpenter, Community Development Officer with the Métis Nation of Ontario for the Georgian Bay region, for his help and enthusiasm o and Pat McArthur for her assistance and comments. Cover Left: Mr. Pete Grisdale, Métis trapper, was born February 6th, 1920 at Penetanguishene, Ontario and is a descendent of the Gendron family of the historic Métis Community of Penetanguishene, Ontario. Right: Mr. John “Jack” LePage, Métis fisherman, was born October 1st, 1887 at Penetanguishene, Ontario and is a descendent of the Trudeau family of the historic Métis Community of Penetanguishene, Ontario. This project was funded through the support of the Métis Nation of Ontario Training Initiatives and the Government of Canada. ISBN 978-0-9782769-0-4 ©2006 Moon River Métis Council From the Straits of Mackinac to Georgian Bay (2006) iii The Moon River Métis Council On December 5, 2004, a meeting was held in Mactier, Ontario for Métis people in the Parry Sound / Muskoka area. It was at that meeting, with much enthusiasm and eagerness, that the Moon River Métis Council was born.