Submitted by: MNO Georgian Bay Métis Council Chairperson Larry J. Ferris

Beausoleil Island MNO GBMC
Front row (left-right): Roger Laurin, Brenda Laurin, Lorraine
Mountney, Carl Ferris, Heather Garratt, Sophie, Drew,
Tracey Bald. Back row (left-right): MNO GBMC Senator Ken
“Two Dogs” Fraser, MNO GBMC Chairperson Larry J. Ferris
Debbie Ferris Giammattolo, Acting Executive PCMNO
Senator Ray Bergie, Terra-Lynn Moreau-Vivian. Click
here for larger picture.
On September 21, 2017, The Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) Georgian Bay Métis Council (GBMC) made another trip to Beausoleil Island National Park with staff from the MNO office in Midland as well as some great volunteers. Back in August 2016, the MNO GBMC visited Beausoleil Island to celebrate some of the achievements and work they had completed at the Cemetry of the Oaks. Click here to read about the previous trip.

The MNO GBMC, MNO staff and volunteers participated in a guided walk with the park staff and enjoyed a wonderful barbeque lunch hosted by Brian Charles of Parks Canada.

The group also saw the trees they had previously planted on the Island and how well they were doing. To recognize the council’s hard work, Parks Canada erected a sign acknowledging MNO GBMC. During the guided walk, the park interpreters told other groups about MNO GBMC’s contributions to the Island.

The MNO GBMC also toured the Cemetery of the Oaks, which is one of the first cemeteries where First Nations and Métis people have been laid to rest. Signage at the Cemetery is written in Anishinaabe, English, French and Michif. This cemetery is special to MNO citizen Lorraine Mountney, who also took part in the visit to the Island. Some of her close relatives rest in the Cemetery. Mountney came back glowing and said, “I found some of my relatives here and I would never had known this if I hadn’t come.” This was Mountney’s first trip to the Island and it won’t be her last.

Posted: October 10, 2017