ONTARIO MÉTIS FACTS

1840 Penetanguishene “Half Breed” Petition signatory, Thomas Jones, was one of many members of the Georgian Bay Métis Community who raised a large Métis family grounded in the values of community and connection. Together, former Drummond Islanders Thomas Jones and Mary Blette dit Sorrelle raised eleven Métis children while living deeply connected to their local community. Four of their children were baptized at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Penetanguishene, built by members of

Pride, responsibility and connection-building have been deeply woven through generations of the Georgian Bay Métis Community’s Longlade family, engrained among siblings, passed down to their children, and shared with their Métis neighbours.  Father and son, Charles Longlade Sr. and Charles Longlade Jr, were signatories to the 1840 Penetanguishene “Half Breed” Petition, joining other Métis families like the Vasseurs, Labattes, Beausoliels, and St. Onges, in an act of community

The strength of Métis connections and kinship in the Upper Great Lakes is reflected across generations of families, such as the Vasseurs of Penetanguishene. For example, War of 1812 veteran Charles Vasseur married fellow Métis Marguerite Longlade on Mackinac Island and later settled together among the richly connected Métis community on Drummond Island. Charles became a prominent member of Penetanguishene’s Métis community following its relocation from Drummond Island, signin