ONTARIO MÉTIS FACTS

On September 23, 1908, John B. Boissonneau and Elisabeth Finlayson were married in Thunder Bay, a union that brought together Métis families with ties to Sault Ste. Marie, Fort William, and Northwestern Ontario. These Métis marriages were more than personal unions; they served as community bridges, strengthening shared identity across generations by extending kinship ties. John B. was born to Francois Boissonneau and Marie Corbiere in 1888 in the Sault Ste. Marie region and r

The marriage of Charles Roussain and Elizabeth Turner reflects the deep traditions of kinship, leadership, and community responsibility that have long defined Métis family life. Their union brought together two families with enduring legacies of defending Métis rights, sovereignty, and identity across the Métis Homeland. Charles Roussain was born around 1820 and raised along the shores of Sault Ste. Marie. The Roussain family was known for its long-standing role as Métis advo

Francois Boissonneau’s marriage to Marie Corbiere, the daughter of John Corbiere and Marie Madeleine Nolin, united two Métis families deeply rooted in their community of Sault Ste. Marie. Their marriage reflected the enduring kinship networks that sustained the collective identity of the Upper Great Lakes Métis throughout the nineteenth century. Born in 1836 to Joseph Boissonneau and Marguerite Gilmont, Francois was raised within the local Métis community and grew into a well