Métis communities across the Homeland were important contributors to the fur trade, with Métis men and women working at trading posts for both the Northwest Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company. Many Métis participated in the annual ‘overwintering’ during the winter months.
Overwintering involved fur traders living and working at remote forts, often with only a few other employees, throughout the winter, ensuring an unbroken annual economic cycle.
There are several references to Métis ‘winterers’ and ‘wintering’ at Lac La Pluie (known today as Fort Frances) and around Rainy Lake. In his HBC District report for 1825-26, for example, J.D Cameron lists several Métis as having wintered at the post with him, including William Sinclair, Nicholas Chatelain, and William McKay.
Some Métis ‘winterers’ even took their families. For instance, several of Cameron’s 1825-26 entries share details about Métis overwinterers’ families, including their wives and children.
Overwintering was just one of many ways that Métis demonstrated a deep commitment to their professions while keeping their families together despite difficult working conditions. These important values persist within the Métis community to this day.