Fort William site for Métis Nation of Ontario Assembly
Ontario Métis Come Together to Celebrate the Year of the Métis Nation
Thunder Bay, ON – Each year, Métis leaders and citizens from across Ontario gather with friends, family and colleagues to showcase their rich culture and celebrate being Métis. In addition to a celebration, the Annual General Assembly is a place for passing on traditions and conducting the business of the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO). This year the Annual gathering will be held at Fort William Historical Park in Thunder Bay from August 21 to 23, 2010.
This is a very special year for Métis across the Homeland and in Ontario with the Governments of Canada and Ontario designating 2010 as the Year of the Métis. The site of this year’s MNO AGA, Fort William Historical Park, began as a Hudson’s Bay Post and Voyageur encampment, making it the ideal place to bring Métis history and culture to life. The historic recreations at the Fort immerse visitors in the earliest days of the Fur Trade, taking them back to the origins of the Métis in Canada. It is in places like this, along the water routes of this province, around the Great Lakes and throughout the Historic Northwest that our history comes to life, providing the perfect back drop for sharing the stories of the Ontario Métis, many still untold.
The Assembly will open with a Traditional Voyageur Canoe Ceremony planned for 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 21. Camping and hotel accommodation is available and MNO will provide additional information about the agenda soon.
This is an incredible opportunity for North Shore residents to get a better understanding of Métis traditions while witnessing historic recreations at the Fort which immerse visitors in the earliest days of the Fur Trade, taking them back to the origins of the Métis in Canada.
