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The Huron-Superior Regional Métis Community has purchased a 320-acre property near Iron Bridge, marking an important investment in the future of the Métis community and environmental stewardship across the region.
Regional leadership announced the purchase earlier during a community barbecue held at the property.
The property runs along the Mississagi River and includes more than two kilometres of private roadway and a handcrafted log cabin. Through this purchase, the community will protect more than 300 acres from future development. The property will also provide Métis citizens with a gathering place where culture, history, knowledge and harvesting traditions can be shared between generations.
“For years, we have heard our citizens say, ‘We need somewhere to go—to be outdoors, to pass on our history and knowledge—somewhere that is safe to be Métis.’ We have also heard them say, ‘We can never forget our role as stewards of the land,’” said Regional Councillor Mitch Case.
“This property answers those calls. It will be a place where our people can gather, harvest, teach, learn, cook food and tell stories while caring for the lands and waters around us.”
“As human-caused climate change continues to threaten life on Earth, Huron-Superior Métis leaders are putting our money where our mouth is by taking what limited resources we have and investing them in the protection of lands and waters,” said Case.
“These 320 acres will never be clear-cut, developed or otherwise harmed. Instead, they will be cared for, cultivated and respected. We will take care of the trees, teach our children how to harvest maple sugar, plant wildflowers for the bees, and pass on knowledge of the fishing and game-harvesting traditions that have sustained our community since its emergence more than two centuries ago.”
The decision to purchase the property followed years of discussion, planning and consultation with Métis citizens. It received unanimous direction from both the Historic Sault Ste. Marie Métis Council and the North Channel Métis Council.
The property, which had been for sale for more than a year, was acquired for the benefit of the Huron-Superior Regional Métis Community through a fee-simple purchase using community funds.
Regional Métis leadership has begun developing a long-term stewardship plan to guide the care and use of the property. Its primary and permanent purpose will be to conserve and protect the lands and waters, provide a gathering place for Métis citizens, and preserve habitat for the moose, deer, bears, ducks, fish and other beings that call the property home.
The land will support conservation, responsible harvesting, cultural teaching and community gatherings. The existing cabin will serve as a modest gathering space where citizens can warm up, prepare food and share stories.
“This was a collaborative and consensus-driven decision,” Case said. “I want to commend the Historic Sault Ste. Marie and North Channel Métis Councils for their leadership and vision. The unanimous direction of both councils, together with the tremendous work of our council presidents, Captain of the Hunt, staff and community members, made this possible.”
For generations, the Huron-Superior Regional Métis Community has helped lead the Métis Nation forward in Ontario. From serving as a headquarters for the Métis movement in Ontario in the mid-20th century to the Powley case, the Sault Ste. Marie Métis Heritage Centre, Métis Tours, restorative justice initiatives and now the protection of land for future generations, the community continues to demonstrate what can be achieved through cooperation, hard work and a shared vision.
“It’s a great day for the Huron-Superior Métis Community. We now have a central place for all our citizens to gather, harvest, and share our common history and love for the land. This land, within our traditional harvesting territory, has nurtured our people for generations and will continue to do so for generations to come,” said Roly Blanchette, President of the North Channel Métis Council.
“This property gives us something that is increasingly difficult to find—a permanent place where our citizens can simply be together on the land,” said Samantha Case, President of the Historic Sault Ste. Marie Métis Council.
“For generations, Métis families in Sault Ste. Marie lived, worked and raised their families along the river lots of the St. Marys River, only to eventually be pushed off those lands and lose their connection to the river and the places that had sustained our community. This purchase gives us an opportunity to begin rebuilding that connection—not by recreating the past, but by creating a place for our children and grandchildren to experience the land, learn from Elders and Knowledge Holders, and build their own relationships with our culture, lands and traditions. I hope that when our citizens come here years from now, they will feel the same sense of connection, belonging and responsibility that inspired us to protect this place today.”
“We are a people who grew out of the land. This is an important place along the beautiful Mississagi River, where our ancestors travelled. It will be a place for our people to gather now and for generations to come,” said Steve Gjos, Captain of the Hunt for the Huron-Superior Regional Métis Community.
Regional leadership thanks everyone who attended today’s community barbecue and looks forward to welcoming citizens to future gatherings and cultural activities at the new property.
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