Latest news with #WillGoodon
CTV News
28-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
140 years later: Artifacts from the North-West Resistance
The first cannon fired by the North-West Field Forces at Batoche, Saskatchewan. 1885. James Peters, Library and Archives Canada, based on e011156617_s1; C-03464. Among the armed conflicts that have involved the Canadian government, the 1885 North-West Resistance may not be the most well-known, but preserved artifacts from across the prairies serve as a reminder of the fatal conflict. The North-West Resistance was fought between the Canadian government and the Métis along with First Nations, triggered by concerns over land rights, starvation and other grievances stemming from westward expansion. 'This was a huge mistake,' said Will Goodon, Manitoba Métis Federation Minister of Housing and Identity Protection, 'when [Canada] went to war against its own citizens.' Between March and June of 1885, concerns escalated into armed resistance centred across modern-day Saskatchewan and part of Alberta—then the North-West Territories. 95th Manitoba Grenadiers at Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan 95th Manitoba Grenadiers at Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan, 1885. University of Winnipeg Archives, Western Canada Pictorial Index, Gerry Dupont and Carla Davidson Collection (North-West Resistance Photographs) (uw_21-004_001_0001_005). Leading up to the conflict Before the conflict, petitions and letters were sent to Ottawa addressing these grievances in hopes of a resolution. 'These people were Canadian citizens by now, and they looked to their country to protect them. And if their country is not going to protect them, who will? And so, the outlook was more and more bleak,' said Goodon. The Métis eventually brought Louis Riel—founder of the province of Manitoba and central figure in the 1869-70 Red River Resistance—back to the Canadian prairies in 1884. Portrait of Louis David Riel, taken between 1870-1873. H. Noverre, Library and Archives Canada, Jean Riel fonds, based on e011156648. Portrait of Louis David Riel, taken between 1870-1873. H. Noverre, Library and Archives Canada, Jean Riel fonds, based on e011156648. Riel would later state at his trial that upon his return to the Northwest, he viewed the Métis as 'deprived of their public liberties,' getting further malnourished by the day and that they were 'deprived of responsible government.' On March 19, 1885, the Provisional Government of Saskatchewan was established with Riel as leader and Gabriel Dumont as adjutant general. Crossfire began one week later between the Métis and the North-West Mounted Police near Duck Lake, approximately 80 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, Sask. Over 5,000 troops sent by the federal government Prime Minister John A. MacDonald would respond publicly that week in the House of Commons, saying that troops would be called upon and dispatched by the Canadian Pacific Railway. 95th Manitoba Grenadiers at Portage la Prairie, Man. 95th Manitoba Grenadiers at Portage la Prairie, Man., 1885. Archives of Manitoba, Guards Association in Canada fonds, PR1977-63, P5255/6. More than 5,000 troops are documented to have served on the federal government's side during the conflict from across the country. Battalions were also raised in Winnipeg, including the 92nd Winnipeg Light Infantry, the 90th Winnipeg Rifles, and the Winnipeg Field Battery of Artillery. Several battles ensued over the following months, including the Battle of Fish Creek, the Battle of Cut Knife, the Frog Lake Massacre, and the Battle of Batoche, which ultimately led to the collapse of the provisional government. One hundred and forty years later, the Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA) Museum in Shilo, Man., still holds a gun that was used at the time by Canadian government forces. The nine-pounder rifled muzzle loading (RML) gun was one of four used by 'A' Battery at the Battle of Fish Creek and the Battle of Batoche, according to Andrew Oakden, RCA Museum director. Nine-pounder rifled muzzle loading gun Nine-pounder rifled muzzle loading gun at the Royal Canadian Artillery Museum in Shilo, Man. (RCA Museum) On loan from the RCMP, the RML gun has a range of approximately three kilometres and lacks a recoil mechanism—requiring repositioning after each shot. 'They were outmatched at the end, just on the sheer modernity of the weaponry,' said Goodon, adding that a Gatling gun from the U.S. was also used on the government's side. 'Near the end, the Métis had no bullets. They were melting down cutlery, putting rocks in their muskets.' Meanwhile, in Saskatchewan, the Gabriel Dumont Institute has a rusted 12-gauge double-barreled shotgun, pistol fragments, and a knife fragment among their collection of Métis artifacts, which were recovered from the battlefields. Images courtesy of the Gabriel Dumont Institute / Dennis and Jean Fisher Collection A double-barreled shotgun (left), pistol fragments and a knife fragment retrieved from battlefields of the North-West Resistance in Sask. Images courtesy of the Gabriel Dumont Institute / Dennis and Jean Fisher Collection. ( The institute also has a nine-pound projectile which may have come from the RML gun now at the RCA Museum. The cannon projectile was retrieved from a battlefield at Batoche in 1968, prior to Parks Canada acquiring the land for the present-day historic site. Nine-pound cannon projectile Nine-pound cannon projectile retrieved from a battlefield in Batoche, Sask. Image courtesy of the Gabriel Dumont Institute / Dennis and Jean Fisher Collection. ( Over 100 people died during the conflict, according to the Canadian War Museum. 'We lost a lot of young people who were just fighting for their homes, fighting for their families,' said Goodon. One of the medical equipment kits that was used by an assistant surgeon with the 92nd Winnipeg Light Infantry is on display at the Fort Battleford National Historic Site. Medical equipment of Stephen Thomas Macadam Medical equipment of assistant surgeon Stephen Thomas Macadam with the 92nd Winnipeg Light Infantry. (Fort Battleford National Historic Site) The Métis forces were eventually defeated by government troops, with Riel being arrested and put on trial for high treason. He was found guilty by a jury and hanged in Regina, Sask., on Nov. 16, 1885. 'We all know that we have one of the best countries in the world, but it has made mistakes in the past,' said Goodon.
Cision Canada
30-04-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
MMF celebrates ribbon cutting on multimillion dollar mixed use residence for Elders and seniors in Selkirk
WINNIPEG, MB, IN THE NATIONAL HOMELAND OF THE RED RIVER MÉTIS, April 30, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF), the National Government of the Red River Métis, officially opened our mixed-use residential complex in Selkirk, Manitoba with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The six-story property on Eveline Street represents a multi-million-dollar investment into the City of Selkirk and will provide 49 residences to Red River Métis Elders and seniors, with more than half dedicated to affordable housing. The building also includes common areas for residents to enjoy, along with commercial space for facilities like a Red River Métis-owned pharmacy, along with other businesses or service providers. "Our goal is to provide our Elders and seniors with a home where they will feel safe and comfortable, and we believe we have done just that with this beautiful building overlooking the Red River, which holds such a symbolic and important place in our history," said Will Goodon, MMF Minister for Housing and Property Management. "We're proud to offer these beautiful, accessible residences for our Citizens, who blazed the trail for us. It's the least we can do to give back to those who have given us so much." While the 77,900 square foot property on Eveline is the first of its kind for the MMF, it will be a template for other developments, most notably, a similar building on Henderson Highway, which will also offer a mix of affordable and market price housing options for Red River Métis Elders and seniors. "Housing remains a critically important issue for all Canadians, which was clearly shown in the recent federal election," said David Chartrand, President of the MMF. "For our Citizens, who have at times in Canada's history been called the road allowance people, adequate, safe and accessible housing has been a long-cherished dream that was once out of reach. I know that this housing complex, along with our other housing initiatives in all Regions, is not just a place to call home, it is a source of pride and a demonstration of our strength and advancement as a Nation."
