A new eco-tourism venture aims to give participants of all ages a chance to discover Métis history in Sault Ste. Marie through walking and paddling tours in the city’s downtown.
Métis Tours — the result of a partnership between the Métis Nation of Ontario and the Lake Superior Watershed Conservancy — was officially launched Monday, with one of the conservancy’s large canoes that will be used to facilitate paddling tours this summer serving as the backdrop for the waterfront announcement.
MNO Region 4 Councillor Mitch Case says Métis Tours will use interpretive guides to inform participants about the Métis connection to Sault Ste. Marie and the St. Marys River — as well as the historic Métis-owned river lots which were home to 400-500 people in Sault Ste. Marie in 1850 — through cultural and ecological tours.
“From our perspective, it’s about telling that story in a bit less of an abstract way,” said Case, speaking with reporters following the launch. “In a lot of ways we’re making progress in Canada, people understanding Indigenous Peoples — but sometimes, it’s still over there far away. It’s somewhere else."
“For people in Sault Ste. Marie, like locals or tourists, to understand these river lots aren’t somewhere else — they’re right here. When the Sault Ste. Marie community, the Métis Nation of Ontario, when we talk about the river lots in Sault Ste. Marie, this is where we’re talking about. This is where our stories come from.”
Joanie McGuffin, executive director for Lake Superior Watershed Conservancy, says the walking and paddling tours will deploy four canoe guides and five interpretive guides to take participants to historic points of interest between the Sault Ste. Marie Métis Centre (136 John Street) and the Sault’s waterfront.
Two options will be available: a walking tour and a tour that combines walking and paddling either a 36-foot or 26-foot canoe. Tours will generally take about two hours to complete.
“We go out to see the rapids, we talk about the river lots, and then we walk a different route back to the centre,” said McGuffin. “It’s easy for anybody to participate in, and for the on-water parts you don’t need any experience at all — we provide all the safety and equipment that you need.”
The tours kick off this week and will run until Thanksgiving.
“We’re incredibly proud of our history here in Sault Ste. Marie. We’re an incredibly active community here that really cares about its history, really cares about its heritage,” Case said.
More information on bookings and rates can be found on the Métis Tours website.