“Tableau depicting Métis leader Louis Riel and others in opposition to the construction of a road through their lands without their consent or knowledge. Louis Riel stands on the surveyor’s chain marking the beginning of the resistance.” (translation) Two of these early acts of resistance took place. Once in Ste-Anne on the property of Olivier Ducharme (lot 8 Ste-Anne south side of river) and another time in St. Vital/St.Norbert on the property of André Nault. Painting by artist Bonna Eq. Rouse /85. Source: Combet, D. and Toussaint, I. (2007). Louis Riel, l’inoubliable chef des Métis. Encyclopédie du patrimoine culturel de l’Amérique française. Retrieved June 28, 2020 from http://www.ameriquefrancaise.org/fr/article-732/Louis_Riel,_l%E2%80%99inoubliable_chef_des_M%C3%A9tis.html#.Xvj1IShKiUk

    “It is not an exaggeration to say the survey project set the North-West on fire.”

Jean Teillet, author The North-West is Our Mother, 2019

Source: Teillet, J. (2019). The North-West is Our Mother: The Story of Louis Riel’s People (P.198-200). Published by Patrick Crean Editions, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. Retrieved June 22, 2020 from https://www.harpercollins.ca/9781443450140/the-north-west-is-our-mother/

“As soon as the news was received at Pointe des Chênes, Dennis was told not to put his feet on their land, if he wished to keep his head on his shoulders.” Source: Manitoba Métis Federation. (1978). Riverlots and Scrip: Elements of Métis Aboriginal rights. Manitoba Métis Federation Press. Online publisher: University of Calgary Libraries and Cultural Resources Digital Collections. Retrieved June 29, 2020 from https://cdm22007.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p22007coll8/id/847563/rec/4

    “In Pointe-des-chênes, as the Sainte Anne parish was also known, history recounts how Major Boulton and his party of Canadian surveyors met up with a band of Métis led by Louis Riel in 1869. Luckily no violence ensued. Pointe-Coupée, or St. Adolphe, was also established at the same time. Once again, Canadian surveyors received a warning and were asked to leave, this time by Métis from St. Norbert.”

Annette Saint-Pierre

Source: Conseil de la coopération du Manitoba. (n.d.). La région Seine Region: Guide Touristique | Tourist Information Guide (P.4). Borrowed with permission from the book by Annette Saint-Pierre, Au Coeur de l’Amérique. Éditions des Plaines. Print only (available at Saint-Anne Library).

    “The peaceful co-existence which had so far developed between the settlers and the existing Métis people was disrupted in 1868. The parish boundaries, which had been laid down by the official surveyor of the District of Assiniboia, Mr.Roger Goulet, were ignored by another surveyor, named John Allan Snow, who appeared at the edge of the forest east of Ste. Anne (now La Coulée), and re-surveyed for the construction of the Dawson Road. His high-handed manner disturbed the settlers, and particularly the Métis population. A plague of grasshoppers had laid the land to waste and with winter coming the settlers faced starvation. The only work they could find was with the surveying party, controlled by Snow. Their wages were paid with vouchers which could only be redeemed by a merchant (Schultz) who was working with the survey party and who set exorbitant prices for his merchandise.

    "As the winter progressed, the settlers’ frustrations increased. It was discovered from documents conveniently lost by Snow that he had deliberately set out to intoxicate the Indians and some Métis people. In this state they had signed agreements to allow him to purchase their land for his own use and for those in his party. The people revolted, led by the Métis, and chased Snow out of the district. In this way, Ste. Anne became the location of the first incident which eventually led to the formation of Louis Riel’s Provisional Government.

   The following summer of 1869, more workers from Ontario joined the surveying party and so under continual friction and dissent with the Metis people the Dawson Road was finally completed in 1870.”

Source: East-Man Tempo. (1971, Nov). Bulletin #13. East-Man Regional Development Inc. Print. Personal Collection of Norm Lavack.

Reference to there having not only been one incident with surveyors in the region, but two, the first having taken place in front of the house of M. Olivier Ducharme right in the heart of the parish of Ste. Anne. Source: University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections, Le Métis April 11, 1874, Page 1. Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.lib.umanitoba.ca/islandora/object/uofm%3A2671088/manitoba_metadata

Teillet, J. (2019). The North-West is Our Mother: The Story of Louis Riel’s People, The Métis Nation (pp. 195-198). Harper Collins. Retrieved from https://www.harpercollins.ca/9781443450140/the-north-west-is-our-mother/

Provisional Government of the future Province of Manitoba with leader Louis Riel in the centre (circa 1869). Back row (L-R): Bonnet Tromage, Pierre Delorme, Thomas Bunn, Xavier Pagé, Andre Beauchemin, Baptiste Tourond, Thomas Spence. Middle row (L-R): Pierre Poitras, John Bruce, Louis Riel, William O’Donoghue, François Dauphinais. Front row (L-R): Hugh (or Bob) O’Lone, Paul Proulx. Riel’s cousin, Charles Nolin, was also representative of the Parish of Ste Anne-des-Chênes, the heart of the Dawson Trail, but is not in this photo. The two would have a falling out over how to handle the takeover of the North-West by Canada. Source: University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections, Red River Cartes-de-visites.

    “The Canadians sent in land survey teams to redraw the map of the Red River settlement using the section and quarter-section block system, which ran lines right across existing colonists’ farms; all of these older farm lots were arranged along the riverfront in long narrow strips, as was the case under the seigneurial system of New France. This upset the Métis and it alerted the country born and Scots that their rights were not secured. The surveyors were duly chased out of the colony. No consultations took place between Ottawa and the Red River colony, which further inflamed local opinion. And, of course, no attempt was made to address the issue of treaty negotiations.”

John Douglas Belshaw, author

Source: Belshaw, J.D. (n.d.) 2.5 Canada Captures The West, 1867-70. Canadian History: Post-Confederation. Retrieved June 22, 2020 from https://openlibrary-repo.ecampusontario.ca/jspui/bitstream/123456789/234/5/Canadian-History-Post-Confederation-1506534948.html#slug-2-5-canada-captures-the-west-1867-70

The beginning of the Section Land Survey in the Red River Plain (1869). Canadians were imposing their system of geography. The people of the area around Ste Anne preferred the use of long narrow river lots (Seigneurerie-style) for practical and cultural reasons, over the square survey grid. Retrieved from https://openlibrary-repo.ecampusontario.ca/jspui/bitstream/123456789/234/5/Canadian-History-Post-Confederation-1506534948.html#slug-2-5-canada-captures-the-west-1867-70

Une lettre de Giroux à Taché en 1883. L’abbé Raymond Giroux à Monseigneur Alexandre Taché, 31 août, 1883, pp.4. Source: Archives de la Société historique de Saint-Boniface, Fonds Corporation archiépiscopale catholique romaine de Saint-Boniface, Série Taché, T28138 à T28141. English Summary of Father Giroux’s letter to Louis Riel: “Have just seen Dubuc and learned that you have been forced into exile; he read your response to the deputations and though your friends want you to take part in the debates in the legislature they approve your determination; more and more light is shed on the movement of last year and when Clarke set forth the advantages of the Manitoba Bill I said to my people we should not forget who had procured them; if you were to present yourself for the Commons Pointe de Chene would give you its unanimous support; your conduct since the arrival of the troops has convinced public opinion of your desire to work for the good of your country; McTavish will be elected here; Schultz will have trouble; Girard, Dubuc and Royal will be elected; you see God protects and loves the Metis people; Schmidt will be elected in Saint-Boniface West; in Europe Paris resists but treason will cause her to fall; the Pope is a prisoner in the Vatican..."  Retrieved June 29, 2020 from http://shsb.mb.ca/giroux-tache  Father Lefloch, the priest from St-Boniface who ministered to the Métis and French, CACRSB, Série Taché, T28138 à T28141.

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