Sault Métis Centre excited for grand opening
Sault Métis Centre excited for grand opening
Staff at the new Sault Metis Centre are getting set for the grand opening Saturday.
Local Metis officials will be joined by representatives from the municipal and federal governments. The centre has been in the works since the Anglican Church turned over the land in 2017.
It’s a day Kimberly Powley, president of the Historical Sault Ste. Marie Metis Council, has been looking forward to for a long time. She said there will be a number of events during Saturday’s grand opening.
“We’re going to start the day off with our sunrise ceremony," said Powley.
"We’re going to have various events throughout the day. Our Metis voyageur games, (and) at the end of the day, we’re going to end with a fire and open mic night."
Also joining the festivities is Metis fiddler Alicia Bloor, who will be performing.
Metis Nation of Ontario Region Four Coun. Mitch Case said a lot of work has gone into the property, which was once home to John Street Anglican Church. He said the former rectory office needed to be rebuilt.
“It was in pretty rough shape,” said Case. “The former tenants had essentially destroyed the building. And so we completely, almost from the ground up, rebuilt the house. The hall has had some accessibility work done.”
Case said the next phase is the completion of the museum, which is expected to open sometime in 2023.
“We’re thinking about it more as a cultural centre,” he said.
“So, it’ll have a museum component for preservation of our history, but also a creation space for the housing of workshops and cultural activities, because it’s a living, breathing, vibrant culture. So it’s not just like, here’s what we used to do. It’s here’s what we’re doing right now.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING | U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson to resign amid party revolt
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has agreed to resign, his office said Thursday, ending an unprecedented political crisis over his future that has paralyzed Britain's government.

Ukrainian medic released in prisoner exchange accuses captors of torture
A well-known Ukrainian paramedic who was held prisoner by Russian and separatist forces for three months after being captured in the southeastern city of Mariupol has accused her guards of psychological and physical torture during her time in captivity.
Intense video shows worker dangling from crane at Toronto construction site
Video has emerged showing a worker dangling in the air above a Toronto construction site after accidently getting entangled in a tagline attached to a crane.
Conservative party disputes Brown’s allegation political corruption behind his disqualification
Patrick Brown is alleging political corruption played a role in his disqualification from the Conservative Party of Canada's leadership race, a move that came following allegations that his campaign violated election financing rules.
Brittney Griner trial in Russia resumes amid calls for U.S. to strike deal
Jailed American basketball star Brittney Griner returns to a Russian court on Thursday amid a growing chorus of calls for Washington to do more to secure her release nearly five months after she was arrested on drug charges.
'We are patriots': Ukrainians cling to life at front line against Russia
While towns and villages around the capital of Kyiv have begun to rebuild after the Russians withdrew months ago and world powers discuss long-term recovery, others in eastern Ukraine still cannot sleep soundly.
Feds intend to keep ArriveCan for its data on COVID-19-positive travellers: sources
The federal government has no intention of dropping the controversial ArriveCan app because it gives the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) key health information about travellers who test positive for COVID-19 through testing at airports and land borders, senior government sources tell CTV News.
Patrick Brown to remain on Conservative leadership ballots despite disqualification
Despite being disqualified by the Conservative Party of Canada from becoming its next leader, ousted candidate Patrick Brown's name will still appear on the ballot.
Feds urged to crack down on fake Indigenous art, copyright breaches
First Nations art, from hand-carved masks to totem poles, draws on generations of tradition and skill and can take months to craft. But a flood of fakes and commercial knock-offs produced in Asia and eastern Europe are exploiting Indigenous culture, the artists say, and robbing them of revenue.