'Our Grandmothers' artifact collection acquired for future Métis centre at newly reopened Portage and Main

Bryce Hoye · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 02, 2025 4:06 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

A trove of artifacts dating back two centuries — including silk- and quillwork, beaded jackets and fur stretchers — person recovered their mode to the tract of a forthcoming centre astatine the bosom of downtown Winnipeg showcasing Métis history.

The Manitoba Métis Federation unveiled a recently acquired 142-piece collection, titled the "Our Grandmothers Collection," connected Wednesday astatine the aboriginal Red River Métis National Heritage Centre, housed astatine the erstwhile Bank of Montreal gathering astatine the southeast country of Portage and Main.

"This is genuinely a reflection of the MMF's committedness to bring our past home," said Anita Campbell, the MMF's curate of finance, quality resources and accusation exertion astatine a quality conference.

"The reopening of Portage and Main ties successful precise good to the opening of our practice centre, wherever we'll beryllium inviting our citizens, the public, researchers, artists, schoolchildren and visitors from each astir the satellite to travel and larn astir our people, our history and our culture."

The unveiling coincides with MMF's celebration of the reopening of Portage Avenue and Main Street to ft traffic, which happened Friday aft astir 46 years.

The federation completed a stewardship transportation of the Our Grandmothers Collection this twelvemonth with Gregory Scofield, an author, University of Victoria prof and Red River Métis beadwork creator who is the curator of the collection. He spent much than two decades hunting down and preserving the artifacts.

For the collection, "coming location means the grandmothers, archetypal and foremost, are not mislaid oregon circulating retired successful the satellite acold distant from us, their small ancestors," said Scofield, author of Our Grandmother's Hands: Repatriating Métis Material Art.

"It besides means they're not sitting successful boxes oregon retention bins. It means they are not being utilized arsenic currency in galleries oregon auction houses with prices attached to their worth.... It means they are nary longer forgotten."

The postulation includes dozens of items, including ornate bead-, silk- and quillwork, on with embroidery and weaving, art, clothing, equine blankets and occurrence bags — immoderate dating backmost to 1830, said Campbell.

The works, astir made by Métis women, articulation a increasing postulation amassed by the federation to beryllium unveiled successful aboriginal 2027, erstwhile the Red River National Heritage Centre is slated to open.

"The postulation represents our homeland geographically and demonstrates our migration, fashion, mobility and individuality arsenic a people," said Campbell, who is besides spokesperson for the Infinity Women Secretariat, a non-profit affiliated with the MMF that advocates for Métis women.

"This is much than a collection. It is an creator and culturally applicable legacy."

The broader postulation includes poems by Louis Riel, the Métis leader recognized arsenic Manitoba's honorary archetypal premier successful 2023 aft authorities passed by the NDP government.

'Bold, transformational' concern successful downtown: mayor

The federation bought the erstwhile Bank of Montreal gathering astatine Portage and Main successful 2020, with plans to alteration it into the centre. Last year, it acquired 2 adjacent buildings — 333 Main St. and 191 Pioneer Ave. — on with a aboveground parking lot.

Provincial Housing, Homelessness and Addictions Minister Bernadette Smith, who is simply a subordinate of the Métis Nation, acknowledged the value of the determination arsenic a hub for trade, diplomacy and kinship.

"It's besides a spot wherever the Métis Nation was calved and wherever its tone continues to thrive," said the Point Douglas MLA.

"Today we people much than conscionable a reopening of a thoroughfare country — we observe the almighty enactment of reconnection betwixt the Red River Métis and the onshore that had ever been called home."

Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham acknowledged the MMF's efforts to assistance revitalize the iconic thoroughfare corner, which reopened to street-level pedestrian crossing connected Friday, aft decades of allowing lone underground crossing astatine Portage and Main.

While the thought of reopening was voted down in a 2018 plebiscite, Gillingham led a question to bash that, without nationalist consultation, successful 2024, connected the heels of a study that pegged outgo of repairs to the barricaded-intersection and underground concourse successful the scope of $73 million. 

That aforesaid study suggested it would outgo overmuch less to reopen Portage and Main.

"The MMF's concern successful this intersection and successful the city's halfway … is bold, transformational and profoundly appreciated," Gillingham said. 

"There's truthful overmuch enactment that we person yet to do, but it's portion of the advancement we're each making … to physique a downtown for everyone."

MMF President David Chartrand said connected apical of acquiring astir 600,000 quadrate feet of abstraction downtown in caller years, the federation has besides moved astir 600 of its employees into its offices successful Winnipeg's core, successful part to assistance downtown retrieve from a lingering economic downturn driven by the pandemic.

"I can't hold to spot the finishing merchandise of the beautification of downtown," said Chartrand.

"It's not yet finished…. The beautification that we [have] the privilege of seeing, wherever the politician and metropolis is going, is going to marque you consciousness a large suspiration of alleviation that Portage and Main is alive."