Plans are underway for the celebrations of Île-à-la-Crosse’s 250 years; it is the second oldest Métis settlement in western Canada, after Cumberland House.
Celebrations begin July 3, 2026 and continue through July 8, Maureen Belanger, organizer for the event, said in an interview with the Northern Advocate.
The community is rich in history, Belanger said.
“Louis Riel, everybody knows Louis Riel Senior was actually born in Île-à-la-Crosse. Louis Riel’s sister Margaret Sierra Riel is buried in our graveyard because she was a nun here.” Belanger said.
David Thompson, the explorer and surveyor and cartographer who travelled mapping North America, was surveying the land around Île-à-la-Crosse. He met and fell in love with a 13-year-old girl fom the community, whom he married
“Everybody had assumed that he would leave her because they all had a country wife and a city wife in the day, right? Well not all … he actually fell in love with her and took er when he was done,” she said, adding the couple moved to Quebec and raised 13 children together. “And they stayed married.”
But as Thompson and his wife travelled in the early years, she would have been a help and support to him because of the language and her familiarity with the landscape in the area, Belanger said.
“It’s a beautiful little love story.”
There will be something for everyone at the celebrations, including language, culture, and sports, “like slow pitch. We just announced a Slow Pitch tournament and games, canoe races and all that wonderful stuff … and a little thing I’m going to be offering boat tours, Belanger said.
Visitors will have opportunities to explore the history and beauty of the land around Île-à-la-Crossethroughout the six-day event.
A Drone Show is planned for each evening, “to replace the fireworks, because it’s been so scary the past few summer. But we wanted to ensure that there was [something] It is a light show and we will use drones.”
Boat tours will include someone sharing the “lay of the land.”
Visitors will also have the opportunity to experience the Sweat Lodge and “we will be offering Reiki and massage and medicine walks, medicine plants with some medicine making.”
They also have motivational some of them from the community, who have left, and will come back and will offer presentations and “maybe a talking circle if they want, so some healing can also happen.”
“There are quite a few of our young folks that are out there in the world right now that are. Being recognized as motivational speakers. We are bringing them home.”
Some are Madelaine McCallum, and actress and model living in Vancouver, and Dakota Favel, quite a few people know him for his singing talent … we’re going to bring all these folks back.”
Also, the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Language (OCIL) will be having a day of activities and a conference focusing on the Michif language on Tuesday, July 6.
Donny Parenteau has also just been signed to be part of the celebrations, and much more to come.
There is also a website set up so that folks can keep track of what coming for the celebrations ILEX250.ca
