Bell of Batoche
Encyclopedia
The bell of Batoche is a 20-pound silver church bell
seized in 1885 as spoils of war from the Métis
community of Batoche (now in Saskatchewan
) by soldiers from Ontario
, following their victory in the Battle of Batoche
over the North-West Rebellion
.
: "Vital-Justin Grandin, Bishop of St. Albert").
, the community of Batoche served as the ad hoc capital of the Louis Riel
's Provisional Government of Saskatchewan
. Following a succession of losses to the Métis and their aboriginal allies at Duck Lake
, Fort Pitt
, Fish Creek
, and Cut Knife
, the Canadian militia serving under British officer Middleton
finally succeeded in defeating the Métis resistance at Batoche on May 12, 1885. Louis Riel later turned himself in to the North West Field Force on May 15, 1885.
The bell of Batoche was taken as a war trophy by two soldiers and back to Ontario. It hung for several decades in the fire hall of Millbrook, Ontario, the home of several of the soldiers who had taken it. By 1991, it was kept in the hall of Millbrook branch of the Royal Canadian Legion
.
A CBC report covering the reaction of the Millbrook legion members quoted one member as saying "You tried to wreck the country and we stopped you... Now we've got the bell. It's ours."
In October 1991, Yvon Dumont
, president of the Manitoba Métis Federation, visited the Legion hall where the bell was kept, accompanied by several other Manitoba Métis. They were photographed standing in front of the bell.
The whereabouts of the bell from that time forward are not publicly known. Yvon Dumont disclaimed any knowledge of the identity of the burglars, though he later said that "if it's a Métis person that has it, I would consider that person a hero, not a criminal."
Negotiations were begun to secure the official transfer of ownership of the bell to the Métis Nation, and Dumont offered to pay for the damage caused by the break-in. However, the Ontario legion hall initially refused to negotiate until the McCorry medals were returned.
In 2000, Saskatchewan Aboriginal Affairs Minister Jack Hillson issued a statement promising no charges would be laid if the bell was returned. It was hoped this would lead to the bell's return in time for Saskatchewan's millennium celebrations, but it did not appear.
In August 2005, Gabriel Dufault, leader of the Union nationale métisse Saint-Joseph, stated that "I've heard it's in Winnipeg
. I've heard it's in a garage in the North End... I have a pretty good idea who the people that know more... are."
In a Globe and Mail story from 8 October 2005, Gary Floyd Guiboche, a Manitoba Métis who visited the bell with Dumont in 1991, confessed to stealing the bell. He refused to identify his partner in the theft, who he said "has kept the bell hidden too long for no reason." He said his partner had taken the McCorry medals, in addition to the bell, as "payback."
In 2009, the bell is rumored to be in Saskatchewan, in Métis hands.
Church bell
A church bell is a bell which is rung in a church either to signify the hour or the time for worshippers to go to church, perhaps to attend a wedding, funeral, or other service...
seized in 1885 as spoils of war from the Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
community of Batoche (now in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
) by soldiers from Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, following their victory in the Battle of Batoche
Battle of Batoche
The Battle of Batoche was the decisive battle of the North-West Rebellion. Fought from 9 May to 12 May 1885 at the ad hoc Provisional Government of Saskatchewan capital of Batoche, the greater numbers and superior firepower of Middleton's force could not be successfully countered by the Métis ,...
over the North-West Rebellion
North-West Rebellion
The North-West Rebellion of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful uprising by the Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel against the Dominion of Canada...
.
Installation in Batoche
The bell was purchased in 1884 for the parish church of Batoche at the request of Father Julien Moulin. As was customary, the bell was "baptized" by Bishop Vital-Justin Grandin of the Diocese of St. Albert on 2 September 1884 with the name "Marie-Antoinette", and was given the inscription "Vital-Justin Grandin, évêque de St. Albert" (FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: "Vital-Justin Grandin, Bishop of St. Albert").
Seizure
During the North-West RebellionNorth-West Rebellion
The North-West Rebellion of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful uprising by the Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel against the Dominion of Canada...
, the community of Batoche served as the ad hoc capital of the Louis Riel
Louis Riel
Louis David Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first post-Confederation Prime Minister, Sir John A....
's Provisional Government of Saskatchewan
Provisional Government of Saskatchewan
The Provisional Government of Saskatchewan was the name given by Louis Riel to the independent state he declared during the Northwest Rebellion of 1885 in what is today the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Although Riel initially hoped to rally the Countryborn, Cree and European settlers of the...
. Following a succession of losses to the Métis and their aboriginal allies at Duck Lake
Battle of Duck Lake
The Battle of Duck Lake was a skirmish between Métis soldiers of the Provisional Government of Saskatchewan and Canadian government forces that signalled the beginning of the North-West Rebellion.-Prelude:...
, Fort Pitt
Battle of Fort Pitt
The Battle of Fort Pitt was part of a Cree uprising coinciding with the Métis revolt that started the North-West Rebellion in 1885. Cree warriors began attacking Canadian settlements on April 2...
, Fish Creek
Battle of Fish Creek
The Battle of Fish Creek , fought April 24, 1885 at Fish Creek, Saskatchewan, was a major Métis victory over the Dominion forces attempting to quell Louis Riel's North-West Rebellion...
, and Cut Knife
Battle of Cut Knife
The Battle of Cut Knife, fought on May 2, 1885, occurred when a small force of Cree and Assiniboine warriors were attacked by a flying column of mounted police, militia, and Canadian army regulars...
, the Canadian militia serving under British officer Middleton
Frederick Dobson Middleton
General Sir Frederick Dobson Middleton KCMG, CB was a British general noted for his service throughout the Empire and particularly in the North-West Rebellion.-Military career:...
finally succeeded in defeating the Métis resistance at Batoche on May 12, 1885. Louis Riel later turned himself in to the North West Field Force on May 15, 1885.
The bell of Batoche was taken as a war trophy by two soldiers and back to Ontario. It hung for several decades in the fire hall of Millbrook, Ontario, the home of several of the soldiers who had taken it. By 1991, it was kept in the hall of Millbrook branch of the Royal Canadian Legion
Royal Canadian Legion
The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian ex-service organization founded in 1925, with more than 400,000 members worldwide. Membership includes people who have served as current and former military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial and municipal police, direct relatives of...
.
Political controversy
The Métis of Saskatchewan had attempted a number of times since 1885 to recover the bell. In 1990, they sent another request for its return.A CBC report covering the reaction of the Millbrook legion members quoted one member as saying "You tried to wreck the country and we stopped you... Now we've got the bell. It's ours."
In October 1991, Yvon Dumont
W. Yvon Dumont
W. Yvon Dumont, OM is a Manitoba politician and office-holder. In 1993, he became the first member of Manitoba's Métis community to be appointed as the province's 21st Lieutenant Governor. He was born in St. Laurent, Manitoba....
, president of the Manitoba Métis Federation, visited the Legion hall where the bell was kept, accompanied by several other Manitoba Métis. They were photographed standing in front of the bell.
Theft
A week later, the bell was stolen in the night. Taken along with the bell were several medals belonging to Sergeant Ed McCorry, a soldier from Millbrook who had been present at the Battle of Batoche.The whereabouts of the bell from that time forward are not publicly known. Yvon Dumont disclaimed any knowledge of the identity of the burglars, though he later said that "if it's a Métis person that has it, I would consider that person a hero, not a criminal."
Negotiations were begun to secure the official transfer of ownership of the bell to the Métis Nation, and Dumont offered to pay for the damage caused by the break-in. However, the Ontario legion hall initially refused to negotiate until the McCorry medals were returned.
In 2000, Saskatchewan Aboriginal Affairs Minister Jack Hillson issued a statement promising no charges would be laid if the bell was returned. It was hoped this would lead to the bell's return in time for Saskatchewan's millennium celebrations, but it did not appear.
In August 2005, Gabriel Dufault, leader of the Union nationale métisse Saint-Joseph, stated that "I've heard it's in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
. I've heard it's in a garage in the North End... I have a pretty good idea who the people that know more... are."
In a Globe and Mail story from 8 October 2005, Gary Floyd Guiboche, a Manitoba Métis who visited the bell with Dumont in 1991, confessed to stealing the bell. He refused to identify his partner in the theft, who he said "has kept the bell hidden too long for no reason." He said his partner had taken the McCorry medals, in addition to the bell, as "payback."
In 2009, the bell is rumored to be in Saskatchewan, in Métis hands.
External links
- Manitoba Hansard transcript regarding the Bell of Batoche
- Crossings (The Bell of Batoche), a play about the bell