Some Minnedosa Metis History

by BU Public History Student

The Town of Minnedosa, situated on the Little Saskatchewan River, is rich in Metis history.

John Tanner, the area’s first Metis settler, owned and operated a toll ferry which later became a toll bridge. The spot came to be known as Tanner’s Crossing. Tanner eventually became the area’s first postmaster.

James McKay, another Metis, guided hunters throughout the area. He built a stone house in town, known as the McKay House, which still stands today and has been designated a historic site.

McKay was influential in bison conservation, creating a bison compound along the Assiniboine River.