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.