G'Chimnissing: Beausoleil First Nation, known in Ojibwe as G'Chimnissing, meaning “Big Island” in our language, is an Ojibwe First Nation in Simcoe County, Ontario. Our present-day Nation traces its beginnings to 1856, when the band of Chief John Assance joined the Pottawatomi and Ottawa people already living on Christian Island.

Treaty: We signed the 1923 Williams Treaties as one of the Chippewa of Lake Simcoe First Nations. Our Elders say some promises, including extra reserve lands and hunting and fishing rights, were made only verbally.

Population: Our community has more than 2,500 registered members, with roughly 600 to 650 living on reserve and many more living off reserve.

Location: Our main reserve is Christian Island 30, which also includes Beckwith and Hope Islands. We also have Christian Island 30A at Cedar Point and share the Chippewa Island reserve. We are a 20-minute ferry ride from the mainland and about a 1.5-hour drive north of Toronto, with Penetanguishene and Midland as our closest towns.

Culture: Most of our members are Ojibway, and many trace their ancestry to the Pottawatomi Nation. Services are offered in English and Ojibway. Our community runs Christian Island Elementary School, an Alternative Education Program, a health centre, housing, lands management and economic development services, and welcomes visitors to our beaches and campgrounds.

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