03/26/2026
The old email speaks of Marie Montreuil but only what was wanted to be shared. The information below is AI generated not my words.
Chief Richard Zohr is the leader of the Bonnechere Algonquin First Nation (BAFN).
Based on available information, he has served in this capacity for over 20 years, focusing on developing social and economic services, including housing, education, and health for the BAFN community. He also acts as the Algonquin Negotiation Representative (ANR) for the BAFN in the Algonquin Land Claim process.
Key details about BAFN Leadership:
Chief: Richard Zohr
Structure: BAFN is part of the Algonquins of Ontario and has a well-developed political structure, including a community council and an Elders' Council.
Location: The BAFN office is located in Renfrew, Ontario.
The BAFN is one of the 10 communities of the Algonquins of Ontario (AOO) involved in the land claim negotiations.
Found on Ancestry. Re-Post by me but not written by me. Unfortunately the Parent family is not included in this information. Marie Montreuil, my Great Grandmother would have been Theophile and Charlotte's sister. The photo is Charlotte Montreuil nee Clement and Marie Montreuil nee Parent.
Kakwabit-Montreuil Family
Posted 3 Apr 2022 by Lawrence Parent
Kakwabit-Montreuil Family
These two families were joined by the 1852 marriage of Marie Kakwabit and Joseph Montreuil. Marie Kakwabit was the daughter of Jean Baptiste Kakwabit who is listed on the Algonquins of Golden Lake First Nation’s Schedule A, which is a list of those persons who are deemed to have been at the Golden Lake Reserve since it began, and thus are considered 100% Algonquin.
Eight generations of this family have been depicted on the Kakwabit genealogical chart. Their modern day descendants carry the family names of Lance, Ross, Plourde, Hunt, Clouthier, Raine, Brindle, Webb, Belaire, King, Mathieu, and McHugh. The current Chief of the Bonnechere Algonquin Community, Wayne Lance, is a direct descendant of Marie Kakwabit and Joseph Montreuil.
In 1861 a Joseph Montroy (53) and his wife Mary Ann (31) were living in District #3 in the District of Nipissing with their children Cecelia (9), Antoine (8), Toufell (4), and Mary Anne (2) in a log house built in 1859. According to the notation on the census roll, Joseph Montroy was a Frenchman from Lower Canada. Mary Ann was an Indian woman born in Upper Canada and therefore the census taker designated their children as half-breeds. Joseph and Mary Ann Montroy ran a boarding house where Paul Little Wolf, a 100 year old Indian born on Lake Nipissing, who was still actively hunting. Twelve men boarding with the Montroys, were “part of Narcisse Paro’s Chantier Crew at work for Trustees John Egan & Co.”, in other words they were loggers. The Montroy family sold $30 of furs and a bark canoe worth $192 in the census of 1861.
Another Montreuille family was in the Mattawa District of the District of Nipissing in 1861. This family consisted of Laon (Leon or Louis?) Montreuil (29), his wife Mary Ann (25) and their children Josephette (4) and Laon (2). They were said to be farmers living in a log house. “Laon” and Mary Ann were born in Lower Canada, the children in Upper Canada. On the agricultural census for the same year, “Laon Montreuil” was shown as Lewis Montreuil holding 100 acres in the Mattawa area, 25 acres being under crop. His neighbour was Joseph Langevin, an Antoine Algonquin ancestor. This Montreuil family was not identified as aboriginal, however a very similar family was located in the same area in 1871; the wife was identified as Indian in that census record.
In 1864 members of the Montreuil and Kakwabit families were confirmed at the Indian mission at Fort William, Pontiac County, Quebec. Among 68 individuals being confirmed on July 30, 1864 were Sabie F. de [son/daughter of ] Montreuil, Mani f. de Montreuil , Edward Kakwabet, and Anastasi Kakwabet.
In 1871 a Montre family of hunters was enumerated in Pembroke Village. This family was make up of a married couple Joseph (76) and Mary (32) and their children Marie (14) and Charlotte (11). Joseph and the girls were identified as French, Mary as Indian. Joseph was from Quebec; his wife and children were born in Ontario.
In the same census year, a Montroy family was enumerated in Mattawa North. They consisted of Louis Montroy (40) described as a French farmer with his Indian wife Mary Ann (29) and six children: Anglie (14), Louis (12), Peter (10), Mary Ann (7), Philomene (40) and Simon (2). Although Mary Ann was described as Indian, the children were described as French. Louis and Mary Ann were born in Quebec; the children in Ontario. This is likely the Montreuil family identified in the 1861 census of Mattawa. Anglie and Louis are likely the children identified as Josephette and Laon in that census.
Later that decade Marie Christine was born on 16 February 1878 to Cecile Montreuil and Alex Montgomery. Marie Christine was baptised at Fort William in September 1878. The following year a son, Reuben James was baptized and in 1881 they baptised a son Theophile Montgomery. Alex and Cecil had a fourth child in 1883. William Napoleon Montgomery born 16 April 1883 was baptized at the Fort William mission that September. His godparents were Antoine Montreuil and Lorie Chartrand.
Charlotte Montreuil and Joseph Clement married at the Fort William mission on 15 September 1879. Joseph Clement had been born to Felix and Anna Clemment in Pembroke. Charlotte was the daughter of Joseph and Mane [Marie or Mary Anne] Montreuil of Petawawa. (Charlotte and her parents were shown on the 1871 census of Pembroke in 1871 when she was 11 years old). Charlotte’s brother Theophile was one of the witnesses at the marriage. A few years after this marriage, Charlotte Montreuil baptised a daughter Mani Flavia born in September 1880 to her and her “legitimate” husband who was noted as Joseph Clouthier. This registry entry suggests that Joseph was using the family name Clouthier instead of Clement. Their daughter was entered in the registry as Mania Flavia Clouthier Jakot and Mani Anne Takonais were godparents.
Theophile Montreuil married Josephine Chartran (Chartrand) at the Fort William mission on 20 September 1880. Theophile was the oldest son of Joseph and Mani [Marie or Mary Ann] Montreuil of Petawawa. Josephine Chartran was the daughter of Joseph Chartran and Marie Conturier? of Petawawa. Benjamin Leclerc and Joseph Lamure were witnesses at the marriage. Theophile Montreuil and Josephine Chartrand baptised their daughter Anastasia at Fort William on 25 August 1881; she had been born on 20 July. Anastasia’s sponsors were Abraham Pilon and Cecin Montreuil.
Louis and Mary Ann Montreuil were still living in Mattawa in 1881. Their name was then recorded as Montreuil and the ages of the adults are not consistent, however, the names and ages of the children match. In 1881 they were enumerated as Leon Montreuil (45) again described as a French farmer with hid Indian wife Marie Ann (42) and Angenique (24), Louis (21), Pierre (19), Marie Ann 917), Philomene (16), Leon (16), Cecilia (12), Joseph (10), and J***y (4). The children were described as “Half Breed” which was had been struck out and “French” added. Louis and Mary Ann were born in Quebec; the children in Ontario.
In 1881 the family of Marie Montreuil was recorded at Fort William, Quebec. She was said to be 52 having been born in 1829. Joseph is not listed on this Census as he had died in 1880. Antoine is recorded at age 26, and Marie as age 20. Marie and her children Antoine and Marie were identified as “Indian”. Living next to them was the family of Theophile Montreuil 924) and his wife Josephine (20) and their two month old daughter Jeannette. Theophile was said to be Indian, his wife was recorded as French. In August 1881 the priest at the Fort William mission baptised Jean Baptiste Montreuil, “fils naturel de Marie Montreuil” who had been born on 15 July 1881. This child may have been the son of Marie who was enumerated at the age of 20 with her mother Marie Montreuil.
Several years later on 14 September 1885, Theophile Montreuil and Josephine Chartrand baptized Octavia Dalmy Montreuil who had been born on 23 June 1885. The baptism at the Fort William mission was witnessed by Octavia’s godparents Joseph Clement and Marie Montreuil.
In the 1891 census year the Theophile Montreuil family was enumerated in the Petawawa Township. Theophile Montrag (32) was listed as a French Canadian hunter. Also in the household were his wife, Josephine (24), Sadie (10), Josephine (8), Delimanid (6), Olive (4), and Elois (2). The whole family was recorded as being French Canadian.
Theophile Montreuil died young, leaving Josephine Chartrand a widow with young children to raise. According to family history;
My great grandfather, Theophile Montreuil, died in 1893. On the day he died he was in the bush hunting and trapping and it is said he was being hunted himself by other Indians over a dispute about territory or something like that. After several days of no food or water in the bush, he made it back to the cabin, where he died.
By the time the 1901 census was taken, Theophile’s wife, Josephine, was enumerated as the head of the household. Shown as Josephine Montroy, she was 34 years old. Her children were recorded as: Josephine (14), Delmosse (13), Ellise (12), Delliede (9), Joseph (7), Theophile (6), and Thomas (5). Living with Josephine and her children was a boarder from Quebec named Lenore. No family name was listed for Lenore suggesting that she might have been a Montreuil as well. The entire family was recorded as being French in origin.
In 1901, Marie Montreuil, the mother of Theophile Montreuil and Charlotte Montreuil, was enumerated as living with her daughter Charlotte and her son-in-law Joseph Clement in the Town of Mattawa. The 1901 census return shows the members of this household as Joseph Clement (39), his wife Charlotte (39), and their children - Marie (20), Amie (18), Joseph (16), James (14), Louise (9), and Thomas (5). A son-in-law John Dubois (26) was also living with them, as was Marie Montreuil (73). John Dubois was married to Marie. The 73-year old Marie Montreuil’s mother tongue was listed as Algonquin and was shown as “R” (aboriginal); the mother tongue of Joseph Clement, his wife Charlotte Montreuil and their children was listed as French. Charlotte and all of the children were recorded as “R” (aboriginal). John Dubois was said to be a white Francophone born in Quebec.
Josephine Montreuil (b. circa 1883) who was enumerated with her parents, Theophile and Josephine, in Petawawa 1891 and with her mother in 1901 was the grandmother of the current BAC chief Wayne Lance. Chief Lance recalls the hunting practices of his father, Joseph Morile Lance (b.1904) and his older brothers, the oldest of whom was born in 1929.
I remember my Dad and older brothers coming home in the middle of the night after trapping illegally in Algonquin Park on the “flats” around Lake Traverse. They would hop a train in, spend two weeks basically living off the land with game wardens always after them. They would then carry 100 lb. packs of fur and jump a train at Stuart spur at night to get out of the Park. When they got home we would all celebrate, as this would mean a good Christmas for us. Dave Herman would buy all the furs and was not known for total honesty.
My Dad and brothers always hunted the Petawawa River and if it wasn’t for my Dad’s skill, a lot of my relatives went hungry in winter. There were many hard times then and people had to poach to survive. All the old families in Petawawa were involved and often trapped, hunted, fished, and partied together.
The descendants of several members of the Kakwabit-Montreuil family are shown on the genealogical chart. The details of the births, deaths and marriages shown on the chart indicate that this family has maintained its presence in the Petawawa and Pembroke areas. They also intermarried with other families consistently associated with Algonquins and the Algonquin mission such as Clement, Clouthier and Pilon.
The census records for this family demonstrate the way in which official records often obscure aboriginal heritage, identifying families, as French when one parent was Algonquin and one French. It was usually the practice to assign the children’s origin after the father but to record “colour” according to the mother. The categories of statistics gathered from year to year are not consistent, however, so full information was not always available. For example, the 1851 census identified “coloured persons” and “Indians, if any”, while the years from 1861 to 1891 only had one ethnic origin question which was expressed variously as “coloured persons, mulatoo or Indian” (1861), “origin (1871 and 1881) and “French Canadian”(1891). In 1901 the question expanded to include “colour”, “racial/tribal origin”, “nationality” and “mother tongue”.
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Kakwabit-Montreuil Family
Golden Lake Bonnechere Valley
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History Of The BAFN THE BONNECHERE ALGONQUIN COMMUNITY Now Called The Bonnechere Algonquin First Nation http://www.bafn.ca/history.html
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LY
lynnandbowen originally shared this on 12 Feb 2012
Lawrence Parent
7 years ago
When Marie Montreuil was born in 1857 in Ontario, her father, Joseph, was 27, and her mother, Mani, was 30. She had one son with Oliver Paquette. She then married Joseph Parent and they had two children together. She died on June 21, 1940, in Mattawa, Ontario, at the age of 83.
KM
Kimberly Montroy
7 years ago
My grandfather father was Thomas Montreuil (Tom Montroy, apparently his name spelling was changed by Americans he worked for here on Lake Temagami) he born about 1900's, I think his father was Theophile, and mother ????? Chart rand, Tom married Alice Paul ( her dad was Alexander George Paul, I believe they were Native also) Tom and Alice had Jim, Marie, Orval, Ethel, Orval and Bobby.....Orval is my father born March 9, 1925 and married Doreen Friday in 1948 she was a registered Indian listed on Matachewan First Nation ( I don't know why) as Friday's came from up north around Kashechewan? Or Moose Cree FNation? I was registered under Bill C-31 on my mothers side, and became a Sec. 31 6(2) registered Indian at Matachewan. I transferred from Matachewan to Temagami as my great grandparents were taken in here by the Teme-Augama Anishnabeg Indians and were given a family land, we now know as Friday's family land. My father never told us of his Native descent, nor did my grandmother, Alice Montreuil (nee Paul) passed away I think in
1984. Anyways I believe had I known I could possibly have come in if my father was entitled to be registered. I know my dad talked about the poaching days
KM
Kimberly Montroy
7 years ago
With his dad in Algonquin park, evading game wardens.....chasing a fisher for days, he also mentioned a place Black Lake or Creek I think near Pembroke, he was raised in Mattawa mostly far as I know. My grandpa Tom and grandmother came up and cooked and guided here on lake Temagami, My dad said American tourists changed spelling of their name to Montroy......1940's.... I seen a pic of my grandfather at Temagami Lodge, he met my mom up here at Friday's Camp. They married and later moved to Temagami where I grew up, youngest if 7. My Aunt Ethel recently moved back to Mattawa, I went there once for my cousin Mike wedding in about 1973 ? and my Uncle Bobbys funeral 1977, but we did not have much connection w his family. I have many cousins from my Aunties also, I don't think any or too many live there anymore. Miigwetch.
