Métis Nation of Ontario Acquires Historic Labatte House

On September 28, 2026, the Métis Nation of Ontario ("MNO") announced that it had acquired Labatte House, the oldest known historic Métis home still standing in Ontario. The MNO will relocate the house within the Township of Tiny ("Tiny Township") to preserve it for future generations.

Louis-George Labatte and his family built the home at Thunder Beach in 1834, after their community moved from Drummond Island to Georgian Bay. Generations of Labattes lived there and the house remains an important part of the history of the Georgian Bay Métis Community. Because the house has stood on private property since the early 1900s, the public has never been able to visit it. After months of work with Tiny Township, the MNO received approval to move it to 159 Balm Beach Road. At its new home, it will become a historic site where Métis citizens and the public can gather, learn and connect with Métis history in Ontario.

Aird & Berlis acted as counsel to the MNO, advising on the agreements with the current owners, the Ontario Heritage Act processes and coordination with Tiny Township's Heritage Advisory Committee. The team included Eileen Costello (Municipal), Derek McCallum (Real Estate), Zachary Thiffault (Indigenous) and Andrew Everton (Land Use Planner).