A Community at Work – Entrepreneurship and Pioneer Entrepreneurs

Generations of entrepreneurs succeeded in making Metis a vibrant venue for business. Inventors invented. Fishermen fished and farmers farmed. But there was another class of businessmen who created their businesses as they saw opportunities emerge and markets develop.

This postcard shows the commercial activities possible in Metis, including fishing and tourism.

The newspapers of the 19^th century are full of bankruptcy notices, suggesting that succeeding in business in Metis was not always easy and sometimes near impossible. The population was small and the transportation network inefficient. Capital was hard to come by and lenders were quick to call their loans. No wonder that many entrepreneurs sought greener pastures.

The Metis Beach Gift Shop was one of many businesses opened by local entrepreneurs to serve the summer community.

Chez Donat was one of the establishments in Metis that became popular because it served alcohol and welcomed dancing.

But through all of these challenges, entrepreneurs persevered and prospered. Their legacy can be seen in the buildings they built and the businesses they created. A handful have survived. Many more have become artefacts of business history, evidence of an entrepreneurial environment that had its ups and downs.

Local builder Peter Leggat built homes for Montrealers, such as Mrs Redpath.