Métis Women in History: Elsie Bear. A Woman Who Always Made Room for One More
October is Women's History Month, and we're concluding our series celebrating remarkable Métis women with a story about someone whose generosity seems to have known no bounds.
Her name was Elsie Bear.
She wasn't wealthy or famous. She worked hard, raised a family and spent much of her life helping people who needed a little extra kindness.
And apparently, there was always room for one more at Elsie's table.
A young woman from Grand Marais
Elsie Hourie was born on December 13, 1921, in Grand Marais, Manitoba, to Peter and Mary Hourie. Her father was a fisherman, and her mother, like her grandmother before her, was a midwife.
Elsie grew up in a large family with six brothers and three sisters.
She left school after Grade 8 to help support her family, and by eighteen she was working as a cook in fishing camps.
It was there that she met Sam Bear, a young man from Selkirk. The two eventually married and had four sons.
When their boys reached school age, the family moved to Selkirk, where Elsie worked cleaning offices for twenty years.
It was demanding work, particularly while raising a family. But Elsie somehow found the time and energy to do much more.
Four sons, and forty more children
Elsie and Sam loved children.
They had four sons of their own, but over the years they also helped raise more than forty other children.
At one point, there were nine children living under their roof.
It's difficult to imagine the laundry, the cooking and the sheer commotion of a household like that!
But for Elsie and Sam, opening their home to children who needed care was simply part of life.
And their generosity didn't stop with children.
There was always room at Christmas
Christmas was especially important in the Bear household.
Elsie worried about families who might not have enough food or anyone to share the holiday with. So she and Sam began inviting people into their home for Christmas dinner.
As word spread, the number of guests grew.
And grew.
Eventually, their home simply couldn't accommodate everyone.
In 1972, the annual dinner moved to the Selkirk Friendship Centre, where volunteers helped prepare and serve Christmas meals to hundreds of people.
What began as one family's act of kindness became a cherished community tradition, providing meals for more than 250 people annually, and sometimes over 300.
It was a wonderful example of what can happen when one person sees a need and decides to do something about it.
A leader in the Métis community
Elsie's contributions extended well beyond her kitchen. She was involved in organizing the Selkirk Friendship Centre in 1967 and became active in the Manitoba Métis Federation from its early years.
She was also involved with the Manitoba Association of Friendship Centres, the Indigenous Women's Alliance and numerous other community organizations. Her work was particularly important during a period when Métis people were organizing to strengthen their communities, advocate for their rights and ensure their voices were heard. Elsie believed in getting involved, and she encouraged others to do the same.
Her niece, Marcella Vezina, later recalled attending her first Métis women's meeting with Elsie. Elsie's advice was wonderfully practical: make yourself available, and when someone asks for a volunteer, put your hand up.
And she had one more suggestion.
Bring a big purse, because there might be leftovers to take home!
Now there's a woman who understood both community service and the importance of not wasting good food.
Recognition for a lifetime of service
Elsie's dedication did not go unnoticed. In 1987, she was named Woman of the Year, honoured by the Winnipeg Indian and Métis Friendship Centre and appointed a Senator of the Manitoba Métis Federation. In 1992, she received Manitoba's Order of the Buffalo Hunt in recognition of her outstanding community service.
She was also among the Métis Senators selected to contribute to discussions surrounding Canada's Constitution. These were significant honours for a woman who had begun her working life cooking in fishing camps and cleaning offices.
But perhaps the recognition that would have pleased her most was knowing how many lives she had touched.
A legacy of generosity
Elsie Bear died on March 5, 2002, at the age of eighty.
Before her death, she had been selected to receive the Manitoba Métis Federation's Order of the Shawl. She passed away before the presentation could take place, so the shawl was placed on her casket at her funeral.
Today, the Manitoba Métis Federation honours her memory through Elsie Bear's Kitchen at its Winnipeg headquarters. It's a particularly fitting tribute to a woman who spent so much of her life making sure others were fed and cared for.
Elsie Bear's story reminds us that history isn't shaped only by political leaders, celebrated authors or people whose names appear in textbooks.
Sometimes, it's shaped by a woman who opens her door, puts another plate on the table and asks what she can do to help.
And perhaps that is Elsie Bear's greatest legacy: she showed how one person's generosity could become an entire community's strength.