The Penetanguishene Bay Purchase, registered as Crown Treaty Number Five, was signed May 22, 1798 between the
Chippeway and the government of
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada (french: link=no, province du Haut-Canada) was a part of British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the ...
. It purchased the lands around
Matchedash Bay
Matchedash Bay is a bay and Ramsar wetland in Simcoe County in Central Ontario, Canada. It is the "final inland extension of Severn Sound" on Lake Huron's Georgian Bay, and is "situated at the interface between the Saint Lawrence Lowlands and the ...
on
Lake Huron
Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrology, Hydrologically, it comprises the easterly portion of Lake Michigan–Huron, having the same surface elevation as Lake Michigan, to which it is connected by the , Strait ...
for a price of one hundred and one pounds in Quebec currency.
This treaty was important for the colonial government, because the land being purchased would be used as the site of the naval depot at
Penetanguishene
Penetanguishene , sometimes shortened to Penetang, is a town in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the southeasterly tip of Georgian Bay. Incorporated on February 22, 1882, this bilingual ( French and English) community has a populat ...
, which was an important military base on Lake Huron designed to counter a potential American invasion through that route.
The signees of the treaty on the side of the British included Provincial Commissioners William Willcocks and Alexander Burns, Major Samuel Smith, J.S. Rangers, Lieutenant Arthur Holden-Brooking of the 2nd regiment, Adjutant John McGill of the 2nd regiment, Indian Agent J. Givins, W. Johnson Chew and George Cown both of the Indian Department, and W. Claus Superintendent of Indian Affairs.
The signees of the treaty on the side of the Chippeway included Chabondashea, Aasance, Wabenenguan, Ningawson and Omassanahsqutawah.
References
* Hunter, Andrew F. A History of Simcoe County. Mackinaw Productions (Oshawa: 1998).
* The entire text of the treaty is found in the holdings at the Simcoe County Archives in Barrie. The entirety of it is linked to this page for viewing reference:
Penetanguishene Bay MapPenetanguishene Bay Purchase Text{{Canada-hist-stub
Treaties of Indigenous peoples in Canada
First Nations history in Ontario
1798 treaties
Treaties of Upper Canada
1798 in Upper Canada
Lake Huron