Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold is a fictional story about a Métis girl named Bernice, who lives with her family in a lighthouse on Georgian Bay and goes on an adventure to find a hidden treasure. Written by Jessica Outram, a Métis author, teacher, and principal of Indigenous Education at the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. This story draws inspiration from Treasure Island but is narrated from the perspective of a Métis girl in Georgian Bay. Outram finds her inspiration from her family and their memories of growing up in Georgian Bay to shape the characters who appear in the story. Some characters are loosely based on family members, while others are purely products of inspiration. In making this book, the author collaborated with the Métis Nation of Ontario, the Métis Languages Initiative team, and the Métis Language Initiative advisory to include Michif throughout the story.

Images: b&w photographs
Contributor Affiliation: Author Jessica Outram (Métis), Editor Chandra Wohleber
Bibliography: No
Index: No

Source: Books BC - Indigenous Books for Schools

At two weeks old, Jessica Outram visited family on Georgian Bay and she has spent as much time there as possible ever since. Jessica is a citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario. Her mother is a Lamondin, with roots in the Georgian Bay Métis Community from the verified Métis family lines of Solomon and Berger/Beaudoin. Her father’s family were settlers to the Britt area in the early 1900s. An educator for 25 years, Jessica specializes in Indigenous Education. She is the author of the poetry collection The Thing with Feathers. Jessica lives in Cobourg, Ontario, where she is their 4th Poet Laureate.

Jessica Outram's profile page

• Winner, Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People

"As a story, it will interest readers of all ages, moving deftly between the warm family scenes, industries across the water, and the dangerous storms of Georgian Bay."

Historical Novel Society

“Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold is an amusing and informative story that serves both to entertain and educate the reader. It would be a positive addition to any home or school library.”

Anishinabek News

"A treasure map sparks a coastal Canadian Métis eight-year-old’s search for gold in an exuberant, richly detailed novel from a Métis author sharing her family’s fictionalized history.... A sweet historical fiction pick for fans of well-intentioned young protagonists with enlightening Indigenous representation.”

Booklist

"Author Jessica Outram has given us a story with a difference: a book that incorporates many phrases in the Métis language, Michif.... When eight-year-old Bernice is shown a piece of rock with gold streaks and finds a map that once belonged to famous artist Tom Thomson, she’s convinced she can find the gold and solve her family’s financial problems. After many false starts she sets out alone to try to reach the secret location. Will she succeed? Mid-level readers (9-12) will be urging her on."

Winnipeg Free Press

"A compelling novel about an adventurous girl who finds that the real gold on Georgian Bay is right where she lives."

Parry Sound North Star

"An excellent complementary read for indigenous or Canadian history studies. It is a worthwhile and thoughtful read and an admirable way of paying tribute to past generations. Highly Recommended."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

Included in "15 Canadian middle-grade and YA books to read this summer".

CBC Books