Joseph Rene de Meulles

René comes from a deep and rich Cree background originating in Cumberland House, Saskatchewan where his mother grew up on the trap line and attended residential school until she left the community to start a life of her own. She found herself on the shores of Hudson Bay in Churchill, Manitoba. This is where she married the love of her life – Joseph Robert de Meulles. They had five children, the youngest of which is their only son, René.

Growing up in Churchill, René was exposed to a vast array of indigenous cultures – Metis, Cree, Dene & Inuit – all coming together to form a rich Northern Community. Because René was immersed in this cultural diversity his whole life, bringing people together to live, work and play as one – despite their differences – is his natural way of forming and being in community.

Rene’s parents were pillars of service to their Churchill community. In addition to working at the Port of Churchill as a Machinist, Rene’s father was also the town judge, plumber, carpenter, electrician, and all-around handyman. Whatever the community needed, he was always the first to step up to provide. René’s mother – Myrtle de Meulles – was a highly renown Metis Artist most well-known for her signature Caribou hair tufting and sculpting artwork. She was decorated with the Order of Manitoba for her commitment to the Manitoba Metis Community and received the Order of the Metis Nation for her commitment to preserving and teaching Metis art forms. She single-handedly built Churchill’s Metis Hall and curated it’s museum so that-tourists coming into Churchill from all over the world would be exposed and educated to Metis culture. Together, Myrtle and Bob were Churchill’s Mother & Father, Gramma and Grandpa – even its Santa & Mrs Claus because every year for 40 years they raised money to purchase and distribute individual Christmas gifts to EVERY child in the community.

René’s parent’s lifelong commitment to community is what shaped his belief system.

Selfless service IS AT THE HEART of everything René is; everything René does; and everything René pursues.

When he joined the Churchill Volunteer Fire Department at age 18, then worked for the Creighton/Flin Flon Fire Department and rose to Captain in just 3 years, then taught as a Fire Service Instructor and Arson Investigator, and then became the youngest Fire Chief in Saskatchewan’s history – the driving force behind his accomplished career as a First Responder was to selflessly serve the community.

Thank you

Joseph René de Meulles