Mississauga, Ontario
Mr. Paquette is a Métis Veteran who served with the Lincoln and Welland Regiment and the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada. From 2008 to 2010, he was a councillor/Veteran with the Credit River Métis Council, striving to establish good relations with local heritage organizations and Aboriginal Veterans associations. In 2009, Mr. Paquette became the secretary of the Métis Nation of Ontario Veterans Council (MNOVC) and was instrumental in maintaining and updating the Veterans’ registry, the Métis Veterans’ Wreath and the Veterans’ Community Charter. In 2011, he created the MNOVC’s website and currently serves as President. He also represented the Métis Nation of Ontario and the Métis National Council at a ceremony in Fort York, commemorating the War of 1812. In October 2012, Mr. Paquette participated in a ceremony at Rideau Hall to recognize the contributions and participation of Aboriginal and Métis peoples during the War of 1812. A member of the Aboriginal Veterans Autochtones, Mr. Paquette also continues to actively promote his Métis heritage and the contributions of his fellow Métis Veterans by participating in local, provincial and national commemorative events. Mr. Paquette was awarded the Queens Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 and the Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2014.