Joan Ledoux

October 21st, 1950 – October 16th, 2025

Celebrating a Life Well Lived

After a brief but intense illness, it is with deep sadness that we share our family’s loss of Joan Ledoux, who passed on to be with her Lord and Saviour on October 16, 2025, a mere few days before her 75th birthday. Born on October 21, 1950, at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Kenora, Ontario, Joan was beloved by her family and respected in her community as a retiree and Elder who sat on the Elder’s Advisory Committee, reviewing incoming information about land claims and various matters and giving advice to Chief and Counsel on things to consider before proceeding.

Her early beginnings in the community now known as Washagamis Bay First Nation were humble but well-spent living on the land with her family, which included many siblings and parents who loved her. Like many others of her generation, she endured the harsh reality of Canada’s assimilationist and shame-based ‘supposed educational’ system designed to kill the Indian in the child from an early age at Indian Day Schools, later followed by a stint in the dreaded Indian Residential School System (IRSS). When she was a teenager, she spent a year in Toronto upgrading her education as the IRSS education was lacking the necessary breadth and depth. In later life, once her children were past their early years and lower elementary school years, she took on roles as a social worker with Ojibway Family Tribal Services, an organization aimed at preventing children’s loss of culture and community through apprehension into the mainstream child welfare system. She was delighted to take further training at the University of Manitoba geared towards helping children and families at risk of being involved with the regular child welfare system. She truly wished to help children in the community stay with their families extended or otherwise when their nuclear family dynamics shifted, however temporarily, or job stress caused problems. Her work with youth continued when she worked as a First Nations guidance counsellor in Saint Thomas Aquinas for many years. She also worked for a time as the Brighter Futures Coordinator for Washagamis First Nation. Her life’s work revolved around caring for children and youth, empathizing with them and their struggles, and helping them to find their vocations or even the drive to stay in a school system that still seemed hostile even after the Indian Residential Schools closed in the Kenora area.

Prior to engaging in full-time employment, while her children were young, she sometimes took seasonal work but never to the detriment of her children. Her children were her true life’s work, and she devoted her life to them and her husband. While they were young, she ensured that her children’s indigenous identity remained true to her lived experience as best she could, often taking them into the forest for land-based adventures with their father, such as berry-picking and accompanying their father while he went cone picking which augmented his income in the lumber and forest industry. She loved to recount humorous stories of her children’s playful and silly exploits once they returned home.

Laughter truly was the best medicine for her family always but especially as she transitioned from a land-based economic work to working in offices but always with the emphasis on helping other indigenous people keep their children if they could, or to helping children and youth find their way.

She was fortunate to have met the love of her life as a young woman when Mervin Ledoux travelled to her First Nation from Camperville, Manitoba (a historically recognized Métis settlement) after hearing from a friend that some nice girls from a good family lived by the Lake of the Woods. Upon visiting her family, his eyes fell on Joan and the rest as we say is history. He was proud to marry her and join his Métis line to her First Nation’s line creating a large and close-knit family with access to her wider and extensive extended family while keeping close contact with his family.

While we have spoken for her compassion for children, youth, and families at risk, Joan was not an all work and no play kind of person. She enjoyed time with her family on various adventures, but in her later years, she also enjoyed focussing on her beautiful garden of flowers and keeping her yard in good condition. She was fortunate to look out everyday onto the beautiful outer bay of her First Nation. God blessed her with a life well-lived.

Family and Legacy

Joan will be deeply missed by her children; Jeremy, Blanche, and Starla (Kevin); her grandchildren, Shaylene Sinclair, Kiersten Sinclair, Christian Sinclair, Jeremy Ledoux Jr., Marcel Ledoux, Shelby Mandamin-Ledoux, Lexie Mandamin-Ledoux, Sienna Prince , Chaz Bird, Chase Ledoux-Bird, and Joanin Ledoux-Bird; her great grandchildren and many cherished relatives and friends but especially by her sole surviving sibling and younger sister Linda Wassaykeesic (John). She goes to join her husband Mervin Ledoux, her father, Joseph Sinclair, her mother, Mary Agnes Sinclair (née Copenace), her beloved and dearly missed daughter, Cheryl Ledoux-Bird, her brothers; Edgar, George, Richard, Alfred and Marvin, her sisters; Louise Hunter, Grace Chartrand, Rosalie Bunn and Esther Bunn.

A Life of Dedication

Joan lived by the values of caring especially for children and families in need. Her unwavering commitment to making the world a more just place for children, youth and families was clear in her chosen career. Her commitment to community in her retirement was also clear as she continued working on the Elder’s Advisory Committee for her community up until the very end.

Celebration of Life

A celebration of Joan’s life will be held on Thursday the 23rd day of October at Brown Funeral Home & Cremation Centre, beginning at 11:00 AM. All who knew her are welcome to join in remembering her remarkable journey. Interment to follow at Washagamis Bay Cemetery where she will be buried beside her daughter Cheryl.

The family extends heartfelt thanks to everyone who has offered their support and condolences during this difficult time. The family is also grateful for the professional care and kind consideration of her medical team and their support workers at the Kenora District Hospital and a special thank you to KCA Nurse Kayleen and Char the palliative care nurse at the LWDH.

Rest peacefully, Joan. Your spirit and our beautiful memories with you will remain forever in our hearts.

“Our mom was a pillar of strength, deeply rooted in her Christian beliefs. With love and guidance, she shared her faith with everyone around her. Her wisdom, kindness and generosity inspired us all. We’ll cherish the memories of her unwavering support and compassion. Her memory will continue to live and she will be deeply missed by anyone who had the honor to know her and everyone whose life she touched.”

Pallbearers will be: Jeremy Ledoux Jr, Chaise Ledoux-Bird, Kevin Tufvander, Devin Chartrand, Corey Bird and Scott McDonald.

Honorary Pallbearers will be: Jeremy Ledoux Sr, Marcel Ledoux, Chaz Bird, Evans Chartrand, Kristopher Chartrand, Joanin Ledoux-Bird, Fabian Vaughn and Paul Ledoux.

Flowers and cards welcome and can be dropped off or delivered to the Brown Funeral Home & Cremation Centre.