In 1870, a shipment of gold meant to crush the Red River Resistance disappeared without a trace. The shipment of coins was on the way to fund a military force marching across Canada to confront Louis Riel and the Métis during the Red River Resistance. Since the gold has never been recovered, The Royal Mint (UK) considers it lost or stolen.

The latest series from 3 Story Pictures, Red River Gold, explores this mystery, while spotlighting the legacy of the Métis people.

A group of treasure seekers want to find the missing gold. Memphis Pambrun, a Métis musician, fire chief and owner and operator of a satellite/aerial imagery and data company, along with Laurie “Goldie” Gagne, a genuine treasure hunter, metal detector expert and self-proclaimed explorer, and local Metis guide Bill “Moose” Marsh, travel the Old Dawson Trail (Manitoba) in search for the gold. The trail is a historic and abandoned “highway” that once connected the Canadian East with the West.

Armed with metal detectors, trowels, backhoes, and the latest technology in radar and topographic imagery, theses treasure hunters travel through the traditional homeland of the Métis, discovering and analyzing clues as to the lost gold’s location. Along the way, the team meets with historians Pierrette Sherwood and Mimi Lamontagne (Dawson Trail Heritage Tour) and long-time locals including Métis Elder Roger Godard, gathering oral and written historical knowledge to aid in their search.

In lead up to its premiere, I was able to preview a few of the episodes of the series. Each episode gives a bit of historical background to give us context about the time and circumstances in which this gold disappeared. The episodes also take us ‘on the ground’ – so to speak – and along for the journey with the trio of treasure hunters. As the trio moves forward in their journey, you will be wondering if they will find the gold or not.

Whether you are a fan of adventure-reality TV or a history buff, Red River Gold will have something for you. To me, the series offers another way to learn about a part of Canadian history not often talked about. In the few episodes, I watched I learned more than I knew about the Red River Resistance than I had read about.

Perhaps the most important part of Red River Gold is how the trio uncovers more than a gold bounty. In each episode, they share truths, both storied and physical, about the culture and history of the area, from a Métis perspective. Each story, and physical artifact they find, leads them further down the abandoned trail – and maybe, just maybe, one step closer to the gold. You will have to tune it to find out.

Red River Gold premieres on APTN on Monday May 5, 2025 at 9:30PM ET. The Michif version of the series is expected to premiere on APTN Languages in the Fall of 2025 and will be available on APTN lumi in both English and Michif at a later date.

To understand the roots of this story, click here. For more information about Red River Gold, please visit RedRiverGold.ca.