The Northwestern Ontario (NWO) Sports Hall of Fame was founded in 1978 in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is currently housed in the former Fort William Land Registry building, 219 May St. South, Thunder Bay.
The former Land Registry building was constructed in 1916. It became a home for the Thunder Bay Historical Society in 1972, and was turned over to the City of Thunder Bay in 1977. In 1996, the NWO Sports Hall of Fame took ownership of the building.
The Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame aims to preserve Northwestern Ontario’s sport heritage. NWO Sports Hall of Fame consists of a museum and archives, and commemorates over 200 athletes, teams, and supporters. Collections and archival documents have been primarily donated by the public. The Sports Hall of Fame holds the memory of various teams across Northwestern Ontario.
Sources
- Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. Our Story. https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/our-story
- City of Thunder Bay. Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame & Museum. https://www.thunderbay.ca/en/city-hall/resources/Documents/HistoryHeritageandRecords/Northwestern-Ontario-Sports-Hall-of-Fame---ACC.pdf
Established as the Northwestern Ontario Development Association in 1955; in 1967 became the Northwestern Ontario Development Council with no significant change in functions and operations; dissolved at the end of 1972 due to provincial defunding which led to the closure of Development Councils across Ontario.
The Northwestern Ontario Development Association (NODA) was founded at planning meetings in March, 1955. At that time, it was funded half by the Government of Ontario, and half by member municipalities across the Northwestern Ontario region, which contributed in proportion to their size. Municipal membership varied year by year, especially due to financial constraints on various municipalities. However, most Northwestern Ontario municipalities are represented within the NODA files in various ways.
In 1966, the Ontario Legislature passed Bill 89, “An Act respecting Regional Development Councils." Regional Development Associations became Development Councils in 1967.
The role of the NODA/NODC was to support and promote business and industrial development across the Northwestern Ontario region. This involved supporting individual businesses and entrepreneurs; organizing and carrying out research on existing and potential industries and availability of services in the region; facilitating the flow of information between governments, researchers, existing businesses and prospective businesses; and advocating for the needs of Northwestern Ontario to multiple levels of government. Transportation, utilities, and financial incentives are recurring themes; mining, forestry, manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, and more are also heavily reflected in the records.
The Northern Ontario Pastoral Institute was a nonprofit organization, providing clinical pastoral education in Northwestern Ontario. The Institute was established in 1990 and dissolved in 2025. During that time, it co-ordinated and supported opportunities for pastoral education in Thunder Bay and around the region. The Institute was a member organization of the Canadian Association for Pastoral Practice and Education, which later became the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care.
The Ninette Sanatorium was established in 1909 in Ninette, Manitoba. It was also known as the Manitoba Sanatorium. Ninette Sanatorium buildings were designed by architect W. H. Shillinglaw and built by contractor William Bell, and it was established on the shores of Pelican Lake, as prior to World War II, tuberculosis (TB) treatment generally consisted of “rest, good food, and fresh air.” Facilities included a large veranda where patients could lie in beds while sitting by the lake.
The first patient arrived in 1910. The Sanatorium officially opened with a capacity of sixty patients. By the 1920s, Ninette Sanatorium was serving 280 patients. Ninette Sanatorium became the largest TB hospital in Manitoba. Initially, it served primarily white patients.
Initially, the Ninette Sanatorium housed primarily white patients, but over time, especially after WWII, more and more Indigenous people were housed there. During the mid twentieth century, medical professionals, such as the Sanatorium’s own E. L. Ross, M.D. and A. L. Paine, M.D., believed that Indigenous communities were at higher risk for contracting TB. In 1963, over 80 Métis and Inuit men, women, and children were sent to there for treatment.
By the late 1960s, TB treatment advances lessened the need for an institutional Sanatorium. In 1965, Manitoba funded the transfer of facilities into the “Pembina House;” it provided education programs that promoted the integration of “social and academic upgrading;” and did not solely consist of TB patients. In 1972, Pembina House closed, and the remaining Sanatorium facilities did as well.
From 1973-2000, the Ninette Sanatorium buildings served as the Pelican Lake Training Centre, housing patients with special needs. In 2000, a Christian group used the grounds for retreats and conferences. Currently, the original Ninette Sanatorium grounds are privately owned.
- Manitoba Indigenous Tuberculous History Project. Ninette (Manitoba) Sanatorium. https://indigenoustbhistory.ca/history/ninette-sanatorium
- Manitoba Historical Society Archives. Historic Sites of Manitoba: Ninette Sanatorium. http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/ninettesanatorium.shtml
- Ross, E L, and A L Paine. “A Tuberculosis Survey of Manitoba Indians.” Canadian Medical Association Journal 41, no. 2 (1939): 180–84.
Dr. Walter Thomas Momot has been a Professor of Ichthyology at Lakehead University since 1975 and was Chair of the Department of Biology, 1996-2003. He was born in 1938, Hamtramck, Michigan, USA. He graduated with an Honours Bachelors of Science from the Wayne State University of Detroit, Michigan in 1960, a Masters degree in 1961 and Doctoral degree in fisheries in 1964 from the University of Michigan, Flint Michigan in 1961. He began his career in fisheries at the Sandy Hook Marine Lab in New Jersey. Later he moved to a position of assistant professor of zoology at the University of Oklahoma in 1964. He advanced from instructor to Associate professor of Ohio State University from 1964-1975. He worked as a visiting professor at the Louisiana State University 1981-1982, University of Hawaii & Western Australian Marine research lab, 1990-1991 and the University of Alabama 1996-1997. Dr. Momot is known for his extensive knowledge of crayfish and passion for the biogeography of fish and invertebrates in the Boreal lakes and rivers. Dr. Walter Momot retired in 2003 but continues to lecture, biology of fishes, as a Professor Emeritus. Dr. Momot is an honourary member of the International Association of Astacology, American Fisheries Society; Canadian Society of Limnology, and the North American Benthological Society. He is a fellow of the American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists.
Research Interests: Fish Ecology. Production ecology, zoogeography, and population dynamics of fish and invertebrates in boreal lakes.