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.
James Whalen was born in Collingwood, Ontario in 1869. In 1875, at the age of six, his family moved to Port Arthur, Ontario. Not long after the Whalens' arrival in Port Arthur, James' father drowned and he was left as the sole provider for his mother and younger siblings.
Once out of public school Whalen entered the logging and railway contracting business with a very strong drive for achievement. He cared deeply for the city of Port Arthur and wished to develop the city as much as possible. The empire which he eventually built included logging, pebble, dredging, shipbuilding, insurance, and real estate companies. For his involvement with the dredging and shipping industries, Whalen came to be known as the man who "put the Port in Port Arthur." One of his great accomplishments was the construction of the Whalen Building in 1913, which still stands today as the Thunder Bay Hydro Building. When it opened in 1914 it was said to be "the finest between Toronto and Winnipeg."
James Whalen married Laurel Conmee, the daughter of James Conmee, Member of Parliament. Together James and Laurel had five children, Hazel, Edward, Jim, Loley, and
Margaret.
During his last years, Whalen moved to the West coast to continue working with the pulp and paper industries. Within a few years he was diagnosed with Bright's Disease, affecting his kidneys. He passed away on June 4, 1929, while being treated in a Duluth, MN hospital. In recognition of this man and his accomplishments, the city of Port Arthur honoured him with a half-day holiday.
William (Bill) Addison was born in Toronto but lived most of his life in the Thunder Bay region. While teaching sciences at Westgate High School for nearly 30 years, he also engaged in geological research and fought for the preservation of natural areas. The records held by Lakehead document his work with the Save Quetico Committee, the Coalition for Wilderness, and Parks for Tomorrow. His travels and work in the Nahanni River area are documented in the Northwest Territories Archives.
Bill was married to Wendy for 51 years, and they had two children.
Ken Armson was born in Canada, and educated in England, before returning to study Forestry at the University of Toronto. He joined the faculty shortly after graduation, teaching from 1952 to 1978. He also began working for the Ontario Government through the 1970s, performing a review of forest management practices and playing a key role in establishing Forest Management Agreements between private industry and the Province. Ken’s career with the Ministry of Natural Resources culminated with his appointment as Provincial Forester. In retirement, Ken became involved in forest history work, including founding the Forest History Society of Ontario, and writing a memoir. Ken was awarded an honourary doctorate by Lakehead in 1992, and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2016.
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.
Sanna Kannasto was born in Ylihärmä, Finland, and educated at Finlandia University. In 1899, she immigrated to the United States and continued her education at Suomi College in Hancock, Michigan. By 1901, she had relocated to Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada. Kannasto assisted in founding the Canadan Suomalainen Järjestö (Finnish Organization of Canada (FOC)) and worked closely within the organization.
Kannasto, and the FOC, were associated with the Socialist Party of Canada (1904-1925) and the Socialist Democratic Party (1911). Kannasto worked as an organizer, encouraging Finnish Canadians to join the Socialist Party of Canada and the FOC. She traveled across the nation gathering support, and fought for workers' and women’s rights in Northwestern Ontario. Kannasto particularly raised awareness of women’s rights in labour, marital issues, and contraception.
Kannasto was considered a threat to Canada by the RCMP. She was arrested in the early 1920s trying to reach Alberta (Canada), and in 1925 trying to reach Montana (United States). Due to government aggression, by the mid-1930s Kannasto retreated from her political pursuits. Kannasto spent her remaining decades working on a homestead just outside of Port Arthur.
Sources
- Lakehead University. Sanna Kannasto Fonds. https://archives.lakeheadu.ca/index.php/sanna-kannasto-fonds
- Wikipedia. Sanna Kannasto. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanna_Kannasto
Elinor Barr was a historian, author, and publisher, who researched and wrote Northwestern Ontario history. She was born in Ignace, Ontario, and initially trained and worked as a registered nurse. After receiving a degree in History from Lakehead University in 1974, she dedicated the rest of her life to that pursuit.
Some of her published works include: Thunder Bay to Gunflint: The Port Arthur, Duluth & Western Railway; Silver Islet: Striking it Rich in Lake Superior; The Frontier as Experienced on the Pre-Cambrian Shield: A Study of Ignace, Ontario from 1883-1908; and Swedes in Canada: Invisible Immigrants.
Elinor Barr's archives are held by the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society.