Margaret Phillips began her career in municipal recreation, and became an advocate and activist for feminist and social justice issues. She was a founder of the Northern Woman's Bookstore, an executive director of the Lakehead Social Planning Council, and on the board of directors of Inter Pares, among other work.

Northern Woman Journal began as a newsletter covering feminist issues for readers in Northwestern Ontario, and developed into a journal featuring political stories at the location, provincial, national, and international level, fiction and artwork, personal stories, letters and opinions, and information on local events.

The Journal's creation was closely linked to the community of feminists including Margaret Phillips and the management of the Northern Woman Bookstore.

The records include:
A complete run of the Journal from 1973 to 1995
Administrative records, including meeting minutes, correspondence, and accounting
Editorial records, including graphics and submitted pieces
Other related publications

Correspondence, business documentation, staff resources, photographs, and Literacy Group documents, kept by Margaret Phillips of the Northern Woman's Bookstore, of Thunder Bay, Ontario. The store opened in 1984 and had locations on Bay St. and Court Street, before having to close its physical location in 2016.