North of Superior Tourism Association fonds
The fonds consists primarily of images created, collected, and used by the North of Superior Tourism Association in promoting tourism and supporting local businesses from approximately the 1970s to late 1990s.
The records also include Executive, Board, and AGM minutes, agendas, and notices, and two 16mm promotional films.
Records were created, held, or gathered by Cairine Budner over the course of her association with the Thunder Bay Finnish Canadian Historical Society, and other local heritage organizations and sports organizations.
The fonds includes
Lakehead Unitarian Fellowship fonds
Records relate to the establishment and operation of the Lakehead Unitarian Fellowship in Thunder Bay, Ontario. They reflect matters concerning Port Arthur, Fort William, and Thunder Bay; and the development of Unitarianism and its institutions in North America more broadly.
The LUF is a non-profit organization that was incorporated into the Canadian Unitarian Council in 1984; after incorporation, the materials become more formal and there is more paperwork pertaining to the fellowships organization and governance.
The material includes reports, correspondence, newspaper clippings, photo negatives, floor plans for building, pamphlets and brochures, and several CDs, which included photographs and videos from special events. Majority of the materials are LUF specific, while there is also material pertaining to neighboring Unitarian organizations in Canada and America, and to the broader Unitarian Universalist Association\ Canadian Unitarian Council. Some records are specific to individuals while others relate to the entire fellowship.
Records consist of interviews between Peter Fergus-Moore and various individuals, recorded as part of his work as a freelance journalist. Interviewees include:
Biljana Baker, artist (1 tape)
Confederation College film students, multiple interviews (1 tape)
Roy Coran, musician (1 tape)
Gloria Dowton, Magnus Theatre (1 tape)
GAMI, youth arts collective associated with Definitely Superior Art Gallery (1 tape)
Jorma Halonen, history of socialist bookstore in Port Arthur (2 tapes)
Dusty Miller, former mayor (1 tape): https://static.scholarsportal.info/lakehead-permafrost/8bf4/b130/4e56/458e/952f/b457/7bad/a0af/PeterFergusMoore-96a4f6b9-8db6-44c5-8634-8891c7211291/objects/3dbed0bc-42fb-47ec-b72a-4c43185f2014-Tape_5b_Dusty_Miller.mp3
Diane Potts, Magnus Theatre (1 tape)
Sleeping Giant Folk Society (1 tape)
Norman Sponchia, artist (1 tape)
Brad Stephenson, filmmaker (1 tape)
Charles Wilkins, author (1 tape)
Northwestern Ontario Prospectors’ Association Interviews:
Moe Lavigne, geologist (2 tapes)
Northwestern Ontario Prospectors’ Association Symposium (1 tape)
Ruth Petrunka, widow of prospector Dave Petrunka (2 tapes)
Stares brothers (3 tapes)
Mel Stewart, prospector (2 tapes)
Municipal Elections 2022 Web Collection
Web material related to the 2022 municipal elections in municipalities across Northwestern Ontario.
Sites crawled include those of municipalities and candidates. Candidate social media accounts include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. All sites are publicly listed as related to the election.
Federated Women's Institutes of Ontario
Records include meeting minutes, financial information, and some personal/member information of branches and districts of the Federated Women’s Institutes of Ontario. The records relate to work at the branch and district level of the organization, with the majority being within the Thunder Bay district.
Most of the records are minute books that also include financial information; they also contain newspaper clippings related to organization. There are also reports and convention information pamphlets.
Area: Northwestern Ontario
District: Thunder Bay
Branches: Port Arthur; Beardmore; Raith; Finnish Branch; Murillo.
Records relate to research carried out by Viitala and colleagues at Lakehead University as part of the Acidic Precipitation In Ontario Study. Field research was done at Hawkeye Lake northwest of Thunder Bay, and at Pukaskwa National Park. The records include data, photographs, reports and research papers. Some records also relate specifically to the International Symposium on Acidic Precipitation held at Muskoka on September 15-20, 1985.
Records date primarily 1980-1988, with some additional documents from 2018 and 2022.
Margaret (Peggy) Tripp was a professor of Biology and of Women's Studies at Lakehead University. She was involved in the creation of the Women's Studies program, and taught until shortly before her death in 2008.
This small collection includes six photographs of Tripp with colleagues and students, two diplomas from the University of Colorado, and a Lakehead University presentation folder.
Canadian Regional Wealth Micro-Data Collection
This collection consists of data on over 12,000 probated decedents in Ontario and Manitoba for 1872 to 1927. The historical probate wealth data was collected for four regional areas: Wentworth County, Ontario (1872-1927), Thunder Bay District, Ontario (1885-1927), Ontario (1892, 1902) and Manitoba (1873-1927). The data is in the form of hard copy survey sheets (paper records) and compiled spreadsheets (electronic records.)
A full description of the project and data can be read here: https://libguides.lakeheadu.ca/ld.php?content_id=36498994
Northwestern Ontario Prospectors' Association fonds
Primarily copies of the Northwestern Ontario Prospectors' Association (NWOPA) newsletter, Bearsh't & Blueberries, 1997-2004. Also assorted issues of the Ontario Prospectors' Association (OPA) newsletter, The Explorationist, and a small quantity of other documents related to NWOPA and OPA.
Records of Dr. Pradip Sarbadhikari (1938-2020), professor of political science at Lakehead University from 1964 to 1999. The records reflect his teaching and research (including peace studies and Asian studies), as well as participation in international associations and conferences. Of particular note are records relating to participation in the Canadian International Development Agency's Centres of Excellence programme.
Pradip Ranjan Sarbadihkari was born in Calcutta, India, and also studied at London and Utrecht. He brought his family to Thunder Bay in 1964 to join the faculty of the new Lakehead University, and taught until retirement in 1999. These records were donated through the library probably shortly after his retirement.
George W. Ozburn is an entomologist and former faculty member at Lakehead University: he joined in 1965, as an assistant professor of zoology. These records, including newspaper clippings and various Lakehead University public documents, were donated through the Alumni Association.
Jo-Anne Silverman is a former head of the Development Office of Lakehead University. These records relate to university fundraising campaigns throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The fonds contains a small amount of internal documentation, but primarily consists of public-facing documents.
Northern Ontario Pastoral Institute fonds
Records of the Northern Ontario Pastoral Institute, a nonprofit organization providing clinical pastoral education in Thunder Bay. A member organization of the Canadian Association for Pastoral Practice and Education, which later became the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care.
Primarily records of the Board of Directors, including meeting minutes, correspondence, and financial records. These originated with and were kept by two long-time board members, Ernie Epp (a Board member since 1990 and long term Treasurer), and Rev. Ed Long (a Board member since 1990 and former Treasurer and President.)
There are also records relating to programming, and relating to pastoral services in Thunder Bay and the surrounding region.
Lakehead University Collective Agreements
Collective agreements between the Board of Governors of Lakehead University and Lakehead University Faculty Association (LUFA), 1987-2020. Also LUFA By-Laws and agreements between the Board of Governors of Lakehead University and the Office & Professional Employees' International Union Local 81.
Faculty of Natural Resources Management Maps
A collection of forest resource maps and fire management maps covering Northwestern Ontario.
Box 1
Fire Management Map. Northwest Region, East Half, South Part.
Dog River - Matawin forestry maps.
Hazenberg Forest Resources Inventory maps.
Trout Lake FMA - CPFP. Red Lake.
Sioux Lookout Management Unit
Fire Management Map. Northwestern Region, South.
Lake Nipigon Forest.
Pakwash-Patricia FMAs. Boise Cascade. Kenora.
Rainy Lake & Rainy River M.O. Fort Frances.
Red Lake CMU.
Seine River Forest M.U. Fort Frances - Boise.
Box 2
Manitou Forest M.U. Fort Frances - Boise.
Minaki M.U. Kenora.
English River - Upsala. CPFP.
Ignace - CPFP - English River
Lac Seul M.U.
Fire Management Map. Northwest Region, East Half, South Part.
Atikokan District.
Canadian Pacific Forest Products.
Fire Management Map. Northwest Region, West Half, South Part.
Dog River - Mattawin. CPFP. Thunder Bay.
Black Sturgeon.
Raili Margaret (Virta) Charnesky (1936-2022) was born and raised in Port Arthur to parents Kalle and Impi Virta, both immigrants from Finland. Raili worked in the Mining Recorders Office, Ontario Department of Mines, in Thunder Bay, and became the Mining Recorder for the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines in Sudbury and Toronto. She retired in 1993 after 40 years of public service.
These records primarily reflect family relationships, particularly the early death of her brother Olaf in 1951, and the deaths of her parents Kalle (1961) and Impi (1983). Records include family & genealogical information, photographs, memorial books and sympathy cards.
Rev. William (Bill) S. Morris fonds
William S. Morris (1916-1983) was a faculty member in Philosophy at Lakehead from 1968 until his retirement in 1982. He completed his PhD at the University of Chicago in 1955. The Morris Lectures were established as a memorial after his death in 1983.
These records consist of lecture notes for a course or courses at Lakehead looking at the historical development of Western Philosophy. They are grouped by their subject matter, and Morris' titles have been retained.
Faculty of Natural Resources Management fonds
The fonds consists of materials transferred from the Faculty of Natural Resources Management at Lakehead University to the Archives. Currently, this is primarily a set of forest management maps covering Northwestern Ontario.
Now the Lakehead Festival of Music and the Arts (https://www.tbmusicfestival.com/), the Lakehead Music Festival organized amateur music competitions and performances. The records consist of festival programmes for 1988, 1990, 1991, and 1992.
Native Studies Study Group fonds
Records of the Native Studies Study Group, the Native Advisory Committee, and the Sub-Committee on Academic Programming in Native Studies. Records relate to programs and services for Indigenous students at Lakehead, and illustrate the development of what became the Department of Indigenous Learning.
Documents include reports and proposals, correspondence, and meeting materials of the three internal organizations. There is specific information about the Native Access Program, Native Nurses Entry Program, Native Language Instruction Program, and course descriptions. There is also incidental information on other programs and services at Lakehead University.
The records consist primarily of several decades of research data from the study of water quality in lakes. Prepas, who is Professor Emeritus of Natural Resource Management at Lakehead University, was also formerly employed at the University of Alberta. Much of the research was conducted on Alberta lakes, with some performed in Northwestern Ontario as well. A significant portion of the third accession consists of slides and print photographs showing research activities.
The records also include some teaching notes and course materials, as well as some correspondence and administrative material.
Mid-Canada Development Corridor Conference fonds
Records relate to the planning of the Mid-Canada Development Corridor Conference taking place at Lakehead University in August 1969.
This conference brought together 150 invited delegates to examine questions of industrial and economic development through the mid-North of Canada.
“Purposes of the Mid-Canada Development Corridor Conference: To examine into the practicability of a continuing long range economic development and land use plan for the urbanization, industrialization, populating and general development of Mid-Canada; and to this end to use the concept of a Mid-Canada Development Corridor as a focal point.
And if such a long-range economic development and land use plan is found to be both feasible and practicable, then to formulate recommendations and suggested courses of action to be delivered to the Federal and Provincial Governments, to financial, commercial and industrial sectors of the National Community and to Canadian Universities.”
The Mid-Canada Development Corridor concept was first brought forward by Richard Rohmer, and research was carried out by ACRES Research and Planning Ltd. This work highlighted the potential for industrial and economic development in the "mid-North" of Canada, the swath north of the most highly populated areas, where resource extraction and settlement were happening on an ad hoc basis. The argument was made that it would be beneficial to Canada to plan transportation corridors, city-building, communications, and more so that settlement and industrial development would happen in a more rational manner. Despite the high level of interest at the time of the Conference and multiple tours and visits held afterwards, the concept was not embraced by government, and was not much discussed after the early 1970s.
These records include correspondence and meeting notes related to the planning of the Conference.
The fonds consists of publications and clippings in Finnish, including some of Terttu Koivu’s own writings in Canadan Uutiset and other publications. Terttu Koivu immigrated from Finland in 1953, and died in Thunder Bay in 2013 at age 95.
Three PDF documents relating to Pentti (Ben) Järvenpää's (1925-2020) life and memorial service. Life story document written by Pirkko Shalden and approved by Järvenpää.