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Frederick O. Robinson fonds
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Pre-1943 Period

This category concerns some aspects of Robinson's life before his election to public office, including his work as machinist for the C.N.R., some material about his activities in the labor movement as an executive officer in the I.A.M. (International Association of Machinists) and the Port Arthur Trades and Labor Council, and on the Lakehead Council of the Canadian League for Peace and Democracy. The folders contain material of local, national, and in some cases, international origin.

Frederick O. Robinson fonds

  • Fonds
  • 1937 - 1963

Frederick O. Robinson was born in Port Arthur, Ontario on Aug. 2, 1903. He attended public and high school in Port Arthur and then served his apprenticeship to the machinist trade in the C.N.R. shops. He worked for 25 years as a skilled machinist in the Port Arthur shops of the C.N.R. until his election to the Ontario legislature in 1943. He continued to work as a C.N.R. machinist between sessions of the legislature, and after his election to the office of mayor, he worked in the C.N.R. shops on weekends.

He entered public life in January 1943 when he was elected to the Port Arthur Board of Education. In August of the same year he was elected to the Ontario legislature as C.C.F. member for Port Arthur. He was M.L.A. for Port Arthur until his defeat in 1951. In civic affairs, he remained on the Board of Education until 1946 when he was elected as alderman. In 1949, he became Mayor of Port Arthur; he remained in this post except for 1952 when he was defeated until 1955 when he resigned to become personnel manager for the Public Utilities Commission. He left active political life at this time. He resigned from the Public Utilities Commission in 1966 because of ill health. In July, 1969, he died.

The Frederick O. Robinson fonds comprises 7 feet of correspondence, clippings, pamphlets, articles and other material and is contained in seventeen transfer cases. The folder titles in the main are those designated by Mr. Robinson. Some re-arrangement of the material has been effected in order to comply with the folder titles. Since the folders themselves were in no apparent order when .they were donated to the university, the following arrangement was thought to be most suitable for research purposes:
I. Pre-1943 Period
II. Political Affairs (relating to the C.C.F.)
III. The Ontario Legislature and Provincial Affairs, 1943-51
IV. Provincial and Local Affairs.
V. Local and Municipal Affairs.
VI. General
VII. Miscellaneous

General

This category is divided into two sections: 1. Background material from newspaper, labour organizations, and community groups, political groups and corporations on a multitude of topics in which Robinson was interested during his public career. 2. Files started by Mr. Robinson in 1959. In this year, Mr. Robinson 'Clipped and filed' on a number of subjects. Some of these clippings were included
in files started earlier but most are in separate files begun in 1959. Some of the material is of local interest.

Social Services

These folders deal with government departments' provincial policy towards local institutions, C.C.F. policy statements, correspondence with Robinson from constituents, and background material regarding social services in general.

The Ontario Legislature and Provincial Affairs, 1943-1951

This category concerns Robinson's role as M.L.A. Included is material on the work of the legislature, various government departments, and agencies, the role of the C.C.F. caucus, and C.C.F. policy, briefs by various lobbies and organizations, and background information on legislative matters. Also included is material concerning Robinson's activities as M.L.A. for Port Arthur, both in the house and in the riding. Since Robinson held civic office during this period, some of the material relates directly to civic affairs.

Local and Municipal Affairs

This category relates to Robinson's role in civic affairs, as school trustee, as alderman, and as mayor. It also includes material relating to civic election campaigns. Of prime interest are the folders relating to Canadian oil and gas pipelines controversies in which Robinson as mayor played a leading post.

Radio and Publicity

These folders contain radio broadcasts delivered by C.C.F. leaders and by Robinson during election campaigns, and at other times, as well as general C.C.F. publicity.

Political Affairs (relating to the CCF)

These folders are listed topically into five sections:

  1. Provincial elections; 2. C.C.F. National and Provincial Offices; 3. Port Arthur Constituency; 4. Radio and Publicity; 5. Federal Affairs, 1957-63.

Within each section the material is organized chronologically where feasible. The files include correspondence, literature and other material emanating from the national, provincial and local C.C.F. Also included is material from other political parties.

Provincial and Local Affairs

This category relates to Robinson's dual roles in civic and provincial affairs, although material of national significance is sometimes included. The first three files relate to the history of the origins of Lakehead University and the local campaigns to obtain a university or institute of higher learning in Northwest Ontario. Robinson was in the forefront of this campaign, beginning with his election to the Board of Education; he continued to promote the university in the legislature and in government circles. Other folders relate to the ship-building crisis in the Lakehead, and other issues of local and broader concern.

Miscellaneous

This section includes correspondence mostly of a personal nature and other material which is self-explanatory from the titles.

Federal Affairs 1957-1963

These folders contain material relating to Douglas Fisher's election campaigns and his political activities as M. P. for Port Arthur Riding. There is also a folder relating to the formation of a New Party, co-sponsored by the C.C.F. and the Canadian Labour Congress, out of which was formed the New Democratic Party, 1959. Material of local and national origin is included.

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