A vast and varied collection of records documenting the experiences of Finnish immigrants to Northwestern Ontario. Includes correspondence, manuscripts, photographs, interviews, published material, and ephemera. The photograph collection is extensive and covers a wide range of subjects.

The records are arranged into the following series:
A - Bay Street Project
B - Finnpraxis Project
C - Collections
D - Photographs
E - Miscellaneous
F - Finnish Experience

The fonds consists of minutes, membership lists, newsletters, correspondence, a photograph and four negatives, bird census data, and other records associated with the activities of the club. The fonds consists of the following series:

1. Constitution and Bylaws
2. Minutes
3. Treasurer
4. Club History
5. Membership Lists
6. Newsletter
7. Research and Information
8. Lobbying
9. Conferences
10. 50th Anniversary
11. Ephemera

Records of the Thunder Bay Co-Operative Dairy, Ltd, which operated from 1928 to 1969.

The records include: the Board of Directors' meeting minutes, which provide detailed accounts of the Dairy's management and operation from its founding in 1928 through its eventual liquidation in 1972; a time book listing employee wages and deductions; a financial journal outlining the Co-Op's final years in production; and a folder containing various news clippings and written notes.

Card catalogue from the Suomi Koti library.

Suomi Koti of Thunder Bay is a seniors' residence in Thunder Bay. The organization was founded in 1984; the building, consisting of 60 apartment units, was opened in 1988. Suomi Koti was developed to meet the needs of Finnish-Canadian seniors

The library was built from donations and purchases by residents over the years. It held titles in Finnish and in English; the Finnish-language materials were often published in and brought from Finland and were difficult to access through Canadian libraries or booksellers. This library reflected a body of reading material of Finnish-speaking people in Thunder Bay in the later part of the twentieth century.

In 2025, the library collections were weeded significantly to make room for new furniture and better meet the needs of current residents. Some titles were donated to Lakehead University Library at this time. The Finnish-language card catalogue has been acquired by the Archives to preserve a record of the library's former collections and how it reflected the culture of its users.

Records relating to Steve Mantis's work in injured workers' rights and advocacy, including with: Thunder Bay District Injured Workers Support Group; Ontario Network of Injured Workers Groups; and the Worker's Compensation Board (WSIB). Records of research projects. New Directions Speakers' School. Poverty reduction initiatives. Bay Credit Union Social Responsibility Committee. Run for MPP in 2011 Ontario election as NDP candidate for Thunder Bay-Superior North.

St. Urho's Day is celebrated on March 16 each year in Thunder Bay, as well as in many Finnish-Canadian and Finnish-American Communities. These records relate to both the wider holiday and to its celebration in Thunder Bay.

St. Urho is a [fictional] Finnish saint, renowned for driving the grasshoppers (or, in early legends, frogs) out of the Finnish vineyards. The story of St. Urho originated in Minnesota in the 1950s, and it has over time become a popular aspect of Finnish-American and Finnish-Canadian culture. People wear purple and green to participate in parades, celebrations, and performances.

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.

Documents, correspondence, and collective agreements with the Port Arthur Shipbuilding Company, in Port Arthur / Thunder Bay.

Correspondence and papers of the Pigeon River Lumber Company, primarily in the 1930s and 1940s. Includes the original Letters Patent. Many of the records relate to lands in the Township of Pardee.

The correspondence, government employment program material, reports, and minutes for Paul McRae's years as Liberal MP for Fort William and then Thunder Bay-Atikokan. The records cover both national and local issues.

McRae was first elected in 1972, and served four terms in Parliament until 1984.

The 1978 Young Canada Works "Herstory" project's aim was to compile material on women pioneers in Northwestern Ontario with the intention of using the material to write a book on the same theme. The hope was to illustrate the lives and achievements of Northwestern Ontario women and stimulate further interest in women's contribution to Northwestern Ontario history.

The material here was collected through interviews with over 100 women around Northwestern Ontario. Records include 70 audio cassettes with taped interviews, recorded largely in 1975, and mostly accompanied by transcripts. The records also contain research notes, news articles and photographs, related to Northwestern Ontario communities and fields of activity relating to women's history. They also include correspondence, reports, financial and other administrative records of the project leaders and workers.

The project work did not continue through to the writing of a book. These records were held but largely untouched until a project review in 1993.

In the Decade Council's 1993 report, three objectives were listed: To validate women’s contributions within the context of NWO; to restore and catalogue the records of women’s lives in NWO; and to create a resource that would provide a perspective on women’s Herstory in NWO. A detailed summary of those interviewed, their location and details on whether there is a transcript or release form were created. This report concluded with multiple recommendations with the aim of preserving the tapes and collected materials for eventual public use. This project was not continued, and the material was stored in various locations until its donation in 2024.

The Northwestern Ontario Regional Day Care Committee / Child Care Committee operated from the 1970s to the 1990s. The Committee was a grassroots organization made up of child care workers, administrators, parents, and others concerned with the provision of child care in the region. The Committee was engaged in advocacy work, as well as supporting the work of child care centres and professionals.

Records of the Committee include minutes, membership lists, newsletters, correspondence, and other records associated with the advocacy activities of the organisation. Includes correspondence with governments and partner organizations.

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.

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

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.

Web material related to the 2018 municipal elections in municipalities across Northwestern Ontario.

Sites crawled include those of municipalities, candidates, news sources, and third party groups making endorsements or recommendations.

These are the records of the Chief Librarian (University Librarian) of Lakehead University (Lakehead Technical Institute, Lakehead College of Arts, Science, and Technology.)

The records document the management and administration of the Lakehead University Library, including the construction of the Library building, policies, acquisitions, staffing, and more. Correspondence provides insight into the workings of the library during a period of library and academic expansion, computerization and transition.

The Chief Librarian had a significant role as a member of University administration, and participated on Faculty Council, Senate, and numerous committees. Records here reflect those bodies and their work throughout this time period, including proposed and new programs, enrollment, new construction, governance, and long range planning.

The Library's role in partnership with other organizations provincially, nationally, and internationally is also represented. Many libraries were adopting new technologies at this time, which allowed for more communications and cooperation, on projects including computerized cataloguing and inter-library loan.

The time period covered in these records includes major developments and changes within Lakehead University, and in the cultures and technologies of universities and libraries.

Lakehead University evolved from the Lakehead Technical Institute (LTI), which was established in 1946. From LTI, Lakehead became the Lakehead College of Arts, Science and Technology in 1956. The Lakehead University Act was given Royal Assent by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario in 1965, and Lakehead University was established. The first degrees granted by Lakehead University were in Arts and Science in 1965.

The Lakehead University fonds includes records of administrative offices and former administrators.

The Lakehead Social History Institute is a partnership between historical researchers at Lakehead University and members of the Thunder Bay community. Active since 1997, the Institute supports and promotes historical research in the Northwestern Ontario region. The Institute facilitates research, trains new researchers, disseminates information about historical resources, conducts workshops, assists educational and community organizations, supports historical publications, and encourages local groups to preserve archival materials.

The fonds includes meeting minutes, correspondence, research projects, funding applications, workshop materials, membership lists, and publications. It also contains records of collaborations with educational institutions and community organizations, reflecting the Institute’s commitment to advancing historical research and public engagement.

Video recordings of local French-language television broadcasts.

Many individual items and small collections have been described as part of the General Archives.

Materials related to the architectural history of Lakehead University, as presented at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.

Voices of the Grain Trade oral history project:
"Our volunteer interview teams in Thunder Bay and Winnipeg did their best to collect voices reflecting all major facets of Canada's international grain trade. As a result, you will find interviews with farmers, researchers, plant breeders, company owners, and railway employees blended in with the stories of grain handlers, inspectors, lake shippers, regulators, builders, marketers, and many more. Our voices are spread from Quebec City to Victoria, with the highest concentrations being from Thunder Bay and Winnipeg."

The records include audio recordings of oral history interviews, accompanied by transcripts and releases.

Records relate to water quality and fish research in Northwestern Ontario.

In 1986, the International Joint Commission’s Remedial Action Plan for the Great Lakes designated four Canadian areas of concern (AOC) in Lake Superior. The following areas were identified to have water quality impairments, Thunder Bay, Nipigon Bay, Jackfish Bay, and Peninsula Harbour (Marathon, Ontario). Pulp and Paper mills were identified as a major source of pollution. In Thunder Bay, the inventory and assessment projects were initiated as Stage 1 and completed by 1991. Stage 2, remedial strategies, completed in 2004. General issues: unpleasant foam, oily residue, and odour in waterways, high levels of chemicals in sediment and fish, loss of fish and wildlife habitat, impacts to sediment-dwelling organisms, and impacts on fish populations. Specific fish habitat concerns were water quality degradation, loss of wetland, degradation or loss of spawning substrate, and habitat destruction by dredging. Important fish population problems have occurred over time due to fish habitat loss from both physical and chemical changes on Lake Superior and its tributaries.
Many government agencies were involved with Lake Superior remedial action plans including the Ministry of the Environment (MOE), Department of Fisheries Oceans (DFO), Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Lakehead Conservation Authority. Lakehead University was tasked with portions of the fish and fish habitat inventory in Stage 1 and providing an external review of the stage 2 plans for remedial action. Lakehead University sought Dr. Walter Momot, Professor of Ichthyology with this responsibility.

This collection is divided into three series involving the International Joint commissions Remedial Action Plans of the Canadian Portion of Lake Superior.
1) Kaministiquia River Project
a. Kaministiquia River External Reports
2) Northwestern Ontario Fish Inventory Collection
3) Remedial Action Plan Reviews

Further Reading;
• Cullis, Ken I., et al. Fish Community and Aquatic Habitat of the Kaministiquia River, 1987. Ontario, Ministry of Natural Resources, 1987.
• Cullis, Ken I., et al. Fish Community and Aquatic Habitat of the Kaministiquia River, 1987. [Thunder Bay Remedial Action Plan], 1990.
• Dean, J. F., et al. Geofisheries: A New Concept for Determining Fish Habitat Suitability as Applied to Brook Trout (Salvelinus Fontinalis). Lakehead University. Dept of Biology, 1991.
• Hartviksen, Connie and Momot, Walter T. Fishes of the Thunder Bay Area of Ontario a Guide for Identifying and Locating the Local Fish Fauna. Thunder Bay Salmon Association. 1987.
• Hartviksen, Connie, and Walter T. Momot. Fishes of the Thunder Bay Area of Ontario: A Guide for Identifying and Locating the Local Fish Fauna. Wildwood Press, 1989.
• Momot, Walter T. Review and Recommendations Concerning Delisting Criteria and Beneficial Use Impairments for the Four North Coast of Lake Superior Areas of Concern. Dept. of Biology, Lakehead University, 2005.
• Momot, Walter T., and S. A. Stephenson. Threespine, Gasterosteus Aculeatus, and Fourspine, Apeltes Auadracus, Sticklebacks in the Lake Superior Basin. 2000.
• Momot, Walter T., and Sam A. Stephenson. Isostatic Rebound and Its Effects on Fish Colonization and Distribution in the Western Lake Superior Basin. National Research Council., 1993.
• Momot, Walter T., et al. Reproductive Guilds of Percids : Results of the Paleogeographical History of Ecological Succession. s.n.], 1977?
• Momot, Walter T., and Sam A. Stephenson. Atlas of the Distribution of Fish within the Canadian Tributaries of Western Lake Superior. Lakehead Centre for Northern Studies, 1996.
• Picard, Christopher Robert, et al. Effectiveness of Using Summer Thermal Indices to Classify and Protect Brook Trout Streams in Northern Ontario?
• Stephenson, Sam A. The distribution of fishes in the Thunder Bay area of northwestern Ontario since deglaciation, with special reference to the darters (Genus Etheostoma) and the Sibley Peninsula. Thesis (M.Sc.)--Lakehead University. 1991
• Stephenson, Sam A., and Walter T. Momot. Sibley Fishes. Lakehead Centre for Northern Studies, 1994.
• Stephenson, Sam A. Food Habits and Growth of Walleye (Stizostedion Vitreum), Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus Dolomieui) and Northern Pike (Esox Lucius) in the Kaministiquia River, Thunder Bay, Ontario. s.n.], 1989.
• "FOR THE RECORD SALMON THREATENED." Globe & Mail [Toronto, Canada], 20 Feb. 1989, p. A12. Canada In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A164803910/CIC?u=ko_acd_con&sid=CIC&xid=329c59cd. Accessed 24 May 2019.