Dr. Melville (Mel) William Bartley was a geologist in Northwestern Ontario. His contribution to the development of the mining sector within the region was very influential. He graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1934, as well as obtaining the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Toronto in 1940. He was the founding Principal of Lakehead University Technical Institute, and was the first chair of the Lakehead University Board of Governors from 1965 to 1969.

The Canadian Association of University Teachers is an organization made up of academic staff associations at public universities and colleges in Canada. The Association supports the work of local academic staff organizations in their bargaining, grievance, and related work. The Association also works to bring awareness to issues facing the postsecondary education sector.

CAUT was founded in 1951. As of 2025, it represents staff at 130 universities and colleges, including Lakehead University.

Founded as Lakehead Teachers' College in 1960. Joined Lakehead University and became the Faculty of Education in 1969. Includes undergraduate and graduate programmes, professional development for teachers, and the Department of Indigenous Education. Since the opening of Lakehead's Orillia Campus, Education programmes have been available on both campuses.

As a faculty member at Lakehead University, Dennis McPherson was instrumental in establishing Native Studies/Indigenous Learning at Lakehead, and also in critiquing Lakehead's lack of support of Indigenous faculty and students.

He is well known for visibly protesting systemic racism at Lakehead University in 1995, first by camping on the lawn on campus near the administrative headquarters, and then by walking to Ottawa. This work also served as a research project under the title "Indian on the Lawn." Prior to this protest, he had co-created the first Indigenous philosophy course in Canada, and may have been the first Indigenous person to present a paper on Indigenous philosophy at an academic conference in Canada.

McPherson is Anishinaabe (Ojibwe), a member of the Couchiching First Nation at Fort Frances, Ontario.

A university based in London, Ontario. Founded in 1878 as the Western University of London Ontario; renamed University of Western Ontario in 1923; rebranding as Western University took place 2012. As of 2025, the university has over 35,000 students.