The Northwestern Ontario Archivist's Association (NOAA, for short) was established in 1988 by a small but dedicated group of individuals with with interests in archival studies. Representing archives and archivists throughout the region, our main objective is to care for the needs of archivists and users of archives. To this end we promote the preservation and public use of historical records in Ontario and hold meetings, workshops and lectures to improve archival standards and practices in the field.

Through our affiliation with the Archives Association of Ontario we are able to run AAO sponsored core curriculum, advanced workshops, and continuing education courses. Offerings include workshops on archival management, arrangement and description, acquisition, introduction to records management, reference and public service, arrangement and description (finding aids), media collections, authority controls, and graphics. For complete course descriptions and additional information see the Archives Association of Ontario's Professional Development Education Program page.

M5B 2L8

Archives in Ontario's Northwest 

Archives are places where a broad range of mostly unpublished materials (also called archives) are preserved for use by researchers. Such materials can include the records of businesses, organizations and governments or the records of individuals. A visit to an archives may uncover such things as diaries, accounts, letters, reports, minute books, lists ect. Many archives also hold photographs, maps, blueprints, films, audio tapes, microfilms and even computer disks.

Each archives is unique just like the records it preserves. In Northwestern Ontario there are specialized archives holding the records produced by governments, churches, hospitals, or clubs and organizations. Some local archives concentrate on specific subjects such as sports or the fur trade or on particular geographic areas such as a town, district or city. There are also several general archives which collect widely in all areas.

Before visiting an archives it is always best to phone ahead. This will ensure that there is space available for you and staff ready to assist you.

Most of Northwestern Ontario's archives have very small reading rooms and some require you to make an appointment.

Every archives has an acquisition mandate defining the types and scope of records that it accepts. Some archives exist only to handle the records of an existing institution such as a church, a government or a business, while others accept donations from the general public and a great variety of organizations and businesses.

If you have records you feel should be preserved - family letters, the minutes of a defunct organization, a photographic album, or that film Uncle George took of the troops going off to war in 1939 - contact your local archives and ask about making a donation.

Atikokan Centennial Museum and Historical Park

Box 849, Civic Centre, Atikokan, ON, P0T 1C0

Phone: (807) 597-6585

Collection: Photographs, slides, paintings, documents pertaining to early lumbering, mining, fur trade and railroads in the Atikokan Area.

Mandate: Atikokan and surrounding area. All record types.

Access: Seasonal facility, May 1 - October 31 9 am to 5pm weekdays; subject to change.

Other Services: Photocopying, slide projecting, library.

Contact: DeNeille Guillet, Director/Curator

Archives of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Thunder Bay

Box 10400, Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 6T8

Phone : (807) 343-9313 Fax: (807) 343-9114

Collection: Documents , records, financial papers, curial work, maps and photographs primarilly from 1952 to the present

Mandate: Diocese of Thunder Bay

Access: By Appointment

Contact: Sister Teresa Sabatini csj, archival worker

Rm LI 5001, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 5E1

Phone: (807)343-8856 Fax: (807) 343-8007

Collection: Personal papers, literary manuscripts, records of local businesses and community organizations, local and regional Finnish-Canadian ethnic archives from 1870 to present. Maps, blueprints, photographs, pictures and paintings, newspapers and periodicals.

Mandate: Lakehead University records, and records relating to industrial business, social, religious and cultural activities in Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario.

Access: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm weekdays, Sundays 1 pm to 5 from September to April. Appointments preferred.

Other Services: Photocopying, microfilm reader, photo reproduction, library.

Contact: Vivian Sharp, Archivist.

E-mail: vtnyyssonen@lib.lakeheadu.ca

Northern Studies Resources Centre

The Chancellor Paterson Library, Rm. LI 5007, Lakehead University Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 5E1

Phone: (807) 343-8728 Fax: (807) 343-8007

Collection: The regional collection relates to Northern and especially Northwestern Ontario and includes many rare publications as well as extensive holdings of local newspapers on microfilm. The North collection relates to circumpolar regions.

Mandate: Northern Ontario, Northern Canada, World circumpolar regions.

Access: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm on weekdays, Sundays 1 pm to 5 pm from September to April.

Contact: Louise Wuorinen, Northern and Regional Studies Librarian.

E-mail: louisewuorinen@lakeheadu.ca

City of Thunder Bay Archives

Street Address: 235 Vickers Street North, Thunder Bay, ON.

Mailing Address: 500 Donald Street East, Thunder Bay, ON, P7E 5V3

Phone (807) 625-2270 or (807) 625-3390 Fax: (807) 622-4212

Collection: Primarily minutes, by-laws, assessment rolls, collectors rolls, committee records, financial records and correspondence for the City of Thunder Bay and the former cities of Port Arthur and Fort William. This material is supplemented by a number of photographs and maps along with a collection of publications related to the City of Thunder Bay.

Mandate: Responsible for the records management programme for the City as well as identifying and preserving Corporate records of permanent significance.

Access: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday

Other Services: Microfilm reader/printer, photocopying

Contact: Alex Ross, City Archivist.

E-mail aross@city.thunder-bay.on.ca

Dryden and District Museum

15 Van Horne Avenue, Dryden ON, P8N 2A5

Phone: (807) 223-4671 Fax: (807) 223-7354

Collection: Photographs, personal and business correspondence, journals, records pertaining to early lumbering and mining, minute books and ledgers, Homestead Act ledgers, maps, blueprints, local newpapers and general material.

Mandate: Dryden and surrounding area. All record types.

Access: 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday in Winter (October-March) , 9am to 5pm Tuesday to Saturday in Summer (April - September)

Other Services: Reference Library, photocopying, slide projecting

Contact: Leah G. Gardner, Curator or Mary Lou Ward, Assistant

E-mail: ddmuseum@dryden.lakeheadu.ca

Fort Frances Museum and Cultural Centre

259 Scott Street, Fort Frances, ON. P9A 1G8

Phone: (807) 274-7891

Collection: Personal papers, records of business and community organizations, photographs (indexed) from the late 1800's to the present. Origional copies of the Fort Frances Times (1918 to the present) indexed to 1930.

Mandate: All records pertaining to the Rainy River District.

Other Services: Photocopying, photo reproduction.

Access: 11 am to 4 pm weekdays (Sept-June); 10 am to 6 pm weekdays (June - August), Appointments preferred.

Contact: Pam Hawley, Museum Superintendent-Curator.

The Lake of the Woods Museum

300 Main Street South, P.O. Box 497, Kenora, ON. P9N 3X5

Phone: (807) 467-2105 Fax (807) 467-2109

Collection: Photographs, personal and business correspondence, journals, maps, blueprints, unpublished research papers and general information files.

Mandate: All records relating to Kenora, the Lake of the Woods and immediate surrounding areas.

Access: 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday to Saturday. Appointments preferred.

Other Services: Photocopying, photo reproduction, reference library.

Contact: Lori Nelson, Archivist/Librarian

Website: netra.voyageur.ca/~lwmchin/museum.html

E-mail: lwmchin@voyageur.ca

Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame and Museum

219 May Street South, Thunder Bay, ON P7E 1B5

Phone: (807) 622-2852 Fax: (807)622-2736

Collection: Records pertaining to organizations and individuals active in sports throughout Northwestern Ontario from the late 19th century to the present day. Items include scrapbooks, photographs, books, biographical and general subject files.

Mandate: Norhtwestern Ontario from the Manitoba border to White River.

Access: 10 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday. Appointments preferred.

Other Services: Photocopying, photo reproduction, library.

Contact: Diane Imrie, Executive Director or Kate Dwyer, Curator

Web Page: http://www.thunderbayculture.com/

E-mail: nwosport@air.on.ca

Old Fort William Library

Vickers Heights P.O., Thunder Bay, ON P0T 2Z0

Phone: (807)473-2310 or (807)577-8461

Collection: The collection relates to the early 19th centry fur trade and the site reconstruction. It includes pictures, photocopies of records from national and provincial archives, microforms, maps and photocopies of engagement contracts to the North West Company.

Mandate: To provide information to all staff, volunteers and visitors.

Access: Hours are subject to change 10 am to 5 pm Mid May to Mid October, Winter by appointment only.

Other Services: Photocopying, mocrofilm reader/printer. Fee based Research service is available for geneological searches relating to the fur trade.

Contact: Shawn Patterson.

Web Page: http://www.oldfortwilliam.on.ca/

E-mail: shawnpatterson@edt.gov.on.ca

Paipoonge Museum

R.R. No. 6, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7C 5N5

Phone: (807) 939-1262 Fax (807) 939-4132

Collection: Photographs and a limited number of records related to local activities.

Mandate: Paipoonge and surrounding area

Access: May to September by special appointment.

Contact: Lois Garrity

Web Page: http://www.thunderbayculture.com/

E-Mail: lgarrity@tbaytel.net

Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society

425 E. Donald Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7E 5V1

Phone: (807) 623-0801 Fax: (807)622-6880

Collection: Personal papers and the records of business, labour, military and community organizations from the early 1800's to the present. Includes maps, blueprints, art work, photographs and research files containing biographical, architectural and general historical materials.

Mandate: Northwestern Ontario and Thunder Bay District

Access: 9 am to 5 pm weekdays. Appointments preferred.

Other Services: Photocopying, microfilm reader, photo reproduction, library.

Contact: T. J. Tronrud, Curator/Archivist

Web Page: www.tbaytel.net/tbhms/

E-mail: mailto:tronrud@tbaytel.net

Thunder Bay Public Library

Collection: Brodie Resource Library - books, maps, census material, Thunder Bay Index, local history files, photographs, city directories and telephone books, local newspapers on microfilm, obituary files and index, genealogical material.

Collection: Waverley Resource Library - books, Thunder Bay Index, local newspapers, limited local history file.

Mandate: Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay District, Northwestern Ontario.

Access: 10 am to 9 pm Monday to Wednesday, 10 am to 6pm Thursday-Friday, Saturday 10 am to 5 pm: Sunday hours 1 pm to 5 pm from Mid-September to Mid-May.

Other Services: Photocopying, mocrofilm reader/printers.

Contact: Reference Department

Web Page: www.tbpl.thunder-bay.on.ca/

E-mail: comserv@tbpl.thunderbay.on.ca

John B. Ridley Research Library

Quetico Park, Atikokan, Ont. P0T 1C0

Phone: 807-929-2571 Fax: 807-929-2123

Collection: Photographs, slides, oral history tapes, maps, historical records, natural history inventories, herbarium, wilderness management related inventories, and general material related toQuetico Park.

Mandate: Material to support the historical, scientific, research,interpretive, educational and recreational interests of Quetico Provincial Park and surrounding area.

Access: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm daily (mid May-Labour Day), appointments preferred; by appointment (Labour Day-mid May)

Other Services: Photocopying, reference library

Contact: Andrea Allison, Librarian

 Contact Us: Tory Tronrud (Treasurer) tronrud@tbaytel.net