Summer in the reference department of the Thunder Bay Public Library tends to welcome scads of new and seasoned genealogy and local history enthusiasts. Hopefully this summer will be no different! Over the years we have had visiting researchers from across Canada and several from other countries. Questions usually range from trying to find the next piece in a family tree to tracking the story of an individual or event for an upcoming publication. Often people are only in town for a brief period and take on some pretty hardcore research during their stay, which always gives our collection a healthy workout.
However it is the local researcher who can benefit most regularly from the local history and genealogy collections available throughout Thunder Bay. The Thunder Bay Public Library provides free public access to a variety of resources in print and electronic formats. At the Brodie Resource Library, Special Collections houses our rare local history collection of books and photographs. The Local History News and Genealogy Indexes can help direct you to obituaries and news items from 1933 to 1975. The Port Arthur Social News Index lists all types of social events from 1915 to 1942. There are hundreds of maps available as well, with a handy index available for review on the TBPL website. We also have many books and guides that will help new genealogists get their research going. Highlights of our online resources are the Gateway to Northwestern Ontario History (which includes thousands of photographs, maps, and news items from across Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario) and the Ancestry.com genealogy database (available at all four library branches). Check out the local history and genealogy pages of our website to find out more information.
Other organizations around town that should make your research to-do list this summer include the Thunder Bay Museum, Thunder Bay Archives, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, and the Family History Center, just to name a few.
The archives website provides a great summary of their collection: that it holds a wide range of materials about the social, political, economic, natural, and built history of Thunder Bay. The archives is open to the public (hours available online) and displays fascinating exhibits on site and online that portray our city’s rich history.
With its regular exhibit gallery, special and online exhibits, the museum is the perfect spot to start engaging in the rich history of Thunder Bay. In addition to special events and programs (check out the events calendar on their website), the museum is home to the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society archives. This collection ranges from business and labour records to personal papers and military records (among other interesting items).
For any sports buff who hasn’t been to the sports hall of fame, I have two words for you - go now! Their collections tell the story of sports and athletics in our region and I was floored the first time I saw it all. In addition to the museum and archives, they hold educational programs, outreach and community events.
The Family History Centre is one of many branches of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. The centre is aimed at helping people track down ancestors and family members through a collection of print, computer and microfilm/fiche resources. More information can be found online at familysearch.org.
Genealogy research is often referred to as detective work and I think anyone who has spent time sifting through paper records, microfilm, fiche and online databases can attest to that fact. You never know what you’ll find!
Jesse Roberts, Head of Reference Services
The "@ Your Library" Column appears in the Sunday edition of the Chronicle Journal newspaper. The Column is written by staff at the Thunder Bay Public Library. Library staff also write for other publications, and those columns will occasionally be posted here as well. This blog helps us share our writing with a broader audience, and provides our readers with a forum for feedback. We welcome your comments!
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