Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society
The Records of
Community Organizations


List of Fonds, U-Z


E 36
Ukrainian Canadian Committee, Fort William Branch fonds

1942-1945
1 cm. of textual records

Administrative history
The Ukrainian Canadian Committee, was formed in about 1941 by Ukrainian Canadians for the purpose of furthering the Canadian war effort and providing a body to speak for all Canadians of Ukrainian descent. The Fort William branch formed as a consequence of a meeting held in January 1942.

Scope and Content
Series E 36/1/1 - Scrapbook - 1 cm. - 1942-1945
A scrapbook of clippings in both English and Ukrainian dealing with the activities of the Ukrainian Canadian Committee, particularly as they relate to the local Ukrainian activities during the war.

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E 35
Ukrainian National Federation of Canada fonds

1932-1975
13 cm. of textual records



Scope and Content
The Ukrainian National Federation of Canada records is a collection of minute books, booklets, constitutions, posters, newsletters, clippings, and letters regarding the Ukrainian National Federation, the Ukrainian National Youth Federation, and the Ukrainian War Veteran's Association.
Series E 35/1/1-2 - Ukrainian National Federation - 2 cm. - 1944-1970
1) A minute book of the Ukrainian National Federation (U.N.F), Geraldton Branch, 1944-55, in one bound volume, 2 cm. It is written in Ukrainian.
2) A booklet entitled "Salute to Thunder Bay", produced by the U.N.F. in 1970. It is written in English and Ukrainian.
Series E 35/2/1 - Ukrainian National Youth Federation - 3 cm. - 1945-1970
1) Constitution, 6 p.
2) Minute book of the Fort William branch, 1945-1954.
3) Photographs, posters, newsletters, clippings, ephemera and letters mostly relating to the national convention of the U.N.Y.F., in Fort William in 1966.
Series E 35/3/1-4 - Ukrainian War Veteran's Association - 8 cm. - 1932-1975
1) Constitution and letters from the head office to the Fort William branch, 1932-1943.
2) Minute book, volume 1, 1933-1934.
3) Minute book, volume 2, 1934-1965.
4) Minute book, volume 3, 1966-1975.

Administrative history
The Ukrainian National Federation of Canada (Thunder Bay and Geraldton branches) and its affiliates, the Ukrainian War Veteran's Association and the Ukrainian National Youth Federation, are described as "an established cultural-educational community organization", providing libraries and social/cultural events and facilities. The United National Federation of Canada appears to be the umbrella group for these various groups. It was a patriotic and political organization, a nationalist, anti-communist organization geared towards Europe as well as Ukrainians in Canada.
The Ukrainian National Youth Federation was an autonomous organization. Its constitution described it as "a non- partisan and classless organization of the Ukrainian-Canadian Youth of Canada", and its aim was "to foster among the Ukrainian youth of Canada the spirit of service toward Canada, and also aid the Ukrainian nation in Europe". The organization carried on "systematic, cultural and educational work". Membership was open to persons of Ukrainian origin, 14 years or older.

Additional Information
Related Material - Regarding E 35/3/1-4, see also a photograph, 989.46.1.

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E 33
Wartime Housing Community Club of Fort William fonds

1942-1946
10 cm. of textual records

Administrative history
The Wartime Housing Community Club of Fort William was composed of Tenants living in "wartime housing" or temporary residences built during World War II as emergency shelters. These people were mostly working people as their correspondence admits. The club addresses such issues as the conditions of the houses (negotiating with various government departments), the construction of community centres such as Westfort Community Centre, the creation of a national health insurance plan, the building of better hospitals, and the provision of proper recreation and reorienting facilities for local youth. The Wartime Housing Community Club quite possibly dissolved into the Westfort Community Centre in 1946.


According to its constitution, the Ladies Auxiliary of the above club was developed to "promote friendships", "to help aid the war effort" and to promote "the good of the community". The women worked in canteens and made garments and kits for soldiers.

Scope and Content
The Wartime Housing Club of Fort William records is a collection of correspondence, membership lists, and meetings regarding the Club's business, members, policies, meetings and activities.
Series E 33/1/1 - Correspondence - 6 cm. - 1943-1946
Correspondence, both incoming and outgoing, from 9 May 1943 to 25 July 1946.
Series E 33/2/1 - Membership list - 21 fol. - 1943-1944
Membership list showing the location of the houses of members and dividing them into geographical districts.
Series E 33/3/1 - Minutes - 3 cm. - 1942-1944
Minutes of the Ladies Auxiliary from 1942-1944. Includes membership lists, financial reports and a constitution. It is handwritten.

Additional Information
Custodial History: Donated by the Westfort Community Centre in 1989.

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E 11

West Algoma Council of Women fonds

1894-1973
70 cm of textual records

Administrative history
The West Algoma Council of Women was formed in September of 1894 at the instigation of Mrs F.E. Gibbs of Port Arthur with the intention of improving the state of local society. Both Fort William and Port Arthur women took part right from the beginning despite the enmity between the two towns. The West Algoma Council of Women was an affiliated council of the National Council of Women of Canada. Early concerns and projects undertaken by the group were: abolishing of expectorating on the streets, domestic science in schools, women in elected offices such as school boards, suffrage, promotion of censorship of reading material, the care of sick children, homes for discharged female prisoners, "social purity", moral standards, immigration, the judicial system, peace and war, hospitals, playgrounds, etc. Many local societies and organizations were affiliated with the West Algoma Council of Women and paid dues. The council was not a body designed to do specific work but rather, as the President expressed it in 1920, "a source for the expression of the unified opinion [of women] on such subjects and needs as seems most pressing." The West Algoma Council of Women was disbanded in the 1970s.

Scope and Content
The West Algoma Council of Women fonds is composed of minute books, correspondence, files, and year books regarding the West Algoma Council of Women, the National Council of Women of Canada, projects undertaken, and social issues such as the prohibition of liquor. All are listed chronologically. E 11/5/1 is composed of related publications.
Series E 11/1/1-7. - General minute books. - 15 cm. - 1914-1960
General minute books of the West Algoma Council of Women, that were kept by the secretary. All contain some newspaper clippings as well.
1) 3 Oct. 1914 to 30 Sept. 1916; 120 p.
2) 28 Oct. 1916 to 23 Nov. 1922; 299 p.
3) 24 Nov. 1922 to 13 Aug. 1928; 206 p.
4) 28 Sept. 1928 to 23 Oct. 1931; 148 p.
5) 8 Jan. 1932 to 23 Feb. 1940; 300 p.
6) 29 Mar. 1940 to 17 Feb. 1950; 300 p.
7) 23 Feb. 1951 to 26 Feb. 1960; 138 p.
Series E 11/2/1-3. - President's minute books. - 5 cm. - 1939-1945
The Presidents' minute books from the West Algoma Council of Women, all contain some newspaper clippings as well.
1) 28 Apr. 1939 to 29 Nov. 1940; 50 pages.
2) 31 Jan. 1941 to 27 Feb. 1942; 50 pages.
3) 27 Mar. 1942 to 23 Mar. 1945; 150 pages.
Series E 11/3/1-8. - Correspondence books and files. - 13 cm. - 1894-1960s
Letter books and files of the correspondence secretary of the West Algoma Council of Women:
1) 4 Oct. 1894 to 24 Mar. 1905 (contains clippings, letters); bound volume, 3 cm.
2) 29 Mar. 1935 to 12 Mar. 1948 (contains lists of officers, members and affiliated societies from 1935-1948); bound volume, 200 p.
3) File of correspondence, clippings and miscellaneous records, 1920s.
4) File of correspondence, clippings and miscellaneous records, 1930s.
5) File of correspondence, clippings and miscellaneous records, 1940s.
6) File of clippings, 1950s.
7) File of correspondence and transcripts of speeches given before the council, 1950s.
8) File of correspondence and clippings, 1960s.
Series E 11/4/1-6. - Miscellaneous records. - 8 cm. - 1894-1950
1) File containing lists of projects undertaken by the West Algoma Council of Women, 1894-1950; resolutions sent out of district 1916-1946; material on the history of the West Algoma Council of Women; an invitation from 1909; and two books including J.J. Carrick's "Carrick-atures".
2) Petition to prohibit peddling of liquor to the foreign population of Fort William (nd. ca. 1910); 5 p.
3) Two copies of "History of West Algoma Local Council of Women from 1894-1950" by Mrs. W.S. Pickup; 31 p each.
4) Treasurer's book containing receipts and disbursements, from 1939-1948; 200 p.
5) Roll Call of the Local Council of Women of West Algoma, 1910-1916; c.60 p.
6) Bound volume of correspondence, clippings and memorabilia regarding the Fiftieth Annual Meeting of the West Algoma Council of Women.
Series E 11/5/1. - Year books. - 29 cm. - 1935-1973
Year books of the National Council of Women of Canada of which the West Algoma Council of women is an affiliated member. 1935, 1937, 1938, 1940-1942, 1944, 1946-1947, 1949-1956, 1958-1960, 1962-1966, 1968, 1971-1973.

Notes
Formerly catalogued into the museum collection, 979.98.1-9; 979.78.1 G, I-J; 979.98.2,6; 979.98.9 A-U.

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E 32
Westfort Community Centre, Teen Town fonds

1944-1947
2 cm of textual records

Administrative history
Teen Town was a club for teenagers up to the age of 18, and was a part of the Westfort Community Centre. Its aim was to provide sports and cultural recreation activities (games, dances) for young people, both male and female, in the Westfort area. The club was very popular in the period just after the Second World War.

Scope and Content
Series E 32/1/1 - Minutes
Minutes of the Teen Town Club contained in one volume of 135 pages. The first 38 pages are missing, 7 July 1944 to 2 Dec. 1947. Also contains two membership lists, one dated 1946-1947.

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E 41
Yes For Canada! Thunder Bay Committee

1992
1 cm of textual records

Administrative history
The Thunder Bay branch of the Yes For Canada! campaign worked for a "yes" vote in the October 26, 1992 constitutional referendum. The vote was overwhelmingly "no".

Scope and Content
Series E 41/1/1 - Minutes and documents
One file containing the minutes, agenda and financial statements of the committee. Also one file of documents, clippings and published material relating to the referendum campaign.

Notes
Formerly catalogued into the museum collection, 993.23.1

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E 10

YMCA, Fort William fonds

1907-1981
45 cm of textual records

Administrative history
The Fort William YMCA was formed by a small group of young men from Fort William who were formerly officers of the Young Men's Association. The YMA was considered by some to be elitist and unpopular with the working class. The YMCA in Fort William was perhaps an attempt to overcome that. The prime mover seems to have been Mr. C.R. Sayer who, along with his fellow YMA officers, got representatives from the Protestant churches of Fort William to form an official YMCA branch, adopting a constitution in 1908. Subscriptions were sought from the business community and George H. Williamson was soon hired as general secretary. The first president was Harold E. Copp. The aim of the Association was "to improve the moral, mental, social and physical condition of young men and boys." It adopted from the outset the fundamental principles of "evangelical Christianity" as a basis of its proceedings. Boys 18 or over who were members of an "evangelic church" were eligible to serve as active members. Boys 12-18 could become general members. Only those with the proper religious qualifications were eligible to vote and hold office in the Association.
Land was purchased for a building in 1912 on the corner of Archibald and Miles Streets and a large building was erected. It offered rooms for socializing, billiards, games, music, a cafeteria, a gymnasium, running track, laundry room, two bowling alleys, and a 60' x 20' swimming pool. Courses were offered in various educational pursuits such as drafting, arithmetic, manual training, book keeping, etc. As well, religious instruction was offered and considered the "central, fundamental and crowning feature of the association work." The YMCA building also contained 66 bedrooms, 50 of which could be rented for a maximum of ten dollars per month in 1913. The YMCA also acted as an employment bureau and as an organization to help immigrants assimilate into Canadian society.
Though talks were underway to form a YWCA in the same building as early as 1930, it was not until much later that this occurred.

Scope and Content
The Fort William YMCA records are a collection of minute books, legal records, scrapbooks, clippings, pamphlets and newsletters all pertaining to the YMCA business and activities.
Series E 10/1/1-2. - Minute books. - 14 cm. - 1907-1930, 1933
Minutes of the meeting of the Board of Directors and committees of the Fort William YMCA contained in two bound volumes.
1) 1907-1913, including subscription lists, from September 1907. Entries are both in hand script and type.
2) 1914-30, 1933, entries are mostly typed.
Series E 10/2/1. -: Legal records. - 1 cm. - 1912-1981
The legal records of Fort William YMCA including the deed of land (1912) for the property on Archibald Street, the mortgage was taken in 1927, the purchase of the land near Lake Shebandowan in 1941, tax exemption and various legal correspondence. Also contains letters and documents relating to the disposition of the property of the Port Arthur YM and YWCA in 1975 and 1981 (350 Red River Road). It is all contained in one file.
Series E 10/3/1-10. - Scrapbook and files of clippings. - 30 cm. - 1949-1976
Newspaper clippings of the YMCA and YWCA activities:
1) Port Arthur YM-YWCA, 1949-1966.
2) Fort William YMCA, 1953-1956.
3) Fort William/Port Arthur YM-YWCA, 1956-1957.
4) Fort William YMCA, 1958-1962.
5) Fort William/Port Arthur YM-YWCA, late 1960s.
6) Fort William/Port Arthur YM-YWCA, 1969-1970.
7) Fort William/Port Arthur YM-YWCA, 1970-1971.
8) Fort William/Port Arthur YM-YWCA, 1972.
9) Fort William/Port Arthur YM-YWCA, 1973-1974.
10) Fort William/Port Arthur YM-YWCA, 1971-1976.
Series E 10/4/1. - Miscellaneous records. - one file. - 1912-1975
Pamphlet, 1912-13 (Fort William YMCA). A president's report from the Port Arthur YM-YWCA, 1966. A newsletter, Y's Worker, June 1970. Plus letters, financial statements and a membership tally, from 1966-1968.

Notes
Custodial History. - Donated in 1985 by H.C. Holman, of 2702 Churchill Drive. It was catalogued in 1987.
Related Material. - See also photographs catalogued in the photo collection, 987.30.1-251.

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