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Magrath family fonds
CA ON00380 1979.007 · Archief · 1759-[ca. 1975] predominant 1844-1893

Fonds consists largely of records created and collected by members of the Magrath family, including the Reverend James Magrath and his children, in the course of administering and occupying their farming estate (called Erindale) on the Credit River. Fonds includes correspondence, legal and financial records and ledgers, and plans of the estate and environs. There is also a small amount of material added to the fonds by later descendants of the family, including family histories and annotated transcriptions of the earliest Magrath correspondence.

The bulk of the correspondence consists of personal letters between family members, including James Magrath and his children, and most is written to Charles Magrath while on a trip to Ireland. Letters are largely concerned with family and personal affairs.

Note that the Magrath family correspondence includes occasional references to the activities of the First Nations (Mississauga Anishinaabe) people of the Credit area at that time referred to as the Credit Indians. The nature of these references is influenced by the perspective and prejudices of the Magraths.

The fonds comprises the following six series:

Series 1: Correspondence
Series 2: Legal records
Series 3: Financial records
Series 4: Family history records
Series 5: Erindale Estate maps and plans
Series 6: Transcriptions

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CA ON00428 2021.55-1 · Part · 1805
Part of Treaty 13. Mississague Nation. Toronto purchase.

Item is a composite image created from two separate photographs detailing the boundaries of the Toronto Purchase between the Crown and the Mississaugas of the Credit. The original sale is dated to 1787, however there were questions raised about the legitimacy of the documents and about the delineation of the land. In 1805 a formal purchase was documented and is referenced in the text of the item. William Claus, the Deputy Superintendent of Indian Affairs, signed on behalf of the Crown.

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CA ON00428 2021.55 · Stuk · 1805

Item is a composite image created from two separate photographs detailing the boundaries of the Toronto Purchase between the Crown and the Mississaugas of the Credit. The original sale is dated to 1787, however there were questions raised about the legitimacy of the documents and about the delineation of the land. In 1805 a formal purchase was documented and is referenced in the text of the item. William Claus, the Deputy Superintendent of Indian Affairs, signed on behalf of the Crown.

CA ON00428 2021.55-2 · Part · 1805
Part of Treaty 13. Mississague Nation. Toronto purchase.

Item is a composite image created from two separate photographs detailing the boundaries of the Toronto Purchase between the Crown and the Mississaugas of the Credit. The original sale is dated to 1787, however there were questions raised about the legitimacy of the documents and about the delineation of the land. In 1805 a formal purchase was documented and is referenced in the text of the item. William Claus, the Deputy Superintendent of Indian Affairs, signed on behalf of the Crown.

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CA ON00353 AFC 405 · Archief · 1807 (transcribed 18--), 1827 (copied 19--), 1835-1964

Fonds consists of records created and collected by Agnes Effie Sands Mern and other members of the Wawanosh family. Included are records relating to the life and work of various family members. In particular, the fonds contains records relating to the work of Joshua, David and William as chiefs of the Chippewas of Sarnia. Also included are the personal records of the family including correspondence, financial records, memorandum and account books and personal records relating to births, marriages and deaths. The records of most of the family members are intermingled, possibly a reflection of how Agnes Sands Mern kept them. Also included are the records of Agnes Effie Sands Mern (which make up the majority of the fonds) including her correspondence, financial records (including the records of the Wawanosh Post convenience store), records relating to her musical and artistic interest and records relating to her work in the Church and her activities organizing cultural events and concerts. Also included are the records of Agnes' husband John Phillips Mern such as his correspondence, financial records, notebooks and personal records relating to his son John P. Mern Jr.
Fonds also contains several sketches of members of the Wawanosh family as well as a large assortment of photographs. Photographs include portraits of family members, ministers and missionaries, friends and others as well as images depicting the daily life and travels of Agnes and John P. Mern. Photographs of John P. Mern consist of several albums documenting his time in the US navy and the childhood of his son. Several photographic processes are represented including tintypes, cartes de visite, cabinet cards, postcards and prints.

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CA ON00353 AFC 406 · Archief · 1828-1834, 1837, 1843, 1873

Fonds consists of a letter book kept by John Brant during his time serving as resident superintendent of the Six Nations of the Grand River. In it, he recorded outgoing correspondence as well as proceedings of general councils of the Six Nations. James Winnett recorded council proceedings in the letter book following Brant's death for the years 1833 and 1834. The letter book contains an index.
Also included are four loose letters that were found in the letter book dating to after the death of Brant. Letters touch on subjects such as the survey of drowned lands, navigation of the Grand River, Six Nations Chiefs waiting on the Governor General and the settlement of claims in Brantford.

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Peter S. Schmalz fonds
CA ON00031 A2010.099 · Archief · 1844 - 2006

This fonds reflects Dr. Peter S. Schmalz’s career as an educator, researcher and author from the late 1960s to early 2000s. He used these resources in the creation of a Master's Thesis, a Doctoral Thesis, numerous learned articles, several books, and reports for the Ministry of Natural Resources, First Nations communities, the provincial government and federal government. The focus of his research and writing concerned First Nations as well as Town of Walkerton history.

This fonds includes over 700 published books (not including duplicates) which reflect Dr. Schmalz's primary interest in aboriginal contact with Europeans.

The fonds also consists of documents related to the history of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation Territory (Saugeen First Nation and Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation) which reflect the communications and relationship between the First Nations and the Imperial and Canadian governments. These documents consist of photocopied records, many of which were copied from microfilm held by the National Archives of Canada, including material from NAC's reference number RG 10 (parts of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development fonds). Records also include microform, brochures, audiotapes and videotapes, newspapers and clippings, magazines and research cards.

Material in the fonds also reflects the history and experience of First Nations across North America.

The material further reflects Dr. Schmalz’s leadership in education, particularly as it relates to both the education of First Nation students and the education of others about the history of First Nations. Records relate to a co-operative education project, field archaeology and native studies summer course, as well as curriculum created by Peter Schmalz and other education resources.

Dr. Schmalz’s work, activities and interests are also reflected through his correspondence, publications, theses, and essays.

Finally, the fonds consists of articles, maps and original records reflecting Dr. Schmalz’s interest and research concerning the history of the Town of Walkerton and other regional history resources.

Series / File List:

Series 1 Research library of published books
File 1 Books about books
File 2 North American Native books
File 3 Canadian Indian archaeology books
File 4 Canadiana books
File 5 Non-Canadian books
File 6 Local history books
File 7 Black studies books
File 8 Music books and sheet music

Series 2 Saugeen First Nation and Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation related documents
File 1 Saugeen-Nawash rights and claims
File 2 Newspaper clippings, articles and manuscripts
File 3 Microform
File 4 Experience '81 project
File 5 Fishing rights
File 6 Bruce County censuses
File 7 Potawatomi among the Saugeen and Cape Croker
File 8 Currently not open to the public
File 9 Saugeen First Nation and Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation publications
File 10 Research cards

Series 3 North American First Nations resources
File 1 Visual materials
File 2 Theses and manuscripts
File 3 Published works
File 4 Letters, working papers, reports and other records
File 5 Audio and video materials
File 6 Newspapers, magazines and journals
File 7 Black studies resources

Series 4 Education
File 1 Co-operative education project
File 2 Reports and documents concerning development of education of First Nations people
File 3 Curriculum created by Peter Schmalz
File 4 Field Archaeology and Native Studies summer course
File 5 Education resources
File 6 Reservation : a role-playing simulation game

Series 5 Personal documents and publications
File 1 Correspondence
File 2 Manuscripts, theses and essays
File 3 Published books, articles and related documents
File 4 [There is no file 4]
File 5 Conferences and trips
File 6 Restricted reports
File 7 Miscellaneous personal documents

Series 6 Walkerton and area history resources
File 1 Research notes and newspaper clippings
File 2 Arthur James Kendall murder trial
File 3 Original records
File 4 Articles, manuscripts and reports
File 5 Photographs

Series 7 Regional history resources
File 1 Reports and photocopied documents
File 2 Articles and manuscripts
File 3 Maps

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CA ON00159 P032 · Archief · 1848-2022

The Diocese of Moosonee Synod Office fonds attests to the work of the administrative body that oversees Anglican missionaries and clergy within the Diocese of Moosonee. The fonds focuses on the James Bay area in northern Ontario and north-western Quebec, although records document the growing importance of communities south of the James Bay over the course of the 20th century. Early records document the work of Anglican missionaries such as John Horden, Thomas Vincent, James Edmond Peck, and G.W. Walton in communities such as Moose Factory, Fort George, and Fort Albany. Missionary accounts of the harsh climate and difficulties navigating the northern terrain are coupled with accounts of religious ceremonies and interactions between clergy and European settlers employed by the HBC in the fur-trade and other industries, as well as interactions with Indigenous populations, most notably the Cree, who were established in the Moose River region prior to the arrival of Europeans. Records contain missionary accounts of daily life in the north and focus on clergy members’ involvement in the community, their family life, administrative matters between the church and the HBC—Diocesan property was leased from the company initially—, trapping and hunting statistics, as well as the basic necessities for surviving the winter months; annual grocery and supply lists sent south are included. As the majority of the content was created by clergy, the records document a Eurocentric-Anglican perspective, although due to the substantial Indigenous population in the James Bay Area, many of the records document changes to Indigenous communities as a result of European contact. The fonds documents some of the earliest interactions between Anglican missionaries and First Nations, Inuit, and Métis populations, although records become more plentiful after the official creation of the Diocese of Moosonee in 1872. The records of various Bishops, Archdeacons, and clergy members illustrate the structure of the Anglican Church and the administrative interactions between the Diocese and the parishes that it oversees. Records also document the financial relationship between the Diocese of Moosonee and the CMS, the MSCC, and the Anglican Forward Movement. These associations provided financial support to Missionary Diocese of the Anglican Church.

Changes in the social, cultural, and economic fabric of the many communities that make up the Diocese of Moosonee are also evident within the records. Records track the movement of communities including: Albany’s relocation to Kashechewan and Fort George’s relocation to Chisasibi. The rise in industrial interest in the north, especially in hard rock mining, followed by a boom in immigration to northern communities starting in the early half of the 20th century are reflected in the growing demand for parishes across northern Ontario and western Quebec. The Diocesan administration also wrote about and considered other matters including: changes to provincial education systems, municipal power initiatives, transportation, agriculture, and many other Municipal, Provincial, and Federal issues. Records also document broad shifts in policy concerning Indigenous populations from the signing of Treaty No. 9 in 1905 through the Indian Residential School era of the mid-20th century, the period of Indigenous emancipation starting in the 1960s, and the period of reconciliation in the early 21st century.

The fonds consists of correspondence sent and received by clergy, including all Diocesean Bishops; meeting minutes from Diocesan Executives, Synods, and various other committees managed by the Diocese, as well as those meetings concerning individual parishes. Photographs depicting clergy, residents, towns, cities, cultural activities, hunting and fishing, religious ceremonies and celebrations, amongst many other activities, are included. Videotapes, as well as legal and financial records, missionary and Bishop’s journals, diaries, and account books document the foundation of the Diocese and describe the relationship between the Diocese, its parishes, and the communities to which those parishes serve. The records inform us of the administrative functions of the Synod Office including: hiring clergy and overseeing matters of finance. These records also illustrate the different networking relationships between the Diocese and the General Synod, the Diocese and churches of other denominations, and the Diocese of Moosonee and other Anglican Dioceses. Moreover, the records give insight as to the daily existence and development of the many communities within Northern Ontario and north-western Quebec that make up the body of the Diocese of Moosonee. Liturgical records of individual parishes are not found in this fonds.

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Archief · circa 1850-1980

The prominent series is the unpublished Manuscript of the family, written by Anna Bycraft Ward. Also included are records from the families named above. Of interest are the early journals of Anna Susannah Hampton as well as family photographs and journals.

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Miriam Leith fonds
Archief · 1855; 1961-1971

Fonds consists of documents from Miriam A. Leith’s experience participating as a volunteer with the Indian Eskimo Association at Broughton Island, Northwest Territories. 

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Fonds Albert Régimbal
CA ON00159 P183 · Archief · [ca. 1855]-1980

Ce fonds, qui se compose majoritairement de correspondance, de notes de cours et de textes annotés, nous renseigne sur les différents aspects de la vie d’Albert Régimbal. Bien qu’il n’y ait pas de documents qui traitent de différentes activités séculières, ou de la période pendant laquelle il a travaillé au Collège Sacré-Cœur, les documents de ce fonds d’archives illustrent quand même les principaux intérêts de la vie d’Albert Régimbal.

La correspondance témoigne des relations qu’entretenait Régimbal avec différents membres de sa famille et quelques amies, ainsi qu’avec les gens qu’il a rencontrés lors d’activités professionnelles. Les notes de cours et textes annotés, ainsi que les notes personnelles nous renseignent un peu sur la formation reçue par Albert Régimbal, en plus de ses convictions personnelles. Ces documents ont aussi servi à la rédaction de sermons et ceux-ci témoignent de ses activités en tant que prêtre. Certains de ces documents nous renseignent aussi sur les implications sociales d’Albert Régimbal auprès de groupes sociaux au sein desquels il s’est dévoué : par exemple, la Fédération des Francophones Hors-Québec et l’Institut confédéral d’étude et de formation syndicale. De plus, quelques-uns des documents et des photographies témoignent d’un voyage fait en 1970.

Les dossiers de presse, les textes annotés ainsi que quelques-uns des livres et revues témoignent des mouvements sociaux, ainsi que des courants de pensées des années 1950-1960, qui ont à la fois marqué Albert Régimbal. À titre d’exemple : la voix ouvrière et du mouvement syndical.

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Rona Rustige fonds
Archief · 1880-2000

The fonds consists of 1 box of textual records and 7 audio tapes. The fonds consists of research notes and 7 tapes of interviews with the Tyendinega Mohawk elders relating to the research, writing and production of Rona Rustidge's book "Tyendinega Tales".

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Oiva W. Saarinen fonds
CA ON00159 P123 · Archief · n.d.; 1884-2013 (predominant 1920-2000)

The Oiva W. Saarinen fonds attests to his research interests on the Finnish Communities in North America, as well as on the urban development of single-industry towns in Northern Ontario, and also to his documentary productions. It also informs us about Saarinen's involvement in different associations and organizations within the Finnish community of Canada. The fonds contains notes, articles, research papers and publications he produced in the course of his research activities, and documentation. Further to documenting the immigration of Finns to North America and Northern Ontario, and their role in the development of cities such as Thunder Bay and Sudbury, the studies, reports and photocopies of archival materials also cover the early settlements and economic activities of the different regions. For instance, in the sub-series “History of Finnish Settlement on Lake Panache,” lumbering, as well as environment aspects of the presence of the dam, land claims by Indigenous and their presence, are also addressed and documented. In the sub-series “Finns in the Sudbury Area,” the annotated maps, the assessment rolls, and lists from Vernon's, or reports on mining in the region, inform us about the Finnish community and their activities in the region. The short stories and testimonies, and recollections of members of the Finnish community in Sudbury, also provide significant primary sources of information.

The papers and publications are divided in 3 Series: I: Oiva Saarinen publications; Series II: Books and other materials and Series III: Books and other materials on Economic and Urban Development. Series II is divided into 9 Sub-series:
Sub-series A: Books and other materials on Finland;
Sub-series B: Finnish-American Literature;
Sub-series C: Vapaus, Foc, and other left-wing Literature;
Sub-series D: History of Finnish Settlement on Lake Panache and materials related to Indian Land Claims;
Sub-series E: Finnish Religious Groupings in North America;
Sub-series F: North American Finnish Literature and Writers;
Sub-series G: Finns in Canada and in the United States (excluding Ontario);
Sub-series H: Finnish-Canadian Ontario Material (excluding Sudbury);
Sub-series I: Finns in the Sudbury Area.

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Varpu Lindström fonds
CA ON00370 F0558 · Archief · 1887-2012

Fonds consists of Lindstrom's professorial and scholarly research files throughout her career, as well as records documenting her academic activities. Research files pertain to her publications and monographs such as "Defiant Sisters : A Social History of Finnish Immigrant Women in Canada, 1890-1930" (both the English and Finnish editions), and "From Heroes to Enemies : Finns in Canada, 1937-1947," as well as book chapters, articles, papers, presentations and lectures, and her involvement with the National Film Board production "Letters from Karelia," and subsequent research. The research files span the activities of Finnish and Finnish-Canadian organizations across the political spectrum, such as the Finnish Organization of Canada (left wing), and Loyal Finns in Canada (right wing). Records include oral history interviews (audio cassettes and transcripts), research notes, clippings, a significant and extensive number of photograph and letter collections passed down through generations of Finnish Canadians, diaries, correspondence, publication drafts, academic and professorial notes, microfilm of Finnish language newspapers published in Canada and archival records, financial records of Finnish-Canadian organizations such as newspapers and post-World War II relief funding bodies, scrapbooks, photocopies of rare and unusual documents such as two volumes of a Soviet register of Finnish War Crimes, a list of persons found in the mass grave at Karhumaki, and Soviet lists of North American Finns who journeyed to Karelia to help build a socialist utopia there, academic and professorial files, publicity files, files pertaining to her work with the School of Women's Studies, and her own papers as a university student. The fonds also includes letters written by Lindstrom as a newly-arrived teenaged immigrant to Canada to her best friend in Finland; many of these letters were published in Finnish with English translation in 'Letters from an immigrant teenager' in 2012.

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CA ON00159 P205 · Archief · [ca. 1892-2015] (originals 1892-1947)

The William G. (Reindeer) Walton fonds consists mostly of his personal correspondence, reports, photographs, and of books he helped translate into Cree and Inuktitut. The documents attest to Walton’s missionary work and his relentless dedication and hard work to get the governments and the population in general interested in the conditions of life of the population of the James Bay and Hudson Bay area.

There is an extensive series of correspondence with Walton’s wife Daisy (née Spencer) and his children. In the letters to his fiancée there are some ‘courtship letters’ but he also reports of his daily activities at the mission or when travelling in the diocese. Later letters describe the life of the people and the missions of Kuujjuarapik and Whapmagoostui* (previously known as Great Whale River) and Fort George as well as his different meetings and activities while in England. The correspondence with his children is more on their activities at the school they are attending in Ontario or in England.

While the correspondence with family and friends is more personal, the correspondence with HBC managers reports on the different posts, hunting, incidents and life at the post. Some of the correspondence with the Bishop of Moosonee and or with different missionaries and the Treasurer of the diocese, concerns the missionary work at different missions.

Reports, briefs, correspondence with the government and with different organizations address the life and conditions of the communities of the James Bay area and the many challenges the Indigenous Peoples were facing. The need for care, food and his project of introducing reindeers into the region is well represented and documented. Correspondence with American groups and researchers on the integration of reindeer in Alaska, or with different government agents attest to all his research and efforts on this matter.

The lantern slides and images depict the culture, way of life, and landscapes of the area, as well as some of the starvation of the early 1900’s in Indigenous communities of the James Bay and Hudson Bay area.

*Kuujjuarapik is the Inuk name for Great Whale River and Whapmagoostui is the Cree name for Great Whale River.

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Kajander Family fonds
Archief · 1900 - 1970

Einar and Hilma Kajander were immigrants from Finland, and were active in local organizations. Their son Art was a lawyer, and later Finnish Consul. Grandchild Ann is faculty at Lakehead University.

These photographs depict the Kajander family and their friends, in and about the Port Arthur area, approximately 1900 to 1970. The photographs include studio portraits and candid photographs printed at a variety of sizes. The images primarily depict family life and outdoor recreation.

Einar Kajander (1882-1973) and Hilma (Muhonen) Kajander (1886-1965) met in Canada and married in Port Arthur in 1909. Einar worked as a miner, and later opened a grocery store in Port Arthur. Both were involved with local sports organizations and the Finnish Labour Temple, and Hilma sang in Oras Choir.

Aatto Arthur Kajander (1913-1998) attended university in Toronto, was a lawyer in Thunder Bay for 55 years, and served as Finnish Consul appointed in 1957. He was also heavily involved in music and outdoor activities.

Finlandia Club collection
Collectie · 1903 - 1965

Collection is organized into the following series:
I. Hoito Restaurant
II. Port Arthur Workingmen’s Association: Imatra no. 9
III. C.T.K.L. (Canadian Industrial Unions: Port Arthur’s Finnish Association)
IV. C.U.T. (Canadian News Service) and C.T.K.L.
V. Finlandia Club
VI. Finnish Socialist Local no. 6: Port Arthur
VII. Lumber Workers’ Industrial Union of the One Big Union
VIII. New Attempt Temperance Society
IX. Finnish Athletic Club: Nahjus
X. Finnish Building Company
XI. Miscellaneous

Archief · 1911 - 1981

Records of the Canadan Suomalainen Järjestö [Finnish Organization of Canada], Vapaus Publishing Company (responsible for publishing Vapaus and Liekki and other publications), Suomalais-Canadalaisen Amatoori Urheiluliiton [Finnish-Canadian Amateur Sports Federation], co-operatives, and more.

Includes meeting minutes, reports, financial statements, and correspondence related to the operations and administration of these organizations. Also includes a variety of document and pamphlets related to socialism, communism, and the peace movement in Canada and worldwide.

The Canadan Suomalainen Järjestö (CSJ; Finnish Organization of Canada) is the oldest nationwide Finnish cultural organization in Canada. For over a century the CSJ has been one of the main organizations for Finnish immigrants in Canada with left-wing sympathies and, in particular, those with close ties to the Communist Party of Canada. Through the early to mid 1920s, Finnish-Canadians furnished over half the membership of the Communist Party and some, like A.T. Hill (born Armas Topias Mäkinen), became leading figures in the Party. Beyond support for leftist political causes, the cooperative and labour union movements, many local CSJ branches in both rural and urban centres established halls – some 70 of which were built over the years in communities across Canada – that hosted a range of social and cultural activities including dances, theatre, athletics, music, and lectures. The CSJ is also known for its publishing activities, notably the Vapaus (Liberty) newspaper.

The CSJ underwent several changes in its formative years related to both national and international developments. Founded in October 1911 as the Canadan Suomalainen Sosialisti Järjestö (CSSJ; Finnish Socialist Organization of Canada), the organization served as the Finnish-language affiliate of the Canadian Socialist Federation which soon after transformed into the Social Democratic Party of Canada (SDP). By 1914, the CSSJ had grown to 64 local branches and boasted a majority of the SDP membership with over 3,000 members. One year later the organization added two more local branches but membership had dropped to 1,867 members thanks, in part, to a more restrictive atmosphere due to Canada’s involvement in the First World War and an organizational split that saw the expulsion or resignation of supporters of the Industrial Workers of the World from the CSSJ.

In September 1918, the Canadian federal government passed Order-in-Council PC 2381 and PC 2384 which listed Finnish, along with Russian and Ukrainian, as ”enemy languages” and outlawed the CSSJ along with thirteen other organizations. The CSSJ successfully appealed the ban in December 1918 but dropped ”Socialist” from its name. The organization operated under the name Canadan Suomalainen Järjestö until December 1919. The SDP, however, did not recover from the outlawing of its foreign-language sections, leaving the CSJ without a political home. Stepping into this organizational vacuum was the One Big Union of Canada (OBU), founded in June 1919. The CSJ briefly threw its support behind this new labour union initiative, functioning as an independent ”propaganda organization of the OBU” until internal debates surrounding the structure of the Lumber Workers Industrial Union affiliate and the OBU decision not to join to the Moscow-headquartered Comintern led to its withdrawal shortly thereafter. In 1924, CSSJ activists including A.T. Hill helped to found the Lumber Workers Industrial Union of Canada (LWIUC).

Inspired by the Bolshevik Revolution that toppled the Tsarist Russian Empire in November 1917, and following the founding of the Communist Party of Canada (CPC) as an underground organization in May 1921, the CSSJ rapidly became an integral part of the nascent Communist movement in Canada. Reflecting this change, in 1922 the organization was renamed the Canadan Työläispuolueen Suomalainen Sosialistilärjestö (FS/WPC; Finnish Socialist Section of the Workers’ Party of Canada) – the Workers’ Party of Canada being the legal front organization of the CPC. In 1923, Finnish-Canadian Communists formed a separate cultural organization, the Canadan Suomalainen Järjestö (CSJ; Finnish Organization of Canada Inc.), to serve as a kind of ”holding company” ensuring that the organization’s considerable properties and assets would be safe from confiscation by the government or capture from rival left-wing groups. With the legalization of the CPC in 1924, the FS/WPC became the Canadan Kommunistipuolueen Suomalainen Järjestö (FS/CP; Finnish section of the Communist Party of Canada). Between 1922 and 1925, membership in the CSJ through its various transitions also doubled as membership in the Communist Party. This arrangement ended in 1925 when the FS/CP was disbanded following the ”bolshevization” directives of the Comintern. These directives demanded that separate ethnic organizations in North America be dissolved in favour of more disciplined and centralized party cells. It was hoped that this reorganization would help attract new members outside of the various Finnish, Ukrainian, and Jewish ethnic enclaves that had furnished the bulk of the CPC dues paying membership in Canada. From this point onwards, the CSJ officially functioned as a cultural organization but maintained a close, albeit sometimes strained, association with the CPC. The 1930s represent the peak of the CSJ size and influence, occuring during the Third Period and Popular Front eras of the international Communist movement. During this period CSJ union organizers assisted in the creation of the Lumber and Sawmill Workers Union – a unit of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of the American Federation of Labor, successor to the LWIUC – and the reemergence of the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers in Sudbury and Kirkland Lake. CSJ activists also helped to recruit volunteers for the International Brigades that fought against nationalist and fascist forces in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Finally, in the 1930s some 3,000 CSJ members or sympathizers embarked on the journey from Canada to the Soviet Union to help in the efforts to industrialize the Karelian Autonomous Soviet. Hundreds of Finns in Karelia would later perish in Stalin’s purges.

Despite the CSJ’s active support for the Canadian war effort, the organization was still deemed to be a threat to national security by the federal government and again outlawed in 1940. All FOC properties were seized and closed. The Suomalais Canadalaisten Demokraattien Liitto (SCDL; Finnish-Canadian Democratic League) served as the FOC’s main legal surrogate until the organization was legalized in 1943. The rapid decline of the FOC following this period is apparent from the fact that of the 75 locals in operation in 1936, only 36 remained active in 1950.

Further reading:
Edward W. Laine (edited by Auvo Kostianen), A Century of Strife: The Finnish Organization of Canada, 1901-2001 (Turku: Migration Institute of Finland), 2016.
Arja Pilli, The Finnish-Language Press in Canada, 1901-1939: A Study of Ethnic Journalism (Turku: Institute of Migration), 1982.
William Eklund, Builders of Canada: History of the Finnish Organization of Canada, 1911-1971 (Toronto: Finnish Organization of Canada), 1987.

Fonds Roland Cloutier
CA ON00402 RC · Archief · 1915-2007

The fonds contains textual and photographic records of Roland Cloutier’s involvement in Northern Ontario’s lumber industry. It provides information on some of the Hearst area lumber companies and on organizations such as the Hearst Lumbermen’s Association and the Ontario Lumber Manufacturers’ Association. The fonds also includes documents pertaining to the Hearst Forest Management company, the Northern Ontario Development Corporation, and to René Fontaine in his role as a member of the Ontario legislature and minister in the Ontario government. This is complemented by government reports, studies analyzing the situation and needs of the lumber industry and of Northern Ontario’s economy, handbooks relating to the working practices of the industry and maps mostly illustrating cutting rights in the forest of the region.

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