The Office of the City Clerk oversees all departments of the municipal government and the operations of City Council. Major responsibilities of the City Clerk include; presenting proposed by-laws to Council; preparing agendas for Council; providing secretarial services for Council and Committees of Council; administering vital statistics registrations; managing municipal elections, ensuring that city government is operating in accordance with provincial statutes; licensing and regulation of City services; and overseeing property tax assessments.

Other items more recently added to the portfolio of the City Clerk include corporate records management and ensuring that the City is compliant with the provisions of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, emergency planning, heritage designation, and the Aboriginal Liaison division. The Office of the City Clerk also contains two permanent committees; the Heritage Advisory Committee and the Official Recognition Committee.

In the first years following the amalgamation of the City of Thunder Bay until 1973, the City Clerk shared responsibilities with the City Coordinator’s Office and reported directly to the City Coordinator. As of April 1980, the Office of the City Clerk was a division of a larger department, Administrative Services, headed by a Director and accountable to the Chief Administrative Officer. At this time, the City Clerk reported directly to the Director of Administrative Services. In 1989, the City Clerk reported directly to the Chief Administrative Officer. In 1996, the City Clerk’s Office was positioned under the Corporate Services department and reported to the General Manager, Corporate Services. With the dissolution of the Corporate Services department in 1998, the Office of the City Clerk became a division of the City Manager’s Office. At 2014, the City Clerk reports directly to the City Manager. City Clerk appointments for the City of Thunder Bay include: D. B. Morris (1971 - 1979); H. T. Kirk (1980 - 1994); Elaine Bahlieda (1995 - 2003); John Hannam (2004 - present).

As the Office of the City Clerk oversees all functions and responsibilities of City Government, this series consists of records relating to all aspects of government. Predominant in this series are records relating to City Council, the preparation and management of municipal elections, legal agreements and the establishment of by-laws, liaisons with other institutions and levels of government over issues of health, education, road development, planning and engineering (including zoning and urban renewal), correspondence and other records regarding vital statistics registrations, records relating to finance and taxation, the Parking Authority, police and fire services, historical preservation within the City and the management of corporate records.

Also included are records relating to the administration and organizational development of the City. Some files from the Chief Administrative Officer can also be found in this series.

Also included in this series are plans relating to highway improvements and zoning of areas within the City.

Under By-Law 1545, dated December 30, 1918, the duties of Officials were set out. The duties of the City Clerk included secretary of council, returning officer, voters list preparation, local improvements, preparation of juror’s list, registrar of vital statistics, supplies control, responsibility for fuel controller records, isolation hospital, tax roll and office. (the By-Law may be consulted for more detailed information)

The records were in the custody of a number of Clerks commencing with William Howard Langworthy who was appointed Clerk and Treasurer of the Town of Port Arthur on May 12, 1884, under By-Law 1. Mr. Langworthy was also appointed Clerk of the Police Office on January 25, 1886, under By-Law 88. On January 26, 1891, under By-Law 275 he was again appointed Clerk and the By-Law also stated that his salary as Clerk also included his salary as Secretary of the Local Board of Health.

On February 10, 1897, under By-Law 481, James McTeigue was appointed Clerk and the ByLaw also stated that his salary as Clerk also included his salary as Secretary of the Local Board of Health. On February 7, 1898, under By-Law 502 , Mr. McTeigue was appointed Clerk and Treasurer. On January 18, 1907, under By-Law 898, Mr. McTeigue’s salary as Clerk and Treasurer and Secretary of the Local Board of Health, also included his salary as Secretary Treasurer of the Electric Railway and Light Commission. Under By-Law 52, dated January 15, 1908, his title as Secretary Treasurer of the Electric Railway and Light Commission was changed to Secretary of the Electric Railway and Light Commission.

In 1908, under By-Law 113, dated April 13th, the Office of the Clerk and Treasurer was separated and William Gurney was appointed Treasurer. Mr. McTeigue continued as Clerk, Secretary of the Local Board of Health and Secretary of the Electric Railway and Light Commission. Under By-Law 500, dated January 9, 1911, the title Electric Railway and Light Commission was changed to Utilities Commission. Under By-Law 734, dated January 11, 1912, Mr. McTeigue was appointed Clerk and Secretary of the Local Board of Health.

Under By-Law 837, dated July 30, 1912, T. F. Milne was appointed Clerk. Under the ByLaw, his salary as Clerk, also included his salary as Secretary of the Local Board of Health, Secretary of the Board of Park Commissioners and Secretary of the Board of Police Commissioners. Under By-Law 960, dated January 13, 1913, Mr. Milne was again appointed Clerk, with his salary also including his services as Secretary of the Local Board of Health. No other duties were mentioned in this By-Law. Under By-Law 1142, dated January 19, 1914, Mr. Milne was again appointed Clerk. No other duties were mentioned in this By-Law.

On March 20, 1922, under By-Law 1684, Mr. Milne was appointed Clerk and Deputy Treasurer. Due to the death of T.F. Milne , Arthur H. Evans was appointed temporary Clerk and Deputy Treasurer of the City of Port Arthur under By-Law 2085, dated January 29, 1934. Under ByLaw 2100, Arthur H. Evans was appointed the permanent Clerk and Treasurer.

On September 11, 1939 under By-Law 2348, pursuant to the provisions of the Revised Statutes of Ontario, 1937, Chapter 266, Section 234, Sub-section 2 and Section 238, William V. McComber was appointed Deputy City Clerk and Deputy City Treasurer during the absence of the then Clerk and Treasurer, Arthur H. Evans who was serving in His Majesty’s Forces.

On December 11, 1939, under By-Law 2371, William V. McComber was appointed permanent Clerk and Treasurer during the indefinite absence of Arthur H. Evans, subject to the said Arthur H. Evans being able to return to his position upon his return, which provision is covered under By-Law 2349, dated September 25, 1939. On December 27, 1946 under ByLaw 2711, Arthur H. Evans was re-appointed as Clerk and Treasurer pursuant to The Reinstatement and Civil Employment Act 1946 and to By-Law 2349.

On July 28, 1947 under By-Law 2758, Arthur H. Evans was appointed Clerk and William V. McComber was appointed Treasurer and Deputy Clerk.

On July 25, 1955 under By-Law 3771, Lillian Dennis was appointed Deputy Clerk, the aforesaid Arthur Henry Evans retained his position as Clerk at this time, under By-Law 3770 also dated July 25, 1955. On May 27, 1963 under By-Law 4945 it was necessary to appoint an Acting Clerk, and Lillian Dennis was appointed. Frank Morphet was appointed Deputy Clerk under By-Law 4946, dated May 26, 1963. On November 12, 1963 under By-Law 5014, Lillian Dennis was appointed Clerk of the City of Port Arthur. Lillian Dennis remained in the position as Clerk until her retirement on January 1, 1970.

The series contains records generated in the office of the City Clerk and consists of files arranged alphabetically under the categories Education, Election, Employees, Finance, Government, Government Housing, Government Licenses/Licensing, Government Police, Government Vital Statistics, Health, Health Hospitals, Legal, Miscellaneous, Planning, Property, Property Zoning, Real Estate Transactions, Recreation, Social, Trade, Trade Elevators, Trade Railway/Railways, Traffic & Safety, Utilities, Utilities
Telephone/Telephones, Utilities Water, Works & Construction, Works & Construction Streets, Works & Construction Traffic & Safety, Works & Construction Traffic, Fire & Safety and Works & Construction Water.

This series contains records relative to Council and the City Clerk’s office. The First Box is strictly correspondence, alphabetically filed and dating from 1903 to 1913. Additional materials are arranged by file code and can be accessed through reviewing the file list.

Records in the Fort William City Clerk’s Files reflect some of the above mentioned legislative requirements, however, this series largely reflects local issues including correspondence relative to Council actions and the administration of the City through its various Boards. The earliest records of the of Fort William Clerks Files consist of correspondence for the Town of Fort William in the early part of the 20th century. These records are alphabetically ordered and cover the period from 1903 to 1913. Latter records are subject-based files organized by a file code. The following titles are in no way exclusive or consistently applied over the span of years for the City Clerks files. They are included here to reflect the variety and scope of issues addressed by the Clerk.

File headings include the following: Auditorium, Board of Education, Bridges, City Statistics, City Hall, Complaints, Court of Revision, Council, Court of Revision – Voters List, Elections, Fort William Gardens, General Correspondence, District Officer of Health, Health, Housing, Historical, Hydro-Electric Commission, Industry, Legislation, Local Improvements, Loch Lomond, Public Utilities, Railways, Rinks, Royal Visit, Streets, Street Railway, Tax, Tourists, Town Planning, Transit, Visitors, Vital Statistics, War and Zoning. A detailed file list is available.

In 1949 a report conducted by Stevenson and Kellogg identified the work performed in the Clerks department. In addition to duties already mentioned, the clerk oversaw City insurance matters, performed secretarial duties for Council and its committees (such as the Police Commission and Board of Health) issued marriage licenses, and was responsible for the internal coordination of work between departments as well as the coordination between departments and the committees of Council which managed the City. This last responsibility for the coordination between departments and Council was likely alleviated after the appointment of Sydney H. Blake as City Administrator in January of 1958, his duties being described in By-law 58-1961 to include the control and direction of department heads.

Series consists of photographs acquired by the Office of the City Clerk. Included are group photographs of City Councils for Fort William, Port Arthur and Thunder Bay from various years, photographs of children at sporting events and in school settings and portrait photographs of Aldermen, Mayors and City Clerks from various years. Also included in this series are early photographs of construction and development within the Thunder Bay region, photographs of accidents including train accidents and ship wrecks and a variety of early photographs showing the landscape of the region. Landscape photographs include images of industrial areas such as grain elevators, mills and mines in the district, Kakabeka Falls, views of the Kaministiquia River and Mount McKay, early street views of downtown Fort William and various railway bridges in the region, and photographs of the old Fort William City Hall.

Under the provisions of the Municipal Act (2001), City Council votes on the passing of new by-laws and the amendment of existing by-laws in Council meetings, based on recommendations and advice from the Office of the City Clerk. Council also delegates statutory responsibilities to sub-committees, and through Committee of the Whole Meetings, Council discusses critical issues covering the broad mandate of the City. It is through Council Meetings that decisions are made and resolutions are achieved.

This series contains minutes from Council meetings of The City of Thunder Bay. The City of Thunder Bay was officially incorporated under the City of the Lakehead Act (1969) when the former municipalities of Port Arthur, Fort William, Neebing and McIntyre were amalgamated. The merging of the municipalities occurred following a regional study prepared by the provincial Minister of Municipal Affairs in 1968. The study had been proposed by Saul Laskin, former Mayor of Port Arthur and first Mayor of Thunder Bay, and jointly signed by the Mayors of all five councils. The report recommended the merging of the municipalities citing benefits such as the economic promotion of the area and benefits of scale such as cost reductions and development opportunities. In 1969, a formal Organization Committee was established to prepare for the administration of the new City.

Following the formal amalgamation of the City, by-laws were established to set out the rules for procedure for Council meetings and the organization of policy committees to cover the various elements of government administration. In July 1970, Council approved the establishment of four policy committees which were divided into the following categories; Protection of Persons and Property, Health and Social Services, Recreation and Community Services and Planning. With changes to the corporate organization of city government throughout the 1970’s, policy committees had been reorganized. In 1978, under By-law 303-1978 (amended in 1979, 1981 and 1982) three Standing Committees were established relating to Engineering and Operations, Community Services and Community Planning and Development. These committees comprised of members of Council who wished to serve on them, with no fewer than seven members per committee. At 2011, Committee of the Whole Meetings are attended by all City Councilors and are divided into; Community Services, Planning, Operations and Administrative Services.

Between 1973 and 1976, Councilors were elected representatives from each of the four wards established for The City of Thunder Bay at that time; Fort William, Port Arthur, Neebing and McIntyre. From 1977, Council consisted of representatives from the newly established ward system which included the creation of seven distinct wards within the City; Current River, McKellar, Red River, Northwood, Westfort, McIntyre and Neebing. As of 1986, Council consisted of 12 members and the Mayor; one representative from each of the seven wards and 5 representatives reflecting the at large areas surrounding Thunder Bay. In accordance with Bylaw
139-2006, the 13 members of Council each serve a term of four years.

Mayors presiding over Council in the time reflected in this series include; Saul Laskin (1970-1972), Walter Assef (1973-1978 and 1981-1985), Dusty Miller (1979-1980), Jack Masters (1986-1991), David Hamilton (1992-1997) and Ken Boshcoff (1998-2003). The Office of the City Clerk is responsible for maintaining the records of proceedings for Council.

Series consists of meeting minutes of City Council for the City of Thunder Bay and include the adoption and consideration of minutes from the Committee of the Whole meetings, particularly relating to key issues such as capital expenditures, community plans and development, transportation, infrastructure, education, zoning applications and the approval or rejection of by-laws for the City. Also included are the minutes of the Organization Committee prior to the formal amalgamation of the City in 1970. Major issues discussed in these minutes include the organization study, plans for birthday celebrations for the City of Thunder Bay, and the establishment of an organizational structure for the amalgamated City.

Early minutes cover key establishment issues such as urban renewal schemes for the South and North ward, establishment of a Citizen Advisory Committee to encourage citizen participation in civic affairs, development of traffic systems and transportation for the City and the establishment of the Thunder Bay Public Library Board. Recent meeting minutes include issues relating to social services, the redevelopment of well-known properties in the City, civic recognition ceremonies, civic beautification, crime and capital budgets.

Original records and research collections arranged by a variety of subjects and creators.

• Bay Street Project research materials
• Business & industry
• Genealogy, people, & families
• Greeting cards
• News articles
• Einar Nordstrom collection (phonographs & transcripts)
• Organizations (including Suomalainen Osasto (Finnish Association), Finnish Building Company, Canadan Teollisuusunionistinen Kannatus Liitto (CTKL), Canadan Uutistoimisto (CUT), Vapaus Publishing Company, Tyolaisnaisten Liitto, Port Arthur Finnish History Society, Port Arthur Finnish Language School)

Subject to By-law 139-2006, all members of Council participate in Committee of the Whole Meetings, chaired by an elected member of Council. Committee of the Whole Meetings are divided into four key areas designed to cover the broad range of issues relevant to the overall management of the City. At 2011, the arrangement of Committee of the Whole Meetings is divided into; Community Services, Planning, Operations and Administrative Services. Council may also address specific, ongoing matters in Committee of the Whole sessions. Under Chapters 16 and 17 of the City of Thunder Bay Municipal Code (amended by By-law 171-2001), City Council has the authority to establish Corporate Administrative SubCommittees that investigate and make recommendations on a particular subject or area of concern within a particular session of a Committee of the Whole meeting. Additionally, Committee of the Whole Meetings also hear deputations to Council, where individuals and community groups can bring matters of public interest to the Council’s attention in formal proceedings.

Prior to the establishment of Committee of the Whole Meetings in The City of Thunder Bay, policy committees had been established to address core areas of government administration. In July 1970, Council approved the establishment of four policy committees which were divided into the following categories; Protection of Persons and Property, Health and Social Services, Recreation and Community Services and Planning. With changes to the corporate organization of city government throughout the 1970’s, policy committees had been reorganized. In 1978, under By-law 303-1978 (amended in 1979, 1981 and 1982) three Standing Committees were established. These Standing Committees were comprised of members of Council who wished to serve on them, with no fewer than seven members per committee.

Series consists of agendas from Committee of the Whole Meetings and meetings of the City Council covering a broad range of issues pertinent to the ongoing management of The City of Thunder Bay. Included are agendas relating to transportation, city facilities, infrastructure and development, parking, parks and recreation, city personnel, accessibility provisions and civic beautification. Also included are meeting agendas from related institutions such as the Thunder Bay District Health Unit, Thunder Bay District Social Services Administration Board and various ad-hoc committees designed to address specific issues. In addition to these agendas are operating budgets and capital budgets, applications for financial assistance, Agendas for Inaugral meetings of City Council, petitions from the public and public hearings over planning issues.

Meeting agendas are bound and separated based on the date of the meeting. Minutes include additional attached material relevant to the matters discussed such as minutes from other committees and correspondence and reports from various corporate and administrative departments within the city government.

The Corporate Development Department was established in 1970 following the amalgamation of the City of Thunder Bay. The department was headed by a Manager of Corporate Development who reported to the Director of Corporate Planning and Development. This arrangement was revised in 1983 when the position of Director, Corporate Planning and Development was eliminated. As a result, the Manager of Corporate Development reported directly to the Chief Administrative Officer. Originally created to conduct internal evaluations of work, departmental staff, programs and services; the Corporate Development Department's mandate grew to include an extended list of responsibilities including; the development of policies and procedures for the City, human resources development, operational reviews, project management, conducting reports on streamlining productivity within the City and performing research on behalf of the Chief Administrative Officer. In addition to these responsibilities, the Corporate Development Department also managed corporate communications, conducted surveys on behalf of the City and administered the financial assistance program.

Series consists of records of the former Corporate Development Department of the City of Thunder Bay. Included are reports, correspondence and studies relating to the assessment and review of municipal departments, committees and city programs and services. Also included in this series are Progress Reports from the Chief Administrative Officer, records relating to long term strategic planning and the corporate structure of the City and reports detailing recommendations for improvements to productivity within various municipal departments. Records are arranged in chronological order.

These papers consist of photographs, certificates, pamphlets, programmes, correspondence, notebooks, memos, balance sheets, and newspaper clippings all relating to Coghlan's insurance business, his numerous careers, political and social involvement, and personal life.

Douglas Fisher was a politician and journalist from Northwestern Ontario. He served as Member of Parliament for Port Arthur from 1957 to 1965, representing the CCF and then NDP.

These papers largely consist of correspondence from his time as MP, and cover a range of subjects, most notably including: transportation, shipbuilding, shipbuilding industries and the St. Lawrence Seaway; labour; House of Commons documentation; and Canadian Federal Politics in general.