Photographs of mining and transportation in Northwestern Ontario in the first part of the twentieth century.

Includes:
Photographs of Zenmac Zinc Mine near Schreiber
Photographs of Root River Marine Portage and mining equipment supplies transported

The fonds contains records of the businesses founded by Ernest Gosselin in northern Ontario. Most of the documents relate to the various properties that belonged to him in the Geraldton area.

Frederick O. Robinson was born in Port Arthur, Ontario on Aug. 2, 1903. He attended public and high school in Port Arthur and then served his apprenticeship to the machinist trade in the C.N.R. shops. He worked for 25 years as a skilled machinist in the Port Arthur shops of the C.N.R. until his election to the Ontario legislature in 1943. He continued to work as a C.N.R. machinist between sessions of the legislature, and after his election to the office of mayor, he worked in the C.N.R. shops on weekends.

He entered public life in January 1943 when he was elected to the Port Arthur Board of Education. In August of the same year he was elected to the Ontario legislature as C.C.F. member for Port Arthur. He was M.L.A. for Port Arthur until his defeat in 1951. In civic affairs, he remained on the Board of Education until 1946 when he was elected as alderman. In 1949, he became Mayor of Port Arthur; he remained in this post except for 1952 when he was defeated until 1955 when he resigned to become personnel manager for the Public Utilities Commission. He left active political life at this time. He resigned from the Public Utilities Commission in 1966 because of ill health. In July, 1969, he died.

The Frederick O. Robinson fonds comprises 7 feet of correspondence, clippings, pamphlets, articles and other material and is contained in seventeen transfer cases. The folder titles in the main are those designated by Mr. Robinson. Some re-arrangement of the material has been effected in order to comply with the folder titles. Since the folders themselves were in no apparent order when .they were donated to the university, the following arrangement was thought to be most suitable for research purposes:
I. Pre-1943 Period
II. Political Affairs (relating to the C.C.F.)
III. The Ontario Legislature and Provincial Affairs, 1943-51
IV. Provincial and Local Affairs.
V. Local and Municipal Affairs.
VI. General
VII. Miscellaneous

Consists of photographs of particularly mining development in Northwestern Ontario in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as the waterfront and shipping, local scenery, and notable figures. Also includes some correspondence; railway construction plans.

Records consist of interviews between Peter Fergus-Moore and various individuals, recorded as part of his work as a freelance journalist. Interviewees include:

Biljana Baker, artist (1 tape)
Confederation College film students, multiple interviews (1 tape)
Roy Coran, musician (1 tape)
Gloria Dowton, Magnus Theatre (1 tape)
GAMI, youth arts collective associated with Definitely Superior Art Gallery (1 tape)
Jorma Halonen, history of socialist bookstore in Port Arthur (2 tapes)
Dusty Miller, former mayor (1 tape)
Diane Potts, Magnus Theatre (1 tape)
Sleeping Giant Folk Society (1 tape)
Norman Sponchia, artist (1 tape)
Brad Stephenson, filmmaker (1 tape)
Charles Wilkins, author (1 tape)

Northwestern Ontario Prospectors’ Association Interviews:
Moe Lavigne, geologist (2 tapes)
Northwestern Ontario Prospectors’ Association Symposium (1 tape)
Ruth Petrunka, widow of prospector Dave Petrunka (2 tapes)
Stares brothers (3 tapes)
Mel Stewart, prospector (2 tapes)

Photographs and documents from the Silver Islet Mine and Silver Islet Store, including ledgers and a chart.

A rich deposit of silver was discovered on Silver Islet in 1868. A small island at the tip of the Sibley Peninsula, the mine was built deep below the waterline, and relied on breakwaters and pumps. Silver Islet was mined until 1884, when pumps failed, and the mine was flooded. The small community built on shore to support the mine is still inhabited.