Time Traveling

Genealogist Helen Vaillancourt discusses the lives of North Bay people from the late 19th century who helped get the stained glass windows for Pro Cathedral.

There are thousands of stories in and around the Gateway City. And over the weekend, Nipissing University’s Institute for Community Studies and Oral History and area historians touched upon some of them at the “Histories of the Near North: Discovering Our Community’s Past” conference, held at one of North Bay’s historical landmarks – the former Ferguson Street CPR train station, now museum, over the weekend.

Conference co-organizer and fourth year honours history student, Robert Shields, says it was a unique opportunity for the city and the university to learn together. “Our oral fourth year history class at Nipissing University was researching the community. There were five groups that were presenting and so rather than just present to the classroom we wanted to bring it out to the community.” About 100 area residents took in the event.

Presentations on St. Joseph’s Scollard Hall School, area logging mills, the Cold War’s impact on North Bay, the Nipissing District Genealogy Society and Angele Egwuna: Nishawbe Qwe rounded out the students’ efforts.

Student presenter Dustin Wall says working on the St. Joseph's Scollard Hall School history and sharing it with the public brought the exercise alive for him. "It's realizing that history can be exciting that it's happening and that you're building connections with the community." Wall said.

Genealogist Helen Vaillancourt spoke of the lives of some of North Bay’s residents who lived between 1885 and 1920. Her interest was inspired by a visit to the Pro Cathedral and examining its magnificent stained glass windows. She wanted to uncover the human stories behind the coloured glass, most notably, who was responsible for them being there. Months of research lead to a deep understanding of life in North Bay 120 years ago and a book, “Windows to the Past”. Vaillancourt says people lived similar lives to our own but under more difficult circumstances.

“When you wanted to buy clothes for your kids you couldn’t just go to Wal-Mart or Sears, you had to have them made. When you needed groceries you had to go everyday to buy them. There were no supermarkets.” stated Vaillancourt.

Keynote speaker, Doug MacKey – a local historian, historical journalist and member of the Institute for Community Studies and Oral History - shared his knowledge of being a practitioner of history in his address “A View from the Trenches”. “I’m implying that I’ve got my feet wet and my hands dirty and I’ve been doing all the things you need to do to be a good reporter of local history.”

MacKey says with the Institute’s support, he sees a bright future for the Near North’s history. “They’re pushing to get an archives (sic) in the new library. I predict five or ten years from now local history and regional history in the North Bay area is going to be quite enhanced by the whole initiative.” He also sees the Institute’s two courses, Community Studies and Oral History turning out more skilled practitioners, keeping the area's past alive.