Brent Scollie, a graduate of Fort William Collegiate Institute, Queen’s University and the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Library Science, retired from the federal public service in 1997. His insights on the Victorian era in Thunder Bay are derived from many years of research. This has resulted in numerous publications about the period mostly focussed... Continue Reading →
Patricia Caine (nee Rusnak) is originally from Thunder Bay, ON. She wrote the book Gedo’s Hammer, Baba’s Borscht: Raising a Family in Current River, 1929-1989 after transcribing stories from her parents, who were both immigrants from Ukraine. She also has a blog, The Rusnaks, where she shares recipes as a tribute to her parents, for... Continue Reading →
With the stay at home order in place once again, being at home has led to many creative and innovative ways to spend time. One way that has become apparent to us at the library is the increased interest in family history. Many library patrons have expressed that this is something they have always wanted... Continue Reading →
Picture this: A team of amazing library workers, known for offering superb customer service, find something amazing hidden in the old vault at the Brodie Library (the Brodie Resource Library actually has an extremely large vault). This amazing object will lead the team on the biggest treasure hunt of their lives. Clues will lead this eclectic group... Continue Reading →
Over the last 140+ years, public libraries in Thunder Bay have weathered a lot along with and as part of this amazing community. This week I wanted to look back on what transpired in the Fort William Public Library (FWPL) during another global pandemic; the 1918 influenza pandemic that began on the heels of the... Continue Reading →
Many of us are currently working from home and/or physically isolated as a result of the Covid-19 global pandemic. For the first time in my professional career, I am writing this column from the guest room of my home. The dog is very confused at the change in his routine of napping, sunbathing, and neighbourhood... Continue Reading →
You might be thinking you don’t need libraries, in this age of easy access to information. But, I think you do. Here are some ways you can use your library which you may not know about. With your library card you can access Transparent Languages, an easy to use, online language learning program. Go to... Continue Reading →
I've been on a history kick lately. My main focus is Native North American history, especially around the Great Lakes. Because of the time period and the rapid growth of North America in the last 150 years, I'm also interested in non-Aboriginal history from the same time periods. Life in a Thundering Bay contains stories... Continue Reading →
Thunder Bay Public Library's Book Blog 