Stories of Northern Life

This episode is a historical recording of the Sault Ste Marie & 49th Field Regiment Historical Society meeting in the 1970s. You will be presented with the History of St. Joes Island, with a few ending questions and the atmospheric sound of the meeting group. I hope you learn a little something new about St. Joes Island today! Keep in mind that this was recorded in the 1970s. We recognize that some of the languages is not modern and is not acceptable. Our intention in sharing this recording and others like this is to highlight our local history as well as examples of the way Indigenous groups and nations were acknowledged instilling how we can still do better in today's world.

All things Maple Syrup! Join in on this conversation with Erica Hogan the award-winning business women, mother of 2, and CFO and co-owner of Hogans Homestead. She and her husband started making maple syrup as a hobby. That hobby quickly turned into a 30,000-tapped tree operation in under 3 years! Not only that, but they are the youngest maple product producers in Canada!  Erica shares her story and her love for maple syrup. Listen and learn about maple production and what it's like being a tree-loving business owner in Northern Ontario! 

It is international Women's day on March 8th and we are going to share, celebrate and honour a list of influential local women from our city's past. Listen to the full episodes of the individual women I talked about in this episode: Aroura Butkovich https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/3jwRM2X5pxb Grace Pitt https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/g0GzkJ05pxb Anna McCrea https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/IhNvME35pxb Roberta Bondar Pt. 1  https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/lpDMnP55pxb Roberta Bondar Pt. 2 https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/f7u2S685pxb Louis Becket https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/fKqzwgd6pxb Gladys McNeice https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/MqYWbTz9pxb

Bryant McBride grew up here in Sault Ste. Marie, played hockey, gained incredible education studying at west Pint Military Acadamy, and Harvard to name a few, was the Vice President of Business Development for the NHL for 7 years, and was the highest-ranking African American executive there, built seven start-ups all at the intersection of sports and technology, and is the co-founder and Ceo of a leading User-generated content engagement platform, called Burst, is the producer of a film called willie, and another called 6 Days in November is coming soon.  This is such a great episode, and we hope you enjoy it! 

It is February which is also Black History month, and we don’t have anything in the collection here at the Sault Museum on black history. We recently discovered an African-American, Haitian, and Chippewa (Ojibwa) artist, whose famous work has a connection to Sault Ste Marie. And her name is Edmonia Lewis. So today we are sharing her story and her work!  Listen for an inspiring story of a woman who didn't let anything get in her way of reaching her dream

We currently have a special pop-up traveling exhibit on display in our Military Gallery. The exhibit is called Dear Sadie: Love, Lives, and Remembrance from Ontario's First World War, and was made by the Archives of Ontario. I am going to focus on the Love part, in light of Valentine's day coming up. I am going to share the story of Harry Mason and his love Sadie Arbuckle, then relate these war stories to the Women's overseas army unit in WW2 who wrote letters to soldiers they had never met before, and how their letters sparked so much love in a time full of hate.

Bon Soo, the winter carnival that holds a special place in the hearts of all of us who grew up in or near Sault Ste. Marie For this one special week, you enjoy the magic of what people can create with snow and ice, and the cold long winter doesn’t seem so bad. This year we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Bon Soo Winter Carnival ...so let’s learn a little more about its 60-year history!

In this episode, we give you a very brief history of the Historical Society, when they first found a space to build its collection, and the hunt to find a new space soon after. Though we all know where they chose to start the city museum, this year is the 40th anniversary of the Sault Ste Marie Museum when we first came together and opened the space here at 690 Queen Street E. (previously known as the Dominion building or Old Post Office). We want to share the history of how we got here and all that goes into keeping it up. 

Over the years we lost a lot of great historic buildings, monuments, and what would be artifacts today due to terrible fires, catching a spark by surprise. Since 1889 the Sault Ste. Maire Fire Department has been there to fight those fires for us. There are so many significant fires that occurred, some with heartbreaking stories but some with little damage due to the Sault fire department. Listen and learn more about how they started and how the Sault Ste. Marie Fire Department progressed over the years! 

This episode is an Interview with Ray Fox a Northern Ontario-based Anishinaabe Visual Artist and our current artist-in-residence. He’s been with us since April 2022 and is now at the end of his residency closing it off with an exhibition.  This is an awesome episode where you get to hear Ray's voice as he talks about his artistic journey, his time at the museum, what to look forward to for his upcoming show and much more! ... EXHIBITION OPENING! Join the Sault Ste Marie Museum and Ray for his Exhibition Opening, this Saturday, January 14th from 6-9! The Exhibition is Titled “Baawitigong”, and is an exploration on Anishinaabe history and personal identity. See you Saturday!

We all know The Marconi Cultural Event Centre, as a place where we gather for events and eat penne and meatballs, but this building has housed much more than events and gatherings. Today we are not talking about the Marconi itself but a Marconi Society that’s just celebrated its 90th anniversary and is now in its 91st year running strong. The Elettra Marconi society is an all-ladies club that promotes the Italian heritage, while actively supporting our youth and community. Your host shares insight into who these ladies are, and what they have done and continue to do for the community! 

As we wrap up the last few days of 2022, we reflect on the year. We are going to talk about Historic moments globally, nationally, and locally. As well as what we accomplished here at the Sault Museum. 2022 was undoubtedly a difficult year for many, but it was also a time of growth and change. We showed our resilience and strength in the face of adversity and proved that we can work together to build a better future. Let's celebrate this year and welcome the new one ahead!

Today I thought I would pick up this small red book from the collection, with a few crayon scribbles on the pages, a loose spine, and illustrated pictures featuring 5 short Christmas stories. Listen to your host share a short story in the spirit of the season of love, and giving!  Happy Holidays from the Sault Ste. Marie Museum!!! 

Today we are going to get into some of the Traditions and Customs of the Regiments specifically over the holiday season, as that is just around the corner. We learn about an annual custom for Canadian forces to have a Christmas dinner, but with a twist, and another tradition that dates back many centuries called New Years Levee.

Gladys H McNeice was a post-secondary educator but was known by many for her work as a regional historian and author.  At time stamp 4:45 the episode turns into an audio recording from a Historical Society Meeting where Gladys talks about her research of the Ermatinger Family and the Ermatinger Old Stone House.  So you can end the episode in just under 5 minutes or continue to listen as Gladys herself shares her new findings from her travels to southern Ontario to gather more information on The Eramtings and also comes across some new findings on John Prince.  . Most of the research for the episode was completed by Justen Brett the Sault Museum's Research Assistant. 

In 2009, The City of Sault Ste. Marie, in collaboration with the Sault Ste. Marie and Area Local Immigration Partnership established a flag gallery on Foster Drive in front of City Hall. Your host Mairi talks about her, and her mom's experience raising a flag in 2009 and chats about the flags that were added to the flag gallery ever since.

William Armstrong first made a name for himself as a civil engineer – through his work on some of Canada’s early railways – and as a pioneer in the use of photography for industrial purposes. But it was his art that has given him a place in history! He was one of the Artists in the 1800s that traveled through Sault Ste Marie and illustrated its early history.  Souces: https://www.thunderbaymuseum.com/exhibits/virtual/historical-figures/william-armstrong/ https://www.watercolourworld.org/searchartist=William+Armstrong&displayCount=74&paintingIndex=30

Today’s artist in subject came to our town in the earliest years and his work became so famous it's not in the Smithsonian. And that person is George Catlin. George Catlin was an American adventurer, traveler, lawyer, author, and painter. His collection of works is the largest pre-photographic material of North Americans. All though he wasn’t the first to document Indigenous groups in Canada and the States he was the first to paint them as they were in their land. He painted a handful of paintings in and around the Sault that we used now to visually understand the placement of important buildings and establishments, as well as the culture and individuals of the indigenous community. Please note that I directly quote Letters and Notes, vol. 2, no. 54, by Catlin in 1841, and the language used is not conteporary.

Who is Paul Kane? He was one of Canada's most traveled painters. He traveled by horseback, canoe, and on foot to paint buffalo herds, fur traders, and Indigenous encampments. Kane made 68 known sketches of this area from 1845-1848 Canada was still very underdeveloped at the time, and he helped paint a portrait of what the country looked like. And Paul Kane immersed himself in the land and the people that inhabited it. He was able to capture what he saw and learned through graphite, watercolors, and oil on paper. He produced over seven hundred pictures accompanying journal descriptions of the lives of indigenous people. We have him to thank for the images of the past. And for his attempts to share awareness of his concerns for the future development and overpower of the Europeans to this vast wilderness and the first people who lived here

🎼That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed When the gales of November came early 🎶 The S.S Edmund Fitzgerald was a Great Lakes bulk cargo vessel, the largest ore carrier on the Great lakes for 13 years until 1971. It was 729 feet long, 75 feet wide, 39 feet high, and 13632 tons empty. It set seasonal haul records 6 times, often surpassing its own records in its short 17-year lifespan until November 10th, 1975. This episode goes through the timeline of the frightful day sprinkled with additional facts and history . https://www.shipwreckmuseum.com/ https://open.spotify.com/track/536L9C0N7vhYdibCJx3cI2?autoplay=true

Nicole Curry our Collections Assistant reads to you an article written in 1996 about a murder mystery that happened in Sault Ste Marie Michigan. Now this case is 176 years old and still unsolved with not enough evidence to truly convict a murderer. Your host, Mairi adds more points of research to the characters and case to help you make your own verdict!

There are many artists that came to the Sault to capture the “Stories of Northern Life” and in the 1800s that looked a lot different than today. If it weren't for these artists writing, painting or illustrating in some way. We would have very few resources in understanding the way of life. In the upcoming episodes, I will be going through a number of artists that stopped or stayed awhile in Sault Ste. Marie captured moments in time for us to admire and learn from for years to come. Our first artist is the British-born Anna Jameson. She visited Sault Ste. Marie in 1837 at 43 years old where she wrote, illustrated, shot the rapids and made meaningful connections. She was a writer, feminist and art historian that used her words to express an appreciation of the natural resources in Canada and put our name on the map.

There is no better place within the city limits to see the fall colours than Hiawatha Park! Your host Mairi Talks about where Hiwatha and Kinsman Park 97 got their name, the park features, wartime involvement, changes in ownership, and its natural beauty of course! Let’s talk about the park and lodges' rich history! Information sourced from articles found in our collections here at the Sault Museum

Back at it again answering your Q’s This time your host sits down with Alicia and Nick, making our education and outreach department! So the questions will be directed towards events, partnerships, workshops, education initiatives and what we do to make the museum more inviting and engaging for youth and adults of all ages. You will also feel like you get to know a little more Alicia and Nick personally!

This will be the second year September 30th marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. On September 30th we also recognize Orange Shirt Day. We will give you a brief description of the day, what it symbolizes, what's happening in the Sault for it, and resources. So let's get into it... _____________ Here is where we got most of the info https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/national-day-truth-reconciliation.html Here’s the promotional material from the gov https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1100100013251/1534874002459 https://www.orangeshirtday.org/ https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1631130192216/1631130220404 Stuff happening here https://www.sootoday.com/local-news/baawaating-to-honour-national-day-for-truth-and-reconciliation-5857769 https://www.vmcdn.ca/files/sootoday/files/news-files/grand-opening-of-shingwauk-kinoomaage-gamig-(4).pdf?utm_source=sootoday.com&utm_campaign=sootoday.com%3A%20outbound&utm_medium=referral https://www.vmcdn.ca/files/sootoday/files/news-files/algoma-univeristy_-national-day-for-truth-and-reconciliation-sault-ste.-marie-agenda-sept-20-2022.pdf?utm_source=sootoday.com&utm_campaign=sootoday.com%3A%20outbound&utm_medium=referral https://indigenoustourismontario.ca/events/weekend-for-truth-and-reconciliation/?utm_source=sootoday.com&utm_campaign=sootoday.com%3A%20outbound&utm_medium=referral https://saultstemarie.ca/Newsroom/September-2021/City-of-Sault-Ste-Marie-commemorates-National-Day.aspx

We are answering your questions about our museum staff and the Sault Ste. Marie Museum itself. Your host sits down with Will, Ric, and Nicole and talks about the job, the people and this unique space we call YOUR Museum! Want to know about the Clock Tower? The Creepiest artifacts we have in the collection? What Will our Executive Director and Chief Curator has in his personal collection? and more! give this episode a listen

Marking the passing of the Queen, we remember the time she and Prince Philip stopped on their Canadian tour in Sault Ste Marie! Despite the wrongdoings of the crown, the visit of the Queen and Prince Phillip was a significant event for Sault Ste Marie, for a prominent figure to visit our small northern city. It was important to many people around town. The intentions of this episode are to share with you the direct history of Sault Ste Marie and historical events in this area. With that said, I will take you through hour by hour what happened that day they visited Sault Ste. Marie. and don't worry they were only here a few hours.  Resources:  https://www.sootoday.com/columns/remember-this/prince-philips-visit-to-the-sault-remembered-3618690 http://saulthistory.ssmpl.ca/WW1_Penhorwood.html https://www.sootoday.com/columns/remember-this/remember-this-that-time-elizabeth-ii-dropped-by-178345

It's that time of year, back to school. This episode talks about Sir James Dunn Collegiate and Vocational School as well as the man behind the name. 

The city of Sault Ste Marie has a long history of hockey, skating, curling and most importantly a love for sports. The need for areas in this area has been around for decades and I don't think that need will die off any time soon... We are going to talk about some of the arenas in Sault Ste Maire's history: The Gouin Street Arena, the Sault Memorial Gardens and all the name changes of the newest Sault arena. 

This character we are talking about today was a Canadian politician and businessman who was active in Canada in the mid-to-late 1800s. He is notable for quite a number of accomplishments around the Algoma district, which obviously makes him very relevant to Sault Ste. Marie's history. If you don't know much about him, you hopefully will by the end of this episode. Episode is written by Justin Brett. 

There are many famous people who lived in Sault Ste. Marie, many of whom have also appeared in this Podcast. People like Roberta Bondar or Paul Kane are fairly well-known in this category, but one person you may not know off by heart is Joseph Laderoute. Rather than being a politician, astronaut, or explorer, he was a professional singer and a very talented one at that. Listen and learn a little bit about the Boy Soprano and his long-lived career in music... Also go to our website and find our Digital Archival Database to find more articles and photos of Joesph Laderoute  This eppisode was writen by Justtin Brett 

The city of Sault Ste Marie had 15 theatres between 1901 and 1923. There was a theater every few steps along our downtown core at one point in time and we are going to talk about a few of these city gems. The first theatre in town was the Grand Opera House, constructed in 1903 by Albert Search at the corner of Bay and Brock Streets. It ceased operating in 1923, and the building itself was demolished in 1972.  This episode will talk about the history of Orpheum Theater, Princess Theatre, and Algoma Theatre! Listen now to learn a little about some of the theaters that entertained the Sault for decades. 

The Steam Baths was located on Albert Street and was built by the Finish as it was an important part of their culture. The rest of Sault Ste. Marie began to fall in love with the steam! This local landmark is no longer standing but Play this short episode and learn a brief history and its importance to Sault Ste. Marie.  Information from this podcast came from a conversation with locals as well as observing posts and comments in local Facebook groups. 

This episode is a continuation of last week's episode and will go through all the designated plaques, buildings, and sites of Sault Ste. Marie. Learn more about the History of your city through its heritage sites!! The information for this episode came from the City of Sault Ste Marie website under the Municipal Heritage Committee.

Sault Ste. Marie currently has 38 designated heritage properties which include buildings, plaques and monuments. Most of these are found in the downtown core or in nearby neighborhoods where most of the early development of the City took place. These designated sites help keep the city's history alive! So let's talk about them... The information for this episode came from the City of Sault Ste Marie website under the Municipal Heritage Committee.

This week's episode of the stories of Northern Life is a series of clips taken from interviews with the Italian community recorded in 2001. The clips are their answers to the question “Have you been discriminated against?”. These stories are mainly from people born here in Sault Ste. Marie but parents immigrated to the West end from Italy, while very few interviewed immigrated themselves.  Nonetheless, both groups experienced discrimination for a long period of time Italians and other newcomers were not accepted in the community You will hear the voices of Art Gualazzi, Carmen Provenzano, Ennis Perugini, Eric Alessandrini, John Camaletti, and John Marasco.

This episode is a  historical society meeting in 1971 with Corp Ivan Shanahan talking about Skindiving and Shipwrecks in the Great Lakes. He discussed Scuba Diving and some of the wrecks he has come across during his dives. Come by the Sault Ste Marie Museum and check out our Air, Land, and Sea exhibit on display in our Durham galery as well as our permanent marine exhibit! 

Keeping with the theme of Indigenous people's month we have for you an interview with Chief Meawasige of Serpent River Reserve as he is asked a series of questions about his day-to-day life and the life of his people on the reserve throughout his years of life.

It is June so that means it is pride month. And we wanted to share with you a little history about pride in the community as well as create a form of documentation of this presence. We don’t have a single artifact or document in our collection on the subject. We know that there is a proud LGBTQQIP2SAA+ community here in the Sault. This community has been around for many years but our collection doesn't represent that. At the end of the podcast, I will talk about a way we hope to remedy that, but we are relying on you to help us to collect that history! We need your stories! When you are ready and willing to share!

Chief Shingwauk otherwise known as Shingwaukonse or Little Pine, was born in 1773, on the shore of Lake Superior. He rose to prominence fighting in the war of 1812. He developed a new native rights and self-determination strategy which sparked “Teaching Wigwams” an education strategy that incorporates European knowledge and skills with traditional Ojibway teaching. His vision was later carried on by his sons. Listen to this week's episode and learn more about Chief Shingwauk's story.

John Johnston is the Sault Michigan version of Ermatinger. He was an independent fur trader business who married an Anishinaabe woman and stay with her till the day he died. He had a strong influence in this area in the late 1700 and early 1800. 

This is a historical recording of R.W. Knight as he talks about the Building of the International bridge for the Sault Historical Society in 1971. 

Let us talk about everything the museum houses behind its doors, beyond the walls, and all the things our visitors don’t always get to see.

This episode features a historical recording with D.H Roy as he talks about the First Three Years of Historical Society. He discusses the publications made by the Historical Society and the beginning years of how the group functioned.

Have you ever wondered how street names got their name? Who chooses them and what significance do they hold if any? In this episode, you will get a little glimpse as to who choose the names in a period of Sault Ste. Marie History as well as some of the significance of a few streets used by you and many generations before.

Want to know the history of how the Sault Ste. Marie & 49th Field Regiment R.C.A. Historical Society came to be the Museum you see today? The story starts in 1902 with just a group of avid history buffs... 

Historical Recording of Marjorie MacDonald, reading a diary from her ancestors John and Maria Evoy

We go through a brief timeline of Sault Ste. Marie's favourite Park and talk about some of the iconic features it had over the years. 

This episode features a historical interview with Will Ross, a former sports manager. Will speaks about the local Greyhounds and other sports history.

We continue the story of Roberta's undeniably inspirational life. We talk about her relationship with her home of Sault Ste. Marie, her biggest life decisions, her time as an astronaut, and the difficulties she faced.

Roberta Lynn Bondar. We’ve come to love her for her time as an astronaut and for furthering research in science, but she continues to impress us with her breathtaking photography and her motivational words as she speaks to people across the globe. The Sault allowed her to dream and grow those dreams into reality. Listen to her incredible story! 

Anna McCrea was the principal of McFadden School in the west end of the city, home to the new immigrants in the early 1900s.  But she was way more than a principle. She was a friend of the community and a humanitarian. She supported the upcoming generation in every way she could.

This week's spotlight is on a special woman that felt like a part of the family throughout the 40 years of her career in radio and television broadcasting in Sault Ste. Marie. She became something of a local celebrity who entertained and inspired everyone, especially women, in the twin Saults.

This week's episode is on Aurora Butkovich, otherwise known as the Pizza Queen. This is the woman who brought Sault Ste. Marie Aurora’s, Mrs. B’s, a few other spots over the years. Order yourself a slice of pizza and dig into this week's episode!

This episode features a historical recording of the ceremonies at the Sault Ste. Marie armoury in 1952.

LOIS BECKETT. She is Sault Ste. Marie’s first female police officer. Not only that but she happens to set the record for the longest service of her gender. Two firsts that hold great accomplishment and dedication to her work and the community of Sault Ste. Marie.  In this episode you will meet your host Mairi as she guides you through Beckett's career and talk about the importance of “the firsts”.

This segment features a historical recording of Don Steer, who wrote a history of Lake Superior's East Shore. Don recalls a storm along Agawa Rocks, a story from Mike and Olive Krezek.

This episode features a historical interview with Sandra Lemay. She recalls growing up in the North around mile 67; Sault Ste. Marie, and the importance of the Coppermine Point Lighthouse to her family.

This episode features a historical interview with Alvin Thomas, a superintendent of Great Lakes Power. Alvin recounts early memories and other stories around a base camp used by the 49th regiment.

This episode features a historical interview with Olive Krezek. She tells a captivating portrait of her life in Algoma and surrounding areas; about the importance of community spirit.