Commemoration & Collaboration: World War One Thunder Bay Centennial Project

Summary:

The World War One Thunder Bay Centennial Project was a multi-year staged project (2014-2018) involving nine organizational partners and dozens of community members. This panel discussion will focus on a broad range of topics related to the project that will be of interest to anyone participating in collaborative community efforts of a similar nature. Highlighted areas will include, but not be limited to, the development and results of the project, impacts upon each partner organization and the community, ongoing co-operation and maintaining engagement, networking and relationship building, contextual peculiarities to Thunder Bay, links to and contrasts with parallel events, recognition and media coverage, and the potential for future projects.

This panel presentation will provide insight into the ways in which this type of project promotes professional pursuits for students and young people, as well as suggestions on what we would change or do differently if starting it all over again.

This proposal could easily fit within all of the noted conference topics but is most suited to the theme of community partnerships to support acquisition, storage, stewardship, preservation, and accessibility of archival material.

Presenters:

Jesse Roberts

Jesse Roberts is a Community Hub Librarian with the Thunder Bay Public Library and the founding chair of the World War One Thunder Bay Centennial Project. Jesse is responsible for the local history and genealogy collections at TBPL and has collaborated with many local heritage organizations over the last 12 years to focus on digitization, preservation, and advocacy/access to collections.

Sara Janes

Sara Janes is University Archivist for Lakehead University, and is also a contract lecturer with the Department of History. Sara’s work focuses on collection development, digital preservation, and improving access to historical documents through outreach and public engagement. Other projects include work with the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society, the Northwestern Ontario Archivists’ Association, the Archives Association of Ontario, and the Steering Committee on Canada’s Archives Response to the Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Taskforce. 

Christina Wakefield

Christina Wakefield is an Associate Archivist with the City of Thunder Bay Archives.  Christina is responsible for the entire records life cycle for her portfolio of departments, from creation and retention to archival acquisition, as well as access and privacy.  She has been the President of the Northwestern Ontario Archivists’ Association since 2012 and was the Chapter Stakeholder on the Archives Association of Ontario Board in 2018, and is a member of the Thunder Bay Museum Society Board.

Tory Tronrud

Dr. Tory Tronrud recently retired from the Thunder Bay Museum where, for 36 years, he served as Curator, Archivist and, eventually, Director. He continues to work as an editor and teaches courses at Lakehead University, including an Introduction to Museum and Heritage Studies. He is also co-author of Thunder Bay and the First World War, a book that complemented the World War One Thunder Bay Centennial Project.

Presentation slides: