Robert 'Bob' Sheffield Pilot was born in Nicholson, Ontario on April 13, 1934. Raised in Pembroke, Ontario, he entered training in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1952. The following year he was posted to Frobisher Bay, launching a 35 year career of service in the north. As an RCMP Constable, he served in several eastern Arctic communities, including Frobisher Bay (1953-1955), Craig Harbour (1955-1956) and Grise Fiord (1956-1959). In 1959-1960 he was posted to Windsor, Ontario, where he married Lois Alsford (1962). He returned to the north to Pond Inlet as an RCMP Corporal (1961-1964), where he also established a Boy Scouts troop, and became a founding member of the NWT Council of the Boy Scouts of Canada. In Pond Inlet Bob Pilot performed many services as a paramedic: delivering babies, pulling teeth and handling gunshot wounds. In 1964 he was posted to Fort Providence as a Corporal. That year Pilot was also awarded the rank of Serving Brother in the Order of St. John of Jerusalem by Queen Elizabeth for his medical work in the Arctic (he is now a Knight of the Order). He retired from the RCMP and attended Northern University from 1965-66, and then joined the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs in Broughton Island as an Area Administrator from 1966-1968. He was then Area Administrator in Pond Inlet from 1968-1969. He joined the Government of the Northwest Territories in 1969, and was Assistant Regional Director in Fort Smith. From 1971-1975 he was Regional Director in Frobisher Bay. From 1975-1979 he was the Senior Executive Assistant to Commissioner Hodgson in Yellowknife. From 1979-1984 he was appointed to Deputy Commissioner under Commissioner Parker. In 1984-1986 Pilot was appointed as the first Deputy Minister of the Executive Council, and in 1986 he was appointed Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs in Ottawa. In that same year Pilot was made a Member of the Order of Canada. He retired from the GNWT in 1988. Robert Pilot was mayor of Pembroke, Ontario from 2000-2003 and has continued to be involved in many service organizations including the United Way, the Kiwanis Club, the Pembroke Regional Hospital and the Ottawa Valley Historical Society.
Robert "Bobby" Porritt (1905-1984) was born in Leeds, England. He came to Canada with his family in 1912, and they moved to a homestead farm near Jarvie, Alberta in 1915. He moved to the Northwest Territories circa 1927, spending a couple of years as a carpenter on projects in Fort Smith, Fort Simpson and Fort Resolution. He remained in Fort Resolution working as the first Canadian Airways agent [1927?]. During his years in Fort Resolution, he also worked as postmaster [1930?] and spent seven years in the fur trade with Northern Traders. In 1938, he started the Fort Resolution Lumber Company, which supplied lumber around the lake, particularly for Yellowknife buildings such as the Old Stope Hotel. Porritt spent some time in Yellowknife, coordinating lumber orders, and claims to have built the first Yellowknife school in 1939. The lumber business led to a water freight business, Robert Porritt Transportation, which appears to have been based in Yellowknife [1944-1949?]. In 1949, Porritt moved to Hay River and set up a general store, a fur trading business and an insurance agency. He established the short-lived Great Slave Industries in 1969, planning to build a marina in Hay River, and was involved in the revival of the sawmill in Fort Resolution during the same year. He continued to trade furs until his death.
Active politically for many years, Porritt ran for the Yellowknife Town Council in 1945. He lost his first bid for the Northwest Territories Legislative Council in 1951, but was successful in 1954, 1957 and 1964, spending almost ten years on the NWT Council (1954-1960, 1964-1967). He also lost bids for election to the NWT Council in 1960, 1967 and 1970. As a member of the Council, he was particularly interested in issues such as transportation, Indigenous welfare, health care, fisheries, trapping, education, the postal service, and the Hay River economy. He was also active in local politics and local organizations. He was appointed to the Hay River Board of Trustees in 1950, and spent at least seven years on the Board of Trustees, municipal and town councils for Hay River. He was president of the Hay River Chamber of Commerce, chair of the Lands and Parks Committee, and a member of the local Health Board, the Hospital Committee, the Public Works Committee, and the Kiwanis Club. Bobby Porritt died in 1984.
Very little is known of Peter M. Porter, except that he entered the employ Slave Lake Gold Mines Limited on August 7, 1938 in Yellowknife and spent at least the following year on Outpost Island. He also appears to have had business interests in a mill and transport scow. Porter may also have been involved in other mining ventures around Yellowknife, as he shows up as a miner at Chipp Lake in 1942.
Henri Posset was born on May 5, 1925 in Belgium. He entered the Oblates Order of Mary Immaculate on September 8, 1947 and was ordained as a priest on February 19, 1950. In 1950, he moved to Canada and went to Hay River where he spent the following two years learning Slavey. Between 1952 and 1956, he worked as a priest at Fort Providence. From 1956 until 1981 he was based at Fort Simpson, and in 1982 moved to Fort Norman (Tulita) where he ran the Oblate mission until 1993. Henri Posset died on January 3, 1993.
Alfred E. Preble was born on August 11, 1880 in Wilmington, Massachusetts. He attended Tufts College in Medford, Mass. from 1900 to 1904, graduating with the degree of Bachelor of Science. While in College, he was an assistant on three surveys organized by the Bureau of Biological Survey of the United States Department of Agriculture, led by his brother, Edward A. Preble. The first survey in 1900 was to Fort Churchill, the second in 1901 to Fort Resolution and the third in 1903, to continue a survey of the Athabasca and Mackenzie river regions to Fort Good Hope. The expedition, consisting of Edward Alexander Preble, Alfred E. Preble and Merrit Carey left Washington in May 1903 and arrived in Athabasca Landing mid May. The party traveled to Fort Resolution and then split with Merrit Carey and Alfred E. Preble traveling to the Mackenzie River and northward towards Fort Wrigley. They reached Fort Wrigley on July 20, 1903 and set out for the return trip on July 22, 1903. During the course of their trip, they made numerous observations on both flora and fauna. Alfred Preble was also a participant in a faunal survey to Fort George, James Bay in 1912. This survey was sponsored by the Carnegie Museum of Pittsburgh and led by W.E. Clyde Todd. He devoted the majority of his life to teaching high school chemistry and physics. He died at Center Ossipee, New Hampshire, July 11, 1950.
(Douglas) Bruce Prentice was born January 22, 1924 in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan to parents Robert and Lucille (nee Black) Prentice. During World War II he served in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). After the war he moved to British Columbia and attended the University of British Columbia. He became a teacher, and later a principal in Chilliwack, working at several schools including Yarrow, Bernard, Robertson, Sardis and Greendale Elementary. He also studied part-time at the University of Western Washing to earn a Master's degree.
Bruce's interests included photography, bridge, golf and travel. He volunteered with Air Cadets and was a member of the Legion, Probus, the Masons, Eastern Star, Royal Order of Jesters, and the Shrine Oriental Band.
Bruce was married to Dorothy (predeceased) for more than 60 years and had two children, Diane and Roger. Bruce passed away in Surrey, British Columbia at the age of 95.
Gordon Beattie Pritchard was born in Galt, Ontario on March 17, 1909. In 1935, he graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Architecture and then served with the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II. He joined the Building Construction Division of the Department of Public Works in Ottawa in 1948. He was appointed the first chief of the federal Northern Construction Division, Department of Public Works, in 1956. In this capacity, he toured widely throughout the north supervising the construction of federal projects. One of his major responsibilities was to oversee the construction of Inuvik, which was completed in 1961. He wrote a number of articles on building projects he had been involved with, particularly those in Inuvik. He died in Ottawa on November 1, 1964.
Roy Jack Quinstrom was born in 1912 in Quesnel, British Columbia. The Quinstrom family had come to Canada from Sweden. People of the Quesnel area could not pronounce the family's Swedish name (unknown) so they took the name Quinstrom. Roy believed they were the only people in the world to have that name. After receiving his education at Trail, British Columbia, Roy went to Moscow, Idaho to study Mining Engineering and Metallurgy. His first job was at Goldfields, Saskatchewan. On his return to Trail he was hired by Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company Ltd. and moved to Yellowknife, living there in 1937 and 1938. Roy helped pour the first gold brick produced in Yellowknife in [1938?]. In 1938, Roy married Lillian Cookson eventually settling again in Kimberley, British Columbia in 1940. In 1944, Roy and Lillian moved to San Luis Potosi, Mexico and started an assay business, eventually retiring in Mexico. Roy Quinstrom died in 1995.
Leo Ranney lived in McConnelsville, Ohio and his brother W.C. Ranney lived in Yellowknife. Between 1938 and 1939, they were involved in business dealings with Negus Mines and mining claims around the Yellowknife area.
Ferdinand Regier is an architect (OAA) who lived in Yellowknife from 1996 to 2000. During his time in the city, he worked on projects throughout the NWT. Mr. Regier currently works for the Government of Canada.
Walter Edgar Reynolds was born in Punnichy, Saskatchewan on September 24, 1925 to parents Ernest Mary (nee Vrh) Reynolds. Thelma Jean Swan was born in Regina, Saskatchewan on February 4, 1929 to parents William and Sara Lena (nee Rea) Swan.
Both Thelma and Walter were raised in Punnichy and attended school there. Walter graduated from high school early, going on to earn qualifications as a municipal secretary treasurer, secretary treasurer for larger school units, and a certificate in Hospital Organization and Management. Thelma completed high school and went on to study Medical Laboratory Technology at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.
Walter and Thelma were married on August 4, 1951 and moved to Quill Lake, Saskatchewan. While at Quill Lake, they had three children, Rea, Patricia, and James. The family lived in several locations as Walter took new jobs. He was Secretary Treasurer of Village of Quill Lake and Rural Municipality of Lakeside (1951-1955), Administrative Assistant to Medical Superintendent (Dr. Frank Porth) at Qu’Appelle Indian Hospital, Saskatchewan (1955-1962), Administrative Assistant to Medical Superintendent (Dr. Dale) at Inuvik General Hospital, NWT (1962-1964), Administrative Assistant to Medical Superintendent (Dr. Campbell) at Nanaimo Indian Hospital, British Columbia (1964-1966), Regional Administrative Officer for the Department of National Health and Welfare for Northern Region under Dr. Gordon Butler in Edmonton, Alberta (1966-1970), Administrative Officer for Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (Pacific Biological Stn.) under Dr. K. Allen in Nanaimo (1970-1976), and Planner for Nanaimo Regional General Hospital under Mr. Gordon Frith. (1976-1980).
Walter also served on various committees: as a member of the Hospital Management Organizations, Chairman of the North Cedar Improvement District, and member of the recreation committee for Beban Park Recreation Centre in Nanaimo. Thelma worked as an apprentice at City Hospital in Regina, then as a part-time lab technician, becoming full-time while living in Nanaimo. While in Inuvik, Walter enjoyed curling, playing softball with Davy’s Oilers, and amateur photography. After retiring, Walter and Thelma travelled extensively throughout the world.
Walter was a dedicated family man with a keen sense of humour and a deep belief in fiscal responsibility. Walter died on October 28, 2015. Thelma will celebrate her 96th birthday in 2025.
Wyn Rhys-Jones was born in Scotland, and at a young age relocated to Wales, his father's homeland. He earned his M.D. in family medicine at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. He worked and lived in Canada, Saudi Arabia and his adopted country, the United States. He was employed by the Canadian Federal Department of National Health and Welfare as a doctor stationed in a number of communities, and also traveled as a locum to other remote northern communities. He was stationed in Rae from August 1962 to August 1963. He was in Yellowknife from August 1963 to November 1963. He was then stationed in Fort Simpson from November 1963 until 1964, when he moved to Edmonton. Dr. Wyn Rhys-Jones later worked at Veteran's Affairs in Las Vegas as Chief of Staff, where he instituted supports for Prisoner of War (POW) veterans. Afterwards, he moved to Florida, where he worked in New Port Richey. He was married to Linda Wexler with whom he had five children. Dr. Wyn Rhys-Jones died on October 24, 2010.
John Thomas Richardson was employed as a carpenter foreman by the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company of Canada Limited (Con Mine) in Yellowknife from 1936-1942. He sent these photographs to his younger brother, E. George Richardson who lived in Saskatchewan, as a souvenir of his life in the north. In 1942 Richardson left Yellowknife to join the Royal Canadian Engineers. He then served in Europe until the end of World War II. He was discharged with the rank of Sergeant in 1946, and was awarded several medals. J.T. Richardson died in Regina, Saskatchewan on July 30, 1992.
Kenneth George (Ken) Roberts was born February 9, 1928. He worked initially as a fishing guide in Manitoba then worked on Lake Winnipeg. He first travelled to Hay River in 1950 as a summer student with the Fisheries Research Board of Canada. Ken moved to Hay River in 1956 with his wife Ruth to work for the Fisheries Research Board, later transitioning to the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans where he spent part of his work visiting fishing camps on Great Slave Lake. He was involved in the Great Slave Lake fishing industry for over 40 years. He died March 3, 2010.