Foster Raymer (Ray) Ross was born in 1893; the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) hired him in 1925. He served as manager in Tree River (1925-29), Bernard Harbour (1929-33), Reid Island (1933-39), Coppermine (1939-40), Holman Island (1941-43), War Industry (1943-46) and Keg River, Alberta (1946-58). In 1935, he met and married Lillian Smith while out in Edmonton. When they returned to the north, Lillian and Ray had three children: Raymer (b. 1937), Patricia Ellen (b. 1940) and Charles (b. 1945). During the Second World War Ray Ross was granted a leave of absence to serve as the purchasing agent for the Observer's School operated out of Edmonton by Wop May. In 1946, he became the post manager for Keg River, Alberta. He remained at the Keg River post until his retirement from the HBC on October 31, 1958. He died at the age of 84 on October 26, 1976 in Vernon, BC.
Hugh Ross worked for the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals in the 1930s through the 1960s. He was stationed in a number of locations in northern Canada, including Fort Norman, Yellowknife, Alert and Fort McMurray, Alberta.
Richard Henry Charles LeBreton Ross was born in Winnipeg in 1907. He graduated from the Colorado School of Mines in 1929 and began working as an assayer at a mill in Trail, B.C. He moved to Kimberly, B.C. in 1938 and began working for the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company. He was married to Dorothy (b. 1908) in Kimberly, B.C. in 1939 and his daughter, Carol (now married to Elliott Starr), was born in 1940. In February 1941, Richard Ross moved to Yellowknife to assist with the construction of the Thompson-Lundmark mill at Thompson Lake. In the summer of 1941 he was joined at the Thompson-Lundmark mine site by his wife and daughter. In the fall of 1941, he transferred to Ptarmigan Mines. His daughter Patsy was born in 1942 and when the mining operation shut down in 1942, the Ross family moved back to Trail, B.C. In 1946, they returned to Yellowknife and Richard again worked for the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company at Con Mine. Lynn and Roderick Ross were born in 1947 and were the first white twins born in Yellowknife. The family left Yellowknife in 1952 and in 1957, moved to New York. During their time in Yellowknife Richard Ross became involved with the establishment of the Yellowknife Children's Aid Society and was elected the first Chairman of the Board of Directors in 1951.
Letitia "Tish" Robshaw (nee Ryan) was born on January 15, 1913 in Chapeau, Quebec. After attending schools in Sudbury, Pembroke and Chapeau, she moved to Yellowknife in September 1954 to begin teaching at St. Patrick School. She remained at St. Patrick School until the summer of 1956 when she moved to Fort Resolution. She married Barry (Robbie) Robshaw, who she met in Yellowknife in 1958.After teaching in Fort Resolution from 1957 to 1960, she then returned to St. Patrick School where she remained until the summer of 1964. In 1964, she returned to Chapeau, Quebec. When they left the north, they moved to Hull, Quebec where they lived until the 1980s. They retired to Victoria, British Columbia but spent summers in Chapeau, Quebec. She died in October 1991.
Norman Lubbock (Robbie) Robinson was born on July 18, 1890 in County Wicklow Ireland. He spent over two years with the Northwest Mounted Police prior to World War I, and then five years in the army; first with the 19th Alberta Dragoons and then with the British Army in 1915. After returning to Edmonton in 1919, he worked as an Inspector with the Soldiers Settlement Board before traveling to the Northwest Territories where he spent five years working as a trapper, guide and purser aboard the steamer "Mackenzie River." In 1925, he returned to Edmonton with the intention to rejoin the Northwest Mounted Police, however, due to poor eyesight he was denied a position. He moved to British Columbia where he married in November 1928 and operated a timber business near Kamloops. During the Depression, he accepted a position as a Game Warden with the British Columbia Provincial Game Department. He held this position until 1938 and worked in Kamloops, Quesnel and Lillooet, British Columbia. In 1938, Robinson and his wife moved to Ireland for two years where he worked for the Turf Development Board on Clonsast Bog in Leix, Ireland. They returned to Canada in 1940. At the time of his May 1952 death in Calgary at age 61, he was an employment claims officer for the Unemployment Insurance Commission.
J. Lewis Robinson was born on July 9, 1918 in Leamington, Ontario. He received his BA in 1940 from the University of Western Ontario, his MA from Syracuse University in 1942 and his PhD from Clark University, in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1946. J. Lewis Robinson was appointed the Federal Government's first professional geographer with the Department of Mines and Resources in 1943 and that same year he participated in the Eastern Arctic Patrol where he visited communities in the Eastern Arctic and in the Keewatin Region. In 1945, he was transferred to the Mackenzie Valley section of the Northwest Territories Administration in Ottawa to help with the North Pacific Planning Project. The aim of this project was to bring together government administrators and scientists to plan for postwar development in northwestern Canada. Since no maps existed in the Northwest Territories Administration showing the relative position and spacing of buildings in the old settlements, Robinson was sent to the Mackenzie Valley in order to map these buildings. The mapping was done by pacing distances and later redrafting the sketches. During this time, J. Lewis Robinson visited and mapped the buildings in the following settlements: Fort Smith, Hay River, Fort Providence, Norman Wells, Fort Norman, Fort Good Hope, Arctic Red River, Fort McPherson, Fort Simpson, Aklavik, Fort Resolution, Port Radium, Yellowknife and Fort Resolution. Robinson came to the University of British Columbia to establish a Geography Division within the Department of Geology. He became chair of the division and, in 1958, established a separate Department of Geography. Robinson served as head of the department until 1968. He has written various published articles and books about geography, environmental resources and people of northern Canada. He retired in 1984 and lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.