Fort William First Nation
Encyclopedia
Fort William First Nation is an Ojibwa
y First Nation south of and adjacent to Thunder Bay
, Ontario
, Canada
. As of January 2008, the First Nation had a registered population of 1,798 people, of which their on-Reserve population was 832 people.
Fort William First Nation has a two rink arena which is home to the Thunder Bay Bearcats
of the Superior International Junior Hockey League
and has a fitness centre overlooking rink 1. A business park in the eastern end of the community is home to the head offices of Wasaya Airways
and the band offices, among others.
. Much of the reserve is swampland near the lake, while the western portion of the reserve is home to the Nor'Wester mountains and Loch Lomond.
Most homes on the First Nation are located in a village on Mission Road. A trailer park is located on reserve land near Chippewa Park
, and many cottages are located along Sandy Beach Road.
. Route 6 Mission serves the community eleven times between 7:30 am and 6:40 pm, Monday to Friday.
As a signatory to Robinson-Superior Treaty, Fort William First Nation is a member of Union of Ontario Indians
, a Tribal Political Organization that represents many of the Anishinaabe
First Nation governments in Ontario located about Lake Superior
and Lake Huron
.
for "the people of 'Lake Superior.'"
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
y First Nation south of and adjacent to Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. As of January 2008, the First Nation had a registered population of 1,798 people, of which their on-Reserve population was 832 people.
Fort William First Nation has a two rink arena which is home to the Thunder Bay Bearcats
Thunder Bay Bearcats
The Thunder Bay Bearcats are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Superior International Junior Hockey League.-History:...
of the Superior International Junior Hockey League
Superior International Junior Hockey League
The Superior International Junior Hockey League is a Junior A ice hockey league under the supervision of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Hockey Canada. The winner of the SIJHL playoffs competes for the Dudley Hewitt Cup with the winners of the Ontario Junior Hockey League and the Northern...
and has a fitness centre overlooking rink 1. A business park in the eastern end of the community is home to the head offices of Wasaya Airways
Wasaya Airways
Wasaya Airways LP is a 100% First Nations owned domestic airline with its headquarters in Thunder Bay, Northern Ontario...
and the band offices, among others.
Geography
Fort William First Nation has a contrasting geography on the shore of Lake SuperiorLake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
. Much of the reserve is swampland near the lake, while the western portion of the reserve is home to the Nor'Wester mountains and Loch Lomond.
Most homes on the First Nation are located in a village on Mission Road. A trailer park is located on reserve land near Chippewa Park
Chippewa Park
Chippewa Park is located on the shore of Lake Superior, south of Thunder Bay, Ontario. From May Long Weekend to Labour Day Weekend the park operates a children's amusement park which features a C.W. Parker Carousel that was built between 1918 and 1920. There is also a Wildlife Park which is home...
, and many cottages are located along Sandy Beach Road.
Transportation
The main roads in Fort William First Nation are Mission Road and Squaw Bay Road. The community on Mission Road has local bus service provided by Thunder Bay TransitThunder Bay Transit
Thunder Bay Transit is the public transit operator in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It was formed in 1970, after the amalgamation of the cities of Port Arthur and Fort William and their respective transit agencies...
. Route 6 Mission serves the community eleven times between 7:30 am and 6:40 pm, Monday to Friday.
Governance
The First Nation elect their officials through the Act Electoral System, consisting of a Chief and twelve councillors. The current Chief is Peter Collins, whose two-year term began on April 15, 2009. The councillors are Ian Bannon, Leo Bannon Sr., Leo Bannon Jr., Walter M. Bannon, Lyle Charlie Sr., Anthony Collins, Guy Collins, Peter Morriseau, Philip Pelletier, Sherry Pelletier, Catherine Rodger and Richard Ward.As a signatory to Robinson-Superior Treaty, Fort William First Nation is a member of Union of Ontario Indians
Union of Ontario Indians
The Union of Ontario Indians is an Aboriginal political organization representing 42 member First Nations in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was formed in 1919 and incorporated in 1949, to serve as a political advocate and secretariat for the Anishinabek Nation...
, a Tribal Political Organization that represents many of the Anishinaabe
Anishinaabe
Anishinaabe or Anishinabe—or more properly Anishinaabeg or Anishinabek, which is the plural form of the word—is the autonym often used by the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Algonquin peoples. They all speak closely related Anishinaabemowin/Anishinaabe languages, of the Algonquian language family.The meaning...
First Nation governments in Ontario located about Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
and Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
.
Reserve
The First Nation have reserved for themselves the 5815.1 hectares (14,369.4 acre) Fort William Indian Reserve 52, which serves as the land base for the First Nation.Environmental Stewardship - Anishinabek Gitchi Gami Environmental Programs
Due to multiple past and present industrial pollution issues affecting Fort William First Nation, citizens developed their own form of civil society to improve the health of the community through grassroots projects. As individuals working together, between 2007 and 2009, they formed a not-for-profit environmental group called Anishinabek Gitchi Gami Environmental Programs (AGG) to address these threats to human and environmental health. The AGG was the first environmental not-for-profit organization in an Ontario First Nation community. The name of this group was derived from the original name for the community (Chippewas of the Gitchigami). "Anishinabek Gitchi Gami" is OjibwaOjibwe language
Ojibwe , also called Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of the Algonquian language family. Ojibwe is characterized by a series of dialects that have local names and frequently local writing systems...
for "the people of 'Lake Superior.'"