The university’s faculty of law is honouring one of Port Arthur Collegiate Institute’s most recognized and decorated alumni.
In the ‘50s Douglas Fisher taught history and served as a librarian at the high school, which later closed and eventually became the site of Lakehead University’s law school.
Fishers’ legacy goes beyond teaching as he was fondly remembered at a ceremony Friday for his achievements in education, politics and journalism.
At that ceremony Lakehead University officials unveiled the Douglas M. Fisher Seminar Room on the second floor of Bora Laskin Faculty of Law Library. Also revealed Friday was a new law scholarship, which will be awarded annually to a second-year law student in the top 10 per cent of their first year class.
“We are honouring a remarkable life,” said Lakehead University Chancellor Dr. Derek Burney.
Fisher was dedicated to Northwestern Ontario in every way of his life, whether it was in the war, as a history teacher, as a member of parliament or a journalist.
He became the Member of Parliament for Port Arthur from 1957 until 1965, ousting long-time Liberal MP CD Howe.
For 45 years he worked as a political columnist for the Toronto Telegram and then The Toronto Sun until he retired in 2006.
“I’m delighted, there’s so many alumni of PACI who have turned out (to attend Friday’s ceremony), you can see that he touched many people’s lives as teachers often do,” Burney said.
Burney added that everybody had their own stories of how Fisher inspired them to be more informed.
The former history teacher put a lot of emphasis on how to do proper research as well as the value of opinions, provided they were informed opinions.
Burney said Fisher obliged students to debate openly in class because that would expose the students who had done the research to the ones who didn’t
“I think it’s a celebration of the best kind of teaching, which is what Lakehead University is all about.”
Fisher’s son Matthew Fisher the Port Arthur community meant a lot to his father going back nearly a century, as he first came to Thunder Bay by train in 1922.
“My father had such a strong connection to this community for so long,” Matthew Fisher said.
He added that the event means a lot to his family, especially his mother who couldn’t make it to Thunder Bay.
“At all times (my dad) remembered his connection to the North, he loved (being in Thunder Bay), and he loved the Canadian Shield,” Fisher said.
“He could read the granite, the forests because he grew up with trap line he knew everything about skinning bears, lynx, rabbits – all of these things connected him to the North.”
