THUNDER BAY — Two people with very different backgrounds — but each with deep roots in rural Thunder Bay — are being fondly remembered through books, and by local attractions they put on the map.
Thunder Bay author and historian Elinor Barr, who died last Sunday at 91, penned several works about Northwestern Ontario and Canada, including Swedes in Canada, in 2015.
She was likely best known for Silver Islet, Striking it Rich in Lake Superior, her account of one of the earliest silver mines that operated in the late 19th century.
In an online post this week, the Silver Islet General Store noted Barr was a regular visitor who made her final visit there last July.
"Elinor was a good friend and a strong supporter of the (store)," the post said. "She believed the passage of time erases the moments of the past, and that history needed to be recorded for future generations to learn from."
The seasonal store and tea shop is located just east of Thunder Bay at the end of Highway 587, about an hour's drive from the city.
Meanwhile, Oliver Paipoonge's library is acknowledging the donation of a best-selling cookbook in memory of Thunder Bay chef and restaurateur Michael (Hoss) Ellchook, who died in October.
Ellchook, who for many years operated Murillo's This Old Barn eatery, was a red-seal chef who worked in Switzerland and Jasper, Alta.
His larger-than-life personality and sense of fun resembled another Canadian celebrity chef: Toronto restaurateur and cookbook writer Matty Matheson.
Matheson's latest work — Soups, Salads, Sandwiches — "will surely serve as a lasting reminder of (Ellchook's) legacy, especially when shared with others who enjoy cooking or reading about food," the library said in a post on O'Connor Township's Cornerstone online newsletter.
The Chronicle-Journal / Local Journalism Initiative
