THUNDER BAY – Prince Philip, who died on Friday at age 99, visited the Thunder Bay area three different times during more than 73 years of marriage to Queen Elizabeth II.
Prince Philip first visited the Lakehead area in 1951, a year before the Queen ascended the throne. The couple then returned in 1959 and then one final time in 1973, three years after Port Arthur and Fort William amalgamated to become the city of Thunder Bay.
That final visit proved to be the most infamous, thanks mostly to the city’s colourful mayor, Walter Assef, who introduced Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth as “his Royal Highness and his lovely wife.”
The prince, who married the future Queen in 1947, allegedly referred to Assef as “that jolly little mayor from Thunder Bay.”
It led to a new nickname for the feisty civic leader – Jolly Wally.
Assef also allegedly patted the Queen on her behind, though the former mayor, who died in 1988, always maintained he had simply been guiding her to a chair.
The Queen and Prince also visited the newly opened Old Fort William, which today is known at Fort William Historic Park.
The 1959 visit coincided with the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
The Royal Couple arrived in port on the Royal Yacht Britannia and had lunch at the Royal Edward Hotel.
Peter Zabloski was the chef at the hotel and was invited to serve lunch to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
In a 1980 interview with Thunder Bay Television, he said he was surprised and honoured to be asked.
“They advised me about two months before they arrived in Thunder Bay ... but I didn’t know I was going to have the chance to prepare a meal for them. I thought they were going to bring the chef from the yacht and he was going to look after them,” Zabloski said.
“But I talked to our manager and they told me if I was good enough for the Thunder Bay people, I’m good enough for Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip.”
Szablowski said security was tight that day, noting there were four Mounties standing guard in his kitchen while the meal was prepared.
During the 1959 trip, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip paraded through the streets of Fort William, with cheering crowds lining the roadway for a chance to catch a glimpse of the Royal Couple.
Prince Philip’s first visit to the area occurred in 1951, part of a five-week tour of Canada by the future Queen and Prince.
Pictures found on the City of Thunder Bay Archives show Prince Philip and Princess Elizabeth on the steps of Fort William City Hall, with Mayor Hubert Badanai and other dignitaries behind the Royal Couple. A copy of Badanai’s proclamation to the royal visitors, read on Oct. 29, 1951, can also be found on the archives site.
The couple also visited with Indigenous people during their two-day stop.
The following is a partial itinerary of the royal visits in 1951, 1959 and 1973, provided by the City of Thunder Bay Archives.
1951 visit
- Oct 28, 1951, Evening, arrived at Fort William Airport, greeted dignitaries and then went to stay at the Prince Arthur Hotel
- Oct. 29, 1951 - Presentations a the Port Arthur Arena, stopped to see the view from Hillcrest Park, presentations at Port Arthur Stadium, tour of Pool 7 Grain elevator
- Presentations at Fort William City Hall, greeted the people of Fort William on a platform in from of City Hall, Fort William Gardens for presentations
- Visit with Ojibwe encampment at Airport
1959 visit
- Visit to Canada to open the St Lawrence Seaway
- July 9, 1959, arrive in Port Arthur on the Royal Yacht Britannia
- Presentations at Port Arthur Stadium
- Joint PA/FW luncheon at the Royal Edward Hotel where they were served Lake Superior Trout
- Presentations at Chapple Recreation Centre and a Jeep Tour of the Recreation Centre (Chapple's Park near baseball diamonds and what is now International Gardens)
1973 visit (July 3, 1973)
- Royal Couple officially open Old Fort William Historical Park, cut the ribbon at Taitt House, tour park
- Presentations at Ojibway Ski Resort
- Presented to local Indigenous Officials, RCMP, Veterans, and others
- Robinson Superior Treaty presented to the Queen by Fort William First Nation Chief
- Demonstrations by the Appaloosa Horse Club and Indigenous dancers
