Thunder Bay Unseen

Superior History

McKellar Farm

This housing development is one of the older ones in the former Fort William. It is built on the site of the former 173 acre McKellar Farm. John McKellar was the first mayor of Fort William in 1892. Prior to that he was a councilor for the Neebing ward of Shuniah township in 1879 and, later, Reeve of Shuniah from 1887 to 1892.

Starting at the northern end of Syndicate Street nearest the Neebing River one finds the former Drew Street School. Built in 1910 when this stretch of Syndicate Avenue was still called Drew Street (hence the unique name) this school is one Thunder Bay's greatest examples of the Queen Anne style of architecture. Although many of the windows have been bricked over or covered in plywood the building still sports amazing curved, flemish gables.

A close up of the gabbling on an addition to the school completed in 1914.

Like so many other schools in Thunder Bay, Drew Street School had its share of bricked over windows.

Across Finlayson Street from the former school is Kitami Roman Catholic Church. The church does not have stained glass windows but the sanctuary does feature hand painted murals in a First Nations style on the windows. I have not featured all the paintings here.

Across Syndicate Street from the former school is an old corner store The store still sports its original sign, a reminder of the neighbourhood corner stores that were numerous throughout the city before the advent and expansion of automobile use.

The streets McKellar Park have had many names over their lifetimes.

Syndicate Avenue, between Dease St. and William St., was formerly called Drew Street. Drew Street was named for George Alexander Drew who owned over 400 acres in Neebing Additional. The name was changed to Syndicate in 1911 but lived on in the name of the school located near the Neebing River.

McKellar Street was formerly called John Street. The name was changed in 1974 after the union of Port Arthur and Fort William. It was named after John McKellar, the first Mayor of Fort William, and original owner of the land comprising McKellar Park.

Dease Street, from Prince Arthur Boulevard westward, was called Maryland Street until it was changed by Fort William By-law in 1911.

Southern Avenue was formerly called Neebing Avenue until it was also changed by Fort William By-Law in 1911.

A typical grid-pattern neighbourhood, McKellar Park boasts a number of classically designed homes ranging across a number of styles. Each is beautiful in their own way, showing a number of different adornments and design elements - such as wraparound decks, gabled roofs, and second floor balconies. The neighbourhoods are of a typical pre-WWI design, with the homes being close together on narrow lots.

The neighbourhood also boasts some multifamily units. These homes are much more like he classic british row housing, and were probably designed with lower-income and immigrant families in mind.

Like many of the streets in McKellar Park, Archibald Street derives its name from a member of the McKellar Family. Archibald McKellar was born in 1845 and died at the age of 43 in 1888. He served as the Commissioner of Public Works, as well as the MP for Kent County (1857-1867) and MPP for Bothwell (1867-1875).

Brodie Street is named for Margaret Brodie McKellar, the mother of Peter McKellar.
Also, like other streets in McKellar Park, the portion of Brodie street from Dease Street to William Street (on both sides of the Neebing River) was formerly called Laird Street, named for Brothers Robert H. Laird and W.H. Laird. The renamed section of Brodie Street is easily identified as it is off-set from the main stretch of Brodie Street. The street itself was renamed in 1911.

McKellar Park is one of the oldest residential neighbourhoods in the former Fort William. As you look around at the various pieces of infrastructure adorning the roadways and boulevards you can find a number of anomalies and unique labels.
The above access grate is labeled the 'City of Fort William', which has not existed for over 35 years, while the opposite access cover bears the foundry mark of Woodside Foundry, which has been defunct for at least two decades.

As an older neighbourhood, McKellar Park boasts a fine growth of old shade trees, in its parks and along the boulevards of its many streets.

Dease Park, at the corner of Dease Street and Vickers Street is a beautiful example of this urban forest.

Dease Park is not the only amenity available to the people of McKellar Park. Located across the street from Dease Park is Dease Pool, a public swimming pool that is over 95 years old.
Open during the summer season when children are not in school, Dease offers changing facilities and, apart from upgrades for public safety, appears relatively unchanged over its long life.

Also located in McKellar Park is the Arlington Apartments. Designated a Heritage Property in 1988, the renovated structure boasts a dedication plaque stating the following:

Designed by Robert E. Mason and constructed in 1917
this building was the first apartment house built at
the Lakehead. The owner, Charles Jenkins, was one of
its first occupants. The building retains its original
windows, open covered porches with decorative
woodwork, and cut-stone window sills and lintels.

McKellar Park also boasts its own neighbourhood school, which was spared in 2004 from being closed in an efforts by the local public school board to cut costs.
The school was built after WWII to accommodate the children of the Baby Boom. It has seen a decline in population over the last two decades as the population of McKellar Park has aged. It has managed to stay open while other neighbourhood schools in the area such as Drew Street and Franklin Street Schools.

The Federal Government Building on Archibald Street is an impressive site, glad in gray stone. Once home to the Fort William Post Office it is now home a number of federal departments.

At the southern edge of McKellar Park lies the downtown core of what used to be the City of Fort William. As a result there are a few major institutional buildings that encroach on the quiet neighbourhood aspect.

On the Leith Street side of the building is a copy of the Canadian Coat of Arms.

Leith Street is named for James Leith, the chief trader for the Hudson Bay Company in 1821, who gave half his estate for the propagation of Protestantism amongst Native Canadians, as opposed to Catholicism.

After Fort William and Port Arthur amalgamated in 1970 it was decided that the united fire departments needed a single headquarters. The newly constructed Vickers Street Station was decided upon as the perfect site for the headquarters.

The Vickers Street Station has an external fuel pump, to fill the Fire Trucks. It has obviously been in place for a few decades now as it not only has an old dial counter, but it also measures in Gallons and not litres.

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McKellar Farm