Have a seat and relax! Here are some interesting vintage Canadian postcards of North Bay, Ontario. These old postcards from the Nipissing District and that part of the Parry Sound District which is in the “Blue Sky Region,” are shown for educational purposes. If you have images or historical information which you’d like to share with our digital virtual museum, feel free to do so. You might also enjoy visits to our Alderdale, Bonfield and Rutherglen, Callander and Corbeil, Commanda, Dokis, Ferguson Highway (Highway 11), Lavigne and Verner, Marten River, Mattawa, Monetville and Noëlville, Nipissing and Restoule, Powassan and Trout Creek, South River, Sturgeon Falls, Sundridge, Temagami, Tilden Lake, Trout Lake and Trout Mills pages. Enjoy the story of Antoine’s Moose-Yard.

In a tribute to the area’s heritage, the North Bay Winter Fur Carnival, billed as being Canada’s largest winter carnival, ran from 1965 to 1996 and was held lakeside at Sunset Park during the first weekend in March. Preston R. Quirt took these four photos, with Duke the Toque, the carnival mascot, and a view of the log chopping contest to the left. To the right are views of the International Sled Dog Derby. Top teams from Québec, Ontario and the United States competed in this dog sledding derby, the biggest race of its kind at the time. Festivities were held the first weekend in March. Snow machine races and sky diving were some of the other activities.

A predecessor to the Fur Carnival was the North Bay Winter Carnival. The Snow Queen contestants of 1946, seen in the Velox real-photo postcard done by Railton Photography, were (left to right) Joan White, Fran Frair, Helene Jewell and Barbara White. Joan White was the wife of author and historian Cup Gunning.

Two other all-time favorite winter activities are ice hockey and tobogganing. A previously undocumented artist-signed postcard by Archie Gunn depicts Miss Canada ready to play ice hockey, while a 1909 postcard from Valentine & Sons Canadian Winter Sports’ series shows “The Toboggan Girl.” We’d love to feature some North Bay hockey postcards if you have any to share.

Speaking of snow, here’s a sharply focused c. 1940s to 1950s Velox real-photo postcard by Forder of skiers at the log Laurentian Ski Club building, since covered in siding. The Ski Club was founded in 1925. The area is now known as the Laurentian Ski Hill. To the right are four c. 1937 PECO postcards which we think are additional Laurentian views. The center images show a Christie turn and skiers tracking, while the view at far right shows the “arrival of the ski train.” The skiers are wearing identifying numbers, as if preparing for a cross-country race. The events are probably part of the Ontario Ski Meet, first hosted in North Bay in 1937 by the Laurentian Ski Club.

Does any recognize the location of this c. 1960s wintry sleigh riding scene? Deceptively simple in appearance and reminiscent of Norman Rockwell images, the chrome postcard bears greetings from North Bay on the reverse and was published by Forder but, surprisingly, was photographed by one of the great photographers of the 20th century, the legendary Ozzie Sweet.