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LATEST POSTS
Volunteer Appreciation
The King’s Highway 61
The King’s Highway 130
Oliver Township – Marker
Lois Garrity Memorial Bench
Broom Sewing Machine
Parlour Safe – George H Burke

CLOSED FOR THE SEASON 

OPHP is now closed for the season. We look forward to welcoming visitors in May 2027.

Attending the Oliver Paipoonge Heritage Park is an enchanting journey through time that offers a captivating glimpse into the past. The park boasts an array of exhibits, including the Duke Hunt museum, as well as authentically restored village buildings and machinery. Stroll through the charming village, where you’ll find a school, a church, a train station, and a caboose that transport you to a bygone era. The heart of the park is the village square, where the Fred Goodfellow General store stands as time-honored landmark. Just a few more steps and you’ll be in Russ’s Garage which houses an extraordinary collection of vintage automobiles and nostalgic memorabilia. The park is a haven for history enthusiasts, and a brilliant day trip for children and families. Special events throughout the season round out the experience. We hope to see you soon!

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The Municipality of Oliver Paipoonge recognizes that the Oliver Paipoonge Heritage Park is on the traditional land of the Fort William First Nation signatory to the Robinson Superior Treaty of 1850, and acknowledges the role of the Métis Settlement in the development of our community.

We aim to honour the stories, achievements and resilience of Indigenous Peoples, who have lived on this land since time immemorial and whose presence continues to impact the evolving community and Canada.

Train Station

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Latest Posts

  • Volunteer Appreciation

    Our volunteers are the backbone of what we do at OPHP from school tours to special events and all the days in between. Our volunteers make OPHP come alive. They have unique knowledge and skills to share not only with the visitors but with us and help make such a great experience. We are truly thankful to our volunteers. We hope to see you all again in 2025.

  • The King’s Highway 61

    Ontario Highway 61 Quick Facts: Years in Existence: 1937-Present Current Status: In Service Location: Northwestern Ontario Districts Served: Thunder Bay Towns Served: Thunder Bay Southern Terminus: Pigeon River International Bridge Northern Terminus: Hwy 11 & Hwy 17 - Thunder Bay Current Length: 61.1 km / 38.0 miles History of King's Highway 61: King's Highway 61 is a major collector highway which forms an important international transportation link between Duluth, Minnesota and Thunder Bay, Ontario. The highway enters Canada from the United States at the Pigeon River International Bridge, located 60 km south of Thunder Bay. Although the route of King's Highway 61 wasn't formally established until 1937, it was the road's initial creation in 1917 that make the route of Highway 61 especially noteworthy. In the early part of the 20th Century, road builders began constructing roads further outwards from Fort William and Port Arthur (today's City of Thunder Bay) [...]

  • The King’s Highway 130

    Ontario Highway 130 Quick Facts: Years in Existence: 1955-Present Current Status: In Service Location: Northwestern Ontario Districts Served: Thunder Bay Towns Served: Rosslyn Village Southern Terminus: Hwy 61 - Southwest of Thunder Bay Northern Terminus: Hwy 11 & Hwy 17 - West of Thunder Bay Current Length: 15.4 km / 9.6 miles History of King's Highway 130: King's Highway 130 is a minor collector highway in the District of Thunder Bay, which connects Highway 11 & Highway 17 to Highway 61 south of Thunder Bay. The highway passes through a predominantly rural area, although it does serve the small community of Rosslyn Village. The history of Highway 130 dates back to the mid-1950s, when a series of township roads through McIntyre Township and Paipoonge Township were designated as a new provincial highway. Preliminary Route Plans were prepared by the Department of Highways of Ontario (DHO) in July 1955, which showed [...]

  • Oliver Township – Marker

    Inscription.  In the late 1860s the need to develop a local agricultural base to serve the growing population of the Thunder Bay region became apparent, and when the 1873 survey of Oliver Township indicated that it contained good agricultural land, attention focused here. Active efforts were begun to encourage farmers from the region and elsewhere in Ontario to settle on the free grant lands in the township, and within five years some seventy families had moved here. In 1878 to facilitate the construction of badly needed roads two settlers, Robert Hopkins and David Squires, led a movement to establish a local township government. Elections were held on December 30, 1878, and three days later the newly elected township officials were sworn into office. Erected by The Ontario Heritage Foundation, Ministry of Culture and Recreation. Location.  48° 24.7′ N, 89° 30.134′ W. Marker is in Murillo, Ontario, in Thunder Bay District. Marker is on Oliver Road [...]

  • Lois Garrity Memorial Bench

    Lois Garrity 1935-2024 Almost everyone in Slate River and possibly in Thunder Bay, new who Lois Garrity was. A professional musician, singer and a successful recording artist; she was also a feature on the Tommy Hunter Show on CBC TV on February 26, 1982. She worked at the Duke Hunt Museum for almost 30 years and in 2013, was one of many who helped to keep the Founders Museum and Pioneer Village from liquidating. For 10 years she managed both places. The Founders site was renamed Oliver Paipoonge Heritage Park in 2023 and also includes the new Duke Hunt Museum as well as Russ’s Garage and the Brill Buses. She was a famous singer and a well respected member of the community who never stopped trying to learn new things. Maybe it was a new instrument or song, or maybe a new language. In any case she strived to do [...]

  • Broom Sewing Machine

    Broom Sewing Machine The March 1916 "Brooms, Brushes & Handles" features an ad for the "Lipe-Walrath Broom Sewing Machine" from the Lipe & Walrath Co. This company was incorporated in 1906 by W. C. Lipe and L. G. Ford of Syracuse and A. A. Walrath of Fort Plains, NY, and succeeded the partnership of W. C. Lipe and "the late Alphonzo Walrath". The company made broom sewing machines. Alphonzo Walrath, who died 1904-05-31, had several patents on broom making machinery and owned a plant in Fort Plain in addition to his interest in Lipe & Walrath. As the head of the Alphonso Walrath Company of Fort Plain, Montgomery County, Alton A. Walrath is conducting the prosperous manufacturing business founded by his father half a century ago. Alphonso Walrath, the father, was born in Montgomery County, reared and educated here and in Little Falls. An inventor by profession, he was successful [...]

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Testimonials

Very nice

Black Earth USA

Very nice

Thunder Bay

Beautiful display 🙂

Colleen and Brenda , Eagle River

Great time

Thunder Bay

Great family fun day

Melinda and Theodore , Thunder Bay

Love the work that has gone into this village. Volunteers did a great job setting up in new building.

Trudy, Kakabeka

Very good communication from staff

Emo/victoria BC

Great exhibit. Reminds me of my family and their past.

Charles, College Station USA

Very interesting

Paulette , Thunder Bay

Fabulous flashback!

Port Hope

Awesome

Cheryl, St. Annes

Thank you. Great music “strait up” and the displays

Alf & Joyce, Thunder Bay

Amazing place

, Thunder Bay

Very impressive enjoyed the visit

Andrew , Thunder Bay

Love it here

Thunder Bay

Wonderful. Lovely Staff

Greg, Dryden

Look like what I grew up in

Gary , Prince George

Very informative

Lemee, France

Thank you

Connie , Kaministiquia

What a fabulous collection of items. So interesting to teach the kids about and to try and spot things my grandparents would have experienced J

Wokingham UK

Wonderful job everyone! Just great to see the store and other displays open once again

Denise , Thunder Bay

Absolutely Great

Ray, Thunder Bay

Wonderful to see and appreciate where we all started

Angela & Warren, Calgary

Wonderful museum perfect for displaying quilts. Love it!!

Karen , Ignace

Nice collection!

Bill & Angela, St Paul USA

Very nostalgic experience

Bill, Thunder Bay

Great!

Elaine, Winnipeg

So neat to see, thank you!

Mary , Dryden

Love it here

Bapstiste , France

Wonderful Museum

Tim & Nancy, Chanhassen USA

Very Interesting

Ken & Maureen, Winnipeg

Very Nice

Lyn , Dryden

Very well kept up

Lawrence Thunder Bay, Your Content Goes Here

Wonderful display of original pieces we’ve never seen before! Fabulous displays!

Regina

Very interesting. Grand kids enjoyed it!

Hogan Family, Thunder Bay

Wonderful, well done!!

Lois , Thunder Bay

Thank you

Wayne & Leslie, Kakabeka

Great event!

Thunder Bay

Totally recommend. Love it. Owners are amazing

Winnipeg

Great Museum. Enjoyable. Informative. Many memories

Roy & Vera , Guelph

Love it. Thanks.

The Wrolstad’s , Devlin

Very interesting. Thanks for being open

The Lohmann's, Spring Valley USA

Great exhibits! Very informative volunteers!

Lucas , Thunder Bay

Very nice

Barbara, Baudette USA

First time here. How wonderful! Thank you for our volunteer work

Ruth , Thunder Bay

A lot of stuff! Something for everyone

Daniel, Thunder Bay

Amazing quilt show. I haven’t been here for over 25 years amazing how much has changed. Really nice!!

Cindy , Thunder Bay

Very good

Gary, Prince George

Very nice place!

Thunder Bay

Amazing fun! What a wonderful unique assortment of buildings and artefacts. Friendly knowledgeable people !!:)

Teremchuck Family , New Lowell

Whoever is responsible for setting up this museum should be proud. You’ve done a fabulous job

Barb, Kakabeka

Enjoyed everything!

Ray and Myrna , Kakabeka

Very cool

Veronica and Chris , Thunder Bay

Awesome

Chris , Thunder Bay

Wonderful Exhibits. Loved this museum

Donna, Maple Grove USA

Very interesting brings back a lot of memories

Linda, Kelowna

Well presented!!

William Lake

Impressed!

Evelyn , Thunder Bay

Beautiful exhibits

Ann , Thunder Bay

Awesome day! Thank you

Slate River

Great Collection

Gary , Thunder Bay

This place is amazing. A hidden gem for sure. Tell your friends!

Cathy, Atikokan

Beautiful

Isabelle , Thunder Bay