The fonds testifies to the activities carried out by the Holy Cross Mission of Wiikwemkoong since its transfer to the Jesuits in 1844 and until 2004, and provides information on the history of Manitoulin Island, Wiikwemkoong and other communities of Northern Ontario. It provides information on the activities of the parishes Jesuit missionaries served via administrative and financial records, as well as sacramental registers that compiled data on the members and families of the communities. Thus, in addition to documenting the activities of the Holy Cross parish and missionaries, the fonds contains records concerning the parishes of Gore Bay, Little Current, Killarney, Batchewana, M’chigeeng, Sheshegwaning, Spanish River and Lake Huron North Shore, among others. It also contains records testifying to the Jesuits’ interest and implication in schools in Batchewana, Kaboni, Killarney, Sheguiandah, Spanish, and Wiikwemkoong.

The fonds contains diaries and notes taken by Jesuit priests concerning the activities of the missions and certain events. It also contains correspondence, parish communications, work documents and history notes, Status Animarum, Historia Domus, manuscripts, two publications, a prospectus, programs, architectural drawings and maps, as weel as photographs that document the different mission points, landscapes, church buildings, Catholic celebrations, events, and parish members and families.

The fonds testifies to the Jesuit presence in several communities in Northern Ontario since 1844. The material attests to the work of the Jesuits as missionaries and chaplains in the region of Lake Superior, Sault Ste. Marie, Manitoulin Island, and in the communities along the Canadian Pacific Railway, up until 2015. In addition, the fonds provides information on the Jesuit involvement and interest in setting up schools for the Indigenous children of the region, including the Spanish Residential School, as well as on the history of the region and on the Ojibwemowin language. Documents dating from the 1960s onwards show new reflections within the Jesuit community, leading to a shift in their approach to the work they carried out among Indigenous communities.

The fonds contains diaries and announcement books, personal and historical notes, correspondence, financial statements, annual reports, parish records, Status animarum, baptismal and marriage certificates, church visitors’ books, Jesuits’ vows, insurance policies, meeting minutes, souvenir brochures, programs, legal deeds and agreements, and contracts. It also contains audio reels and cassettes, videocassettes, objects, publications, maps, architectural drawings, photographs, slides, and negatives.

The collection contains records pertaining to the religious life of Joseph-Marie Couture, S.J. As the man credited with introducing aviation to Northern Ontario, a number of records pertaining to flight and his aircraft can be found in the collection: correspondence between Father Couture and the Provincial concerning his plane, flight-related budgets and expense lists, newspaper articles and books written during and after his life about his story of flight, and a number of photographs of Father Couture and various community members with his plane.

His long career at Longlac and Lake Nipigon, Ontario is demonstrated by a substantial amount of correspondence reporting to other Jesuits about his experience, as well as requesting supplies and detailing logistics. While the bulk of the correspondence is in letter format, the collection also comprises a number of telegraphs sent to Father Couture commemorating his silver Jubilee (indicating 25 years in the Society of Jesus). Additionally, the collection contains a small number of his personal belongings, including a mass book, Longlac paraphernalia like brochures, and several diplomas and certificates.

Many of the records pertain to the aftermath of Father Couture’s death: photographs of his tomb-unveiling ceremony, commemorative articles and scrapbooks produced by colleagues and friends, and telegraphs sent to his contemporaries in Longlac expressing condolences for his passing can all be found in the collection.

The fonds contains records pertaining to the spiritual life of Daniel Hannin, S.J. As a lifelong advocate for adult education in Indigenous communities, Father Hannin’s fonds includes several bound essays and theses on the topic. It also includes correspondence between Father Hannin and religious and academic colleagues. Brochures and newsletters from the Anishinabe Spiritual Centre, Campion College, and other groups and institutions demonstrate Father Hannin’s involvement in both spiritual and educational life wherever he went. Finally, a number of photos depict Father Hannin over the course of his life, from earlier graduation portraits to celebrations with friends later in life.