 By Mitchell Harris
It is a peculiar and little-known fact that the first president of the Consolidated Lake Superior Company may have played a minor role in the downfall of the Russian Empire during World War One. His life, as one biographer put it, was "stranger than one would dare to put in a novel.” (1)
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 Andrew Lars Virene in front of the original Virene's store on Gore Street. Photo from the Sault Museum Collection. Andrew Lars Virene was born in Sweden in 1855. He immigrated to Cadillac, Michigan, with his wife Elna in 1883. He and his family moved to Sault Ste. Marie in 1902 and became naturalized citizens of Canada in 1910. Upon his arrival in the Sault, he worked as an interpreter for the sizeable local Scandinavian population and then at a local clothing store - Pratt Limited.
 Many would be surprised to know that there is a common link between the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), and Sault Ste. Marie. That link was architect Jules Paivio.
 This autumn marks an important anniversary for a well-known Sault Ste. Marie landmark, Mockingbird Hill Pioneer Farm. The Landslide Road farm has been a long-standing fixture in Sault Ste. Marie for decades, known for its picturesque sights, historical buildings and the infamous goat walks. Just as famous in Sault Ste. Marie as the farm itself is the owner, Robert Cuerrier, fondly referred to for the past few decades as Farmer Bob.
By Justin Brett  While the Sault is a small city and typically seen as a friendly one, unfortunately, crime can and does still happen here. This isn't always historic, obviously, but one famous crime became the subject of debate when it happened, and is still somewhat relevant today. That is the case of Angelina Napolitano.
 Those unfamiliar with the world of dance would never guess that an incredibly influential figure in the Canadian ballet world once called Sault Ste. Marie "home". But those who have danced, participated in a theatre show or spent any time back stage at the Sault Community Theatre Centre... they know the name Trixie Hardy.
 360 Queen Street is well known to the citizens of Sault Ste. Marie as the Barnes- Fawcett Block, the current home of Algoma Bicycle. However, in 1919 it was the birthplace of Himmel’s Ladies Wear, a mainstay of women’s fashion in Sault Ste. Marie during the first half of the 20th century, and the home of founder Nathan Himmel.
A look at the prominent local historical figure’s defence of the 1st Earl FitzHardinge Written by Mitchell Harris  John Prince If you take a walk through Bellevue Park on a hot summer day, you will likely encounter something seemingly out of place among the vibrant, buzzing life of the playgrounds, the green fields, the river and the ponds: a lone gravesite. A few feet away, a plaque erected by the Ontario Archeological and Historic Sites Board will inform you that this is the final resting place of the “colourful and eccentric” John Prince (1796-1870), the first Judge of the Algoma District who lived in Sault Ste. Marie between 1860 and 1870.
Written by Justin Brett Algoma Central Railway is one of the most common sights in Northern Ontario and particularly Sault Ste. Marie. It's very difficult to take a trip within the province or even make your way around town without seeing some evidence of the railway line. Establishing such an omnipresent line took the work of quite a few men who are less recognizable, however, including one with the impressive name of Edgar Barnes Barber.
Mr. Barber spent much or all of his career working for the Central Railway, as his name first appeared in an executive context all the way back in 1913, when the original Hudson Bay Railway was still around and associated with Algoma Central. This was at a board meeting where he was elected assistant comptroller (a person in charge of supervising finances) for the company. Written by Justin Brett You wouldn't necessarily expect a small city like Sault Ste. Marie to produce many authors, and you might not expect a story about the city itself to be particularly engaging, either. But you would be wrong on both counts. Not only has it produced several authors, but one in particular, Morley Torgov, wrote a very entertaining book about the Soo.
Born in 1927, Mr. Torgov grew up in Sault Ste. Marie as part of its small Jewish community. Jewish culture is in fact a large part of his writing, which includes the book most relevant to us, A Fine Place to Come From. As the title implies, it talks about his time growing up here as a young Jewish boy, through a series of short stories. |
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