Fonds 77 - John H. Sissons fonds

Life magazine photographs 01 Queen's University 01 Queen's University 02 Sissons family photographs 01 Sissons family photographs 02 Sissons family photographs 04 Sissons family photographs 05 Sissons family photographs 03 Photographs of judges 03 Photographs of judges 02
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John H. Sissons fonds

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  • Source of title proper: Title based on provenance

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Fonds

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CA LASA 77

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Physical description

3.5 m of textual records and other material

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Name of creator

(1892-1969)

Biographical history

John Howard Sissons was born in Orillia, Ontario on July 14, 1892. He was a teacher and worked in the department of municipal affairs office in Alberta before studying law. He graduated from Queen's University with a B.A. in 1917. A polio attack at the age of four left Sissons with a limp, making him unable to enlist in WWI. Instead, he worked briefly at a munitions plant before moving back to Alberta in late 1917. In January 1918, he began articling with the Edmonton firm of Rutherford, Jamieson, Grant and Steer and was admitted to the Alberta bar in March 1921. He then started his law practice in Grande Prairie. Sissons married Frances Johnson in September 1929. Their son, Neil, was born in June 1930, and their daughter, Frances, was born in October 1932. Sissons continued to practice law in Grande Prairie until 1940, when he became the Liberal member of Parliament for Peace River. He held that position until 1945, when he lost his bid for re-election. In 1946, he was appointed to the district court of Southern Alberta and was chief justice of that court from 1950 to 1955. In September 1955, at the age of 63, Sissons was named the first judge of the Northwest Territories, which required a move to Yellowknife. Sissons spent much of his judicial career administering justice in small communities in the Northwest Territories and was a staunch supporter of the rights of native peoples. Because Sissons wanted to "bring justice to every man's door," he went on circuit court once or twice a year to both the eastern and western Arctic. He heard many different cases, from marriage and adoption customs to hunting rights to murder. The Inuit named him Ekoktoegee, meaning “he who listens to things.” Sissons remained as judge of the Territorial Court of the Northwest Territories until his retirement in 1966. He and his wife moved to Edmonton, where Sissons died in 1969. He was survived by his wife, son, daughter, four grandsons, and two grand-daughters. His memoirs are published as Judge of the far north: the memoirs of Jack Sissons, McClelland and Stewart, 1968.

Custodial history

Scope and content

Fonds consists of material created or collected by Judge John H. "Jack" Sissons or members of his family from ca. 1914 to 1993. Fonds contains the following series: correspondence, publications, miscellaneous personal papers, scrapbooks, and photographs. Material covers many aspects of Judge Sissons' life, starting at Queen's University, but is predominantly about his time in the Northwest Territories. Also includes Sissons' fur parka, judicial robes, and the hood given to him with his honorary degree from Trent University.

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Physical condition

Immediate source of acquisition

Acquired from Neil Sissons (96-016) and Laurence Hoye (2013-006).

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  • English

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Restrictions on access

Open

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Finding aids

Item-level description of photographs and drawings in FONDS database

Associated materials

Nine of Judge Sissons' note books (1957-1962) can be found in the William G. Morrow fonds at the Glenbow Archives, Series 3, M-1144. Series 4 of the William G. Morrow fonds also includes some images that relate to Judge Sissons.
Correspondence between Judge Sissons and Ernest B. Wilson can be found in fonds 19-00-00.
Photographs of Judge Sissons, including people and things relating to him, can be found in the Henry Busse fonds at the NWT Archives. Photograph of Judge Sissons and his secretary, Eva Loney, can be found in the Thomas Wilson Lawlor fonds at the South Peace Regional Archives.

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Accruals

96-016
2013-006

General note

Record No. 77-00-00

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The word "Inuit" has been used in place of the word "Eskimo" unless taken directly from a source.

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Judge Sissons' book "Judge of the far north" is located in the LASA library.

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Contains a few French articles.

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