John B. Ridley C.M. 1898-1982 John B. Ridley of Toronto was for 21 years Chairman of the Quetico Foundation. During that period he gave generously of his abilities, energies and resources to insure the preservation of these magnificent parklands. This was but one of Ontario communities that earned his wholehearted support. It is with admiration and fond memory that the Quetico Foundation has made available the John B. Ridley Research Library. The Library was officially opened by Mrs. John B. Ridley on July 26, 1986. "HE TOUCHED THE LIVES OF MANY"

The Quetico Foundation supplied the funding for the Library from its creation in 1986 to 1994. During 1995 and 1996 the Library was jointly funded by the Quetico Foundation and the Ministry of Natural Resources. In 1997 Quetico Provincial Park assumed responsibility for the daily operation/funding of the Library. A Library Board oversees and guides the general direction of the Library. Members of the Library Board include representatives from the Quetico Foundation, QuAERI (Quetico/Atikokan Environmental Research Initiative), Quetico Provincial Park, Lakehead University Library, professional library community, Ministry of Natural Resources Library, Friends of Quetico Park and Atikokan.

In 1993, two summer students began scanning and cataloguing photographs. Eight years later the number of records in the Visual Images Database is over 18000, with many more slides and photographs to catalogue.