April 2024

More Trees, Please The Green Issue

E-mail: info@thewalleye.ca

34 THE SECOND MOST PLEASURABLE THING WE DO IN THE DARK. A COLUMN ABOUT MOVIES

36 Unveiling the Harsh Reality of Substance Abuse

CITYSCENE

54 STUFF WE LIKE

56 A Century of Service above Self

58 WALL SPACE

60 Returning to Ourselves

61 GO LOCAL THUNDER BAY COUNTRY MARKET

62 EYE TO EYE: With Sara Kae MUSIC

64 BURNING TO THE SKY

67 A Matter of Hats

68 The Chanterelle by Candlelight

70 Rock and Roll Double Feature

71 Local Post-rock Heroes Return

72 Bond and Beyond

73 TBSO PROFILE

75 Gordon Lightfoot Tribute Concert

76 TBShows.com presents On The Scene

78 OFF THE WALL REVIEWS ARCHITECTURE

80 The CASES Building

TATTOOED YOU

83 Perfectly Imperfect HEALTH AND WELLNESS

84 Enhancing Patient Experience through Volunteering GREEN

86 Nature’s Carbon Cleaners

87 Shift Power THE WALL

89 Transforming for the Better

90 Tbaytel April EVENTS GUIDE

93 MUSIC GUIDE

94 HOROSCOPES

95 INSIDEUP GAMES CROSSWORD

96 THE BEAT

98 THE EYE

Putting Roots Down From Our Instagram Feed

For my eighth grade science fair project I designed a shovel specifically for tree planting. I got the inspiration when laboriously planting cedars with my dad on our farm in southern Ontario and thinking there had to be an easier way. The shovel had three metal pieces welded on the back of the blade designed to create a perfect hole for seedlings. Spoiler alert: the shovels didn’t work—hence why I’m not a millionaire—but I did get a bronze medal at the 1998 Canada-Wide Science Fair in Timmins. Although it wasn’t to the Northwest, the trip to the science fair was my first venture to the boreal forest, where the pristine nature floored me, and it planted the seed for deciding where I would eventually settle down.

Every April, we present our annual Green issue to commemorate Earth Day, and this year it’s all about trees and how forestry has played a crucial role in Northwestern Ontario’s history, culture, and economy. As part of our cover story, Matt Prokopchuk reports on the City of Thunder Bay’s Urban Forestry Management Plan,

and Kelsey Raynard looks at forestry in the Northwest and innovations in the industry. Plus, we present forestry by the numbers and venture back in time with historic photos of logging in our region.

Keeping with our theme, Emily Turner talks to two tree planters who just won’t quit, film columnist Michael Sobota shares his picks for movies about trees, and in Wall Space we explore the Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper Mill. Also in the pages of our April issue, Tiffany Jarva chats with Rodney Brown about teaming up with the TBSO for the Gordon Lightfoot tribute concert, we go Eye to Eye with Sara Kae, and Sidney Ulakovic gets a sneak peek at Le Cabaret Noir’s upcoming performances.

With Thunder Bay’s economic growth dependent on the surrounding forests for the last century, it’s important to envision what the next hundred years will look like, especially with climate change and industry decline. As one of the world’s largest remaining intact forests, conserving the boreal forest is now more important than ever.

-Adrian Lysenko

Born and raised in Thunder Bay and currently living between here and Victoria, B.C., Melanie began writing for The Walleye as a high school co-op student. Melanie recently completed

Featured Contributor In Error On the Cover

On page 20 of our March (Vol. 15 No. 3) June & Jo Spice Co’s business name was misidentified as June and Co. Spice Company, and on page 46 a submitted photo caption misidentified wearable art by Caitlyn Jean as that of Barbara Benwell.

six long years of academia, during which they acquired a HBA and MA in English with a specialization in gender studies. Since then, they have been taking some time to reconnect with their creativity through visual art, poetry, prose, and fibre arts, like crochet and knitting, as well as becoming more involved in community activism. Melanie is also an avid fan of the horror genre (movies, books, podcasts, etc.) and hopes to one day write their own horror fiction in some capacity.

Check out Melanie’s preview on the Sleeping Giant Folk Music Society’s The Johnny Max Band and The Weber Brothers concert on page 70.

to Harvest Ash by Pulp + Paper

Roots

Melanie Larson

My Tri-Shovel science fair project

“My teacher believes that I can do anything”

You belong here

Matthew Good 2

April 8

eVents

A Taste of History 1

April 5

The Prince Arthur Waterfront Hotel

Thunder Bay Museum

Matthew Good began his career as the frontman for the Matthew Good Band back in 1995, and has been a staple in the Canadian alt-rock music scene ever since. Good’s impressive body of work includes 13 full-length studio albums and 21 Juno Award nominations throughout his career. Now, following the release of his 2020 solo album Moving Walls, he is back for another cross-country tour. On April 8, you can catch Matthew Good & His Band at eVents (located in downtown Fort William at 201 Syndicate Avenue South). Featuring Canadian hard rocker Vilivant as a special guest, this concert is perfect for Matthew Good fans old and new. The show starts at 8 pm and tickets are $48.88 for general admission, available on ticketweb.ca. facebook.com/eVentsthunderbay

4

April 13

Thunder Bay Community Auditorium TheTopFive

The Spirit Horse Returns

The Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra is bringing back the Spirit Horse, a powerful concert production featuring traditional Indigenous teachings, original visual art, music, and an all-new orchestral score to tell the story of the Ojibwe horses. The Spirit Horse Returns is a family-friendly event that provides the opportunity to learn about Indigenous cultures, reconciliation, and the stories and music that unite us all. This production is made possible by the work of many powerful musicians and artists, including Ken MacDonald on horn, Jodi Contin as narrator, Rhonda Snow as visual artist and knowledge keeper, with music by Kevin Lau, Jodi Contin, and Andrew Balfour. The concert begins at 2 pm at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium; tickets are $33 each, available via Ticketmaster on the TBSO website (please note ticket prices are subject to change via Ticketmaster). tbso.ca

Take a trip through time at A Taste of History, Thunder Bay Museum’s annual history-themed dinner and fundraiser. This year’s theme is the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force, with guest speaker Mike Bechthold. Bechthold’s talk will explore the history of the RCAF and provide a window into its known (and unknown) stories. Held on April 5 at the Prince Arthur Waterfront Hotel, A Taste of History is not only a chance to get dressed up, eat some amazing food, and learn about history, it also helps to support the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society. The event starts at 6:30 pm, and tickets are $125 for one seat, $230 for two seats, and $920 for a whole table (eight seats), and are available on the museum’s website.

thunderbaymuseum.com

3

A Night with Le Cabaret Noir

April 11–13

Cambrian Players Theatre

Show me how you burlesque, baby! From April 11 to 13, you can experience the seduction, glamour, and laughter of a burlesque show at A Night with Le Cabaret Noir. Held at Cambrian Players Theatre at 818 Spring Street, this burlesque show is a feast for the senses, with sensual dance moves, mesmerizing live vocals, side-splitting comedy, dazzling costumes, and unforgettable entertainment. A Night with Le Cabaret Noir is truly a performance like no other. Doors open at 7 pm and the show starts at 8 pm on all three event dates; tickets are $25 plus fees, available on Eventbrite. Please note this show is strictly 18+ for mature content and nudity. @lecabaretnoirtbay

420 Off The Cuff Comedy Show 5

April 20

The Prospector Brew Pub

Native Pool Boy

If you happen to have the giggles and/or the munchies this April 20, we have the perfect event for you. On Saturday night, you can catch the 420 Off the Cuff Comedy Show. Held at the Prospector Brew Pub, this comedy show is completely improvised and based solely on crowd input—a recipe for a truly wild and off-the-cuff time. There will be two separate shows, one starting at 1 pm and the other starting at 7 pm, featuring a host of hilarious, local comics: Mark Menei, GP Singh, Brandon Cordeiro, Aaron Gee, Native Pool Boy, Trevor Green, Megan Geddert, Ken Horton, and Lucas Augustyn. Advance tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. campfirecomedy.ca

Rhonda Snow

100+ LOCAL VENDORS / LIVE MUSIC / PERFORMANCES

FIND OUT MORE AT CRAFTREVIVAL.CA

710 Balmoral St

More Trees, Please The Green Issue

A bird’s-eye view of Thunder Bay reveals just how small a speck we are in the vast swath of boreal forest that stretches across the country. It’s easy for us to take trees for granted, and that’s a shame, because trees are such a vital part of our physical and mental health, the global climate, and the habitat of critters with whom we share this planet. Forestry, too, plays a crucial role in Northwestern Ontario’s history, culture, and economy. In this annual Green issue of The Walleye, we celebrate the power of trees. More trees, please!!

- Bonnie Schiedel

Brent Bigford, City of Thunder Bay

Green Assets

The Importance of Thunder Bay’s Urban Trees

By Matt Prokopchuk

Expanding Thunder Bay’s urban tree canopy, using technology to better track how it’s evolving, and increasing awareness and engagement with the public around the importance of urban forestry are three priorities the city’s urban forester says he’s focusing on in his role.

In May 2022, Daniel Corbett was hired to lead the city’s efforts to manage its urban forest— effectively meaning the trees and shrubs planted on cityowned property like parks and boulevards. The former forest science specialist for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says, given Thunder Bay’s northern climate, the city still boasts a healthy diversity of trees, with over 100 different species growing within the municipal boundary, according to the current inventory. Of those, he says, the city is actively planting over 30 different species that have been found to survive and grow reliably here, including species of linden, maple, poplar, and, where appropriate, oak, among others. “We’ve tried many, many species,” Corbett says. “We want to be efficient with our use of funds [and] we replace trees—for example, ash—with many different species. So in areas where a developer may have planted only one species, when we have to do removals in those areas, we plant as many species as we can that are appropriate to the site.”

Having that diversity in the tree canopy is vital to ensuring it stays healthy, says Leonard Hutchison, an associate professor in the faculty of natural resources management at Lakehead University who teaches courses on urban forestry. “In the past, cities, at least in North America, relied heavily on monocultures, where you have just one species of tree relied on very heavily,” he says, adding that the American elm and green ash were historically two such

trees. The problem with that, Hutchison continues, is that when blights (like Dutch elm disease) or destructive pests (like the emerald ash borer) are present, a large number of a city’s total inventory is at risk of being destroyed. “Now cities recognize that it’s good practice to actually have a diversity of trees planted so that you’re not going to lose everything in case something new gets introduced.”

But why is having a healthy urban forest important at all? Aside from the obvious aesthetics, experts say the prevalence of trees within a city has numerous benefits, including reducing stormwater runoff, providing shade and windbreaks—thus providing natural cooling and reducing energy costs—reducing carbon dioxide, and improving air quality. For every dollar spent on urban trees, they provide over two dollars in value returned, according to calculations in the city’s Urban Forestry Management Plan.

That plan was finalized back in 2011 and was designed to be a guide for proactively managing the city’s trees; it made over 20 key recommendations, including those around expanding and diversifying the canopy, updating the city’s tree inventory, establishing routine pruning and maintenance cycles, investing in new technology, and strengthening tree protection standards and bylaws. It also called for the city to prepare for the arrival of the emerald ash borer—an invasive species that devastates ash tree populations—which would be officially confirmed here in 2016 (according to Corbett, the city now actively treats 850 ash trees with the insecticide TreeAzin every two years to preserve them).

Shelley Vescio, the city’s first urban forester, who served in the role for just over 20 years

 An example of how LiDAR technology is being used to map the city’s urban canopy; the teal layer approximates 2019 tree cover over city-owned lands, while orange approximates the 2019 canopy over privately-owned lands, in this case, in the Vickers Park area

 Trees in Hillcrest Park

Courtesy of the City of Thunder Bay Marlene Wandel

before resigning in 2016, was instrumental in forming the urban forest plan. And while the city has come a long way in actively managing its canopy and making tree protection a focus of development decisions, that wasn’t always the case. “Trees were being removed without a lot of consideration,” Vescio says of the general attitude towards them when she started back in the 1990s. “So if someone put in a driveway permit and they wanted the tree down so they could put in a driveway, there were no other considerations looked at, like ‘Could we go around this tree? Could we relocate the driveway? Can we narrow it?’” At the time, that attitude, she says, also extended to things like road construction and urban development in general. “It was kind of the wild west for trees here,” she says.

Establishing tree protection bylaws, focusing on public education, and ensuring urban forestry was included in site planning decisions all helped turn the tide, Vescio adds. For his part, Hutchison says the city has made great strides in the past 20 or so years. “I would say there’s positive changes taking place in Thunder Bay.” And, nowadays, having a large, healthy urban forest is a key component of a number of the city’s guiding plans and strategies, including those around sustainability and becoming a net-zero producer of greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, Thunder Bay’s net-zero strategy calls for the planting of an additional 100,000 trees within the municipal boundary by 2050.

“Trees are assets,” says Andrew Foulds, city councillor and longtime chair of Thunder Bay’s EarthCare advisory committee. “We are planting more trees than we’re taking down, but these assets need to be treated like your house or vehicle, which means they need to be cared for and they need to be maintained.” It’s hugely important, he adds, that the community as a whole continues to shift its perception of trees to be along the same lines as how we think about other city

infrastructure, like roads, in terms of their value, and something requiring continued investment.

“They’re not just there to be beautiful, which, of course, they are,” Foulds says. “What they do for us is substantive.”

And given that it can take decades for a single tree to fully mature, maintenance becomes even more important. “Roads and sewers can be replaced in a week,” Corbett says. “You can’t replace a well-established canopy quickly.” Moving forward, he says that a key concern will be staying on top of how climate change and associated changes in weather—including the potential for droughts and severe storms—affect the urban canopy. Aiding in the city’s tree analyses, he says, are advances in technology they’re now making use of, such as using LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology every two years to aerially assess and analyze Thunder Bay’s tree cover, allowing the city to track how the canopy is changing over time. The actual surveying is done by the province at no cost to the city, Corbett adds, and the data is then processed locally. Additionally, he says work is underway to produce a new urban forest management plan for 2025 to update the existing 2011 document, and that the city is currently working on a communications plan for that, in part to solicit feedback on priorities from the community.

On the public education front, Corbett says the city will also bring back Arbor Day events, starting this spring. Arbor Day has been used to promote the urban forest locally, and to encourage residents to plant new foliage on their properties.

“We’re blessed with it,” Corbett says of having an urban forest. “Some people don’t like the maintenance associated with it, but it really is a blessing to the whole community.”

For updated information from the city on its urban forestry efforts, visit thunderbay.ca/en/cityservices/trees.aspx.

 Trees planted along a drainage ditch to help divert water from stormwater management facilities, reduce erosion, improve soil biology, and other benefits

 A downed tree branch blocking a road; the city triages tree issues reported by residents, and conducts maintenance to tree crowns to avoid this situation where possible

Courtesy of the City of Thunder Bay

Courtesy of the City of Thunder Bay

Planting for the Future

Exploring the Sustainable Growth of Our Forests and Economy

By Kelsey Raynard

In Northwestern Ontario, our geography, our economy, and even our identity are all shaped by the vast boreal forest that surrounds us. The forestry industry, by extension, has had a massive historical, cultural, and economical impact on Thunder Bay’s development. But after decades of harvesting, how healthy are our forests in Northwestern Ontario? Are we doing enough to maintain that health? We spoke to three experts about the past, present, and future of our forests and how we can grow, together, sustainably.

The consensus is that our forests are in great health, largely thanks to the stringent laws and regulations that govern the management of our forests, but there is still room for growth (literally). “We are very good at our sustainable forestry practices in Canada,” says Mathew Leitch, professor in Lakehead University’s Faculty of Natural Resources Management and director of the

Lakehead University Wood Science Testing facility. “We have the most certified forests anywhere in the world, and we have very good practitioners in the forestry industry; we produce a lot of them right here at LU.”

Thomas Ratz, chief forester at Resolute Forest Products, explains that these practitioners and foresters write the plans for what is harvested, when it is harvested, how it is harvested, and how those areas are then renewed. These plans, he says, are no small undertaking: “For every sustainable forest license, there needs to be a forest management plan. Each one of these costs about three quarters of a million dollars and [takes] between three to four years to write.” Both emphasized that these managed forests, which are often misconceived as monocultures or inferior to “virgin” forests, actually mimic the natural regenerative process of the boreal forest and help to diversify (and even strengthen) the regrowth that

happens after harvesting. “We grow trees for 80 to 100 years before we harvest them again, so we are literally growing old-growth forests,” Leitch explains.

Continuously moving towards a sustainable future in forestry also means reconciling with the past. Michael Rennie, Canada Research Chair in Freshwater Ecology and Fisheries and Research Fellow at the IISD-Experimental Lakes Area, comments that historically, economic development has taken precedence over protection of our wildlife and waterways. “In Thunder Bay, we are acutely aware of the issue that there is an intrinsic tradeoff between economic development and having lots of trees in our backyard,” Rennie says. “We are potentially more conscious moving forward, but in many ways we are still dealing with headaches of the 1960s, and even up until 1980s; we are in the mid to early stages of trying to cope with those impacts as well.”

We have come a long way since the early days of forestry in Canada. Nowadays, Resolute alone plants approximately 10 million trees every year, and the forestry industry is mandated to regenerate all harvested forests to their original capacity.

“Are we doing enough? We could always do better,” concludes Ratz. “We are always learning. With forestry, we look back in time, and sometimes it takes decades to see what you should or shouldn’t have done. We’re doing a lot better than we were doing 40 years ago, and we should be doing better 40 years from now.”

Innovation in the World of Forestry

The Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources, and Forestry, the university, and the industry are all working together to drive innovation in the world of forestry. For example:

• Technology to map wood quality metrics both at an individual and forest level has been developed at LU’s Wood Science Testing Laboratory

• Partnerships between sawmills and pulp mills allow almost 100% of each tree harvested to be utilized, minimizing waste in the manufacturing process

• Drones are now used to map out harvesting areas and even to replant jackpines

• Improvements to harvesting equipment and technology are continuously being tested

• Experiments with biofuels may even one day replace our dependence on petroleum Together, we can ensure the sustainable growth of our forests and our communities from now into the future.

Lakehead University

Tree seedlings for the forest industry grown in Tamarac Nurseries in Dryden

Wyatt Smith Wyatt Smith

Forestry by the Numbers

By Adrian Lysenko

364

174

In 2021, there were to the northwest region and board feet of lumber and people employed in forestry in Thunder Bay. This represents a decrease of jobs since 2016. Note that for the economic impact statistics, manufacturing of forestry products (e.g. sawmills and pulp and paper mills) is included under manufacturing instead of forestry.5

Forestry contributes about

$103M

to the Thunder Bay district economies.4 of wood pellets in Northwestern Ontario.

In 2022, Resolute Forest Products produced

514M

45,000

In 2022, over 28,000

HECTARES HECTARES

4,500

of land were renewed by planting, and over were renewed by seeding.2

The average number of trees planted in Northwestern Ontario over the last five years is more than $35M

PER YEAR1

Since the

1870s 1880s

In the the forest products industry has played an important role in the Thunder Bay economy.7

Herman Finger established the Pigeon River Lumber Company along with Daniel J. Arpin and William Scott Jr. They initially purchased the Graham and Horne sawmill to process their timber, but by 1901, they finished building their own sawmill at Port Arthur, which was the largest in western Canada. The company was the largest employer in the region until 1911, when the Port Arthur Shipbuilding Company was created.8

Most trees planted in Northwestern Ontario are JACK PINE and BLACK SPRUCE, but WHITE SPRUCE, RED PINE, and WHITE PINE are also commonly planted in forest renewal projects.3

The Thunder Bay Museum

Timber!

A Historical Snapshot of Forestry and Logging in Thunder Bay

For over a century, forestry and logging have played a prominent role in Thunder Bay’s economic growth. From log driving to lumber tugs, here are some historical photos that provide a snapshot of what the industry was like in those early days.

 Logging at Stump River at Winett and Lagault camp, 1907

 Logging near Port Arthur, date and location unknown

 logging camp A railway flat car loaded with logs, 1880s, location unknown

 Teams hauling white pine logs, date and location unknown

Thunder Bay Museum

Thunder Bay Museum

Thunder Bay Museum

Carson Piper

 Lumber tug C. A. McLaurin navigating through logs, circa 1940

 A log drive at Hazelwood Creek, where 12 workers stand on logs and at creek shore (Niilo Hietapaaka and Kalle Taskinen Jr., Finnish settlers in Tarmola, are in the centre), circa 1923–1924

 Horses pulling sleighs of wood on a frozen river, date and location unknown

 A logging truck with a load of logs, circa 1940

 Isaac Weldon and Stan Blutcher at a Provincial Paper logging camp holding snowshoes, circa 1917

 A crane loading an Abitibi logging truck, date unknown but possibly circa 1940

Russell Clark

John O. Styffe

Russell Clark

Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society via Abitibi

Tim Knutson

Lappe and Area Historical Society

North Shore

Crispcotti

By Chef Rachel Bayes

Have you ever tried the Raincoast Crisps from the deli section in the grocery store? They’re delightfully brittle (but not in a bad way), impossibly thinly sliced bread, chock full of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and subtle herbs. They’re also $8 for a tiny box!

So, I give you a Raincoast Crisp- adjacent (a.k.a. copycat) recipe that I’ve dubbed North Shore Crispcotti, a twice-baked, savoury biscotti honouring our rugged Lake Superior coastline. These crackers are made with the same “artisanal” ingredients as the prefab version, but for a fraction of the cost, and only a little bit of your time—really.

My partner and I have a cute tradition of exchanging handmade gifts for our anniversary. We often joke about how we could've just burnt our money in the bathtub

instead, because sometimes it takes us three weeks and costs three times as much to make something we could’ve just as easily bought! But, not so with these crackers— one bowl, much flavour, and for $8 worth of ingredients, you can bake a few mini loaves that you can stash in the freezer to be sliced and baked again later.

Like many recipes I share, the star ingredients (i.e. the nuts, seeds, dried fruit, sweetener, and herbs) can be substituted to suit your tastes and budget. These sweet and savoury copycat crisps are beautiful as a gift, and spiff up a charcuterie board when paired with sharp cheddar, bleu, or goat cheese, pepper jelly, and spiced meats. And, they taste so much better than the ones from The Fancy Store—no need to burn your money in the bathtub!

North Shore

Crispcotti

makes about 6 dozen

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 4 small (6"x3") loaf pans with cooking spray (or brush with oil), line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper, and set aside for later.

2 c flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt

2 c buttermilk (or soured milk*)

¼ c brown sugar

2 Tbsp pure maple syrup (or honey)

1 c raisins

½ c pecans, lightly chopped

½ c pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

¼ c sesame seeds

¼ c flax seeds

2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt.

Add buttermilk, brown sugar, and maple syrup (or honey) and stir a few times.

*To sour your own milk, add 2 Tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup, and fill to the 2 cup measure with milk. Let sit a few minutes until curdled, and you’re good to go.

Add raisins, pecans, seeds, and rosemary, stirring until just combined.

Divide batter into prepared loaf pans. Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden and springy to the touch. Allow loaves to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

Once cool, freeze loaves for 30–40 minutes. This is key, and will make it so much easier to slice the loaves into very thin slices!

Preheat oven to 325°F. Using a sharp knife (or meat slicer if you happen to have one handy), slice partially frozen loaves about ⅛” thick, placing them on prepared sheet pans. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip them over and bake the slices for another 5–10 minutes, or until crisp and golden. If you want, you can bake the slices on a wire rack so you don’t have to flip, mid-bake—but, watch them, as they’ll crisp and burn faster! Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Bringit HERE

TO THUNDER BAY!

Unique venues and experiences to inspire – with quick and convenient air connectivity! We can help you navigate through the process of hosting a meeting or convention with a number of support services at your disposal.

Bring your corporate event to Thunder Bay and you could be eligible for financial incentives up to 25% of your event cost: visitthunderbay.com/EventFunding

DRINK OF THE MONTH

Dirty Matcha

Milktease Bubble Tea

Story by Jeannie Dubois, Photo by Jack Barten

The delightful concoction known as bubble tea, or more affectionately as boba, is a Taiwanese milk tea-based drink infused with tapioca “pearls.” The lovely pearls that give the drink both a sweet flavour and bubbly texture are produced from the starchy roots of the tuber cassava. Enter Milktease, the local purveyor of said delicious and exotic drink, with a cheeky storefront nestled in the heart of downtown Port Arthur. Currently featuring a naughtily named Dirty Matcha, this boba is made from premium green tea powder mixed with silky cream and more than a brimful of brown sugar, creating an earthy yet caramelized cup of wonder.

Milktease

222 Red River Road 807-577-0886

visitthunderbay.com/BringItHere 1-800-MOST-FUN (667-8386)

Spring towards better hearing

If you’re ready to take action, let us help you with taking the next steps

The African Lounge

A Taste of Ghana in Thunder Bay

Review by Susan Pretty, Photos by Adrian Lysenko

The African Lounge, situated in Centennial Square, is a vibrant kitchen and market, uniting individuals through a unique culinary experience. Hailing from Ghana, owner Mercy Aby came to Thunder Bay in April of 2021 to join family who were already living here.

“Living in Ghana is a one of a kind experience,” Aby says. “Families in Ghana are typically large with several generations living in the same home or compound. By nature we are warm, friendly, and hospitable. Your business is everyone’s business!”

Aby has a background in culinary arts, and is currently a member of the Canadian Culinary Federation. In 2021, she was awarded the Ottawa branch’s “Young Chef of the Quarter” while living in the nation’s capital.

“Coming to Thunder Bay gave me the opportunity to start a food business,” Aby says. “With my skills acquired through professional training, and also considering the fact that there was not much African food in the community, I saw it befitting to start an interesting adventure in the restaurant business.”

The African Lounge has a unique and flavourful menu. Favourites are Ghana jollof (freshly blended

vegetables and herbs fried in oil, then rice is poured into it forming a uniform consistency), and fufu (cassava, yam, or plantain that has been boiled, pounded, and rounded into balls). Have a look at their weekly menu on Facebook to place your order for a different dish each day. Aby also sells an array of market items—try one of her sauces (like the habanero ginger) which can also be used as a dip or a marinade.

“I wish to showcase and share what I have to offer as a Ghanaian with my fellow Africans who live here, as well as the community of Thunder Bay, who have been supportive from day one!” says Aby.

Find The African Lounge on Facebook, call 343-998-6984, or email africanloungetb @yahoo.com.

 Mercy Aby, owner of the African Lounge

Stir Up Some Syrup!

(Or a Shrub)

By Jeannie Dubois, Pommelier and Sommelier

What a curiously mild winter we’ve had in our beautiful bay, bringing on an easeful spring, with rose-tinted, pearly dawns appearing earlier and the verdant green already unfurling, putting one in the mind of the warm days ahead. And with our gentle spring comes lush thoughts of the miraculous myriad of fruit, herb, berry, and vegetable that we can hopefully bring to fruition and hand pick in the heady days of the approaching summer.

If you already have hectic canning, pickling, baking, and cooking plans for all of your hard-won harvest, perhaps set a little aside for a truly delicious new drink addition that you can hand make yourself. Craft cocktails are a delightful way to create a drink to your own (or your guests’) taste, and it

is no great feat to whip them up yourself with the addition of an in-house syrup or shrub to vastly up the flavour ante.

A cocktail syrup is a sweet, viscous liquid created from a sugar base, used as an addition to produce a well-rounded drink that balances the heat and brightness of the alcohol and adds body, flavour, and a hint of saccharine. The most common is simple syrup, which is “simply” a blend of sugar and water. However, there are endless iterations of syrups that can be produced, predominantly from fruit and herb infusions. More complex syrups—such as orgeat, which was originally made with barley but is now almond-based with rose or orange water, or the ancient oxymel, which is a blend of honey and vinegar, or gomme, which has a gum

SUPERIOR SIP

Arabic addition—are more advanced, but still achievable if you so desire them.

Conversely, a cocktail shrub is a vinegar-based syrup, which adds an intriguing, tart character to any concoction and can easily be used as a substitute for citrus. Originally used as a medicinal cordial, shrubs, besides being delicious, still have homeopathic qualities, and have had a recent resurgence in popularity as a savoury way to enhance any cocktail.

With a few basic ingredients, a minimally stocked bar, and a little bit of time, one can easily create a cocktail with a signature (yours!) syrup or shrub that is easy to make, keeps very well, and tastes above board. Very classy indeed.

Think:

The Simple Syrup

Combine one part water, one part sugar (volume at your discretion for usage) and boil both until sugar is dissolved and chill. Useful in any and all libations.

Crushed Mint

Simple Syrup

1 c water

1 c sugar

hand-crushed mint

Combine water and sugar in a saucepan. Boil until sugar is dissolved. Pour into a heatproof container filled with hand-crushed mint. Refrigerate for 8 hours minimum, then strain and discard mint. Keeps for 3 weeks.

Lovely with mezcal and lime but equally divine in a cool glass of lemonade.

Black and Blue Simple Syrup

1 c water

1 c sugar

1 c hand-crushed blackberries

2 Tbsp dried lavender (or ½ cup of fresh lavender)

Combine blackberries, sugar, lavender, and water in a saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring until slightly reduced. Pour the syrup through a sieve into a heatproof bowl and discard the solids.

Refrigerate before use.

Tasteful with gin and tonic but just as enjoyable warmed in a cup of Earl Grey tea.

Apple Bob Shrub

1½ c apple cider vinegar

1 c cane sugar

1 1/2 c Honeycrisp apple grated with skin on 2 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

Add ¾ cup apple cider vinegar and cane sugar to a saucepan over medium heat. Consistently stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Add apples, star anise, and cinnamon stick to mix. Let simmer for five minutes. Once combined, remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cool, use cheese cloth and strain out solids, reserving cinnamon stick. Pour strained liquid into an airtight jar with the cinnamon stick and add remaining apple cider vinegar to the mix. Allow to sit for 2–4 days. Delicious mixed with bourbon but very agreeable with sparkling water or soda as well.

Pininja Shrub

1 large pineapple, cubed (approximately 4 c) or 4 c frozen pineapple, cubed

2 c dark sugar

4 cloves

4 ¼-inch pieces peeled ginger root

2 c water

2 c apple cider vinegar

Add pineapple, brown sugar, cloves, and ginger to a saucepan and cook over medium heat until sugar bubbles and pineapple is caramelized. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add vinegar. Stir to combine. Cool and refrigerate overnight. Strain out solids and store in the refrigerator. Tropical sweetness mixed in with dark rum does it, or add it to coconut water to refresh.

Chicken Parmesan with Ricotta Crêpe Cannelloni

Laviché Café

Review and photo by Jack Barten

Atraditional European-style café is one of those things North Americans romanticize. At these revered establishments, one can stop in for a coffee, have a glass of wine, or enjoy a coursed meal—or all three—at any time of the day. So, when Laviché Café opened its doors in downtown Port Arthur in May 2023, there was a lot of excitement at the sheer scope of gastronomic possibilities. This month, Laviché lives up to those European café promises

with its chicken parmesan with ricotta crêpe cannelloni.

Upon being served the chicken parmesan, one can't help but be excited by all the different elements present. First, the star of the show, the chicken parm, is wonderfully breaded with a panko crust, providing a great texture of subtle crunch on the outside, and a moist centre that delivers everything you could want from a chicken cutlet. This poultry experience is further

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enhanced by a generous—but not overwhelming—topping of cheese and house-made marinara sauce. This duo of sauce and cheese gives the dish its name, and adds that home-cooked comfort we all need more of in our lives. After you're done enjoying the chicken, there's the creêpe cannelloni. Savory crêpes with a generous filling of ricotta and mozzarella present flavours that are universally comforting and enjoyable. The fresh and airy-tasting

ricotta is supported by the more decadent crêpe and mozzarella. Finally, there's the sautéed broccolini, which gives the dish some welcome earthy flavours that help break up the decadence of all that cheesy goodness. When you put all three of these elements together, you get a perfect triangle of flavour and texture.

It is true that a European-style café is good at everything—the decadent, the simple, and the traditional. Here, Laviche Café shows in one dish how achieving all three of those elements is possible in one entrée that truly has a little something for everyone.

Laviché Café

209 Red River Road

807-344-4200

Nutrition Month Has Ended, Household

Food Insecurity Will Stick Around

By Michaela Bohunicky, Dietitian, Thunder Bay District Health Unit

Another year, another Nutrition Month campaign wrapped up. The 2024 campaign throughout March focused on household food insecurity (HFI), an urgent and deeply pervasive public health issue in the Thunder Bay District and far beyond.

HFI is the inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints. HFI isn’t about not enough food to go around—because there is. Nor is it about people being “lazy” or lacking know-how on budgeting or cooking. Rather, HFI exists because current (and historic) policy decisions discriminate against people based on race, gender, class, and nationality, among other factors. HFI is an incomebased problem needing incomebased solutions. (It’s important to note that although this article focuses on income-based solutions, which reflect an approach to food insecurity that is

food insecure compared to 15% of white people—again, because of disproportionate harm from racist and colonial policies. Those at greatest risk of HFI continue to be low-income households, renters, female lone parents, non-white racialized people, and households reliant on social assistance. I emphasize continue to be because we have known this for a long time; we know this issue very well, continue to advocate for policy change, and yet more needs to be done.

The Nutrition Month campaign was one of many efforts raising awareness of HFI among the public while pointing to key advocacy actions for those with capacity. The campaign also featured the following: resources for individuals experiencing HFI, a grocery store tour with Lakehead University students, and a toolkit

factsheet for health and social service professionals working directly with those living with HFI. Finally, a public forum on HFI was held at Roots Community Food Centre on March 14 where we shared food, learned about the 2023 Cost of Eating and Hunger Reports, and hosted a letterwriting blitz to elected officials.

Nutrition Month has ended, but as long as food insecurity exists in our communities, our advocacy efforts cannot stop. You can promote change by doing the following:

• Advocate for adequate social assistance, minimum wage, and basic income

• Advocate for affordable housing and childcare

• Advocate for adequate employment insurance coverage and benefits

• Write to your MP to support basic

rooted in a Western, money-based economy, Indigenous perspectives and approaches to food insecurity are equally valid and important to pursue—for instance, ensuring that approaches to food insecurity can support Indigenous access and control over land-based food systems, which are central to Indigenous health and well-being, law, ceremony, and sovereignty.)

According to Thunder Bay District Health Unit’s 2023 Hungry for Change Report, in 2023, 16.7% of households in the Thunder Bay District were food insecure—that’s almost one in five. This estimate does not include those living on First Nations reserves, who are disproportionately harmed by racism and ongoing colonialism, causing high rates of food insecurity. Further, roughly one in three Black people (39%) and offreserve Indigenous people (33%) are

An Evening With Le Cabaret Noir

Burlesque-Inspired Performance Troupe Takes Cambrian Theatre

Story by Sidney Ulakovic, Photos by Kontrol Media Studios

Things are spicing up this month for local theatregoers as Thunder Bay’s own burlesque-inspired performance troupe, Le Cabaret Noir, is set to seduce audiences with three evenings of shows at Cambrian Theatre.

Le Cabaret Noir debuted in 2015 with a performance at Black Pirates Pub—the “Noir” in their name being a nod to the venue that started it all. “There is a striptease element to it,” says Jessi McCulloch, director, choreographer, and (as she’s more endearingly known) the “head bitch in charge” of Le Cabaret Noir. While the striptease element gets audiences’ hearts racing, live vocals, dancing, comedy, and skits are all staples of an evening with Le Cabaret Noir, with empowerment lying at the heart of what they do. “It’s all about performance art and celebrating sensuality and the female body,” McCulloch says.

The troupe started preparing for this self-titled series of performances back in October. “This show is a lot bigger,” McCulloch says. “It’s a lot more theatrical, which is why we moved it to Cambrian.” McCulloch says that the three pzerformances will be a modern take on vaudevillestyle cabaret. “This show is not like anything Thunder Bay really has going on, theatre-wise,” McCulloch says. “It’s a lot more adult.”

For the uninitiated, the mystery surrounding audience etiquette at a show like this may be anxiety-inducing. Because this style of show is so different from the average theatre experience, it follows that what’s expected of the audience is different as well. “People find it a little bit intimidating when they see nudity and mature content, but it’s not

about the naked,” McCulloch says. “It’s about everything that leads up to it.” So what this means is, you don’t have to be afraid to laugh or engage with the performance, and you most certainly don’t have to feel like a perv for wanting to go see some skin. “We want people to hoot and holler and yell at us,” McCulloch says. “Everyone’s there to have fun. We want to make people laugh. We want people to be turned on. [We want to make people feel] everything all at the same time.”

As exciting as introducing alternative theatre to a wider audience is, Le Cabaret Noir doesn’t call it the art of the tease for nothing. “I think it’s important to have something in Thunder Bay’s theatre scene that pushes the boundaries,” McCulloch says. “It’s funny and sexy at the same time and takes away the stigma of being sexual.” As opening night inches closer, McCulloch says she and the troupe look forward to the opportunity for the audience to find some humour and agency in the taboo along with them. “Watching all the girls’ confidence levels go up [through] this entire experience—it makes me really emotional actually,” McCulloch says. “To watch how empowered they are, and how confident they are, and the relationships we’ve built with each other, and just women supporting women has been huge.”

Le Cabaret Noir will perform on April 11, 12, and 13. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.

To stay up to date with Le Cabaret Noir, you can follow them on Instagram @lecabaretnoirtbay.

FilmTheatre

“Watching all the confidencegirls’ levels go up [through] this entire experience— it makes me really emotional actually.”

 Jessi McCulloch

 Quyen Le

 Martina Vaillant

 Nancy Freeborn

 Nico Harding

Images of Our Time

The Art in Skaf’s Just Basics

Story and photos by Emily Turner

Have you ever wondered why there is a sign that reads “Reflections Art Gallery” on the Skaf’s Just Basics in Current River? It’s easy enough to overlook it on your way into the store, and truthfully, the reason it is there often gets overlooked as well, unless you’re in the habit of staring up at the ceiling as you shop for your groceries. Scattered across the store, there are over 60 canvas paintings, each of which tell a powerful story, making Skaf’s an art gallery just as much as it is a grocery store.

Conceptualized by owner Robert Skaf and produced by local artist Donna Heisholt, the project of decorating the store with provocative paintings has been ongoing for over 10 years. The artwork gained more attention in 2023 with the release of the short film Expired, directed and produced by Tammy Jones, a Vancouver-based filmmaker who was raised on Lakeshore Drive and shopped at Skaf’s for most of her life. As Jones captures in her film through interviews with various customers, very few people have noticed the paintings. “Over the years, I noticed the paintings. As a creator, I thought how interesting But as a shopper and busy person, I didn’t inquire about them as, like most customers, I wanted to get what I needed and get going with the day.” After Jones lost her parents and thought it may be time to leave Thunder Bay, she decided it was finally time to “capture this unique makeshift art gallery.”

As an immigrant from Lebanon and a survivor of the warfare that has displaced many Lebanese people over the years, Skaf is extremely passionate about making the world a better place, and he believes that means more people need to be aware of the injustices that occur around the world. He began articulating his perspectives about life and survival in writing, but he felt he could reach more people by putting his ideas on canvas. “If we’re going to survive for millions for years, we have to

work together,” he says, “I call them images of our time: they are taking one segment of our history and presenting it to the next generation.” His motivation for bringing the art into his grocery store is simple: “Not everybody has time to drive to a gallery or a museum. But they’re always shopping.”

Heisholt describes herself as the illustrator of Skaf’s ideas. Their partnership blossomed out of pure chance: he was looking for a painter to bring his ideas to life and she overheard him talking about that one day when she was shopping and decided to introduce herself as a reputable painter in the Thunder Bay art scene. “He has his visions,” Heisholt explains. “Then we talk, and he’s able to get his message to me, and I actualize it in the painting. It’s a great partnership.”

Skaf has inspired many people with his efforts to begin conversations about hard topics, and Jones says it was exactly that which first prompted her to create Expired. “I love to see when one is passionate enough about what he/she/they believe in that they put their passion into action,” she says. “When that effort is big or small, that inspires me.”

The production of the documentary meant alot to Skaf and his family, as Skaf’s daughter Jennifer says: “When the documentary came out, I was just overwhelmed with [thinking] ‘oh my goodness, what a great light, what a great way for people to get to see a different side of him than just the businessperson that is always running around.’”

To learn more about the artwork and Skaf’s thoughts on the state of humanity, stream Expired on YouTube. Also, his books Survival: The Ultimate Mission Volume 1 and 2, can be purchased on Amazon.

 Artist Donna Heisholt

 Robert Skaf and Donna Heisholt

Movies About Trees

By Michael Sobota

ITHE SECOND MOST PLEASURABLE THING WE DO IN THE DARK

A COLUMN ABOUT MOVIES

Help each other. Love everyone. Every leaf. Every ray of light. Forgive.

-Mrs. O’Brien (Jessica Chastain) in The Tree of Life

n the movies, you often can’t see the forest for the trees—that is, individual stories and relationships push the environment (the trees) into the background. Here are three brilliant movies about families that could not be told without the context of the forests they take place in, and one documentary about the forest we all live in: the boreal.

The Tree of Life (2011)

Writer/director Terrence Malick uses a tree as a metaphor for life. He begins his movie in the cosmos, out in space, with celestial swirls forming stars and what we will eventually know as the planets. On Earth, Malick centres his story in mid-1950s Texas. We see Dad (Brad Pitt) and Mom (Jessica Chastain) raising their family. Dad raises his young son Jack (Hunter McCracken) with tough love, teaching the boy the “manly art” of fighting. A lone, stately tree overshadows this scene out in their yard, and single trees reappear throughout the narration. Malick examines humans and nature in the context of faith and spirituality, specifically Christianity. He portrays both hope and delusion in faith, and later we see Jack as an adult (Sean Penn) struggling with his lack of faith in mind-boggling cinemascapes. The extraordinary cinematography is by Emmanuel Lubezki with a haunting score by Alexandre Desplat. The film won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011.

Captain Fantastic (2016)

Written and directed by Matt Ross. Dad (Viggo Mortensen) and Mom (Erin Moriarty) raise their kids in the middle of a Pacific Northwest forest, completely “off grid.” Ross opens the film with dad teaching the kids survival skills and hunting (for food, nothing goes to waste). The camera roams the dense forest, and we don’t see the kids until the eldest son (George MacKay) emerges, blood spattered, having harvested a deer. Mom becomes ill and dies in a hospital and her father (in an imperious performance by Frank Langella) claims her body for a “proper funeral.” When Dad returns to the forest to explain this to his children, everyone rebels, knowing that is not what Mom wanted. They embark on a perilous journey into modern, urban society to rescue her corpse and give it a proper cremation and burial. This is a beautiful, enlightening cinematic story with great currency.

Leave No Trace (2018)

This movie is directed by Debra Granik, from a script cowritten with Anne Rosellini and Peter Rock. From the opening sequence, cinematographer Michael McDonough bathes us in the lush, dense greens of the Oregon forest. This is yet another story about a dad (Ben Foster) raising his 17-year old daughter (Thomasin McKenzie) off-grid, deep in the forest. They are willing outcasts. When they are discovered, they are taken in by social services to give them “a better life and education.” These scenes reveal the wellmeaning intentions of modern health caregivers who simply don’t understand the dad and daughter situation. Dad rebels, plans a skillful escape and returns to where they lived in the forest. This is a deeply moving love story, with a bond between father and daughter that is mature, intelligent, and ultimately heartbreaking.

Borealis (2020)

There are hundreds of documentaries about trees. This Canadian film, written and directed by Kevin McMahon, may be the best. The vast boreal forest spans three continents across the northern hemisphere, including all across Canada. McMahon shows us the synergy between the variety of trees in the boreal, as well as the animals and birds that inhabit it. He also shows us what humans have done to the forest. We see clear-cutting, vast urban and industrial developments, and hydro paths slashing their way through the trees. We see the consequences of some of that interference with nature: floods, fires, infestations, and decay. The film is narrated by important voices: professional foresters, weathercasters, educators, and Indigenous people who live “with” the forest, not in it. The film is great visual and narrative storytelling. You can access it for free on the NFB website.

And here are six more leafy green stories for you education and entertainment: The Legend of the Three Trees (2001), World’s Most Relaxing Places: Ancient Forest (2010), City of Trees (2015), Into the

– narrated by Gordon Pinset), and The Issue with Tissue: A

Forest (2016), Call of the Forest: The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees (2016

Boreal Love Story (2022).

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Unveiling the Harsh Reality of Substance Abuse

Documentary A Sobering Story Debuts This Month

By Kat Lyzun

On April 17, locally produced documentary A Sobering Story will have its muchanticipated public debut at Silver City Theatre through the North of Superior Film Association.

The film, recently unveiled at a small private screening, is a powerful, raw, emotional testament to the persistent issue of substance abuse and opioid deaths in Thunder Bay. The personal stories are captivating and heartbreaking. Mothers who desperately tried to help their children overcome addiction but were let down by gaping holes in the system. A father who lost his only son just weeks before being interviewed for the documentary. Folks in the recovery community working tirelessly with limited resources, and constantly battling the stigma of addiction. Police officers. Doctors. Paramedics. Politicians. It is a community-wide issue, and that is precisely the point.

Co-producers Ryan La Via and Ryan Hill of R&R Films say the experience of making the film over the last two years has been both humbling and enlightening.

“The response [to the private screening] was more than we could have hoped for,” says Hill. “There were sleepless nights, as this would

be the first time many of the subjects had seen the film. We wanted to do right by them. And the response was overwhelmingly positive.”

Production-wise, the cinematography, sound engineering, and editing is comparable to any large studio feature. “We have incredible video production talent in Thunder Bay,” says director La Via, referring to the team of Hill, Matt King, Jessica Graham, Curtis Jensen, Jean-Paul De Roover, and Michael Kondakow. “It was an honour to have the production quality spoken of so highly by people in the business.”

La Via says the goal of making this film was always to reach the most people possible, to not only shed light on the issue but shatter stigmas and promote compassion for those struggling with addiction. This first showing is just the beginning, he says, of what they hope will be a long-term distribution plan.

A Sobering Story will have two showings at Silver City the evening of April 17. Tickets are available at the theatre prior to each show. Visit asoberingstory. com and follow them on Facebook and Instagram for show times and other updates.

 Carolyn Karle

 Kirstine Nicole (Smith) Baccar

 Kirstine Nicole (Smith) Baccar

“We have incredible video production talent in Thunder Bay.”

FilmTheatre

Sharing History

A Tale of Two Qallunaat and Silent Cries

By Amy Sellors

I’m a documentary filmmaker and historian. I focus on women whose stories have been forgotten or seldom heard,” says Kelly Saxberg. “Once you start finding out about what they’ve done, one story peels off into another.”

At their production company, ShebaFilms, Saxberg and her partner Ron Harpelle make documentaries, but they also produce fiction, animations, commercial, and educational films. With the changing way we consume news, their films are a way to connect people to important stories. Saxberg is releasing two films in 2024: Silent Cries, already on the festival circuit, and A Tale of Two Qallunaat, due to be completed in May, with its first screening in Pond Inlet, Nunavut.

A Tale of Two Qallunaat tells the story of two remarkable women, Sheila Burnford and Susan Ross. A writer and an artist, respectively, both were fascinated with Indigenous people and Indigenous life. At Ross’s family’s hunting cabin on Whitefish Lake, the two women approached wild rice harvesters and asked permission to sketch them, and subsequently developed a rapport with them. Ross spent the rest of her working days as an artist, visiting Indigenous communities in northern Ontario and the Arctic. Burnford, known for her book The Incredible Journey, regularly joined her. The

two wanted to learn and experience everything they could from the people there. Burnford wrote and took film footage, publishing the book One Woman’s Arctic in 1972. The pair became annual visitors. Ross continued to visit the Arctic until 1996, sketching thousands of people in different communities. Everybody wanted to be sketched.

A Tale of Two Qallunaat focuses on one of the communities that inspired Burnford and Ross, Pond Inlet. “We see this as a reconciliation project,” says Saxberg. “We are bringing back unique documentation of a moment in time from that community: Ross’s sketches, Burnford’s book, and film footage. They captured stories.”

Working alongside Saxberg on A Tale of Two Qallunaat is Inuk filmmaker Navalik Tologanak. “I couldn’t have done it without her,” says Saxberg.

Their production team put together a book filled with copies of Ross’s sketches. In Pond Inlet, “people immediately connected to the book. They saw sketches of themselves. The book brings back the old ways, old times, old memories. People felt seen.” Flipping through the pages, Tologanak recognized her cousin. “When you sketch a person, you’re really looking at them. You capture their essence,” says Saxberg.

“The images bring back memories

of good times and challenges. Inuit are spread across a huge landscape; everyone is connected through their way of life and their experiences,” says Saxberg. “I am weaving together those voices. It is not my story; my take on it is that I’m fascinated by these two women.”

While Saxberg and Tologanak were making this film, the Pope visited Iqaluit for one day, and the two filmmakers made the trip there for the visit. Their film Silent Cries is born from this experience—the journey, the visit, the impact of it all.

“If people can’t relate to the Elders who were the residential school survivors, maybe as parents

they can relate. What would you do if someone took your children and said it was for the best? No one would stand for it,” says Saxberg. “I’m privileged to be working on these projects.”

Both films will also be released in the languages of the people they represent.

Audiences can watch Saxberg’s films on her website shebafilms.com, at the Vox Popular Film Festival, and the streaming platform researchTV.ca.

 Filmmakers Navalik Tologanak and Kelly Saxberg

 Adrien Harpelle and Kelly Saxberg

 (L-R) Susan Ross and Sheila Burnford

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An Illustrated Journey to Thunder Bay

The Journaling Art of Fisher Monahan

Story by Leah Morningstar, Photos courtesy of Fisher Monahan

As a child, Fisher Monahan spent a lot of time camping and travelling with his family. They mostly stayed around southern Ontario, but occasionally ventured north. Monahan knew he wanted to leave his childhood home eventually; he was hoping to attend Lakehead University, but not right away. He needed time away from academics, and he needed to branch out beyond the borders of his home near Collingwood, Ont. Monahan decided to take a gap year between high school and university and really step out of his comfort zone to explore the West Coast.

In June 2022, after graduation, Monahan flew to Abbotsford, B.C. and began a walking journey straight down the West Coast. His goal? San Francisco! He walked for 135 days, camping in a one-man tent along the way and sometimes even sleeping under the stars. He visited grocery stores to stock up on supplies and only occasionally ventured into restaurants. Of the journey, Monahan says, “I wanted to learn about the West Coast and see it and camp in it. I wanted to do things on my own timeline without a schedule and to take each day as it came.”

Each day brought new sights, sounds, and adventures for Monahan, and he documented everything. When he reached San Francisco in early November 2022, he had a journal full of illustrations, random musings, field notes, and doodles. Monahan organized everything into a book and called it The Sweetgrass Chronicles: A Walk Across America

An artist who fits right in perfectly in Northwestern Ontario, Fisher’s black line drawings

illustrate the simple things in life, such as hiking through the trees, setting up a tent, finding mushrooms, watching birds, and cooking over a campfire.

The last two years were big milestones for Monahan: finishing high school, completing a huge journey by foot, and releasing a book. Now he’s here at Lakehead University for the next four years and then who knows? “The world is always changing and I’m not sure what’s coming next,” he says. “I’d be content continuing to work as a freelance illustrator, but I think I’ll use illustration in whatever I do for the rest of my life.” It’s exciting to think about where the journey will take him next, and the illustrations he will make along the way.

For more information, visit Monahan’s website fishermonahan.com to learn more about his freelance work, his collaborative projects, and his book The Sweetgrass Chronicles: A Walk Across America.

TheArts

Open to Discovery

A Collection of Paintings by Contemporary Artist Damon Dobak

Story by Sidney Ulakovic, Photos by Damon Dowbak

It’s a place for the person looking at it to discover something,” says contemporary multidisciplinary artist Damon Dowbak of his latest collection of paintings. “And they have to be open to let that make itself known.”

After over four decades in business, Dowbak closed the doors of Kleewyck Stained Glass Studio in 2019 to enjoy some well-earned rest. With newfound free time, another door quickly opened for him in the form of revisiting a foundation of his career as an artist—painting.

Over the last five years, Dowbak has been working consistently on a collection of abstract paintings inspired by nature and architecture, which will open at Co.Lab Gallery & Arts Centre later this month.

“My work is very intuitive,” he says. “It starts from not trying to really create something, just trying to get into a space to work from.” Dowbak says he usually paints on raw canvas and, when the weather permits, in the outdoors surrounding his home in Kaministiquia, where the paintings will sit for a certain length of time with exposure to sunlight and water. For the observer, this exposure gives the artwork an essence of having always been that way. “I find that applying paint to raw canvas makes it just soak into the canvas, and it really becomes part of the canvas,” he says.

At the centre of this collection lies a delicate balancing act between form and shapelessness, presence and absence, spontaneity and control—and while some elements of the composition are left to chance, Dowbak’s process is also highly deliberate. “Every brush stroke you make has to have intention,” he says. Many of the paintings in this collection were initially conceived as charcoal drawings, mapping out a guideline for the texture, rhythm, and movement that characterizes

the work, all of which continue to evolve as the concept meets colour and canvas. “It’s a kind of call-andresponse to what I’m seeing and what I’m feeling from it.”

In some ways, the collection is a culmination of a lifetime of Dowbak’s creative pursuits, from the significance of colour and light from years of glasswork, to the tonalities of the charcoal bearing similarities to the black and white photography he explored as a teenager, to the music evoked by the movement and rhythm of each painting. The collection is in conversation with those unseeable moments in the act of transition, which lend themselves well to being visually abstract.

“How the planet weathers, how the seasons change, how things move, how they turn, the effect that water has,” Dowbak says of the collection’s subject matter. “There’s a rhythm to that language.”

The exhibition opens on April 26 and will be displayed until May 12, with a one-time workshop taking place the afternoon of May 11. To see more of Dowbak’s work, follow him on Instagram @damondowbak.

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TheArts

Canvas & Clay

New Business Brings Creative Workshops to Simpson Street

Story and photos by Sidney Ulakovic

The city’s south side has gained a new creative channel in the form of Canvas & Clay gift store and studio. Canvas & Clay opened up shop on Simpson Street this past November, providing a retail storefront for local crafters and artisans, as well as a place for them to share their skills in creative workshops for a range of age groups.

The idea first came to owner and general manager Jen Davidson during the COVID-19 related lockdowns, when her mother, who’s also an artist, opened a gallery in the basement of her home in southern Ontario to have a physical location to sell her artwork. “I thought maybe if enough [artisans] got together, we could bridge that gap between the craft market and a brick and mortar store by combining all our labour and all our different expertise,” Davidson says. Canvas & Clay’s featured vendors all take turns working in the store throughout the week, accomplishing a twofold mission of connecting creators with the community on a consistent basis and allowing visitors the opportunity to meet and learn from local creators.

“When I moved in, it was open from the windows all the way back,” Davidson says of the space. With a blank canvas before her, Davidson got to work on the colourful and inviting space that now welcomes visitors to Canvas & Clay. As of midMarch, Canvas & Clay is currently stocked with wares from more than 10 local vendors, including stained glass, crocheted, painted and crossstitched treasures both big and small

to discover throughout the storefront. “It’s just become a very dynamic, collaborative space,” says Davidson. “Not only do you have customers coming in, but also other vendors to say hi, drop stuff off, prepare for workshops, [or] use the crafting space.”

That sense of community extends outside of the walls that house Canvas & Clay. Davidson says they’ve felt very welcomed by both residents and business owners in the area since they opened this past fall. “Lots of people are really happy that we’re doing something in this neighbourhood to help kind of uplift and restore the neighbourhood and just be a part of those ongoing efforts,” Davidson says. With their location in mind, Davidson says that it was a conscious decision to make their creative workshops financially accessible. “We do have a lot of people who comment that they appreciate that the price of the workshop is really approachable, really attainable,” Davidson says. “We have a lot of repeat workshop visitors.”

This year, Davidson looks forward to completing the remaining construction, which will include the addition of a woodworking studio and 3D printing services and workshops.

Davidson encourages anyone interested in becoming a vendor to visit the store in person to apply. To sign up for upcoming workshops, visit their website at canvasandclay.ca.

 (L-R) Vendor Maya Bragnalo of Mai, and Canvas & Clay owner Jen Davidson

 Wall art by Jennifer Miller, watercolors by Wandering Magpie, crocheted stuffed toys by Mai

Embroidery by Mai

Untitled [Butterfly]

By Penelope Smart, Curator, Thunder Bay Art Gallery

Artist: Isadore Wadow

Title: Untitled [Butterfly]

Date: 1984

Medium: Acrylic on canvas board

Size: 61 x 91.4 cm

Gift of Jack and Sheila Shannon

This painting of a butterfly by Isadore Wadow is on view as part of a new group exhibition called Ziigwan: New Acquisitions to the Permanent Collection. Ziigwan means “spring” or “early spring” in Anishinaabemowin. Familiar signs

FROM THE THUNDER BAY ART GALLERY’S COLLECTION

of spring include snow melting, ice breaking, and a lingering chill in the air. In this selection of works, tones of watery blue, bright yellow, and mud puddle brown—and a pop of sunrise pink—flow through images of animals swimming, birds diving, and human figures in states of transformation. What can these images reveal about spring as a state of flux, vulnerability, and raw survival?

Ziigwan offers fresh insight into the genre of Woodland art. Ojibwe painter Isadore Wadow (1950–1984)

is a lesser-known voice in Woodland style. A donation of a new series by Wadow sheds new light on his life and work as an artist. He had just begun to exhibit works publicly before his tragic death at age 34. There is fragility in his line work. This butterfly is carried by a soft wind.

Our permanent collection is historically significant and nationally renowned. In growing the collection through donations and acquisitions, the gallery commits, again and again, to the legacy of contemporary art

and artists in our community. New works in the gallery’s collection are a breath of fresh air.

Ziigwan is on view until June 16.

Iconic TBay

James Brown Photographs the Region’s Best-Loved Landscapes

Story by Bonnie Schiedel, Photos by James Brown

If you see a photo of Kakabeka Falls or the Sleeping Giant that stops you in your tracks, there’s a decent chance the photographer is James Brown. Brown regularly captures the many moods of these two icons, as well as other Northwestern Ontario landscapes too. Kakabeka Falls is his “dream area, the best area to be at,” he says, pointing to the hiking trails, the lookout sites, and the mesmerizing power of water. “It definitely lives up to ‘Niagara the North.’” As for the Giant, he loves the uniqueness of the rock formation, complemented by the water views. “I’ve had people as far away as Australia and France want prints of the Giant.”

Brown moved from southern Ontario to Thunder Bay in 2001 to attend Lakehead University, and decided to stay in part because he appreciates the slower pace of life and the striking natural beauty. He got into photography about 10 years ago, dabbling briefly in drone work and then switching to a digital camera, learning through trial and error. Some of his early subjects were his

fellow volunteers with Shuniah Fire and Emergency Services, but mainly he sticks to nature and landscape photography. “It’s a way to reconnect with nature, disconnect from the regular world,” he explains. Currently he’s working on his skills with a new drone.

Unlike many photographers, Brown prints his own work at home, using a premium wide-format printer, as well as a smaller sublimation printer for transferring images to mugs and other items. He likes being in charge of quality control, plus, he says, it’s an indescribable feeling seeing the image coming off the printer. “It’s the fact that somebody actually wants to put something that I took a picture of on their wall.” He taught himself how to varnish and stretch photo canvases as well.

For Brown, landscape photography is a welcome part of his downtime. “I'm usually out with my wife and our dog. Most of what I photograph is unplanned,” he says, adding that of course you do have to plan to get up early in the hopes of capturing a sunrise. “Mostly it’s just getting out there and enjoying life.”

 An Early Autumn Photo of Kakabeka Falls  Panoramic at Marina Park

 Dramatically Red Sky Over Hillcrest Park

Check out more of James Brown’s work at jamesbrownphotography.ca or on Instagram @jrbrown19.

Tech Specs

Camera: Nikon D750

Lenses: 35mm f/1.8G

50mm f/1.8D

85mm f/1.4D

70-200mm f/2.8G

150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG

Drone: DJI Mini 2

Green and Gone Pest Solutions can take care of any pest issue! From inspection, remediation, clean-outs and rodent proofing Kaija will take care of whatever is BUG-ing you!

Offering staff training programs to prevent and identify bed bugs, cockroaches and other pest infestations

 The Giant from Red River and High Street

 Aurora Borealis at Chippewa Park

 Aurora Borealis at Boulevard Park

 A Range of Colours at the Frozen Shores of Marina Park

TheArts

Glassafrass

The Stained Glass of Tracy Stewardson

By Marcia Arpin

Like many artists, when you ask Tracy Stewardson to tell you about herself, she is shy to talk about her talent, success, and expertise. If you ask her to tell you about the art of stained glass, however, she will joyfully fill your time with endless, passionate conversation about this lost artform.

Stewardson always knew she wanted to learn to make stained glass. Throughout her adulthood, she maintained several conventional jobs, and then finally her path crossed with a local artist in Abbotsford, B.C., who gifted her with his knowledge and mentorship of stained glass. “I just hung around to absorb everything he had to teach,” she says. Stewardson eventually had an overwhelming feeling it was time to “make it happen,” and switched from stained glass being a hobby to it being her career path. Her training continued at the Tiffany Stained Glass Store in Abbotsford, and her friendship with the owners offered many hours of expert apprenticeship. In time, she opened her own store in Chilliwack, B.C.

Five years ago, Stewardson

moved to Oliver Lake and set up a new studio, Glassafrass Stained Glass, where she sells her beautiful stained glass art and makes glass repairs. She also offers lessons for up to three people at a time. In her cosy studio, guests choose from a pattern and a rainbow of colours and textures, and learn grinding, copper foiling, leading, and polishing. Class participants have completed suncatchers and stepping stones while witnessing Stewardson’s latest table and clock projects. Guests are asked to bring patience and a limitless imagination. Stewardson is also an amazing resource for sourcing supplies, and takes custom orders.

Stewardson is a featured guest at many local craft shows; the community is also encouraged to visit Glassafrass Stained Glass, but must phone for an appointment. “I want to offer others the teachings I was given,” she says. “Like me and my art, it is all the pieces brought together that makes it wonderful.”

For more information, find Glassafrass Stained Glass on Facebook or call 807-699-9181.

Once a Planter, Always a Planter

A Tale of Two Tree Planters Who Just Won’t Quit

By Emily Turner, Photos by Wyatt Smith

Seven years ago, if you had asked me if I knew about tree planting, I would have been extremely confused. Tree planting? Like the job of planting trees? I had no idea how much of a culture and lifestyle existed around the art of planting trees, or that it was possible to make a career out of it, until I moved to Thunder Bay. Nowadays, the majority of my friends are tree planters, or have been tree planters at one point in their lives. And while they may not all agree it is an art, they will certainly all agree it is a culture, and it is definitely one hell of a lifestyle—and an adventurous one at that.

Most of the planters I know can tell you what kind of trees they have put in the ground over the years. But admittedly, not all of them can tell you the difference between a red pine and a black spruce, though they have probably planted both. Most planters don’t exactly sign

up for the job for the trees. Sure, everyone I know who has picked up the two-foot shovel and donned the ugly white bags on their hips has shared a love for the outdoors. But I can’t think of many who are passionate environmentalists and applied because they cared about reforestation. Many just wanted a spring/summer job that would keep them outside for the seasons. As my longtime friend and seasoned planter Brendan Loughlin explains, “it’s the perfect summer job for a student. You can make a boatload of money—more money than any other student can make—and it’s almost like a disconnect from the current reality you live in. It is the hardest job I have done, and it’s also the simplest, and it’s been the most rewarding.”

Loughlin completed his first season of planting in Ontario, but quickly moved on to British Columbia for the next. He also completed a

fall season in Quebec and dabbled in Alberta as well. But it is B.C. that he is returning to this spring for his fifth year. Why? Because “B.C. has definitely been the most profitable,” he explains. Though he and many others are students who are working towards beginning their careers, not all who sign up to spend their summers in the bush are; some are full-time professionals who just love taking a break to plant.

My other friend Amanda Downey has completed two Bachelor of Science degrees—one from McGill University and one from UBC—and currently works as a full-time nurse at the hospital. She is also heading out to B.C. for her fifth year in the bush. Downey has been going to B.C. to plant since she started, never taking much interest in working in the Ontario bush. “I really like the scenery in B.C., and I’m also more of a technical planter, and B.C. is much more of a rougher terrain, lots of hills, and Ontario is more known for fast, flat land,” she explains. She started tree planting for the adventure, and while it is still certainly thrilling, she has other motives for returning as well. “Planting is my re-set for the year. The repetitive nature of planting

puts me in a zone that is calming. Even the hard days are calming. A hard day here [in the hospital] is very different from a hard day in the bush.”

While the job of consistently bending over to put a tree in the ground for hours and hours on end isn’t exactly easy, and bush-living is certainly not glamorous, it brings both Loughlin and Downey peace. Which admittedly confounds me, and many of my other friends, who mostly enjoyed the party aspect of the job. Most of us wouldn’t describe the 12-hour days alone in the bush with only the bears as company, the brutal exposure to the elements, and raging endless bush parties as “calming.” But to others, like Loughlin and Downey, it is entirely a peaceful experience. Which really just goes to show that most tree planters are a different breed of people. And I love having them as friends.

Play Hard, Reward Yourself

Spend a Day in the Bay Algoma Neighbourhood

By Sidney Ulakovic

Find your local experience at visitthunderbay.com

After all that time spent getting your hands dirty tree planting, a day to restock on essentials and enjoy some much needed R&R is most certainly in order. Head on over to the Bay Algoma neighbourhood for everything you might need for a little self-care and retail therapy. Start your day by giving your body a well-deserved rest at the Thai Healing Centre with a traditional Thai massage so you’re ready to shop ‘til you drop. Students who are looking to save their tree planting money for the upcoming semester, head over to Super Thrift for an awesome selection of

second-hand clothing and household items. Next up is Entershine Bookshop for all your summer reads—bonus, you’ll find plenty of books written by local authors. Last up on the shopping agenda is The Mystic Garden where you can find crystals, essential oils, incense, and more. If all that shopping worked up an appetite, end your day at Rebel Salad, where you can build your own masterpiece of a salad with any combination of ingredients your heart desires. This feature is proudly sponsored by Visit Thunder Bay.

Stuff We Like For the Dendrophile

By Kelsey Raynard

Dendrophile (n.): a person who loves trees. In Northwestern Ontario, there are dendrophiles (and trees) just about everywhere. As such, we are blessed with a multitude of artisans, makers, and entrepreneurs who utilize the vast boreal forest that surrounds us to create awesome treesourced products. From sap to syrup, from paper to paintings, here is Stuff We Like for the Dendrophile.

1 Tree

Trevisanutto's Greenhouses & Landscape Design

684 Woodcrest Road

What better way to celebrate your love for trees than to plant some yourself? Trevisanutto’s has a wide variety of trees and shrubs for you to choose from; consult with their experienced staff who can work with you to select the right choice for your garden or yard.

$Various

2 Nor’Wester Maple Syrup

Sleeping Giant Brewing Co.

712 Macdonell Street

This one is a no-brainer. First, maple syrup has become part of the Canadian identity, and is one of the most famous tree products of all time. Second, it’s delicious. The Nor'Wester Maple company offers 100% pure, single-sourced maple syrup from right here in Northwestern Ontario. One taste and you’ll be hooked.

$12.50

3 Sapsucker Organic Sparkling Tree Water

Compass Foods

285 Memorial Avenue

While organic sparkling tree water may sound like the latest TikTok trend, you have to give this sparkling water a try. Sapsucker is sweetened with organic maple sap, plantbased, made in Ontario, certified organic, and contains no artificial sugar. Tapped from trees right here in Canada, this is one fad we can get behind.

$1.24/each

4 Custom Wood Sign

Stakd Birch

@stakdbirch

Spouses Kristin and Brian Randall of Stakd Birch create custom works of art from (mostly) birch wood using their precise laser cutter. From complex bathymetry maps of lakes in Northwestern Ontario to cribbage boards, coasters, ornaments, and everything in between, Stakd Birch takes woodworking to a whole new level. Find them at the Thunder Bay Country Market or on Instagram.

$Various

5 Charcuterie Board

Windy Lake Wood Co.

windylakewoodco.com

Windy Lake Wood Co. is a furniture design company that uses ethically harvested lumber from Canadian farmlands (and occasionally rescued from commercial burn piles during development projects) to create custom, handmade furniture and home decor. This 23-inch charcuterie board is made from Canadian black walnut and is one of many stunning serving platters you can add to your collection.

$80

6 Tree Prints

Pulp + Paper Creative

pulpcreativeshop.ca

With a name like Pulp + Paper, you know there is a deep appreciation for all things tree-related. These tree prints are a labour of love, as they are printed by hand from the actual tree stump, and they have become a hot commodity throughout the years. Pulp + Paper Creative is relaunching these prints, just in time for Spring Craft Revival, measuring at 16 x 20” for $65 each.

$65

7 Birchbark Jewelry

Cree Stevens Goods & Co. Market

Cree Stevens’s art, from her delicate jewelry to her large-scale paintings and prints, has always combined natural elements such as birchbark and driftwood. Whether you’re looking for bracelets, earrings, necklaces, or rings, Cree Stevens has many options for you to wear your love of trees on your sleeve (literally).

$Various

8 Tree Farm

Reed Diffuser

Waxxed Candle Co.

16 Cumberland Street North

Bring the scent of the forest home with you with a reed diffuser from Waxxed Candle Co.

This flameless, scented diffuser will last three-plus months, and Waxxed’s signature Tree Farm scent is a perfect homage to one of the most treasured tree stands in Thunder Bay. Each diffuser comes with a 4 oz glass bottle of fragrance and 10 rattan reeds.

$28

A Century of Service above Self

Celebrating 100 years of Rotary in Thunder Bay

By Kelsey Raynard

Service above self” is the principal motto of Rotary International, and with 100 years under its belt, our local Port Arthur Rotary Club has stayed true to this vision on countless community projects and initiatives. On April 20, the Port Arthur Rotary Centennial Anniversary Gala will honour this special milestone while looking forward to the future and how the Port Arthur Rotary can continue their legacy in Thunder Bay.

A hundred years contains a lot of history. The Fort William Port Arthur Rotary Club was first organized in 1916, with 23 charter members from both Fort William and Port Arthur. In 1924, after the club had grown to 60 members, the club was divided in two; now, the Port Arthur and Fort William Rotary Clubs are both celebrating 100 years of community involvement and fundraising initiatives.

“The basic principles and tenets of Rotary that were there when they started are still here now. The amazingly solid foundation that Rotary has, and that every club all over the world really buys into, is the concept of service above self,” says Shelley Crawford, president of Port Arthur Rotary.

Since their inception, the scope of what the local Rotary clubs have done is nearly impossible to list in entirety. One of their earliest and most notorious projects was building an “outlaw bridge” at Pigeon River, connecting Ontario and Minnesota

without international agreement or government approval in 1917. More recently, the Port Arthur Rotary Club has supported numerous community initiatives such as the development of a multi-purpose trail on the waterfront, and the Field of Greens garden at the Salvation Army Thunder Bay Journey to Life Centre. Now, in 2024, they are celebrating 100 years with an extra special centennial project: a $100,000 donation to the new Thunder Bay Art Gallery being built at the marina.

“We totally understand how the gallery on our waterfront will become an important tourist destination for our city,” says Crawford. “It’s a beautiful location, and it is vital for both children and adults to access the stories that our artists tell—especially Indigenous artists, which is extremely important to us regarding truth and reconciliation. We firmly believe that the vehicle of the gallery is a wonderful way to tell those stories.”

On April 20 at the Delta Hotel, the Port Arthur Rotary Centennial Anniversary Gala will commemorate the achievements of the club: past, present, and future. With speakers, music, dining, dancing, and fundraising, this event only rolls around once every 100 years.

For more information on the gala, including ticket prices and sponsorship packages, visit parotary.ca.

 "Outlaw bridge” at Pigeon River, connecting Ontario and Minnesota, date unknown

Photo courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum

Photo courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum

The Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper Mill

Story and photos by Adrian Lysenko

This is our 100th year we’ve been manufacturing forestry products on this site,” says Kent Ramsay, president of Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper Mill Inc. “So we're kind of starting this new company into its next 100 years of history.”

Last summer, Atlas Holdings acquired the former Resolute Forest Products Pulp and Paper Mill, now known as Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper Inc. The mill produces northern bleached hardwood pulp, northern bleached softwood pulp, newsprint, and directory paper.

“So we do sell to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Washington Post, the New York Times. Our pulp and paper is going across the world,” he says. “And about 40 to 45% of

our market is exports. India, China, it goes to different parts of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, all over the world. And it has that Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper logo on it, which I think is pretty neat. Because that was always Resolute or something else but now it's our brand, right from the city.”

The mill also produces tall oil and turpentine. “The tall oil, we’re selling it to a company that converts it over into biodiesel that's used in steroids and in the medical industry. It's used in food additives, things like pavement, things like that. So it’s a natural extractive that comes from the tree,” Ramsay says. “And then turpentine—besides the turpentine that you think of, it is actually used

 Wrapper for pulp bales at the back end of the pulp machine bale line  Paper rolls for shipping in the mill’s shipping warehouse

for flavours and fragrances.”

With the decline of newsprint and the forestry industry, Ramsay says part of the mill’s future will be a diversification of products that the industry can utilize. “If you looked at our history, it was a history of growth and then over the last 25 years, it's been a little bit of a history of survival, and then repurpose, and now we're driving into the next generation of growth,” he says. “I would say the next 100 years is going to be about a renaissance and making different types of products that are more environmentally friendly in a sustainable way, and diversifying from some of those standard products besides just a two-by-four and a piece of paper and pulp.”

 Aerial photo of the Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper Mill

 Kent Ramsay, president of Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper Mill Inc., stands beside the wet end of the pulp machine

 The pulp machine layboy that makes the bales for wrapping and sale

 The wet end of the paper machine

Returning to Ourselves

Healing Through Manifesting Movement

Story by Emily Turner, Photos by Sarah McPherson

Everyone finds yoga in a different way. Some are drawn to its spiritual aspect, others its physical; some simply stumble upon it. But many never find it at all, because Western studio-based yoga classes can be inaccessible, appearing to only be for a particular gender, body shape, age, income, or cultural background. However, everyone deserves to experience the therapeutic benefits of mindful movement. That’s why local filmmaker, performance artist, and social worker Michelle Derosier has launched Manifesting Movement, an endeavour that “intertwines healing, movement, and storytelling to create transformative journeys.”

From Migisi Sahgaigan (Eagle Lake First Nation), Derosier has lived and worked in Thunder Bay for over 30 years. She discovered yoga entirely by accident one day when she was staying in Toronto for film workshops and she entered a studio out of curiosity. She very quickly realized the power of connecting her breath with movement. She continued returning to that studio for classes and “after two weeks of movement,” Derosier says, “I realized I hadn’t been breathing for 44 years of my life.” She returned to Thunder Bay and started attending classes at

local studios, and continued noticing the barriers that prevent many people from experiencing the benefits of yoga.

Now, 10 years later, Derosier is a certified yoga teacher, and is actively creating spaces for people to experience mindful movement and breathwork without having to enter a studio. She has called upon her skills as a social worker, her talents for sharing stories as a filmmaker, and her passion for movement to start Manifesting Movement, so she can create spaces for people to “become curious about their stories and their bodies.” She says that “in Western yoga classes, you go in and you’re silent, and you leave silent.” But she does the opposite, explaining that “at the heart of Manifesting Movement is storytelling.”

“Artists have always known the power of storytelling. Indigenous people have always known the power of storytelling. We have forgotten sometimes, but storytelling helps us metabolize what’s happening around us,” she says. Each movement session is bookended with sharing circles, where everyone—including Derosier—shares what they can about themselves. Derosier then crafts movement sequences based on what the participants have shared,

and then everyone returns to the circle to hear the stories that the movement helped them uncover. As a trained social worker, Derosier knows that “talk therapy has its place, but sometimes it’s not going to move our trauma. Trauma needs to be moved out of our body.”

Derosier has travelled far and wide to facilitate these sessions. “I go to you,” she says. “You do not have to come to me.” Since beginning the work, Derosier has connected with the Elizabeth Fry Society to work with incarcerated women, Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School to work with Indigenous teenagers, and other organizations such as Dilico and

the Indigenous Friendship Centre in Dryden to support their staff.

Derosier reminds us that this approach of moving and storytelling to release tension, boredom, and trauma is not new. “We used to move all the time, and then we would sit around to tell stories,” she says. “So, we were manifesting movement for thousands of years. And we just forgot.” This is why Manifesting Movement is far more than just a yoga business—it is an initiative to help “return us to ourselves.”

To learn more about Manifesting Movement and to book sessions, visit manifestingmovement.ca.

Michelle Derosier, founder of Manifesting Movement

Eat the Fish

By Sidney Ulakovic

Ithink I’m kind of a veteran here now,” says Paul Drombolis, owner and operator of Eat the Fish at the Thunder Bay Country Market. “I’ve been here since 2016. I started selling fish outside in the parking lot with all the farmers.” Tucked in a cosy corner in the front foyer, Drombolis is now one of the first friendly faces you’ll see as you set foot in the market, and says that in the eight years he’s operated the community-focused fishery, the relationships the business has fostered—from watching his customers' young families grow up to connecting with fishers who’ve fished the lakes for generations—are invaluable.

Eat the Fish stocks wildcaught local fish, supporting the region’s fishers and providing the freshest possible fish to market-goers, with food security and sustainability being key components to Drombolis’s mission. Beginning with a supply of fish sourced from Lake Superior and Lake Nipigon, Eat the Fish has made efforts over the years to connect with more fishers and keep a variety of fish in stock. “We’ve got year-round supply from all

our major lakes in the region,” Drombolis says. In the last year, they’ve enjoyed the addition of supply from fishers on Lake of the Woods, including some Indigenous harvesters, as well Lake Michigan. “We’re always looking for new fishermen to work with and new communities,” Drombolis says. This year, Drombolis hopes to partner with more suppliers from northern Ontario. He adds that he’s grateful for the market and people who visit every week, contributing the success and enjoyment he gets out of the business to both, and that he looks forward to seeing other food producers join the market. “There’s lots of opportunities here,” Drombolis says. “It’s a great place to start meeting customers and start building your business based on it.”

To check out what Eat the Fish has in stock, visit their website at eatthefish.ca or pay them a visit every Wednesday and Saturday at the Thunder Bay Country Market.

“We’ve got year-round supply from all our major lakes in the region.”

 Paul Drombolis, owner and operator of Eat the Fish

Sidney Ulakovic Cohen Lewis

With Sara Kae

EYE TO EYE

As told to Matt Prokopchuk, Photo by Emily Turner

Sara Kanutski—also known as local musical star Sara Kae— continues to stay busy. She’s been bringing her talents to numerous stages across Thunder Bay, including Wake the Giant, and is also working with Fae Alexander on a new musical, all while planning her debut EP. We spoke with Kae about these projects, what her perfect start to a day off is, and what she’s currently reading.

The Walleye: You’re working on a musical called Trading Places with Fae Alexander. Tell us about that.

Sara Kae: Trading Places came about because Fae reached out to me. I went to high school with Fae, so I’ve known her for a long time. There’s this person named Isobel Gunn [a Scottish labourer who worked for the Hudson’s Bay Company] and her story is really interesting, and [Fae] really wanted to write a play about her life and add an Indigenous perspective into it. And I was like ‘oh, this is for sure something that interests me.’ It’s all about friendship and the fur trade and the struggles that women, especially, [went] through—and even

deeper into that, Indigenous women. We’re taking things from real life, but we’re also putting our twist on it as well. And then we’re also adding the reality of what Indigenous women faced during that time and talking about that, because sometimes we feel that’s missed when we talk about the fur trade.

TW: What’s happening with you and your own music these days?

SK: I’m actually hoping to get started on my EP, and I’m tentatively putting the date as September. And I’m telling people September because I want to be held accountable [laughs]. It’s an expensive venture, and it takes so much time. […] But I want to take my music in a singer-songwriter and folk realm, just because I’ve noticed my writing go there. It has in the past, but I kind of wanted to still try and stick to an R&B-pop sound, but I’ve really evolved into this person I think I’m becoming. I love that folk music is essentially storytelling and I think that’s something I’m good at and I like to do. So I’m going to stop fighting it and really allow myself to create

I [get] up and have breakfast and drink coffee. My partner’s a really good cook, so whatever he’s got going on, I’m very satisfied. And so it’s eating whatever he chefs up and then it’s a day of just walking and then coming home and writing a song or reading more—any kind of creative thing I can do and not have to feel like I have to rush into the next thing.

TW: What are you currently reading?

SK: Stephen King’s On Writing

in that space.

TW: What is on Sara Kae’s music playlist these days?

SK: This could make or break me, basically [laughs]. English Teacher’s “The World’s Biggest Paving Slab”—I only have the one track by them. I’m just starting to dabble in their music. I’ve been listening to Tracy Chapman, because she just did a performance at the Grammys with Luke Combs of “Fast Car” and it was so good that I needed to revisit Tracy Chapman, because obviously she’s a legend. I have Bob Dylan on here because I’m going to go see him in the fall with my partner Wyeth, and I want to just get a little bit more of his music in my repertoire. And I’m listening to “Mudroom” by Tiny Habits.

TW: What’s the perfect start to a day off?

SK: I feel like it changes day by day, but I’m going to say it’s sunny out, I have the window open, my cats—I just adopted two cats with my partner—so my two cats are fed and happy and not meowing at us to wake up, and they’re laying with us. That’s the perfect morning, because usually this is not how it goes down. But they’re laying with us and cuddling, and I get to lay in bed and read a little bit before

It’s so good, so good. My friend Michelle Derosier suggested it because she and I both want to write ourselves and create stories in that kind of form. I can’t suggest it enough to other people. He’s a great writer—I haven’t read any of his lengthy novels, because it’s obviously a commitment, but after reading this, I’m like ‘you know what? I need to really commit to that and read something of his that is longer than 300 pages.’ I love reading because my mom took us to the library growing up—I love our Thunder Bay Public Library here. I would go there and my mom would say ‘grab so many books because we’re going to be back in a week and you need enough to get you through the week.’ So I would just pile them high. I stopped reading in high school and now I’m back on this kick where I’m trying to read at least three books a month, and I kind of forgot how great it is.

TW: Who do you look up to?

SK: In Thunder Bay, there are so many people in my circle who, in different capacities, inspire me. But I think that the reason why I’m here and feel so inspired is because of my parents. My mom and my dad have been the two most integral pieces to my life and they extend themselves so much to other people in the community and I want to continue to do that. My dad has always come through for other people and my mom’s always there too—she’s a ray of sunshine. I really learned resilience and strength through my mother and learned kindness and hard work from my dad.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. To hear more, find the expanded interview on our Eye To Eye podcast on Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, and more.

Pot Songs

By Gord Ellis

Rick James

“Mary Jane”

Funk and soul legend Rick James was not one to shy away from direct musical messaging. The lyrics to “Super Freak” for instance, make it clear what the song is about. In the same way, “Give It to Me Baby,” doesn’t really cut any corners when it comes to the subject matter. However, when he decided to do his love song to cannabis, “Mary Jane,” James got a little tricky. Suddenly, we had a song that could also be about a woman.

I’m in love with Mary Jane

She’s my main thing

She makes me feel alright She makes my heart sing.

I mean, it might not have been about cannabis. Although, it was.

Igrew up calling cannabis “pot.” However, it is also known as weed, sweet leaf, and bud, to name a few. No matter what you call it, pot’s impact and place in popular culture is undeniable. So, it will come as no surprise that pot has had a high-profile role in popular music. Here are four of my favourites.

Brewer & Shipley

“One Toke Over the Line”

Back in 1970, the 60s free love culture had mostly run out of gas— but not the drug culture that had gone with it. However, it was still not cool to overtly mention anything to do with drug intake in a pop song. And you certainly didn’t put it in the title. So, when the acoustic duo of Brewer and Shipley released “One Toke Over the Line” and it became a radio hit, there was some excitement. Then-president Richard Nixon deemed the song subversive to young people and tried to get it banned. At roughly the same time, Lawrence Welk performed it on his popular (and very white bread) show. With the benefit of 54 years of hindsight, the song doesn’t seem too shocking.

One toke over the line, sweet Jesus One toke over the line

Sitting downtown in a railway station One toke over the line.

How subversive can a song be that has “sweet Jesus” in its first line?

Peter Tosh

“Legalize It”

Cannabis plays a key role in a lot of reggae music, and Peter Tosh was certainly a well-known participant. Tosh, an original member of Bob Marley’s Wailers, became a leading musical purveyor of both the Rastafarian way of life and the role of cannabis in it. Tosh launched his solo career in 1975 with the anthemic “Legalize It,” which was not a popular point of view back then. However, Tosh made his case convincingly.

It's good for the flu

Good for asthma

Good for tuberculosis Got to legalize it.

Decades later, “Legalize It” seems way ahead of its time. Fun fact: Tosh’s 1976 album of the same name was bankrolled by a cannabis distributor.

Tom Petty

“You Don’t Know How It Feels”

Kicked off by the blast of Tom Petty’s harmonica, “You Don’t Know How It Feels” has the pace and mood of a sleepy July afternoon—especially if that July afternoon involves pulling on a huge fatty. The laconic groove of this classic Petty song perfectly embeds the stoner rhymes that made it such a fun and effortless listen.

But let me get to the point

Let’s roll another joint

And turn the radio loud

I’m too alone to be proud.

And you don’t know how it feels To be me.

Although released in 1994, there were still some radio stations that felt the need to remove the reference to a joint from the song. MTV was also uncomfortable with the word so they just recorded the word “joint” played backwards and the overdubbed it in the video, turning it into something closer to “noojh”. Petty would later joke that the sound of “noojh” actually sounded worse to him, but was “really wicked.”

Construction Update

R E D R I V E R R O A D C U M B E R L A N D S T T O C O U R T S T

T h i s s u m m e r , c o n s t r u c t i o n a l o n g R e d R i v e r R o a d w i l l c o n t i n u e a n d p r o c e e d t h r o u g h t h r e e d i s t i n c t p h a s e s , c o m m e n c i n g m i d - A p r i l 2 0 2 4 a n d e x t e n d i n g t h r o u g h O c t o b e r 2 0 2 4

P h a s e O n e * :

C l o s u r e a n d c o n s t r u c t i o n o f C u m b e r l a n d S t a n d R e d R i v e r R d i n t e r s e c t i o n u p t o S t P a u l S t D i r e c t i o n a l c h a n g e o n C o o k e S t f r o m M a y 1 , w i t h t r a f f i c f l o w i n g W e s t t o E a s t

P h a s e T w o :

M a i n t e n a n c e o f c l o s u r e a t C u m b e r l a n d S t a n d R e d R i v e r R d i n t e r s e c t i o n E x p a n s i o n o f c o n s t r u c t i o n z o n e t o i n c l u d e " M a l l S t " ( c r o s s w a l k b y S c o t i a b a n k ) P h a s e T h r e e : R e o p e n i n g o f R e d R i v e r R d & C u m b e r l a n d S t i n t e r s e c t i o n u p t o S t P a u l S t F i n a l i z a t i o n o f R e d R i v e r R d s e c t i o n f r o m S t P a u l S t t o C o u r t S t D u r i n g c o n s t r u c t i o n , l o c a l b u s i n e s s e s r e m a i n o p e n w i t h p e d e s t r i a n a c c e s s i n t a c t Y o u r s u p p o r t i s v i t a l t o t h e m s t a y i n g o p e n t h r o u g h a n d a f t e r c o n s t r u c t i o n T o e n s u r e y o u r s a f e t y a n d t h a t o f t h e w o r k c r e w , k i n d l y a d h e r e t o t h e s i g n a g e a n d a v o i d e n t e r i n g t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n f e n c i n g a r e a

* G r a n i t e p l a n t e r i n s t a l l a t i o n o n C o u r t S t a n d l o c k s t o n e i n s t a l l a t i o n w i l l b e g i n o n c e t h e g r o u n d t h a w s

A Matter of Hats

Corb Lund at the TBCA

Review by Justin Allec, Photos by Emily Turner

When Corb Lund graced the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium stage on March 14, there were a few audience members sporting their cowboy hats. Appropriate attire, given the hardcore troubadour’s musical bent, but you didn’t need to dress the part to enjoy the kind of country music that Lund and his band of Hurtin’ Albertans play. On tour to promote album number 12, the rough and wild El Viejo, the veterans commanded the full room with a mixture of fresh cuts and beloved classics.

Openers 49 Winchester did everything right for an TBCA opener. The Virginia band’s setlist alternated between waltzing songs and driving country rock that slowly warmed up the crowd. Still, this is a familiar, almost-radio sound that splits the difference between hayseed and Top 40, with just a bit too much pedal steel. And, wouldn’t you know it, the lead singer wears a cowboy hat.

As does Corb Lund, but it's immediately clear that Lund wears his for an entirely different reason. The frontman likes to lean into his wry cowpoke persona, especially on the jokey older songs like “Shine Up My Boots” and “Truck Got Stuck,” a big reason why the band’s endeared

themselves to Canadian fans over the last 15 years. However, Lund isn’t just all hat, after all. There’s drinking and gambling songs aplenty, but Lund has also penned outlaw anthems like “I Wanna Be in the Cavalry” and “This Is My Prairie”, where country music is an art form that allows him to grapple with the bitters truths of landscape, community, history, livestock, and people’s flaws.

After the old stuff, the band tightened up for some new songs from El Viejo . So titled in tribute to the passing of longtime friend and collaborator Ian Tyson, these songs—and their stories—presented their own humour and passion. “The Cardplayers” and “Old Familiar Drunken Feeling” were offered to huge appreciation. It was also a chance for the Hurtin’ Albertans to show off their chops: Sean Burns’s upright bass and backing vocals kept the whole band on track, and sixstring slayer Grant Siemens provided guitar flair for days. Closing out with Lund’s stomping tribute to rye whiskey before an intimate encore, it was an evening at the Auditorium both raucous and entertaining, regardless of what you wore on your head.

The Chanterelle by Candlelight

Three Nights of Classical Music

Story by Sidney Ulakovic, Photo courtesy of Fever

Asea of candles will illuminate The Chanterelle on Park for an intimate night of classical music this month as Candlelight Concerts, an experience that has travelled from Singapore to New York, arrives for its first in a trio of concerts in Thunder Bay.

“Five years ago, in 2019, we launched Candlelight Concerts as an extension of our existing traditional classical music events. We recognized the need to make classical music more accessible to a wider audience,” says Candlelight Concerts' public relations and

communication coordinator Amanda Boucault. With the idea of democratizing access to classical music in mind, organizers elected to perform 60-minute concerts in smaller venues, as opposed to concert halls, with diversified programming—meaning concertgoers could hear the compositions of classical masters, but they might also hear a classical interpretation of their favourite contemporary artists— all by the warm glow of candlelight.

The decision to bring Candlelight programming to Thunder Bay as the experience continues to garner great

made just the backdrop to enhance the magic of the evening.

“The series is for both classical music lovers and those who maybe have never considered the genre,” Boucault says. In keeping with the intimate atmosphere of Candlelight venues, Boucault says the concerts are usually played by small music formations, from string quartets to piano solos, and differ from traditional classical concerts in that the audience can expect some interaction from the musicians as they share stories about the artists or their personal insights.

The Candlelight experience will begin on April 11 with a tribute to classical composer Vivaldi and continue with interpretations of Taylor Swift in May and Coldplay in June. For more information or to purchase tickets to upcoming performances visit candlelightexperience.com.

success was a carefully considered one. With concerts held in more than 100 exceptional venues worldwide, The Chanterelle is certainly among good company. “We take into account different criteria when choosing the venue for the concerts—its history and what it represents for the city, its location so that it is accessible to all, and more technical characteristics such as the acoustics of the room and lightning,” says Bucault. Aside from checking off the basics, The Chanterelle’s unique balance of industrial history and modern additions to the interior

Previous Candlelight Concert held at the Parthenon in Athens, Greece

Rock and Roll Double Feature

The Johnny Max Band and The Weber Brothers to Play McGillivray’s Landing

By Melanie Larson

While the Sleeping Giant Folk Music Society’s 2023–24 season may be nearing its end, this month’s performers show no signs of slowing things down. For The Johnny Max Band and The Weber Brothers, this tour, which will make a stop in Thunder Bay on April 6, is an opportunity to make up for lost time. And, as Ryan Weber enthusiastically raves, “We’re really looking forward to it, big time.”

Originally hailing from Baltimore, The Weber Brothers moved to southern Ontario in the late 1990s to audition for their idol, Ronnie Hawkins, and eventually join his legendary band, The Hawks. It was around this time that The Johnny Max Band’s frontman and namesake took notice of the gifted newcomers. “I first saw the Webers during a fundraiser in Weston when they first came here to Canada,” recalls Johnny Max. “As a radio host, I was always listening to and being sent new music, and so was able to keep tabs of sorts with [the] Webers.”

Much like the Webers, The Johnny Max Band also got their start performing other artists’ music live. As Max explains,

“The band has morphed from an obscure blues cover band in bars to playing more rhythm and blues-based originals, based more in New Orleanian and Memphis stylings than Chicago blues, at festivals all across Canada and Europe.”

Now, with 22 albums between them, it is safe to say that both The Johnny Max Band and The Weber Brothers have solidified their respective reputations as bona fide songwriters.

And yet, for all their similarities and crossed paths, audiences might be surprised to learn that this seamless collaboration was actually a long time in the making. “We had been planning to do something like this for a while,” explains Weber. “We did one on March 13, I think it was, in 2020. [...] The very next day, lockdown went into effect.” With this unexpected four-year delay now behind them, The Johnny Max Band and The Weber Brothers can finally take their longawaited double bill showcase on the road to Thunder Bay and beyond.

For more information, visit sleepinggiant.ca.

Glenn

Roger Photography

 The Johnny Max Band

 The Weber Brothers

Local Post-rock Heroes Return

Pedestrian Lifestyle Live at Black Pirates Pub

Review and photos by Adam Sabaz

It was an impressive evening of live music at Black Pirates Pub on March 1. The night’s musical lineup featured several punk and stoner rock bands, including Son Hound, The Shouldn’ts, and a Microwave cover set by Old & Tired. But it was Pedestrian Lifestyle, bringing their brand of ambient post-rock back to the stage after almost two years, that was the main event.

Pedestrian Lifestyle (Josh Talakoski, Leif Peltonen, and Dylan Maxwell) engrossed the crowd with a wall of sight and sound for an emotionally charged set of introspective compositions. The rhythm section of Peltonen and Maxwell laid a solid foundation of grooves as Talakoski’s effects-laden guitar riffs, swells, and soundscapes saturated the audience. The infectious, syncopated drum patterns and locked-in bass parts had the revelers bobbing their heads in unison.

Throughout the set, the audience grooved and swayed, transfixed and hypnotized by the stoic frontman’s nostalgic, isolationist lyrics intertwined with his dizzying, drenched guitar work.

The ethereal shimmering sounds emanated from what can only be described as a very impressive spaceship-like control panel pedal board with all the different LEDs flashing. This is shoegazing at the highest level and sight to behold—the notes all swimming in a sea of melancholy, despair, love, and ecstasy. Black Pirates Pub was bathed in green-blue lights, transforming it into a captivating, otherworldly aquarium. The sounds swirled and swelled like ocean currents, as the crowd stood shoulder to shoulder looking on, buoyed to the band’s anchored performance.

It was an impressive display of showmanship as the band played their most recent releases as well as some old favorites—all sounding amazing live. Recently recorded “Nocturnal Sea and Sunlight” echoed throughout the pub, and a personal favorite, “Surroundings,” brought the house down as the final song of the night.

Pedestrian Lifestyle had returned, leaving hearts full and ears ringing—everything you’d want in an epic night of live music.

Bond and Beyond

The Roy Coran Big Band’s Tribute to 007

By Taylor Onski

We always try to get people who have never been to a Big Band Show before,” says Roy Coran Big Band artistic director Ted Vaillant. “I keep telling people that this is not your grandma’s big band. We’ll play anything we can get our hands on.”

As for what this local 17-piece jazz ensemble got their hands on this time, it’s Bond and Beyond. Since first appearing 71 years ago in Ian Fleming’s novel Casino Royale, Bond, James Bond has become a pop culture phenomenon. One facet of that is the music, which both defines

and transcends generations. From Bond’s theme in the 1962 film Dr. No, to the more recent Academy Awardwinning “No Time To Die” by Billie Eilish, the classics will be brought to life at Bond and Beyond by the band, its two singers, and special guest singers Nancy Freeborn and Spencer Hari.

“Nancy likes to do the older stuff: ‘Goldfinger’ and ‘Diamonds are Forever,’” says Vaillant. “Spencer wants to sing ‘Thunderball’ and ‘Live and Let Die.’ So we’re going to have a good variety of singing styles.”

Along with Freeborn and Hari

lending their powerful vocals to these classics, Vaillant will be conducting original arrangements he created with various scores from the Bond films, as well as some film cues that will take audiences back to the last time they saw Bond order his signature dry martini shaken, not stirred.

“Bond music goes across generations,” says Vaillant. “One of our singers grew up in the Pierce Brosnan and Roger Moore eras so she picked all the songs from that era of movies. You kind of pick your generation. It’s something for everybody.”

Roy Coran Big Band will perform Bond and Beyond at the Da Vinci Centre on May 4 at 7:30 pm. Doors open at 6:30 pm, with some tickets available at the door. To purchase tickets, visit World Music Academy (443 Simpson Street). Payments accepted in cash or cheque only. For more information about the Roy Coran Big Band, visit Roy Coran Big Band on Facebook.

Royce Rich

Violin, TBSO

By Kris Ketonen

Birthplace: Vancouver

Instrument: Violin

Age you started to study music: Five

How long have you been with TBSO: Since January 2024

What’s on your personal playlist: Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony and Piano Concerto No. 2, and Playboi Carti

The Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra’s Royce Rich didn’t exactly have to search far and wide to find his instrument. Rich first picked up the violin at the tender age of five. But had Rich had his way, that would have happened even earlier.

“I originally wanted to start when I was three,” Rich says. “My parents made me wait. They're like, ‘You’re three years old, you don’t know what you’re doing, you don’t know what you want.’”

TBSO PROFILE

Rich took private lessons until he was 18, and then went on to study at Toronto’s Glenn Gould School. “It’s just a really versatile instrument, and it’s a sound that I connect with for whatever reason,” Rich says. “I don’t come from a musical family whatsoever. It’s not at all in my lineage, but I just, I love it.”

In fact, Rich continues to challenge himself beyond his normal TBSO duties; over the coming weeks, he’ll be releasing three solo recordings of Niccolò Paganini pieces. “He was like one of the first rock stars in the music world,” Rich says. “His music, even still to this day, is some of the most fiendish, most difficult music for a violinist to play. [...] He pushes the violinists to their absolute limit in terms of technical capabilities and overall showmanship.”

So why did Rich decide to attempt such a challenging project? “I like to do things that scare me,” he says. “There’s nobody else in the recording studio. It’s just one violin playing this beautiful, fiendish music, so there’s a certain amount of pressure to technically and musically execute.”

“But the music itself sounds beautiful and exciting,” Rich says. “That’s what made me want to go out of my way and invest in a recording project like that.”

Rich will be releasing the recordings on Spotify and Apple Music. For more information, visit his Instagram feed @roycerichmusical.

115

Gordon Lightfoot Tribute Concert

Rodney Brown Teams Up with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra

Story by Tiffany Jarva, Photo by Sidney Ulakovic

Last fall, local musician Rodney Brown was approached by the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra (TBSO) to pay tribute to the Canadian icon Gordon Lightfoot. “He is one of the most successful Canadian singersongwriters,” says Brown. “With his acoustic guitar and voice, he was what I was striving to be. He was it, along with Neil Young and Bob Dylan.”

Brown will sing 21 songs, including some medleys, meaning a total of 24 of Lightfoot’s songs will be covered. The music has been arranged by Jeff Christmas, who Brown says did a great job and has been very supportive throughout the process. “I knew how to play a couple of Lightfoot’s

songs over the years, but this is new territory for me. I gained a whole new appreciation and respect for his music,” Brown says, adding that he is in the process of playing one or two Lightfoot songs a day to refamiliarize himself with the music after having to cancel the tribute in December due to illness.

This is not the first time Brown has teamed up with the TBSO. He performed a live concert with the TBSO featuring songs from his own album The Big Lonely, and they also joined him for the recording of his album Fort William. He was also a performer for T he Music of Stan Rogers and Gene MacLellan with the TBSO Cabaret. “Playing with the

symphony is always really exciting and also nerve racking,” admits Brown. “I’m used to smaller bands where I can wait for an extra bar and you can’t do that with the TBSO. I’m always aware of the beat and count.” He adds that learning the song “Canadian Railroad Trilogy” has been especially challenging with its time changes and different melodies.

“One song that really hits me is ‘If You Could Read My Mind’,” says Brown. “The arrangement is really beautiful, and the emotions are almost too much.” Perhaps this is because the song, released in 1970,

was Lightfoot’s first international hit and has become meaningful for Brown, and boomers in general. Plans are to tour the tribute concert throughout Northwestern Ontario next year.

The Music of Gordon Lightfoot will be performed by Rodney Brown and the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra on April 19 and 20 at the Italian Cultural Centre. Tickets are available at tbso.ca.

TBShows.com presents On The Scene

20 Years of Supporting Local Music

By Jimmy Wiggins, Photo by Keegan Richard

Have you recently showed up to a venue to see a show with a band that you were really looking forward to seeing, only to find out, as you walk up to the door, that the show has been cancelled?

Of course not, it’s 2024. You would have seen a post on social media, or received an email or some kind of notification. But back in the early 2000s, even finding out about shows wasn’t as simple as it is today.

Cut to 2004, when most people had the internet, but social media wasn’t really on anyone’s radar yet. Facebook had just launched, but wasn’t accessible to the general public yet. For the TBay music scene, there were very few places online where local musicians and music fans could connect. Promoting shows at a grassroots level was almost entirely posters and flyers, and most smaller shows relied very heavily on word of mouth.

A friend from high school, Andrew Ryan, who was very into computers

came up with the idea to make a website that would be used solely to promote local shows. The idea was that it would be an easy-touse, one-stop-shop to find out who was going to be playing in town. It was basically an events calendar but specifically tailored to live music in Thunder Bay. He called the site TBShows. As a young promoter, I knew this could be a game changer, so we started partnering. Ryan would run the site and I would promote it. Over the last two decades, TBShows has gone from a simple website to a well-recognizable brand synonymous with live music in Thunder Bay.

What sets TBShows apart from every other events calendar is that it’s specific to Thunder Bay, it only focuses on live music and entertainment, and it’s updated daily by people who have their finger on the pulse of the local scene. We’ve built relationships with venues all over Thunder Bay so that the information is accurate. It’s also community-driven, so anyone can

post their show to the site for free. If you’re feeling nostalgic, you can search back through a massive archive of about 50,000 past shows. If you’ve seen a show in TBay in the last 20 years, there’s a very good chance we’ve posted about it.

TBShows.com has gone through several updates and facelifts over the years, but the end goal has always been the same—to promote local music. We’ve partnered with venues, local festivals, tour companies, independent bands/artists, music stores, and other media companies to help build the music scene. Eventually we branched out and started to include theatre, comedy, drag, and any event that features live entertainment. It’s a passion project that has taken countless hours to keep running, but the reception has been well worth it. “TBshows has been there as long as I have,” says veteran musician and longtime show-goer Joey Miller, “It’s the perfect place to go to check out what’s going on

around town. Any genre, any venue.”

The newest version of TBShows. com will be online April 1, almost 20 years to the day that the domain was first registered. We’ve been working tirelessly with a local web development and digital marketing business, Eezy.Company, to bring the site to the next level, making it even easier to find out who’s playing, where they’re playing, and when they’ll be there. “We've revitalized TBShows to make exploring and participating in Thunder Bay’s music scene easier and more engaging,” says website developer and owner of Eezy.Company, Mike Minnella. “Our upgrades ensure the platform remains a vital community resource, supporting local talent and offering a seamless experience for all.”

Check out the NEW TBShows. com now! Follow @tbshows on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

(L–R) Kelly Daniels and Taylor Perrault of Outlaw

OfftheWall Reviews

nīna iskwē

Cree Métis artist iskwē is back with her fourth solo album, nīna, and this powerful 10song collection will take you on a musical and emotional rollercoaster. nīna is the Cree translation for “me,” and after listening to the profoundly autobiographical lyrics, you will understand why. The album juxtaposes samples of natural sounds like wind and rain with powerful synth, creating a dreamy, otherworldly sound. All 10 tracks are lyrically driven, but iskwē’s strong, dynamic words are matched by strong, dynamic instrumentals, such as saxophone, harp, flute, and drums. While earlier tracks like “A Little Piece” and “Blown Away” have a smooth, delicate rhythm that is underscored by iskwē’s breathy voice, later tracks like “The Other Side” and “Waiting for Laughter” have a deeper and darker electronic energy. Ultimately, nīna is a forceful album that demands to be heard, and I was happy to sit back and listen.

-Kelsey Raynard

Lasts Forever

Scenic Route to Alaska

Sometimes you listen to a song and think man, I’d love to hear this live. That was the thought I kept on having with every new song on Scenic Route to Alaska’s newest album, Lasts Forever. Songs “Call It A Coincidence” and “NYE” had me swaying and head bumping in my seat as I listened, and the simple yet powerful lyrics were easy enough to sing along with on my second listen. Though I am sure this is best categorized as grunge or alternative rock, songs like “Northern Lights” and “Stardust” don’t exactly fit neatly into that category, which is part of the reason it’s a good listen. The whole album has some interesting sounds that aren't necessarily commonly found in alternative rock music, which is always nice to hear. They sound like a band that could headline the Live from the Rock Folk Festival one day.

-Emily Turner

eternal sunshine

Ariana Grande

Like many of last decade’s most famous artists, Ariana Grande is stuck in a kind of artistic limbo as she reaches the 11-year mark since her debut album. Her seventh release, eternal sunshine—a conceptual riff on the 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind—keeps to her trademark formula: airy R&B fused with trap percussion and airtight pop production. She’s got the formula down to a T, and this sound is what helped her blossom into a pop star a decade ago, but in the bigger picture, that may be the very issue. I imagine even her truest supporters feel like eternal sunshine is a different flavour of the same product. There are still moments of classic Grande bliss—her voice is otherworldly, her melodies are catchy, and seven albums in 11 years is a testament to her drive and work ethic. But the moments of Grande’s pure pop brilliance seem to be fleeting.

-Michael Charlebois

Hill Country Love

Cedric Burnside

Guided by feel, and leaning heavily on driving rhythms and angular guitar riffing, Hill Country Love lives in the moment. Tutored by his grandfather R. L. Burnside, the legendary originator of this most fundamental of blues music styles, Cedric Burnside is well versed in its traditions. But, as the Grammy winner’s latest album Hill Country Love attests, Burnside is no imitator. Lyrically, the takeaway here is Burnside’s awareness of—and joy in—life’s simple pleasures. The title track finds him up and feeling good, “ready to spread some hill country love.” “Smile” is Burnside’s oneword advice on dealing with adversity, while “Closer” is a sinner’s plea for forgiveness. “Juke Joint” and “Funky Raw” salute the juke joint and the house party, two of the Mississippi Delta’s most endearing social institutions. This is the musical legacy of “everyday folks,” personified.

-Ken Wright

A LA SALA

Khruangbin

Khruangbin’s music is like the soundtrack to a lava lamp. Mainly instrumental, the Houston trio’s unique blend of grooving psychedelic funk with Middle Eastern, Thai, and Latin American influences is undeniably original. This is especially true on A LA SALA (“to the room” in Spanish). But where the band’s previous release, Mordechai, saw the band zero in their world groove on more upbeat jams, their latest is more laid-back, akin to the rest of their discography. That being said, it’s a solid album. Bassist/vocalist Laura Lee Ochoa, guitarist Mark Speer, and drummer DJ Johnson are tighter than ever. But if Mordechai was for Saturday night party time, then A LA SALA is for the Sunday morning come down, so in that sense it’s somewhat of a step back, returning to

Future Ecologies

Adam Huggins and Mendel Skulski

If science, activism, Indigenous knowledge, and innovation could have a podcast baby, this would be it. Future Ecologies is layered with complexity; add in an immersive sound design and the wonders of nature naturally echo through the episodes, almost like a song. Huggins and Mendel decolonize common ecological practices that have inevitably led to destruction, and often lean on the wisdom of Indigenous people and their kinship with the Earth. One of the most impactful episodes for me was meeting the Fire Watchers of Skeetchestn—learning about how they keep their communities safe while also reviving the art (and need) for controlled (or “good”) fires once again was fascinating. The audio of their footsteps walking across a charred forest floor and then singing with bright rejoicing when the first sign of regrowth was spotted

Better to Beg

Kirsti MacKenzie

If you can imagine a Dashiell Hammett-esque fast-talking dame with Janis Joplin pipes propelled into post 9/11 America and travelling across the country in a stolen car with a dissolute but poetic British guitarist as they seek fame, validation, and rock-and-roll bonafides one seedy gig at a time, then you’ll want to pick up this first novel by Ottawa writer Kirsti MacKenzie. It’s as sharp and gritty as you might expect, with vivid portraits of people and places—like the Dame at the Chelsea Hotel who remembers Leonard Cohen, the tarot card-reading octogenarian waitress, the sleazy music agent, and various vacuous frat boys, blog fans, and small-town dreamers. Her knack for creating characters gives the book a real cinematic feel. MacKenzie was born in

Sustainable Home

Christine Liu

We can all play a small part in keeping the world green, for the benefit of the planet and ourselves alike. Christine Liu’s Sustainable Home: Practical projects, tips and advice for maintaining a more ecofriendly household is a great first step for anyone looking to live a more sustainable life. Whether it's by making your own toothpaste, reducing unnecessary consumption and waste, growing your own herb garden, or upcycling things around the house, the projects in this book offer numerous ways to make a difference. This book is organized clearly and brings its concepts to life using beautiful imagery, making it the perfect coffee table book to pick up for a leisurely read. The best thing? It doesn't need to be read in order! See a project that’s piqued your interest? Skip ahead to that page and

The CASES Building

Story by Courtney Turner, Photos courtesy of i4architecture

The Centre for Advanced Studies in Engineering and Sciences building, better known as the CASES building, has certainly given Lakehead University something to brag about. Unveiled in 2018 and located on Lakehead University’s Thunder Bay campus, the CASES building was designed primarily by the local architecture firm, i4architecture.

The CASES building is the first facility on Lakehead’s Thunder Bay campus to achieve silver certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system by the Canada Green Building Council. The LEED system is a globally recognized building rating system that recognizes environmentally sustainable buildings based on a wide variety of factors ranging from the materials used in construction to the functionality of the design.

The current layout of the CASES building is an extensive renovation and retrofitting of the former Department of Northern Resource Management and Forestry facility, plus a substantial 20,000-squarefoot addition. Both the interior and exterior of the building were carefully planned to reflect the influence of forest biology, with an atrium connecting the CASES building to Patterson Library. The interior of the CASES building features two clerestory windows to maximize natural light and reduce the building’s reliance on artificial lighting. The abundance of natural light creates a warm and earthy atmosphere for students to enjoy while commuting between classes and studying.

Just outside the building there is ample bicycle parking and showers in the basement to encourage students and staff to use green modes of transportation like walking or cycling. The landscaping around the exterior of the building was intentionally designed to facilitate

natural stormwater management and features local drought-resistant plants. Within the CASES building, you will find several state-of-the-art laboratories, including a biomass utilization laboratory and a laboratory for integrated freshwater science, as well as the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Mining and Exploration.

When you look at the CASES building, you will not find any signs of a recent retrofitting or renovation. In renovating the existing facility, significant efforts were made to follow the principles of sustainable design through the reuse and adaptation of the former building. In keeping with similar materials and reusing materials where possible during construction, the CASES building has a fresh, consistent, and seamless-feeling design.

Esther Maud, Owner and Operator, Wabshkaa Animkii

Boozhoo! Meet Esther Maud, the passionate founder driving the mission of Wabshkaa Animkii Benesii, a holistic after-school program at Sherbrooke Public School tailored for Indigenous and non-Indigenous children aged 7 to 14. With a profound dedication to nurturing young minds and fostering cultural enrichment, Esther’s vision has manifested into a transformative space where children thrive and flourish in Indigenous culture and values.

As the founder and director, Esther Maud envisioned a program that goes beyond conventional after-school care, fostering a sense of belonging and empowerment among the young participants.

At Wabshkaa Animkii Benesii, they pride themselves on an Indigenous-led approach, offering

a range of enriching activities that encompass land-based learning, cultural exploration, and language teachings. With over 45 registered children, their program serves as a beacon of support and guidance for families in their community.

Beyond academics, they prioritize the well-being of their children, providing nutritious snacks and home-cooked meals to fuel their bodies and minds. Safety is paramount, and their walking school bus ensures that every child returns home safely after each session.

Despite the success of Wabshkaa Animkii Benesii, securing longterm funding remains a challenge. However, the unwavering commitment to their mission—to create a safe and trusting space—drives them forward. Through heartfelt

conversations with their young participants, they have witnessed firsthand the profound impact of the program, as they express feelings of safety and belonging.

The Wabshkaa Animkii Benesii program continues to uplift and empower the next generation, one child at a time. For inquiries and registration, please contact Esther at 807-708-0459 or visit their Facebook Wabshkaa Animkii Benesii (The WAB Program).

Q&A with Esther

What product/service do you provide?

The Wabshkaa Animkii Benesii program provides a safe and trusting space, aiming to break the cycle of intergenerational trauma while building pathways for our future leaders through culture and togetherness.

What inspired you to launch your business?

The inspiration behind launching our business stemmed from the children we serve, as well as my own personal story. I understand the significance of needing after-school support and programming, especially when home isn’t a safe space.

Why do you choose to continue to operate in Thunder Bay or Northwestern Ontario?

We choose to continue operating in Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario because this has become home for both my children and me. The children of Thunder Bay have captured my heart, and I am committed to continuing to create this dream program for them here.

Perfectly Imperfect

A Tribute to a Beloved Son

Story by Leah Morningstar, Photos courtesy of Wendy Gaudette Tattoo by Carolyne May at Wild Ink Tattoo Collective

Tucker Gaudette was a pretty big baby and he took his sweet time coming into the world. Wendy Gaudette describes her labour experience as being long, painful, and ultimately fruitless. “I was in labour for 48 hours and after trying vacuum extraction several times, I was finally able to get a C-section,” she says. And while young Tucker did indeed have a rough start, it didn’t take long before he was a regular happy smiley baby. Life was full of ups and downs, as it normally is, but there was lots of love. Wendy made sure to always tell her son that nobody in the world is perfect, but everybody in the world is perfectly imperfect in their own way.

As Tucker grew, he kept busy playing hockey and going to army cadets. He started learning about marksmanship and decided he wanted to join the Canadian Army one day; his parents were thrilled to support his dream. It was during the summer of 2020 when Tucker’s dream began to unravel. He had been preparing to attend a summer-long marksmanship camp through cadets and was devastated when it was cancelled due to COVID lockdowns. For years Tucker thrived on the routines of school and hockey and cadets and then suddenly, there was nothing, and he started drifting.

Wendy noticed this and did her best to help him. He was hanging around with different friends and he began using opiates. She fought hard to secure mental health treatment for her son and fought hard to get him into a rehabilitation program. “He was doing so well,” Wendy says. “He wanted to get better and get back on track; he still wanted to join the army and he wanted to be the good son he said I deserved.”

On October 26, 2022, Wendy and her husband Aaron were both at home when they heard Tucker collapse in his room. It took the paramedics 45 minutes to get his heart working again before they moved him to the hospital. Tragically, he passed away the following day. The doctors informed Wendy and Aaron that it was indeed an overdose of fentanyl and there was 40 times the legal amount in his

system. Wendy doesn’t know where Tucker obtained the fentanyl, as he’d been clean for several months prior to the overdose. It’s a mystery that haunts her and she urges all parents to speak with their kids openly about the dangers of fentanyl and opiates laced with fentanyl.

In the year and a half since her son’s death, Wendy has struggled greatly with grief. “Sometimes it’s hard to hold my eyelids open, and it’s not because I’m sleepy, but because I feel like my eyes are always open looking for my son, that missing piece of my soul.” It’s literally a parent’s worst nightmare and the parents are living it every day. One thing that brings comfort is old pictures, and texts, and the notes that Tucker used to leave around the house.

Wendy took one of those notes to Carolyne May at Wild Ink Tattoo Collective and had it immortalized on her forearm. It isn’t spelled correctly, but that’s how Tucker wrote the original note when he was younger. An imperfectly perfect tattoo to honour an imperfectly perfect son. Tucker did worry about being a good son, but he really didn’t need to. Wendy and her family know that their boy was so much more than the struggle he faced at the end, and he was more than the way he died. He was a son, a brother, a grandson, a cousin, and a friend. He had hopes and dreams and goals. He was perfectly imperfect and that’s all he ever needed to be.

Tucker Gaudette

Enhancing Patient Experience through Volunteering

By Raiili Pellizzari,

Twenty-five years ago, Kim Montanaro started volunteering as a way to give back to the community and honour family and friends who had gone through a cancer experience. “A friend was volunteering and suggested I try it,” says Montanaro, “and I’m still here!”

Formerly coordinated by the Canadian Cancer Society, the volunteers at the Regional Cancer Care Northwest program at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) provide hospitality, friendly visiting, information, and practical support to patients and their families from across Northwestern Ontario. Montanaro has taken on additional volunteer roles including training and overseeing new volunteers, and serving as a Patient Family Advisor (PFA). A strong advocate, she supports TBRHSC’s cancerrelated programs by participating on committees and writing for the Cancer Chronicle Newsletter.

“Each time I volunteer is memorable, as each shift is different because of the people I meet and

what I am able to do for them,” Montanaro shares. “It brings great satisfaction knowing I’ve made a difference (big or small) for someone.”

“Kim’s dedication, insights, and compassion are invaluable to staff, fellow volunteers, and the patients and families she accompanies in their journey,” says Donna Jeanpierre, manager of volunteer services at TBRHSC. “Each person who volunteers here comes with their own experiences and knowledge. It is their unique backgrounds that enriches the experience for the patients, families and for the volunteers themselves.”

And for every volunteer, there is a unique story as to why they choose to give the gift of their time to the hospital. Abbey Hunter is another volunteer, a PFA. In 2019, following her diagnosis of lupus and the tumultuous, year-long journey it took to get there, she wrote a letter to TBRHSC, explaining her story. She was asked to come in for an interview to be a PFA. “Although I was the youngest PFA by at least 20 years, I felt more comfortable than

ever,” she recounts.

Hunter sits on various councils, including the Telemedicine Council and the Women and Children’s Council. In 2023, she joined the Patient and Family Advisory Council within the Noojmawing Sookatagaing (Healing Working Together) Ontario Health Team for Thunder Bay. As a coordinator for the inaugural Walk for Lupus Thunder Bay, she helped raise $21,000 to train another professional to provide support for those living with rheumatic diseases in the north. In January 2024, she was one of 13 people from across Ontario to be publicly appointed to the Minister of Health’s Patient Family Advisory Council.

“I hope to continue to advocate for a younger and northern voice at a provincial level,” Hunter says. “All of these tables that I have been fortunate to sit at, have stemmed from my role as a PFA at TBRHSC. Throughout my journey, I have learned the importance of speaking up and of the valuable contributions that PFAs make representing the

voice of the patient.”

“Volunteers are an essential part of the team at TBRHSC, enhancing programs and services by supporting the hospital’s philosophy of patient and family centred care,” says Shannon Schiffer, manager of patient and family centred care, patient experience, engagement and advocacy at TBRHSC. “There are opportunities all across the organization, and through direct or indirect interaction with patients and families, volunteers contribute positively to the patient experience.”

If you are interested in volunteering at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, find more information and the online application at tbrhsc.net/join-our-team/ become-volunteer. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a PFA, you can email TBRHSC.PFCC@tbh. net or call 807- 684-7322.

Communications Specialist and Project Lead at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

(L–R) Abbey Hunter and Kim Montanaro contribute to the patient experience through volunteering at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

Nature’s Carbon Cleaners

Unveiling the Power of Trees in Reducing Emissions

By Erin Moir, Co-Executive Director, EcoSuperior

As a country, Canada ranks in the top 10 of the world’s worst emissions emitters. When we go about our daily lives, we create a carbon footprint. Your carbon footprint is a measurement of carbon dioxide (and methane) generated by your actions. The average carbon footprint is about 16 tons per person/year.

Luckily for us, there are elements of the boreal forest that work to alleviate the impacts of climate change. Trees, for example, contribute as windbreaks, reducing soil erosion and evaporation from wind. Trees act as natural cooling by providing shade. They also purify the air and help filter water. Most importantly, trees are considered carbon sinks, meaning they absorb more carbon dioxide than they put into the atmosphere.

Forests can be a natural ally against rising emissions and in slowing climate change. Spanning 1.3 billion acres, the boreal forest is the Earth's largest terrestrial carbon storehouse, storing 208 billion tons of carbon, or 11% of the world's total.

To elevate the work of the forest in reducing rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, we can ensure that different tree species are evenly distributed, and the right species are planted. Some species are better at helping fight climate change than others, such as the eastern white

pine. The eastern white pine is a long-living tree that allows for years of carbon absorption. Broadleaf, deciduous species like poplars and maples absorb less carbon in their younger, slower growing years, but can match a conifer by about year 50.

How can we reduce our carbon footprint? Consider more sustainable modes of transportation like walking, biking, and transit for getting to work, school, and errands. It’s healthier for people and the planet. Running your vehicle for more than 30 seconds wastes more fuel than restarting, plus for every 10 minutes your vehicle is not running you’ll prevent 1 lb of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere, so stop idling! Eat more plant-based meals, reduce food waste, and compost to help to reduce GHG emissions that affect climate change.

Lastly, plant some trees. One tree can absorb upwards of 10 kg of carbon dioxide in its first 20 years. This spring, EcoSuperior will be hosting a tree planting event to help offset the carbon cost of hosting the Ontario Winter Games.

Shift Power

New Company Aims to Make Renewable Energy Accessible

Story by Adrian Lysenko, Photos courtesy of Martin Dubé

Often ideas for new businesses come from gaps that need filling. The inception of Shift Power came after Martin Dubé signed up for the Canada Greener Homes Grant to install solar panels in his new home. “I found out that there were actually very few contractors in the region who offered that service. And so that’s when the light went off in my head,” he says. “Thunder Bay is such a great place for solar energy. It's the sunniest place on the eastern side of the country. And so it seemed odd that there weren’t any contractors, so I decided to jump in then.”

From installation to the moment when customers flip on the switch, Shift Power offers commercial, residential, and off-grid solar systems in both solar photovoltaic, which converts solar energy into electricity, and solar thermal, which captures the sun’s heat energy through panels and transfers it to a fluid, then stores it in a tank for use in making hot water or heating the building.

With a background in aircraft maintenance and manufacturing, Dubé says his previous career informed his decision to become a renewable energy contractor. “I

worked for regional air operators that were responsible [for] and moved a lot of fuel to northern remote communities. And so that never sat very well with me,” he says. “It bothered me, the environmental impact of the industry that I worked in, and so it kind of fuelled my interest to learn more about renewable energies.”

Dube says the energy sector is currently experiencing a transition brought about by increased efficiency of solar equipment and reduced costs, and his business motto, “making renewable energy accessible to all” reflects that shift.

“I really believe in these systems and that there’s a lot of value for the customer in implementing this type of technology on-site, so I’m here to try to make it so that more people can benefit from it,” he says. “Renewable energy is onsite and using it on-site will greatly reduce our environmental impact on operating our businesses and homes, and, of course, right now that's really important. I want to have as big of an impact as I can.”

For more information, visit shiftpower.ca.

Martin Dubé, owner of Shift Power

Transforming for the Better

An International Student’s Journey Calling Thunder Bay Home

Editorial by Faraz Khorsandi

The most recent internationalization of Thunder Bay started shy of a decade ago. The moment the educational institutions decided to invest in international students, the face of the city began transforming for the better. With that, different cultures were invited to the region.

It is a big step for many to come to Canada. Students have to plan for months, if not for years. They must take English proficiency exams like IELTS and apply for a visa. For many, including myself, the journey to Thunder Bay alone would take a day or two. Yet, that isn’t the most challenging aspect. The financial

Engaging with various community boards, it is obvious how a vibrant and talented generation of young leaders could significantly impact positive change.

broader implications for Thunder Bay's workforce and community development. In the face of a rapidly aging population, the region is in dire need of skilled professionals and leaders who can contribute to its continued growth and prosperity.

At a time when all hope seemed lost, it was uplifting to witness city officials and government representatives uniting in support of the international community through a joint letter to the federal government. It is still undisclosed how the new incoming students will be allocated through the province and Canada. Regardless, the hope is to see more advocacy work around accommodation and support for the internationals so that they are not only considered the last resort for a downward economy, but human beings who would do everything to help the city grow and build a better life for themselves.

Faraz Khorsandi, president of Lakehead University Student Union

AprilEventsGuide

April 1–3, 8–10, 15–17, 22–24, 29–30

Pierogi Days

Polish Combatants Branch No. 1

Head over to the Polish Combatants Branch No. 1 every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to buy perogies, cabbage rolls, vegan beet soup, and more. Pre-order, e-transfer.

807-345-1861

April 2–5, 8-12, 15-19, 22-26, 9 am

Senior Income Tax Clinic

Thunder Bay 55 Plus Centre

The Thunder Bay 55 Plus Centre will host a free income tax clinic through the CRA Community Volunteer Income Tax Program for seniors who qualify. The clinic offers in person appointments during the day, or drop-off services. Call to book an appointment.

807-684-3066

April 2, 7 pm

Tuesday Trivia

Lakehead Beer Company

Trivia buffs, prepare to prove yourselves at Lakehead Beer Company’s trivia night. Up to six people per team. Prizes for the winning team. No tickets required.

lakeheadbeer.ca

April 3, 6, 10, 13, 17, 20, 24, & 27

Thunder Bay

Country Market

Canadian Lakehead Exhibition

The TBay Market is a collection of small, local businesses that all make, bake, or grow the items

they sell directly to you when you visit the market. The market opens every Wednesday at 3:30 pm and Saturday at 8 am. facebook.com/tbaymarket

April 3 & 10, 7 pm

Name That Tune

Sleeping Giant Brewing Company

Test your musical skills every Wednesday night this month. Make your way to the Sleeping Giant Brew Co. for an incredible night of quizzing tunes that always gets the taproom buzzing. facebook.com/ SleepingGiantBrewingCo

April 3, 10, & 24, 11 am

Lil Wednesdays

Goods & Co. Market

Goods & Co Market is happy to offer a safe and comfortable area for kids of all ages. Parents and guardians can come in, order a coffee and a snack, and catch up with friends while the kids have some fun. goodscomarket.ca

April 3–7, 8 am

Northern Ontario Mixed Curling Championships

Kakabeka Falls Curling Club

Four-person teams from across the northern Ontario region will compete to determine the provincial representative for the Canadian Curling Club Championships to be held in November 2025. curlnoca.ca

April 4–7

Thunder Bay

Psychic and Crystal Fair

Ramada Airlane Hotel

Come check out a selection of beautiful crystals and handmade jewelry while you connect with psychics, mediums, astrologers, and more. Tickets are $10. Times vary by date. galaxypsychicfairs.com

April 5–7

26th Annual Home and Garden Show Canadian Lakehead Exhibition

Find some inspiration for your next project around the house at the 26th Annual Home and Garden Show. Admission is $5. Times vary by date. cle.on.ca

April 5, 6:30 pm

A Taste of History Dinner

Prince Arthur Hotel

Join the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society for their annual fundraising dinner. This year’s theme is the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force, with guest speaker Mike Bechthold. Register online. See this month’s Top Five for more info. thunderbaymuseum.com

April 6, 10 am

Thunder Bay Polar Bear Plunge

Marina Park

Ready, set, plunge! The Thunder Bay Polar Bear Plunge is a community fundraising event bringing people together to support great community causes. Registration is available online. Fees vary. thunderbaypolarplunge.ca

April 6, noon

Macrame + Clay

Lakeside Studio & Café

Create your own macrame plant hanger and glaze a beautiful stoneware planter. Tickets include all supplies, a locally made pottery planter and a baby plant, and a drink. Tickets are $50 a person and available online.

lakesidepottery studio.com

April 6, 1 pm

What Happened To My Auntie Book Release and Signing

Indigo

Local author Meghan Zarobniak will be signing their children’s book What Happened To My Auntie, which explores a child’s perspective of adult chronic pain.

facebook.com/

IndigoThunderBay

April 6, 1:30 pm

Chickadee Painting Workshop

Canvas & Clay

Learn some new acrylic painting techniques and leave with your very own masterpiece on 11 x 14” canvas. Registration is $25 and available online. Ages 16+.

canvasandclay.ca

April 6, 2 pm & 7:30 pm

The CCPAC & Friends Variety Show

Confederation College

Join members of Confederation College’s Performing Arts Club along with guests from Applauze Productions, Cambrian

Players, and World Cultural Dance in a show full of laughs, songs, dance, and more. Tickets are $10 in support of Northern Cancer Fund and available online.

@confedperformingarts

April 6, 3 pm

Après All Day!

Ski Party

Lakehead Beer Co. and The Chanterelle

Do you downhill, crosscountry, or shot-ski?

Whatever your pleasure, we’ve got the party for you. Come for a day of games, prizes, dancing, and more. Event is free to attend and family-friendly from 3–6 pm. Tickets for dinner at The Chanterelle are $35 and the event is 19+ only.

thechanterelle.ca

April 7, 14, 21, & 28, 10 am

Sunday Skates

Cinema 5 Skatepark

The Female Skateboard Collective is hosting Sunday Skates for anyone who identifies as female and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. All ages and abilities are welcome. A $5 donation is required to join.

facebook.com/female skateboardcollective

April 7, 2 pm

Macrame for Beginners

Canvas & Clay

Learn some basic macrame knots and make your own sampler wall hanging. Registration is $15 and available online. Ages 12+. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. canvasandclay.ca

April 7, 21 7:30 pm

35 Plus

Skateboarding

Cinema 5 Skatepark

Starting from scratch or getting back to skateboarding? Either way, no experience is necessary for 35 Plus Skateboarding. Unlike lessons, these sessions are more relaxed, with the purpose of simply having fun. Come skate for a $5 donation, with equipment rentals included.

cinema5skatepark.ca

April 8–May 13, 8 pm

Back on the Floor Classes

Morgan’s School of Highland Dancing

Join Morgan’s School of Highland Dancing for a sixweek session and rekindle your love for highland. All levels welcome as we dust off the gillies and dig into our muscle memory. Registration is $101.70 and available online.

morgansschool.com

April 9 & 20

Stained Glass for Beginners

Canvas & Clay

Learn to make your very own stained glass suncatcher in a day. All tools, materials, and equipment will be supplied. All you need to bring is a lunch and excitement to learn and have fun. Registration is $90 and available online. Ages 16+. Times vary by date.

canvasandclay.ca

April 11–13, 7 pm

A Night With Le Cabaret Noir

Cambrian Theatre

Step into a world of seduction, glamour, and laughter with a sizzling burlesque show from Le Cabaret Noir. See this month’s Top Five and Film & Theatre section for more info.

@lecabaretnoirtbay

April 13, 6 pm

BATO’O

Moose Hall

The African Boutique is hosting their second annual multicultural soiree, BATO’O. Enjoy a trip around the world in one night of beauty, flavour, and fashion. Tickets are $40 and available on Eventbrite.

theafricanboutique.ca

April 14, 9 am

Reiki Level 1

Workshop

The Bodymind Centre Learn how to harness and direct energy for healing. Participants will learn Reiki history and principles and practice hands-on healing for both themselves and others. Workshop is $250 for adults and $150 for children aged 9–17.

bodymindcentre.com

April 14, 1:30 pm

Fuse Beads

Workshop

Canvas & Clay

Use a designer template or your own imagination to make a fuse bead creation. Registration is $10 and available online. Ages 6+. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. canvasandclay.ca

April 14, 2 pm

Bill Skrepichuk:

Troop Treks of 1885

Thunder Bay Museum

Bill Skrepichuk shares his passion and excitement for local and regional historical work in the Thunder Bay area. His presentation will cover the story of over 3,000 troops travelling over the incomplete and rugged Lake Superior section of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Free to attend. thunderbaymuseum.com

April 16, 1 pm

Ontario Culture Days 2024 Collaboration

Meeting

Waverley Library

Want to get involved with Culture Days in Thunder Bay? Learn more about the 2024 Ontario Culture Days festival at this meeting for interested artists, performers, and arts, culture, and heritage organizations looking to plan or take part in community-engaged events.

culture@thunderbay.ca

April 17

North of Superior Film Association

Presents: A Sobering Story

Silver City Theatre

The locally produced documentary A Sobering Story will have its muchanticipated public debut at Silver City Theatre through the North of Superior Film Association. See this month’s Film & Theatre section for more info.

asoberingstory.com

April 17, 6 pm

Murder at the Grand Gatsby Speakeasy Murder Mystery Dinner

Black Pirates Pub

Get ready to step back in time to the roaring 20s at this murder mystery dinner filled with intrigue, suspense, and a whole lot of fun. Tickets are $81.21 and available online.

Ages 19+.

facebook.com/ BlackPiratesPub

April 19, 8 pm

The Portuguese Kids with Mike Rita Present: iMPROVISITAS!

Magnus Theatre

The Portuguese Kids are a comedy duo that takes the humour of growing up as first-generation children of immigrants and brings it to life onstage. Grab your amigos, familia, and loved ones for a night filled with laughter and joy. Tickets are $35.90 and available online.

magnustheatre.com

April 20, 1 pm

Storytelling

Workshop

Thunder Bay Museum

Join the Thunder Bay Museum for a workshop on storytelling methodologies presented by Brad Woods, who has told traditional tales, literary classics, and personal stories across North America and the United Kingdom. Registration is $15 and available online.

thunderbaymuseum.com

April 20, 5:30 pm

Port Arthur

Rotary

Centennial

Anniversary Gala

Delta Hotel

Join the Port Arthur Rotary Club for a special evening of fundraising in support of their Centennial Project, Thunder Bay’s new art gallery on the waterfront. Tickets available online.

Prices vary. See this month’s City Scene section for more info.

facebook.com/PARotary

April 20, 7 pm

Crickets Comedy

Club Presents:

Michael Harrison

Crickets @ The Odeon Crickets Comedy Club is pleased to welcome back the delightful and hilarious Michael Harrison for a night of laughs. Tickets are $23.64 and available online.

facebook.com/ cricketscomedyclub

April 20, 7 pm

420 Off The Cuff

Comedy

The Prospector Brew Pub

If you happen to have the giggles and/or the munchies this April 20, this is the perfect event for you. Tickets are $17.31 and available online. See this month’s Top Five section for more info.

campfirecomedy.ca

April 20, 7:30 pm

Improv Comedy Show

Cambrian Players

Are you ready for a night of affordable fun and laughs? Enjoy a night of spontaneous improv comedy with Cambrian Players. Participants create funny, one-act plays without a script, but you

probably wouldn’t know it by watching. Tickets are $5 cash at the door.

cambrianplayers.com

April 20, 8 pm

Daniel Moroz Memorial Scholarship Fundraiser eVents

A scholarship fundraiser will be held in memory of Daniel Moroz with live performances from five local bands, an auction, and 50/50 draw. Tickets are $5 in advance or $10 at the door.

facebook.com/ eVentsthunderbay

April 20, 8 pm

Beer’lympics

Red Lion Smokehouse

In celebration of the Olympics and their love of craft beer, Red Lion is hosting another Beer’lympics night for teams of two to compete against others in classic pub games. Bring your friends, grab a beer, and get ready to win some prizes. Tickets are $11.98 and available online.

facebook.com/ redlionsmokehouse

Until April 21 Northwest Climate Gathering: Hope & Action

Thunder Bay

Art Gallery

Climate change is so many things, so it’s fitting that the show by the Artists in Residence at the Northwest Climate Gathering is so eclectic. Check out this community room show which includes music, lithographs, painting, sculpture, journalism, natural wonders, writing, and photography. theag.ca

April 21, 11 am

Wine and Yoga

Red Lion Smokehouse

Certified yoga teacher Lana Brennen will lead the group through a onehour flow class, which is followed by a tutored wine tasting and some light snacks. Tickets are $49.26 and available online. 19+. facebook.com/ redlionsmokehouse

April 24, 2:30 pm

The Brodie Files: True Crime Edition

Brodie Library

The district of Thunder Bay has borne witness to many unique and interesting crime stories. Delve into these cases while also learning more about Brodie Library’s local history collection. Registration required. Disclaimer: Due to the sensitive nature of this program, it is only offered to adults and covers crimes that have occurred prior to 1970. tbpl.ca

April 24, 8 pm

Wine

Wednesday: Vintages

Red Lion Smokehouse

Wine Wednesdays continue at Red Lion Smokehouse, and this month they invite you to ponder the exciting flavours of vintage wine. Sommelier John Murray will be leading a group of wine fans in an informative tasting in the Cardinal Chocolate Co. private room. Tickets $55.66 and available online.

facebook.com/ redlionsmokehouse

April 25, 3 pm

Pop-Up Wedding Dress Sale

Ramada Airlane Hotel

Say yes to the dress at this one-day-only, pop-up bridal sale, where you can find designer wedding gowns from size 2–28 and accessories. General admission is free; early access tickets are $40 and available online.

opportunitybridal.com

April 26, 7 pm

Paintings by Damon Dowbak

Co.Lab Gallery & Arts Centre

Contemporary multidisciplinary artist Damon Dowbak’s latest collection of paintings will be on display at Co.Lab Gallery & Arts Centre until May 12. See this month’s Art section for more info. colabgallery.ca

April 28, 2024

Hymers Fair Spring Market

Delta Hotel

Just in time for Mother’s Day, the Hymers Agricultural Society is proud to present their 2024 Spring Market, which will feature over 55 artisans and vendors. Free to attend, however donations are welcome.

hymersfair.ca

April 28, 1 pm

The Royal Ball

DaVinci Centre

The Fort City Kinettes are very excited to announce the second annual Royal Ball in support of Cystic Fibrosis Canada. Tickets are $50 each and available at JB Evans, Bill Martin’s Nurseryland, or from any Fort City Kinette.

facebook.com/

FortCityKinettes

April 28, 2 pm

Crochet for Beginners

Canvas & Clay

Learn how to make some simple stitches and read a pattern. Registration is $15 and available online. Age 12+. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

canvasandclay.ca

Until May 5

Lakehead University Honours Exhibition

Thunder Bay Art Gallery

The Thunder Bay Art Gallery presents this collection of individual works by students graduating from the Honours Bachelor of Fine Art program at Lakehead University.

theag.ca

Until June 16

Ziigwan: New Acquisitions to the Permanent Collection

Thunder Bay Art Gallery

Ziigwan means “spring” or “early spring” in Anishinaabemowin. This salon-style exhibition presents a chorus of voices, some new to the permanent collection, of second- and thirdgeneration Woodland style artists.

theag.ca

April 1

Sea Shanty

The Foundry

8:30 pm • No Cover • 19+

April 3

Danny Johnson’s Piano Bar

Shooter’s Tavern

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

Ira Johnson

Howl at the Moon

8 pm • $5 • AA

April 4

Open Mic Night

Lakehead Beer Company

7 pm • No Cover • AA

April 5

Jazz & OldFashioned Fridays ft Mood Indigo

Anchor & Ore

6 pm • No Cover • AA

Acoustic Night Norteños Taqueria

6 pm • No Cover • AA

Happy Birthday

16 Cumberland ft Jen Metcalfe

Red Lion Smokehouse

7:30 pm • No Cover • AA

TBSOMasterworks:

Meet Me in Vienna

Thunder Bay Community Auditorium

7:30 pm • $22+ • AA

Rock with Doc ft

Mike & the Misfits

Port Arthur Legion

8 pm • $10 • 19+

Conflix Film Class Party

Black Pirates Pub

9 pm • $10 • 19+

Sober Dance Party

Fridays

Howl at the Moon

9 pm • No Cover • 19+

Neon Night

The Wayland

10 pm • $5 • 19+

The Thirsty Monks w/ Kango

The Foundry

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Strait Up Norteños Taqueria

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Mother of Wolves

Norteños Cantina

10 pm • $5 • 19+

April 6

Acoustic Night Norteños Taqueria

6 pm • No Cover • AA

SGFMS Presents: The Johnny Max Band + The Weber Brothers

Fort William

Historical Park

8 pm • $40 • AA

Rock Bottom

The Wayland

10 pm • $5 • 19+

ALAS Latin

Dance Night

Norteños Cantina

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Undercover

The Foundry

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Saturday Club Nights ft DJ Mo

NV Music Hall

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Tea Time Driver

Norteños Taqueria

10 pm • No Cover • 19+

April 7

Open Jam Branch 5 Legion

8 pm • No Cover • AA

April 8

Matthew Good and His Band w/ Vilivant eVents

7 pm • $40+ • 19+

Open Mic

The Foundry

7:30 pm • No Cover • 19+

April 10

Ira Johnson

Howl at the Moon

8 pm • $5 • AA

Danny Johnson’s Piano Bar Shooter’s Tavern

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

April 11

Candlelight: Featuring Vivaldi’s Four Seasons & More

The Chanterelle

5:15 pm 7:15 pm 9:15 pm • $30+ • 8+

Open Mic Night

Lakehead Beer Company

7 pm • No Cover • AA

April 12

Jazz & OldFashioned Fridays

ft Mood Indigo

Anchor & Ore

6 pm • No Cover • AA

Acoustic Night

Norteños Taqueria

6 pm • No Cover • AA

Sober Dance Party

Fridays

Howl at the Moon

9 pm • No Cover • 19+

Cheap & Easy

Norteños Cantina

10 pm • $5 • 19+

The Well

Hungarians

The Foundry

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Throwback

The Wayland

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Petty Thieves

Norteños Taqueria

10 pm • $5 • 19+

April 13

TBSO Family: The Spirit Horse Returns

Thunder Bay Community Auditorium

2 pm • $13+ • AA

Acoustic Night

Norteños Taqueria

6 pm • No Cover • AA

Etheral Tomb +

Femur + 2 The

Bone + Closed Eye Stare + VHS

Cinema 5 Skatepark

8 pm • $20 • AA

Conversation w/ Good Call + Railgun + The Sleepless

Black Pirates Pub

9 pm • $15 • 19+

Hush w/ DJ Rogue + DJ Supa

Norteños Cantina

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Blood Red Moon

The Foundry

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Saturday Club Nights ft DJ Mo

NV Music Hall

10 pm • $5 • 19+

The Well Hungarians

The Wayland

10 pm • $5 • 19+

April 14

April Wine

Thunder Bay

Community Auditorium

7:30 pm • $49+ • AA

Open Jam

Branch 5 Legion

8 pm • No Cover • AA

April 15

Sea Shanty

The Foundry

8:30 pm • No Cover • 19+

April 17

Ira Johnson

Howl at the Moon

8 pm • $5 • AA

Danny Johnson’s Piano Bar

Shooter’s Tavern

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

April 18

Mini Pop Kids Live: The Good Vibes Tour

Thunder Bay

Community Auditorium

6 pm • $30 • AA

Open Mic Night

Lakehead Beer Company

7 pm • No Cover • AA

April 19

Jazz & OldFashioned Fridays ft Mood Indigo

Anchor & Ore

6 pm • No Cover • AA

Acoustic Night

Norteños Taqueria

6 pm • No Cover • AA

TBSO Special: The Music of Gordon Lightfoot Night One

Italian Cultural Centre

7:30 pm • $20–40 • AA

Sober Dance Party

Fridays

Howl at the Moon

9 pm • No Cover • 19+

BA Johnston w/ Cartwrights + Killer

Black Pirates Pub

9 pm • $15 ADV • 19+

Spring Affair Disco

Dance Party

The Foundry

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Dame Mas Dance

Norteños Taqueria

10 pm • $5 • 19+

AprilMusicGuide

Throwback

Norteños Cantina

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Razor’s Edge

The Wayland

10 pm • $5 • 19+

April 20

Acoustic Night

Norteños Taqueria

6 pm • No Cover • AA

TBSO Special: The Music of Gordon Lightfoot Night 2

Italian Cultural Centre

7:30 pm • $20–40 • AA

Back to the Wayland

The Wayland

8 pm • $5 • 19+

Son Hound & Vape

Dealer’s 420 Show

Black Pirates Pub

9 pm • $10 • 19+

Island Fever ft DJ

Big D + DJ SUpa

Norteños Cantina

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Saturday Club

Nights ft DJ Mo

NV Music Hall

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Hunt & Gather

The Foundry

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Hip Hop Night

Norteños Taqueria

10 pm • No Cover • 19+

April 21

Open Jam

Branch 5 Legion 8 pm • No Cover • AA

April 22

Open Mic

The Foundry

7:30 pm • No Cover • 19+

April 24

Ira Johnson

Howl at the Moon 8 pm • $5 • AA

Danny Johnson’s Piano Bar

Shooter’s Tavern

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

April 25

Open Mic Night

Lakehead Beer Company

7 pm • No Cover • AA

Open Jam Night

The Foundry

9:30 pm • No Cover • 19+

April 26

Jazz & OldFashioned Fridays w/ Mood Indigo

Anchor & Ore

6 pm • No Cover • AA

Acoustic Night

Norteños Taqueria

6 pm • No Cover • AA

The Hazytones + more

Black Pirates Pub 9 pm • $15 • 19+

Sober Dance Party Fridays

Howl at the Moon

9 pm • No Cover • 19+

Headrush

The Wayland 10 pm • $5 • 19+

Undercover Norteños Cantina 10 pm • $5 • 19+

April 27

Acoustic Night Nortenos Taqueria 6 pm • No Cover • AA

TBSO Pops:

The Piano Men 2

Thunder Bay Community Auditorium 7:30 pm • $22+ • AA

Headrush

The Wayland

10 pm • $5 • 19+

DJ Gigi

Norteños Cantina 10 pm • $5 • 19+

Mother of Wolves

The Foundry

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Saturday Club Nights ft DJ Mo

NV Music Hall

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Thundergrass

Norteños Taqueria 10 pm • No Cover • 19+

April 28

Open Jam Branch 5 Legion 8 pm • No Cover • AA

April 29

Sea Shanty The Foundry 8:30 pm • No Cover • 19+

Brought to you by:

For more info visit tbshows.com

Aries

(March 21–

April 19)

Happy birthday month to all the April Rams out there. You’ve been sticking to some new and stellar habits lately, so keep the good work going. Aries have been laying low for awhile now, but it’s time to get yourself out into the public eye as much as you can. The world is much cheerier when the Rams are afoot, and this fiery sign has a big heart indeed. Loving the spotlight comes naturally, so when the gang gathers around for some festivities, you’ll be feeling all the joy. Enjoy the new moon in your sign on the 8th.

Taurus

(April 20–May 20)

Being born in the spring, most Bulls have a special fondness for the equinox. This year, the plan is to do it up right by enjoying the longer days. House and home figure prominently now. This is the time for spring cleaning and renovations. Take a moment to nurture your relationships as well. Trust your instincts and make decisions that align with your long-term goals. Financial matters require attention, so stay disciplined and avoid impulsive spending. Make time for the people who matter most. A class or course may be ending, and it's time to think of next steps.

Gemini

(May 21–June 20)

Air signs might feel like their world is slightly tilted off its axis of late. Maybe it’s in a good way, or maybe it’s in a challenging way, but either way, things are being shaken up lately. Not to worry—sometimes a change is as good as a

By Sunny Disposish

rest. Adaptability is your superpower, Gemini. Embrace change with open arms, for it brings growth and opportunities beyond your imagination. Stay curious, stay flexible, and trust in your ability to navigate any situation that comes your way. Do something different.

Cancer

(June 21–July 22

Keep your wits about you and don’t fall for any April Fool’s Day pranks. Someone may not have your best interests at heart. The full moon on the 23rd leads to some heightened emotions within your household. Stay the course and be the calming presence in the middle of what may be some perceived chaos. Things will settle down in a day or two. There is a chance around this time to meet someone of interest to you, or rekindle an old spark from the past. Brainstorming with some close friends will lead to some excellent ideas that may pay off financially for you in the future.

Leo

(July 23–August 22

Your personal growth is making some great strides this month, Leo. In fact, roaring Lions are making more progress than they actually give themselves credit for. You can thank your amazing support system— but don’t forget to give your own self a shout out as well. You’ve gone through some heavy times in the past, and now the sun seems to want to shine down on you for real. The solar eclipse on the 8th brings about a sense of excitement. Make plans to celebrate this cosmic event in some way without looking directly at the sun.

Virgo

(August 23–Septembe

Earth Day is on the 22nd of the month, and right now the event is really resonating. Being an earth sign yourself, Virgos might want to walk around barefoot for a bit and connect with Mother Earth. It's essential to find a balance between your desire for perfection and the need to let go of control. Be open to new experiences and opportunities that may not fit neatly into your plans. Focus on progress rather than perfection, and don't be afraid to ask for help when needed. Instincts are on high this month. Listen to your intuition.

Libra

(September 23–October 22)

Embrace your natural charm and diplomatic nature as you navigate relationships and social interactions. Seek out experiences that bring joy and fulfillment, whether it's exploring new hobbies or spending quality time with loved ones. Remember to prioritize self-care and make time for activities that nourish your mind, body, and soul. Consider a form of divination. Getting a psychic reading can offer a new perspective. Make plans to view the solar eclipse safely on the 8th.

Scorpio (October 23–November 21)

April brings intense energy to Scorpions this month, especially with the full moon on the 23rd illuminating your depths. This is a time of profound transformation and empowerment for you. Embrace the intensity and delve deep into your emotions, allowing yourself to confront any lingering

issues or fears that have been holding you back. Trust your intuition to guide you through this process of release and rebirth. Allow yourself to let go of what no longer serves you, paving the way for new beginnings and greater emotional fulfillment.

Sagittarius

(November 22–December 21)

Spring has sprung, and Archers could not be happier. The longer days make for happier spirits indeed. Spend some time outdoors moving your body. Normally active fire signs can find themselves in a bit of a winter rut. Time to shake off the dregs of winter and embrace the light. Experimenting in the kitchen or trying a new type of food is always a good way to switch gears. A little bit of spring cleaning helps clear the mind, but we can’t be all work and no play! Don’t forget to relax with that book you’ve been wanting to read and settle in with a happy sigh.

Capricorn

(December 22–January 19)

This is your time to shine and remind you of your incredible capabilities. Goats possess an unwavering determination and discipline that allows them to achieve anything they set their minds to. This month, trust in your abilities and believe in your potential to overcome any challenges that come your way. Whether it's pursuing your career ambitions, tackling personal goals, or nurturing relationships, know that you have the strength and resilience to succeed. Stay focused on your objectives and remain committed to your path, for the universe is conspiring to

support your endeavours. Spend time under the Wind Moon on the 23rd and let your troubles blow away.

Aquarius

(January 20–February 18)

Plant seeds of intention that will blossom into opportunities for growth and transformation. This is a time for Water-Bearers to set clear goals and lay the groundwork for future endeavors. Trust in your innovative spirit and embrace your unique vision for the path ahead. Nurture your ideas with care and dedication, knowing that each seed you plant holds the potential to flourish into something extraordinary. Be open to exploring new interests and stepping outside of your comfort zone, for it is through experimentation that you will discover hidden talents and untapped potential.

Pisces

(February 19–March 20)

It's time to really start thinking about planning some travel. The stars are aligning to encourage the sign of the Fish to step out of their comfort zones and explore new horizons. Stop dreaming and start taking action. Whether it's a weekend getaway or a longawaited adventure, prioritize making concrete plans and setting a budget. Research destinations that resonate with your soul and align with your interests. Be practical about logistics and consider any necessary arrangements well in advance. Remember, the world is full of wonders waiting to be discovered, but it's up to you to make it happen!

Colossal Crossword Fun Games for Everyone

Across

1. Boundless poetic expanses

6. Joe __ Arm (Fogo Island community, Newfoundland)

11. Maces

17. Doff one's fedora

18. Claude-__ Schonberg (Les Miserables musical composer)

19. Convey the song's melody with just drumsticks: 2 wds.

20. "__ Helmsley: The Queen of Mean" (1990 TV movie)

21. Only a select few know of these details

22. Record label founded in 1974

23. Wild fruit foraged in Newfoundland which is also known as the 'Bakeapple'

25. "Could It __ __ Falling in Love" by The Spinners

27. Justin, to Pierre and Margaret

28. 2001 boxing biopic

29. Pro golfer Ernie

30. Roman bronze money

32. Medical exam activity

34. Zilch

36. 4WD truck, commonly

38. Gather the crops

40. Animation frame

41. James __ Memorial Trophy (Bobby Orr won it eight times)

44. War god of ancient Greece

46. Kitchen pan brand

49. #18-Down's smash rap single from his 1989 debut album 'Symphony in Effect': "Let Your __ __"

52. Ms. Spelling

53. __ _ mistake (Miscalculated)

54. "I __ Fine" by The Beatles

55. RCAF, Royal Canadian __ __

57. Off-road transport, commonly

58. Regina International Airport code

60. The __ (Sault Ste. Marie's nickname)

62. Oolong or Green

63. Bob & Doug interjections

64. Puts out a new edition

67. 'Today' in Italy

69. Hassle

71. Ambassador's skill

72. "Canada's Got Talent" contestants who can get out of tricky situations

75. Plaintiff

76. 1970s hairstyle

77. Tires brand

78. Automobile

80. Songbird sort

82. 'Computer' completer (Techie's jargon)

83. Mr. Shmenge ("SCTV" character)

87. The 'Labrador Coast' is one of the five 'Ecosystems of the Americas' which visitors can experience at this Montreal attraction

90. N. __. (Fargo's Amer. state)

92. "Star Wars" (1977) character, __ Solo

94. "Let It Ride" Cdn. rock band

95. Whole

96. Doctor's amount

98. Bruce (Ontario) and Avalon (Newfoundland)

101. Mr. Kincaid (Manager on "The Partridge Family" played by Canadian actor Dave Madden)

103. Fare by Canadian beauty brand Liz Watier

105. "August: __ County" (2013)

106. British astronomer Mr. Halley of the famous Comet

107. Armoured money-carrying truck

108. "That's __ nonsense!" ...exclaimed the milking cow about something totally ridiculous

109. Signify

110. "The Sixth __" (1999)

111. They're banned in sports, informally

Down

1. Alberta town calling to mind Mr. Spock's heritage

2. Bespoke shoemakers in England, __ & Davide

3. Sure-bet victor

4. Haida Gwaii island

5. Ancient Greek footrace distance unit

6. Whirring sound

7. Ghana's capital

8. "On Golden Pond" (1981) couple, Ethel and Norman __

9. Perfect score

10. Marble selection for the new kitchen island

11. Up/down flight segment

12. Runway surface

13. Prefix to 'culture' (Beekeeping)

14. Paleobotany site on the High Arctic island of Axel Heiberg, in Nunavut: 2 wds.

15. Loft's sofa-turned-bed

16. Sporty Ford model since '64

18. 2024 Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee at the March 24th Juno Awards ceremony: 3 wds. (More at #49-Across)

24. Small write-up

26. Canadian Arctic, 1845... HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, to British naval officer Sir John Franklin: 2 wds.

31. Envelope's waxy blob

33. "The Best Was __ __ Come" by Bryan Adams

35. 'Refer' suffix

37. "Tausend und __ Nacht" by Johann Strauss II

39. Operatic song

42. Sanctions

43. Views

45. Bone-dry

47. Aqueduct's attributes

48. "Thou __, most ignorant monster." (Trinculo to Caliban, in The Tempest)

49. Boat: French

50. "Ask Ellie" is a Canadian one in newspapers: 2 wds.

51. "__ John B" by The Beach Boys

53. Convenience stores

©2024: Kelly Ann Buchanan

56. Single-named male model on romance novel covers

59. It prompts an Ans. when asked

61. Biblical hymn: "_ __, Our Help in Ages Past"

65. Highly-valued violin, e.g.

66. Red Hot Chili Peppers song: "__ Tissue"

68. Sticky stuff

70. Behold

73. Ripened

74. Gradually gather

79. The Beaver is a semiaquatic one

81. Serviette

84. "__-__-__, Ob-La-Da" by The Beatles

85. Put on a play

86. Gardeners, when watering

87. Divulged

88. L'__ __ Montreal

89. 'World' in Paris

91. Hot mustard brand

93. Sweet '_' __ (Flavour combo in cooking)

97. Dipl. digs

99. Zap

100. "What would you have __ __ then?" (How could we even change things?)

102. Ghost's "Gotcha!"

104. "Chances __" by Johnny Mathis

Answers available at thewalleye.ca/games

Grandmother’s Prayer

By Madison Steadwell

Circles of fate

Oh the empty space

Dancing round memory’s flame.

Circling back round again

Will you simmer down again?

Like your mother’s mother’s mother, Under her breath

Mutter mutter.

Behind the door

Close the loop

Forever dancing round the flame.

Feeding to remember the song, Pass it on to your daughter.

Forever burning at the stake

For heaven’s sake!

Remember the slaughter

Remember me daughter.

Memory’s

TheEye

The Milky Way, photographed on July 29, 2016 at 1:42 am at MacKenzie Point Conservation Area

Photo by James Brown