February 2022 by The Walleye Magazine

FILM FREE ARTS Vol. 13 No. 2 MUSIC FEBRUARY FOOD 2022 CULTURE thewalleye.ca

Love at First Bite Once Upon a Mattress Save Pond Hockey

EYE TO EYE: With Timo Puiras

Childcare in COVID Times Blue Rodeo Travels Many A Mile The Walleye

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Contents

Editor-in-chief Darren McChristie Editor Adrian Lysenko adrian@thewalleye.ca Assistant Editor Rebekah Skochinski Senior Editor Tiffany Jarva Copy Editors Amy Jones, Bonnie Schiedel Editorial Assistant Sara Sadeghi Aval Marketing & Sales Manager Meagan Griffin sales@thewalleye.ca Photographers Patrick Chondon Kevin Dempsey Damien Gilbert Chad Kirvan Dave Koski Lois Nuttall Shannon Lepere Marty Mascarin Darren McChristie Sarah McPherson Laura Paxton Art Directors Steve Coghill, R.G.D. Dave Koski, R.G.D. production@thewalleye.ca Ad Designers Dave Koski, Miranda van den Berg The Walleye is a free monthly publication distributed on racks throughout Thunder Bay and region. Reproduction of any article, photograph or artwork without written permission is strictly forbidden. Views expressed herein are those of the author exclusively. Copyright © 2022 by Superior Outdoors Inc. All Rights Reserved. Editorial and Advertising: Submissions must be accompanied by a selfaddressed, stamped envelope. Superior Outdoors cannot be held responsible for unsolicited material. Superior Outdoors Inc. 242 - 1100 Memorial Avenue Thunder Bay, ON P7B 4A3 Telephone (807) 344-3366 Fax (807) 623-5122 E-mail: info@thewalleye.ca

TheWalleye.ca Where can I find The Walleye? thewalleye.ca/wherecan-i-find-the-walleye/ Ad Deadline for our March Issue February 9th

14 72

The Renaissance Building

Blue Rodeo Travels Many A Mile

28 46

38 28

Returning Home

44 83

Healthy Kids HOME Program

TheTOPFive

FEATURES 9 Love at First Bite 14 Chocolate by the Numbers 16 A Gluten Free Harvest 17 Made with Heart and Soul 18 Cakes and Bakes FOOD 20 THE GRINNING BELLY 21 DRINK OF THE MONTH 23 BREW IT YOURSELF 24 SUPERIOR SIP 28 Rose Thai FILM&THEATRE 28 Returning Home 30 Save Pond Hockey 33 Once Upon a Mattress 34 THE SECOND MOST PLEASURABLE THING WE DO IN THE DARK. A COLUMN ABOUT MOVIES 35 Confessions Of a Drag Dealer THE ARTS 36 Shuniah Spun 38 A THOUSAND WORDS 40 Fire of Beltane 43 FROM THUNDER BAY ART GALLERY’S COLLECTION OUTDOOR 44 Sub-Zero Heroes

For the Love of Plants and Their Intelligence

CITYSCENE 46 Stuff We Like 47 CANNABIS CORNER 48 THE ENTHUSIASTS 50 SECOND CHANCES 52 WALL SPACE: Thinking Outside

54 55 56 57 58

the Pot Carlito’s Café Childcare in COVID Times EYE TO EYE: With Timo Puiras GO LOCAL Thunder Bay Country Market THIS IS THUNDER BAY

MUSIC 60 Blue Rodeo Travels Many A Mile 62 TBSO PROFILE: Kimberly Durflinger 64 BURNING TO THE SKY 65 Midnight Forever 66 Zak’s Starter Pack 68 Music by McCulloch 70

OFF THE WALL REVIEWS

ARCHITECTURE 72 The Renaissance Building 74

Tbaytel FEBRUARY EVENTS GUIDE

LU RADIO'S MONTHLY TOP 30

TATTOOED YOU 78 Mama Orca and Her Baby HEALTH 80 Healthy Kids HOME Program GREEN 83 For the Love of Plants and Their Intelligence THE WALL 84 Supporting the Waterfront Trail Expansion 86 89 90

HOROSCOPES THE BEAT THE EYE

70 The Walleye

From Our Instagram Feed

A Dish Best Served for the Cold

hen it comes to food vices, mine tend to be as seasonal as our weather. In the warmer months I crave more salty snacks and come winter, I’m all about sweets. I’m sure there’s some kind of scientific reasoning behind this. Perhaps in the summer excessive sweating can result in a drop in sodium, so you’re trying to make up for it with that jumbo bag of chips. And maybe in the winter we burn more calories to keep our bodies warm so that second slice of cheesecake is actually helping to maintain our core temperature. Okay, maybe those are stretches but there’s something about a decadent dessert that makes the winter a bit more bearable. As a country known for its colder climate, we tend to have fewer national dishes and more desserts. I’m thinking Nanaimo Bars, sweet bannock, Beavertails, and of course, our very own persians. So as Northwestern Ontarians, I think we should not only embrace the cold but our sweet tooth as well. With that in mind, our February issue is all about desserts. Our team of ravenous writers have reviewed 12 delicious desserts from restaurants around the city. Also part of the cover story, Bonnie Schiedel presents some stats and facts in

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our chocolate infographic, we taste some of the old-school Italian desserts offered at Dolce Coffee House, profile certified chocolatier Vimal Vijayakumar, and find out the recipe for success behind Gluten Free Harvest. Keeping with our theme, pommelier and sommelier Jeannie Dubois delves into cocktails made with sweet liquors, chef Rachel Bayes serves up molten lava cakes, and homebrew columnist Josh Armstrong raises a pint glass to dessert brews. February brings Valentine’s Day, so to help celebrate, Gord Ellis picks his favourite songs and we share some romantic stories in This is Thunder Bay. Also in the pages of this month’s issue we go Eye to Eye with head coach of the National Development Centre Thunder Bay (NDC) Timo Puiras, Chad Kirvan takes us on an ice fishing adventure, and Matt Prokopchuk chats with Magnus Theatre’s new general manager Alexis Rowlinson. As we ride this current wave of the pandemic, we hope our February issue will bring you some comfort. Desserts is stressed spelled backwards, after all. -Adrian Lysenko

Featured Contributor Kelsey Raynard Kelsey is a writer, editor, maker, and English teacher who was born and raised in Thunder Bay. As a fulltime English professor at Lakehead International, she’s passionate about helping others develop their linguistic skills and hone their writing craft. As many northerners do, Kelsey loves hiking, swimming, and camping in the summer months. During the winter, you can find her crafting (mostly macramé) at @candlelit.creative on Instagram. Check out her story on thrifting on page 50.

On the Cover Chocolate Ricotta Mousse from Giorg Cucina é Barra Photo by Laura Paxton

You belong here The Walleye

This is A P P LY N O

(807) 475-6110 | 1-800-465-5493 (toll free) recruitment@confederationcollege.ca

confederationcollege.ca 6

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Waterfront District’s

Wellness Wednesdays

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February 2, 9, 16, & 23 Virtual

Wednesdays in February will have more wellness in them thanks to the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. Join the gallery’s community engagement coordinator, Anishinaabe artist Cynthia Nault, as she creates a space (virtually!) for holistic wellness, using the medicine wheel as a guide. Every Wednesday afternoon from noon to 1 pm you can spend time exploring the wisdom of the four quadrants: physical, emotional, social, intellectual/ mental, and spiritual/cultural. Nault says by using the medicine wheel as a lens to see where things might be out of balance, there is an opportunity to focus on areas that need more attention. Topics will include how to work towards balanced living and setting smart goals. Sharing is optional and you can join for one session or every week! theag.ca

4Play

February 12

February 21-25

Sleeping Giant Brewing Co. Oh, Valentine’s Day, you are tricky at the best of times, what with your hopes and expectations, your promises of romance, your little Cupid guy zinging his arrows. Sleeping Giant Brewing Co. knows that all we can truly count on for the 14th day of February is beer and chocolate, so they’ve planned an intimate in-person event called 4Play and you’re invited to play along. Guests can tour the brewery, and enjoy tasty local craft beer, delectable morsels of chocolate, and live music. Who knows where the night will take you! In case you’d like to 4Play at home they will also be offering an equally delicious take-home package. You play, your way! *Note: the in-person event is subject to change based on Ontario government mandates. sleepinggiantbrewing.ca

Freedom to Read Week

Coldest Night of the Year Walk

February 26

Virtual

When you’re done skiing in all that fresh powder, come inside and curl up with a good book! It should come as no surprise that at The Walleye, we’re big fans of reading. We’re also big fans of reading what you want! Which is why we can totally get behind the Thunder Bay Public Library’s Freedom to Read Week. This event encourages Canadians to consider our intellectual freedom by offering kits of banned books for us to read, including kits suitable for children, youth, and adults. All you have to do is sign up! Registration begins February 7 at 10 am by calling 345-8275. Titles include The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Right? Right. tbpl.ca

Blue Rodeo

February 28

The Coldest Night of the Year walk is a winterrific family-friendly event to raise funds to support Grace Place—a street ministry in Thunder Bay that helps meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the addicted, homeless, and socially marginalized people in our community. It will fund programs like the daily community meal and the Out of the Cold overnight shelter. The inperson event includes a 2 km or 5 km route with rest stops, volunteers on-hand, and snacks at the end. Sign up as a team or individual and walk in-person on February 26, or participate virtually any day and a route of your choosing throughout the month of February. The nights might be cold in the winter, but let’s show how warm our hearts are! Learn more about the event including how you can sign up at the website below. cnoy.org/location/thunderbay

“And if we’re lost, then we are lost together.” Where will you be on the last day of February? We hope you will be lost together with the legendary alt-country/rockers Blue Rodeo. No strangers to Thunder Bay, to touring, and to putting out amazing LP after LP, the band returns to our fair city as part of their Many A Mile tour to kick off their 16th studio album, which is their first release in five years. Many A Mile features 12 songs like “Symmetry of Starlight,” with pedal steel and soaring harmonies, as well as many rollicking singles like “When You Were Wild” and “I Owe It To Myself”—the lyrics to these songs, like their countless others, are sure to stick to our hearts. Get your tickets now! tbca.com

Thunder Bay Community Auditorium

Dustin Rabin

Murray Metcalf Photography

In-person/Virtual

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710 B AL M O R AL ST R EET

FR E S H A I R . L O C A L LY. C O M

keeping you out there doing what you love a portion of all clothing sales in FEBRUARY is donated to isthmus thunder Bay

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Love at First Bite

et them eat cake! According to a somewhat reputable online source, the word “dessert” is derived from the word “desservir,” which is French for “to clear the table.” This makes perfect sense because we are firm believers in ending a meal with something sweet. Or starting it. Or, you know, just having dessert for dinner. For this cover story we sent out our dedicated crew of writers and photographers to 12 restaurants to sample some of the desserts that the city has to offer. We hope you like what we found, because they sure did! - Rebekah Skochinski

Caribou Restaurant + Wine Bar's Chocolate Mousse - Photo by Lois Nuttall

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Mini Persians

The Place: The Foundry 242 Red River Road 285-3188 The Price: $9 The Basics: Fried mini persians, raspberry/strawberry icing, icing sugar The Lowdown: The iconic Thunder Bay dessert gets an overhaul at The Foundry! So how do you update a local classic? Well, by miniaturizing and multiplying, of course. This dish offers you six warm and delectable not-so-mini-persians dusted with icing sugar along with a big ol’ bowl of icing for dipping. The perfect quantity for sharing with a friend, these persians arrive at the table hot and delicately crisped from the oven. The Foundry uses their own dough mixture, so these persians are lighter and fluffier than the full-sized version, but aside from that development you’ll find the taste matches what you know and love. Review by Justin Allec, Photo by Adrian Lysenko

Caramelized Banana Cake

The Place: Red Lion Smokehouse 16 Cumberland Street South 286-0045 The Price: $9 The Basics: Caramelized banana, dark chocolate, sour cream, bourbon cream, gingerbread crumble, and a chocolate tuile The Lowdown: Red Lion’s caramelized banana cake is the dessert equivalent of being wrapped in a heavy wool blanket on a cold winter’s night in front of a wood stove. Sizzling from the kitchen, the dessert is served in an old-school mini-skillet and is bliss from the very first forkful. Light, moist, and not too rich, it’s also the perfect portion. And if that doesn’t have you sold, the heavenly cream and the delicate chocolate tuile will. Review and photo by Adrian Lysenko

Skor Cheesecake

The Place: Lot 66 66 Court Street South 683-7708 The Price: $12 The Basics: Peanut butter cheesecake with Skor crumble, peanuts, chocolate and caramel drizzle, maple whipped cream, chocolate ganache, strawberries The Lowdown: Lot 66’s newest creation is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. The Skor cheesecake, named for the candy bar topping, comes drizzled in caramel and chocolate syrup. Resting on a dense Oreo crumble crust, the slice is complemented by maple syrup-infused whipped cream made in-house, along with fresh strawberries covered in chocolate ganache, all ready to bite into. The rich cheesecake filling pairs perfectly with a sweet port wine and makes the perfect finish to a Valentine’s Day dinner. Review by Sara Sadeghi Aval, Photo by Laura Paxton

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Flourless Chocolate Cake

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The Place: Madhouse 295 Bay Street 344-6600 The Price: $8.50 The Basics: Gluten-free chocolate cake with raspberries and whipped cream The Lowdown: This dessert is sure to drive you mad. The Madhouse has perfected their flourless chocolate cake—that’s right, flourless. If you or a loved one are on a gluten-free diet, you’ll love this simple end-ofmeal treat. Baked for 25 minutes in a water bath to preserve the fluffy and decadent chocolate, the cake is served with fresh raspberries and whipping cream to top off the thick slice. Looking for a drink to go with the rich taste? Try pairing it with a hot cup of coffee and add in your favourite rum. Whether you’re craving something sweet or topping off a take-out dinner, this chocolate cake is sure to stand out. Review by Sara Sadeghi Aval, Photo by Olivia Bosma

Chocolate Crème Pie

The Place: Kangas Sauna 379 Oliver Road 344-6761 The Price: $6 per slice; $23 total for entire pie (order in advance) The Basics: Chocolate crème filling in a crust made of butter and lard, topped with real whipped cream The Lowdown: This homemade pie is made from scratch using whole ingredients that create a lush, to-die-for chocolatey depth of flavour without being too sickly sweet. The hand-rolled pie dough uses an old-school combination of butter and lard, resulting in a melt-in-your-mouth flaky crust. And all of this delightfulness is topped with a fluffy whipped cream dusted with cocoa. For about 15 years now, Kangas Sauna has been serving up this charming slice of pie—a layered, luxurious treat that is generous enough to share, but you definitely won’t want to. Review by Tiffany Jarva, Photo by Samantha Moss

Banana and Nutella Crepes

The Place: Nomad Bake Shop & Sandwich Bar 307 Bay Street 577-8564 The Price $10 The Basics: French crepes with sliced banana, Nutella, and powdered sugar The Lowdown: The banana and Nutella crepe from Nomad Bake Shop & Sandwich Bar is bringing breakfast back in a big way. This mouthwatering meal is composed of beautifully balanced batter cooked to perfection on an authentic crepe iron from France. Once golden brown, these thin, fluffy treats are filled with thick slices of fresh banana and drizzled with a sweet serving of Nutella. After some fancy folding, the crepes are sprinkled with powdered sugar and served on a plate or in a grab-and-go cone. Best of all, these beauties are available all day long, so there’s no need to worry about sleeping in. Review and photo by Chad Kirvan

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Matcha Torte

The Place: Bight Restaurant & Bar 2201 Sleeping Giant Parkway, Unit 100 622-4448 The Price: $12 The Basics: Almond sablé, matcha and mascarpone mousse, lemon curd, black sesame tuile, toasted pistachio The Lowdown: When you order dessert, you want it to be special. This matcha torte is so delightful it should come with a gold star. A crown of almond-rich pastry cradles the light-as-a-cloud mousse, yet still retains its delicate crumble. The gorgeous pastel waves of matcha mascarpone are studded with lemon curd, lightly toasted pistachio, and paper-thin pieces of black sesame tuile for the slightest wisp of bitter nuttiness. Each bite is a dream—and dare we say, a matcha made in heaven. Review by Rebekah Skochinski, Photo by Olivia Bosma

Chocolate Mousse

The Place: Caribou Restaurant + Wine Bar 727 Hewitson Street 628-8588 The Price: $11 The Basics: Bittersweet dark chocolate, coffee, sweet cream, and crumbled sponge toffee The Lowdown: The perfect chocolate mousse must be many things: chocolatey, rich, creamy, airy, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. This delicate, rich, and smooth chocolate mousse (available through the restaurant’s take-out program) is complemented by a luscious serving of sweet whipped cream and a crowning touch of crumbled housemade sponge toffee on top. Perfection! The balance of flavour and texture present in this dessert will satisfy any dessert craving. Needless to say, this mousse may be the chocolate lover’s ultimate fix and will certainly have anyone who tries it coming back for more. Review by Olivia Bosma, Photo by Lois Nuttall

Churros

The Place: El Tres 269 Red River Road 344-3443 The Price: $12 The Basics: Housemade churros, sugar, dulce de leche, cinnamon, and strawberry sauce The Lowdown: El Tres has become synonymous with Mexican food in Thunder Bay, and naturally when you think of a Mexican dessert, you think churros. These deep-fried members of the doughnut family are coated in cinnamon sugar, then drizzled with dulce de leche and caramel sauces, then accompanied by strawberry sauce, with all drizzles, drips, and dips made fresh in-house. Churros are a great option for sharing after a spicy Mexican meal; pair them with coffee from Mexican beans roasted and ground by local shop Rose N Crantz Roasting Co. and your noche is made. Review by Nik Fiorito, Photo by Dana Fiorito

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Chocolate Ricotta Mousse

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The Place: Giorg Cucina é Barra 114 Syndicate Avenue North 623-8052 The Price: $10 The Basics: Whipped ricotta, dark chocolate, macerated strawberries, and crushed hazelnuts The Lowdown: Is there a more divine flavour pairing than chocolate and strawberry? Giorg’s chocolate ricotta mousse marries the favourite dessert couple in a simply decadent dish. Two layers of whipped ricotta infused with dark chocolate are topped with strawberries, chopped hazelnuts, shaved dark chocolate, and a hint of salt, ensuring each bite is just right. The strawberries, macerated in Grand Marnier and sugar, offer the ideal amount of sweetness while hazelnuts add a welcome texture next to the light, semi-sweet, velvety mousse. A perfect dessert for sharing when you want a little taste of luxury after a satisfying meal. Review by Maija Zucchiatti, Photo by Laura Paxton

Triple Chocolate Terrine

The Place: Bistro One 555 Dunlop Street 622-2478 The Price: $12 The Basics: Layers of white chocolate, milk, and dark Callebaut chocolate with ganache and crème anglaise The Lowdown: Described as a “soft fudge” and “the inside of a truffle,” this dessert makes a good shareable just in time for Valentine’s Day. “This one’s for the chocolate lovers,” chef Glenn Strasdin proclaims. A trio of chocolate layers nestled in the loving palm of a delicate crème anglaise is a perfect finish to any meal! Review by Susan Pretty, Photo by Sarah McPherson

White Chocolate Brownie The Place: Daytona’s 965A Cobalt Street 622-2169 The Price: $7 The Basics: White chocolate brownie with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and vanilla ice cream The Lowdown: White chocolate is often the overlooked little cousin in the chocolate family, but this sweet creation may change your views. Chef Andrew Stone added this brownie to the dessert menu about four months ago and it’s quickly become a customer favourite. “It’s a relatable dessert, not anything weird or far-fetched,” notes Stone. He stirs melted white chocolate into a simple batter, along with semi-sweet chocolate chips. The result is a rich, dense warm brownie, topped with hand-whipped cream, housemade chocolate sauce, and vanilla ice cream. Way to go, little cuz. Review by Bonnie Schiedel, Photo by Lois Nuttall

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Chocolate by the Numbers

6.4

By Bonnie Schiedel

Number of kilograms of chocolate that the average Canadian eats annually, the equivalent of 160 chocolate bars11

5300 BCE

120

Number of flavours of Kit Kat chocolate bars available internationally, including watermelon, pumpkin pie, wasabi, baked potato, and cucumber4

805

Amount in CAD for the most expensive chocolate bar ever sold at auction: a 100-year-old Cadbury bar, found wrapped and uneaten in a cigarette tin, that went on Captain Robert Scott’s Discovery expedition to the Antarctic, 1901–190416

Approximate year of development of the earliest known chocolate, according to archeological evidence of cacao processing by the Mayo-Chinchipe culture in northern Ecuador1

770 14

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Did you know?

Chocolate contains antioxidant Number of flavanols that reduce cell damage, different lower blood pressure, and improve chocolate bars vascular function—but on the in the world’s flip side, its added sugar and fat largest collection, contribute to heart disease, high belonging to blood pressure, and diabetes, so Bob Brown of it’s best to enjoy the “food of the Indianapolis2 gods” in moderation9

57 400

4.32

million Amount in CAD that Canadians spent on hot chocolate in 201914

Number of cocoa beans required to make one pound of chocolate5

Seconds it took for the world record holder, André Ortolf of Germany, to drink a +37°C cup of hot chocolate15

5.5

2017

Amount in litres of chocolate milk that the average Canadian consumes annually13

Did you know?

Theobroma Cacao is the scientific name for the cacao tree, which translates to “food of the gods”6

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7,200 22 Weight in kilograms of the largest chocolate Easter egg, created by Italian chocolatier Tosca in 20113

Did you know?

To find ethically produced chocolate made without child labour, look for “fair trade certified” labels8 1 https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/100189-earliest-chocolate 2 https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-collection-of-chocolate-bars 3 https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-chocolate-easter-egg 4 https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/100093-chocolate-bar-with-the-mostflavour-variants and https: www.chatelaine.com/food/trends/kit-kat-flavours/ 5 https://candyusa. com/story-of-chocolate/fun-facts-about-chocolate/ 6 https://candyusa.com/story-of-chocolate/funfacts-about-chocolate/ 7 https://www.barry-callebaut.com/en/group/media/news-stories/barrycallebaut-reveals-fourth-type-chocolate-ruby 8 www.worldvision.ca/no-child-for-sale/resources/fairtrade-chocolate-guide 9 https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/ expert-answers/healthy-chocolate/faq-20058044 10 www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ S1573521415000160 11 www.macleans.ca/economy/happy-cocoa-consumption-day/ 12 www.barry-callebaut.com/en-CA/manufacturers/top-chocolate-trends-2020-and-beyond 13 www.dairynutrition.ca/scientific-evidence/chocolate-milk-and-health/chocolate-milkconsumption-in-canada 14 https://www.statista.com/statistics/661029/sales-value-of-hotchocolate-canada/ 15 www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/102363-fastest-time-todrink-a-cup-of-hot-chocolate 16 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/1563181.stm

Billion

Year that “ruby chocolate” was introduced, created by isolating certain compounds in cocoa beans and using a modified processing technique to make a chocolate with a reddish-pink hue and a sour-sweet taste7

Amount in USD in North American chocolate confectionery retail sales in 2019, more than potato chips, pretzels, and snack bars combined12

Percentage of the world’s chocolate produced by West African nations, particularly the Ivory Coast10 The Walleye

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A Gluten Free Harvest

“This isn’t just a trend for a lot of people. It’s their lifestyle and they deserve to be able to purchase their food.”

One Mom’s Recipe for Success

Karen Romito, owner of A Gluten Free Harvest

By Sara Sadeghi Aval

hen Karen Romito’s son was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2001, her whole approach to cooking and baking had to change. Thus, A Gluten Free Harvest was born, during a time when the words “gluten-free” were new to everyone’s ears. Simply put, individuals with celiac disease are unable to process foods containing gluten, and experience an immune reaction that significantly affects their quality of life. At the time, restaurants and grocery stores were only just starting to offer or even carry gluten-free products, and

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Romito even had to visit Toronto in order to purchase ingredients when she began her gluten-free endeavour. Romito runs a fully licensed bakeshop from home in order to provide gluten-free products to the Thunder Bay community. From dry mixes to baked goods and frozen treats, Romito has been able to not only help her own son, but other families as well. “This isn’t just a trend for a lot of people. It’s their lifestyle and they deserve to be able to purchase their food,” Romito says. She started the business in 2009 and was originally

located at the Thunder Bay Country Market for five years. Although Romito loved being at the market, working a full-time job made it difficult to attend to clients there. Now, working from home, she can fulfill orders and create even more recipes. Romito has a nocontact pick-up system, and schedules customers to pick up their gluten-free treats every 15 minutes to avoid too much foot traffic. She has even delivered products to people in isolation during the pandemic, as she is committed to making sure everyone has what they need while keeping them safe.

“It took me about a year to work on a flour mix that my son could enjoy. I wanted to mimic the pizzas and perogies and pogos he liked, or send him to school with substitutes when other kids were enjoying these foods.” Her son Josh began sharing his food with other kids at school who also became diagnosed, and parents began reaching out to Romito for more of her creations. She was even approached by Eat Local Pizza, and now makes their famous gluten-free pizza shells. Romito currently offers brownie, pancake, waffle,

and pizza mixes to bake with. You can also pick up readyto-eat baked goods like gluten-free persians, banana bread, blueberry loaf, artisan breads, and “every pie you can think of.” Want to save some for later? Try her frozen egg rolls, chicken balls, wontons, and perogies to keep your freezer always packed and prepared. She purchases ingredients locally and even packages them in locally sourced materials. For more information, visit agfharvest.com.

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Made with Heart and Soul

The Desserts of Dolce Coffee House Story and photos by Adrian Lysenko

or John Minnella and his sister Judy Gerolami, desserts would often come early in the day when they were growing up. “An Italian breakfast isn’t a typical eggs and bacon [or] cereal breakfast. It was always a pastry. So it started right from when we were really small—whether it was a piece of tiramisu, or a cannoli, or homemade biscotti, which was huge for us.” says Minnella, one of the owners of Dolce Coffee House. “That’s always been our inspiration. What our mom in particular—and all our aunts and her friends—instilled in us as children was [the importance of] homemade food and family, and that’s how it started as far as our desserts are concerned.” Gerolami, who works alongside her brother as the main baker at Dolce Coffee House, carries on the tradition by preparing various desserts and baked goods early in the day. “She’s always been an awesome baker and she got the basics from my mom,” Minnella says. “Whenever there were Italian weddings or functions, people would always call my mom and say ‘Hey, can you make me these, or make that’—these old-school Italian pastries that she herself learned how to make from her mom in Italy.” The baker’s popular sweets include cannoli crema, cannoli ricotta (classic Sicilian cannoli), biscotti, tiramisu, and a six-layered chocolate cake which Minnella claims to be “worth every single calorie.” “Judy basically does her items. Nobody can touch them, and honestly, I don’t want anybody else to touch them,” Minnella says. “Because again, a lot of what she does comes from old world traditions, and I would

venture to say the majority of what she does doesn’t even have a recipe. Everything we roll out we put our heart and soul into.” Not only do the traditions come from the old country, so do some ingredients. “Our pistachio croissants that are super, super popular. The pistachio cream comes from Sicily,” Minnella says. “She bakes them every morning and she can never bake enough. We’re always running out of that particular croissant.” And as for getting a few words from the baker herself? Gerolami remains humble and wishes to stay out of the spotlight. “She blushes every time someone says, ‘This is delicious,’” Minnella says. “Dolce is kind of a theatre in a sense. She’s back of the house and me—give me all the accolades you want!”

“Everything we roll out we put our heart and soul into.”

For more information on Dolce Coffee House’s desserts, visit them on Facebook @DolceTbay.

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imal Vijayakumar is decadently enriching both the sweet and savoury culinary culture of northern Ontario. Working as a chef in a gold mine on a week-on/week-off basis, during his time off he creates dishes and meals fit for both a Caribbean cruise or a luxurious celebratory family dinner. His Instagram is a bright buffet of snapshots of all his latest creations: ripe berries perfectly placed on creamy cake tops rimmed with fluffy buttercream peaks, chocolate choreographed to drizzle down the sides of layered pastries, fierylooking red saucy dishes paired with saffron rice, raisins, and cashews, fresh black mussels bathing in buttery seafood chowder. If you weren’t hungry before you started scrolling, queue your tummy rumbling. Vijayakumar has years of experience in pastry and is also a certified chocolatier. He takes great pride in perfecting his food (creations better described as “delicious foodie art”). “When I get a new idea or feel inspired to create something new—it may be a dessert or a hot dish—I can feel the smell, the texture, and the taste in my mind. I can imagine the feeling and expression of someone tasting it, then I can't wait to create,” he explains. “Sometimes it takes practice and I need to redo it again and again before I can finally make it happen the way I want it to. I won't give up until I get it just right.” “Cooking is my passion, luckily it's become my profession, too,” he adds. “The kitchen is my happy place where I spent most of my time, both at work and at home.” The food he longs for most is his mother’s cooking. “My mom's food is what I always miss,” he says. He got his start in Indian weddings and ceremonies in the south Indian village where he was

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born. He remembers doing vegetable and grocery runs for the hired cooks of affluent families. “Food is connected to culture and religion, and I was always a foodie,” he says. “Food inspired me to mingle with and explore all of the communities in India and beyond: vegan, Chettinad, north Indian, south Indian, and later international dishes.” After graduating from culinary arts school, he spent time with master chefs at InterContinental hotels in India. “Then I moved to the Middle East, to Dubai and the Sultanate of Oman, to work with the Crowne Plaza and Ritz-Carlton. I spent three years working for Carnival Cruise Line before moving to Thunder Bay in 2017.” As a busy working father and husband, life as a chef in a mine offered him a break from the long hours of North American restaurant life. He someday dreams of starting his own business, serving all kinds of cuisine based on the season. “I want to someday run a restaurant that serves not only food and drink, but also the stories behind each dish,” he says. “Each food and cuisine has its own story and history. That’s the dream. There’s nothing in food that I’ll say no to trying or making.” His food is definitely capturing attention in Thunder Bay. “Once people started recognizing my food, I started being offered work without even applying and it gives me even more encouragement and energy to do something more,” he says, “As new immigrants to Thunder Bay, that was really unexpected to me. I’ve also been able to work as a consultant and do some experimental cooking while enjoying much needed time with my family. I am really thankful.” Follow Vimal on Instagram @vimal.vijayakumar or on Facebook @ CakesNBakesVimal.

Cakes and Bakes

A New Foodie is on the Scene in Thunder Bay

Story by Kim Latimer, Photos courtesy of Vimal Vijayakumar

 Chef Vimal Vijayakumar

 Lemon meringue tart

 Kerala Sadya, a traditional vegetarian feast

 Vanilla crème brûlée

 Parmesan carbonara topped with quail egg and candied bacon

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Food

Molten Lava Cakes Makes 4 6-ounce cakes

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Butter and lightly flour 4 6-ounce ramekins. Tap out the excess flour and place the ramekins on a baking sheet. ½ c unsalted butter 6 oz bittersweet chocolate (try an ethically sourced brand like Divine or Evolved)

Place a saucepan on the stove with about an inch of water in it. Over that, place a heat-proof bowl that fits snugly on the pot, without the bottom touching the water. Bring the water to a simmer, and melt the butter with the chocolate, being careful not to get any water in the bowl.

2 eggs In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the egg yolks, sugar, and salt at high speed until thickened and pale.

2 egg yolks ¼ c sugar Pinch of salt

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

I Lava You

Divide the batter amongst the ramekins and bake for 12 minutes, or until the edges of the cake are firm but the middles are still soft. Let the cakes cool in the ramekins for a minute, and then cover each with an upsidedown dessert plate. Carefully (or with reckless abandon and flair!) turn each one over. Let stand for 10 seconds and then unmold. Garnish with ice cream, chocolate sauce, or your favourite liqueur.

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For something with some extra va-va-va-voom, while you’re melting the chocolate, in a small saucepan, melt some raspberry jam and then sieve it to remove the seeds. When the cake batter is ready, spoon half of it into the ramekins and place a dollop of strained jam in the middle of each one. Top with the remaining batter, enclosing the raspberry centre, and bake as directed. Garnish with more chocolate, whipped cream, and some fresh raspberries. Ooh la la.

By Chef Rachel Bayes

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We reconnected over social media, and in 2018, I invited him to a friend’s wedding in Thunder Bay. He flew in for the weekend; soon after, Shawn made Thunder Bay his permanent home again. And this past September, 29 years after we first met, we made it official. So in honour of love, I give you a classic recipe that became wildly popular in upscale restaurants around the time I was 17 (you can do the math). These little cakes are perfect in every way—delicately cakey on the outside, with a rich and gooey centre that spills onto the plate when sliced open with a spoon. It’s been said that chocolate is the concrete manifestation of love, so consider making these for someone you love—especially if that someone is you.

Chef Rachel Bayes tying the knot with Shawn Bayes in September 2021

Matt Goertz

ew name, who dis? Not sure if you’ve noticed, but a few months ago, I had a name change on my byline: Globensky Bayes. At fortysomething years old, I thought it was a good time to get married, taking my spouse’s last name in the process. My dad likes to tease that I’ve eschewed my Prussian heritage, as apparently, the Globenskys are descended from royalty. I’m proud of my roots, but really, I just wanted to have a last name that I didn’t have to spell out for people all the time. Spoiler alert, I still do. My husband Shawn and I met when we were 17; we dated for a month or so before he moved to Windsor with his family. We kept in touch for a while, but soon enough, life happened, and we lost track of each other.

Whisk the chocolate until smooth. Quickly fold it into the egg mixture along with the flour.

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Beer with Dessert, Dessert Made with Beer, or Dessert Beer? Choose Your Own Way to Serve up Some Sweet Beer Combinations

By Josh Armstrong, PhD, Certified Beer Judge

n this dessert issue of The Walleye, it’s only a p p ro p r i a t e f o r m e to cover the wonderful combinations that come when dessert and beer are combined. I know that for some people, beer tends to be thought of as just a fizzy yellow liquid that goes well with sunshine, patios, and/or salty food. But let’s not forget that beer can be so much more than a pale yellow lager. There are a wide range of beer styles that can bring the perfect end to a meal—whether it’s a beer paired with a dessert, a dessert made with beer, or even a beer that is a dessert in and of itself. While you browse this issue and start craving all things sweet, take some time to think about how you might enjoy pairing a beer with your desserts. Here are a few ideas to consider: • Chocolate desserts – These go really well with dark and roasty ales. Consider pairing your chocolate treats with beers like In the Ground Porter from Lakehead Beer Co. or the local classic Skull Rock Stout from Sleeping Giant Brewing Co.

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“Beer can also be great as an ingredient when making a dessert at home.”

• Vanilla cake, cheesecake or anything fruity – You can go two ways with these types of desserts. Sour beer goes really well with fruity flavours and the acidity in sour beer really helps cut through any sweetness or richness, and you can try matching anything in this category with a bottle of Jelly King from Bellwoods Brewery—you won’t be disappointed. Or, go for a brew that has a good amount of ester character (fruity flavours produced by yeast); beer styles like English or Belgian ales, or even a hefeweizen (e.g. Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier), where the specialty yeast produces esters that taste just like bananas, will go great to wash down your fruity dessert. • Carrot cake – For me, the only choice for a pairing with carrot cake is a hoppy West Coast IPA. There’s something about the crisp bitterness that goes so well with the sweetness from the carrots and the tangy cream cheese frosting. If you haven’t tried this pairing, get on it! Beer can also be great as

an ingredient when making a dessert at home. One dessert that I often request for my birthday is chocolate stout cake with cream cheese icing. Nevertheless, there are almost limitless delicious options when it comes to using beer to make a dessert: brown ale brownies, Guinness ice cream, beeramisu, beernana bread, this list could go on forever. One great source for recipes using beer (desserts and beyond) is thebeeroness.com. The author, Jackie Dodd Mallory, has a great website and her recipes win awards. If you don’t want to pair a beer with dessert or make a dessert with beer, why not just have a dessert beer? Many breweries are now making what are called “pastry stouts.” These are sweet, strong, extravagant beers that are made to taste like classic desserts. You don’t have to go further than our local One Time Brew Co. to try out their Chocolate Hugs Pastry Stout (if it’s not sold out, that is). Other Ontario examples of pastry stouts are Sawdust City’s Viva La Stout (chocolate raspberry cookie) or anything in Rorschach Brewing Co.’s

BREW ITLF E YOURS Decadence Series—this line is their excuse to indulge in excessively luxurious beers that remind them of iconic desserts (e.g. salted caramel, candy cane, coconut rum). If you are a chocoholic, be sure to try beers like Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, Flying Monkeys’s Chocolate Manifesto, or Wellington Brewery’s Chocolate Milk Stout. Chocolate is great, but my jam for a dessert beer is a fruity sour ale. There’s something about the sweet and sour combination in sour beer that I find really ends a meal well. One of my absolute favourite sour beers to share for dessert is a big bottle of Rodenbach Vintage. When it is available at the LCBO, pick one up and try it for dessert, as it brings amazing sour cherry flavour that will certainly blow your mind and end your meal on a high note. And of course, I wouldn’t be a proud citizen of Thunder Bay if I didn’t recommend you picking up some persians for dessert and enjoying them with Dawson Trail’s The Imposter Fruited Ale with Lactose. A match only made in our bay. Cheers to dessert beers!

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Food

Skip to the End

R SUPERIO SIP

Desserts to Drink

By Jeannie Dubois, Certified Pommelier and Sommelier

he days are distinctly getting longer as we wend our way towards the hope of spring eternal in our lovely little bay. However, cold winds will still blow intermittently for us here, so why not cosy up with something to sweeten the deal until the outdoors warm up just a wee bit more. Desserts are the drink to think about right now

Salted Caramel Kiss

Ingredients: 1 oz caramel syrup, plus more for rim sea salt for rim 1½ oz vanilla vodka (think Smirnoff) 2 oz Irish cream liqueur Method: Pour a small amount of caramel syrup in a shallow dish, and roll the rim of a martini glass in the syrup. Pour a small amount of sea salt in a shallow dish and roll the syrup-coated rim of the glass lightly in the salt. Drizzle a small webbing of caramel syrup inside the martini glass. Put the glass immediately in the freezer to set syrup while you mix the drink. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the vanilla vodka, Irish cream, and 1 oz. caramel syrup. Shake vigorously to combine. Strain into the martini glass and enjoy!

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Peach Cobbler Cocktail Ingredients: brown sugar for rim crushed graham cracker for rim ¾ oz hazelnut liqueur (think Frangelico) ¾ oz peach vodka (think Cîroc) ¾ oz heavy cream fresh peach slices for garnish

Method: Dip the rim of an old fashioned (also known as rocks) glass in hazelnut liqueur then dip in a combination of brown sugar and crushed graham crackers. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice combine peach vodka, hazelnut liqueur, and heavy cream. Shake well, and strain into the rimmed glass filled with ice. Garnish with a peach slice and drink your dessert!

during the blustery days of winter’s denouement, and all the spirits companies are currently serving up bottled sweets that encompass all the building blocks of great baking (with a kick). All that is additionally required to make that perfect after dinner drink is a great garnish and a little flair with the cocktail shaker—et voilà, dessert is served!

The Banana Split

Red Velvet Cocoa

Method: Web the inside of a cocktail glass with chocolate syrup. Put in the freezer to set. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice add pineapple rum, banana liqueur, coffee liqueur, and whipped cream. Shake vigorously until frothy. Strain into chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a skewer of pineapple, strawberry, banana, and maraschino cherry.

Method: Place milk, cocoa powder, sugar, and chocolate chips in a saucepan set over medium heat. Whisk frequently until the cocoa powder and sugar have completely dissolved, the chocolate chips have completely melted, and the mixture is hot (but not boiling). Add the Baileys and vanilla extract and stir until heated through. Transfer to two mugs and top with marshmallows or whipped cream as desired.

Ingredients: chocolate sauce for rim 1 oz pineapple flavoured rum (think Malibu) ½ oz banana liqueur (think McGuiness crème) ½ oz. coffee liqueur (think Kahlúa) 2 oz whipped cream fresh sliced pineapple, banana, strawberry, and maraschino cherry to garnish

Ingredients: 2 c whole milk 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 2 Tbsp granulated sugar ¼ c semisweet chocolate chips ½ tsp vanilla extract ¼ c Baileys red velvet Irish cream marshmallows or whipped cream to garnish

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Food

Rose Thai

New Thai Restaurant Opens in Port Arthur By Susan Pretty

oses aren’t just f o r V a l e n t i n e ’s Day anymore. On December 18, June Htoo opened her new Thai restaurant, Rose Thai, at 59 Court Street North, directly across from The Courthouse Hotel. A nod to her middle name, owner Htoo says that Rose Thai is definitely a family affair. “Food is a big part of my family,” she says. “My family loves food and we love to cook!” The menu currently features around seven dishes, pared down to the family favorites. This is deliberate—Htoo wanted to take a cautious approach to the market. As a new entrepreneur, this 26-year-old spared no time researching and overseeing all the components of starting a restaurant, from

finding just the right location to renovations. Dubbed “the world best spring rolls” by the colleagues at her day job, Htoo’s version of the crispy deep-fried morsels contain potatoes, which is a delicious and samosa-esque fusion. “The pad thai is one of the top sellers,“ Htoo says, and it doesn’t take more than a glance to figure out why. Plentiful chicken, tofu, peanuts, and rice noodles are mixed with a homemade sauce, sealing the deal. Also top on the list is panang curry, with lots of veg, bamboo shoots, and steamed jasmine rice. The spice level is kicked up a notch with the pad krapao, Thai basil pork served with a fried egg. Htoo’s advice is to get “some rice, some pork, and some egg in every bite.”

Soup lovers will enjoy kwiteo, which is a Thaistyle pho noodle soup. “It takes a long time to make,” Htoo says, explaining that the long simmering period extracts the best flavours out of the bones. Htoo and her hardworking family give thanks to everyone who came out to support their new restaurant. “We are working as a family to serve our homemade food with high quality. We want everyone to get the experience of the most authentic taste of Thailand.”

Follow Rose Thai on Facebook or Instagram at @rosethaicuisine for more information.

 Salad rolls

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 Kwiteo (Thai-style pho noodle soup)

 Pad Thai

 Pad krapao (Thai basil pork)

 Panang curry

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“Hopefully bringing in younger and more diverse audiences, while also staying true to the patron base that has been so loyal to us for so long.”

Returning Home Thunder Bay’s Alexis Rowlinson New Magnus Theatre GM

Story by Matt Prokopchuk, Photo by Scott Hobbs

n the excitement of learning she’d been hired to help lead her hometown’s professional theatre company, Magnus Theatre’s new general manager Alexis Rowlinson says her thoughts also quickly turned to her winter wardrobe. “Definitely I needed to buy

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some warmer clothes to come back,” she says, laughing. Rowlinson, who was born and raised in Thunder Bay before heading to southern Ontario a decade ago to attend school and start her career in the professional t h e a t r e i n d u s t r y, w a s

announced as Magnus’s new GM on January 12. In an interview with The Walleye two days later (a day that, as if to underscore her point, saw the city under an extreme cold warning), Rowlinson says she’s thrilled to be coming back north. “It was really exciting for sure, and it’s so great to be back here with my family and in this region,” she says. “I’ve seen many shows at Magnus over the years and am always impressed by the quality of work that they’re putting out; I was also really excited for the opportunity to come here and work with [artistic director] Thom [Currie] and the incredible staff here.” While Currie will continue to oversee the theatre’s artistic and creative direction, Rowlinson says her duties will be more geared to the administrative side, including things like grant writing, overseeing finances, dealing with contracts, and a host of other day-to-day operations. She has worked with some major theatre companies already, including a sixseason stint at the Stratford Festival, where she held a variety of positions. With that experience under her belt, Rowlinson says “one of the joys” of taking a senior role at a relatively smaller organization is that “you have the opportunity to contribute in a lot of different departments.” Magnus Theatre’s new general manager Alexis Rowlinson

Rowlinson says continuing to foster more connections with other local arts and culture organizations and businesses is among her priorities, as is “hopefully bringing in younger and more diverse audiences, while also staying true to the patron base that has been so loyal to us for so long.” And, of course, being ready to safely reopen to live performances when COVIDrelated public health rules allow. “Our first priority is definitely keeping our staff and our artists and our patrons safe, and we’ve continued to do that throughout the pandemic,” she says, pointing to the theatre’s ongoing sanitization, environmental health, and social distancing measures. Those efforts saw Magnus operate at reduced seating capacity, even when the province temporarily relaxed those restrictions for indoor performances— something Rowlinson says will likely continue for the foreseeable future. And playing her part in the theatre’s future is something Rowlinson looks forward to. “I’m just really excited to be here […] and to work with Thom and the team here and to help carry Magnus forward.” For all the latest on Magnus Theatre, visit magnustheatre.com

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Save Pond Hockey Finnish Initiative Takes to the Ice to Stop Climate Change

Steve Baynes, CEO and co-founder of Save Pond Hockey

By Kris Ketonen

Finnish organization is hoping Thunder Bay hockey fans will help play a role in the fight to end climate change. Save Pond Hockey was launched in 2015 by Svante Suominen and Vancouver’s Steve Baynes. The organization came to be after Suominen—who discovered a love of pond hockey in university— realized the winters in his home country were changing, when compared to those of his youth. “We remembered that winters were different,” Suominen, Save Pond Hockey president, says. “The pond hockey season was way longer, back then. Then we started to think that we must do something, and that’s when we decided that ‘hey, let’s combine playing pond hockey and fighting climate change.’” Baynes, who began playing pond hockey when he moved to Finland, says he comes at the issue from the academic side. “I’ve been studying environmental studies, and sustainability, throughout my bachelor’s and master’s degrees,” says Baynes, Save Pond Hockey CEO. “And through that, I’ve done a lot of reading and learning about climate, and climate sciences. That was a big part of my motivation for trying to connect hockey and climate.” The organization recently

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Screenshots from the short documentary Saving Pond Hockey

attracted the interest of filmmaker Jonas Julian Köck, who made a short documentary titled Saving Pond Hockey, which tells the story of Suominen and Baynes. “We’re absolutely thrilled with what Jonas put together,” Baynes says. “Every time I watch it, I get tingles again, because it’s so well-made.” Save Pond Hockey has run a number of pond hockey tournaments across Finland since it

was formed—participants have included Stanley Cup champions, Olympic medalists, and even Finland’s president. The tournaments have raised funds for climate change initiatives in the host communities. And now, they’re going international, with the first out-of-country tournaments scheduled to take place in Germany and Canada in 2022. “The idea is to spread the movement to all the hockey-playing world,”

Suominen says. “We are super eager to get more countries, and more towns into this.” And, Baynes says, Thunder Bay would be a great fit for a Save Pond Hockey tournament. “We would love to see a Save Pond Hockey Tournament happen in Thunder Bay,” he says. “If there are any folks that are passionate about hockey and climate…please get in touch with us.”

“hey, let’s combine playing pond hockey and fighting climate change.” For more information, or to watch the documentary, visit savepondhockey.org.

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Ericksons LLP and Randall Johns are excited to be part of his daughter Jacquie’s return to Thunder Bay and opening of her new business – Uncommon Baked Goods. Look for her delicious baking at the Goods & CO. Market later this month and find her on Instagram @uncommon.bakedgoods. Congratulations Jacquie! Ph (807) 345-1213 | ericksonsllp.com

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All the Daze's troupe during a rehearsal

Once Upon a Mattress All the Daze Returning to Local Stage Story by Sara Sadeghi Aval, Photo by Ryan Hall

ll the Daze will be returning in 2022 with one grand production of Once Upon a Mattress, a musical comedy written as an adaptation of the classic fairy tale The Princess and the Pea. The company’s creative director Marcia Arpin is hoping to reunite cast members of all ages for a chance to perform on the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium stage in May of 2022. The musical theatre production includes music by Mary Rodgers and Marshall Barer. Originally opening on off-Broadway in 1959, the show quickly

moved to centre stage and was even later adapted for television. The show is set in a fictional medieval 15th century Europe, where comedic chaos ensues within the royal family. “I remember seeing this play as a kid and knowing I wanted to recreate this imperfect princess,” Arpin says. The cast will include actors, dancers, singers, and production team members ages seven and up. Auditions will be held in February of 2022 and the theatre troupe is working diligently with local and provincial COVID regulations and protocols.

“[The restrictions] ask us to stay creative as we modify our traditional program delivery and focus on small group rehearsals,” Arpin says. With a large production such as this, lear ning opportunities are also bountiful, and performers will be able to develop their individual skills, learn about the creative process, and “worry less about the product,” says Arpin. She adds the group intends to use their three months of rehearsals to also spend time “being imaginative, silly, and building a kingdom from their imagination” for

the stage. The company will be working in collaboration with the TBCA, and although the ultimate goal is getting their production on the stage for a live audience, Arpin is adamant that regardless of the future, there will always be a need for youth programming. “We are grateful to the TBCA for giving us a venue to play in and appreciative of each opportunity to spend moments together. I will always find ways for individuals to express themselves creatively. I have been doing that for 30 years and I don’t intend to stop.”

“I remember seeing this play as a kid and knowing I wanted to recreate this imperfect princess.”

More information on the production can be found on www.allthedaze.ca.

The Walleye

FilmTheatre

Movies and Desserts By Michael Sobota

lot of screenwriters and directors have a soft spot—or a sweet tooth—for featuring desserts in their movies. They might be the focus of a scene or merely a character element that reveals something important about who they

really are. Desserts in movies tend toward the simple: ice cream, cakes, pies. But some take those basic ingredients and whip up something that becomes near movie magic. Here are four films that memorably use desserts as essential story elements.

THE T D MOS SECONURABLE S PLEA G WE THIN HE DO IN T . DARK A COLUMN ABOUT MOVIES

Cake. Chocolate cake. You slithered like a serpent into the school kitchen and ate MY PERSONAL CAKE! -Principal Trunchbull (Pam Ferris) to Bruce Bogtrotter (Jimmy Karz) in Matilda

The Battle of the Century (1927)

Director Clyde Bruckman made a black and white comedy in the silent era that has become a legend. Crafted as a vehicle for Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, much of the film has been lost. What footage remains is the best cream pie fight ever captured on screen. There are many films with pie fights. and Bruckman is the master builder and model for them all. Beginning with a simple banana peel drop on a sidewalk outside a bakery, he carefully, slowly orchestrates the action. The deadpan stops, pausing to see the effect of a splattering cream pie, are magnificent. He adds sound effects, making each splatter seem like an enormous fart, and carefully builds the pie flinging with logic and intention (not random mayhem) until finally we see the entire street populated with people flinging pies. His conclusion returns to that original banana peel slip trick for a snappy, classy ending. To see this excerpt, simply google it.

Matilda (1996)

Danny DeVito directs and stars in this screen adaptation of Roald Dahl’s wickedly funny children’s story. It’s about Matilda, her family, her primary school, a kind teacher, and a monstrous principal. The quintessential dessert scene has Principal Trunchbull forcing overweight student Bruce Bogtrotter to finish eating a giant chocolate cake from which he had previously stolen a piece. Thruchbull thinks this is punishment until Bogtrotter devours the entire thing with sensual, slapstick glee.

Marie Antoinette (2006)

Sofia Coppola, directing her own screenplay, gives us a retelling of the virgin queen— engaged at 14 and married at 15—with all her quirks and kinks. The film’s colour scheme is slathered in pastel blues and pinks (cinematography by Lance Acord). The court intrigues are slathered in more human colours, with lots of adulterous scenes in bedrooms and boudoirs. Just about every scene features desserts and almost the entire ensemble eats one or more, like punctuation to their declaiming. There are even delicate creations just for Marie’s dogs.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Wes Anderson directed his own script developed from the writings of Stefan Zweig. Set in the imaginary Grand Budapest Hotel, with its concierge, M. Gustav (Ralph Fiennes) and his lobby boy, Zero (Tony Revolori) it is essentially a fast-paced caper film involving the theft of a painting (Boy with Apple) and the murder of a rich heiress. In the heart of the hotel is an exquisite bake shop where the mysterious Agatha (Saoirse Ronan) constructs the most delicate dessert, the Courtesan au Chocolat. This creation becomes a major plot device in this most fulsome, aromatic film. I consider it Anderson’s best.

And here are six more stories on screen with sweet treats to entice our favour: Singing in the Rain (1952, a girl jumps out of a cake), Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life (1983, an after-dinner mint), Pulp Fiction (1994, a milkshake), Hall Pass (2011, a quartet of golfers and pot brownies), The Help (2011, a “hot… chocolate pie”), and The Florida Project (2017, kids and ice cream).

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FilmTheatre

rans people have always been an integral part of the queer community. Not only are they a fundamental part of the gay rights movement, but they’ve also paved the way for many drag performers throughout the years. Trans drag queens are an equally important part of the drag community and without them we would not have such a thriving and diverse drag scene today. In Thunder Bay, there’s one trans queen that stands out in my mind. I’ve been working with her since she started on stage and continue to do so to this day. Her name is Tharona Shade. Tharona Shade (a. k. a. Samantha Dion) was born in Kingston, Ontario and moved to Thunder Bay in 2013. With zero intention of ever becoming a drag queen, Shade got involved in the queer community and started regularly attending drag shows. “My drag queen friend, Onya Boyszdii, was performing in a show and I was so stunned and impressed he managed to push himself to do it,” explains Shade. “I said I would never do drag, but thinking back, it could’ve been a repressive fear of being seen as feminine. I would eventually be approached and asked if I would want to get into drag because I was always up on stage or in the crowd dancing up a storm, but seeing my friend go through with it really encouraged me to sign up for Wig Wars.” Generally, most (but not all) drag queens are cisgender gay men dressing up as a larger-than-life female characters for the purpose of entertaining an audience; however Shade is trans woman who does drag. In drag, Shade is a fierce 6’6” glamazon goddess ready to entertain. But out of drag, Dion lives her life off stage as a woman. “Tharona is still very much an extension

Confessions Of a Drag Dealer Superstar Cheerleader Story by Jimmy Wiggins, Photo by Keegan Richard

of Samantha,” explains Shade. “The biggest difference is eccentricity. Tharona wears bolder and more vibrant makeup, has stage presence and is more outgoing, while Samantha is the kind, sweet and reliable girl everyone wants to be friends with. Despite the name, Tharona aims to be kind and supportive to everyone she interacts with. I feel like a superstar cheerleader encouraging everyone to be comfortable with themselves and just have a good time.” Once the show is over and the stage lights come down, most (but again, not all) queens take off the wig, the heels and the makeup and live their lives as men until the next show. They perform as a female character while identifying as male, whereas trans queens, who also perform as the over-the-top female character, identify as female and live their lives as women. “Drag is not an identity. Drag isn’t done every single day, 24/7,” explains Shade. “Drag is

a performative and artistic outlet, just the same as music or performance art.” For most queens, there’s a distinct line between drag and self where the two don’t usually mix but for some, drag can be part of their journey of self-discovery and help figure out who they really are inside. “Drag can and has been an angel in disguise for people like myself to find their trans identity. I am immensely thankful for my drag when it comes to my trans identity. I don’t feel I would be where I am today without it,” says Shade. “I never realized the impact it would have on me as I continued to perform because I would take a lot of my experiences home with me—from how I felt in drag or being feminine to the compliments I would receive to even just things like having my nails done and the nails still being there after drag. These all added to an ‘omg’ moment for me. Drag was basically the catalyst to untying this huge, messy knot of repressed feelings and identity.”

With the pandemic crippling the entertainment industry, drag performers all over the world have been forced to move almost entirely online to stay connected with their fans. While some performers can’t wait to get back to the stage, some have been making the most of this change and have used the virtual arena to help make a difference in people’s lives. “Since COVID, I got into keeping my art alive through content creation on Instagram, TikTok, and most of all, Twitch,” says Shade, “I get to be an artist, an entertainer, and a role model for my community. The amount of encouragement I’ve received has been tremendously amazing. I’ve built an online platform and community and pay the same respect back to those looking to be inspired by authenticity. I’ve learned through doing drag that I can inspire people to be themselves and to be unapologetic about who they are.”

Tharona Shade (a. k. a. Samantha Dion)

“Drag is a performative and artistic outlet, just the same as music or performance art.”

Follow Tharona online @ tharonashade.

The Walleye

TheArts

Shuniah Spun

Family Duo Creates Handmade, Locally Sourced Wood Products By Chiara Zussino

econnecting with joy— in conversation with Kayeleigh Laroque and Lorne Gleeson, the creative minds behind Shuniah Spun, it becomes increasingly apparent that this is their underlying raison d’etre for their side business. Laroque reveals that, growing up, she was always that kid who was fixated by art. “I’ve been creating forever,” she says. “As long as I can remember, I’ve used that as an outlet to express myself. My dad facilitated my love of drawing and creating because he is extremely artistic and I slowly began to realize that my body and mind had that connection and ability. So I leaned into that.” Laroque always intended on becoming an artist. As she grew up, art class was her favourite. “I did art all throughout high school and if you were to go through my grade school book where it asks you ‘what do you want to be?’ every single year I had written ‘artist,’” she says. However, upon her high school graduation, Laroque recognized that for her, art would not prove to be a fiscally responsible career path and so she turned to nursing. Feeling burnt out after a few years in nursing, Laroque turned to art and creating in her spare time as a way to rekindle her joy with the passion that she had let

go of. “My husband had bought me a woodburning tool as a Christmas gift prior to my pregnancy and put it in my stocking. I was so confused as to why he had bought me this at the time because I didn’t even know how to use it,” she says. “During my maternity leave, we had gone on a few adventures and collected some driftwood logs and I decided to use the wood burning tool to engrave the log with my last name and put it on our porch to decorate.” Shortly after posting a photo on Facebook, Laroque says all of her friends and work family loved her driftwood log art and wanted one for themselves. This sparked her interest in creating a side business with wood burning. “One day my dad brought home this bowl that my uncle Lorne [Gleeson] had made and he thought I could burn something on it,” says Laroque. From there, Shuniah Spun became a reality—and a family collaboration. Gleeson explains the wood he uses comes from his property and he is fully involved in the process of cutting down the tree, milling it, and drying it for years before spinning it into a bowl, cutting board, or even wooden spoons. He also mentions that he is entirely self-taught in wood

“We have to do what we don’t like in order to concretely figure out what we do. For me and my uncle, this is a way to connect with what we enjoy.” 36

The Walleye

lathe, relying on books to guide him. “I’ve always been into woodworking. I built my own house 50 years ago and roughly six years ago got into wood turning because my brother-in-law was into it and it looked like fun,” Gleeson says. Speaking with Laroque unravels a beautiful truth. As she so perfectly puts it, “We have to do what we don’t like in order to concretely figure out what we do. For me and my uncle, this is a way to connect with what we enjoy.” Figuring out what truly does not mesh with our lives gives us a sense of clarity and reinforces seeking out opportunities to do what we love—even if that means taking a risk or pursuing our passion in a way that was not initially foreseen.

Shuniah Spun products are available exclusively at Seasons in the Country. Find them on Facebook and Instagram @shuniahspun.

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TheArts

Emmi, sitting pretty in the snow

Hashbrown, in the tall grass

Jose, at Thunder Bay & District Humane Society

Levi and Finn, brotherly love

Marcie, leaping logs

Molly, splashing in Superior

Molly, waterdogged at camp

Scooby, king of the hill

Paw Patrol

Bob Menard Captures Goofy, Majestic, and Loving Pet Personalities

A AND THOUS DS WOR

Story by Bonnie Schiedel, Photos by Bob Menard

nyone who has tried to get a knockout photo of their pet knows how hard it can be, what with all the barking or hiding or racing around. Bob Menard of Tuff Scruff Pet Photography takes it all in stride though, capturing everything from exciting action shots to beautiful portraits where an animal’s personality shines through. His favourite moments tend to be an animal on the move. “I get to capture something

The Walleye

that is the essence of the animal, so to speak, and capture moments that we don’t get to see with the human eye. And I think that’s maybe what draws people to hire someone like myself to take photographs of their pets, because when a dog is in full-blown motion [you] don't see the facial expressions that they make; you don’t get those split-second interactions and some of the some of the faces that I capture are

absolutely priceless.” Menard, who is selftaught, got into photography in the early 2000s while working as a freelance graphic designer and web designer in southern Ontario, taking his own shots when clients needed product photography. That interest later came in handy with his volunteer work with various animal charities, where he would take promotional pictures of animals who were up for adoption. “It just kind of

ballooned from there,” he says, when people started calling and asking for pet photo shoots. Tuff Scruff Pet Photography really got off the ground in 2016, and he brought the business with him when he returned to Thunder Bay in 2018. Today, Menard takes pictures of a variety of pets: dogs, cats, budgies, hedgehogs, tegu lizards, bearded dragon lizards, and snakes. Getting the shot does involve a few tricks of the trade (and treats), but “for the most part, it’s patience. It’s letting it happen organically and not forcing anything because then you just end up stressing out the animal. And it shows in the pictures; it shows in the end result.” In addition to pet

photography, volunteering and fundraising for local animal organizations continues to be a priority for Menard. “Every animal deserves a home, and there’s a home for every animal. And if you can get just that slightly elevated version of a photograph out there for any kind of local organization that is in the business of adopting out animals, of fostering, that picture seems to make a difference. And so for me, it's just a matter of getting those animals into homes. That’s the ultimate goal at the end of the day.” Visit Tuff Scruff Pet Photography @tuffscruff on Facebook or at tuffscruff.com.

TheArts

Skye, comin’ atcha

Sofi, portrait of a water dog

Sully, at home in the woods

Titan, a portrait

Aria and Emma, fall hike at Kamview

Dora, boudoir beauty

Tech Specs

Nikon D850 and D800 Nikon 70-200mm F2.8, Nikon 24-70mm, Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 Dehydrated beef liver (to encourage good behaviour)

 Photographer Bob Menard

Meghan Arpin

Cooper and Milo, at the Tree Farm

TheThe Walleye Walleye 39 39

TheArts

Fire of Beltane Handmade and HammerFormed in Kaministiquia

Story by Leah Morningstar, Photos provided by Derek Grizans

he Walleye readers were first introduced to Derek Grizans and his partner Lisa Haessler several years ago in an article about the off-grid straw-bale house they were building. The good news is, the house is now mostly built. The even better news is that Grizans has a small workspace in a corner of that cosy straw-bale house reserved for jewelry making. Grizans has always been a handyman. He’s always enjoyed working with his hands (and brain) to identify a problem and find a solution. He often says, “if I can’t buy it then I make it” and that mentality has served him well living off-grid. Whether it’s needing to adapt the chicken coop for winter or keeping the deer out of the gardens in the summer, Grizans is always willing and able to solve a problem. A couple of years ago, Grizans was looking for a gift

for his partner—specifically a nice necklace or some earrings. He knew what colours and style she had always preferred but he couldn’t find anything that fit the bill. And while an inability to find the right jewelry isn’t a major problem, it was a problem nonetheless. Grizans spent time “experimenting and trying things out and learning about the various tools and their uses.” He made some beautiful gifts for his partner and other people took notice as well; they wondered where they too could obtain something similar. The artist explains that much of 2021 was spent building an inventory, refining techniques, and participating in craft sales. After a couple years of experimenting and refining, Grizans can say confidently that copper and brass are among his favourite and most used materials. He uses

 Grizans’s tools for jewelry making

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small hammers to pound or etch simple designs into small sheets of copper or brass, then cuts the sheets into shapes, which are then affixed to wire and beads. With regards to beads and other decorations, Grizans is fond of “anything that’s pretty” but tends to gravitate to “recycled glass beads, jade from B.C., Baltic amber, and lapis lazuli.” In the future, Grizans plans to keep refining his skills. He wants to try working with silver and he wants to branch out from earrings and necklaces. There is talk about rings, more masculine designs, and maybe even handmade fishing lures. Grizans loves conceptualizing and bringing his ideas to fruition. “I strive to create earthy and natural Find Grizans on Instagram @fireofbeltane.

one-of-a-kind designs with texture and patterns taken directly from nature’s geometry,” he says. A simple walk through the property reveals a dew drop on a blade of grass, the intricate veins of a maple leaf, and the spiral of a fiddlehead unfurling into a fern. Inspiration is all around. And as long as Grizans continues to make his home out in the country, he’ll never be lacking inspiration from the natural world. A gift for his partner has turned into a gift for us all.

“I strive to create earthy and natural one-ofa-kind designs with texture and patterns taken directly from nature’s geometry.”

 Derek Grizans and his dog Moki in Kaministiquia

Change your future with us. Start a new career in counselling. Flexible, part-time and full-time opportunities.

I recently joined the Counselling/ Psychotherapy team at Thunder Bay Counselling. It’s a dynamic and supportive working environment, with opportunities for professional development and personal growth. My co-workers are friendly, and go out of their way to make a positive workplace. I really enjoy engaging with the community, which makes my role both meaningful and rewarding. - Rafaela Jobbitt, Counsellor/Psychotherapist

Learn more: careers@tbaycounselling.com

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TheArts

HE FROM T BAY R E THUND ERY’S LL ART GA TION COLLEC

Tabahon

By Penelope Smart, Curator, Thunder Bay Art Gallery Artist: Michael Patrick Title: Tabahon Date: 1980 Medium: Moose hide, caribou knuckles, and caribou leg bone Dimensions: 28 x 18.4 cm Collection of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, From Our Hands Collection, gift of the Ontario government, 1985 abahon, from the word “tabahoning” or “threading,” is a Cree and Ojibway game. Traditionally made from caribou—including the

bones, knuckles, and hide— tabahon involves threading a (leg) bone through knuckles and scoring points for how many you get in a toss. While this toy came to our collection in the 1980s, tabahon is a super fun game that people still play, and artists and makers still make. There are more than ever who are learning the game passed down through generations. In any season, but especially the depths of winter, tabahon is great to play in person or over Zoom. Based on YouTube videos, the knuckles make

a great shaking and jingling sound, and it is immensely satisfying to get a full stack. In 2021, tabahon became a tool for cultural awareness with the initiative known as “Tenona’s tabahon.” Stan Wesley and his family from the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory began to share their love of the game with others in support of Every Child Matters (learn more at tenonastabahon. ca). Inaugural tournaments even cropped up this summer, which speaks to the game’s natural ability to bring people together and spark friendly competition.

The tabahon is on display at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery as part of the exhibition Indigenous Ingenuity. This interactive exhibition, in partnership with Science North and the Montreal Science Centre, highlights other Indigenous games such as lacrosse. If you and your family are looking for a new game to discover, or want to learn about old ones made new again, Indigenous Ingenuity embraces the spirit of knowledge exchange and play. Indigenous Ingenuity runs until February 21.

“Tabahon is a super fun game that people still play, and artists and makers still make.”

The Walleye

Outdoor

Sub-Zero Heroes

A Die-hard's Quest for Gills and Glory Story and photos by Chad Kirvan Using an old-school rod

Home sweet home

ike it does in most cases, our day of ice fishing starts the night before. This is when my fishing partner Craig Smyth and I use our brute force to get his 1996 Skandic Ski-Doo started and up on top of his truck. It should be a relatively easy task, but when the temperature drops below -25°C things get a bit tricky. Suddenly, ratchet straps won’t open unless you use your bare hands, and your bare hands won’t open because it’s too cold. You can see the dilemma. But with persistence, elbow grease, and a bit of foul language, we are able to

The Walleye

Craig Smyth’s 1996 Skandic Ski-Doo

get the truck loaded up and ready for our early morning departure. As usual, 6 am arrives sooner than expected, and yet somehow right on time. My day begins with an almost ceremonial dance where I fumble around in the dark, stretching and pulling layers of spandex and wool over my fully formed fisherman’s body. This goes on for several minutes before I hop into my snowsuit, grab my gloves, and head outside. Stepping into the bitter cold for the first time comes with an onslaught of physical and emotional pain. All at once

The author’s essential supplies for ice fishing

Outdoor I’m struck with the realization that the next 12 hours of my life will be spent in extremely low temperatures. To be a successful ice angler you must accept this truth. Your deep desire to catch fish must outweigh your longing for warmth—otherwise, you’ll spend the rest of your day praying for a thermal saviour that will never come. Luckily, Smyth has arrived just in time to help me over this emotional hurdle. He rolls down his passenger window, flashes his boyish smile and hollers “Let’s strike!” I respond to his mantra with a battle cry of my own. “Heck yeah!” I scream at the top of my lungs. It’s a piercing sound only the neighbours wouldn’t love, marking the start of our bloodthirsty hunt. Together, the two of us embrace a snowstorm as we drive around town collecting a few last-minute essentials. Once we’ve loaded up on gas, coffee, and minnows, we meet up with Steve and Dan Flank to convoy out to the lake. It takes about 90

Out for a rip

minutes of snowploughs, squalls, and songs before arriving at our destination—a nearly overgrown snow machine trail that leads to pickerel paradise (or walleye wonderland, depending on where you’re from). In an instant the team switches into work mode. Feverishly, we rip gear from the trucks, pile it into toboggans, and pull the snowmobiles down to the ground. Smyth primes the engine of his faithful Skandic and heaves on its pull-cord

Craig Smyth’s first catch of the day

until the machine awakens with a loud roar. We climb aboard and begin cruising down the narrow corridor of trees with frost-filled helmets and high expectations. Suddenly the trees give way and before us sits an endless sea of ice and snow. Today Mother Nature is in full force, and she demonstrates her superiority with a blizzarding blanket of white. The intense stor m makes it nearly impossible to see, but Smyth won’t surrender. Instead, he pins the throttle and leads

the group forward into the abyss as if guided by an internal fish compass. In a matter of minutes, we’ve arrived at our top secret fishing location, and everyone is eager to get set up. The growl of our ice auger can be heard for miles as it chews countless holes through the thick ice. Our shelter is popped up, our chairs are pulled out and our lines plunge down into the depths of the lake. Then, for a while, nothing. Not a sound, not a whisper.

Until suddenly a scream fills the icy air. “Fish on!” Dan yells, his jubilant voice echoes across the lake with pride. “They’re here!” Steve exclaims with excitement. Soon all our lines begin to tighten, our eyes widen, and our hearts pound. We reel and laugh in the cold winter shade until all of us have caught our pickerel limits. It was a day we’ll always remember, a spot we’ll never share, and a sport we’ll never quit.

All set up for ice fishing

“Not a sound, not a whisper. Until suddenly a scream fills the icy air. ‘Fish on!‘” The Walleye

CityScene

Stuff We Like

For Family Day

By Amy Jones

f there’s one thing that families have in common, it’s that they’re all unique. And that means Family Day— the mid-winter holiday meant to give us something to look forward to during the long stretch between Christmas and March Break—will look a little bit different for everyone. So, whether you’re spending the day with your kids, your parents, your partner, your chosen fam, your furry pal, or just yourself, remember Family Day is a day for all of us, so celebrate accordingly! Here is Stuff We Like for Family Day.

1 Sea Change Inside Up Games insideupgames.com Sea Change is the familyfriendly version of local game company Inside Up’s popular Gorus Maximus, a tricktaking game for 1-8 players that can be played “player versus player” or in teams. It’s available in English or French, and 1% of the proceeds of each game sold will be donated directly to charities working to clean up our water.

$20

Frontier 5FT Toboggan 2

Toy Sense 447 May Street North/ 309 Bay Street Is there a more classic family activity than tobogganing? This beautiful, handcrafted toboggan is designed and built to be passed on through generations. Made of Ontario ash hardwood, it features a 1.5”-thick waterproof polyester pad and a premium braided pull rope that’s easy on the fingers. See you at the hill!

$249.99

$24.99

6 LED Projector The Power Centre 707 Memorial Avenue The whole world can be your movie theatre with this CineBeam LED projector from The Power Centre. With Bluetooth sound, wireless projection, and 2.5 hours of battery life, you can watch your favourite movies and TV shows anywhere, any time!

$649.99

7 Picnic Set Kitchen Nook 168 Algoma Street South Who says you can’t have a picnic in February? This picnic set has everything you need to take your meal outside (or just to the living room floor), including plates, cutlery, glasses, and napkins. And the best part? No ants!

4 Pizza Kit The Bakeshop on Boundary 920 Boundary Drive, Neebing Turn Family Day into an athome pizza party with this pizza kit from the Bakeshop on Boundary! This kit includes two large artisan pizza dough balls and a package of their house marinara. Just add your favourite toppings and bake!

8 Ruffwear Hydro Plane

Starting at $92.99

$120

Chaltrek 404 Balmoral Street Don’t forget Fido this Family Day! If you’re like us and your pooch is a part of your family, make them feel included in the day’s activities with this soft, lightweight Ruffwear Hydro Plane disc from Chaltrek. As easy on your dog’s mouth as it is on your hands, this disc promises hours of play (and, hopefully, a subsequent nap!)

$34 8

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Leah Nadin and Catarina Tolone tarantellathunderbay.com Sometimes all you really want to do is curl up with a good book. If this describes the littles in your life, check out Tarantella to Thunder Bay, the first children’s book about Italian immigration to Thunder Bay. Written by Leah Nadin and illustrated by Catarina Tolone, the book explores the importance of cultural identity and preserving traditions— maybe reading it will help spark a new tradition in your own family!

3 Faber Snowshoes Gear Up for Outdoors 894 Alloy Place If you’re looking for a new outdoor activity this Family Day, why not try snowshoeing? Gear Up for Outdoors has lightweight, easy-to-use, and durable Faber snowshoes for the whole family—even those little feet!

Tarantella to Thunder Bay 5

Superior Strains A Closer Look at Kush

CityScene BIS CANNAER N COR

By Justin Allec

he modern cannabis industry owes it to Kush. This strain, perhaps more than any other, had the genetic resiliency that allowed cannabis to flourish in North America. As one of the original landrace strains, Kush’s journey began along the Hippie Trail to the Hindu Kush mountain region of Afghanistan and Pakistan. When this indica strain was imported to Florida and California in the early 1990s, it quickly became the backbone for growers looking to produce tasty, potent strains that could thrive in our harsher climates. Along with its resiliency, Kush also offers what a lot of people want with a cannabis experience. Kush looks like cannabis should, for starters. It’s nearly the idealized vision of a cannabis bud, with chunky, knobby, deep green colas highlighted by hints of purple surrounded by bronzed pistils. And it doesn’t take much Kush to be feeling that warm, comfortable sedation topped with just a hint of uplifting euphoria. It’s calming, it’s enjoyable, and it sends your anxiety packing. As well, it’ll trigger

“It’s calming, it’s enjoyable, and it sends your anxiety packing.” your munchies, hard, but that shouldn’t be too much of a problem because your couch will have a hold on you for the evening. While hybrid Kush strains each offer their own terpene personality, in general they have strong flavours with traces of pine, citrus, fuel, and pepper. This is thanks to the prevalence of caryophyllene, limonene, and myrcene terpenes, which also come through in the taste. Given the ubiquitous nature of Kush, it's not surprising that there are dozens of strains that have benefited from its hearty genetics. Here are three strains offered by the Ontario

Cannabis Store that are some of the best examples of Kush strains out there: Queen West ‘94 OG Kush (21.00%–27.00% THC, 0.00%–0.10% CBD, $12.84/g) OG Kush is the “original g a n g s t e r, ” s o n a m e d because it was one of the first strains derived from the mountainous region. Voted by High Times readers as one of the best strains ever, OG Kush offers that ideal cannabis consumption experience by sending you both inward and outward on relaxing waves. Featuring a shockingly funky taste with hints of lemon and diesel,

this version by Queen West is grown in dirt and processed by hand the old-school way for a caring cannabis experience. San Rafael ‘71 Pink Kush (20.00%–25.00% THC, 0.00%–1.00% CBD, $11.40/g) OCS offers about five different brands of Pink Kush, but San Rafael have proven themselves over the years, as evidenced by this strain. Closely related to OG Kush, Pink Kush differs by being even tastier, if that’s possible. The “pink” in the name refers to the milder terpene profile, which subs in linalool and limonene for

a sweeter, lavender flavour. It’s a milder, dreamier experience overall. Redecan Cold Creek Kush (17.00%–23.00% THC, 0.00%–1.50% CBD, $5.36/g) This one’s a bit of a cheat, as this strain is a grandchild of Kush. Derived from strains of MK Ultra and Chemdawg, Cold Creek Kush has many of the same features as a premium Kush at a better price. This is a potent strain in all regards. A strong, dank smell almost overpowers the earthy flavour, with hints of sour pine. Get ready for a long-lasting heady experience that matches the Kush legacy.

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Jousting activities

Members of the Shire of Mare Amethystinum participate in log tossing

Shire of Mare Amethystinum

THE SIASTS H ENT U

By Deanne Gagnon

ray attend good gentles one and all, draw near and hear the tales of the Shire of Mare Amethystinum in these Current Middle Ages. Picture it: lords and ladies clothed in elaborate 17thcentury historical attire, a jousting battle ensuing to your left, spinning and weaving techniques creating the most intricate styles to your right. Suddenly, a hush Members practicing combat

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falls over the crowd—the king and queen have arrived. Welcome to the Shire of Mare Amethystinum, part of the global non-profit Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), where medieval times are brought to life. The local shire is a branch of Northshield Kingdom, one of many kingdoms across the globe. It was a love for fantasy and ancient England and

Wales that attracted Jennifer Bradley, current seneschal (president) of the shire to the SCA. “I got into the magic of being transported back in time. It’s almost an emotion too,” she says. “You know, things that make you happy—you get very enthused with it and want to know more. How did they do that? Where did this technique come from? I can take part of my modern

life and find out the history behind it.” During non-COVID times there are two regular activities in the shire. The first is arts and science night, where everyone brings a project to work on and enjoys socializing. The other is fight practice, where members practice fencing, use swords, or joust in full armour, learn to make the armour, or simply enjoy

spectating. There is also the opportunity for youth to learn fighting techniques (using pool noodles) or join the page program, learning what children’s jobs would have been in Middle Ages society. Currently, during the “plague,” the community meets online monthly. “There is a lot of room to explore people’s passions and gain a better understanding of history.

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“I got into the magic of being transported back in time. It’s almost an emotion too.”

Members at a feast

You don’t really understand fatalism until you’re standing on the battlefield next to a bunch of armored guys and someone yells at you and you’re like ‘who’s that?’ and they are like ‘it’s the king!’” says Scott Bradley, history buff and sole local member to have achieved knight accolades. Bradley’s interest in the SCA originated in his home state of Ohio in 2000 after, much to his family’s chagrin, he switched from a computer major to history major in university. His curiosity and passion for history drove him to learn sword fighting and introduced him to the

immersive medieval world of the SCA. The shire is hosting an event in May about experiential arts and sciences, including demonstrations of how to cook over an open fire, blacksmithing horseshoes, swords, and nails, and the use of a bead furnace made from clay. Another event will be held at the end of June with fighting and even possible royal presence.

For more information check out their Facebook page @ShireofMareAm or sca.org.

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CityScene “Our passion for thrifting definitely comes from the thrill of the hunt and being able to modify your wardrobe without breaking the bank!” D SECONES CHANC

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Secondhand Sustainability Weyward Sisters and the Art of Modern Thrifting By Kelsey Raynard

hrifted, antique, secondhand, vintage. Today, buying clothes and houseware that have been previously owned is becoming more and more prevalent. The reasons for thrifting are as varied as the thrifted items themselves. Many people are opting to spend their money on upcycled goods for sustainability reasons—not only are the majority of our clothes made from synthetic, petroleum-derived materials, but the culture of “fast fashion” means the excessive purchasing and discarding of trendy clothes is filling up our landfills faster than ever before. On a more practical level, many shoppers opt for thrifted goods as they are more affordable and have become a fashionable trend in their own right. Typically, secondhand shopping is done in person at large thrift store chains or in small, locally owned thrift boutiques. Enter the Weyward Sisters. In 2018, Robin Panizza, Katherine Pohjolainen, and Laura Pudas launched their very own Instagram page dedicated to showcasing and reselling curated vintage wear. “Our passion for thrifting definitely comes from the thrill of the hunt and being able to modify your wardrobe without breaking the bank! Thrifting always brings something new, and it's so fun to see all the wild pieces that are out there and dream up the stories behind them,” they explain. However, the Weyward Sisters stress that the importance of buying secondhand can have a

dramatic impact on both a local and international level. “Sourcing items secondhand is a more sustainable option when it comes to buying anything. Many items donated to thrift stores end up at a landfill, so we love the idea of giving these items a second chance and in turn reducing textile waste and decreasing the strain on the environment.” The Weyward Sisters have expanded their business to include an inperson shopping experience at Pretty Fly co. on Algoma Street. While their collection is influenced by their three individual tastes, they share a love of practical, northern fashion. “This includes things like outerwear, structured denim, and well-made pieces that are both functional and fashionable. We always look for classic vintage items, paying special attention to garments composed of natural fibers which are typically a lot more durable and have a longer lifespan,” Panizza says. Pictured here are some locally sourced, thrifted items you can expect to see from the Weyward Sisters in February: a vintage wool bush jacket ($45), 1995 Nordic Games crewneck sweatshirt ($35), vintage cream cotton denim jeans ($35), and genuine leather Canadian-made lug sole boots ($40). To support Weyward Sisters and score thrifted pieces such as these, follow @weywardsisters on Instagram and check out their wares at Pretty Fly co.

 Robyn Burns modelling Weyward Sisters’ locally sourced, thrifted items: vintage wool bush jacket ($45), 1995 Nordic Games crewneck sweatshirt ($35), vintage cream cotton denim jeans ($35), and genuine leather Canadian-made lug sole boots ($40)

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Denise Atkinson and her partner Marc H. Bohémier, owners of Tea Horse

Thinking Outside the Pot

Tea Horse Creates Industry First with Roasted Wild Rice Tea By Adrian Lysenko

p e c i a l t h i n g s a re brewing at Tea Horse. Denise Atkinson and her partner Marc H. Bohémier, the owners of the artisanal tea company, have created a unique product blending tea with wild rice harvested in northern Manitoba, calling it ManoominCha.

The inspiration for their new tea came from genmaicha, a Japanese tea consisting of green tea mixed with roasted brown or white rice. “I’m Indigenous, so we’re a certified Aboriginal business because I’m the majority owner of the company. So we decided to do our

own take on genmaicha,” Atkinson says.“The word ‘manoomin’ is ‘wild rice’ in Ojibway—my dialect—and ‘cha’ is ‘tea.’”

For more information, visit teahorse.ca.

“We’re the first in the industry to do it with wild rice. We’re the first in the industry to blend roasted wild rice with tea,” Bohémier says. “So we have a lot of firsts.”

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WALL SPACE

A finished package of ManoominCha, featuring the logo designed by Anishnaabe artist Kevin Belmore.

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“We went from [being] just resellers of tea to getting a little bit involved with wild rice. Now at the end of last year in 2021, we were part of the harvest in northern Manitoba; we were at the processing plant in northern Manitoba,” Bohémier says. “We both participated in the harvest and the processing.”

“It’s really about honouring the grain itself and showing the versatility, sort of an alchemy,” Bohémier says. “It’s really an extraordinary product that’s sustained people for millennia in parts of North America.”

“We have two types of green tea. Usually we use a bancha [pictured left], which is Japanese green tea. We also use a tea called hojicha [pictured far right], which is a roasted Japanese green tea. And we roast the wild rice,” Bohémier says. “So we have a secret ratio of how much tea to wild rice and then we combine the two teas and we also sell just the roasted wild rice, which we call Manoominaabo [pictured middle].”

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Carlito’s Café New Gaming Spot Opening on East Side By Sara Sadeghi Aval

S “A gathering place for people of all ages and skill levels to rent board games and enjoy local food.”

Carlito’s Café is aiming to open on January 31st. Stay up to date with the café on Facebook.

eventeen years ago, at the local popular gaming store of the time, Chris Talarico gained the nickname Carlito. “There were too many Chrises, so I got Carlito,” explains Talarico. Not only did the name stick, but so did Talarico’s love of board games. Now, he has combined his passion for gaming and his 20-plus years of experience working in restaurants to open Carlito’s Café, located at 301 Simpson Street. Talarico bought the location four years ago and has been personally renovating it ever since. From the custom-built shelving to the teal and crisp white interior, Talarico is taking the future of organized play in Thunder Bay in his own hands, literally. The owner is envisioning a “gathering place” for people of all ages and skill levels to rent board games and enjoy local food (that won’t get the board messy). Talarico’s goal is to bridge the gap between avid gamers and newcomers. While his hope is to start off with game rentals and quick and convenient food, hosting gaming events is next on his list. Team tournaments for games like Pokémon and Magic

the Gathering would be the perfect place for teams or individuals looking for live action. “I want to remove the intimidation of starting a new hobby and be as accommodating as possible for anyone who walks in,” Talarico says. “There aren't a lot of events-driven businesses in Thunder Bay, especially on our side of town. But there is a need and drive for it.” His priority is to create a “safe, open, and welcoming” atmosphere. Talarico’s personal favourite board game is called Set, a skill-testing card game centered around creating patterns. The café will host a wide variety of tabletop games including a special section devoted to Inside Up Games, a local board game design company that now distributes Canada-wide. They will be launching their eleventh original game this month. “I want to collaborate with other local businesses as much as possible so we can offer something for everyone,” Talarico says. The café will also boast coffee from a local roastery, buns and pastries from bakeries in town, and other locally sourced produce and ingredients.

For more information call 623-2353 54

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Childcare in COVID Times By Rachel Rizzuto, Research Manager, Northern Policy Institute

OVID-19 has disrupted many of our daily routines and for families with young children, the balance between work and home has been thrown out of order. For example, Statistics Canada found that for the “one in four parents and guardians who were using childcare and reported difficulty finding childcare,” it was because of the pandemic. Challenges like this can put a strain on parents and guardians in terms of labour force participation and of course, the ability of children to play and socialize with others safely. In 2020 in Northwestern Ontario, there were 91 active licensed childcare centres and just over half of them

could be found in the Thunder Bay District Social Services Board (DSSAB) area. Furthermore, the majority of active centres in the Thunder Bay DSSAB area offered multiple program options. In terms of the employees w o r k i n g a t c h i l d c a re centres, the median wage of a daycare worker in Northwestern Ontario was $21.65/hour, slightly higher than the $20.00/hour for Ontario and Canada. For live-in childcare givers, it was much lower: $16.52/hour and $15.63/hour for Ontario and Canada, respectively. As the pandemic continues and long after it, keeping childcare front of mind is a must.

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With Timo Puiras

EYE EYE TO

As told to Adrian Lysenko, Photo by Shannon Lepere

ross-country skiing is in Timo Puiras’s blood. The head coach of the National Development Centre Thunder Bay (NDC) grew up on the Lappe Nordic Ski Club trails with his father, Olympian Reijo Puiras, showing him the ropes. The Walleye caught up with Puiras while he was in Canmore, Alberta for Olympic trials to talk about how the pandemic has affected athletes, his early memories of skiing, and how he unwinds when not coaching. On advice he gives to people looking to get into cross-country skiing: For beginners it’s just good to get out and rent some equipment or get some basic equipment and enjoy the two main facilities we have here in Thunder Bay, which are Lappe Nordic of course and Kamview, with a number of smaller facilities like Tapiola and Kakabeka, for example. But I think it’s just being brave enough to try it. For me, I’ve been doing it my whole life so it’s hard for me to give much more advice than give it a shot. On how the pandemic has affected athletes, especially those vying for the Olympics: We didn’t really get to race last winter at all in Canada, so that stunted the growth of a lot of athletes within their professional career. So we’re seeing that some athletes are able to deal with that better than others, and those who are dealing with it well are performing well. But it certainly did have an effect on a number of athletes for sure.

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On his early memories of cross-country skiing: My parents started the Lappe ski centre out there, so I grew up right there on the ski trails. I was probably two years old when I first started skiing. My father was an Olympic cross-country skier himself, so [I had] no direct lessons that I can think of, but because crosscountry skiing was just such a big part of our lives, it was dinner table conversation many, many nights of the year. So all those lessons come innately or naturally, and I still use those today. On how he unwinds when not coaching: I have a pretty big family, so I’m not sure if unwinding is ever in the cards [laughs]. But I do enjoy doing a number of different activities with my kids. We do hikes, play in the backyard, and do all kinds of different things, so that’s what I enjoy the most. On what he’s bingewatching: We’ve actually been watching Cobra Kai on Netflix, so that’s been our thing right now. It’s pretty good. It’s sports-related. I grew up with those Karate Kid movies, so it’s fun to watch. On a skill or hobby that he enjoys: I do enjoy carpentry. In the summertime I’ve been building a camp building, sort of a post and beam or a timber frame building at my camp. Carpentry is something that I enjoy and that’s actually something that helps me unwind. I think I just like building things with my hands. I had carpentry jobs throughout high school and university in the summer.

 Head coach of the National Development Centre Thunder Bay (NDC) Timo Puiras stands in front of the sauna he built on his property

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Thunder Bay’s Country Market Store

AL GO LOC R E D N THU NTRY U O C Y BA T MARKE

Story by Lindsay Campbell, Photos by Olivia Bosma

hunder Bay’s Country Market Store has been a familiar fixture amongst the bustle of small businesses renting space inside the CLE’s Dove Building. For business owners who don’t have the resources to invest in a full-time booth, the store allows their products to be available to the usual crowd of bi-weekly market-goers. “Throughout the pandemic—especially after the first shutdown— we have seen the store pick up several vendors who left their full-time booths for a variety of reasons,” says the market’s manager April Mercier. “We have so much talent in Thunder Bay, so whether it be artisans or producers, it’s important to provide them with an option that works for whatever stage they are at as entrepreneurs.” COVID-19’s toll on global supply chains has exposed the need for thriving local businesses.

The market store is woven into the fabric of Thunder Bay’s regional economy, Mercier adds it’s been validating to see timeless support from residents who have continued to come back despite the turbulence over the past two years. Prior to 2019, when the Thunder Bay Country Market Association took over operating the store, it was started and managed by an independent vendor who wanted to offer more diversity at the market. What began as a shop featuring a handful of products such as bread, coffee beans, and sock monkeys has evolved to currently feature about 20 different local businesses. This includes notable local names like Roots to Harvest, Heartbeat Hot Sauce, and Bare Organics. And though the location at the market has also changed from being in the building’s front foyer to expanding onto the first floor of the market to the top floor, Mercier says the intent

of it has remained the same. Janice Sinclair, who has been a vendor with the store for about five years, has seen the value in it. Sinclair, the brains behind the Secret Society of Sock Monkeys, once had her own booth in the market displaying her handmade cloth stuffies. But after making a transition to a full-time job, she decided she would apply to be a business showcased in the market

store to maintain visibility. “I still have people talk about my booth and my monkeys and how much they love the market. It is essential for a community like Thunder Bay to have this local quality market where they know they can support local and get incredible products,” she says. “[For me,] it is more about having a community presence and sharing in a local tradition.”

“We have so much talent in Thunder Bay.” The Thunder Bay Country Market Store is open during market hours on Saturdays from 8 am until 1 pm and Wednesday from 3:30 pm until 6:30 pm. Those interested in applying to be a vendor within the store can visit thunderbaycountrymarket.com.

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This is Thunder Bay Stories and photos submitted by readers

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we asked The Walleye’s readers about the most romantic thing someone has done for you.

“The most romantic thing the man pictured above has done for me (thus far) is to ask my father for my mother’s wedding band when he was planning his proposal. Backstory: my mother passed away when I was very young and my parents had a modest wedding and modest rings. My father gifted both his and my mother’s wedding bands to my now-fiancé James before the proposal, so he surprised me with the engagement ring of my dreams, a proposal at Centennial Park, and my parents’ wedding bands that we hope to have melted down into my wedding band for our big day. It was the best day.” - Jayme

“My hubby and I met 13 years ago and we were friends for a long time before we discovered what we were truly meant for. On one of our first dates he named a star after me. Yes, okay, this may sound corny, but it was one of the sweetest moments of my life. Fast forward to over 12 years later and we have a beautiful baby girl. Heaven-sent, no doubt. One of her favourite songs is “Twinkle Twinkle.” Life is wonderful. We love each other and our stunning girl to the moon and back.” - Laura-Beth

“The most romantic thing that’s happened to me was a week before [last] Christmas. I came home to lit candles all over the house, my fave record on, dinner in the oven, and a surprise on the Christmas tree! He had tied my engagement ring on the tree with ribbon like a new ornament (right next to the Christmas family tradition of the hidden glass pickle so it would make me laugh too). He then told me I was the love of his life and he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me and asked me to marry him! Of course I said yes, and we’re still celebrating!” - Sarah

“My partner and I like to go cycling together and for my birthday this year he randomly found a tandem bike and got it for me so we could bike together, and he also bought me a picnic lunch. So we tandem rode to the park and had a picnic together on a lovely summer day and if that isn’t cute I dunno what is.” - Laura

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“The most romantic thing someone has ever done for me was honestly just love me the way I deserve. With my current partner I feel the most loved that I ever have in my life, and he's 100% a safe space for me. I never feel self-conscious or judged around him, and he's helped me grow and become a better, more confident version of myself.” - Melissa

 “The most romantic thing someone has done for me was when my boyfriend (now husband) proposed to me at our favourite historical house in Duluth, Minnesota in our favourite room (the Breakfast Room) with the most gorgeous ring that he had picked out months prior. I had no idea he was even thinking about marriage…and that element of pure love given to me in that moment when I didn’t expect it made me speechless (literally).” - Kirstin  “These are some pics from four years ago on Valentine’s Day. My now-fiancé surprised me with a snow cave that had candles all around it and a fire pit. He took a month to build it and I had no idea. It was a day I will never forget! We got engaged in September and still have engagement pics to get done. We were thinking the theme could be just like our Valentine’s Day four years ago.” - Crystal

“My husband proposed to me under the Eiffel Tower and then took me for champagne and cheese and then a manicure. I routinely wake up to little notes he leaves me by the coffee maker with little doodles. I had one of those turned into a necklace.” - Alicia

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Music

Blue Rodeo Travels Many A Mile The Iconic Canadian Band Finds Joy Again Story by Amy Sellors, Photo by Dustin Rabin

“T

here’s a joy and a healing in playing.” Those are the words of Blue Rodeo’s Jim Cuddy as he envisions the band’s current tour. On February 28, 2022, Thunder Bay audiences can once again hear one of their favourite bands live at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium. In many ways, the audience knows what they are going to get. “What the audience can’t anticipate is what it’s going to be like being with each other,” Cuddy says. “We feel that from the audience, too. People are reacting so strongly to everything because they forgot what

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this experience is like— to appreciate something together, with everybody.” COVID-19 has been an isolating experience, and although “we’re all in this together,” we’re all in this together separately. “That physical sense of gathering together, of being together, is now an unexpected joy. People are going to be shocked by how excited they are. They think they know what they’re getting, but they don’t.” Many A Mile is Blue Rodeo’s latest album, and their first release in five years. The title comes from a lyric in Greg Keelor’s song “The Opening Act.”

To Cuddy, the title was appealing “because it seems like the band has a lot of miles on our bodies and our voices. We have covered a lot of ground, especially in Canada. ‘Many a mile’ appeals to me as a badge of accomplishment.” This record wouldn’t have happened without COVID. The pandemic provided an opportunity for the band to take a break, to rest, and to heal. Prior to COVID, Blue Rodeo’s future seemed to be touring intermittently. Both Cuddy and Keelor were recording solo records, but the pandemic inspired them to create another Blue Rodeo album. “We were just

really anxious to make music together, and that propels you forward in unusual circumstances.” Cuddy and Keelor had to experiment with how to make a record in isolation, and it was easier than they thought. Keelor worked with multi-instrumentalist Jimmy Bowskill, James McKenty, and Ian McKeown in Cobourg, Ontario and Durham Region. Cuddy worked with Colin Cripps and Tim Vesely in Toronto, re c o r d i n g t h e s o n g s acoustically and then bringing people in to record one at a time. “When we ended up with the full

record—mastered and mixed—in our hands, Greg and I had never been in the same room together,” Cuddy says. But when a band has been together for over 35 years, they develop a shorthand. They can anticipate what is needed instrumentally, even when they’re not in the same studio. The two were very much in sync as they created independently. “We both wrote tour songs. And we had no idea. We never played anything for each other. Our songs came to each other fully formed.” In these tour songs, Keelor travels west and Cuddy travels east. “Greg and I

are very dissimilar people but have lived very similar lives. These coincidental connections keep popping up. It was just as astounding for me. There is definitely an instrumental and qualitative difference to our songs, and I think that is good. They still sound like the same record, but they’re different. Greg’s songs are more lush with more movement. Mine are more focused and acoustic.” “Maybe Greg and I should not interfere in each others’ songs anymore, because this seemed to work out,” Cuddy adds, laughing. “It just was a completely random experience.” While the album feels influenced by the pandemic, it is rarely about COVID. “I’m not just thinking about COVID. I’m thinking about everything. I’m barely listening to the news; I’m roaming my imagination for things I want to write about,” Cuddy says. He has a country place north of Toronto, where he wrote most of his songs sitting in the same seat. “Sitting on this couch, looking out over the pond. Watching winter come through, spring come through, summer come through, and then we started making this record. I have never sat in one place and watched this painting change.” It inspires all sorts of things, he says. And with nothing happening, there’s nothing to write about except about

what your inner thoughts are telling you. There’s no action. “Other than that, you really just had the fields of your imagination.” Cuddy began our conversation by asking about the recent fire that destroyed the Finnish Labour Temple and sharing that he is excited to revisit Kangas Sauna. “We love going to Thunder Bay!” he says. “I’ve had so many good gigs in Thunder Bay with the band and on my own. I once toured with my trio to Red Lake and Atikokan. It’s beautiful! Truly an undiscovered treasure.” Planning a tour in a pandemic brings challenges. While the January dates are postponed to March and April, February feels realistic. “People are so appreciative of being entertained. And we are so appreciative of being able to play. Playing music is a public service and it needs to happen as soon as possible.”

Join our family of artisans, producers, farmers & bakers at the Thunder Bay Country Market:

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Step-by-step instructions at tbcm.ca/become-a-vendor or call April at 807-622-1406

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“What the audience can’t anticipate is what it’s going to be like being with each other.” Visit tbca.com for more info.

Wedding Planning Party Sunday February 27th, 2022 11:30AM - 2:30PM

PARTY FROM HOME early-bird pricing until February 10th!

TOGETHER ONLINE We provide the kit. You & your crew get together at home. Sign in online and hear from local experts to help you plan your big day!

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Music

Kimberly Durflinger

TBSO E PROFIL

Section Violin, TBSO

Story by Kris Ketonen, Photo by Ray Arzaga Born: San Diego Instrument: Violin Age you started to study music: Piano at age 11 How long have you been with TBSO: Since October 2021 What’s on personal playlist: Progressive rock, techno Violinist Kimberly Durflinger may be one of the newer members of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, but she’s already certain joining the symphony was a good decision. “Everyone has been incredibly kind,” she says. “The audience, too, for the orchestra—they are really loyal, and they always show up, and they’re supportive.” Durflinger, who was born in San Diego, didn’t start playing the violin until about age 12, after a year learning piano. “I first started piano because my mom had always wanted to play it,” she says. “Honestly, I hated practising piano. I would just never do it.” It wasn’t long before Durflinger was introduced to the violin, at a Nutcracker performance she attended with her mother. “Instead of watching the dancers, I was like ‘oh my god’ at the orchestra pit,” she says. “I was like, ‘what’s making that beautiful sound?’ And my mom was

Local Roots. Friendly Approach. Helping You Move.

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like, ‘oh, those are violins.’” Durflinger begged her parents for a violin, and received one the following Christmas. “I just kept going from there, and kept practicing.” There was, however, some uncertainty when it came time for Durflinger to start pursuing her post-secondary musical education. “The more I learned about classical music, the more I realized you kind of have to start super early, and have really good teachers from a young age, especially for violin,” Durflinger says. “A lot of people start when they’re four.” Durflinger hedged a bet, keeping her grades up and applying to nonmusic programs, just in case. However, Durflinger was accepted into the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music, and then went on to earn her Master’s at McGill University in Montreal. A friend was playing with the TBSO at the time, and told Durflinger “really good things” about the orchestra. So Durflinger applied, and officially joined the TBSO in October 2021. “ I t ’s b e e n a r e a l l y heartwarming experience,” Durflinger says. “I’m so glad, honestly, that this is my first full-time orchestra job.”

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Music

Four Valentine’s Day Songs

G BURNINE TO TH SKY

“Cupid” - Sam Cooke

“Funny Valentine” - Frank Sinatra

By Gord Ellis

One of the enduring images connected to Valentine’s Day is Cupid, a cherubic angel that pierces couples with his bow and makes them lovestruck. Cooke, one of the most expressive soul singers of the late 1950s and early 1960s, apparently wrote the song for someone else to record, but then kept it for himself Now, Cupid if your arrow make a love storm for me I promise I will love her until eternity I know between the two of us her heart we can steal Help me if you will. The song was a huge hit on both sides of the Atlantic and became a signature song for Cooke. It has also been covered by artists as diverse as The Spinners and Johnny Nash.

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he roots of Valentine’s Day are murky and trace back to both the Catholic church and Roman Empire. According to one legend, an imprisoned St. Valentine sent the first “valentine” greeting after

As singers known for their love songs go, few can even get within the orbit of Frank Sinatra. His ability to bring lyrics to life and to play with melody was legendary. And when he sang, he wore his heart on his sleeve. That ability made his love songs powerful and heartbreaking. The great jazz standard “Funny Valentine” is gorgeous and yet somehow dark, and Sinatra sings it like a man who knows he is too far into an affair to get out without a broken heart. But don't change a hair for me Not if you care for me Stay, little Valentine, stay Each day is Valentine's Day. The arrangement and vocal convey a nuance the plain printed word can’t, which is the sign of a great performance. For another, more modern take on the song, check out the YouTube video of trumpeter Chris Botti and Sting covering the song in performance. Sting’s wife Trudie Styler is the focus and seems entirely smitten.

he fell in love with his jailor’s daughter, who had visited during his confinement. B e f o re h i s d e a t h b y decapitation, it’s alleged he wrote the young lady a letter signed “From your Valentine.” Needless to

“Lovin’ You” - Minnie Riperton

This may not be a song that jumps to mind as a Valentine’s Day go-to, but the words to “Lovin’ You” leave little doubt that it deserves to be here. Lovin’ you is easy ‘cause you’re beautiful Makin’ love with you is all I wanna do Lovin’ you is more than just a dream come true And everything that I do is out of lovin' you. Then there is the performance, so light and lovely and almost childlike. Riperton sings like a woman so madly in love the birds never stop chirping (as they do on the recording!). Sexy and innocent collide here in a perfect way. Plus, her “lalalalas” and siren-like high notes never get old.

say, the expression is still in use today. Valentine’s Day, and the romantic love it celebrates, has spawned some classic songs. Here are four favourites.

“Valentine's Day” - Bruce Springsteen

As mid-career left turns go, Bruce Springsteen’s 1987 album Tunnel of Love is right up there. Gone are the anthemic, everyman rockers, replaced by odes to doubt, age, marriage, and infidelity. Springsteen wrote the album during a time of marital discord with his first wife and it shows. Yet the quiet and hesitatingly hopeful “Valentine’s Day” closes the album, an ode to the potential of true love—even if it is bittersweet. So hold me close honey say you’re forever mine And tell me you’ll be my lonely valentine. Springsteen has rarely performed the song live, for reasons only he knows. But there is a gorgeous, solo piano performance from 2005 on YouTube and it exposes the heart of this beautiful song.

Happy Valentine’s Day, lovers.

Music

Midnight Forever

Chris Corey Chases Down Dream of Making Music By Jamie Varga

he last handful of years have literally taken Chris Corey across Canada to chase down his dream of making music. Raised in northern Ontario, he recently transplanted himself to the West Coast to finish up his debut album, Midnight Forever. which will be released this coming spring. Corey’s genre can be described as folk-country, alternative, and indie-pop,

although he doesn’t lock himself down to anything in particular. Listening to his songs from 2019 until now, however, there is clear progress into whatever his eventual destination will be. "[Midnight Forever] is really a mixed bag of everything,” he says. “I tried to pull from a variety of influences on the newer tunes. I didn’t want to hold back thinking something wasn’t possible.” As seems to be the new

way of things in the digital music age, Corey plans to release the album one single at a time, with the final song accompanied with a video to platform the final assembly. The process started in November with the release of a single called “Storms We Face,” and another at the end of December called “Bragging Rights.'' These two tracks so far are enough to keep me interested and as each month passes until

the final reveal there will be another new song made available. Much of what you will hear on the tracks is Corey himself. In addition to writing the songs, he performs much of the accompaniment with some guest appearances from other artists along the way, all of which was finished up at Monarch Studios in Vancouver.

“I tried to pull from a variety of influences on the newer tunes. I didn’t want to hold back thinking something wasn’t possible.” For more information, visit chriscoreymusic.com.

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Music

Zak’s Starter Pack Youthful Bay Dream Rapper Offers Southern-Style Music Served Up North By Michael Charlebois

Rap artist Zakwithdapack (a.k.a. Zakary Southerland)

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he wave of southern h i p - h o p ’s h o l d on youth popular culture is making its way to Northwestern Ontario. Local rap label Bay Dream Records opened a recording studio late in 2020, and have ramped up their output in recent months. The rapper-producer combo of Zakwithdapack (a. k. a. Zakary Southerland) and Liam Maguire might be the combo brimming with the most potential. If hip-hop is a young man’s game, then the pair play it well. Zakwithdapack’s debut offering The Real Afro Samurai showcases skillful and juvenile rapping over trendy production. His raspy voice and constant use of ad-libs sounds overwhelmingly southern; although he was born in Thunder Bay, he moved to North Carolina during high school. “I’m still trying to discover my style, but [southern] is my style, at least that’s what I listen to,” Southerland says. “I always preferred that.” The use of electric piano tones, moody basslines, and funk guitar melodies makes his debut album sound closer to UGK than NBA YoungBoy, but Southerland says he’s influenced by both old and new school. “As a kid I always loved music, like my whole life has been kinda surrounded by music

even just with my family.” When Southerland moved back to Thunder Bay at 21, he began to hit a stride with his output. “I was basically just at home making music and I was like, ‘I need to find a studio.’ I went to a couple different studios, but didn’t really like the vibes,” he says. “The first time I went to Liam— ever since I went there I kind of feel like we clicked. We just became good friends.” He says the pair feed off of each other’s creativity in the studio. “I definitely look for advice [and] ask for criticism. I want someone to tell me what I can and can’t do,” he says. He states The Real Afro Samurai is just an introduction into what he has to offer. “I don’t really want [people] to take too much away from this,” he says. “I feel like it doesn’t even compare to the music I’ve made recently.” The label is young and ambitious, and Southerland says they have the work ethic to make a name for themselves. “We’re working every day, man. We got so much coming,” he says. “I’m not the type of person to talk shit, but I haven’t seen anyone here that compares to me, honestly.” The Real Afro Samurai is available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.

“I’m still trying to discover my style, but [southern] is my style, at least that’s what I listen to.”

VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA

CHRISTOPHER DURANG AND SPIKE BY DIR JULIE MACCOY

COMING SOON

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@CAMBRIANPLAYERS

There’s a lack of workforce information available about First Nations in our area.

At AETS, we’re working hard to change this.

We’re collecting information to help better match First Nation people with the right training and jobs.

GET PAID TO TAKE OUR LMI SURVEY www.aets.org/LMI Participants must be 15 years of age or older. Open to members living both on and off reserve from North Superior First Nations. Annual survey closes March 31, 2022.

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Music

Local musician Ryan McCulloch

Music by McCulloch Local Musician Releases Debut Album By Sara Sadeghi Aval

f it wasn’t for the pandemic restrictions, Ryan McCulloch believes his debut album would never exist. McCulloch began creating music when he was 17 with no musical training. Learning instruments like guitar and piano by ear, he quickly joined a band and began honing his talents. The young artist acted as principal songwriter in the group, which gave him the experience he needed to write, produce, and record his first solo album. “When the pandemic started, it forced me to write more introspectively.

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I stayed in the basement with my instruments and I thought, if you gave Paul McCartney two mics and GarageBand, he would still make a good song,” McCulloch says. Songwriting quickly became his closest ally during isolation, and the sheer amount of content he was able to create made him confident he could release his first collection of songs. McCulloch’s album, The State of the Union, consists of 10 songs that the musician himself describes as “rocky, folky, a little country, and alternative.” A heavy focus on guitar instrumentals and

McCulloch’s smooth voice creates the type of album you would play beginning to end on a lakeshore drive, or a lazy Sunday afternoon. “All music is deserving of someone to listen, but genres box you in. I’m influenced by other musicians.” McCulloch says that PlayBoi Carti is part of the inspiration behind his beats. “I want a ‘PlayBoi’ Bruce Springsteen [sound],” explains McCulloch, juxtaposing the hip hop/ rap artist with the American singer-songwriter. His favourite song off the album? The last track,

“Your God Loves You”— s u r p r i s i n g l y a p u re l y instrumental finish to the collection. “It’s the only song where I really shut up,” he says. ”I remember recording the guitar line and my friend looked at me and I knew this was it.” He enjoys recording with others present to feed off the energy in the room and get live feedback from his friends. The State of the Union is available on all major s t re a m i n g p l a t f o r m s . McCullough also hopes to release his next album in the summer of 2022.

“All music is deserving of someone to listen, but genres box you in. I’m influenced by other musicians.”

Follow McCulloch on Instagram @_ryanmcculloch_.

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Theatre

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807-623-2232

www.uniformpros.ca The Walleye

OfftheWall Reviews

Dawn FM

The Weeknd

Over a decade after the release of the iconic Trilogy series, The Weeknd continues to grow as this generation’s defining pop star—one who is much more interested in stretching the limits of his artistic vision into the galaxy than appealing to the popular crowd. Dawn FM is the latest chapter. It weaves an otherworldly radio program through maximalist pop grooves and a typically excellent vocal performance. Abel dives even deeper into his modern synth-pop bag with shades of Michael Jackson, Depeche Mode, and Swedish House Mafia across the board. If After Hours was the climax of his hedonism, Dawn FM finds The Weeknd confident in a new groove, drawing the line with his own actions. The stunning closer “Less Than Zero” sums it up. The maturity in his sound has finally caught up with his subject matter. With a renewed focus, The Weeknd might just be destined to become the greatest to ever do it. -Michael Charlebois

The Garden

The Boy Named If

Much like the plants in a fertile garden, artists are a product of their environment. Sometimes they bend towards the light or wilt in the dark, but most importantly, they’re always growing. On The Garden, Basia Bulat honours her artistic growth by re-recording a selection of 16 songs spanning her discography. While some tracks deviate more than others from the source material, each one has something in common, as they’ve all been updated with lush, ethereal string quartet arrangements. Bulat’s vocal performances dance, flutter, and soar so effortlessly alongside the strings that it feels like a work of divine serendipity. This synergy reaches its peak on “Go On,” the song’s refrain seeing Bulat and the quartet crescendo with a simultaneous sense of urgency that is utterly cathartic. While the roots of The Garden may be familiar, Bulat proves that even the most established, beloved gardens have room to grow.

It was Forrest Gump who said, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.” Well, that’s how I feel whenever I listen to new music by Elvis Costello. He is a genre-mixing musical phenom. Over the past 40 years, Costello has released rock, country, jazz, and classical albums. This 67-year-old Grammy-winner has just released his 32nd studio album, The Boy Named If. The music harkens back to his punk rock days of the 1970s. There’s an edge to many of the songs here. Most are guitar or piano rockers, with a couple ballads as well. Costello’s vocals and lyrics are as strong as they ever were. It is a struggle at times, however, to understand what Costello is saying. My favourite song is the melodic ballad “Paint the Red Rose Blue.” The Boy Named If may be a stretch if you are new to Costello’s music, but fans of his eclectic tastes won’t be disappointed.

Basia Bulat

-Melanie Larson

Crown

Eric Gales

Elvis Costello & The Imposters

-Gerald Graham

Let me show you how easy nding the right Mortgage can be.

The release of Eric Gales’s 19th album, the career-defining Crown, will definitely ensure the Memphis, Tennessee native a place atop the blues-rock world. This is deeply personal stuff. Gales speaks his unbridled truth about romance, vulnerability, substance abuse, racism, and hope built on sobriety and creativity. “I Want My Crown” opens with funky fretwork, then segues dramatically into a throwdown tour-deforce with fellow six-string firebrand Joe Bonamassa. The autobiographical “You Don’t Know the Blues” energizes a traditional shuffle with percussive chording and a soaring solo. “The Storm” and “Too Close To The Fire” attest to the fact that you can’t know discrimination until you’ve been its victim. The redemptive love of “I Found Her” glows with acoustic warmth. Peer acclaim aside, wider recognition of Eric Gales’s stellar, emotive guitar playing is long overdue. On Crown, Raw Dawg claims his title. -Ken Wright

Jessica Coley Mortgage Specialist

(807) 476-4867 jessica.coley@rbc.com

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Impaled and Rotting Liquefied Remains

Nothing subtle about this EP: this is gross, gross, gross metal all the way through. At first listen, I say, “Yummy!” Featuring members of global-grind outfits like Party Cannon and Secreted, Liquified Remains is locally anchored by VHS’s Mike Hochins. Imagine taking an average metal song and tuning it down to subterranean depths where the recognizable aspects of music like “riffs” and “vocals” become grinding, gory textures capable of unleashing your inner troglodyte and you’ll have some idea of this band’s sound. It helps that there’s considerable talent buried under all that offal. A song like “Experimental Mutations on Marsupial Wildlife,” for example, is a special kind of silly that easily slimes its way to being awesome: a killer B-movie sample sets the stage for a thrashy riff that pounds as hard as the programmed drums, all while some of the burp-iest vocals I’ve ever heard rattle in the background. It’s a fun time overall, even if you do feel like you’ll need a shower afterwards. -Justin Allec

Brightside

The Lumineers

Whether you are a fan of The Lumineers or not, I think it's safe to say that most people wouldn’t complain about being exposed to their music. They fall into a category I call “musical medicine” for these cold days of winter, like a hot chocolate hug after a day outside. A staple now in the musical genre of Americana, their latest album, Brightside, follows through on that prescription by giving us more of that comforting, calming, and just a little bit inspirational push we need from time to time. Starting out the gate at full pace, the title track sets the tone for what is to come, and songs like “Where We Are” and “Remington” only left me wanting more. -Jamie Varga

Storytime with Seth Rogen Seth Rogen

You don’t have to be a movie star to appear on this podcast—in fact, a good portion of guests are just really cool people with some badass stories to tell. Despite Rogen’s iconic “funny guy” persona, his rhythmic editing style and genuine interest shine through as he quite candidly asks each guest: “Do you have a great story? Cause I’d love to hear about it.” One episode, titled “The Crappiest Place on Earth,” discusses the importance of staying young at heart and how the guest found a love for mixing cola with milk. Another one, “The Ballad of Mount Doogie Dowler” (yep that’s really a place), talks about a bear attack in British Columbia that left a man nearly dead; it turns out the man is Rogen’s relative and the mountain where the attack took place was ironically named after his grandfather. Storytime with Seth Rogen is uniquely fun and shares weirdly relatable stories, all the while remaining positive and lighthearted. -Andrea Lysenko

Donut Fall in Love Jackie Lau

Donut Fall in Love by Jackie Lau has it all: love, doughnuts, and meet-cutes! The novel follows actor Ryan Kwok, who's back in Toronto after his mother’s death. He’s struggling to grieve, support his family, and deal with his father avoiding him. One day, Ryan literally bumps into baker Lindsay McLeod and knocks over two dozen of her specialty doughnuts. Even with this messy start, they are drawn to each other. When Ryan signs up to be part of a new celebrity episode of Baking Fail, he knows who he has to call to teach him how to bake. I love that the book is written by a Canadian author, that the story takes place in Toronto (a very romantic city in my opinion) and that it has a diverse set of characters with different cultural backgrounds. The story touches on tough issues like grief, racism, and online bullying, but within a wonderful rom-com package. This a-doughrable book is a lighthearted story about loss, love and, of course, desserts.You won't be able to take your pies off it! -Patience Marino-Hutton

Lunch, Dinner Apps & more:

(807) 623-8775 snpcatering.com @saltpeppertbay The Walleye

Architecture

The Renaissance Building By Laurie Abthorpe

The Renaissance Building features a mural by local artist Michael O’Connor

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engineered to accommodate two additional storeys should they be required in future. Designed by architect Carl Wirth in the Classical Revival style, the second storey maintains much of the building’s exterior Classical architectural features. Here we see a series of bays along the Victoria Avenue and Brodie Street façades, all divided by brick piers with recessed detailing and topped by stone caps. Within the bays, the mostly paired windows are separated with Tuscan orders and their un-fluted columns. The building’s flat roof is crowned with a cornice of Bedford stone, matching both the architrave above the orders and piers, and the still visible portion of the string course dividing the building’s first and second storeys. Missing, however, is the sizable ornamental band featuring dentil detailing originally found within the frieze of the building’s entablature (the area between the column capitals and the roof). At the time of construction, the ground

level corner suite was finished specifically to house the Bank of Hamilton, its first tenant. In typical bank style, the ground level suite was fashioned with an imposing stone faced entry, while the rest of the building’s façade used Milton pressed brick. Upon its completion in 1911 at the cost of $75,000, the Francis Block was touted to be the most modern building not only in Fort William but in all of Western Canada. Considered the centralized hub for commercial business and activity in Fort William, the commercial block even ran a specialized publication in the Fort William Daily TimesJournal, entitled the Francis Block Bulletin. A change of ownership in 1996 saw the building re-named as The Renaissance Building. At the time tenantship was quite low, and the new owners looked upon their venture as a rebirth not only for the building itself but the commercial area surrounding it as well. Inspired by Michelangelo's

“Francis Block was touted to be the most modern building not only in Fort William but in all of Western Canada.”  Francis Block Bulletin June 1, 1911

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Public Library

ocated at the corner of Victoria Avenue East and Brodie Street South is the Renaissance Building. Commissioned in 1910 by James Murphy, successful businessman, president of the Fort William Daily TimesJournal, and former mayor of Fort William, this building was originally named the Francis Block after Murphy’s youngest son, Francis (Frank) Murphy. This was not the first commercial block commissioned by James Murphy. The Murphy Block was built on Simpson Street in 1904, from which he operated the James Murphy Coal Company. The purpose of the Francis Block was to house multiple tenanted business rooms and office suites. Commercial activity was already well established on the site chosen for the Francis Block. The existing frame buildings facing Victoria Avenue were removed—mainly the landmark Beyer Shoe Shop— in order to construct this new fireproof brick and steel structure, a structure that was

Architecture Laurie Abthorpe is the heritage researcher for the Heritage Advisory Committee, which advises city council on the conservation of heritage buildings, sites, and resources, and their integration into development. For more information visit thunderbay.ca.

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum

The Creation of Adam, the building’s Renaissance theme was expanded to include its decorative mural added to the building’s frieze in the early 2000s. Now over 110 years old, the Francis Block/The Renaissance Building still continues its original use as a multi-unit office and commercial building.

 Brodie 1963 beginning construction of Canadian Inn later Holiday Inn  Corner of Victoria Avenue and Brodie Street in 1975

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum

 Victoria Avenue from May Street looking west showing Lorna Doone and Toole's Furniture store in 1959

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FebruaryEventsGuide

EVENTS GUIDE KEY General Art Food Sports Music

Due to ongoing and changing pandemic-related restrictions, we recommend checking for updates with each venue.

Individuals can sign up for one session or all four in February. See this month’s Top Five for more information.

Until February 6

February 1 to 28

theag.ca

Fort William Gardens

Fighting Walleye Ice Fishing Derby Various

Tbaytel proudly presents the Kam River Fighting Walleye Ice Fishing Derby in support of Our Kids Count. This month-long contest can make you a winner on the ice. All ages are welcome.

fightingwalleye.com

February 1 to 28

Waterfront District’s #findthelovetbay Contest Virtual

Find the Love Letters hidden around the waterfront BIA and enter for three chances to win BIA bucks to spend on you or a loved one. The contest runs on social media so be sure to follow the Waterfront BIA on Instagram.

@tbaywaterfront

February 2, 9, 16, & 23

Wellness Wednesdays Virtual

Thunder Bay Art Gallery’s community engagement coordinator Cynthia Nault is creating a new sharing space online for individuals looking to explore the physical, emotional, spiritual, cultural, and mental areas of their lives. The workshop will be built around the medicine wheel teachings.

February 4–6

Disrupt It Weekend

Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre If you’re a passionate entrepreneur looking for your big break, this is the event for you. Disrupt It Weekend is bringing like-minded individuals together for 54 hours. Bring your ideas to life and pitch your innovations for a chance to win $5,000. Tickets are $35 for students and $45 for general admission.

disruptit.ca

February 5 & 6

Love Local Virtual Market Virtual

Discover your new favourite creators from Northern Ontario during this virtual crafts market weekend. It’s hosted by Into the North Markets to bring you closer to small businesses.

intothenorthmarkets.com

February 6

Mini Snow People Activity: Winter FunDays 2022 Northwood Playfield

Enjoy an afternoon of winter activities and snowplay brought to you by Willow Springs Creative Centre.

Scotties Tournament of Hearts 2022

The Canadian women’s curling championship comes to a close this month. Watch your favourite teams and find out who wins on February 6. Ticket sales for the 2022 tournament have been suspended until further notice. Updates will be available online once the final capacity has been determined.

curling.ca

February 7

Northern Lights Trail Goes to the Dogs

Kamview Nordic Centre Bring your furry friend to this favourite trail and leave paw prints in the snow.

tbnordictrails.com

February 9-13

Good Love @ Goods & Co.

Goods & Co. Market Love is coming to the market in a big way. Enjoy five days of Valentine’s Day features at your favourite vendors, along with new specialty popups. Find the perfect gift for your Valentine and support local.

goodscomarket.ca

Until February 11

February 12

Virtual

Sleeping Giant Brewery Co.

Paws for Love Dog Rescue Donate $10 today and send a Valentine goodie bag to the Dew Drop Inn, Grace Place, Crossroads Centre and Faye Peterson House. All proceeds go towards supporting Paws for Love Dog Rescue so you can help a furry friend in need.

spreadthelovethunderbay@gmail.com

February 11

The Glorious Sons

Thunder Bay Community Auditorium The Kingston-born Canadian rock band is hitting the Thunder Bay stage with special guest JJ Wilde. Their Unfinished Business tour is back on the road and ready to make you sing along. Tickets must be purchased online.

tbca.com

February 12

Finndian Comedy Night

Port Arthur Royal Canadian LegionBranch 5 Enjoy an evening of stand-up comedy with Issu Rautsalainen and Ron Kanutski. Tickets are $20 and available in the Club Room or by phone. This is a 19+ event.

624-6996

February 13

4Play

Looking for a creative Valentine’s Day idea? Celebrate early with Sleeping Giant Brewery Co. and a day of touring the brewery, tasting local craft beers, and of course, chocolate. They’re even sending everyone home with a 4Play kit for you and your Valentine. See this month’s Top Five for more information. This event is pending registration.

sleepinggiantbrewery.ca

February 12

Expert Bike Mechanic Workshop

303 Simpson Street Join EcoSuperior and Community Spokes to learn intermediate mechanic skills to keep your bike on the road (or the trails). This workshop will cover a variety of maintenance knowledge topics. A light lunch will be provided. Contact EcoSuperior for more details.

kelsey@ecosuperior.org

February 12

DJ Big D’s Bday Bash The Foundry

Celebrate the birthday of Thunder Bay’s Best DJ, DJ Big D, and enjoy his musical stylings all night. Tickets are $5 at the door. This is a 19+ event.

thefoundrypub.com

PS4 Online

Internet Access ON

Network Priority OFF

tbaytel.net/homewifi

The The Walleye Walleye

Marina Park

The Community Arts and Heritage Education Project (CAHEP) wants you to get outdoors and energize your body through creative movement.

thunderbay.ca/ winterfundays

February 14–21

Fiber Week North House Folk School

This special week-long event celebrates fibre art in all shapes and sizes. Listen to speakers, watch crafting demonstrations, and create your own designs with spinning, knitting, felting, sewing, or beading. Finish the week with Fiber Friday, and meet fellow creators and instructors. Over 10 fibre art courses are available.

northhouse.org

February 14

15th Annual Valentine’s Day Memorial Walk for MMIWGMB Virtual

Alongside family and community members, honour missing and murdered Indigenous and Metis women, girls, men and boys. Facebook Live stream begins at noon. This event is in collaboration with Thunder Bay’s Full Moon Memory Walk.

facebook.com/groups/ FullMoonMemoryWalk

thunderbay.ca/ winterfundays

Pause their screen time for family time

74 2

Creative Movement: Winter FunDays 2022

Usage

February 20

February 25

February 27

Marina Park

Co.Lab Gallery (Goods and Co.)

Westfort Playfield

Ice Fishing: Winter FunDays 2022 Enjoy a day of ice fishing at Prince Arthur’s Landing. This event is suitable for new and advanced fishers. All equipment will be provided.

Dog Sledding: Winter FunDays 2022

Ziibaaska’iganagooday: The Jingle Dress

Anishinaabe artist Christian Chapman is bringing his exhibition home and bringing forward local Indigenous community members dressed in their thunderbay.ca/ jingle dresses to share winterfundays the message of healing. Until February 21 Chapman is renowned and holds space in the National Indigenous Archives of Canada art Ingenuity collection. The exhibition Thunder Bay was most recently Art Gallery showcased at the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation Thunder Bay Art Gallery’s Gallery in 2019. There most interactive exhibit will also be a reading by yet is still on display 592037_Northern Turf Leanna Marshall and other for you to enjoy. The live performances. This is a exhibit mixes culture A28 free event. Please register and science to highlight online. the advancements First james.merchant Nations, Inuit, and Métis colabgallery.ca communities have made February 26, 4–7pm in western science. Perfect for all ages. Coldest Night

theag.ca

February 21–23

SnowDay on the Waterfront Marina Park

Enjoy the best of snow and sun during Family Day weekend. This year’s snow sculpture competition theme is open to artists’ creations. Bundle up and end the day by the Prince Arthur Landing fireplace.

Boreal Journeys is bringing their best buds to the Westfort Playfield for a day of dog sledding. Please note pets are not permitted in the dog sled area and this activity is for children 14 and under.

KEEP AHEAD OF OUR

THUNDER BAY

WINTERS WITH ARIENS

thunderbay.ca/ winterfundays

February 27

Snowflake Mobile Craft: Winter FunDays 2022

Machines that are passed down from one generation to the next. No, it’s not just a snowblower. It’s an Ariens.

Marina Park

Spend the afternoon making your very own colourful snowflakes with the Community Arts and Heritage Education Project. Take this craft home and decorate with it.

Classic Plus 24” (920030)

$1,668 *

ARIENS: GET OF DeluxeAHEAD 24” * $

of the Year Walk 2022

thunderbay.ca/ winterfundays

2,098 $2,318 *

THE STORM!

513 Syndicate Avenue

Join Grace Place Ministries for the coldest night of the year and walk with the community as they raise funds. Grace Place caters to the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the community. See this month’s Top Five for more information.

February 28

Blue Rodeo: Many A Mile Tour Thunder Bay Auditorium

Country rockers Blue Rodeo are coming to the auditorium with their 16th studio album. There are 12 energized and new songs for you to enjoy, along with your old favourites. Tickets are available online. See this month’s Top Five for more information.

(921045)

Deluxe 28” (921048)

* Plus PDI & Taxes

Machines that are passed down from one generation to the next. facebook.com/tbaycnoy No, it’s not just a snowblower. It’s an Ariens. thunderbay.ca #1 S Ari eellnins gis B February 26 thra February 20–26

Freedom to Read Week

ATMOS Presents ARIUS

Classic PlusATMOS 24”Music Hall

1,668 $2,098 $2,318

$ (920030)........................................

Deluxe 24”

Virtual

The Thunder Bay Public Library wants to help you, and other Canadians, read what you want. For the duration of the week, kits containing banned books will be available for readers of all ages. Registration opens February 7 at 10 am. Please call to register. See this month’s Top 5 for more information.

Matt and Tessa of ARIUS met in 2010, and the couple has shared their love for EDM music ever since. Enjoy a romantic night at ATMOS with local talents BLVCKSHEEP and RKill opening the stage. Tickets are $30 and for sale online. This is a 19+ event.

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Music

LU RADIO’S MONTHLY TOP 1 Little Oil Little Oil

1311074 Records DK

8 Daniel Romano*

17 Avataar*

You’ve Changed

Insound

Cobra Poems

9 Sleepy Jean* Idle Hands

Half Right

10 OMBIIGIZI

Sewn Back Together

Arts & Crafts

2 Ovlov Buds

11 Max and the Martians

Worldview

18 The Heavyweights Brass Band* Stir Crazy

Slammin Media

19 Alien Nosejob Paint It Clear

Feel It

CILU 102.7fm’s Monthly Charts for this issue reflect airplay for the month ending January 11, 2022. Check out our weekly charts online at luradio.ca and tune in to the Top 20 Countdown, Mondays from 7-9 am, or catch one of the rebroadcasts throughout the week! Keep it locked on 102.7 FM, online streaming at luradio.ca.

23 Wine Lips*

Mushroom Death Sex Bummer Party

Stomp

24 Max Bien Kahn

On the Floor - EP

Perpetual Doom

25 Suuns*

The Witness

Secret City

26 Idles

All the Same

Crawler

Perpetual Doom

Partisan

Exploding In Sound

3 Teen Mortgage Smoked - EP

King Pizza

4 Ducks Ltd.*

20 Ryan McCulloch*

Modern Fiction

The State of the Union

Carpark

5 KC Westfort* Self-Released

12 Alex Lefaivre Quartet*

6 Hot Garbage*

Arté Boréal

The Shuniah E.P.

RIDE

Mothland

7 Sea of Lettuce* Sun/Moon - EP

Sea of Lettuce

Naufragés

Choose. Records

21 Aborted Tortoise A Album

Bargain Bin

13 Uh Oh

Good Morning

Spinning Top

Rough Trade

30 BADBADNOTGOOD*

15 Elder & Kadavar

Stupid Era

76 4

The The Walleye Walleye

Slovenly

28 Meatbodies 29 Pond

Sympathy For Life

16 Frvits*

Fuzz Club

In the Red

14 Parquet Courts

Robotor

Superinertia

333

Self-Released

ELDOVAR: A Story of Darkness & Light

27 10 000 Russos

22 KennyHoopla & Travis Barker

SURVIVORS GUILT: THE MIXTAPE//

Arista

Talk Memory

* Indicates Canadian Content

Advertising Feature

NWO Innovation Centre BTIF Project ORIGIN ImmersiveLink

Local Indigenous-owned company ORIGIN and its virtual reality (VR) platform Immersive Link is taking innovation to the next level by creating a whole new world to explore job training, assessment, and cultural education in the realm of VR. Paul Giles of ORIGIN started with the company 12 years ago and after developing VR for more than four years sees the limitless potential for this platform’s integration into our daily lives. As the director of the company, he speaks about their goal of “connecting people to career and Indigenous culture.” Immersive Link is a virtual reality platform which allows users to “virtually visit worksites” and gain a thorough understanding of various types of careers. The platform is also used to profile Indigenous knowledge keepers to promote understanding of Indigenous perspectives, reconciliation and more inclusive employment and education environments. In the pandemic world, virtual reality and its applications are quickly

becoming the next move for both employees and employers. The company recently began developing Immersive Link Generation 2 with the help of the BTIF Project, as an improved version of their original idea. With Gen 2, individuals can take a course inside the virtual reality that syncs up to their computer and demonstrate their learning with a much more interactive 360-degree video. This allows individuals in remote communities, or anyone interested in seeing if they are compatible with an industry, to experience a day in the job before applying. Students and parents can also tour campuses before deciding on postsecondary options. Through the BTIF Project, the team was able to work with a local software developer, and they were later hired as part of their permanent team, increasing their ability to expand both in-house and their entire platform.

assessment tools for workforce development purposes. We create content to help individuals demonstrate learning in ways never before possible. We also create content for diversity and awareness purposes. We can profile knowledge keepers in Indigenous communities and provide interactive mapping of Indigenous traditional knowledge for everyone to better understand the culture,” explains Giles.

Territories, a project for the city of Terrace, BC and work with Nunavik Nations developing VR tours in Montreal.

The company was started 13 years ago with a focus on workforce development and training. Since ORIGIN began developing VR four years ago, they also began profiling Indigenous heritage in the medium to promote reconciliation and for cultural preservation purposes. Some of their recent projects include work with the Gwitch’in Nation in Fort McPherson, Northwest

“They were responsible and did their due diligence during the one-year process. They really helped us to continue developing,” says Giles.

“We are very excited to do work across Canada. The BTIF Project put us on the map, and we went from being a local business to working on highprofile projects that also pushed us to do creative work,” says the director. Their experience with the Innovation Centre felt streamlined in both the application and the execution.

The BTIF Project aims to increase innovation and efficiency in dayto-day operations of businesses through advancements in software, hardware, and data management. For information on applying, please visit www. nwoinnovation.ca.

“This software is really twofold. The primary application is developing pre-employment

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TattooedYou

Mama Orca and Her Baby Story by Leah Morningstar, Photos courtesy of Amy Vervoort Artist: Vanessa Presenger from Studio Four Four Nine my Vervoort didn’t have a lot of tattoos prior to the death of her infant son in September of 2013. That tragic loss brought Vervoort to a screeching halt and all she could feel was grief; an everpresent weight of sadness that couldn’t be moved. But another pregnancy and a healthy son born in the beginning of 2015 helped heal the family’s broken hearts. There was also a lot of crafting and knitting and baking and gardening—comforting projects to keep the hands and heart occupied. After the death of their little Finn, Vervoort, her husband, and Vervoort’s adult daughter decided to get tribute tattoos. Unexpectedly, Vervoort found the tattoo process to be therapeutic and healing. Since that first tattoo, she’s continued to add meaningful images and designs up and down both arms. Each piece is chosen carefully and Vanessa Presenger from Studio Four Four Nine has been at the helm for most of this healing journey.

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There’s a dragonfly, many beautiful flowers, and of course the baby footprints and handprints, but one piece that really stands out is the mama orca and her baby. In the summer of 2018 on the Pacific coast, a mother orca birthed a baby who died a few hours later. The world was watching that mother whale as she carried her deceased baby through the ocean for over two weeks. Eventually the mother whale released her baby to the depths and went on to birth another. Vervoort was watching this story too, of course, and it resonated deeply. Mama orca was clearly suffering a huge loss and her grief was visible to all. Vervoort also suffered a huge loss and while she did have to physically release her baby’s body, she’s carried him with her ever since. The tattoos all over Vervoort’s arms are beautiful and tangible evidence of carrying that grief. The journey of loss and grief is different for everyone; it’s truly amazing to see how a person’s heart can grow bigger to accommodate the grief and to experience new love and new joys.

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Health Family Program that aims to equip parents and caregivers with healthrelated knowledge, coping/ behavioural strategies, and information on accessing community resources. From a public health perspective, neighbourhood-based initiatives aimed at promoting healthy behaviours are integral to improving overall wellbeing and reducing the risk of chronic disease. This unique collaboration will contribute to shaping healthier children and families within our city by strengthening knowledge and skills, and providing healthy-living services identified by the residents themselves. To determine the program’s success and uncover what is important to participants when it comes to neighbourhood services, an evaluation of HOME will be led by Healthy Kids Steering Committee member Dr. Erin Pearson (Lakehead University).

Healthy Kids HOME Program

By Rachel Bayes, Healthy Kids HOME Program Coordinator, Thunder Bay District Health Unit

he Thunder Bay District Health Unit (TBDHU) has been awarded over $1.1 million in funding over three years from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), along with more than $900,000 of in-kind contributions to implement the Healthy Kids Health on the Move for Equity (HOME) Program in Thunder Bay. Many local partner

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organizations and agencies make up the Healthy Kids Steering Committee, which collectively supports the delivery of health programming and community services for approximately 1,500 children and their families in four priority neighbourhoods identified through a comprehensive community needs assessment.

The HOME program brings these community partners together with residents of the Windsor Street and Academy Heights neighbourhoods to provide evidence-informed programming focusing on physical activity, nutrition and cooking, smoking prevention and cessation, mental health, and other topics identified by

residents. Plans to expand to Westfort and McKellar Park are underway. There are two main components of the HOME program. First, adding to established Healthy Kids neighbourhood sites that provide a safe space for accessing health promotion programming and social services. Second, a recurring four-week Healthy Kids

“This unique collaboration will contribute to shaping healthier children and families within our city.”

For information about Healthy Kids Thunder Bay events and program updates, follow @healthykidstbay on Facebook and Twitter, or contact the Health Unit at 625-5900.

Advertising Feature

February Entrepreneur of the Month

Ashley Lange, Owner, Donut Run

Photos by Nathan Church

Meet the owner and baker behind Donut Run, Ashley Lange. Ashley is a full-time mom and entrepreneur running the business out of her home kitchen. Ashley got the idea to start Donut Run in 2019 on a whim while on a run in Shuniah Mines trails. The first donuts were shared after a run and with a boost from Antonio at Up River Running arranging for Ashley to sell donuts at the Up River Running Race kit pick-up, the business took off. Ashely started her culinary journey at Confederation College in the Culinary Management program. After graduation she worked at various cooking jobs over the years. Most of her experience in the kitchen came from working at fishing lodges, fire camps and in bakeries. Now, Ashley serves up delicious vegan, handmade baked donuts, showcased through social media. She offers a variety of classic, seasonal and customizable options and is even getting into the catering

3. Who was your biggest inspiration/mentor? My biggest inspiration is my children…is that cliché? My drive to make Donut Run successful while still running it how I want to, has given me the time, money and flexibility to be there for my children when times are hard, like during a pandemic and other major events in our lives. I imagine running this business so it will allow us to go on all kinds of amazing adventures together and that I can continue to be there for them and pause when we need to pause.

4. If you could go back in time what piece of advice would you give yourself? Donut Run started right at the beginning of a huge transition time in my life, so I’m not sure I would give myself any other advice that I wasn’t already giving myself, which was: run this business how YOU want to run it. Businesses don’t have to fit this status quo that they have always been. Think outside of the box, you can do it differently and how you want. I feel quite confident and satisfied in how I went about starting and running my business.

business. To check out Donut Run’s latest treats check out her Instagram @donutruntbay or Facebook page @donutrun!

Q & A with Ashley

1. What drew you to entrepreneurship? I had always thought of little business ideas when I was much younger. I wanted to open a little “corner store” in the side of my parents’ garage and pull a cooler around town and sell popsicles in the summer. That never happened but the dream was there. As an adult I avoided the idea. It seemed daunting to take on every aspect of a business. 2. What is your most memorable moment being an entrepreneur? My most memorable moment probably was the first time I sold donuts, after whipping my business together in a week. I made 16 dozen donuts and sold out in an hour at the UpRiver Running Kit pick-up.

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Green

For the Love of Plants and Their Intelligence

By Sue Hamel, Executive Director, EcoSuperior

very February for centuries, many around the world celebrate the 14th by showering their significant others with love and affection. But one could argue that we are all showered daily with gifts from our collective “significant other,” a.k.a. the living landscape, mostly composed of plants. In fact, plants make up 99.5% of the biomass of the planet. Might we then consider spreading our love and affection to plants this Valentine’s Day, and beyond? According to Stefano Mancuso, a passionate Calabrian researcher, there is a good chance they’ll notice. Are plants more intelligent and more like us than most of us think? According to many biologists and researchers, including author and professor Michael Pollan, humans greatly underestimate plants. Plants are “considerably less passive than they appear,” says Mancuso. Rooted in their places, the plant kingdom has remarkable ways of engaging with the world around them, both above and below ground. There is increasing research exploring plant intelligence that may forever change the way you look at plants. For example, scientists are expanding our understanding of flora with plant physiology, plant neurobiology, plant signalling, and plant communication. Plants don’t have eyes, a nose, or ears. So how is it possible that they have sight, smell, hearing, and even taste and touch? Moreover, Mancuso explains they have at least 15 other senses. For

example, trees and other plants smell with their whole “body.” According to Mancuso, they have palates as refined as that of “the best gourmets,” since plants can identify infinitesimal quantities of mineral salts hidden in many cubic meters of earth. Moreover, plants can tell whether nearby roots are self, kin, or stranger. When it comes to sight, Mancuso points out that plants not only can distinguish light from shade but can also recognize the quality of the light. Plants are even able to distinguish some colours. Wait, did that Balsam fir just notice your new toque? In a forest ecosystem, there is an information superhighway under your feet, where plants communicate with each other. This is all possible thanks to fungi, or mycorrhiza, the interaction between fungi and plant roots. Suzanne Simard, a Canadian forest ecologist, explored how the chemicals that move through these networks are the same chemicals neurotransmitters use in our brain. She discovered that trees share and trade resources including nutrients, water, and carbon. W ith our growing understanding of plant intelligence, might we be overlooking our Valentine? Show plants some more love.

“Plants make up 99.5% of the biomass of the planet.”

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TheWall

Supporting the Waterfront Trail Expansion Story by Janine Chiasson, Photo by Chondon Photography

any Thunder Bay folks might be scratching their heads at the title of this piece, asking, “What waterfront trail?” Good question. Despite Thunder Bay’s 52 km of shoreline, Prince Arthur’s Landing has the only accessible trail system where you can walk, ride, run, or roll, yet cover less than 2 km of shore. If you make use of every side spur, loop, and pier road, you can boost this distance by a few more kilometres but you can’t progress past the marina (on any sort of official trail). Of course, intrepid souls— dog walkers, birders, walking enthusiasts—have found other ways to access parts of the untrailed waterfront, but it’s hodgepodge, not always safe, and could certainly involve inadvertent trespassing. The idea of a Thunder Bay Waterfront Trail has

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been proposed and talked about for decades, but it hasn’t really taken off. That’s changing, however. When Port Arthur Rotary member Warren Philp learned of recent city plans for a largely unfunded waterfront trail multi-million dollar expansion, he brought many Thunder Bay active living groups together to talk about a trail association, and by July 2021, the Waterfront Trail Rotary Community Action Team (WTRCAT) was formed. At the same time, the city council renewed the Waterfront Development Committee, to replace the original committee disbanded in 2018. It seems obvious that trails should be a component of any new waterfront development: trails bolster the city’s strategic pillars of growth and renewal and meet many of the objectives identified in the EarthCare Thunder

Bay Sustainability Plan, including the evolution of integrated urban mobility that is efficient, affordable, and accessible; improved sustainability; reduced pollution; and improved wellbeing of future generations. And, now that the pandemic has underlined how crucial outdoor public spaces are to our quality of life, more than ever, citizens want trails. The city’s latest mapping shows the proposed Waterfront Trail stretching from Jackknife Bridge to Fisherman’s Park at the mouth of the Current River—approximately 12 km. WTRCAT envisions a longer park-to-park trail that extends to Fort William First Nation and Chippewa Park, and as far as Fort William Historical Park where the water-based 1,000+ km section of the Trans Canada Trail begins. O u r c i t y i s a l re a d y blessed with significant

trail systems along the Current River, allowing the northern terminus of the proposed Waterfront Trail at Fisherman’s Park to easily connect with Boulevard, Centennial, Shuniah Mines, Trowbridge, and the Cascades Conservation Area: what an awesome trek that would be! This trail network creates a myriad of possibilities, not only for the enjoyment of local citizens, but for new tourism and economic development possibilities. WTRCAT took glad note of $3.3 million in capital funding for the waterfront trail proposed in the city’s 2022 budget. This is a start. With funding programs available at the provincial and federal level, plus collaboration among conservation authorities, service clubs like Port Arthur Rotary, community groups, businesses, and industries, Thunder Bay can turn the

waterfront trail vision into reality. A group like the Waterfront Trail Rotary Community Action Team allows interested and willing community members a place to add their voices, provide important feedback, volunteer time and skills, and help with financial support. A project of this magnitude is lengthy and expensive, but it’s time for Thunder Bay to join our neighbours as part of the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail and emulate many great cities of the world who prove that waterfront development and trails are a catalyst for regeneration, revitalization, and a stepping stone to something bigger.

Find the Waterfront Trail Rotary Community Action Team on Facebook or contact wtrcat21@gmail.com for more information.

BeckyForester.com

Thank you to my clients for making this award possible.

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FebruaryHoroscopes Aries

(March 21–April 19) The full moon on the 16th finds the first sign of the zodiac outside playing. It is the Snow Moon after all, and there seems to be plenty of it for everyone. You might have been just a little bit of a shut-in these days, Ram, but we understand. It’s easy to cocoon on these long days of winter, but now it’s time to emerge from your cosy dwelling and spend some time outside in nature. Whether you take some solitude time or head out with the famjam, you’ll be relaxed and refreshed after touching base with Mama Nature. Make a plan to head outdoors on the regular so you don’t get stuck inside.

Taurus

(April 20–May 20) Is every day starting to feel like Groundhog Day, Taurus? It’s time to shake up your routine a bit. You’re stuck in a rut! My crystal ball tells me there’s six more weeks left of winter (at least) but you can do your creative part to ensure you and yours aren’t feeling the winter blahs. Perhaps planning a spa day would be in order. Gather your besties and book a pedi, or do a virtual one if you have to. Wine included! Get your family onboard and try out a new dish in the kitchen—you may just stumble across a new fave to add to the rotation!

Gemini

(May 21–June 20) Before the universal adoption of the Gregorian calendar, the start of a new year was typically based on ancient calendars, religious traditions, and lunar and solar cycles. For example, the Chinese New Year typically falls on the second new moon after the Winter Solstice, which is the first of the month. It’s the Year of the Tiger, and why not harness

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By Sunny Disposish

that powerful tiger energy? The Year of the Tiger will be about making big changes. It’s a timely time for Twins to take a look at the old bucket list and make some tweaks. What do you want to see for yourself in 2022? Only you can make it happen. Anything is possible!

Cancer

(June 21–July 22) Matters of the heart are coming in hot this month, Crabs! Take heart in the fact that this will be an extraordinary month for you romantically. Valentine’s Day is just the icing on the cake with your special someone. Whether it be a first date or finally sealing the deal, love prevails this month. Homebody Cancer loves to entertain from their comfy abodes, so having a deluxe dinner ensures that maximum date night appeal is maintained.

Leo

(July 23–August 22) There’s a lot of home movement this month, Leo. Whether you’re doing a deep clean or making some renos, there’s a lot of activity happening under your roof. Your creativity is inspired and your productivity is at an all-time high. Tap into your fire energy and get the enthusiasm going with the rest of the family members as well. It’s never a hardship to have extra hands! As a special treat, why not treat the fam to a dinner of tasty Rose Thai take-out? Keep those bellies full and you’ll find yourself with a good supply of happy helpers!

Virgo

(August 23– September 22) Put down the remote control, Virgo! Don’t let your talents go to waste. Find your inner child by doing something crafty. Working with your hands

in some manner will help get the creative juices flowing. Knitting, cooking, or any type of crafting will be the soothing balm to your soul right now. Cast the perfectionist side of yourself away and just have fun! Shopping for a treat for your special someone proves to be enjoyable. Whether it’s online or instore, you happily stumble across just the perfect item for your partner. Grab it before it goes and enjoy the rewards! Singletons, do treat yourself so something special—you deserve it!

Libra

(September 23– October 22) This is the month of roses and candy—and of course, chocolate. But did you know it has a magical side? It’s also an “entheogen,” which connects the moral with the divine. Yes, chocolate is literally the food of the gods in some traditions! You’ll likely see chocolate for sale this month in a variety of shapes and flavours, so do take some time to indulge your sweet tooth. Family Day sees Libras enjoying a much needed extra day off. Take the time to really rest and just be. Your airy nature makes you want to please everyone, but now it’s time for you!

Scorpio

(October 23– November 21) I t ’s a s h o r t m o n t h , Scorp, but it sure feels long sometimes. Make some plans for Family Day. It’s a good time to connect with friends and family outdoors for some fresh air. Why not try something you’ve never done before? Get those skis out, and dust off the snowshoes, and have a sauna. Make a point of getting up early to see the sun rise—dawn is a powerful time of day, and a good time

to set your intentions. Take some time out on Valentine’s Day with a loved one to enjoy a special dinner and a new kind of wine. Mix it up a little and you’ll find a change is as good as a rest.

Sagittarius

(November 22– December 21) The first of the month is powerful for Archers. Not only is it the start of the Lunar New Year of the Tiger, but it’s also a new moon. This cosmic energy has your getup-and-go in overdrive! You may find yourself having a sudden urge to delve into home renos. Enthusiastic and passionate, Saggies sometimes act first and think later. Harness that creative state quickly first, just enough to make a plan. Health matters are on your mind, so make a plan to stay focused on your wellbeing. Why not buy some snowshoes and make the most of winter? Valentine’s Day brings in a special treat from your lover.

Capricorn

(December 22– January 19) Hard working Caps are finding themselves having to make some decisions regarding their career this month. Whether it’s saying goodbye to an old job or starting anew, major shifts and changes are starting to happen in this department. Seek solace with a trusted friend or mentor if you need advice. Take heart—your intuition is rarely wrong, but sometimes it’s good just to have a talk with someone you look up to. You’ll be feeling the love around the 14th of the month, and there may even be a special surprise for you from a certain someone, which will be the icing on the cake for you! A quiet Family Day finds you curled up with a good book. Enjoy!

Aquarius

(January 20– February 18) We start off with the new moon in your sign right at the top of the month, so it’s all systems go for Water Bearers! You’ll be feeling these lunar energies strongly as you find that old thought patterns shift and change and you may find yourself with an entirely new outlook on things. This is a perfect time for breaking bad habits and doing some problem solving. We’re celebrating another year around the sun, so happy solar return to all Aquarians out there. Whether you spend your special day out on the town or deep within the cosy recesses of your home, we tip our hats to all the Aquarii. Happy birthday and all the best in the coming months!

Pisces

(February 19– March 20) Happy solar retur n to all Pisces who have a birthday later this month. Your family may surprise you with a special gift, milestone birthday or not. Emotions run high due to an unexpected surprise. My fish friends may be particularly drawn to amethyst this month, so feel free to wear your rocks or just have a piece lying around and feel its restorative energy filling you up. Mercury is finally coming out of retrograde on the 3rd, so suddenly any lost items are found and any miscommunications are smoothed over. Tricky Mercury! Say hello to a neighbour, you may just make their day!

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122 W. Frederica St (807) 475-4755 W W W. J B E VA N S . C A The Walleye

Thunder Bay Community Foundation Board Members and staff members Amanda Campigotto and Bonnie Moore would like to thank the grant evaluators Taylor Hosanna, Don Rusnak, Shelley Crawford, Shaylin Moore, Michael Larizza, Drew Costa, Shirley Rigato, Dave Daye, Tere McDonald, Ravi Gokani, Sandra Snider, and Kelly Gallagher for their diligent work on this year's grants. The TBCF has once again partnered with the United Way of Thunder Bay as we are deeply concerned about the well-being of community members who have been hard hit by the economic impacts of the pandemic. We are pleased to announce that $478,869.80 was granted to organizations in the Thunder Bay and district areas. For more information about our granting period, visit tbcf.org. 88

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TheBeat

Home

By Sara Sadeghi Aval I want to be Home for her. Not in the way 4 walls can be. Not the skeleton of a place. But Home. I want to be Home for him. Not in the wasteful way I am for myself. Not in the indulgent way I am for others. But his Home. I want to be a Home for us. Not for the sake of strength, But for the fireplace, the hearth and all the warmth. I want to be our Home. I want to be a Home for me. But not with all this weakness. Not in the concrete mould I look for foundation in. But Home.

Home, digital illustration, boy Roland

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Craig Smyth rides off into the sunset from his secret fishing spot on his 1996 Skandic Ski-Doo. -Photo by Chad Kirvan

I K

T B AY ON

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visitthunderbay.com The Walleye

In order to bring great ideas into the world, you’ve got to have the determination to make them real. The Ridgeline, CR-V, Passport, Pilot and Civic — built by the power of dreams.

STARTING FROM

30,855

†

† Includes Shipping/Freight $1840, AC $100, OMVIC fee $10. HST/Licensing Extra. See Dealer for Details.

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The Walleye