July 2020 by The Walleye Magazine

FILM FREE ARTS Vol. 11 No. 7 MUSIC JULY FOOD 2020 CULTURE thewalleye.ca

Work, Play, Relax Why We Love Our Outdoor Spaces

THE INDIGENOUS FOOD CIRCLE 34

DETERMINED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE 54

ESCAPE TO THE BACK YARD 82

CELEBRATING THE “LAKE LIFE” 94

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Contents

walleye the

FEATURES

Thunder Bay’s arts & culture alternative

Editor-in-chief Darren McChristie Interim Editor Matt Prokopchuk matt@thewalleye.ca Assistant Editor Rebekah Skochinski Senior Editor Tiffany Jarva Copy Editors Amy Jones, Bonnie Schiedel

Marketing & Sales Specialist Kaitlin Trevisan kaitlin@thewalleye.ca Alaina Linklater alaina@thewalleye.ca Photographers Patrick Chondon, Kevin Dempsey, Damien Gilbert, Chad Kirvan, Dave Koski, Kay Lee, Shannon Lepere, Marty Mascarin, Darren McChristie, Sarah McPherson, Laura Paxton, Keegan Richard

Spotlight ■ 47 THE SECOND MOST PLEASURABLE THING WE DO IN THE DARK. A COLUMN ABOUT MOVIES ■ 48 CONFESSIONS OF A DRAG DEALER

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.

THE ARTS

Gallery Reopens ■ 52 FROM THUNDER BAY ART GALLERY’S COLLECTION ■ 54 Determined to Make A Difference ■ 57 Nameless No More

■ 58 The Power of Paddling in

Superior Outdoors Inc. 314 Bay Street Thunder Bay, ON P7B 1S1

■ 50 Thunder Bay Art

OUTDOOR

Copyright © 2020 by Superior Outdoors Inc. Editorial and Advertising: Submissions must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Superior Outdoors cannot be held responsible for unsolicited material.

CITYSCENE

■ 11 CoverStory: Work, Play, Relax ■ 65 Annette Pateman Releases First Collection ■ 12 Made by Hand ■ 66 Come On, Get Out Where ■ 14 Life in the Garden the Fun Is! ■ 16 Hard Work Shows in a ■ 68 Growing Up After Master Gardener’s Space Amalgamation ■ 18 A Playhouse in the Trees ■ 71 Blessings in a Box ■ 20 The Power of Imaginative ■ 72 Eye to Eye Discovery ■ 74 Q&A ■ 22 Climbing the Wall(s) ■ 24 Five Holes on the Back Forty ■ 75 Dew Drop Inn Adapts to Pandemic ■ 26 A View of the Lake ■ 76 STUFF WE LIKE ■ 28 Like A Good Neighbour ■ 79 THIS IS THUNDER BAY FOOD ■ 80 WALL SPACE ■ 30 THE GRINNING BELLY ■ 82 Escape to the Back Yard ■ 31 DRINK OF THE MONTH ■ 84 In Our Own Back Yard ■ 32 Fresh From the Oven ■ 86 GO LOCAL THUNDER BAY ■ 34 The Indigenous Food Circle COUNTRY MARKET ■ 36 SUPERIOR SIP ■ 89 Easy Sippin’ ■ 37 The Joys of Growing Food MUSIC ■ 38 What We All Scream For ■ 90 Practising at a Distance ■ 40 BREW IT YOURSELF ■ 91 Looking Ahead ■ 42 A Guide to Thunder Bay's ■ 92 BURNING TO THE SKY Restaurant Patios ■ 94 Celebrating the “Lake Life” ■ 44 Expanding the Space ■ 97 Pivot to Video FILM&THEATRE ■ 98 OFF THE WALL ■ 46 Music, Dance Share the

a Pandemic

REVIEWS ARCHITECTURE

■ 100 Waverley Park Lookout HEALTH

■ 102 We All Need Self-Care ■ 103 LU RADIO'S

MONTHLY TOP 20 GREEN

■ 105 It’s About Giving and

Receiving ■ 106 What’s Old is New Again

THE WALL

■ 108 Nuclear Waste Disposal:

Déjà Vu for the Northwest

■ 110 HOROSCOPES ■ 111 THE BEAT ■ 112 THE EYE

Telephone (807) 344-3366 Fax (807) 623-5122

Your Best Source for Firewood!

E-mail: info@thewalleye.ca

Birch | Poplar | Black Ash | Dry Pine Pick-up or Delivery Available

TheWalleye.ca

3079 Dog Lake Road

807.632.5220 | DogLakeFirewood.ca

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From Our Instagram feed

In Error

Embracing Your Space With the passing of the solstice, we’re now officially into the summer months. Typically, many of us spend that time taking advantage of the warm weather to do some travelling—whether in the region or afar, taking in one or more of the innumerable concerts and music festivals, or planning gatherings with family and friends. And while, as of this writing, some pandemic restrictions are slowly being relaxed, it still looks like summer 2020 will be unlike one any of us have ever seen. With these restrictions, time spent at home in our yards and outdoor living spaces becomes even more of a central part of our lives. I know I’ve already spent more time than usual this year planning and working on my own yard, which is both exciting (because of all the possibilities) and a bit daunting (because of all the possibilities). Our cover story this month profiles people who have really embraced their outdoor spaces, no matter how big or small, turning their properties into something special. Staying with that theme, film columnist Michael Sobota shares his picks

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of movies that feature the back yard, Chef Rachel Globensky will tell you how to make a perfect appetizer for the patio, and sommelier (and cider expert) Jeannie Dubois will have the recipe for the perfect cider cocktail. Also in our July issue, Justin Allec speaks with an area fishing lodge owner who is behind an ambitious multi-artist musical project that’s supporting the local music scene during COVID-19, Lindsay Campbell has the story of a new art collective that aims to support young, emerging artists, and Ayano Hodouchi Dempsey learns more about the TBSO’s talented resident conductor, Maria Fuller. Plus, we speak with poet Annette Pateman about her new collection, which, in part, examines race and Black identity. So, while we embrace the summer in our increasingly familiar reality, we hope you’ll find something in this issue that helps you get the most out of the season, or perhaps a tip or two to help you with your own special outdoor living space. - Matt Prokopchuk

The wrong phone number for Royal Aleppo Foods was printed on page 30 of our June issue. The correct number is (807) 355-5338.

Featured Contributor Tiffany Jarva Tiffany Jarva has worked as a lifestyle writer and editor for over 20 years. As our founding editor, Tiffany really wanted the name of the magazine to reflect a sense of place. “Amethyst, Birch, and Poplar were also on my brainstorming list, but Walleye, with all of its layered meanings, was the name that resonated the most with all of us. It’s hard to believe that was 10 years ago already,” she says. A northerner at heart (she especially loves to paddle in Edla, a little yellow canoe named after her grandmother), Tiffany moved back to Thunder Bay in 2002 to attend teachers’ college after over a decade of living in places like Ottawa and North Vancouver. She fell completely in love with her hometown and plans to never leave again. Her favourite part of The Walleye experience has been getting the chance to meet and interview creative, quirky, and inspiring people.

On the Cover Work, Play, Relax Cover photo by Darren McChristie Post Processing by Dave Koski

ARE YOU READY TO RE-OPEN? LET US HELP.

thunderbay.ca/forbusiness

#readytoreopen

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Blue Walleye

Dave Koski

Letter from our Founding Editor

Founding editor Tiffany Jarva on the Point Valour tug in 2011

ecently, a fisherman friend of mine mentioned that something strangely wonderful is happening to some of the common walleye in Northwestern Ontario: they are turning blue. A researcher from the University of Wisconsin notes that the fish may be creating natural sunscreen to protect from ultraviolet radiation. It’s about adapting. It’s about evolving. This issue marks our tenth anniversary, which I believe is possible because we have been able to adapt and evolve as a publication, reflecting the community we serve as it too finds ways to adapt and evolve, especially during these challenging times.

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It’s hard to believe so many years have rolled by since launching on a sunny afternoon in front of the historical Finnish Labour Temple. And even though it was the Friday of the long weekend, many people came out, embracing us right from the get-go, thirsty to learn more about the arts and culture scene in our community. A lot has changed over the years: there are a plethora of local entrepreneurs who are feeding our desire to buy local; new restaurants have cropped up over the decade, reflecting different ethnicities and tastes; a wide range of artists continue to be inspired by the nature that surrounds us; and the farming community continues

to grow. We have learned over the years that there is no shortage of interesting stories here in the north, and we will continue to share those stories with all of you. We are grateful to our readers, to our contributors, and advertisers for continuing to embrace us like it was that very first issue. To celebrate, we asked ten of our regular writers, photographers, and editors from over the years to choose their favourite contribution. Check out our “Ten Years. Ten Contributors.” on social media. Something that sticks out for me personally as both an editor and writer was working on our Port City issue, October 2011—a good reminder of how we were

shaped historically, how our sense of place continues to root us, even as we continue to change and adapt. Oh, and hanging out on the tugboat Point Valour assisting the freighter Algocape moving from Keefer to Mission Terminal was pretty darn cool too, just like so many other moments contributing to The Walleye over the years. Here’s to the blue walleye phenomenon, and continuing to adapt and evolve for at least another decade. -Tiffany Jarva

“My school teaches me

to think for myself” You belong here The Walleye

DOWNTOWN RED RIVER ROAD

STREATERY & MARKETPLACE COMING THIS JULY... An outdoor food alley and public market space between Court Street and St. Paul Street for you to enjoy all summer. Shop, grab take out and relax in a NEW green space with picnic tables and outdoor amenities. Sanitation stations, washrooms, social distancing protocols, and BIA staff will be on site.

#TBAYSTREATERY Check our Instagram and Facebook for official launch date as well as full list of participating restaurants and businesses.

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TheTOPFive

Willow Springs 1 Market

Fridays until September 25 10160 Mapleward Road

Willow Springs Creative Centre’s market is now open! Beginning on July 3, the centre, which is known for its amazing arts programming and delicious food, will be open for you to pick up wonderful local produce as well as premade goods like perogies, empanadas, spring rolls, and meat pies. Choose from fresh-baked artisan bread, delicious baking, wood-fired oven pizza, local tea, honey, cheese, flour, meat, preserves, and a huge assortment of other mouthwatering treats. It’s the ideal place to stock up for the weekend at camp, or for camping. Here’s how it works: shop online by Wednesday of each week for Friday curbside pick-up between 3 and 7 pm. Make sure to check them out on Facebook or Instagram for more information and specifics on ordering. Social distancing protocol will be in effect. Shop safely, and eat well! facebook.com/willowspringsCC

Canada 2 Virtual Day

June 29 – July 1 Where You Are!

The City of Thunder Bay has been working hard behind the scenes to make sure that there will be a way to celebrate Canada Day virtually this year with performances and family-friendly programming. The three-day program, complete with 50th anniversary flair, will include a science show, art projects, trivia, cooking demonstrations, a virtual scavenger hunt, and a multi-municipal NHL20 online tournament. The celebration will culminate with a series of performances in the evening on July 1 with a virtual concert starting at 7 pm. Enjoy performances by the Thunder Bay World Dance Collective, Martin Blanchet Jazz Quintet, Jean-Paul De Roover, and Almost Abba! Plus, there will be surprise video messages, and a whole lot more. Visit the event’s website for a schedule of all programming and where you can tune in. thunderbay.ca/canadaday

4 Drive-in Theatre

Busking from the 3 Backyard

July 25 & 26

Your Backyard

Since the Buskers Festival can’t happen on the streets this year, The Bay Street Bastards are going to be busking from a back yard instead. The band, who has performed at the popular downtown PA event every year since its inception, have organized a two-day event to bring the music to the people. Joining them will be Arley Cox, Phoebe the Feeb, BLK, Derek Kenney, Arden Bruyere, Ukkon3n, and several other special guests. They’ll be taking requests, interacting with guests, as well as giving away cool prizes. A digital guitar case will be set up so that viewers can donate to artists during their sets. The busking happens from 1 to 5 pm both days and will be broadcast on Facebook, YouTube, and other streaming services. Tune in and enjoy some great music—together! facebook.com/ TheBayStreetBastards

Safe Cycling 5 Thunder Bay

July 7 into August

July, onward

Various

Remember movies on the big screen? We do! The Walleye, Tbaytel, and the Municipality of Neebing have teamed up to bring back drive-in theatre to Thunder Bay—we’re on cloud nine about it! Well, Cloud 61, actually. The movies will be shown in Neebing Township at the corner of Highway 61 and Cloud Lake Road. Drive out and drive-in to watch classics and newer releases from Thursdays to Sundays (new releases will be shown on Friday nights). Enjoy viewing from the comfort of your own vehicle, as the audio will be broadcast to your car stereo using an FM transmitter. Plus fill up on treats! There will be a food truck and popcorn on-site. Tickets are available online only, and a portion of the proceeds go to support the United Way of Thunder Bay.

Get ready to ride this summer with Safe Cycling Thunder Bay. This cycling education program, delivered by EcoSuperior and the City of Thunder Bay, is offering a virtual course series to help you cycle better and safer. Learn the ABC’s of basic bike mechanics, and urban riding fundamentals that review shared lanes, bike lanes, multi-use trails, and safe cycling principles. Get nittygritty and clean your own bike to extend the life of your bike components, or map your ride to maximize low-traffic routes for both urban and rural cycling with instructors who have years of experience planning routes so that you can learn the best places to ride in your neighbourhood. Plus brush up on effective gearing, braking, and hill riding. Courses held Tuesday nights from 7 to 8 pm. Check their website for a more detailed schedule.

thewalleye.ca/interstellar

safecyclingthunderbay.com

Cloud 61

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9 1

where ever you find yourself, be ready with our summer collection

a portion of all clothing sales in july donated to Isthmus Thunder Bay 710 B A LMORAL S TREE T

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F RE SH AI R EXP ER I EN C E.C A

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Work, Play, Relax Why We Love Our Outdoor Spaces

hunder Bay is a great place to be in the summertime, and we’ve really come to appreciate what we have right in our very own back yards—literally. There are beautiful pockets of green in our most urban locations, and plenty of opportunities for the uninterrupted peace and quiet of country living, where back yards blend seamlessly into the wilderness. But the best thing about having your own outdoor space is that you can make it whatever you want it to be. Perhaps you’ll take inspiration from some of the back yards we feature in this issue, like an outdoor climbing wall, a southside garden, a playhouse in the trees, or two side-by-side yards that show us that sometimes no fences are what make the best neighbours.

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Made by Hand

Potter Trudy Jamieson’s Backyard Kiln Story by Kat Lyzun, Photos by Kay Lee

hen their kids were small, potter Trudy Jamieson and her husband sometimes talked about finding a bigger house for their busy family. But there was one very good reason why they stayed in their cute Mariday Park home for nearly 40 years: Jamieson’s huge, handmade outdoor kiln. “The kiln wasn’t going to move, so neither were we,” she laughs. Jamieson has loved pottery since she was a child. She was first inspired, in the most Canadian way, by a National Film Board film. The

interest followed her throughout her teens and to university, where she signed up for a pottery course with Jake Black, a talented local potter who would become her mentor. Not long after, she bought the kiln that has held court in her backyard for the last 37 years. “It’s a really special kiln,” Jamieson says, pointing to the beautiful earthy tones and dappled finish on a vase. “You can manipulate the flame, the oxygen supply, and how long you heat the pottery for. You have some control in developing the effects you want. There are

Trudy Jamieson

◄Potter Trudy Jamieson in front of a screen her husband made to separate the kiln from the rest of the backyard, a tranquil place bordered by gardens. The metal artwork behind her represents a prairie scene ▼ The high heat of the outdoor kiln draws out the earthy browns and reds from iron in the clay and causes a chemical reaction with the glaze that results in a rustic look

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some amazing chemical reactions that happen with both the clay and the glaze in a fuel-burning kiln that don’t happen in an electric one.” Firing up the kiln is a big undertaking, which is why Jamieson only does it four times a year—twice in the spring, and twice in the fall to prepare for the Christmas season. After creating the pieces in her basement studio (where she also has an electric kiln) she hauls them

up to the yard. She sets the pottery—often bowls, plates, teapots, and vases—on shelves, loads them into the kiln, bricks up the opening and lets the high heat do its work for several hours. “For me this is a really exciting stage,” she says. “If you create something that causes someone to say ‘ah I love that!’—that’s the most satisfying thing.”

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▲ The kiln will hold dozens of pieces depending on their size. Bricks are stacked up to form the “door” and keep the heat in ▼ Jamieson fondly refers to this as the “business end,” where the fuel hooks up and directs the flame into the kiln. Temperatures inside can reach 2,200°F, but with several layers of insulation the outside stays merely warm to the touch

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Left to right, Barry and Lynda Lahteenmaa

Life in the Garden

Inspirations of Toil and Refuge in Barry and Lynda Lahteenmaa’s Garden Story by Betty Carpick, Photos by Kay Lee

nherently connected to nature, gardens are an idiosyncratic and multifaceted expression of heritage, identity, place, and sense of belonging. In Thunder Bay’s south end, Barry and Lynda Lahteenmaa’s flourishing suburban garden reflects Lynda’s associations with her South Asian family’s gardens in the Philippines and Barry’s farming background in Murillo. As the evening light filters through their verdant backyard, there’s a sublime pleasure in exploring their lovingly named “friendship garden.” While many of the plants gathered from friends hold sentimental memories and stories, it’s the continued dialogue and merging of skills and knowledge between Barry

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and Lynda that connects, complements, and empowers their relationship with each other and with the perpetually forward-looking act of gardening. “The garden is a metaphor for life,” says Lynda. “It shows a respect for living in harmony with the land.” The lush ornamental garden merges the simplicity of design in vignettes that highlight the attractiveness of the plants within a carefully utilized space. Lynda, a master gardener, is the creative force and ensures the well-being of the plants. Barry oversees much of the heavy work as well as the construction of aquatic features, ornaments, pots, landforms, birdhouses, and furniture made with natural stone, hypertufa,

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One of several hand-made water features in the yard made by Barry Lahteenmaa concrete, and wood. Lynda calls the plants by both their colloquial names and in Latin, the universal descriptive language of gardeners and botanists. The residents of the shady garden— hostas, ferns, Actinidia kolomikta, succulents, Solomon’s seals, allium, Arisaema triphyllum, pulmenaria, wild ginger, Actaea simplex, bleeding heart, and others—listen attentively, proud of their role in promoting good physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental human health. There’s a dreamy quality to the

aesthetic and ambiance of the garden, with singing birds, a gentle breeze, and the soothing sounds of water. The result of four decades of collaborative work creating a calm refuge with beautiful textures, colours, shapes, flowers, leaves, and scents are particularly satisfying during a time of sheltering. Not only do the predictable rhythms of gardening offer solace, but the vibrancy of the garden has also taken on deeper meaning and purpose as a place of patience, acceptance, impermanence, and humility.

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Hard Work Shows in a Master Gardener’s Space Susan Jaward’s Back Garden

Story by Bonnie Schiedel, Photos by Darren McChristie

Master gardener Susan Jaward pauses for a rare moment of relaxation

or 35 years, master gardener Susan Jaward has been combining physical labour and an artist’s eye at her home in Thunder Bay’s north end. The result is an enticing back yard garden lined by towering trees and planted with a beautiful array of perennials and annuals. The wind rustles the new

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growth, the creek burbles away and wild birds (plus the neighbour’s pet pigeons) call. Jaward’s enviable lot is a full 350 feet long and includes a ravine with terraced gardens sloping down to McVicar Creek. How much time does tending such a garden take? “A lot,” she says dryly, adding that

she regularly spends several hours a day attending to countless jobs that a garden requires. “One of the big mistakes people make is planting something and leaving it alone forever,” she says. “Everything benefits from a little attention,” like pruning or dividing. When Jaward moved in, the

property did have a garden, but it was not nearly as extensive, and she says she wanted to put her own stamp on it. “The first thing I did was take down a few feeble and poorly sited deciduous trees,” she says. Over the years, she’s enriched the sandy soil with many loads of compost (she has several large bins at work), built

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Throughout the yard, clematis vines add vertical interest, and old-fashioned favourites like bleeding heart and forget-me-nots are complemented by more unusual new plants like the silvery white “angel wings” senecio winding paths, retaining walls and a pond, and worked around the extensive tree root system that comes with mature trees. Still, she is happy to be at work. For the past two summers she was sidelined, first by a foot injury, then surgery. “I feel so much better [when I’m back at work],” she says. “There isn’t much relaxing—I feel like I have to get on with it! I like seeing healthy plants. From the small deck up above here, when you look down on the garden and see all the different greens—that’s what I like most.”

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A Playhouse in the Trees

Geoff Lee Makes the Most of a Small Back Yard Story by Michelle McChristie, Photos by Darren McChristie

ix years ago, Geoff Lee was working on a simple project—building an 8’x8’ shed for bicycles, the lawn mower, and tools. When he looked around his small back yard, the thought occurred to him that the shed was a bit of a waste of space. “I thought that I might as well make it a two-storey building,” he says. Lee built the shed next to a cluster of silver maples that he did not want to disturb, so he built the second storey around the trees and added a walkway about seven feet off the ground to the deck attached

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to the back of his house. “My wife thought it was a little weird at first,” Lee says. Lee is now retired after driving a passenger bus for Greyhound for 35 years and his wife, Madonna, is a violinist with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. They have four daughters, ages 7, 11, 13, and 21, and the second floor of the building, along with the rooftop patio, is the three younger girls’ favourite hangout. “They have a little [play] kitchen, tea set, art and drawing supplies—they love it and are out there all the time,” he says.

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The elaborate playhouse in Geoff Lee's back yard started as a simple project to build a shed The project took him the better part of a summer. He did not use a design and added details like the eyebrow dormer as he built. “My oldest daughter wanted to help, so she cut all of the cedar pickets—I told her to watch her fingers, they don’t grow back like fingernails.” The Lees’ property backs onto greenspace, and a honeysuckle hedge provides the playhouse shade and privacy. With their additional freedom over the past few months, their three younger daughters have enjoyed exploring the greenspace, catching crayfish in the creek, and spending time with one another in their playhouse. Lee is happy to lend a hand as his daughters renovate their beloved little space. “It’s been very gratifying for me… I had more fun building it, to tell you the truth.”

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Sue Holloway and Daisy

The Power of Imaginative Discovery

Learning in Nature at The Forest School Story by Betty Carpick, Photos by Kay Lee

he Forest School: A Centre for Hands-on Learning in South Gillies may offer some valuable reflection on the joy of learning. As education systems grapple over the best ways to recalibrate in the long-term, Sue Holloway, the school’s director, is also looking to adapt the foundational philosophies of the school to contemporary circumstances. Holloway is a long-time advocate and practitioner of a balanced approach to adventurous learning through outdoor and indoor hands-on experiences supported

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by community. She’s translated the qualities of her life to guide small groups of kids of different ages in immersive discovery through play at her family’s home on the site of the old Sunshine Lumber Mill. The school opened in 2007 with the distinguishing characteristics of helping kids to be resourceful, courageous, open-minded, passionate, and empathetic. Throughout the seasons, in the ancient meadow and forest, the kids explore their interests individually and collaboratively without many of the standardized benchmarks of education.

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The Forest School at Sue Holloway's family's home is the site of the former Sunshine Lumber Mill “It’s a way of empowering kids so they can make conscious choices of who they are, who they’ll become, and what kind of world they want to live in,” says Holloway. In 2017, the kids learned survival skills based on an apocalyptic challenge where they had to figure out surviving if the world ran out of fuel.

A temporary oven was constructed out of rocks and clay. With the magic of rubbing two sticks together, they created fire, the energy that’s helped humans since ancient times. The following year, stoked by the beauty of transforming simple materials into something complex, the kids researched building a more

permanent oven—a wood-fired earth (cob) oven, based on historical designs. They constructed a layered design beginning with firebrick and cinder blocks, then sawdust and wet newspapers, followed by sand, straw, and red clay from a nearby stream. Once the oven was dry, a celebratory pizza inaugurated the hearth. In

the past, similar ovens were built to serve entire communities. Through discovery and the freedom to make mistakes, the kids learned the value of being part of an adventurous continuum of building for the future, and that in itself is a beautiful gift.

Students at The Forest School researched how to build, then constructed, the wood-fired cob oven

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Aric Fishman and Summit

Climbing the Wall(s) A Aric Fishman’s Outdoor Climbing Wall Makes Back Yard a Playground

Story by Bonnie Schiedel, Photos by Darren McChristie

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ric Fishman has built a climbing wall in every house he’s lived in. They’ve all been indoors, until two years ago when he decided to make the move outside. “I figured I have a big beautiful tree [that keeps the area dry] that would keep the wood from

deteriorating,” he says. “I’m always outside playing with my dog anyway, so I thought, ‘why not add an extra layer of fun for myself?’” To create his outdoor climbing wall, which measures about 12 feet long and seven feet high, he built a framework and affixed the plywood pieces that had previously made up

CoverStory his indoor climbing cave. “If you don’t have height, you have to make it really challenging. I just pretty much made it a roof so you’re always climbing upside down.” Over the last 15 years, he’s learned by trial and error—augmented by online research—how to make a sturdy wall and solid climbing holds. There are anywhere from 75 to 100 holds on the wall at any time, and Fishman adjusts the configuration of the holds about once a month to keep it fresh and interesting. “Sometimes I use it just to play around, just stretch my body. Sometimes I’ll use it like a jungle gym, or sometimes it’s jumping around, with [my dog] Summit jumping around me. Oftentimes, I'll use it for what climbers call ‘getting a pump,’ so it’s like making your

arms feel like they’re going to fall off by doing the most intense workout,” he says. By training, he maintains climbing techniques like footwork, twisting the body, and grabbing holds in different ways. Fishman can also practise for “mixed climbing,” which is using a tool like an ice axe to grab onto a hold in a rock face while ice climbing. “It’s a good way to mimic outside winter climbing and make sure that you feel good with that sort of technique.” There’s just something about being outside, says Fishman. “I'm an outside person; it gives me a lot more motivation to be outside. I also have a slack line set up, so people passing by are like, ‘There’s the gymnastic back yard!’”

Crash pads line the base of the climbing structure in case of a wipeout

Fishman uses his climbing wall all year round

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Angus MacDonald

Five Holes on the Back Forty

Angus MacDonald’s Disc Golf Course Story by Justin Allec, Photos by Chad Kirvan

f you think that golf is a good way to ruin a walk, maybe you should try chasing a Frisbee instead of a tiny ball. Disc golf, for the uninitiated, functions much like regular golf in that you play on a course, but the goal is to use your Frisbee (or disc) to hit a post rather than sink a ball in a hole. Thanks to the adjacent popularity of ultimate Frisbee, Thunder Bay has established its own disc golf course at Boulevard Lake in the past few years. It’s impressive, but if you have the space, you can always build your own. Angus MacDonald has maintained his private course for

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almost three decades. Located on his 27-hectare property in the Kaministiquia area, MacDonald’s course is five holes and good for a few hours of distraction. “Each hole—except for the last one—is a par three,” he explains. “We’ve had some hole-in-ones, but there’s a couple of tricky shots.” For example, the first hole runs fairly straight, but gets the nickname of “Calamity Lane” thanks to downed trees and heavy brush providing hazards. Each hole has its own personality and foibles, with an idiosyncratic item topping each goal post. Proving that if you build it they will come, it wasn’t long after

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Mary Jane MacDonald MacDonald constructed his course that a friend suggested he start a tournament, inviting friends—up to 50—for the event and breaking them into teams of three. Now known as the Little Dog Classic, the tournament has taken on a life of its own over the past 25 years. Given the quick learning curve of disc golf, MacDonald says it’s a day of friends caught up in the competitive spirit and “good-natured complaining.” The tournament leads to a barbecue and bonfire as a wind-up, with players trading their discs for instruments. “In the old days, we’d go until three or four in the morning. Last year I think people packed it in around midnight,” he chuckles.

Angus MacDonald has been maintaining his private course in the Kaministiquia area for nearly 30 years

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A View of the Lake Bight’s Waterfront Patio

Story by Matt Prokopchuk, Photos by Darren McChristie

hen Bianca Garofalo was setting up Bight restaurant on Thunder Bay’s waterfront, she says she knew the outdoor space was going to be a big part of her business. The patio is usually very busy from late spring until into the fall, says Garofalo, who is the restaurant’s manager, as well as one of its owners. This year, so far, has been an obvious exception due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Part of the draw, she says, is the patio’s location, mere steps away from Lake Superior and in the middle of the city’s refurbished Marina Park.

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“Thunder Bay is located right on the shores of Lake Superior and that’s a big attraction for a lot of people,” she says. “Not only for locals, who like to utilize the water as much as they can for the summer months, but also for tourists and people travelling through Thunder Bay.” The Water Garden Pavilion, where Bight is located, was built as part of the city’s redevelopment of Marina Park in 2012. Garofalo says she was subsequently tasked with designing the restaurant in the new space. “Definitely, there are things that I wish the city had done differently about … where we’re located

CoverStory and where the patio is located in conjunction with the water,” she says. “But when we took over the space, when we were designing Bight, and even the patio itself, we wanted to make sure that we utilized the views as much as possible.” One of those little tweaks involved making the patio’s barriers seethrough, instead of using shrubbery or fencing. While Garofalo says she enjoys her outdoor space, it’s not somewhere she can spend a lot of time– unless she’s working. “It’s very difficult for me to actually get a seat on my own patio, I’m not going to lie,” she says, referring to how many paying customers use it. “I can’t just sit at a table and drink a bunch of cocktails while they’re waiting,” she continues, laughing.

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CoverStory

Left to right, neighbours Sarah Watts and Dan Morrison

Like a Good Neighbour

The Backyard Vegetable Gardens of Sarah Watts and Dan Morrison Story by Matt Prokopchuk, Photos by Kay Lee

he old adage “you can’t pick your neighbours” doesn’t exactly ring true for two friends in Thunder Bay, and the results in their gardens—as well as the amount of cooperation between the two—are bountiful. Sarah Watts and Dan Morrison live next door to each other in a quiet residential neighbourhood on the city’s north side. There is no fence between their back yards, and they’ve both transformed their outdoor spaces into something of an urban farm, with greenhouses and garden plots galore for many types of vegetables, fruits, and herbs. The fact they came to be

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neighbours wasn’t completely by chance. Watts says that when the house next door to her hit the market, she let Morrison know about it. “When that house came up for sale, Dan and I were already... we were friends before he bought that house,” she says. “That was really awesome to sort of pick your neighbour.” Virtually all of the gardening has been done over the past decade or so—Watts has been in her house for 12 years, Morrison in his for 10— and the two collaborate by sharing ideas and certain tools, including grass-trimming equipment and a water pump, working together on

CoverStory

Sarah Watts and Dan Morrison each tend to their own yards, but share tools and collaborate on certain projects labour-intensive projects, keeping an eye on each other’s yards when the other isn’t home, and generally providing “the motivation around it all and the inspiration and the problem-solving,” Watts says. “It’s just good to have a friend next door who has similar interests,” Morrison says. “We can just share in … that creative energy that is growing food.” He adds that it’s “very unique to be able to do it on

this scale,” on properties that are well within the city. The two friends and neighbours are currently collaborating on a fence—not to separate their spaces, but to keep marauding deer from grabbing too much of the fruits of their labour. “They’re probably going to take out a month’s worth of work on one plant in a single bite,” Morrison says.

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Food

Summer Rolls makes about 12

Pad Thai Dipping Sauce: ½ c rice vinegar 2 Tbsp sugar 2 tsp fish sauce 2 tsp tomato paste 2 tsp chili-garlic paste 1 tsp fresh lime juice

Simmer rice vinegar and sugar over medium heat for about 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in everything else and remove from heat. Cool a few minutes, then transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. Sprinkle on the peanuts right before you serve the rolls, or they’ll be waterlogged.

(½ c chopped peanuts) Peanut Sauce: ½ c natural (unsweetened) peanut butter** 2 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari 1 Tbsp rice vinegar 2 Tbsp brown sugar 2 tsp chili-garlic paste 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Whiz all ingredients around in a blender or smoothie cup. Add more or less spice, depending on your taste. You can also thin it down by adding in more water. Refrigerate until ready to use. **if you only have regular PB, just reduce (or omit the brown sugar)

1 Tbsp fresh ginger root, grated 2 Tbsp warm water 200 g package glass noodles/vermicelli

THE GRINNING BELLY

1½ tsp soy sauce/tamari 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Thai to Go

could really go for some precedented times right about now, but summer’s here, and the living’s easy(er)—well, it’s still pandemically weird out there, but with restrictions loosening and the sun shining, it’s easy to slip into summer mode, albeit a little differently than before. While large gatherings are still a no-no, you can keep this recipe for summer rolls on your fridge and practice up for the day when you can get your whole gang together! They are simple in theory, but do take some practice to get them looking just right. Rice paper wrappers look like chalky Frisbees, are dirt cheap,

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2 c thinly sliced red or green cabbage 2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and julienned 1 carrot, peeled and julienned 1 c sliced herbs (basil, cilantro, and mint are a good combination)

By Chef Rachel Globensky and are sold in the international aisle at the Superstore. There, you can also find glass noodles (mai fun), fish sauce (pro tip: neither anchovies nor Worcestershire sauce are good substitutes), and chili-garlic paste (sambal oelek). Like many of my recipes, this one, too, is pretty easy-breezy as to what you can put inside for fillings. Adding protein is a cinch: roll in sliced cooked shrimp or marinated tofu strips, and as long as you have a hearty green (like romaine or kale) sliced thinly, crunchy veggies (like mung bean sprouts or peppers), and some fresh herbs (that one’s up to you!), along with a couple of dipping sauces, you’re all set.

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain well and run under cold water until you can handle them easily. Toss with soy sauce/tamari and sesame oil and set aside.

1 pkg large rice paper wrappers Very warm water

Have all your veggies ready to go, all about 2 inches long. A mandolin works well here if you have one. Set aside your veggies while you wrestle with the rice paper rolls.

Fill a large glass pie plate with hot water— as hot as you can without it burning your hands. Place one rice paper wrapper in for 10–15 seconds, until it becomes bendy. Take it out, let the extra water drip off it, and lay it out in front of you. You’re going to fill and roll the rice paper like a burrito: about ½-inch from the edge closest to you, lay down some of your prepped veggies, and a couple tablespoons of noodles. Fold the edge over, and then fold in the ends. Burrito it up, and place on a plate and cover with a damp tea towel. Keep going until you’ve run out of filling. If you’re storing the rolls for later, also cover with some plastic wrap before putting them in the fridge. Serve with your dipping sauces (don’t forget the chopped peanuts on the Pad Thai sauce!). If you happen to have any left, they’ll keep for about two days before becoming a soggy mess.

Food

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DRINK OF THE MONTH

Iced Alchemist’s Brew Bean Fiend Café

Story by Rebekah Skochinski, Photo by Chondon Photography July is here and though we’re far from being in the all-clear, what we can do is visit some of our favourite places to sit outside. And boy, are we ready! We love The Bean Fiend’s street-side spot because it’s perfect for people-watching, as well as their lush back patio that feels like a zen garden—ideal for when you want to chill. And if chill is what you’re after to beat the summer heat, you’ll want to try their Iced Alchemist’s Brew. The menu describes it as the tea of transformation, which sounds like a tea of our times, but all you really need to know is how amazing it tastes. Made from fresh-brewed hibiscus flowers, spearmint leaves, lemongrass, rosehips, and cinnamon bark that’s been lightly sweetened with cherry syrup, it’s great for hot weather, patio weather, and the storms we’ve weathered. Onward!

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Food

Fresh From the Oven We Knead Pizza Tantalizes Taste Buds Review and photos by Susan Pretty

he food scene is ever-so-slightly starting to reopen, and what better way to tempt those taste buds than with a hot, fresh pie straight out of the (wood-fired) oven? Entrepreneurial couple Amy Bobrowich and Jesse Stokes have always had a love for food. They had worked in kitchens most of their lives, but always wanted something of their own. “Amy’s father gave us the idea for a wood-fired pizza trailer,” Stokes says. “He helped us build it and with our knowledge of the food industry, it all came together!” The pair says there’s nothing quite like making fresh ‘za for peeps and having the instant reaction. They say they are so busy within the confines of their trailer that they don’t get the chance to converse as much as they like with

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their customers during events, but there’s no feeling like when someone tells them that it was the best pizza they have ever had. They use local ingredients as much as possible to support other businesses. The dough is their own secret recipe and they proudly say that real Parmesan is their friend. Doing business during COVID19 has put a slight damper on operations, but the couple is slowly getting back to business, staggering orders so they can limit the number of people at the trailer, and trying to limit contact as much as possible. Let’s talk menu, though. We Knead Pizza has a standard menu of five pies: pepperoni (there’s nothing like this classic pulled hot out of the oven), Margherita, meat lovers (there’s no shortage of pep, bacon and sausage), bruschetta, and the

“special” (tomato sauce, mozza, bacon, caramelized onions, spinach, and parm). They can also turn any pizza into a calzone. They try out new ideas as well by creating a “feature pizza,” and say two of their more popular pies are a slow-roasted pulled pork pizza with a homemade Guinness barbecue sauce, and a s’mores dessert pizza. Things sure get steamy inside. Although the flavour is unbeatable, the gang on the truck endures some hot temps working with what feels like a 1,000°F oven on hot summer days. Pies take only between 60 and 90 seconds to cook. “We had one event where we had a pizza stretched, in the oven, and out the window every two and a half minutes with a team of four,” Bobrowich says. This young couple has a passion

for food and serves great homemade pizza to the community (with dreams of one day opening a restaurant).

We Knead Pizza @WEKNEADPIZZA 631-5658

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Food

Lined-up emergency regional Good Food boxes in Ginoogaming First Nation

Shelby Gagnon (left) and Jessica McLaughlin (right) in Ginoogaming First Nation

The Indigenous Food Circle A Collaboration to End Food Insecurity in the North By Savanah Tillberg

irst Nation peoples are often some of the most heavily impacted in Canada when it comes to food insecurity, according to Jessica McLaughlin, the coordinator of the Indigenous Food Circle. Food insecurity, as outlined by the Indigenous Food Circle, refers to a lack of access to “sufficient and safe amounts of food on a regular basis.” As a result of Canada's colonial history that has denied Indigenous peoples sovereignty of the land, many Indigenous communities rely on emergency import systems to supply food. Since its inception in 2016, the Indigenous Food Circle has been working tirelessly to provide relief to communities facing food insecurity crises in addition to developing and establishing various food production systems in order to support sustained food security in the future. McLaughlin explains that they have planted wild rice crops, established meat processing plants, and implemented a number of other

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community-led food production projects to help boost Indigenous communities who have otherwise relied on emergency relief. “We use food as a tool for reconciliation and resurgence to create space to reclaim and weave Indigenous knowledges and experiences into food systems,” says McLaughlin. The Indigenous Food Circle works with a number of regional partners, including six different northern Ontario health units, in order to support various food sovereignty-related programs for Indigenous people both on- and off-reserve. “While COVID-19 is not the reason that many First Nation communities are food insecure, it certainly is not helping,” McLaughlin says, adding that, while small grocers and independent food distribution programs such as the Indigenous Food Circle received some funding from the government in response to COVID-19, the vast majority of the money allocated went to large

corporations such as Loblaws. One of the goals of the Indigenous Food Circle is to find ways to replace products that have previously come from the industrial food chain with sustainable alternatives produced across the region. The circulation of COVID-19 and its impact in various communities has created a significant challenge where delivering food and implementing long-term programming is concerned. However, McLaughlin has been working on the front lines over the past several weeks in order to provide these communities with sufficient food and resources. There is much work to be done, but McLaughlin suggests that through advocacy for policy change, government support, and community-led food initiatives, great strides can be made in eliminating food insecurity in northern Ontario. To learn more, visit @indigenousfoodcircle on Facebook.

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Rosa was born and raised in Schreiber and maintains a strong connection to her hometown. She recently assisted Cheadles with opening a satellite office in nearby Terrace Bay to better serve the north shore. Since moving to Thunder Bay, Rosa immersed herself into the community by volunteering with many boards and organizations. She has since received numerous awards for volunteerism and leadership, including Lakehead University’s 2019 Outstanding Young Alumni Award, SHIFT’s 2018 NOVA Award for Leadership and the Thunder Bay Law Association’s 2017 Service to the Community Award.

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Food

SUPERIOR SIP

he bounty of fragrant white and rose blossoms have floated free of their boughs in our northerly neck of the woods, promising a hefty harvest of apples when summer slips into fall. Until then, any way you slice it, apple cider is a fresh and flavourful way to add a crisp and refreshing edge to classic summer cocktails. Whether you choose soft (unfermented) or hard (fermented) sparkling cider, you don’t need a bushel and a peck of apples in order to serve up and sip these drinks.

Along Came a Cider By Jeannie Dubois, Certified Pommelier and Sommelier

Hudson Valley Cooler

Deep Dish Sparkler

Ingredients:

2 oz maple rye/whiskey

1 c sparkling apple cider

¼ oz fresh lemon juice

1 c moscato wine

¼ oz maple syrup

6 oz vanilla vodka

2 oz apple cider

¼ c cinnamon sugar

Apple slices for garnish

Cinnamon stick for garnish

Method:

Apple slices for rim/garnish

1 apple cut into slices

Method:

Add lemon juice, maple syrup, and maple rye/ whiskey to shaker with ice and shake briefly to combine and chill. Strain over fresh ice cubes into a rocks glass and top with apple cider. Stir to combine and garnish with apple slices.

Orchard Mojito Ingredients: 6 oz apple cider 1½ oz gold rum 1½ oz fresh lime juice 2 tsp sugar 3-4 mint leaves

Wet rim of wine glass with a slice of apple and dip rim into cinnamon sugar. Pour 2 oz vanilla vodka into each of 3 glasses, then fill halfway with moscato. Top with sparkling cider. Serve with cinnamon stick and apple slices if you wish.

1 lime cut into wedges

Place lime juice, rum, mint leaves, and sugar in the bottom of a Mason jar. Muddle mixture using a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon. Add ice, apple slices, and lime wedges. Pour in apple cider to the top of the glass and stir. If desired, garnish Mason jar with more lime wedges, apple slices, and mint sprigs.

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The Joys of Growing Food

Roots to Harvest Sees Huge Upswing in Gardening Interest Story by Pat Forrest, Photos by Kay Lee

he ongoing coronavirus pandemic has sparked a huge interest in people growing their own food. Extra planters are appearing on apartment balconies. Seeds are sprouting on windowsills. Gardens are popping up all over. With far more people staying home while thinking about where their food supply comes from, it’s a trend that is taking off. And it’s not just that people have the time. Gardening can ground us when we are feeling anxious. The predictable rhythms of the garden are comforting in normal times and perhaps even more so when our world has been turned upside

down. For some, growing their own food is something they’ve done for years. For others, it’s brand-new territory. Kim McGibbon, the food and kitchen director at Roots to Harvest, says that people’s desire to garden has risen over the years but that their organization has never experienced such a surge in interest as now. Roots to Harvest stocks seeds from Superior Seed Producers, a collective of local Thunder Bay area growers who promote the saving and distribution of locally adapted, sustainably grown, open-pollinated, non-GMO seeds. It’s a product, she says, that is in tune with the times.

“It speaks to the point of resilience and food security in that broader sense. People want more control of their food and to know where their food is coming from. They’re asking what skills they need to feed their family. They want seeds that have adapted to this area, not seeds that have been trademarked and are controlled by a large company,” she says. In the past, Roots to Harvest offered gardening and beekeeping workshops in-person, but now they are offering a series of online sessions. There will be one coming up this summer on seed saving as well as ones on other topics. McGibbon

encourages everyone to visit their website at rootstoharvest.org/workshops for workshop information, videos of past workshops, gardening tips, and other resources. She says that gardening gives people some joy in their lives in these dark times.“Growing food and watching it grow, sharing knowledge about growing food with our kids, and returning to the kitchen to cook from scratch gives us a feeling of hopefulness. People are discovering that gardening is good therapy. It’s something that we at Roots to Harvest have known all along.”

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Food

What We All Scream For

A Guide to the Thunder Bay Area’s Ice Cream and Gelato Story and photos by Nik and Dana Fiorito

Shake Shoppe 4763 Highway 11/17 Kakabeka Falls

Most unique flavours: Blue raspberry and lemon lime dips Price: Ranges from $3–$5 depending on size and dip Details: One of the most iconic confectionaries in the region, the Shake Shoppe received a facelift over the winter, but old-fashioned service and low prices remain under the updated exterior. Long lines are worth the wait, especially if you're interested in one of their two most unique flavours: the blue raspberry and lemon lime dips. As you crunch through the outer shell, the sour notes hit your taste buds and reveal your choice of soft serve underneath. With 11 dips on hand, there are hundreds of potential combinations of dips and ice cream flavours (but we were on a deadline!)

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The Ice Cream Cottage 5 Porter Street Kakabeka Falls

f there's one thing we all collectively dread about a Thunder Bay summer, it's the possibility that we might accidentally waste a warm day. Any local will tell you that our summer season is short and sweet, and perfect for packing in as much fair-weather fun as your schedule and wallet will allow. Sure, you can work on a project around the house or get active on our many lakes

and trails, but we all know the best part of any of these activities is the anticipation—and enjoyment—of a sweet treat afterward. With the number of spots on the local frozen treat scene growing, we ventured beyond the vanilla to find the most unique, interesting flavours each shop has to offer. A parting note: if there is a better editorial assignment, we've yet to see it.

TJ’s Ice Cream Shoppe

Merla Mae

500 Arthur Street West Thunder Bay

Most unique flavour: Strawberryrhubarb sundae

Most unique flavour: Watermelon soft serve

Price: $5.75 tax included

Price: Regular cone $3.71 (small), $4.32 (medium), $4.85 (large). Waffle cone also available

Details: Not to be outdone in Kakabeka Falls, The Ice Cream Cottage has an impressive strawberry-rhubarb sundae, made with homemade (and local) strawberry-rhubarb sauce. It’s topped with optional whipped cream and pecans, and the proverbial cherry on top is… a cherry on top. It is a tall, attractive dessert, but the obvious standout is the homemade sauce, which is why this sundae is not only one of the more unique options, it is also one of the most popular.

Details: While a lot of ice cream shops offer an expanded menu of hard ice cream flavours, TJ's has one of the most expansive softserve selections in the city. The watermelon soft serve in a waffle cone is light and refreshing, just like its namesake fruit (or vegetable— apparently there is a heated watermelon classification debate online that we have found ourselves in the midst of).

346 Memorial Avenue Thunder Bay Most unique flavour: Persian Price: $4.10 (single scoop) Details: You probably know Merla Mae as the classic diner and ice cream shop on the main drag, but did you know that all of their specialty ice cream flavours are made in-house? That should come as no surprise when considering their very-true-to-taste persian hard ice cream, which could only be concocted in this city. Both the classic pink icing and the familiar doughnut-esque base are somehow accurately represented in the flavour profile of this treat, allowing visitors to check off multiple Thunder Bay bucket list items with one scoop.

Food

Epic Cones

Location varies (often found in front of D&R Sporting Goods/ Rollin’ Thunder on Memorial Avenue)

Dolce Coffee House 345 Kingsway Thunder Bay

Most unique flavour: Salted caramel crunch

Most unique flavour: Limoncello swirl gelato

Price: $5 (regular), $6.50 (large)

Price: $3.50 (small), $5 (large)

Details: It is not too difficult to spot the Epic Cones trailer—just look for the long line of eager customers in one of the parking lots they frequently set up in. One of their most unique ice cream treats is the salted caramel crunch, featuring a vanilla soft serve base topped with caramel and chocolate sauce, pretzels, and toffee bits. A mouthful to order and eat, this dish was introduced late last year and quickly climbed the leaderboard to become one of Epic Cones’ top sellers.

Details: With a spacious outdoor garden area for seating, Dolce provides a relaxed setting in which you can enjoy a variety of unique flavours of made-in-house gelato, including the limoncello swirl, made with real lemon liqueur. Gelato is generally creamier and more dense than ice cream, allowing the lemon flavour to take centre stage in this dish. If you're lucky, it will be the daily special and include a free housemade macaron with purchase of a large gelato (check their Facebook page for details).

Prime Gelato 200 Red River Road Thunder Bay

Most unique flavours: Vanilla latte (pictured) and Fruit Loops Price: $4 (Euro cup), $5.50 (regular cup) Details: When everything is made in-house, you have a lot of freedom to innovate—something that the gelato experts at Prime clearly do not hesitate to do. Gelato aficionados say that because it's served at a warmer temperature than ice cream, your palate experiences the flavours more intensely. Who knew? The vanilla latte gelato is exactly what a coffee lover would want in a cold treat, while the Fruit Loops flavour brings to mind that last slurp of the cereal bowl on an early 90s Saturday morning. Oops, we're showing our age.

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Food

Summer Sours

Refreshing Beer Styles with Acidity By Josh Armstrong, PhD, Certified Beer Judge

BREW IT YOURSELF

Dry-Hopped Sour Ale

Not all hoppy beers are bitter. Dry-hopped sour beers tend to have very little bitterness but will still be loaded with great hop flavours. Dry hopping (adding hops to beer after it has fermented) can produce huge fruity aromas and fantastic fruity flavours like peach, orange, guava, and gooseberry; all of which go great with a little tartness from the lactobacillus. Some great examples of this style can be regularly found at the LCBO: Bellwoods Brewery’s Jelly King, Collective Arts Brewing’s Jam Up the Mash, and Bench Brewing Company’s Green Fields Sour Ale. When drunk fresh, these brews beautifully highlight the delightfully fruity characters from the hops while remaining light, tart, and refreshing.

40 The Walleye

hen it comes to summer beer, people tend to turn to lager-style beers. Truly, lagers go great with the sunshine on a patio or after a hard day of working in the heat. Don’t get me wrong, lagers are often crisp and delicious (I’m currently particularly fond of German-style pilsners). However, with the growth of the craft beer industry, there are now many options other than lager to choose from this summer. For instance, a wide range of sour beer styles are now available and can offer an abundance of flavour while still quenching your thirst. For those not well-versed in exactly what types of summery sour beer are available, I hope to introduce your palate to some new bright flavours this summer.

Fruited Sours

Fruited sour beers are not a particular style of beer. This term basically encapsulates any beer that contains actual fruit along with sourness from lactobacillus. Like the above examples, fruited sours aim to balance tartness with some sweetness, but here the brewery will add fruit at some point during the brewing process. One of my favourites in this category is from the Belgian brewery Rodenbach. Their beer Alexander is in the style of a Flanders Red Ale and is made with tart cherries. It offers an extraordinary balance between the cherries, the oak foeders in which it is aged, and a pleasant sourness that they have mastered at the brewery. You can also find fruited sours made by breweries in Ontario—Left Field, Bellwoods, Nickel Brook, Bench, and others all produce wonderful fruited sour beers that would be great to share with your friends this season.

Similar to lemonade, sour beers can have a refreshing amount of acidity that is both thirst-quenching and a little tart, leaving you wanting another sip. The tartness in sour beers primarily comes from the brewery adding lactobacillus during the brewing process—the same bacteria that turns milk into yogurt. This bacteria is able to convert sugar from the malted barley into lactic acid, which can result in interestingly sour and flavourful taste profiles that go way beyond your traditional lager-style beer. When balanced with sweetness, sour beers can be reminiscent of sour key candy or a tart white wine. Below I highlight three styles of sour beer that you should be drinking this summer.

Gose

I’m really surprised that Gose (pronounced “GOsuh”) hasn’t become more popular here in Ontario. I saw the popularity of this style of beer surge back when I lived in Nova Scotia with Good Robot Brewing Company’s Goseface Killah brand. Gose is a Germanstyle sour wheat beer that also has a small amount of salt and is often spiced with coriander seeds. Light in body and light in alcohol, gose beers are great summer session beers with a little salty, sour twist. While they are often hard to find in Northwestern Ontario, they occasionally pop up at the LCBO. Be on the lookout today! Cheers to summer sour beers.

IN YOUR

BACKYARD

STAY HOPTIMISTIC! BREWE

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Food

A Guide to Thunder Bay’s Restaurant Patios Where You Can Enjoy a Bite or a Drink Outdoors

COVID-19 pandemic pandemichas hasmeant meanthuge hugechanges changesfor he COVID-19 for Thunder Bay’s restaurants, As Thunder Bay’s restaurants, bars,bars, and and pubs.pubs. As restrictions restrictions continue to slowly many of these continue to slowly loosen, manyloosen, of these businesses have businesses haveup started to open up expanded outdoor seating started to open expanded outdoor seating space so people space so people can partake in aenjoying summerastaple: enjoying can partake in a summer staple: cold one or a bite a one orpatio. a biteHere to eatare onsome the patio. Here are some tocold eat on the local restaurants thatlocal have restaurants that have moved we adjust moved dining outdoors, as wedining adjust outdoors, to our newasnormal. Youto our can new refernormal. to thewalleye.ca/patios for the latest patio openings.

Dolce Coffee House ▲ Location: 345 Kingsway Avenue Patio Hours: 7 days a week, 10 am–10 pm Patio Capacity: 60 people Maximum Group Size: 10

Umbrellas: Yes Heaters: No Recommended: Daily specials

Nook ▲ Location: 271 Bay Street Patio Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 11:30 am–10 pm Patio Capacity: 44 people Maximum Group Size: 6

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Sleeping Giant Brewing Co. ▲ Umbrellas: Yes Heaters: Yes Recommended: Pizza

Location: 712 Macdonell Street Patio Hours: Monday to Friday, 12 pm–7 pm, Saturday and Sunday, 12 pm–5 pm Patio Capacity: 56 people Maximum Group Size: 8

Umbrellas: Yes Heaters: No Recommended: Custom flights—pick four beers to try

Food Waterfront District BIA “StrEATery”

Bar Italia ▲ Location: 168 Court Stret South Patio Hours: Tuesday to Friday, 12 pm–12 am Patio Capacity: 22 to 25 people Maximum Group Size: 6

Umbrellas: Yes Heaters: Yes Recommended: Citrusy salad with watermelon, cucumbers, and feta or goat cheese

Red Lion Smokehouse ▲ Location: 16 Cumberland Street South Patio Hours: Monday to Thursday, 2 pm–8 pm, Friday to Sunday, 2 pm–8 pm (last seating at 8 pm with guests being able to stay until 10 pm) Patio Capacity: 32 people

Maximum Group Size: 6 Umbrellas: Yes Heaters: No Recommended: Classic pulled pork sandwich or maple bacon burger

Daytona’s ▲ Location: 965A Cobalt Crescent Patio Hours: Tuesday and Wednesday, 11 am–8 pm, Thursday and Friday, 11 am–9 pm, Saturday 10 am–9 pm, Sunday 10 am–8 pm, Monday closed Patio Capacity: 75 people

Paulucci’s Wayland Bar & Grill ▲ Location: 1019 Gore Street West Patio Hours: 7 days a week, 11 am–7 pm Patio Capacity: 92 people Maximum Group Size: 6

Umbrellas: Yes Heaters: No Recommended: Pizza, nachos, wings, apps, and burgers.

Maximum Group Size: 4 (unless from same household) Umbrellas: Yes Heaters: Yes Recommended: Taco Tuesday, $7.50, Wing Wednesday, panzerottis on Thursday, $12 burgers on Sunday

In addition to the many bars and restaurants offering expanded seating outdoors, the Waterfront District BIA is also providing space where people can enjoy a summer afternoon. Starting in early July, the westbound lanes of Red River Road, between Court Street and St. Paul Street will be closed off to provide space for an expanded “StrEATery” and marketplace, where extra seating, trees, and planters will give a parklike atmosphere right in the downtown north core. Patrons can freely take their food and (non-alcoholic) beverages with them and enjoy the summer weather. Some establishments will also have their own licensed areas. The “StrEATery” will be staffed from 11 am to 8 pm from Tuesday to Saturday and will have capacity for 180 people, with maximum group sizes of six people, subject to change. Parking is available at the parkade in the downtown north core, at public metered parking lots in the area, and on-street. There are also 15-minute parking spaces along the outside eastbound lane of Red River Road in front of the former Eaton’s building for quick pick-up. The Waterfront District BIA says it expects the “StrEATery” to stay open into the fall.

Madhouse ◄ Location: 295 Bay St Patio Hours: Monday to Saturday, 12 pm–10 pm Patio Capacity: 40 people Maximum Group Size: 8

Umbrellas: Yes Heaters: No Recommended: Special summer menu with daily food specials

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Food

Expanding the Space

Nook Owner Says New Patio Space Will Help When Reopening Story by Matt Prokopchuk, Photos by Darren McChristie

hen Caitlin Jeffs first opened Nook in the summer of 2015, having a patio as a central feature of her restaurant was always in the plans. But she says the newly constructed expansion is now crucial in a social distancing world. Jeffs opened her original patio about a month after the restaurant itself, but has now further expanded the outdoor seating space, which she says will roughly double the number of tables she can put outside. With a lot of uncertainty over how restaurants will continue to be able to reopen to dine-in customers, Jeffs says having that extra seating outside is important. “People are going to feel safer outside,” she says. “There’s the fresh air in your face, you’re not breathing recycled air.” “I think for all restaurants, there’s going to be some segment

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of the community that just doesn’t want to go inside for this kind of experience this year and perhaps they’ll feel like they could do it outside,” she adds. Aside from that, Jeffs says, Nook’s new outdoor space will at least help make up for the drastically reduced capacity in the restaurant itself; Jeffs says she’s taken out over half of the seating previously available inside, based on what she expects distancing guidelines for eateries to look like when they’re allowed to reopen. “Putting six feet between a table, it really changes [the capacity],” she says. The patio now extends in front of Portobello Home, a modern furniture store in the same building. Jeffs owns the building itself but says she made the changes in consultation with Portobello Home’s owner. “We know that this year,

realistically, the survival of restaurants is going to depend on patio space, most likely,” she says. As for what she feels is the defining feature of the new patio, Jeffs is quick with her response. “As much greenery as we can possibly fit out

there,” she says. “We’ve put out a lot of plants—anything to make it feel warm and welcoming, and obviously, there’s this huge interest right now in gardening. We’re trying to make it feel like that.”

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FilmTheatre as Sam Louis), Arley Cox, JeanPaul De Roover, and Classic Roots. Collaborating with these musicians will be youth dancers from Dance Dynamics Studio, Fay Gleeson Dance Centre, Art in Motion, and Legacy Performing Arts Company. David Wilkinson-Simard will also choreograph Indigenous dancers to the music of Classic Roots. The project will be led by Donna Marie Baratta, Stephanie DePiero, Jean-Paul De Roover, and filmmaker Victoria Anderson-Gardner. The participants in the final dance section will be community members of all ages, genders, and ethnicities; they will have some or no dance experience. In addition to this inspired project, Superior Theatre Festival intends to produce free online workshops each day of the festival. This year’s presentation has been funded with the support of the City of Thunder Bay, Canadian Tire, Tbaytel, and Iron Range Bus Lines.

Music, Dance Share the Spotlight

Superior Theatre Festival’s ‘Undercurrents’ Celebrates 50 Years of Thunder Bay By Marcia Arpin

his year’s Superior Theatre Festival, called Undercurrents, will weave together a series of six choreographic works that, when combined, will create one filmed piece. This year’s production will be shared online at superiortheatrefestival.com, one dance at a time, from August 18–23, 2020. The festival works throughout the year to develop arts programming and productions each summer. This year’s production is a celebration of Thunder Bay and its 50th anniversary and will feature local dancers, choreographers, filmmakers and musicians dramatizing the past 50 years with an undercurrent of nostalgia, favourite memories, and our community’s culture. The focus of the work is to create unity and a

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connection to our land in northern Ontario and the importance of our home of Thunder Bay. Filmed at the water’s edge, the audience is reminded how Lake Superior symbolizes life, industry, and pleasure. The locations used in the film are significant— they’re synonymous with how the city has been undergoing continual transformation and re-birth. The revitalization of the Thunder Bay waterfront over the past 40 years has taken areas that were originally developed for grain shipping and industry and redeveloped parts to attract tourism and retain residents. Each of the six sections will feature original songs from local musicians Rodney Brown, Sunday wilde, Sam Migliazza (also known

FilmTheatre

Films Featuring the Back Yard By Michael Sobota

We’re now a quarter of an inch tall, and 64 feet from the house. That’s an equivalent of 3.2 miles. That’s a long way. Even for a man of science. - Nick Szalinski (Robert Oliveri) in Honey, I Shrunk The Kids

he movies like back yards. They are so cinematic. We will not soon forget that haunting, climatic scene in the back yard of that upscale Korean home in last year’s award-winning Parasite. If you live in California, British Columbia, or Nova Scotia, your back yard might be the ocean. If you live in Alberta, it might be the Rocky Mountains. If you live in Northwestern Ontario, your back yard might be the bush or a sandlot, a summer garden, a wooden deck, or a hot tub. Here are four summer cinematic gems that you can watch at home—likely inside rather than in your back yard.

Honey, I Shrunk The Kids (1989) Joe Johnston directs Rick Moranis as awkward Wayne Szalinski, professor, scientist and inventor, who accidentally shrinks his kids and their neighbour friends. Unknowingly, he collects the debris from his failed experiment and tosses it all into his back yard, in a garbage bag. That bag contains those four kids, now reduced to a quarter-inch tall. The movie shifts from the anxiety of the kids’ parents to the real fears of the kids struggling through giant blades of grass to get back home. One terror is, of course, the lawnmower! The story has a witty script and shifts from broad humour to dazzling special effects. And the hero of the film is an ant. Engaging for all ages.

3 Backyards (2011)

Peter Rabbit (2018)

I approached this film with wariness. One critic had called it “smartly observed.” Another said it was boring. I think it is slowly observed. Director Eric Mendelsohn’s mostly serious take on three different sets of characters and their complicated stories is fascinating. Our front yards are staged exhibitions, what we want everybody to see, while our back yards present views that may be closer to the truth. These are all adult stories, but Kasper Tuxen’s smart cinematography often gives a child’seye view of beautiful and forbidding landscapes. And Mendelsohn’s great triumph is not forcing the stories to merge into a phoney climax.

For grumpy Old Mr. McGregor (voiced by Sam Neill), his back yard is his prized vegetable garden. Director Will Gluck updates and gives us a fresh and energetic version of Beatrix Potter’s classic tale. Peter (voiced by James Corden) and his four furry partnersin-crime get up to all manner of tricks in their battle with the farmer and his young summer apprentice. The winning script is full of wit and slapstick, in a battle many local gardeners will recognize. Food is food, and we all need it. Do you remember how Beatrix Potter resolved the dilemma? Watch this and be surprised.

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

Backyard Wilderness (2018) “WiFi is not the only connection that matters” is the tagline for this visual wonder co-created by Susan Todd and Andrew Young, with astonishing cinematography by Michael Male. This is a 42-minute examination of the natural world. We see fiddleheads pushing up and uncurling and the first falling flight of a duckling as it leaps from a nest in a hollow tree, and we eavesdrop on the daily routines of a turtle, a heron, a frog, and a racoon. This is juxtaposed against that of nearby humans who, with modern technology, tend to live more on their computer screens and mobile devices while the world—the natural wild world—is in their back yards. The film was shot for IMAX viewing but there is a 2D version available as well.

And here are six more screen stories that feature back yards, to savour with an iced beverage of your choice: The Swimmer (1968), The Sandlot (1993), In Our Backyard (2009), Take Shelter (2011), Free Fall (2013), and Promise In the Sand (2018).

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FilmTheatre

CONFESSIONS OF A DRAG DEALER

Oliver Attitude—one of Thunder Bay's fan-favourite drag kings

The King’s Circus By Jimmy Wiggins

rag is very much in vogue right now and there are no signs that it’s going anywhere. At no other point in history has there been so many drag artists expressing their visions for all to see. In the media, RuPaul’s Drag Race is one of the biggest proponents of bringing drag to the mainstream. It’s working, as there are now 12 regular seasons of the show (with an impressive 13 Emmys and 34 nominations), five seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars, a U.K. version of the show with the second season of production being halted because of COVID-19, and

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countless spin-offs and specials all focusing on fabulous drag queens. And that’s just the one franchise. In fact, by the time you read this, Canada’s Drag Race will have aired its very first season, showcasing some of the best queens in the country. That’s huge! But Drag Race in any form repeatedly neglects to include the other side of this coin: the kings. Drag kings are typically, but not always, female performance artists who dress in masculine attire to personify or impersonate male gender stereotypes as a form of expression and entertainment. Drag

kings are not a new concept by any means, but they are far less recognized and much less common compared to drag queens. Among the local scene, the queens outnumber the kings more than two to one. As a promoter/producer, I try to include kings in my shows whenever possible. Every once in a while I meet a king who is able to capture the audience’s attention and steal their hearts. Oliver Attitude is one of those kings. Oliver Attitude (aka Réka Rossignol out of drag) grew up in Toronto’s west end near High Park. She moved to Thunder Bay in 2015 to attend Lakehead University to study Outdoor Recreation and Women’s and Gender Studies. Little did she know she would eventually become one of the city’s fan-favourite drag kings. “To be honest I didn't even know what drag really was until university. It was my friend Blake (drag queen Onya Boyzdii) who suggested I try drag,” explains Rossignol. “I was confused because I thought only men could be drag queens, and that’s when he told me what drag kings were. I was amazed that this existed! He brought me to the next drag show happening so I could check out the scene, and that was my first exposure to drag.” I’ve been booking Oliver for shows from the beginning and it’s been great to watch the evolution of both his drag character and how he performs on stage. A lot of drag performers start off one way and as they get more and more stage time they’re able to really craft the character and tweek little things here and there to make their drag a much more personal form of expression. “At first [Oliver] was a hypermasculine, dirt bag boy, with a wannabe gangster rapper vibe that was based on my own ideas of toxic masculinity,” explains Rossignol. “But with time, Oliver evolved into a poised, charismatic, and charming young gentleman. Oliver can be seductive and sexy, but at the same time he is silly, sassy, and energetic.” After brainstorming drag names, Rossignol decided on a name for this quirky new character. “I really

liked the name Oliver because it sounds like ‘all of her,’ and I love puns. We thought of all kinds of names to follow Oliver, but I think it was Onya who suggested Oliver Attitude. The moment I heard it, I knew that was it. It just has a ring to it! I also thought it suited my spunky and high-energy attitude that I have about life. Over time, as the character developed, so did the meaning behind the name. Oliver doesn't just carry one energy or emotion; he is able to shift and morph between different emotions and attitudes on stage. The term ‘attitude’ usually has a negative connotation, like sass or ‘a bad attitude,’ but I like to think of attitude as something that can change with intention, and Oliver as a character does the exact same thing.” Influenced by New Zealand drag king and winner of season one of House of Drag, Hugo Grrrl (a.k.a. George Fowler), Oliver’s drag takes elements of camp with a carnival vibe. “Hugo Grrrl was really the first king that showed me how unique and campy kings can be,” explains Rossignol. “He has a very feminine/ androgynous look about him, which helped me get away from the idea that kings need to be super masculine. That was a huge step in my drag evolution. These days, Oliver is leaning towards a more quirky energy. He is a painted king, with the charisma and charm of a circus ringleader, the campy comedy of a clown, and the heart and attention span of a golden retriever.” Ask any Drag Race fan who their favourite queen is and they can name off their favourite five or 10 or 20 queens from the show, but ask them to do the same for kings and you won’t get the same response. Even though drag kings are just as talented and entertaining, they have not been given the same limelight as their queen counterparts. Even at live shows, many kings have to work double time to get the same attention as some of the queens. “I think the biggest misconception about drag kings in particular is that we don't have to work as hard as drag queens,” explains Rossignol. “I understand that the process of transforming from a

SHOP, DON’T STOP. man to a woman might be more difficult, but I feel like drag kings have to fight for visibility and are always being overshadowed by drag queens, which makes it difficult for us to gain visibility. Although we want to believe the LGBTQIA+ scene is all-accepting, I think there is still a level of misogyny. This leads to another misconception that drag can only be done by gay men in glamorous ways, like on RuPaul’s Drag Race. That is certainly one way to do drag, but I think that drag is for everybody. It can be cute, campy, sexy, glamorous, or terrifying. Drag knows no bounds, and I would love to see more people simply playing with and bending the gender binary as a way to express themselves and feel good.” Sadly for Thunder Bay, Rossignol will be packing her drag bags and moving out west to Victoria, B.C. to be closer to her family and to dive head-first into the drag scene

there. With travel being one of her greatest passions, she hopes to take Oliver around the world to both entertain and use the platform to send positivity and advocate for sexuality, gender education and social justice issues. “I absolutely adore the Thunder Bay drag community. We are unique, creative, and inclusive. Although I'm sure other communities have tight-knit scenes, our community truly feels like a family. I want to express my gratitude for the community for shaping me into the performer I am today,” explains Rossignol. “I would not be the person I am without every single one of my Fantasy Haus family members and local fans. I am going to miss this beautiful little community so much, but it's time for me to spread my wings and fly. Thank you so much for the support and I'll be back to visit one day soon!”

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TheArts

Christi Belcourt, Wolf Clan, No Pipelines, n.d., digital banner image. Courtesy of the artist

Tom Thomson, The Drive, 1916-1917, oil on wood board, 132 x 149 cm. Ontario Agricultural College purchase with funds raised by students, faculty, and staff, 1926, University of Guelph Collection at the Art Gallery of Guelph

Thunder Bay Art Gallery Reopens New Exhibition Spotlights Algonquin Park Logging

By Corey Wilkinson, Communications and Marketing Coordinator, Thunder Bay Art Gallery

rom July 17 until September the Thunder Bay Art Gallery is hosting an exhibition featuring an iconic work by Tom Thomson (1877-1917). The Drive (1916–17) is considered to be among the artist’s most significant paintings, featuring the logging industry in Algonquin Park. Based on a sketch produced in the summer of 1916 when Thomson was employed as a fire ranger in the park, the work depicts a massive flow of timber spilling over a dam near Algonquin Park and capturing the energy of the logging era. The Drive is the Thunder Bay Art Gallery’s first new exhibition since it reopened on June 23 after the COVID-19 pandemic closure. New

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protocols will be in place to protect both visitors and staff following government guidelines, including social distancing, reduced visitor capacity, and hand sanitizing stations. Thomson’s paintings would indelibly shape notions of a distinct Canadian landscape, giving visual shape and texture to a “pure” wilderness that was subject to both collective possession and imagination. Unlike other provincial and national parks, however, the history of Algonquin Park was not one of protecting a pristine environment. The landscape had been dramatically transformed by colonialism, tourism, and industry, even in Thomson’s day. The painting

captures the intensity of logging in a park that had already been widely clear cut in Thomson’s day. The industry was the primary shaper of the landscape Thomson painted and made famous, defining this landscape as post-industrial, not the untouched wilderness it is so often described. The exhibition, organized and circulated by the Art Gallery of Guelph with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage, situates the work of Thomson, the Group of Seven, and their peers in relation to diverse Canadian and Indigenous artists in order to highlight the complexity of the representation of landscape, particularly as it relates to the land and the

history of resource development. The Drive features eight works by Group of Seven painters A.J. Casson, A.Y. Jackson, and J.E.H. MacDonald. This collaboration with the Art Gallery of Guelph allows the Thunder Bay Art Gallery to bring to the city works of enduring national significance that are rarely toured. The Drive is an amazing opportunity for visitors to the gallery to see work from Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven, alongside contemporary Canadian artists. The Thunder Bay Art Gallery has loaned four works by Indigenous artists from the Permanent Collection to this travelling exhibition. People of the Forest by Daphne Odjig merges traditional

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Daphne Odjig, People of the Forest, 1984, pastel on paper, 75 x 58 cm Collection of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Art Plus Acquisition, 1984 Indigenous themes and imagery with Cubist and Surrealist influences. Bigfoot’s Demise by Bob Boyer blends cultural perspectives, integrating imagery from his Plains Indigenous heritage with European tradition. Robert Houle’s Banners and Two Chiefs Secretly Talking by Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun are also included. Other artists in the exhibition are Sonny Assu, Christi Belcourt, Edward Burtynsky, Bonnie Devine, Isuma, Sarah Anne Johnson, Arthur Lismer, Kelly Richardson, Don Russell, Frank Shebageget, and Peter von Tiesenhausen. The Drive is an opportunity for gallery visitors to view significant

works by important Canadian artists together with the work of contemporary artists who are interpreting our changed relationship with the land. Placed together, these works speak to the pressing environmental challenges we face in post-colonial Canada and encourage dialogue about the protection of land and water, and the movement toward sustainable practices. Visitors are encouraged to view the gallery website for new visitor guidelines at theag.ca

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TheArts

FROM THE THUNDER BAY ART GALLERY’S COLLECTION

Artist: Henry Beaudry Title: Preparing Dinner Date: Circa 1985 Medium: Acrylic on canvas Dimensions: 55.8 x 71.1 cm Credit: Gift of James Kurtz, Regina, Saskatchewan, 1994

enry Beaudry (1921–2016) was a prolific artist, creating well over a thousand paintings in his lifetime. Starting as a young man up until his death at 94, Beaudry painted artworks that told stories, often using his memories and history as subject matter. He recreated images of everyday life as he saw it, remembered it, and

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Preparing Dinner By Meaghan Eley, Registrar & Curatorial Assistant, Thunder Bay Art Gallery

re-envisioned it from stories shared by elders, family, and community members. Six of Beaudry’s paintings can be found in the Permanent Collection of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, including Preparing Dinner, pictured here. Originally from Poundmaker First Nation, near Battleford, Saskatchewan, Henry Beaudry attended residential school in Delmas, Saskatchewan. In 1941, at the age of 19, he married Theresa Spyglass and enlisted in the Canadian Army. After a short period of training, Beaudry served in southern Europe during World War II. During the war, Beaudry was injured and spent several months

in a field hospital recovering. After rejoining his unit he was captured and held prisoner by the German army. While being transferred from one POW camp to another, Beaudry escaped. He eventually made his way to Holland, where he joined American troops stationed there. On returning from the war, Beaudry settled in Mosquito First Nation. This is when he started painting, documenting not only his life, but also the lives of the Plains Cree who came before him, including his great-grandfather Pitikwahanapiwiyin (Poundmaker). Chief Poundmaker was a great peacemaker and leader of his people,

wrongfully convicted of treason during the Northwest Resistance. After years of work on the part of the leaders of Poundmaker First Nation, he was finally exonerated in May 2019. Henry Beaudry captured many moments in the life of his legendary ancestor on canvas. After Beaudry’s passing in 2016, Perry Bellegarde, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, had this to say about Beaudry: “He lived a long and vibrant life, moving many of us through his skillful artistry, strong convictions and gentle demeanour... [He was] an acclaimed artist, World War II veteran, residential school survivor and story keeper.”

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Michel Dumont

TheArts

Determined to Make A Difference

Michel Dumont’s Installation Receives National Recognition By Ayla Marion

ince our lives drastically changed in March, many people have had to come up with creative ways to spend their newfound free time. Some people have taken to baking, some reading, and even more are discovering the joys of endless streaming. However, Thunder Bay artist Michel Dumont has found inspiration in isolation by creating his latest installation, inspired by COVID-19 itself. What began with broken mirrors from the old Eaton’s building being fashioned into a home “infinity

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room,” has turned into the mirrored disco ball and cellophane coronavirus-shaped installation that has now been recognized nationally. When Dumont contributed this piece to a contest run by Toronto art collective STEPS Initiative, which highlights what artists have been up to during quarantine, he was one of eight winners chosen. Dumont says the adjustment into total social isolation was not as shocking for him as it may have been for others. As a disabled artist, he already works from the comfort

of his own home. He also says that living through the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 80s and 90s as a queer man left him more emotionally equipped to handle the COVID-19 pandemic than many others. Even so, he says he noticed a lot of negativity and pessimism and was determined to make a difference. Dumont’s goal when creating the sculpture was to take the fear from this virus that is affecting the whole world, and turn it into something good—into love. It is a figurative and literal light in a dark time

filled with unknowns, and he used the winning money he received from the contest to upscale the installation and place it in the city for the public to view. Dumont says he’s pleasantly surprised by the reaction his installment has received. "It’s cool that I did it for personal pleasure and it ended up being recognized nationally," he says, adding that he’s proud to have come from northern Ontario and become known amongst big-city artists. He is also very supportive of the growing movement of making art more accessible in Thunder Bay, and has felt the community's support right back since his installation went up. Dumont’s installation can be viewed in the windows of the Royal Edward Arms building on May Street, and his art can be followed on his instagram page @madbear67 and his hashtag #infinitedumont.

Michel Dumont

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TheArts

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TheArts

Nameless No More

Courtesy of Nameless Collective

New Northern Ontario Platform For Emerging Artists By Lindsay Campbell

From left to right, Katelin Hogard and Marielle Orr of The Nameless Collective “It’s untouched in a way and I think there's so much talent that the rest of the world doesn't know about, so we’re pretty excited.” Those interested in learning more about Nameless Collective,

its upcoming fundraiser, its lineup of local artists, or how to become a member can visit namelessco.ca. The organization is also on Twitter @namelessco1 and Instagram @ nameless.tbay.

Ethan Beardy

Coalition in Minneapolis. The online auction will be held on Nameless Collective’s website from July 6–11 and will operate on what the pair describes, as an “eBay system.” Photos of the artwork will be posted and people will be able to disclose their bid by commenting. Whoever has the highest bid by the last day at 5 pm will receive the work. At the time of writing, a total of 12 artists have joined Nameless Collective, with eight donating their work so far. Hogard and Orr are also hoping that the event will help bring the community closer together through art, acknowledging that it’s been a lonely time for many. So far, pieces for the fundraiser range in disciplines from ceramics and sculptures to abstract expressionism. In the future, the Nameless Collective founders say there are plans for the site to have educational material from its artists to engage with the people of Northwestern Ontario who want to get more involved in the arts. They are fully equipped with an office space on Victoria Avenue East, which they would eventually like to use for community events, including gallery showcases. They also hope to establish mentorships between young and more seasoned artists in the community through their platform. “Thunder Bay is so unknown to the rest of the world,” Hogard says.

▲ Canvas print of Fort William First Nation, donated for auction ▼ Ceramic platter with vase or large mug, donated for auction

Gayle Buzzi

he COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of uncertainty to people around the world shuttered inside their homes. But for Katelin Hogard and Marielle Orr, it presented an opportunity to harness what little control they had over their current situations to create something meaningful for the local community. Hogard, a writer, and Orr, a mixed-media artist, say they’ve struggled to break into the local arts and culture scene and felt Thunder Bay lacked a space for fledgling creative minds to connect and display their work. “There's a little bit of a disconnect in the sense of being able to display your stuff and also making a name in such a small city,” Orr says. “We want to be that stepping stone.” In a matter of three months, the pair’s brainchild was born. Nameless Collective, an inclusive platform for artists of all mediums in Northwestern Ontario, has existed strictly online since the beginning of June. The organization will continue to be based in cyberspace until pandemic regulations are lifted, where it will feature a number of local artist profiles with details about their work. “You do art, you have that talent, you have a voice that you want to express and get out into the community? That’s really the only criteria,” says Hogard. “We want art to be shown all the time.” For the time being, Hogard and Orr will be launching an online auction to debut the group’s artwork. The inaugural event, called Stand, will allow member artists of any discipline to showcase the pieces they’ve made during the pandemic. All proceeds will be donated to Thunder Bay’s Roots to Harvest as well as the West Broadway Business and Area

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Outdoor

The Power of Paddling in a Pandemic

he feeling you find in hiking is almost impossible to replicate. Joy, fed by physical challenge, fresh air, and gorgeous scenery. You feel adventurous, powerful, exhausted. Alive. It’s sometimes hard to feel alive these days. I have explored every inch of my home, my yard, my refrigerator, and my neighbourhood. I need to release my grocery store anxiety with more than a 10-minute yoga video. Luckily, 44 minutes from my front door, on the North Shore of Lake Superior at Big Trout Bay, is an oasis where I can feel alive. Across Canada, lakefront property is being developed into camps, cabins, and resorts, corrupting a number of natural habitats. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) protects many diverse habitats, with over 100,000 acres in Ontario alone. Their strategic approach protects nature at a landscape level. Big Trout Bay is a priority for the NCC, as it is the last undeveloped wilderness shoreline on the Great Lakes. Think about that: the last undeveloped

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wilderness shoreline on the Great Lakes. And it’s right here.The NCC took custody of the property in 2016 and opened the trail last fall. “This area will be protected forever for people to enjoy as a wilderness shoreline,” says Wendy Cridland, senior director of Conservation for Ontario. “It’s important to have protected land at that interface where water meets land, and the diversity of habitats that exist there, right from the cobble beaches to the steep cliffs.” In this time of COVID-19, there are sometimes small silver linings. With fewer places to go, we are really noticing the nature that is all around us. “Nature is a safe escape,” says Cridland. “People are noticing nature now that they have less ability to travel. Big Trout Bay gives you this opportunity in a wilderness setting, complete with songbirds, warblers, and ducks.” Named in honour of NCC’s late regional vice-president, the nine-kilometre James Duncan Nature Trail offers a challenging hike through forest, across a cobble beach, and up cliffs that

Sue Hamel

By Sue Canoe (Sue Hamel)

Outdoor

Birch bark canoe, built in 2018, by Fort William First Nation youth participating in the Mountain Keeper’s program on Anemki Wajiw (Mount McKay) something to look forward to, like a hike in the woods, is important. This trail had been closed due to government guidelines and is likely open now – or will be very soon. Check the NCC’s website or Facebook page for more information. If you love nature, consider donating to the NCC. This non-profit protects the landscape that makes our country beautiful.

Sue Hamel

provide spectacular views of Lake Superior. If you’re feeling adventurous, start hiking from Little Trout Bay Conservation Area. If you’re looking for a hike that’s a little easier on the knees, start at the south end off Memory Lane from Hwy 61, and you’ll quickly find the shoreline. There’s parking at both ends. Leashed dogs are welcome. In a pandemic, some days are easy and some are hard. Having

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CityScene

Annette Pateman Releases First Collection Thunder Bay Poet Reflects on Race, Black Identity in New Book By Matt Prokopchuk

acism means much more than the slurs and violence against Black peoples and other visible minorities, says a Thunder Bay poet and writer whose new collection examines race and Black identity, among a number of other subjects. Annette Pateman, who is originally from the U.K., has been living in Thunder Bay for about eight years and says the move, the life-change that came with it, and “those very, very creative and inspiring things about being here” spurred her to write the poems that comprise her new book, Spectrum. The collection—Pateman’s first—covers a wide variety of issues, including the nature and environment of Northwestern Ontario and

interpersonal relationships, but she says the first quarter to a third of the book focuses on race, racism, and her identity as a Black woman in Western society. “Racism can come in the form of name-calling, but a lot of people don’t understand that … it can come in other ways as well,” she says. “It can be that you go to an interview [for a job] and there’s not a Black person on the panel; that is extremely common.” That doesn’t mean Pateman hasn’t been subjected to racial slurs; she recalls one time, while walking down Algoma Street, a vehicle with four white males in it slowed down as it pulled up alongside her, the occupants shouting the N-word at her before revving up and speeding

away with their arms waving out the window. Pateman says she’s had a similar experience “at least once” while living in the U.K. Always living with the uncertainty over how you will be treated on a daily basis is “very draining,” she says. One of her poems—“Skin”— Pateman says was inspired by a comment once made by a friend of hers about her skin colour that Pateman was “not too dark, not too light.” “That’s what we live with,” she says. “You have to live with the situation where you don’t know who is going to be your friend and who is going to be your enemy. That’s racism.” Pateman’s work comes during a time of increased attention to the Black Lives Matter movement, amid protests and demonstrations against anti-Black violence and police brutality across Canada and the United States since the killing of

George Floyd in Minneapolis in May by white (now former) police officer Derek Chauvin. In Toronto, the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet two days later is being investigated after she fell from her high-rise apartment balcony in the presence of police. Pateman says the killing of Floyd has “taken the lid off” and has opened up a lot of discussion around racism—conversations that she says she previously wouldn’t have had with her white friends. “As Black people, we can have an honest discussion,” she says. You can order Spectrum directly from Annette Pateman by emailing annettepateman@yahoo.co.uk and payment ($20) can be made via Interac e-transfer to the same email address. Spectrum is also available at Amazon.

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CityScene

Come On, Get Out Where the Fun Is! By Maia Kvas, Experience North Summer Placement - Research Analyst, Northern Policy Institute

he health and well-being benefits of having back yards and outdoor living spaces attached to residential buildings are well-documented. For example, one study found that living in an environment with increased access to the outdoors and green space was related to better perceived general and mental health. This study also found that the presence of a garden seems to be beneficial to people’s health. In other words, investing in backyard development may boost one’s health by increasing time spent doing activities like gardening, barbecuing, socializing, and simply

enjoying outdoor air and sun. We were interested in knowing whether the people of Thunder Bay are investing in their backyard and outdoor living spaces. To find out, we looked at the number of deck and accessory buildings (sheds and garages) permits issued in the city of Thunder Bay for the last five years (Figure 1). Interestingly, both the number of deck permits and accessory building permits issued has decreased. There were 218 accessory building permits issued in 2015 compared to only 111 in 2019. For deck permits, 46 were issued in 2015 whereas only 15 were issued in 2019.

Note: Decks less than 2 feet above grade do not require a permit Source: Development and Emergency Services Department for the City of Thunder Bay

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One interpretation of this data is that fewer people in Thunder Bay are engaging in backyard and outdoor living space development, which may suggest fewer people are reaping the health benefits of spending time in backyard greenspace. However, many other factors can play into the observed data, such as people moving into spaces that do not have access to back yards or a saturation of residential properties with these accessories already built. To delve more deeply, we

decided to compare Thunder Bay and Toronto with regards to the proportion of households that have back yards with elements of nature. The city of Thunder Bay had a larger percentage of households with trees, bushes, or hedges on their property compared to the city of Toronto (Figure 2). This suggests that a higher proportion of people in Thunder Bay have access to green space right outside their doorstep. So, deck or no deck, get out and enjoy the green advantages of living here.

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 38-10-0273-01 Trees, bushes and hedges on property

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City of Thunder Bay Archives TB 2015-25-068

City of Thunder Bay Archives TB 2002-L14-047

CityScene

Growing Up After Amalgamation How Thunder Bay Started to Transform in the 1990s By Bonnie Schiedel

wo decades after amalgamation in 1970, TBay was a twentysomething, taking significant steps to becoming a more modern, dynamic city. Here are some of the memorable moments of the 1990s. • 1992 The public art piece Animikii, or “Flies the Thunder,” is installed in Kaministiquia River Heritage Park. Designed by sculptor Anne Allardyce, the 23-foot-high (6.7-m) stainless steel sculpture features stone from the Quetico area and Lake Superior and is engraved with Ojibway and English text.1 • 1992-93 At Lakehead University, the Department of Native Studies (now Indigenous

Learning) is created, the Native Philosophy Project is funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, Indigenous representation begins on the Lakehead University Board of Governors, the first Native Canadian World Views course is offered, and a BA/ BEd in Indigenous Learning is established. • 1993 The Terry Fox Visitor Information Centre opens to the public, featuring a 9-foot (2.75-m) Terry Fox Monument (which was erected in 1982 and then moved across the highway to the site) and sweeping views of Lake Superior. It welcomes 60,000 visitors annually.2

http://anneallardyce.com/biography/, 2 https://www.ontariotravel.net/en/listing/ Terry-Fox-Monument/201302 and June 2020 email correspondence with Tourism Thunder Bay, 3 https://www.thunderbaypolice.ca/about-us/history, 4 https://northwoodsleague.com/thunder-bay-border-cats/ballpark, 5 https://web.archive.org/ web/20070625213814/http://www.thunderbay.ca/index.cfm?fuse=html&pg=49, 6 June 2020 email correspondence with Thunder Bay Airport Authority, 7 https:// www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/wayback-1995-nordic-worlds-1.3837338, 8 http://www.ecosuperior.org/springuplearnmore, 9 https://www.intercityshoppingcentre.com/about, 10 http://csdc.lakeheadu.ca/Catalog/previouscals/2008-2009/ contents/the_university/lakeheadcampus.html 1

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Land for the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (pictured under construction in 2002), was donated by Lakehead University in 1998 • 1993 The Balmoral site of Thunder Bay Police Service is completed, marking the first time the City’s police services (amalgamated in 1970) are under one roof.3 • 1993 The Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks, one of the six founding members of the Northern League, play their first season. Opening day at Port Arthur Stadium saw a standing-room-only crowd of 6,200.4 • 1994 The City adopts the “Superior by Nature” theme line and thunder bird graphic, created by Kenneth Caplan and Associates.5 • 1994 The new terminal building at Thunder Bay International Airport opens, including two jetways, a gift shop, and food court. It triples the size of the previous building.6 • 1995 Big Thunder hosts the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, a 10-day competition of some of

the world’s top Nordic ski jumpers and skiers. It’s the second time the event has been held outside Europe. (In 1996, the Centre is abruptly closed by the provincial government.)7 • 1996 The Spring Up to Clean Up program is formed after Elizabeth de Bakker, age 10, appears before City Council to outline her concerns about litter in city parks.8 • 1996 Intercity Shopping Centre reopens after a massive redesign and expansion. With 456,430 square feet (42,404 m2) of retail space, it’s the largest mall in Northwestern Ontario.9 • 1998 Lakehead University donates 60 acres of land on Oliver Road, the future site of Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC).10

The Intercity Shopping Centre expansion was completed in 1996

Thunder Bay Museum 2007.8.87E

The Terry Fox monument (pictured c.1986) was moved to its current location in 1993.

City of Thunder Bay

City of Thunder Bay Archives TB 2012-27-177

CityScene

The Animikii public art piece at the Kaministiquia River Heritage Park

An aerial view of the Terry Fox Visitor Information Centre, with statue still in original location near Highway 11-17

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For over 70 years the TBYC has enthusiastically acquainted Thunder Bay with the thrill of our waterfront, Lake Superior and beyond. A volunteer-driven non-profit organization, we provide members with everything from a 25 tonne travel lift, to boat storage, to social, sail racing, and education programs, to boating destination development. You see us on the water. Together, our journey has only just begun.

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CityScene

From left to right, Erik Klages, Darcy Penasie, Ashlee Burton, Annika Watts, Ashley Moreau, Jess Anderson

Blessings in a Box Thunder Bay Street Outreach Group Provides Food, Essentials By Sarah Kerton

fundraising, donations, and the generous support of the local business community to build and stock the boxes. If you’d like to help out or learn more, follow Giant Hearts on Facebook or Instagram @giantheartsstreetoutreach or contact giantheartstbay@gmail.com.

more crucial to their users, as it is a safe way for people to get what they need without any contact. “We were diligent in sanitizing all donations as well as boxes every day to ensure our vulnerable community was safe accessing what they needed,” says founder Ashlee Burton. “These little houses of hope are used regularly by members of our community. They have proven vital to Thunder Bay. They are regularly used by hundreds of people a month.” The program is also running outside of the city itself, with further plans to expand both within the city and across Northwestern Ontario. “We plan to continue to build them until they’re easily accessible to all of [Thunder Bay]. Now that Fort Frances is set up, the plan is to continue to branch out through [Northwestern Ontario]…installing boxes in Sioux Lookout, Dorion, and Atikokan,” Burton says. There are currently 24 blessing boxes up: 15 in Thunder Bay, three in rural areas around the city, three in Fort William First Nation, and three in Fort Frances. Each blessing box costs approximately $200

Matt Prokopchuk

iant Hearts is a volunteer grassroots organization that began three years ago. They focus on helping our community’s most vulnerable citizens while bridging social gaps. They do street outreach and patrols, building relationships and meeting people where they are at in their current point in life. As an activity, the group planned on making little free library boxes like they had seen around town. However, reflecting on the high levels of poverty they were seeing in their outreach, including food insecurity and lack of basic life necessities, they decided to make boxes to help meet those needs instead. And so, “the blessing box” was born. A blessing box is a wooden box with a shingled roof and a plexiglass door, sitting on a 4”x4” wooden post. The boxes are stocked with an assortment of basic non-perishable foods, personal hygiene products, and baby items such as diapers and wipes. In the winter they also include items such as hats, mitts, and blankets. They are accessible 24/7 to anyone in need, no questions asked. During the pandemic, they have become even

to construct and is completed from start to finish by volunteers. “Box owners put items in them twice a day and everything goes fairly quickly. Everyone has been incredibly respectful with them. We get a lot of feedback about them….it’s pretty heartwarming,” Burton says. The group relies on its volunteers,

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CityScene

Dr. Stewart Kennedy says he and his wife moved to their lakefront property to simplify their lives.

Eye to Eye

With Dr. Stewart Kennedy As told to Matt Prokopchuk, Photos by Kay Lee

r. Stewart Kennedy has been at the forefront of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre’s response to the ongoing pandemic. He currently holds a number of senior management positions, and is a former president of the Ontario Medical Association; he also maintains his family practice. Dr. Kennedy spoke with us over the phone to chat about how his life has changed since COVID-19, how accomplished a dancer he is, and why being by the lake is so important. On how he’s been handling working in the current pandemic climate: It’s certainly a new experience but it’s nice to know that it’s a new experience for everybody, both throughout the hospital and throughout leadership positions, both in Ontario and Canada, and the world. So we’re all learning as we go. We’re certainly learning more about the science of the COVID virus, but also we’re all learning about the

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emotional and economical outfall of this COVID-19. On how his life has changed since COVID-19: Certainly the first six to eight weeks, it was sort of turned upside down. I’m a family practitioner who really enjoys practicing medicine as well as doing some leadership positions, and I really have had to delegate a number of my family practitional duties to my physician assistant, who’s done an amazing job in taking away some of the stress from myself, but also taking care of the day-to-day health problems that occur with a number of my patients. Also, I’m not a real public person, so standing in front of the public with daily press conferences or daily updates certainly was new to me, but certainly something the public really wants to hear about. On what he misses most about pre-pandemic life: Having the time to go home and do my exercise. I [also] like to

go out to support the local restaurants. I really do miss the socialization aspects and I’ve also been missing supporting local community activities. One of the activities that was cancelled was, I was one of the individuals chosen to be doing Dancing with the Docs, and they were supposed to raise money for cancer care. I do miss the social aspect of Thunder Bay and supporting the community and I do feel very distressed about the economic fallout to many of our local businesses during this period of COVID-19. On whether he’s discovered a latent talent for dancing: Not at all [laughs]. I need a lot of practice. They wanted a physician leader to step up and help with the fundraising campaign, so I volunteered my name when asked, actually, but I’m not a natural dancer; I’m a natural partier, but no dancer. On how he got started in the medical profession: I started many, many, many years ago; I started at the St. Joe’s Hospital, working in the kitchen as a dishwasher, and I enjoyed the hospital environment and from there, I worked in the central supply department. These were all part-time jobs while I was going to school. I went into nursing in the early 70s, and while I was in nursing, I worked as an ambulance

driver and paramedic as a part-time job, and from there I … worked in the emergency room for a couple years at St. Joe’s and became more interested in the medical side of it. I went through medical school at McMaster and then I came back here in the late 80s to set up my family practice. From there, I sort of got interested in some leadership functions. On what he most enjoys about his outdoor living space: I just moved out to the lake … in late October; I’ve had some lakefront property since the late 80s. I just enjoy doing physical chores. Just this weekend I was cutting down trees with a chainsaw. My wife Linda is really the gardener who likes to make the house look pretty; I do the physical chores just to assist her in making it look pretty. We decided just to move out there to simplify things and it’s so just refreshing to wake up in the morning on the lake. On what food he is craving: I would say chicken parmesan. On what’s on his music playlist: I still like rock and roll, usually the 80s and 90s. On who his hero is: My wife Linda, to put up with me and all the hours of work I put in. My wife Linda is certainly the person I look up to the most.

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CityScene

Q&A

Memories of The Finlandia 6 Questions with Ulla Ahokas, a life member of the Finlandia Association Story by Matt Prokopchuk, Photo by Darren McChristie

he announcement in May by the Finlandia Association in Thunder Bay that it will liquidate in order to settle over $1 million in debt sent shockwaves through the city. The historic, 110-year-old building the association owns on Bay Street not only houses the iconic Hoito restaurant, but

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is home to decades of local labour, immigration, and cultural history. The hall’s future is now very much up in the air, although a cooperative has formed and is fundraising, with the goal of purchasing the property. Many people also have their own histories with the building— also known as the Finnish Labour

Temple—as it has played host to everything from theatre and musical productions and comedy shows to sporting events and other cultural pastimes. Ulla Ahokas is one of those Thunder Bay residents. Immigrating to Canada in 1957 when she was 13, Ahokas has received a life membership from the Finlandia Association, which she says is an honourary title given to those with a long history of involvement with the organization. Her time has also included past stints serving on the board of the Hoito. She was one of a small group of members who voted against the organization’s dissolution at a special members’ meeting in May. Ahokas spoke with The Walleye about her memories of the hall, and what it—and its history—means to her. The Walleye: You were helping to remove some artifacts from the Finnish Labour Temple. What was going through your mind while you were doing that? Ulla Ahokas: Sadness. I really can’t comprehend all of this right now. TW: What do you want to see happen to the hall? UA: My goal is to see the building stay where it is … as a place where everyone can participate, regardless of nationality, because it represents [all] immigrants from all sides from all over the world. Even though it was built by Finns, this is what all immigrants have to go through when they come. Therefore, it’s not just a picture of the Finns and it doesn’t belong just to the Finns. It has to be a place where everybody can identify with everybody else. It has been used by all kinds of people. It’s been a children’s place—the Finnish school had been there in my younger days. I held a gymnastics club for my girls over there and I participated in rhythmic gymnastics for women. It goes on and on and on. People have worked hard in there and have brought their own experiences to the building. TW: Do you have hope it can be saved? UA: Yes, and that’s what I mean

that we have to get an actual group formed out of these people who have indicated an interest in trying to save the building and to see where we can get with this. Even though things are out of our hands right now, and it does look gloomy, you can’t give up hope. [Editors’ note: The interview was conducted prior to the announcement that a cooperative formed to raise funds to purchase the Finlandia Hall property. Ahokas says she’s not involved with those efforts and doesn’t agree with the group that formed.] TW: You’ve been recognized as a life member of the Finlandia Association. Tell me about your own history with the hall? UA: I’m a first-generation immigrant. My family arrived in 1957. I started with the rhythmic gymnastics … In those days, the sports club and the drama club and all the choirs and bands, they all belonged to the [Finlandia] club, so everything happened over there. That was my first [contact], the sports club and its activities: cross-country skiing, track and field, and, for myself personally, the rhythmic gymnastics. From that I went on to be a member of the drama club in my teens. Before retirement [I was the] secretary for the Hoito board and later on, the chair, so it’s in those contexts that I’ve been active for many, many years. TW: So that hall has been front and centre for you during your whole time in Canada? UA: That’s right, along with so many others of that period. TW: Many others would have shared your experience? UA: That’s right. Like I said before, the place has to be used by people of all stripes. For many, many years I can remember our former MP Joe Comuzzi telling about how in his youth, he was part of the boxing and wrestling clubs that [were] held upstairs. This relationship between the different ethnic groups has existed almost right from the beginning, and everybody’s been welcomed, so this is why it’s a shared place for everybody.

CityScene

Dew Drop Inn Adapts to Pandemic An “Army of Awesomeness” Feeding Those in Need

Story by Deanne Gagnon, Photos by Matt Prokopchuk

or the past 39 years, the Dew Drop Inn has been providing hot lunches to those in need in Thunder Bay. During the pandemic, the organization made the difficult decision to close its dining room for the health and safety of patrons and volunteers. Knowing that people depend on its service, the Dew Drop Inn adapted quickly, working with St. Andrew’s Church to set up shop in a garage in order to provide contactless take-home lunch pick-up. They also extended their hours to avoid lineups and maintain physical distancing. “We strive to make the takehome lunch as ample and nutritious as possible and have set high standards for our lunches, as we are firm

Michael Quibell, Dew Drop Inn executive director believers that everyone deserves a good meal. We also realize that for a considerable number of our patrons the Dew Drop Inn is their only source of food, so a substantial lunch is a priority,” says Michael Quibell, the executive director of the Dew Drop Inn. In April and May alone, nearly 18,000 lunches were distributed to people in need. These numbers are up almost 2,300 from the same time last year; the notable increase being from those whose employment and income have been impacted by the pandemic. During this challenging time, the outpouring of support from the community has been incredible, which is greatly appreciated by an

The outdoor space for contactless lunch pick-up

organization that does not receive any federal or municipal funding. Not one, but four local businesses donated coolers after the Dew Drop Inn had put a call out for refrigeration to keep their take-home lunches chilled. The organization has also received both financial and food support from countless sources within the community. “There have been so many acts of kindness that to list them all would take a full page of the paper. Businesses and individuals have rallied and supplied us with cloth masks, sanitizing solution, meals, desserts and treats for our staff and volunteers,” Quibell says. “We have been incredibly blessed with a strong volunteer pool who

we affectionately call our army of awesomeness.” “In an ideal world, people would have access to healthy food, would be able to afford it and would have the dignity to make their own choices. But the world is not ideal and the Dew Drop Inn will collectively continue to feed the hungry in Thunder Bay as long as our services are needed,” says Quibell. The Dew Drop Inn is located at 292 Red River Road in Thunder Bay, and serves take-home lunches from 9 am to 3:30 pm daily. Donations are welcome and can be e-transferred to standdrewddi@tbaytel.net.

The kitchen, where volunteers prepare thousands of lunches

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CityScene Ice Cream Maker

Stuff We Like

Home Hardware

For Making Every Day Ice Cream Day By Rebekah Skochinski

t’s Creative Ice Cream Flavour Day on July 1 and National Ice Cream Day on July 19, but if you ask us, devoting two days to ice cream is simply not enough. Summers in Thunder Bay are special, and ice cream is the ultimate companion for making the most of the warm weather and the long days. We’ll take it scooped into a cone, eaten out of a cup, plain, and all dolled up. So feast your eyes on a few things, and a few ways, to revel in all things ice cream. Here’s Stuff We Like for Making Every Day Ice Cream Day.

901 Memorial Avenue Make room in your kitchen for making ice cream and enjoy ice-cold desserts any time you get a craving. This machine is fully automatic, with a smart touch design and includes simple-to-follow recipes so you don’t need to spend hours scouring the internet for inspiration. Blend your favourite ingredients in 20–30 minutes, pop the bowls in the freezer, set the timer for four hours, and you’re in frozen nirvana. It also makes frozen yogurt, gelato, and sorbet. Bring on the brain freeze!

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Ice Cream Scoop

The Kitchen Nook

168 Algoma Street South You’ve done it, right? Bent back a spoon trying to finagle your favourite hard ice cream into a bowl? Don’t let a bent spoon cramp your style, or your hand. For minimal effort and maximum results, this ice cream scoop features a sturdy metal blade and sharp sculpted edges, which makes for effortless scooping whether you’re right- or left-handed. BPA-free, dishwasher safe.

Pottery Bowl Fireweed

182 South Algoma Street You don’t need to have a special ice cream bowl, but you’ll want to have at least one of these beautiful pottery bowls made by local potter Trudy Jamieson. Her whimsical watercolour-esque painting designs are inspired by the surrounding boreal forest and the bowls are available in a variety of sizes for whatever ice cream-sized mood you’re in: single, double, or triple scoop.

Starting at $17

$20

Milk

Thunder Bay Country Market

850 May Street North Even the cow on the bottle knows to go local! If you’re going to make your own ice cream (and why wouldn’t you), you can’t get better ingredients than whole milk from Slate River Dairy. It’s straight from the cow, with all the goodness built right in. Due to its high butterfat content, whole milk creates that creamy and soft texture we adore— and are maybe slightly addicted to. NB: make sure you check off the bottle deposit if you’re ordering online.

Starting at $4.50

Napkins Hygge Loft

271 Bay Street Let’s face it, ice cream is a delicious mess! Spare your fingers, your table, and your lap from sweet, sticky drips with a set of napkins from Hygge Loft. Designed and manufactured in Europe, these three-ply paper napkins will offer a touch of elegance to your everyday indulgence. There are several floral patterns in store to choose from, but we’re partial to this one because we love flowers and birds.

$7.50

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Espresso

The Cheese Encounter

198 Algoma Street South You can have your coffee and your ice cream, too! For a simple and delicious pick-me-up, we highly recommend making an affogato (which means “drowned” in Italian) on your own time, any time. Choose an espresso, like this St Paul Roastery blend from Colombia, Ethiopia, and Guatemala. It’s a medium roast with notes of caramel, malt, and watermelon Jolly Rancher. Just brew, scoop, pour, and devour.

$16

Pie

Pie.ology

info@ilovepieology.com Don’t shut your pie hole, fill it! Pie.ology’s hand pies come frozen and ready for you to bake and serve warm from the oven à la mode. Check the weekly menu posted online on Mondays for current offerings, like apple, rhubarb, strawberry, strawberry/ rhubarb, sour cherry, and blueberry cheesecake, just to name a few. Order via email for city-wide delivery on weekends. We’ll have one of every kind please.

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#supportlocal

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This is Thunder Bay

CityScene

Interviews by Nancy Saunders, Photos by Laura Paxton This month we asked The Walleye readers what they have in their back yard or outdoor space that they love, and what they most want to add to it.

▲ Jacob and Sophie Jacob: I love my trees that I love to climb. I love my Frisbee. I want a trampoline. We just went to a new store and we got a ball. Sophie: We have a little swimming pool back there. And even just fresh air and getting outside is good... I want a hot tub! ▼Jeff, Leanne, and Jackson Jeff: I think our favourite part of our back yard is our hill. Leanne: Yeah, we’ve got a little hill. Jeff: We build it up in the winter for sledding, so that’s probably the best part of our back yard. Leanne: In the summer we have our nephews over and they like to run up and down it, and roll. Jeff: On our wishlist would be grass. We have a weedy back yard. Leanne: We bought the house probably about three years ago and we’re still working on the lawn. Maybe once the lawn’s done. Jeff: We’ll add a playground next year for him. That’ll be the next big thing.

▲ Brenda and Peter Brenda: What do I love? I love my back yard. I love the deck, and sitting out there reading, and enjoying all my perennials. Listening to the birds. ▼ Mike, Norah, Sarah, and Quinn Mike: Right now we have a baby bunny that hangs out in our back yard and lives under our deck, and we get to see it every night. Right now that’s my favourite part. Norah: That there’s lots of space. I would like a swing. Sarah: My favourite part of our back yard is that we’re planting a pollinator-friendly garden. I would like to get a little pool for the kids; that would be great. Quinn: My favourite is bugs. Mike: Finding bugs, catching them, taking care of them, letting them go, repeat.

Wendy: I feel most at home in nature when I’m sitting on rocks that have been warmed by the sun.

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CityScene

WALL SPACE

Sleepy G Farm

Story by Tiffany Jarva, Photos by Darren McChristie

leepy G Farm has so much space, and so many different spaces within that space. There are open skies and long fields, a walk-in cooler, and root cellar that smells like earth. There are the barns: a cow barn, a hay barn, and a chicken barn. There are the greenhouses with transplants and trellises for tomatoes. And there is, where it all began, a field for laying hens. “Eggs were our first farm sales,” says owner Marcelle Paulin. “We had 20 hens and that’s how we introduced ourselves to the community.”

In 2010, Paulin and her husband Brendan Grant started farming this land, just outside of Pass Lake, off a quiet country road that was named after the old Hansen homestead back in the 1940s. “This farm found us,” says Paulin. “It is a beautiful farm, a beautiful space, and place to be. I have come to appreciate why people want to live in the country. I have become more aware of what birds are around, what flowers are blooming, and feeling the weather. It’s very place-centric.”

◄ Family Portrait & Sleepy G Sign - Transplants themselves, farm owners Marcelle Paulin and Brendan Grant (with 16-month-old Lowell and their “welcoming committee,” Shadow and Sibley) are originally from southern Ontario and met at Lakehead University in the late 1990s. This building houses a staff area, a walk-in cooler, and a newly expanded 2,000-square-foot root cellar. “We can be found in this windowless shack in the winter months bagging veggies to prep for sale.” ▼Oxen Pasture - River and Red, the farm’s oxen—also known as “pasture pets”—often graze by Portage Creek, which is a critical source for irrigation in drier seasons.

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CityScene ► Fields - Referred to jokingly as “The Compound” by Paulin, a seven-strand deer fence protects eight acres of crops including leeks, potatoes, garlic, kale, swiss chard, and more. Paulin explains that weeding is the most important part of organic farming. “There’s a rhythm to it and this part [weeding and planting] is predictable.” Farming can also be tenuous and challenging. “We are just as busy as anyone else. We can be outside enjoying or not enjoying the experience. I think there can be a tendency to romanticize the life of a farmer.”

▲ Hay Loft - There is a quiet beauty as the sun shines through the beams of the hay loft. Swallows build nests in the rafters. An elevator helps hoist the hay up from down below. Sleepy G makes all its own hay, including what is needed for 25 head of cattle.

▼Cow Barn - This is still the original cow barn from the 1940s. “We actually have four properties in the Pass Lake area,” says Paulin. The other three properties are used for hay and for the beef herd to graze.

▲ Vintage Blue Chicken Coop - The farm has outgrown the original chicken coop, which now houses Paulin’s beekeeping supplies.

▼ Hens - Initially the farm had 20 laying hens, and eggs were the first farm sales. Now there are almost 100 hens that not only lay eggs, but also help with fertilizing a corner crop of oats, buckwheat, and peas.

▲ Greenhouses - Sleepy G is a certified organic farm. At the moment there are some remaining transplants that were grown for Roots to Harvest this year in one greenhouse, and tomato and cucumber houses that get rotated from year to year.

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Escape to the Back Yard 2020’s Outdoor Summer Design Trends

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their yard and doing things with their hands.” Large or small, yards are now filled with butterfly gardens, plants that support bees, and river rocks. Once you have a plan, you need the materials to make it happen. Lockstone Yard & Patio Centre is a locally owned landscaping supplier. “We’ve sold a lot more fire pits this year,” says manager Dave Haywood. “That’s something small that people can do to enjoy their back yard every night and extend their season through the spring and fall.” People are taking time to tackle projects they have put off for years, such as building stone firepits, walkways, and flowerbeds. Making their backyards more beautiful and functional allows people to “social distance while still socializing with family,” says Haywood. For summer 2020, people want “natural materials, recycled materials, and really good quality furniture that is eco-friendly, lasts a long time, and doesn’t get thrown in the landfill, such as Loll,” Ponka says, referring to the Duluth-made furniture line. The key is to treat your

Courtesy of Lockstone

By Amy Sellors

ummer is a time to get away from home—to explore and go on adventures. But summer 2020 has thrown us a curveball. With COVID-19 and the need to stay home to stay safe, summer 2020 is about creating outdoor retreats that help us escape the stresses of the day. Twenty years ago, we had big green lawns and maybe a picnic table. But now, people appear to be exploring more options for their yards. Design expert Laura Ponka owns Portobello Home. Located in the Bay and Algoma neighbourhood, Portobello Home is a furniture store and design hub. This summer, Ponka’s clients are looking outside. “People are investing more in their yards as an extension of their home,” says Ponka. The pandemic pushed the timeline of this emerging trend. “Patios, decks, gazebos, and ponds. Gardens are enormous this year, especially vegetable gardens,” she says. “Everybody is turning within and trying to be self-sustaining. While it doesn’t replace the grocery store, it makes people feel comforted that they are nurturing

yard like a living space with sofas, coffee tables, lighting, and accessories. It’s about designing outdoor “rooms” and considering where you plant trees, shrubs, and plants to manage temperature, shade, and sound. The lines are blurring between interior and exterior design and people want spaces that are beautiful and useful, from living rooms to outdoor kitchens. With a pizza oven, a barbecue, and an outdoor bar, there’s almost no need to go inside. Visit Portobello Home at 271 Bay Street and portobellohome.com and Lockstone Yard & Patio Centre at 561 10th Avenue and lockstone.ca.

Courtesy of Lockstone

CityScene

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CityScene

In Our Own Back Yard

he Thunder Bay Centennial Botanical Conservatory is an oasis tucked away at the dead-end of Dease Street, off Balmoral. It makes sense to include it in our “backyards” issue, as it provides opportunities to connect with the beauty of plant life, whether or not you have a backyard to call your own. This sanctuary is free to the public and is open year-round, so you can enjoy its splendour during all types of weather—and, it’s right in our own backyard. Upon entering the Tropical House arboretum, visitors are met with lush greenery, natural light, and warm humid air. Favourite features include a walking bridge over a wish pond filled by a waterfall—a popular spot for proposals over the years—large chunks of local amethyst, and, of course, an assortment of colourful flowering plants, exotic shrubs and trees from around the world. A 2017 horticultural assessment catalogued “371 significant tropical plants, 288 cacti and succulent plants and numerous individual floor, wall and hanging plants,” estimating a replacement cost at between $2 million and $5 million. The Conservatory’s stunning aesthetic makes it a common backdrop

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for weddings and photo shoots, which earn it a modest revenue. While the Conservatory typically averages 100 visitors per day, many of us probably aren’t aware of the ways this important place contributes to our community. In addition to the public greenhouse, the Conservatory’s five acres are also home to three additional greenhouses, cold frames, raised beds, bee hives, community and children’s gardens, the Thunder Bay Horticultural Society’s perennial garden, picnic tables and benches, and a pollinator garden. A new information program the Conservatory has developed focuses on invasive species, with resources and information on how to identify and manage them. In recent years the Friends of the Thunder Bay Conservatory have been hosting events such as gardening workshops, live music, activities for families and children, and educational programming. Lead hand curator Karen Nadeau, two full-time staff, and a handful of seasonal employees oversee the growing, planting, weeding, tilling, fertilizing, and watering of all of the city’s flowers and bedding plants for the Thunder

Kay Lee

By Nancy Saunders

Kay Lee

Thunder Bay Conservatory Offers More Than Meets the Eye

CityScene

Teresa Kelly

Kay Lee

Teresa Kelly

planting done by the Conservatory saves the city a substantial amount of money over contracting out these services. Above all, the importance of the Conservatory lies in its accessibility. Visitors range from individuals to families, local residents to tourists, and represent people of all ages and income levels. The Friends group shares that they often see “vulnerable individuals with all levels of emotional, mental, and physical abilities, many accompanied by support workers and caregivers” enjoying the facility.

Teresa Kelly

Kay Lee

Bay Community Auditorium, the Friendship Gardens, Pioneer Ridge, Magnus Theatre, and several other spots. A type of green infrastructure called “low-impact development” beds, or LID beds, is their newest type of planting. These beds help filter run-off before it goes into the lake, helping with water quality. “Water is filtered through layers of gravel, sand, piping, and by the time it hits Lake Superior it is straight, clean, pure water going in. The city will be putting in 500 of these,” says Nadeau, who has worked at the Conservatory for over 30 years. She says the growing and

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CityScene

GO LOCAL THUNDER BAY COUNTRY MARKET

Cornell Farms

Left to right, Cornell Farms owners Pat and Kim Cornell

By Wendy Wright

or five generations, Cornell Farms has been a cattle farm in the Devlin area. Over the decades, things have been changing with the times and still are. With the COVID-19 pandemic, that is truer than ever. The Cornells had experience with abrupt change from

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experiencing (and thriving during) the mad cow disease crisis in 2003. Those lessons learned are paying off in many ways for this 14-year staple at the Thunder Bay Country Market. In 2003, with mad cow disease affecting all cattle farmers, the Cornells had to adapt quickly and

creatively to keep their businesses intact. No longer were livestock being moved from territory to territory or crossing borders. Much of Canadian live cattle is exported and therefore producers were stuck with a massive amount of cattle. At the time, the Cornells “ramped up local food marketing,” as Kim Cornell tells it. He and his wife and business partner Patricia, or Pat, had to reinvest and rethink the farm. They now have a travelling “roadshow” that includes all the necessities for selling products away from the farm gate at farmers’ markets across the Northwest. “The first attempt was in Kenora in 2004, where we set up a ‘hillbilly’ approach with a pickup truck and two chest freezers,” Kim says. The Trans-Canada Highway ended up in a traffic jam with police present as well. “That was the day the light bulb went on. The ‘a-ha moment,’” Kim adds. It was obvious the demand for local meat was higher than thought previously, and clear where these farmers needed to head

with their business. Currently, 50% of their business is the sale of locally produced meat. The Cornells also raise and sell artisanal chicken and an assortment of unique products they produce from their livestock. They use old-fashioned recipes, such as for their all-beef bratwurst. Every part of the animal is sold and nothing is wasted. Specialities that are popular include chicken feet, beef tongue, oxtail, and beef heart, with customers purchasing these items for a variety of reasons, including religious, health or personal taste. “What makes the Thunder Bay Market special is the diversity of the food vendors,” says Pat. Every time they visit, they try different foods and bring home their favourites. “Supporting other vendors is what markets are all about.” You can visit Alain, their market vendor, at the Thunder Bay Country Market each Saturday or order online through the online store at cornellfarms.ca. Special orders are always welcome.

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Q & A with CEDC’s CEO Eric Zakrewski and Tourism Manager, Paul Pepe

Businesses have been talking with the CEDC about reopening. Here are a few questions & answers that may help business owners through the re-opening process and beyond. Q & A with CEDC’s CEO Eric Zakrewski and Tourism Manager, Paul Pepe Businesses have been talking with the CEDC about re-opening. Here are a few questions & answers that may help business owners through the re-opening process and beyond.

Economic/Business Questions

1. Now that my business is open, do my employees and supervisors need additional training? The short answer is likely, “yes.” But what training? What do they need to know? How can you prepare them and support them? You’re going to need to identify any additional training all of your employees may require, including: • Changes to cleaning and sanitization protocols due to COVID-19 • Training staff on new software for remote work • Respirator protection including how to properly put on and take off a mask • Prevention measures such as hand hygiene and resources for self-assessment There’s a good chance that the tasks for many of your organization’s roles are going to change by new, COVID19 safety procedures. 2. Now that my business is open, how will I stay up to date with the latest developments and recommendations?

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It’s a great idea to create a Pandemic Response Team made up of employees across departments. We recommend assigning someone on your team as a “point person” to monitor the latest developments on the provincial and federal governments' websites, as well as the Thunder Bay District Health Unit. We also have a list of reliable resources on our website: www. thunderbay.ca/forbusiness which is a great resource to use and will direct you to great, easy-to-use resources CEDC Staff are also available to discuss available resources. Our COVID Page will have the contact information for sector specific Development Officer to work with you on answering questions you have. I spent a lot of money going online, and now that the economy is slowly reopening, how can I continue to use this online site while keeping my doors open? Having an online shop through an e-commerce platform can be used in parallel with your in-store options to help complement and potentially increase your sales. Many people during the pandemic have now gotten used to purchasing online, and/or may not be comfortable coming back physically in to stores, so this can provide comfortable options to many of your customers. Call your favourite local shops to see if they offer delivery options, or are set up on SkipTheDishes, Uber Eats, or Uride Services for convenient delivery.

Tourism Questions

1. How has COVID-19 affected our local tourism industry & what are CEDC’s plans to help it recover? Thunder Bay’s tourism sector, like every tourism sector in the world, was amongst the first to be severely impacted. Recovery will be slow and will take approximately 18-36 months to reach pre-COVID travel levels. Travel will start with locals and regional travellers looking for short vacations and staycations, Ontario travellers looking to explore their own province and other Canadian travellers as they feel comfortable venturing farther. Tourism Thunder Bay has been working with our industry partners to connect them to the various support programs available and assisting them with their adaptations and business swivels to find opportunity in crisis. We continue to work with Canadian and international travel media to begin lining up post-COVID content that will help generate future interest in travel to the city. We continue to identify sport and convention targets that align with the realities of postCOVID travel and group sizes. On June 1, we launched the TBaycation contest to help local and regional folks share the best of the city on Instagram and Facebook for the chance to win over $20,000 in prize packages supporting local businesses. We are working closely with regional, provincial and national marketing organizations to launch strong domestic campaigns for the

2020 summer and work at rebuilding US and international markets for 2021 and beyond. 2. As a local business, how do I best prepare to welcome travellers & out of town business in COVID-19 & what should I expect this season? All businesses should be developing and adapting their own protocols for safety and communicate those to your guests. Most industry associations and government sites have or are developing comprehensive toolkits to assist businesses with developing health protocols. Its important to make guests feel safe in your establishment and also feel welcome and appreciated. 3. As a local restaurant how can I best market our current take out & pick up options to visitors & travellers? There are a lot of opportunities for local culinary businesses to connect with travellers. A strong social media presence, online ordering and delivery options are all critical to reaching markets effectively. Restaurants should ensure their information is available at hotel lobbies and campgrounds and work with Tourism Thunder Bay to get your listings online with us at visitthunderbay.com for free and ensure your social media is linked to us.

Easy Sippin’

CityScene

A Look at Cannabis-Infused Beverages By Justin Allec

f all the ways to consume cannabis, I never really considered putting it in a beverage. Part of that is probably due to my own tastes. I avoid soft drinks, and pretty much stick to the trifecta of coffee, water, and red wine (usually in that order). However, in the interest of ‘research’ for this article, I purchased a can of Tweed’s Houndstooth & Soda ($3.95/355 ml, 2 mg THC) from the Ontario Cannabis Store. As a strain, Houndstooth is pretty potent—it varies between 15% and 23% THC— but its terpenes taste of citrus and sweetness. How would it blend with a soda, I wondered? These drinks are supposed to parallel the positives of traditional edibles. A beverage is easier on your lungs (and everyone else’s), they’re portable, affordable, the container is recyclable, and they can be healthier than fat- and sugar-loaded edibles. Manufacturers want them to function similarly to beer or wine coolers, in that they provide some refreshment along with “social lubrication.” “Sessionability” is a word that frequently pops up, as it seems that beverages cut the onset time in half when compared to food-based edibles, but they also aren’t debilitating if you only want one. While the process to prepare cannabis for edibles is well-established, it’s much more difficult to infuse cannabis into a liquid that

isn’t alcohol. Cannabinoid molecules are soluble in fats but not water, which means that manufacturers looking to infuse cannabis into a non-alcoholic beer, soda, or sparkling water must create their own processes for emulsifying. Many manufacturers reported difficulties in their trials: can liners would absorb all the THC, the beverage wouldn’t be shelf-stable or it would lose its potency, or the taste would simply be abhorrent. Tweed currently has three varieties in production, but they are by far not the only company exploring beverages. As far as the drinking experience went, well…soda water isn’t my thing. (I guess you could combine it with fruit juice or something?) What I found more interesting was that I couldn’t detect the taste of any cannabis. Those lovely Houndstooth terpenes were nowhere to be found! Of course, about 20 minutes later I didn’t really care, but I was also sure that I didn’t want another one. The effects were enjoyable enough and lasted about two hours. I can see how these beverages could work for someone, but I think my curiosity is satisfied. I’m fairly sensitive to edibles and always have burnout to contend with the next day, so I don’t think I’ll be trying this kind again. As far as a fun drink to have on a sunny back deck, though, this definitely should find its way into a few coolers this summer.

CANNABIS CORNER

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Music

Practising at a Distance

Music Workshop guitar and drum set instructor Allen Wabigwan

Music Lessons During the Pandemic By Justin Allec

he pandemic changed everything, but by the time you read this, some things might be looking more familiar. However, there’s still no forecast for a return to live music. It’s a frustrating situation for musicians, but also for music teachers. The standard class setting of a music lesson will eventually be permitted, but with some adaptations for safety. Until such time when notes fill the air again, professional music teachers are adapting, innovating, and encouraging. Like many businesses, both Debbie Coran Anderson of Coran’s Music Education Centre and Sean Jesseau of Music Workshop were initially unprepared for the closures.

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Anderson, whose business recently moved to a Park Avenue location, was planning on taking advantage of the many performing arts studios they had as new neighbours. “We had big plans for a summer camp involving dance, art, music, and theatre, but then COVID-19 hit,” she says. Jesseau’s Music Workshop was similarly shuttered, which also meant the many satellite programs that he ran at places like the 55 Plus Centre and Sister Margaret Smith Centre also had to cease. The unexpected pause of the pandemic interrupted the lessons of hundreds of students and suddenly, everything was quiet. Quiet, but also overwhelming. Both music centres offer diverse

programming catering to all age groups, so Anderson and Jesseau made the necessary pivot to online instruction. The benefits to continuing with lessons for students was apparent throughout, as instructors were helping provide structure for families during quarantine. There were also some unexpected benefits to the online model. Jesseau says “it’s actually been super helpful for us to see home practice stations and to be able to advise students on their own setup. Things like drum set tuning, heights and angles of stools…we can now make sure everything is perfectly set up at home.” Anderson reports that flexibility is also key, as she found that she

could still teach piano to young children by limiting the length of the lessons to 15 minutes. Online lessons are also convenient for many students, especially if they live out of town or if there’s unpleasant weather to contend with. Currently, both centres plan to stick with some online lessons but also work out protocols for in-person instruction. Another challenge is running group lessons, which mirror the problem that we face getting live music back in our lives. Whenever our venues open again, it’s great to know that staying safe didn’t mean that the music had to stop.

Music

Looking Ahead What’s Next for the TBSO’s Resident Conductor Maria Fuller

Story by Ayano Hodouchi Dempsey, Photos by Kevin Dempsey

fresh face in Canada’s conducting scene, Maria Fuller came to Thunder Bay in 2019 as the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra’s RBC resident conductor. With the first year of her two-year contract behind her, she talks about her relationship with the orchestra, her career, and what she’s looking forward to in the future. Fuller’s first year in Thunder Bay was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, but she still says it was “tremendous.” “It’s exceptional that a city the size of Thunder Bay should have a symphony orchestra, and we are grateful to have supporters and sponsors who, even through a pandemic, have been true angels to us,” she says. Some of the highlights of the season for her were the nearly soldout Bohemian Queen concert in early March and touring the region with the orchestra, going to seven communities between Kenora in the west and Hearst in the east. “We had so much fun together, both on and off stage,” Fuller says. “Players make the TBSO, not the other way around. I believe that the next season will be a chance for us to shine even stronger.” Fuller, a graduate of the

ripples outside of local audiences; Fuller was surprised to hear about it on the radio in Saskatchewan, where she is from. “We are very enthusiastic about the coming season,” says Fuller. “We believe that we will be able to reach

even more people, as we look to virtual opportunities. If COVID restrictions continue, look for us virtually in your living room.” For news about upcoming events, check out tbso.ca or @thunderbaysymphony on Facebook.

University of Cincinnati’s CollegeConservatory of Music (Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting) has not just been busy in Thunder Bay. She has been selected to compete in three international competitions around the world this year, although they have all been postponed due to the pandemic. As a woman pursuing a conducting career—perhaps the most male-dominated job in a traditionally male-dominated field—she chooses not to look back in time when women weren’t allowed on the podium, but to look ahead. “I have not once considered that being female would limit or challenge me,” she says. “Women’s progression into the conducting world or into any male-dominated profession will come as a result of women who know that they are built to be there.” Since the TBSO had to cancel the rest of its season in mid-March, Fuller, music director Paul Haas, and the orchestra have been brainstorming ways to bring music to their audience. In late April, they released a video of Sibelius’s Finlandia on YouTube, individually recorded from each musician’s home and put together by TBSO librarian James Moat. The performance has had

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Music

Five Great “Canuck I BURNING TO THE SKY Rock” Albums

'm not sure “Canuck Rock” is an actual term or not, but for the purposes of this column, it is. Like so many of us, I grew up hearing tonnes of it on the radio. Some made a wider impression south of the border and around the world, and some of it didn’t. But the incredible talent found in this country is undeniable. In celebration of Canada Day, here are five of my favourite classic Canuck Rock albums.

By Gord Ellis

American Five Days in Woman - The July - Blue Guess Who Rodeo (1993) (1970)

Yes, it is ironic that one of the very most famous Canuck Rock anthems by arguably the most iconic of Camadian bands includes the word “American.” But the song and its writers, Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman, are undeniable. Spawned in Winnipeg, The Guess Who were both workmanlike and brilliant. Cummings was a vocal marvel, a multiinstrumentalist, and excellent songsmith. Bachman brought some jazz sensibility and the ability to write hooks. Although “American Woman” is the standout on the album, there are at least two other true monsters of the genre found on the disc. Both “No Time” and the Cummings/ Bachman tour de force “No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature” are career pinnacles. That the rest of the album does not quite stand up matters little. This album was a game-changer and a worldwide hit. Could there be The Sheepdogs or Sam Roberts Band without The Guess Who? I think not.

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Blue Rodeo is thoroughly Canadian, and you can feel that in their music. Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor are the perfect yin and yang songwriting team, with both artists always better together than apart. The songs on this album are ingrained into the Canadian psyche and feature several now well-worn campfire songs. The album kicks off with the epic “5 Days in May” and then goes from highlight to highlight. There are very few Blue Rodeo concerts that don’t feature “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet,” “Bad Timing,” or “Head Over Heels.” The Greg Keelor ballad “Dark Angel” is both beautiful and somehow menacing. It remains a highlight of nearly every BR show. The whole of Five Days in July feels like a greatest hits album. It should be mentioned that the band, which has changed several players over time, was at its most cohesive on this LP. Original member and bass player Bazil Donovan and then-new drummer Glenn Milchem lock in like nobody's business and take the music to dizzying heights.

Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morissette (1995)

Released dead-centre in the ‘90s—and post grunge— Alanis Morissette’s breakout album was a juggernaut and remains one of the most successful Canuck Rock offerings of all time. It was a worldwide hit, and catapulted the singer into superstardom seemingly overnight. There was something incredibly in-your-face about Alanis, and this album was frightening in its intensity. The exlover/bad boyfriend kiss-off “You Oughta Know” was particularly scathing, and required several well-placed beeps to be palatable to rock radio. But the music was muscular and revealed a fine writer and singer. Another huge hit, “Ironic,” was a bit wonky lyrically, but had a subtle hook and gorgeously restrained vocals. The modern-hippie anthem “Hand in My Pocket” was an earworm and remains a staple on classic rock stations to this day. Alanis was supposed to kick off a 25th anniversary tour of this album in 2020, but COVID-19 dashed that plan. Too bad. It deserves a second act.

Not Fragile - BachmanTurner Overdrive

Fully Completely - The Tragically Hip (1992)

When Randy Bachman left The Guess Who shortly after the success of American Woman, he quickly went to work putting another band together. His next group, which was originally called Brave Belt, would become the legendary Bachman-Turner Overdrive. This group paired Bachman’s guitar and slightly wobbly voice with the flamethrower vocals and bass prowess of Fred Turner. It was a magical mix. Although heavier musically than The Guess Who, BTO could be remarkably nimble when it came to incorporating jazz and musical interludes. Their second album included the ubiquitous “Takin’ Care of Business,” and it was Not Fragile that spawned the giant hit “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet.” A self-admitted toss-off that Randy Bachman didn’t plan to include on the album, the song became a number one hit. The other big song from this album, “Roll on Down The Highway,” somehow captured the sprawl of the prairies and the thrill of driving a hopped-up diesel truck all at once. Nearly all these songs feature the heavy dual guitar interplay of Bachman and Blair Thornton, and the echoes of that giant sound would be heard in Big Sugar two decades later.

It would be un-Canadian not to include The Tragically Hip on this list. Canadians embraced this band early on, and still do. That the group barely made a ripple outside this country means not a nit. This was our band. The incredible legacy of brilliant, explosive, and downright quirky rock that The Hip put out is unmatched. While it is hard to pick just one Hip album, the sheer quality of Fully Completely is breathtaking. From the kick-off “Courage (for Hugh MacClennan)” to the rumbling “At the Hundredth Meridian” and the hockey card-inspired “Fifty-Mission Cap,” this is Canuck Rock at its powerful peak. Then there is “Wheat Kings,” a prayer to the prairies—and Canada—that could only have been delivered by the incredible Gord Downie. God bless The Hip.

(1974)

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The Walleye

Music

Producer and musician Tyler Raynard, a.k.a. 1sland

Celebrating the “Lake Life” Thunder Bay Musicians Team Up For Summer Single By Jamie Varga

he combination of going out to the lake on a summer Friday in northern Ontario and reggae might seem strange to some, but to me it only makes sense on so many levels. Local producer, songwriter, and musician Tyler Raynard, aka 1sland, collaborated with fellow Rock Steady maestros Clay Breiland and Richard Tribe on an amazing new reggae track called “Lake Life,” just in time to get us outside in the sun and out of the haze of the shutdown.

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“The subject matter was pretty easy because it’s a part of life for so many people in Thunder Bay,” says Raynard when asked about the song’s inspiration. He adds that there’s a connection between the camp lifestyle and the relaxed mentality that comes with reggae music. In addition to this latest single, 1sland is also working on developing some more tracks with the possibility of a multi-track release in the fall, as long as real life doesn’t get in the way too much. 1sland isn’t just

Raynard himself, but also represents his new studio where he hopes to expand into more work for local musicians as well as writing and recording more of his own work. Raynard put the final touches on his studio in May 2019 and he is excited to put what he has learned studying sound production and engineering at Fanshawe College into practice, now that he has a space ready to go. The 1sland studio being up and running made it easy to create the “Lake Life” single. “I was lucky enough that both Clay and Richard’s parts were done like a couple of weeks before everything hit the fan,” he says. “During

the isolation I just spent time recording it, producing it and making it sound good.” Now that the weather is breaking and we are settling into a newer form of normal life, those of us fortunate enough to have a lakeside escape should not only make this new track part of your weekend playlist, but a part of the whole tradition of going to camp as much as we can. #RIGHTdeadly You can check out Raynard’s studio, equipment, and his work 1slandproductions.com. You can also check out 1sland’s “Lake Life” on Facebook, Instagram, or your favourite music source.

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Rob Nickerson

Billy Shaw

Music

Sound engineer Rob Nickerson

Arden Bruyere of The Chain

Billy Shaw

Peter Gleeson of The Chain

Billy Shaw

Sunday Wilde

Pivot to Video

Amberlite Lodge Adapts Annual Music Festival Story by Justin Allec

n Amberlite Lodge’s website, you’ll see a lot of what you would expect in a wilderness retreat. There are photos of anglers with their trophy catches, details on cabin rates, and driving directions to secluded Lake Weikwabinonaw, west of Kakabeka Falls. You’ll also see a link to AmberJam 2020, which was unfortunately cancelled along with every other live music event this year. Owner Scott Macsemchuk was eager to lead his small music festival into

its fourth year when the pandemic scuttled his idea. So, being a lifelong music lover and having a willingness to innovate, Macsemchuk decided to push AmberJam in a more digital direction. “Our first year of AmberJam was just a loose group of friends who’d play if I could provide a venue, so I built a bandshell, and it was a good time…the next year was similar,” Macsemchuk recounts. “The third year we made a bit of a documentary to show where we were, and this

year’s idea grew out of that.” Having already captured some of 2019’s festival and tapping into a roster of local acts, Macsemchuk decided that if people couldn’t come to AmberJam, he’d bring AmberJam to them. First, Macsemchuk expanded the line up to 12 bands, all quality local acts like Headrush, Sunday wilde, and The Chain. Next, he contacted Confederation College to help do the video and Rob Nickerson to engineer the sound. Each band will perform one song, which will be made into a music video. Along with those 12 videos, a movie will also be produced. “If concerts and events aren’t happening, at least we have something we can show in a drivein setting,” Macsemchuk says. Recording 12 bands and artists so their songs sound good required a

studio setting, so Nickerson helped sound-proof the original jam room. “We did have to practise the social distancing, but it’s a bigger room there,” Nickerson says. “The bands came out and we’d track them, then I’d bring all the audio back to my home studio and do the proper editing.” The result will be professionally edited videos of local bands with a gorgeous wilderness background, and a studio space capable of recording. However this year’s project works out, Macsemchuk is already looking forward to another iteration of AmberJam in 2021, one that will hopefully blend the best parts of the first three years with this digital adventure. Check amberlite.ca over the summer for more information about the project.

The Walleye

OfftheWall

Homegrown

REVIEWS

Cartwrights

Gemini

Blues with Friends

Noah Reid

Neil Young

Cartwrights

Stored in a vault for the past 45 years: that’s where Neil Young’s latest album Homegrown has spent its time. The album was recorded in 1974 and 1975 when Young was going through a breakup with his girlfriend, actress Carrie Snodgress. Some of the songs on the album refer to the heartbreak of the split and Young decided not to release it until now. Homegrown is vintage Neil Young. There is a warm, nostalgic feel to these songs—think Harvest or After the Gold Rush. The songs are mostly acoustic, though there are a couple of electric country rockers. The production is clean and uncluttered. Many of the songs feature just Neil Young and his acoustic guitar, harmonica, and piano. There are also some heavy hitters helping out on Homegrown: Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson, and Emmylou Harris all make appearances. Favourite songs include the country ballad “White Line” and the more upbeat title track. If you’re a fan of Neil Young’s earlier albums and like his acoustic work, then I think you’ll enjoy Homegrown.

Of all the qualities that I could’ve attached to the Cartwrights’ songs, I’m happy that I can say “honest.” You might expect that’d be a given, as the local trio works in a musical vein beholden to wide-open country rock and flannel-shirted indie rhythms, but the Cartwrights are truly laying themselves on the line here. Here are nine songs that span their lifetimes, all handwritten and finger-picked for your enjoyment. There’s a certain amount of fictionalizing to Mike Fraser’s lyrics, but in these stories—whether it’s the hard-loving jangle of “Cup of Coffee” or the wide-open stomp of “Lonesome Company”—ring true. That is to say, you might not notice the skill on display right away because the Cartwrights’ songs are so unassuming. Slight touches of organ add some boost to the odd song, but the back end of Harris Leach on bass and Stu Rankin on the skins provide all the structure that Fraser needs to paint pictures that are blissfully lovelorn and coated in gravel dust.

Noah Reid is probably best known for his role in the CBC television program Schitt’s Creek, where he was a mainstay throughout the show’s final three seasons. Reid clearly has talent beyond the small screen, however, as his second album, Gemini, shows (not to mention his 2017 take on “The Best”—a song made famous in the late 80s by Tina Turner). This is a likable collection of roots-rock songs that, in no small part, recall some of the more mainstreamoriented singer-songwriters of the late 1970s but with a modern vocal delivery. Gemini’s few truly musically upbeat moments are all in the first half of the album, like the lead single “Honesty,” which is driven by piano and electric guitar, and the propulsive “American Roads.” “Got You” brings to mind vintage Dire Straits. Things quiet down considerably during the second half, with a string of ballads that, for the most part, have Reid’s voice and piano front and centre; it all culminates with the acoustic guitar of the plaintive “I Miss Writing Songs.” A very enjoyable album.

- Justin Allec

- Matt Prokopchuk

- Gerald Graham

Dion

Justly famous for the doo-wop, rock, and R&B-influenced hits of his early career, Dion DiMucci’s more recent music is spoken with a distinct blues accent, culminating in Blues with Friends. The 14 songs, co-written by the Bronx-born Rock and Roll Hall of Famer himself, are, as he intended, “strong and memorable and told stories that were worth telling.” It is his masterpiece in the genre. Impeccable support from A-list friends including Van Morrison, Paul Simon, Billy Gibbons, Jeff Beck, and Bob Dylan enhances, but never challenges, Dion’s musical vision. Highlights include “Blues Comin’ On,” driven by Joe Bonamassa's fleet fretwork; “Told You Once in August,” a country blues song featuring the acoustic alchemy of John Hammond Jr. and Rory Block; and the gospel-flavoured “Hymn to Him,” set soaring by the voice of Patti Scialfa and husband Bruce Springsteen's guitar. Highly recommended. - Ken Wright

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Harmony Avenue Jade Hairpins

Harmony Avenue, the new release from Jade Hairpins, is definitely a different stroll than some will be used to, given that the core members are from Canadian punk rock group Fucked Up. Not really bending genres as much as blending them, Mike Haliechuk and Jonah Falco draw back on the edge of their past work and bring in more groove and Fender Rhodes keyboard. The album is a definite win for those that sway between pop, punk, and straightedge rock arenas—as well as anyone looking for good summertime music to bob your head to. Moving in what some would say is a drastic new direction, the heart of many of the tracks are strangely reminiscent of exactly what the music of the past 10 years has always done. The first track that really caught my ear was “(Don’t Break My) Devotion,” and “Mary Magazine” reminded me of nostalgic stuff like the Beatles meeting the Talking Heads. Overall, Harmony Avenue is a great start to something new and I would definitely be interested in anything more from this band. - Jamie Varga

The Secret Life of Canada

Into the Woods

From Indigenous artists to insulin, from the Klondike Gold Rush to ketchup chips, The Secret Life of Canada explores the complex and beautiful aspects of our nation. While maintaining a lighthearted platform, Bowen and Johnson effectively deliver a raw and real crash course on Canadian history. Always informative and insightful, the CBC podcast also taps into the darker or more forgotten aspects of our country. With no sugar-coating in sight, this podcast definitely provides a gritty listen. I personally love the “shout out” episodes, with each one specifically focusing on one Canadian icon that has forever changed our country. The Secret Life of Canada gives us a better understanding of, and greater appreciation for, this wonderful country we call home.

In Northwestern Ontario, we’re fortunate to have the boreal forest as a seemingly unlimited backyard. Into the Woods: Retreats and Dream Houses is a beautiful book that features 53 camps and homes from around the world that have a lowimpact design and provide seclusion even in some of the world’s most populated countries. The buildings range from tiny and minimalist to sprawling and luxurious—all are built with sustainability in mind and feature sparse decor and natural landscaping. As Philip Jodidio writes in his introduction, “Forest houses have existed for thousands of years and in some regions are one of the oldest forms of human habitation.” He describes the houses he features as “viewing platforms” with great expanses of glass through which to view the great movie of nature. Whether you are looking for inspiration for your dream camp or home or just appreciate an organic approach to architecture, you will savour the stunning photographs and appreciate Jodidio’s insights into their design and construction..

Leah-Simone Bowen and Falen Johnson

- Andrea Lysenko

Philip Jodidio

Rob Rainford’s Born to Grill: Over 100 Recipes From My Backyard to Yours Rob Rainford

Summer has finally arrived, which naturally leads most of us outdoors, where our barbecues sit begging to be fired up. Often, barbecues are the focus of social gatherings (which we all miss), but what better time to perfect your barbecuing skills so you’ll be ready to wow your guests when party time resumes? This book will have you creating five-star dishes in no time. Inspired by his Jamaican roots and his multicultural influences from growing up in Toronto, Chef Rob has put together recipes sure to please everyone. Detailed instructions turn common ingredients into exotic meals. Barbecue staples like beef, chicken, and fish and seafood are all featured. Not a big meat eater? There are plenty of salads, grilled vegetable recipes, pizza, muffins, and even a soup made with grilled apples and fennel. Each chapter is a menu, so you won’t have to figure out pairings. Stock up on propane or charcoal. You’re going to need it. - Heather Miller

- Michelle McChristie

The Walleye

Architecture

Waverley Park Lookout Story and photos by Laurie Abthorpe

top the summit of Waverley Park are the foundational remnants of an early enhancement that was once billed as the Port Arthur Lookout Shelter. Envisioned as a tourist attraction by the Parks Board, the 1911-built structure would offer a wonderful vista of Waverley Park and the growing city below down to the waters of Lake Superior. Designed by landscape architect Frank G. Todd, the covered lookout structure was described as rustic and included plans for landscaping and an eventual water fountain as well. On March 6, 1911, the Parks Board signed a contract with John Maunder valued at $2,402.50 for the construction of the lookout shelter. Overseen by local architect Marshall Benjamin Aylesworth, Maunder was given ten weeks to complete the project. A detailed copy of the construction contract indicates the

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circular-based structure was built with a reinforced concrete floor atop a stone basement. The stone exterior consisted of “close fitted and strongly bonded, course, hammer dressed random rubble stone work” using large red and gray granite where visible. The basement wall, reaching 9’6” to the upper floor surface, also called for the exterior frontage to be no less than 4’6” below the finished grade. Concrete staircases along the exterior contour of each side of the lookout shelter rise to the viewing level above. At the base of each staircase a door leads to the structure’s unfinished basement. The original lookout shelter was covered by a cedar-shingled roof supported by stone piers; later removed in 1951. At 109 years old, the Waverley Park Lookout site is undergoing a transformation through a Clean, Green and Beautiful Committee

committee is pleased to see this project completed.” This project not only breathes new life into the lookout and surrounding landscape, but upon completion it will also interpret the story of the site through a trio of panels titled Our First Residents, The Dawson Trail, and A Park For All People Is Born, the contents of which were developed in partnership with the Thunder Bay Museum, local historians, and the Heritage Advisory Committee. Final landscape work on the site, including plantings of shrubs and perennials, incorporating poppies, will be completed by the Forestry and Horticulture Units within the City’s Parks and Open Spaces section. 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 on the city’s heritage resources, visit www. thunderbay.ca/en/city-hall/heritage-in-thunder-bay.aspx

Thunder Bay Museum 2002.10.11

initiative, incorporating with it the WWI project Year of the Poppy Legacy. This $300,000 project, based upon the City of Thunder Bay’s Image Route and Detail Streetscape Guidelines, was designed by landscape architect and prime consultant BrookMcIlroy, with structural engineering plans developed by TBT Engineering Consulting Group. Renovations to strengthen and restore the existing stone structure began in 2019. Now nearing completion, the site includes an Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) compliant walkway for accessing the lookout. The semi-circular footprint remaining from the original lookout has been expanded to a full circle plaza; the back of which features a semi-circular surround of bench seating. Commemoration of the poppy as our national symbol of remembrance and its local connection are reflected at the site through a set of red powder-coated laser-cut panels featuring a poppy motif designed by local artist Roland (Roly) Martin. These metal panels have been installed at a height replicating that of the lookout shelter’s original roofline. “Public art adds enormous value to the cultural, aesthetic and economic vitality of a community, and bringing history and beautification through art to the Lookout reflects our long-term goals for the Image Route project,” says councillor Rebecca Johnson, the chair of the City of Thunder Bay’s Clean, Green & Beautiful Committee. “It’s part of our City’s strategic plan, under the ‘renew’ pillar, to make improvements to downtown north. The

Architecture

▲ Original lookout shelter in winter. Photo c. 1925

Judith Monteith-Farrell MPP, Thunder Bay–Atikokan

Dedicated to Serving the North P 807-622-1920 TF 1-833-673-4129

jmonteith-farrell-co@ndp.on.ca judithmonteithfarrell.ca The Walleye 101

Health

We All Need Self-Care By Vanessa Masters, Health Promotion and Communications Planner, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

oes self-care mean treating yourself to something new? Is it taking a walk or a day off from responsibility? Dr. Julie Riendeau, Ph.D., C. Psych, a clinical psychologist at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, provides clarification and tips to practice self-care. Self-care can mean different things to different people. It can also mean something different for the same person, depending on the day or time of year. While there are an infinite number of selfcare strategies, self-care is always

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personal and subjective and different strategies work for different people. “Self-care is anything we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being,” Dr. Riendeau explains. In short, selfcare includes any practices we purposefully do to take care of ourselves and help us feel our best. And like anything, it can take practice to figure out what types of self-care strategies and activities work best for you. Dr. Riendeau provides some

examples to help us engage in selfcare, however, this is not an exhaustive list and is meant to be a starting point. Developing a regular sleep routine, eating a balanced diet, and exercising regularly can all help keep you healthy as well as decrease stress and increase the ability to cope. Doing things that you enjoy, like singing or dancing, spending time with your family, cuddling your pet, reading a book, or learning a new skill can help bring joy to our lives. Using vacation time and learning to say “no” are other examples that might take more practice and

may not be feasible to do every day, but they are good ways to bring balance into your day. Other ways to practice self-care are meditation, mindfulness, and practicing gratitude. Self-care is a critical key to our happiness and overall well-being, says Dr. Riendeau. “Self-care can help us to better function, both physically and mentally, helping us to thrive in all areas of our lives. Without self-care, we run the risk of getting run-down and having an increase in negative emotions.” Often, these negative emotions and the feeling of being run-down can affect our relationships with others and ourselves. There are a couple of signs that you may need to make some time for self-care. If you feel mentally or physically exhausted or overwhelmed, it may be a sign that you need to take a break. Another common sign is a feeling of “being stretched too thin” or noticing a shortage of sleep, regular healthy meals, or exercise. Check in on how you are feeling. Notice if you are often missing out on important things that increase your happiness and well-being. “Recognizing these signs is one thing, but we sometimes feel guilty about taking the time to care for ourselves. Despite the benefits of self-care, many people believe they just don’t have the time. Thankfully, there are many ways to incorporate self-care into your schedule, no matter how busy you are,” shares Dr. Riendeau. Give yourself permission to focus on engaging in self-care. Make time in your schedule that works for you and give it the same importance as your other commitments. “Digitally disconnecting is a great way to ignore the reminders of what you ‘should’ be doing,” says Dr. Riendeau. Learning which selfcare tactics will work for you doesn’t happen overnight, so take the time to develop a self-care plan that is holistic and individualistic to you. Dr. Riendeau advises to “look for small ways you can incorporate selfcare into everyday life. The more you can work self-care into your schedule, the better equipped you’ll be to live your best life.”

LU RADIO’S MONTHLY TOP July Show Spotlight

Top 20 1

Music

Fiona Apple Fetch the Bolt Cutters Epic

14 Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes What Kinda Music Beyond The Groove/Blue Note/Caroline 15 Les Deuxluxes* Lighter Fluid Bonsound 16 Ty Segall Segall Smeagol Self-Released

Check out our weekly charts online at luradio.ca and tune in to the Top 20 Countdown Mondays from 7-9am. Keep it locked on 102.7fm—online streaming at luradio.ca.

Young RJ and Mega Ran 2HANDSUP Ne’Astra Music Group

Bill Noir* L’astronaute Self-Released

Dragon Fli Empire* Banff Avenue Makebelieve

Len Bowen* Flow Nostalgic EP Fourth Quarter

17 NOBRO* Sick Hustle Dine Alone Phoebe Bridgers Punisher Dead Oceans

18 Wares* Survival Mint

No Age Goons be Gone Drag City

19 Born Ruffians* Juice Yep Roc

Perfume Genius Set My Heart On Fire Immediately Matador

20 Andy Shauf* The Neon Skyline Arts & Crafts

Itus* Primordial Self-Released

Electronic

RawkStarGurl’s Rawkin’ Hours of Rock n’ Roll

Hosted by Tara-Leigh Marcin Saturdays from 7-9 pm RawkStarGurl’s Rawkin’ Hours of Rock n’ Roll has been rawkin’ the airwaves for over 15 years now! If you love rock, punk, post-punk, garage, or psychedelic rock, this is the show for you. Tara and her hubby Wayne rock the airwaves every Saturday from 7-9 pm. Each has their unique style that they bring to the table. One week you may get a solo RawkStarGurl, a Wayne, or both. One thing is for sure: you will never be bored or hear the same thing twice on their show, unless it’s one of their favorite bands (Zig Zags, Queens of the Stone age, or Haunt). So if you love rock n’ roll, tune in Saturdays at 7 pm. Song of the Moment: Dead Ghost “Drugstore Supplies”

Waxahatchee Saint Cloud Merge

Fonkynson* Falling Lisbon Lux

Purity Ring* Womb 4AD

redress* peacebird Self-Released

Dead Ghosts* Automatic Changer Burger

Austra* HiRUDiN Pink Fizz

Astrocolor* Hue eOne Music (E1)

Real Estate The Main Thing Domino

10 Tops* I Feel Alive Musique TOPS 11 Nap Eyes* Snapshot of a Beginner Royal Mountain 12 Basia Bulat* Are You in Love? Secret City 13 Caroline Rose Superstar New West

Anzola* Caracas Urbnet

International 1

Run the Jewels RTJ4 Jewel Runners

Wake* Devouring Ruin Translation Loss

Pantayo* Pantayo Telephone Explosion

Spell* Opulent Decay Bad Omen

Weak Size Fish* The Drift Self-Released

Killitorous* The Afterparty Tentacles Industries

The Battle of Santiago* Queen & Judgement Selvamonos

Black Pestilence* Hail the Flesh Self-Released

Black Pestilence* Blossom Self-Released

Zenobia Halak Halak Acid Arab/Crammed

Lil Omar* Toddler Country Self-Released

Jazz 1

Peripheral Vision* Irrational Revelation and Mutual Humiliation Self-Released

Songs of Tales* Life is a Gong Show Self-Released

Vibration Black Finger Can You See What I’m Trying to Say Jazzman

Brendan Eder Ensemble To Mix With Time Self-Released

Hip Hop

Loud

5 Matty Stecks & Musical Tramps* Long Time Ago Rumble Ropeadope

Folk•Roots•Blu 1

Pharis & Jason Romero* Bet On Love Lula

Mike Plume Band* Lonesome Stretch Of Highway Royalty

Whitney Rose* We Still Go to Rodeos MCG

4 The Blaze Velluto Collection* Fire Mountain, Part II (single) Self-Released 5

Matt Robertson* The Songs and Stories of Francis Gardner Self-Released

* Indicates Canadian Content

The Walleye 103 5

We’re hear for you! Thunder Bay’s only locally owned hearing clinic is now safely accepting regular appointments

The safety precautions we’re taking include:

Increasing cleaning and sanitation of client areas

Limiting the number of clients in the clinic at a time

Learn more about our COVID-19 safety measures at superiorhearing.ca Thunder Bay’s only locally owned clinic

104 The Walleye

807.346.0101 125 N. Cumberland St.

Practicing social distancing

Implementing personal protective equipment

Ensuring staff and clients who are unwell do not enter the clinic

Green

It’s About Giving and Receiving Reciprocal Relations with our Outdoor Spaces

By Erin Moir, Program Coordinator, EcoSuperior Environmental Programs

s we continue to do our part to ensure we #staysafe, we are reminded of just how lucky we are to call the shores of Lake Superior, and the surrounding living landscape, home. From a backyard oasis (if we are lucky enough to have one) to our favourite local greenspaces, our community is filled with abundant natural beauty. As we receive innumerable gifts from our natural habitat and ecological places, how might we also give back to them? What is our responsibility to our places, and, how might we create a relationship with our favourite outdoor spaces that embraces the spirit of reciprocity through relationships? When we are in reciprocal relations with our place, the mutual caretaking between people and place contributes to the health and well-being of both. The natural environment gives generously and abundantly, and we are interconnected with it. It gives us life, health, peace, and sustenance, just to name a few things. And what do we give back? At an early age, we may have learned that we “give” carbon dioxide to trees, who in turn, provide us with oxygen and clean air. Trees also

prevent erosion and provide wind blocks for farming or comfort, while also providing us with stress relief and companionship. We “take” fish when we go fishing, we “take” deer or moose when we go hunting, we “take” berries, medicines, and wildflowers when we go foraging. And again, what are we giving in return? As we continue to receive endless gifts from our landscapes, it is time we become better givers to the land that provides so much to us. Since 2008, EcoSuperior has managed a local greenspace known as the Central Natural Environment Gardens. For those who are not familiar with this beautiful place, it is a small triangle-shaped property, along Central Avenue, directly across the street from Central Car Wash. This is a local gem of a greenspace, in the heart of the city. The space has been completely transformed, as it used to be the original Central Avenue roadbed. When the road was rebuilt and moved, this property became available, and EcoSuperior had a vision: to create a greenspace from an asphalt background (a kind of reverse “paved paradise”).

Although this space is still owned by the City of Thunder Bay and recognized as a city park, EcoSuperior, along with many community partners over the years, has given back generously. At the Gardens, as we lovingly refer to it, you can now find a butterfly garden, a certified Monarch waystation, an edible garden, woodland area, and numerous native wildflowers. The Gardens have continued to evolve over the last 12 years as EcoSuperior proceeds to work hard at creating it into a space where Thunder Bay citizens and visitors, along with other native species, can find green “peace” for restoration and enjoyment, right in the centre of town. Imagine if more spaces were transformed like this! To invite people to connect with the Gardens, EcoSuperior has hosted invasive species workshops, held volunteer planting and weeding days, and has made it home to our beloved outdoor summer programs for children and youth, and where preschoolers along with their caregivers gather during the months of June and September for our Lil’ Buds program. All of our programs are designed to give back to the

space, for—and with—the health of future generations. How might we, as a community, give back as abundantly, as we receive? Firstly, gratitude is a simple, yet powerful way, to give. Attention is also one of the most important gifts you can give anyone, including other species. (Plus, during COVID, we don’t have to keep our distance from those other-than-human species!) Additionally, we encourage you to take time to learn, and create pollinator-friendly yards and spaces, participate (safely) in community clean-ups, be mindful of what goes down your drain (and therefore into Lake Superior), and be an active commuter when you can. Remember: mutual caretaking of both people and place, in reciprocity, contributes to building a healthy future for people and the planet.

The Walleye 105

Green

Cat Leonard with her children (clockwise from top right) Fox, Innis, and Reid

What’s Old is New Again

Thunder Bay Family Uses Recycled Materials Throughout Back Yard Story by Matt Prokopchuk, Photos by Darren McChristie

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at Leonard’s northside Thunder Bay back yard has some features commonly found on many residential properties in the city: areas for gardening, play structures for her children, and benches around a fire pit. But in her case, most of it is handmade from wood and other materials that otherwise would be on its way to the trash, making some of the results truly unique. Leonard and her husband Warren

Pringle have been building and fixing things their whole lives, she says, and that skill is on display throughout their property. Many of the structures are made from wood pallets or from trees felled by Pringle and his business and then milled by hand. The sheet metal, similarly, came from other projects while other accents in the yard—such as the “windows” in the gates—were made from other recycled materials. “It’s kind of been like an

Green

evolution, I would say. It happened slowly,” she says of how the yard has come together. “We try to do it at a low cost, so that’s kind of like one primary theme of the yard is that we did try and conserve our costs by using stuff we already had, or remnants from other building projects.” “Sometimes, our design was affected by what was available to us at the time.” The whole family—Leonard, Pringle and three children—are all really into cycling, she says, which is a theme throughout the yard. That includes the homemade ramps and other structures, like teeter-totters, that allow the kids “opportunities to kind of understand how, [or] what you can do with a bike and where a bike can go,” Leonard says. “We wanted to bring a little bit of … that to our yard.”

And where did that wood for the ramps come from? Leonard says much of it was leftover pieces from the fence they built. Using what’s already available to them whenever possible is something she says is becoming second nature to her children, as is the creativity and, in some cases, doing the construction themselves. Her oldest son, nearly 8, recently built a fully functioning trailer for a large tricycle the family owns, she says. “It’s funny, because … I think our kids just think it’s normal to take a [saw] to a bunch of pallets when you have an idea for a yard project,” she says. “I think they see the value in the stuff that other people throw away.” “The wheels are turning in their heads on how to create something from sort of nothing.”

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TheWall

Nuclear Waste Disposal: Déjà Vu for the Northwest By Graham Saunders

nce again Northwestern Ontario is on a very short list for a future burial site of high-level nuclear waste. Most of this waste, presently stored at nuclear power stations, is a result of electricity generated by nuclear reactors in Ontario over the past six decades. In 2002, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) took over a failed attempt to find a “host” community and “potentially suitable areas” for this waste. Canada began development of nuclear energy for electricity in the 1950s at Chalk River, near Ottawa. It was an optimistic time. Expansion plans included cheap electricity for Ontario, reactor builds in other provinces, and export of grid electricity to the United States. Optimism sometimes spilled over into fantasy. Documents detail the “Mid-Canada Corridor,” a development scheme for the sparsely populated boreal forest from the Yukon to Newfoundland. Concepts

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included proposals for nuclear stations in Wawa and Shuniah Municipality next to Thunder Bay. (At the risk of adding credence, the cold water of Lake Superior would provide essential cooling for reactors.) All countries developing nuclear-generated electricity deferred or ignored the long-term problems of the resulting high-level nuclear waste. This was easily justified because high-level reactor waste is “hot” and must be stored on-site for at least a decade before any transport can happen. And, in the flavour of these times, perhaps this dangerous waste could be reprocessed and provide essentially “free” fuel for additional electricity. However, a complex cooling process resulted in some scary close calls. The Detroit Fermi-1 nuclear plant had a partial meltdown in 1966 and became the focal point of a book, We Almost Lost Detroit by John G. Fuller. Nuclear waste complications

became more pressing in the 1970s. Waste could (and was) being used to build nuclear bombs. The first pilot projects for waste disposal were bogged down with disappointing outcomes. Then (and to date) there was no proven safe location in the world for long-term storage or disposal. Atomic Energy of Canada (AECL) proposed a facility for disposal of highly radioactive spent fuel near Madoc, east of Peterborough. The location made some sense: it was close to established and planned reactor sites and had potentially “good rock” types of the Canadian Shield. The community turned out to the first public meeting in May 1977 and dismissed the proposal with hostility. Atikokan became the next target community. Closure of two iron ore mines had resulted in unemployment and devastated the town’s economy. However, most people in Atikokan were opposed and a petition signed by at least 24,000

people from Marathon to Kenora stated public hearings and a referendum must precede any test drilling. The official opening in 1979 of the test drilling site near Marmion Lake (northeast of Atikokan) was attended by about 100 people, arriving in school buses, cars, and trucks, and received regional and national media attention. Some test drilling was conducted but Atikokan was abandoned as a “host” community. This was followed by commissions, hearings, panels, and pro and con technical reports for two decades. Public opposition continued and a formal plebiscite in 1997 indicated that 95% of people in Thunder Bay did not support burial of nuclear waste in the region. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) renewed the search to find a “host” community and “potentially suitable areas” in 2010. Considerable funding was provided to interested communities and nearby First Nations. Their siting process identified 22 possible locations. Those numbers declined over a decade because communities withdrew, had unsuitable geology, or a combination of both. Only two potential locations remain: Revell Lake, between the town of Ignace and Wabigoon First Nation, and Bruce County, near Lake Huron. Nuclear waste in storage continues to grow in Canada and worldwide. Many of the issues and risks of burial are similar to 45 years ago when the first attempt was made. It was—and still is—acknowledged that radioactive nuclides will eventually leach into groundwater and surface water. Moving all waste from reactor sites in certified transport containers would take 30 to 40 years of long-distance daily road shipments through Northwestern Ontario. Nuclear waste presents many dilemmas. Perhaps a look to the past can help. Finding a better solution for the waste has always been a hope. Promising research is emerging about reducing the toxicity of the waste and potentially the need for a very expensive facility far distant from stored waste. Discussions, petitions and plebiscites have stated or implied that a regional decision-making process was essential. It still is.

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Horoscopes Libra

By Sunny Disposish

Aries (March 21-April 19): June was a stellar month for you, Aries, so let’s keep the momentum going this summer. You appear to have entered a positive stage in your life, with cheerful Jupiter crossing paths with your celestial bodies. Some big decisions you have made have turned out to be exactly right for you, so take comfort in knowing that. Celebrating Canada Day leaves you feeling happy and energized. Indulge in hobbies this month, such as baking. Rave reviews leave you considering a side hustle. Think it over!

Taurus (April 20-May 20): Feeling a bit peachy this month, Bull? A new job has you showcasing your leadership qualities like a star. Keep up with the corny jokes and don’t let anyone with sour grapes intrude on your aura—keep on shining the way you are meant to. You are sharing a lot this month, mostly in the way of sage advice. When life hands you lemons, you dive in and make lemonade. You’re a hustler, and you may not own the world quite yet, but you can always start off with a parking lot.

Gemini (May 21-June 20): The full moon on the 5th may have your household in a whirlwind, Twins! Perhaps it’s because school is over, or there’s some big life changes happening. Perhaps a change of residence is in order— either for you or some special loved ones in your life? At any rate, it’s going to be a busy one, and Geminis are full speed ahead, doing several things at once and enjoying variety, novelty, and change. Take charge!

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Cancer ( June 21-July 22): Happy birthday month, Crab! The sun is shining and you are enjoying all that bounty brings. The world seems a little bigger and brighter now that things are ever-so-gently starting to open up and the doldrums of the past few months are nothing but a distant memory. You could receive a special gift on the 15th or 20th. You are becoming an influencer and someone has their eye on you. Cancers love to be fussed over, so enjoy the extra attention!

Leo ( July 23-August 22): Still reeling from Canada Day celebs? That’s okay—you’ve been working hard so you deserve a little downtime. Don’t forget that the end of the month finds some Lions a year older as well, so why not explore the still-delicious-yet-slightly-different restaurant scene in the city? Your taste buds are tingling this month, so why not try to find a roving wood-fired pizza trailer and treat yo’self! You have a heart of gold and you deserve it!

Virgo (August 23-Sept 22): The new moon on the 20th has you rethinking and reflecting for some time. Dodge out of the spotlight and take some time for yourself for just a mo’. Perhaps things haven’t turned out quite the way you envisioned this year; however, there’s no harm in taking a little time out for a reset. Spending time in nature will help to invigorate you and send some creative new ideas flying right into your brain. A small windfall comes your way!

(September 23-October 22): Someone new has swooped in to your life, and you’re not too sure what to do about it. Take it slow and stay safe in a social distancing manner. There’s no need to jump into anything too hastily. Librans receive plenty of dates and invitations, but here’s a time to consider all options. Librans fear rejection at times, so embrace the “new normal” of socializing and give it a go on your terms. Mercury squeals into your sign mid-month, so you’ll have some extra tasks to keep up with. You can do this! Later, there’s plenty of time to relax.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21): Heading out to camp? Taking it easy? Make sure you stop at Valley Fresh for some super-fresh produce and take advantage of the foodie takeout scene to top up your cooler. Spending time by the water is just what a good Scorpion needs right now. Your sometimes over-intense outlook on life is taking a bit of time off. The full moon on the 5th sees you sitting outside by the fire and contemplating life. Enjoy time with family, especially young ones. Their youthful energy is refreshing.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21): Archers are known for their outgoing and cheerful demeanor, and nothing keeps you down for long. You can find your local Sag doing virtual Zumba or going for a run, preferably close to a body of water. Canada Day is a big deal for Archers this year, and you usually play it one of two ways: staying up late way past the fireworks, or in bed by 8 pm. However it goes down, you zippy folks are living life. Whether curled up with a good book in the sun or mastering the grill,

there are plenty of reasons to toast life these days. Bucket list item: Get over to Prime Gelato’s take-out counter, and fast.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19): You’ve been a bit of a homebody lately, Capricorn. (But then again, haven’t we all?) Money could be ruling your thoughts right now—spending it as well as earning it. As much fun as it would be to online shop all the live-long day, you really should put it in the bank and pay a few bills. It might not be fun or easy, but if you continue to work hard, an amazing reward is destined to be yours!

Aquarius ( January 20-February 18): You don’t have to be at everyone’s beck and call all day, Aquarius. You know how exhausting this can be, and how much you can get out of spending time with yourself. The moon is in your sign on the 13th, so around this time go for a walk or do some gardening. Things will seem much more clear after a day of relaxation and reflection. You will enjoy a small road trip later this month.

Pisces (February 19-March 20): A lost item will be found by the 29th, much to the delight of you and family members. As you’re always happiest by the water, you should line up a date to spend some time by the lake or even go fishing with some family. Spending time in the kitchen will also boost your spirits—may as well get on the sourdough starter train if you haven’t already. If your family has any baking or cooking requests, you may as well get on that right away as well. Your talents need to be shared with others. Bon appetit!

TheBeat

Wake and See the Sky By Lenore Lotecki I surrendered my pain of this world because I could carry it no longer Now I am a thought, a memory, a story I exist within you Wake and see the sky That is my smile Feel the warmth of the sun on your skin That is my caress Feel the breeze touch your cheek That is my kiss I am here I always have been

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A view down the elevated walkway to a home-built play oasis

112 The Walleye

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