July 2023 by The Walleye Magazine

FILM FREE ARTS Vol. 14 No. 7 MUSIC JULY FOOD 2023 CULTURE thewalleye.ca

Summer Festivals & Events

Keep Calm and Climb On

Busking for a Cause

The War on Drugs

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Contents Editor-in-chief Darren McChristie Interim Editor Matt Prokopchuk Senior Editor Tiffany Jarva Copy Editors Amy Jones, Bonnie Schiedel Editorial Assistant Emily Turner Marketing & Sales Manager Meagan Griffin sales@thewalleye.ca Photographers Jack Barten Anna Buske Kevin Dempsey Damien Gilbert Ryan Hill Chad Kirvan Dave Koski Shannon Lepere Marty Mascarin Darren McChristie Sarah McPherson Lois Nuttall Laura Paxton Art Directors Steve Coghill, R.G.D. Dave Koski, R.G.D. production@thewalleye.ca Ad Designers Dave Koski Miranda van den Berg The Walleye is a free monthly publication distributed on racks throughout Thunder Bay and region. Reproduction of any article, photograph or artwork without written permission is strictly forbidden. Views expressed herein are those of the author exclusively. Copyright © 2023 by Superior Outdoors Inc. All Rights Reserved. Editorial and Advertising: Submissions must be accompanied by a selfaddressed, stamped envelope. Superior Outdoors cannot be held responsible for unsolicited material. Superior Outdoors Inc. 242 - 1100 Memorial Avenue Thunder Bay, ON P7B 4A3 Telephone (807) 344-3366 Fax (807) 623-5122 E-mail: info@thewalleye.ca

TheWalleye.ca Where can I find The Walleye? thewalleye.ca/wherecan-i-find-the-walleye/ Ad Deadline for our August Issue July 14th

Views of Paradise

FEATURES 9 Summer Festivals & Events 10 Celebrating Inclusivity and Indigenous Culture 11 Summertime Sipping 12 Back to the Streets 13 Bringing Life to History 14 Summer Festival and Events Guide 18 Six Festival Foods You Need to Check Out

Mean Girls

FOOD 20 THE GRINNING BELLY 21 DRINK OF THE MONTH 22 OFF THE MENU 24 SUPERIOR SIP

A Walk in the Park

The War on Drugs

FILM&THEATRE 26 Mama’s Country Record Collection 28 Mean Girls 30 THE SECOND MOST PLEASURABLE THING WE DO IN THE DARK. A COLUMN ABOUT MOVIES 31 A Walk in the Park 32 Return to Ombabika THE ARTS 34 Celebrating 10 Years 36 Looming Joy 39 FROM THUNDER BAY ART GALLERY’S COLLECTION 40 Boreal Brushstrokes 42 An Artistic Science 44 A THOUSAND WORDS

96 85

TheTOPFive

100

OUTDOOR 46 Keep Calm and Climb On

Greener Festivals

CITYSCENE 48 WALL SPACE: ModBox NWO Inc. 51 The Big One 52 Recovering Out Loud 53 Land-Based Learning 54 STUFF WE LIKE

58 59 60 63 65 66 68 71 72

GO LOCAL THUNDER BAY COUNTRY MARKET CANNABIS CORNER Views of Paradise SECOND CHANCES Our Vertical Ambassador EYE TO EYE: With Michele Solomon THIS IS THUNDER BAY BRIDGING THE PAST A Safe and Trusting Space

MUSIC 74 Busking for a Cause 76 Long Time Dead 78 The Legacy of a Lost Band Member on Tour 80 BURNING TO THE SKY 82 Finding Silver Linings 85 The War on Drugs 86 Diversity is Key 88

OFF THE WALL REVIEWS

ARCHITECTURE 90 Porphyry Island Lighthouse 92 94 95

Tbaytel July EVENTS GUIDE MUSIC GUIDE LU RADIO'S MONTHLY TOP 30

TATTOOED YOU 96 Coffee Love GREEN 99 Community Seed Saving 100 Greener Festivals 101 LET'S GET GROWING HEALTH 104 Paws and Relax THE WALL 106 The Macro Problem of Microplastics 108 JULY HOROSCOPES 109 THE BEAT 110 THE EYE

54 The Walleye

Damien Gilbert, Epica Pictures

From Our Instagram Feed

Featured Contributor

Bonnie Schiedel

Lene Nystrøm of Aqua performs at Wake the Giant 2022

iven our relatively short period of hot weather here in the Northwest, it can easily seem like the summer months go by way too quickly. It also means that those months are always jam-packed with festivals, events, and things to do that highlight the music, art, food, and culture of Thunder Bay and the surrounding region. Returning last year after a COVIDinduced hiatus, we once again turn over our July issue’s cover story to the summer festival guide, shining the spotlight on 14 amazing events— not only in Thunder Bay, but also within a day’s drive—that you’re surely going to want to check out. And since a day out isn’t truly complete without something good to eat, we’ll also show you four local food truck vendors who have put their kitchens on wheels, taking their delectable dishes to these local festivals. Keeping in step with our cover story, film columnist Michael Sobota has a watch through four movies where festivals play a central role,

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Chef Rachel Bayes cooks up a great recipe that makes for easy eats on the road, and in our This Is Thunder Bay feature, Leah Morningstar asks The Walleye readers what their most memorable experience has been at a festival or other large event. Elsewhere in our July issue, Kris Ketonen speaks with Grammywinning rockers The War On Drugs about their upcoming show at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, Roxann Shapwaykeesic has the story of Neechee Studios’ 10th anniversary exhibition currently showing at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, and Taylor Onski previews Magnus Theatre’s first show of their summer season, Mama's Country Record Collection. So, as we head into what promises to be another busy summer season here in the Northwest, we hope you can learn more about your favourite events on the calendar— or maybe even discover something completely new. -Matt Prokopchuk

Kirvan Photography

Festival Season

Bonnie Schiedel is the founder and principal of North Star Writing. Born and raised in a small community called Paradise Lake near Waterloo, Ont., she came to the northwest in 2000, living in Fort Frances and Ignace before moving to Thunder Bay in 2011. Soon afterward she discovered a cool new magazine called The Walleye and began writing articles (first one: an interview with Derek Lucchese about his masonry ovens). Since then she’s covered everything from a Paul Shaffer profile to astrophotography in more than 150 pieces. In this issue, read her articles about the Wake the Giant music festival on page 10, the BrewHa Festival on page 11, and Grand Marais photographer Bryan Hansel on page 44.

On the Cover

Summer Festivals & Events Photo by Darren McChristie Special thanks to Nicole Eckert and the staff at EcoSuperior.

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TheTopFive

Day/ 1 Canada Live on the Waterfront July 1–August 30

Kay Lee

Marina Park & Prince Arthur’s Landing

July 8–16

Fort William Historical Park

Scott Mackay

Fort William Historical Park’s 50th Anniversary Rendezvous

The “Old Fort,” as many of us locals fondly know it, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. From July 8 to 16, Fort William Historical Park is hosting over a week of programming, workshops, activities, crafts, food, music, re-enactments, and more. Each day will have a different theme, ranging from Celtic culture celebrations and to northern nature activities—including guided hikes and voyageur canoe rides—to farm and food. Art and music celebrations will include Métis jigging, hand drumming, fur trade music and dance, storytelling, and more. The festival will culminate with The Great Rendezvous Reenactment from July 13 to 16, where over 100 actors will reenact the annual gathering of voyageurs, Indigenous fur traders, and businesspeople who assembled every summer over 200 years ago. Tickets will be available for purchase on FWHP’s website, or they can be purchased at the visitor centre any time during the festival. fwhp.ca

Theatre 4 Superior Festival

July 26–30

The waterfront will be abuzz this summer with a number of exciting, community-oriented events. On July 1, the city is expanding on the programming that was introduced last year to ensure an inclusive, culturally informed Canada Day experience. There will be food vendors on site, community groups sharing information, artisans and programming throughout Marina Park; you can visit a sacred fire which will be burning during the event, along with an educational display by Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN). The event will run from 3 to 9 pm, with opening ceremonies starting at 5 pm on the main stage. Live on the Waterfront also kicks off on Wednesday July 19 and will run every Wednesday for the remainder of the summer. The lineup is still TBA, but you can count on a variety of local and out-of-town bands rocking out at the Marina (performances start at 6 pm). A final “Summer Send-off” will take place Wednesday, August 30 and Thursday, August 31 with two nights of music, food, and activities to wrap up the summer event series. Sponsored by Ontario Power Generation, all Canada Day events and Live on the Waterfront concerts are free to attend and all are welcome. thunderbay.ca

3 Teddy Bears Picnic July 11

Vickers Park Well, if you go down to the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise. Children, parents, and teddy bears (of course) are invited to the annual Teddy Bears Picnic to enjoy an afternoon of free crafts, activities, and entertainment on July 11 at Vickers Park. From noon to 4 pm, visitors can see a puppet show and various musical performances at the main stage. The “Boo Boo Bear” station will also be returning, led by the Lakehead Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic. Other activities include a teddy bear parade, interactive story time, and bubble station. Sponsored by Ontario Power Generation, this free, family-friendly event has become a wonderful annual celebration on the city’s south side. thunderbay.ca

Christian Chapman Exhibition

Thunder Bay Art Gallery

Until September 17

Lights, cameras, action! Superior Theatre Festival, along with the Thunder Bay Art Gallery and Applauze Productions, are producing the world premiere of a new musical called Alex the Artist by Alycia Novak. Alex The Artist aims to inspire the younger generation, and remind them that everyone has a voice and the potential to change the world; in this show, empathy and creativity trump hate and fear every single time. The festival will be held at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery from July 26 to July 30. Showtimes are 10 am and 7 pm from July 26–28, with two matinee shows at 2 pm on July 29 and 30. Tickets are $10 for ages 10 and under and $20 for ages 11 and older, available online. superiortheatrefestival.com

The Thunder Bay Art Gallery celebrates a major acquisition of 11 paintings by local artist Christian Chapman. Entitled Ziibaaska’iganagoodayan – The Jingle Dress, this exhibition is a stunning collection of Chapman’s signature pop-art style paintings depicting Anishinaabe women. A renowned mixed media artist from Fort William First Nation, Chapman’s artwork fuses the traditional and the futuristic. By keeping this series of paintings in Thunder Bay, the gallery aims to honour past, present, and future generations in the community. The exhibition will run until September 17. theag.ca

Thunder Bay Art Gallery

Christian Chapman, Elysia, 2019. Purchased with the support of the York Wilson Endowment Award, administered by the Canada Council for the Arts.

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

A portion of all clothing sales in JULY is donated to isthmus thunder bay

710 BAL MORAL S TREE T

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F RE SHAIRE XP ER I EN C E.C A

CoverStory

Summer Festivals & Events

Lucas Augustyn

he summers are short but the days are long, so we northwesterners make the most of that time with a variety of fun outdoor festivals. Want to groove to live music, eat your way through the day, shop, drink something delicious, see cool cars, or experience history and culture in a deeper way? Well, there’s a festival for that! Whether you road trip around Northwestern Ontario, pop over the border, or stay right here in TBay, this issue of The Walleye gives you the inside scoop on 14 of the best festivals the summer of 2023 has to offer. - Bonnie Schiedel

The Walleye

Celebrating Inclusivity and Indigenous Culture

CoverStory

Wake the Giant Hosts its Biggest Lineup to Date By Bonnie Schiedel

Lucas Augustyn

When: September 16, 11:30 am– midnight Where: Prince Arthur’s Landing Headliners: DeadMau5, Dean Lewis, X Ambassadors, and more

Damien Gilbert, Epica Pictures

Cost: $129.15– 164.85 (supplybased tiered structure); kids 12 and under free What not to miss: The DFC Jingle Dress Group performing with X Ambassadors The scene: Youthfriendly Coachella vibes Where to stay: Visit wakethegiant. ca for coupon codes to local accommodations Food: TBD, but similar to 2022

Damien Gilbert, Epica Pictures

Insider tip: Show up early and take in the whole festival to embrace Indigenous culture and learn a little while you’re there

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he Wake the Giant movement, aimed at creating a more welcoming and inclusive Thunder Bay for Indigenous people, youth, and their communities, kicked off in 2019, and the accompanying music festival quickly became an essential aspect. “We were bringing in musicians [like] Natasha Fisher and Classic Roots to do workshops [at Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School]. And then July Talk was working with the kids at the same time, doing a song. And that’s kind of where we brought the music aspect into it,” says Sean Spenrath, First Nations student success program coordinator at DFC and co-founder and -organizer of the festival. “And then there’s obviously just that idea of like, well, if we’re bringing all these kids from the north for this orientation, why don’t we provide an opportunity for all of Thunder Bay to welcome kids in. We thought, what better way than a music festival, where everyone’s always loving and together and happy and having a good time?” That approach is working. “We’re starting to have the kids from that first festival at our school now. And it’s really cool to hear from those kids who say, ‘hey, one of the reasons I came to school in Thunder Bay was that Wake the Giant; I saw how awesome Thunder Bay was, and how supportive people were and how cool it was to be at DFC,’” says Spenrath. This year’s lineup features DeadMau5, Dean Lewis, X Ambassadors, Ruby Waters, Mattmac, Sagatay, Sara Kae, and Thunder Spirit. Students have written a song with Sara Kae, which will be performed right before DeadMau5’s set,

and the DFC Jingle Dress Group is going to dance on stage during X Ambassadors’ opening song “Renegades.” “It’ll be the first time that we have our jingle dress dancers performing with a mainstream artist,” notes Spenrath. Assembling the musical lineup “takes a little bit of luck and a lot of perseverance,” he says. “For me, I think it’s our best overall lineup. I think it’s the first time we’ve had an artist on the cusp of greatness, where he’s ready to move to that next level to be like an Ed Sheeran or an Adele. Right now, Dean Lewis has the fifth-biggest song in the United States,” adding that festival organizers had Lewis, an Australian pop singer-songwriter, on their radar for a while and decided to book him when “How Do I Say Goodbye?” started to blow up on TikTok. In addition to music, the Wake the Giant Music Festival also showcases Indigenous culture through cultural learning experiences, an Elders tent with access to Elders and information about traditional medicine, educational panels about residential schools, and an Indigenous craft market. There will be yummy local eats like bannock tacos, a specific kids’ area with bouncy castles and more, and a graffiti wall that functions as a live art installation too. “It’s really cool that we’ve been able to grow the festival so quickly,” says Spenrath, adding that the 2019 festival had about 3,200 attendees and 2022 had about 5,500. “To be one of the biggest in just four years is pretty wild.” For more information, visit wakethegiant.ca or @wakethegiant807 on Instagram and Facebook.

CoverStory

Summertime Sipping BrewHa Festival Returns to the Waterfront By Bonnie Schiedel

n outdoor summer festival starring tasty local beverages seems tailor-made for TBay, which is why the BrewHa Festival has been thriving since 2015. Started by a group of friends getting together to put on a good party for the community, this year marks the first time that BrewHa is under the ownership of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce. “The restaurant and hospitality and tourism industry suffered so greatly during COVID, so we thought there was a way that we could help our members in those sectors,” says Chamber director of special events Nancy Milani. Festival-goers can look forward to sampling craft beers, ciders, and coolers by Lakehead Beer Company, Dawson Trail Craft Brewery, Lake of the Woods Brewing Company, Sleeping Giant Brewing Company, The Brew Pub, and Crafty Elk Hard Juice. The craft brewers in particular have been asked to create special batches for

the event. “It is tastings that you will not have had before,” notes Milani. In keeping with the desire to showcase a variety of local and regional flavours, there will also be expanded food offerings from northwestern eateries and food trucks, including Sushi Station, Prospector Steak House, Mini Donut Shoppe, Island Spice Jerk House, Fox on the Run, Cold Slate Creamery, Bight Restaurant and Bar, BeaverTails Pastry, and The Food Truck, with some vegan and gluten-free options. T h e re ’s a l s o a w i d e selection of musical styles on tap—jazz, country rock, classic rock, and more—from local musicians. Mix and mingle to the tunes of Scotch and Water, Jen Metcalfe, The Scott van Teeffelen Band, Headrush, Wayne Faulconer, Mood Indigo, Rage & Ruin, and Pretty Ugly. You can also bring your own folding chair for listening to the bands, as well as an empty reusable water bottle that can be filled

at the EcoSuperior water bar. Feeling a little competitive? Yard games like cornhole will be set up in several different areas. Or, you can stroll the marketplace to check out booths by vendors like Ruby Moon Mehndi, Northern Flame Wood Pellets, and Gateway Casinos. Admission includes a custom sample glass and four tokens, plus you can purchase additional tokens on site for $2.50 each. One change from previous BrewHa Festivals is the timing of the events, which are slightly longer and omit the early Saturday afternoon session; instead, there’s one session on Friday evening and one session on Saturday evening, both from 4 to 9 pm. Let Thunder Bay Transit take care of the driving, as BrewHa attendees ride for free to and from the festival grounds by showing the QR code on their ticket. As Chamber president Charla Robinson says, “We’re back, baby!”

When: July 14 & 15, 4–9 pm

Where: Prince Arthur’s Landing

Headliners: Headrush, The Scott van Teeffelen Band, Rage & Ruin, Pretty Ugly, and other local acts Cost: $41.86 including tax for each session; additional tickets available at the festival for $2.50 each What not to miss: Special batches brewed just for BrewHa

The scene: A laid-back, 19+ festival atmosphere with food, drink, music, games, and vendors Where to stay: Prince Arthur Waterfront Hotel & Suites, Delta Hotels Thunder Bay Food: Options include Sushi Station, Prospector Steak House, Island Spice Jerk House, Bight Restaurant and Bar, and The Food Truck Insider tip: Show your ticket to ride Thunder Bay Transit for free to and from the festival

For more information on this year’s BrewHa Festival, visit brewhafestival.com or @brewhafestival on Instagram and Facebook.

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Back to the Streets

CoverStory

Buskers Festival to Bring Music and Performance to Bay & Algoma By Justin Allec

When: July 29 & 30 Where: Bay and Algoma neighbourhood

Headliners: Cody Creed the Living Statue, Kaminari Wan Taiko Drummers, Bay Street Bastards, Niemers Creations Live Caricatures, dozens of unique craft vendors Cost: Festival is free to attend but tipping is strongly encouraged What not to miss: Undead Newlyweds, a street theatre/circus show with a zombie twist and loads of crowd participation The scene: Two easygoing days of unique performances in the heart of Port Arthur’s downtown Where to stay: Check local hotels for availability Food: Epic Cones, The Poppin’ Hut, local restaurants such as Nomad, Calico Coffeehouse, Madhouse Insider tip: Look for the hat or guitar case to throw your loonies and toonies in—all performers are paid through tipping

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uring the summer of 2011, the City of Thunder Bay reimagined what the Bay and Algoma neighbourhood could become. They widened the sidewalks and pushed the streetscape to become more pedestrianfriendly, in effect making the area a walkable shopping and eating destination. Once (and hopefully again) home to the distinct Finlandia Hall and the Hoito Restaurant, the area was already popular thanks to that iconic destination and an array of restaurants, unique shops, and inspired entrepreneurs. The next year, in 2012, the neighbourhood business association realized they had an unconventional venue available. Putting out a call to local performers and running with the casual atmosphere of a lazy summer day, the first unofficial festival—a “sidewalk sale on steroids”—took over the street. Not surprisingly, people crowded the area for two days of low-key fun, music, and food. Knowing that they had something valuable worth sharing, the organizers decided to go for it again the next year. In 2013, the two-day festival was christened the Bay & Algoma Buskers Festival, with dozens of artists and vendors lining the street. The festival was born! With a focus on the unusual and the unconventional, the festival quickly garnered a reputation for unforgettable experiences over subsequent years. As interest grew and people flocked to the neighbourhood with regularity, the organizers began thinking bigger. The festival was something special, something that could help anchor the neighbourhood and become an event people marked on their calendars. In addition to local artists performing and expanding the number of craft and food vendors, the festival

started bringing in international buskers. Suddenly, it wasn’t just a collection of musical acts, but something closer to a circus display: fire-eaters, jugglers, clowns, one-man bands, dancers, and contortionists all took to the street to entertain and delight. “The festival space is organized into eight ‘pitches,’ where each pitch acts as a stage area, and acts will rotate throughout the weekend,” says Brook Dallaire, a member of the festival’s organizing committee. “There will be a schedule set ahead of time to help people catch the acts they want to see.” What’s fun about the festival is that everything happens at street level: there is no stage. As such, “spectator” is a loose term, and it's not uncommon for performers to get right in the thick of the crowds, especially if they’re looking for volunteers. Feel free to participate, or hang back a little if you just want to enjoy the show. That closeness and proximity was something that has been missing the last few years as the festival was forced to take a hiatus thanks to the pandemic. Returning this year and newly minted as the Thunder Bay Buskers Festival, the organizers are hoping for a smashing good turnout with some of the best acts they’ve been able to feature to date. In addition, the festival will also be featuring food vendors and lots of crafters who will have their wares displayed. What started as a simple idea to showcase the area’s businesses has transformed into an event and a celebration of the community. For more information, visit buskersfestival.ca or find them on Facebook at facebook.com/ tbaybuskers.

Bringing Life to History

CoverStory

Fort William Historical Park to Reenact The Great Rendezvous By Kelsey Raynard

n the summer of 1815, French-Canadian voyageurs, Scottish businessmen, Indigenous peoples, and many others gathered at Fort William during the North West Company’s annual assembly of business, partnerships, music, food, and trade. In the summer of 1973, the newly amalgamated City of Thunder Bay celebrated the opening of Fort William Historical Park as an interactive museum, tourist destination, and economic generator. Now, in the summer of 2023, Fort William Historical Park will celebrate all of these historical moments during their 50th anniversary celebrations, concluding with The Great Rendezvous Reenactment. Patrick Morash, the general manager of the park, explains the historical significance of Rendezvous provides the perfect backdrop for the park’s golden anniversary. “Rendezvous was the key activity that took place at Fort William, historically speaking. Over a period of six weeks every summer, there would be a very energetic and enthusiastic exchange of furs to be packed and sent east to Montreal.” Alyssa Cacciatore, visitor experiences coordinator at the park, says that this historical event—where many different groups came together to celebrate a common cause— is the perfect tie-in to this year’s celebrations. From July 8 to 16, Fort William Historical Park will work with numerous community partners to host daily programming, workshops, activities, crafts, food, music, reenactments, and more. Over 100 actors will be present during Rendezvous. The celebrations culminate with The Great Rendezvous Reenactment from July 13 to 16. “In keeping with the fact that people were historically very excited to see new people arriving at the Fort, on Saturday

the 15th we will have a grand arrival of canoes coming to the wharf in front of the Fort; we’ve invited a whole range of partner organizations to come and participate. There should be between 20 to 30 boats that’ll be in water,” Morash says. “They’ll arrive to a cannon salute, Indigenous drumming, bagpiping, and all that good stuff. Lots of fanfare and jubilation.” “I encourage everyone to attend The Great Rendezvous festivities to celebrate the people who helped build Fort William Historical Park and the history, cultures, and partnerships that defined this unique place and time in Canadian history,” says Ontario minister of tourism, culture and sport Neil Lumsden in a statement to The Walleye. Throughout the celebrations, the Fort will host a number of Indigenous drummers, singers, Elders, and organizations. Morash notes that the history of Fort William and its contributions to the legacies of colonialism must be acknowledged, and that the park has recently changed their motto from “Preserving the past while building the future” to “Bringing life to history.” “In a lot of ways, we don’t want to preserve the past—and for good reason,” Morash says. “Parts of our history might be good and other parts might be negative; the reality is that we are willing to tell whatever that story is.” Morash adds that over the course of the past 50 years, Fort William Historical Park has become an institution in Thunder Bay; through the countless educational opportunities, community meetings, personal celebrations, and yearly events that have been held here, it has truly become an economic, educational, cultural, historical, and celebratory cornerstone.

Check out fwhp.ca for the full schedule and for dates and times when festival tickets go live. When: July 13–16

Where: Fort William Historical Park Cost: Adults $12, seniors, students, and youth $10, children 5 and under free (HST included) What not to miss: Reenactors from near and far set up historic encampments; there will be skilled artisan workshops and demonstrations, fur trade contests, guest speakers, and a grand arrival of many canoes The scene: A coming together of community groups, reenactors, and friends of the Fort throughout the years Where to stay: Campsites are available at the Fort William Historical Park campground Food: Cantine restaurant; historic food samples available Insider tip: Family season passes are available for $90.40, and 50th anniversary season passes are available for $50

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Chad Kirvan

Sarah McPherson

Chad Kirvan

CoverStory

Live from the Rock Folk Festival When: August 11–13, campground opens August 10 at noon Where: Pull-a-Log Park, Red Rock, Ont. Headliners: Aleksi Campagne, a bilingual fiddle player and singer; jazz trumpet player and composer Chuck Copenace, who integrates traditional First Nation chanting with his performance; and hoop dancer Shanley Spence

Cost: Advance adult weekend passes $90, senior (65+) and youth (13– 18) advance passes $80, children (5–12) advance passes $30, children 4 and under free What not to miss: The workshop stages where musicians who have never met before start backing each other’s performances, adding harmonies, or interjecting short solo instrumentals

The scene: Music is the main attraction, but there is also a family zone, artisans’ village, early morning yoga, swimming in Lake Superior, exploring with Parks Canada, sharing at the nighttime campfires or the acoustic song circle, and songwriting workshop Where to stay: Camping in Pull-a-Log Park is highly recommended; festival campgrounds offer designated quiet and

festival camping areas; the Red Rock Marina building has showers, indoor washrooms, and two fire pits Food: Everything from full, home-cooked meals to irresistible spiral potatoes and ice cream to nachos in a bag. All vendors are single-use plastic-free. Bring your own refillable drinking cup and cutlery if you can

Insider tip: Be prepared for all kinds of weather and for it to change quickly. Make sure you have a warm sleeping bag but also bring your swimsuit. And be prepared to make new friends and take in at least one late-night campfire For more information, visit livefromtherockfolkfestival. com.

The Westfort Street Fair When: August 19

Where: Downtown Westfort Village (Frederica Street) Headliners: Luke Warm & The Cold Ones, Thunder Gun Cost: Free Courtesy of Westfort Productions

What not to miss: Thunder Bay’s longest running event of its kind, it’s a full-day event filled with great shopping from neighbourhood businesses and local vendors, live music, festive food selections, beer gardens, games, prizes, and entertainment for the kids

The scene: The streets of downtown Westfort come

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alive with a full day of fun for the whole family. Shop, eat, and be entertained the Westfort way Where to stay: Valhalla Hotel & Conference Centre, Travelodge, Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre Food: Westfort’s famous neighbourhood restaurants, plus many more local food vendors from all over the city Insider tip: Show up early, bring cash, and wear comfy walking shoes For more information, visit facebook.com/ WestfortVillage.

Rob Fournier

CoverStory

Tumblestone Music & Art Festival Where: Lappe, Ont.

fun for all, comfortable, and has the best and most diverse lineup possible

Cost: TBA

The scene: A fervent appreciation of its artists and its grand contributory community. A festival curated by and for artists to celebrate creativity and assembly, Tumblestone empowers its audience to peer behind the curtain and into the machinery of the creative community

Headliners: Wax Mannequin, Forever Dead!, Jake & The Town, B The Wiz, Sunday wilde, and many more What not to miss: If you haven’t been before you’ll want to check this event out, and with so much to offer over the weekend, you’ll not want to miss a thing. We aim to produce a beautiful event that’s truly magical, welcoming,

Where to stay: Camping is recommended/ encouraged. Tenting is free; RVs, trailers, and

other vehicles will require a pass/arrangement (price based on size/space available—limited space for large units) Food: TBA

Insider tip: Stay tuned to socials for news, promos, details about the event, and its contents, tickets, and merch drive/fundraiser campaigns. Please support any way you can

Rob Fournier

When: August 25–26

For more information, visit tumblestone. org, or facebook.com/ TumblestoneMusicFestival.

Country on the Bay When: July 21–23

Where: Fort William Historical Park Headliners: Brothers Osborne, Dean Brody, Walker Hayes, Tenille Townes, and more

Anna Buske

What not to miss: An incredible weekend of extremely talented performers and headliners, and making some amazing memories

David Valente

Cost: $235 for the weekend; $129 for the day

The scene: An electric, genuine, and friendly environment of music lovers celebrating country music Where to stay: For a list of partnering hotels please visit countryonthebay.ca Food: Stay tuned to countryonthebay.ca for vendor lineup information

For more information, visit countryonthebay.ca

Anna Buske

Insider tip: Lock in your tickets before they are gone. You don’t want to be turned around at the gate!

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Jack Barten

CoverStory

Fort William First Nation Annual Summer Pow Wow

When: July 1 & 2

Kenora Harbourfest When: August 5 & 6

Where: Kenora Harbourfront, Kenora, Ont. Headliners: The Grapes of Wrath, Northern Royals, Stone House, and others Cost: Evening entertainment: $50; daytime Family Fest show with Al Simmons on August 6: $20 What not to miss: Family Fest daytime activities are a must for families The scene: Celebrating its 30th anniversary, Harbourfest is the perfect bite of ice cream, sandals,

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chirping birds, crashing waves, flashing lights, food and drink, singing, laughing, high-fives, and of course, memories Where to stay: Check out stayinkenora.com Food: Various food vendors on site, and many restaurants in the vicinity to choose from too Insider tip: Evening entertainment shows usually sell out, so get your tickets early For more information, visit harbourfest.ca.

Where: Anemki Wajiw (Mount McKay) Pow Wow Grounds Headliners: Rocky Boy (Host Drum), Hope Lake (co-host), Jim Mishquart (MC) Cost: Free

What not to miss: On Saturday, Grand Entry at 1 pm and 7 pm, feast served at 5 pm; on Sunday, Grand Entry at 1 pm The scene: A fun, familyfriendly, and communitybased celebration Where to stay: Hotels in and around Thunder Bay

Food: Many food vendors will be on site Insider tip: Water stations will be available, so everyone is encouraged to bring a reusable water bottle For more information, visit fwfn.com.

Fisherman’s Picnic When: August 3–6

Where: Downtown Grand Marais, Minn. Headliners: Fishburgers sold by the Lions of the Grand Marais Lions Club Cost: Free

What not to miss: Crazy Days sidewalk sales, craft

show, daily contests and prizes, live music, and kids’ activities. Fireworks will happen on Saturday night and a parade will take place on Sunday afternoon The scene: Family fun

Where to stay: Motels, campgrounds, B&Bs, and Airbnbs around Cook

County Food: Local restaurants and street vendors Insider tip: Accommodations go fast so make reservations ASAP For more information, visit visitcookcounty.com.

Courtesy of Canadian Lighthouses of Lake Superior

CoverStory

Lighthouse Carnival Fundraiser

Where: Porphyry Island Lighthouse (requires a 15-kilometre charter ride from Silver Islet Harbour) Headliners: The Scott van Teeffelen Band Cost: $160 (includes charter trip to the island, a historical-eco tour, live entertainment, and dinner) What not to miss: The carnival is an opportunity to take a charter across pristine Black Bay; on the island, visit volcanic black sands with amazing nature, learn about local lighthouse history, enjoy some musical entertainment, and finish up with dinner

The scene: People who enjoy nature, hiking, exploring new areas, relaxing, and a great time to connect with new friends Where to stay: If you are from out of town, you could stay at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park and catch the lighthouse charter in the morning. If you want to camp at Porphyry for the event, you will have to make alternate transportation arrangements

When: August 4–6

Where: Terrace Bay Airport

Headliners: Halfway Motors Quick 16, Thunder Bay Truck Centre Bracket Class, MiMotion Bike Shootout, Gamblers Race, car show Cost: For spectators: $10 Friday (noon–8 pm); $20 each Saturday and Sunday (9 am starts, eliminations start Sunday at noon);

children under 12 free. For competitors: $250 for the weekend; pit crew for the weekend, $60 What not to miss: The pit areas are open for spectators to check out the cars and talk to the racers The scene: Quarter-mile drag racing following National Hot Rod Association rules; the largest autosports event in

northern Ontario Food: Food vendors are available on site Insider tip: Enjoy the beautiful drive along the lakeshore to Terrace Bay for an action-packed day of high-powered drag racing For more information, visit dragfest.ca or search Superior Classics Car Club on Facebook.

Radio Waves Music Festival When: September 8–10

Where: Sweetheart’s Bluff in the Grand Marais Recreation Area Headliners: John Ellison and the Carpenter Ants, David Huckfelt, Humbird, Sam Miltich & The Clearwater Hot Club with special guest Briand Morrison, Rich Mattson and the Northstars, Dre AKA Jamaican, Ginger Bones, Portage Band, Stonebridge Singers Cost: $40 for a weekend pass or $20 per day. Free for kids 12 and under What not to miss: R&B

legend John Ellison—the man behind “Some Kind of Wonderful,” and other hits, he will be performing a gospel set with The Carpenter Ants on the morning of September 10 The scene: A celebration of local music and community on the North Shore of Lake Superior. The festival brings together diverse musical acts spanning many genres, new artists and local favourites, area residents and seasonal visitors, community service partners and local food makers, a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere, and a beautiful location

Where to stay: Grand Marais Rec Park campsites, hotels and motels in Grand Marais Food: There will be onsite food vendors in the park, also restaurants in downtown Grand Marais Insider tip: Purchase weekend passes online to speed up entrance at the gate. Reserve campsites in the Rec Park ahead of time. Bring camp chairs and a cooler, so you can catch every act For more information, visit wtip.org/event-calendar/ history-of-radio-waves.

Food: Fish and chips dinner

Matthew Baxley

When: August 5, 9 am–6 pm

Superior Car Classics Car Club Dragfest 2023

Insider tip: This is a great place to unwind and commune with nature For more information, visit clls.ca/lighthouse-carnival.

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CoverStory

Six Don't-miss Festival T Food Vendors By Emily Turner

he special treats and various deep-fried goodies one can only get from a food truck or other portable eatery during the summertime are some of the best reasons to attend festivals and events. From foot-long corn dogs to mini doughnut poutine,

the remarkable food vendors of Thunder Bay are ready to fulfill everyone's expectations for savoury, sweet, and salty goodness at events happening this summer. Here are six of our favourite vendors that you’ll want to keep an eye out for this festival season!

Cold Slate Creamery Tastebuds Pit Stop

What they offer: A menu that satisfies all of your summer cravings, including all kinds of specialty poutines, homemade six-ounce burgers, freshcut fries, Bogdala sausages, tacos in a bag, and hand-battered corn dogs. Where you can find them: See them at Country on the Bay, Thunder Bay Buskers Festival, the CLE, Murillo Fall Fair, and every Wednesday night at the Thunder City Speedway—including the special events happening out there, too. Must-try favourite: As home to incredible poutine, it’s hard to say anything other than one of their speciality takes on the classic dish is the must-try item on the menu, though the foot-long hand-battered corn dog is a close second.

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What they offer: Ice cream mixed with treats of your choosing, rolled up on a mobile cold slate, then topped with whipped cream, a double layer of sauce (chocolate or otherwise), a waffle wafer, and a garnish that complements the dessert. As they operate with a rolling menu, you will find new specialty flavour options that cater to the season, such as mini egg chocolate or double chocolate peppermint mocha, alongside the standing signature flavours like Dutch chocolate, French vanilla, and strawberry crumble. Where you can find them: With a mobile set up that’s fit for indoors or out, you’ll run into the Cold Slate set up all over the place this year. Look for them at the Thunder Bay Buskers Festival, Live from the Rock Folk Festival, Country on the Bay, Westfort Street Fair, and every Wednesday at Live on the Waterfront. Must-try favourite: The caramel macchiato speciality flavour quickly became an all-time favourite last year and it is back by popular demand. Watch out for its availability at special events this summer.

The Food Truck

What they offer: The Food Truck designs a new menu based on the event they’ll be serving at, so you’ll never know what to expect! Often on the menu you’ll see burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, tacos, tacos in a bag, and mac and cheese. Where you can find them: Find The Food Truck at Rockin’ Recovery, BrewHa Festival, WineOh! Festival, and Wake the Giant. Must-try favourite: Look out for the Buffalo mac and cheese, only offered occasionally, and always sure to sell out quickly when it's available.

CoverStory

Mini Donut Shoppe San Fior Trattoria

What they offer: The Italian menu of your dreams, including (but not limited to) mozzarella sticks, risotto balls, breaded ravioli, panzerottis, meatball subs, penne, gnocchi, cannolis, and tiramisu (and when the event calls for it, fries and onion rings). Where you can find them: Enjoy homemade Italian-style food across Northwestern Ontario this summer, including at the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship, Superior Car Classics Car Club Dragfest in Terrace Bay, Kenora Bass International, Rainy River Valley Agricultural Fall Fair, and the Fort Frances Fall Craft Market. Must-try favourite: Crispy, tender chicken parmigiana is the consistent fan favourite, served in sandwich form or as a traditional meal with pasta.

What they offer: Fluffy, sweet, classic doughnuts! Options for cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, and plain are sold by the dozen. Want something extra sweet? Get yourself a doughnut poutine: a dozen doughnuts, covered in a sauce of your choice, and a fitting topping. Flavour options include sprinkle, Oreo, Skor, or persian (with authentic Persian Man icing); now also offering poutines with Nerds, Rolos, Fruity or Cocoa Pebbles, shredded coconut, or strawberry and vanilla. Where you can find them: Look for the pink doughnut balloon on top of the truck at the CLE, Ribfest, Thunder Bay Buskers Festival, BrewHa Festival, Country on the Bay, Teddy Bears Picnic, Wake the Giant, Westfort Street Fair, various car shows, and every Wednesday at Live on the Waterfront. Must-try favourite: Every July, the Mini Donut Shoppe brings back a specialty item that people around the year ask for: strawberry cream doughnut poutine—mini doughnuts topped with sweet cream, fresh strawberries, and of course, whipped cream. The perfect July treat!

El Comal

What they offer: With a menu inspired by Mexican cuisine, El Comal offers something a little bit different every year. This summer, expect to see their legendary spiral potatoes (battered and deep fried on a stick), tamales, chocolate dipped banana pops, and taco cones. They also offer slushies and homemade horchata (a rice milk flavoured beverage), and every once in a while, a breakfast sandwich. Where you can find them this summer: Look for their big red tent at the Opwaaganisiniing Traditional Gathering (Lake Helen Pow Wow), Biigtigong Nishnaabeg (Pic River) Pow Wow, Live from the Rock Folk Festival, Slate River Plowing Match, Superior Car Classics Car Club Dragfest in Terrace Bay, and every Wednesday night at the Thunder City Speedway. Must-try favourite: Their Mexican nachos are highly recommended.

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Food

On the Road Again

THE G GRINNIN Y L L E B

By Chef Rachel Bayes

h, the summer road trip. Few things compare, no matter how long or short of a drive you’ve got planned. Whether you and your besties are headed to a weekend music festival, you’ve packed your family into the car for a Lake Superior circle tour, or you and your pup are on your way to the swimming hole for the afternoon, nothing ushers in summer quite like hitting the open road, and nothing feels quite so free and limitless— unless you’ve got hangry travellers squawking for snacks or whining that your podcast

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is boring. No matter the length or the destination, two things are essential for a successful road trip: a keenly curated musical playlist, and a perfectly prepared array of snacks. I am absolutely a musicophile, and can give some stellar playlist suggestions if you like, but that might be purely subjective and not in line with your tastes. But I am pretty confident in my road trip snack suggestions, because, as with 95% of the foodie howtos I share, you can make this spread your own!

What to pack in the cooler:

Easy-to-store non-perishables:

Chopped veggies Dips—hummus, tzatziki, guacamole Olives and pickles Sandwiches or wraps Fruit Assorted cheeses or cheese strings Deli meats or meat sticks Cooked chicken wings or drumsticks Sausage rolls or hand pies Pastries Individual salads Jerky—salmon, turkey, beef Hard-boiled eggs (pro tip: make sure everyone in the car is on board with HBEs before cracking one open…)

Chips Pretzels Bread and buns Crackers or rice cakes Nuts Dried fruit Canned fish or beans Granola bars Chocolate bars Muffins or cookies Banana or plantain chips Roasted chickpeas Fruit leather Trail mix: 1½ c nuts (almonds, pecans, cashews), 1 c seeds (sunflower, pumpkin), 1 c dried fruit (cherries, blueberries, raisins), flavour (pinch salt, ½ tsp cinnamon, pinch nutmeg), fun stuff (½ c chocolate chunks, 1 c popped corn, 1 c mini pretzels, etc.)

Got littles? Try a “snackle box”—a food-safe sterilized tacklebox with its compartments filled with goldfish, craisins, cheese, cereal, chopped fruit, and the like.

Non-food items that will make life way easier: Paper towel or napkins Coffee cups, thermos, and filled reusable water bottles Reusable plates and cutlery

Paring knife and cutting board Wet wipes Garbage bag Extra baggies or tin foil

Plastic containers Bucket, dish soap, cloth— for cleaning up afterward

Look Who’s Playing On Paul’s Street!

Food OF DRINK H T MON

The Social Cocktail The Social

Story by Jeannie Dubois, Photo by Anna Buske

MRG LIVE PRESENTS

he fairly newly opened and aptly named The Social is exactly what one would expect from their name: a humming hub of laid-back good times. Whether you find a space on the sunny patio or belly up to the bar inside, fun with friends is on the agenda with live music or karaoke indoors, and rousing games of giant Jenga and cornhole outdoors. Add to that the eponymous Social Cocktail and the volume knob on fun goes up to 11. Essentially summer in a rocks glass, this

deliciously refreshing drink features blueberry vodka mixed with white cranberry juice and lemonade and is topped with a sparkling array of frozen strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries (the best ice cubes ever invented!). It’s impossible not to be social this summer in such a great space (start planning your karaoke list) and with such a tasty drink—salut!

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Food

E OFF TH U N E M

The Bakeshop on Boundary Story by Michelle McChristie, Photo by Darren McChristie

very now and then we at The Walleye find ourselves with a dilemma: what single menu item do we feature off a menu that offers a premium selection of delicious food? Fortunately, we are masterful problem-solvers—we opt for a unique angle in the form of an item we’ve never or rarely written about previously. Enter The Bakeshop on Boundary and their stromboli sandwich. We know not all readers will be familiar with the stromboli, so let’s follow that tangent before diving into

their creation. A stromboli is an Italian-American stuffed sandwich—invented in Philly— that is baked. This might sound a bit like a panzerotti or calzone, which are similar, but different. “A stromboli is the best of both worlds,” explains Parker Smith, The Bakeshop on Boundary chef and coowner. Panzerottis are deep fried, so they can’t be stuffed with toppings because they are apt to explode in the oil. On the positive side, frying gives them what Smith describes as “doughnutty crispness” that

calzones, which are baked, don’t have. His best-of-bothworlds description fits because he brushes the stromboli dough with olive oil and “hits it with cheese” before baking. The Bakeshop on Boundary’s stromboli is, like their pizza, pasta, and pastries, perfection. You will taste the love that goes into every step, starting with the light and fluffy dough that is stuffed with Genoa salami, pepperoni, roasted peppers (mine had red and orange—sweet!), red onions, mozzarella, and tangy

homemade marinara sauce. The meat and onions are thinly sliced, while the peppers are a little thicker to retain a slight crunch. The folded sammy is baked until it’s crispy and golden brown. Even though it’s in the sandwich section of the menu, we strongly suggest eating the stromboli with a fork and knife (who needs marinara sauce in their shorts?). Emily and Parker Smith— the chefs and co-owners—have continuously expanded their menu since they opened in 2016, with Emily as the sole

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baker. Their quaint, take-outonly bakeshop is just up the hill from the Slate River Valley— definitely worth the scenic drive from Thunder Bay or wherever you live. We recommend taking advantage of their outdoor seating and sweeping view of the Nor’Westers, and most importantly, saving room for dessert (mmm, pain au chocolat!). The Bakeshop on Boundary 920 Boundary Drive 807-623-2235

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Food

Locales that offer tasty cider on tap: R SUPERIO SIP

Orchard Musings A Summer of Modern Cider

By Jeannie Dubois, Pommelier and Sommelier

e had a truly lovely spring up here in our little nook of the north, and with the hot and dry dog days of summer approaching on the horizon, there is a little nostalgia for the warm, verdant days of blossoms and blooms that astound us in the spring. On a walk in the warm, dusky hours of June, we were caught up in a magical flurry of fragrant petals from a crabapple tree and it caused me a moment of reflection on the miraculous nature of

apples and the wonderful world of cider that we now get to experience—a true renaissance for the apple at large and cider by way of that. This fascinating fruit will only reproduce the same genetic material by way of a graft; planted from seed, new growth is a pippin— essentially a roll of the DNA dice—that will likely gift you something entirely new. The cider industry has embraced both avenues and has a reverence for heritage apples, as well as a

fascination for the evolution of pippin growths. Add to that a nod to traditional styles and a surge of profoundly progressive ones that bridge all the beverage divisions, and we essentially have reached cider utopia. I had the good fortune recently of judging at the world’s largest cider competition in Michigan and was astounded by the vast variety of ciders presented—everything from classic European standards of single varietals to cutting

edge, post-modern styles such as Fire Cider (much to my disappointment, they do not actually set it alight). The remarkable lineup had me looking up wonderful varieties such as Winter Banana and Stark Jumbo, and also had me googling adjuncts such as Feijoa and Piloncillo. Needless to say, it’s a very good time to be deeply in love with cider and I heartily hope you will embrace and experience the brave new cider world this summer!

Red Lion Smokehouse: A rotating selection of arresting Ontario cider picks including Duxbury Cider out of Meaford, Ont., County Cider from Prince Edward County, and KW Cider from Kitchener-Waterloo, from which they are currently pouring a wild cherry and Thai ginger cider. Madhouse: Dialing in our neighbours to the south, Angry Orchard Crisp Apple cider can almost always be found pouring at the pub—a longtime benchmark for modern dry cider across the border, now available up here in the north. Lakehead Beer Company: The inimitable Guelph, Ont., Revel Cider is always on tap at the brewery, with a wide variety of extraordinary cider from Daybed (cider blended with peach), to Good Evening (cider blended with wine and honeycomb), to Aster (an orange skin contact cider) and Ostara (cider aged on golden plums).

Progressive and delicious Ontario ciders: Shiny Apple Pineapple Mango Cider $3.65 for 473 ml

Stock & Row Cold Tea Raspberry Cider

Ironwood Ciderita Caribbean Lime Cider

Niagara Cider X Society of Beer Drinking Ladies Dry Hopped Cider

West Avenue Cider Gem with Bartlett Pear and Cabernet Sauvignon

Eden Grove Hibiscus Blossom Cider

$4.25 for 473 ml

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$3.45 for 355 ml

$3.90 for 473 ml

$3.95 for 473 ml

$3.55 for 473 ml

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FilmTheatre

Mama’s Country Record Collection

Danny Johnson as seen in Mama's Country Record Collection from 2017

Fan Favourite to Kick Off Magnus Summer Season Story by Taylor Onski, Photo by Matthew Goertz

uring last year’s Magnus Theatre production of Home: A Bluegrass Celebration at Magnus in the Park, a patron made a suggestion to the company’s artistic director, Thom Currie: “That country show would be amazing in the tent.” To that patron, consider your request fulfilled, because Mama’s Country Record Collection is now on the Magnus summer stage. Written by Currie, this jukebox musical is about a woman (Samantha Piper) visiting home to help her dad (Danny Johnson) clean out the basement after the death of her mother. The father and

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daughter’s strained relationship begins to loosen as they go through the dozens of records she left behind and reconnect over her favourite music. “It’s kind of a true story based on helping my dad clean out his basement after my mom died, and I just saw dozens and dozens of records,” says Currie. “She collected music her whole life. So, you just start going through them and get taken back to the last time you held that record or someone played it.” Currie conceived the show—which features hits from Glen Campbell, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, and more—in 2006.

Since its 2010 premiere at the Showboat Theatre Festival, the show has travelled to Montreal and Newfoundland, and was performed previously by Magnus in 2017. “My philosophy is that it's a different experience every time you come to the theatre,” says Currie. “I want audiences who saw the show in 2017 to come back and experience a more intimate sound inside the tent because the sound bounces differently. We're also updating the projections, where we could put them almost anywhere, surrounding audiences in the show.” While music is a focus of this heartfelt story, it is brought

to life by many. Audiences will see the band, along with Johnson and Piper, play everything from piano to guitar to accordion to banjo. As for the music itself, its ability to stand the test of time adds more heart, fun, and memories to both the characters and the audience. “In the 1970s, music became more portable. You would hear popular music everywhere,” Currie says. “‘The Gambler’ was everywhere, ‘Jolene’ was an anthem. Everybody heard it all the time. And I think that's what draws people in and that's why this music has survived.”

“My philosophy is that it’s a different experience every time you come to the theatre.”

Mama’s Country Record Collection runs July 6–29. To purchase tickets, visit magnustheatre.com or call 807-345-5552.

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FilmTheatre

The cast of Paramount Live’s production of Mean Girls: The Musical at one of their rehearsals

Mean Girls

Paramount Live’s Summer Musical is So Fetch! Story by Taylor Onski, Photo by Tegin Menei

f you don’t know the 2004 cult classic film Mean Girls, you can’t sit with us! But you know where you can sit? The Paramount Theatre, because Paramount Live is performing Mean Girls: The Musical this month. After being homeschooled in Africa all her life, Cady Heron is now venturing into the scariest jungle around: high school. However, she’s walking into the territory of North Shore High School’s apex predator, Regina George, the queen bee who isn’t afraid to live up to the musical’s name, no matter who it hurts. With magical moments that

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include numerous showstopping numbers, amazing harmonies, and Y2K-inspired choreography, Mean Girls:The Musical is a show you won’t want to miss. Directors Amanda Commisso and Tegin Menei know the limit of their cast’s talent does not exist. “We've spent a lot of time on character development and comedic timing, and have a hard time not laughing ourselves silly during rehearsals,” says Menei. “There are so many hilarious moments that are larger than life.” One of those actors admitting to laughing himself

silly at rehearsal is 19-year-old Cooper Fraser, as the out-andproud Damian. “The cast all bring something different to the show while also sharing the same love I have for it,” says Fraser. “Everyone will experience the movie everybody loves so much inperson, with a musical twist.” As the unapologetic and honest Janis, 15-year-old Sydney Rollick is also excited to bring a dream show to life with a group whose bond is far from the backstabbing and betrayal at North Shore High. “Doing my dream show with my best friends is surreal,” says Rollick. “We’re family

and made so many memories together that I will never forget.” While this show is more fun than trying to make fetch happen, themes such as body image, sexuality, and bullying teach audiences, especially young people, that it’s best to be who you are, and not a plastic copy of someone else, says Menei. “The message of ‘being yourself’ the show presents is a beautiful one. There is no ‘fitting in,’ says Commisso. “We hope the show inspires kids and even adults today not to be afraid to be who they are.”

“We hope the show inspires kids and even adults today not to be afraid to be who they are.” Mean Girls: The Musical runs July 5–7 at the Paramount Theatre on Court Street. To purchase tickets, visit paramountlive. eventbrite.com.

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FilmTheatre

Movies About Festivals By Michael Sobota

THE T D MOS SECONURABLE S PLEA G WE THIN HE DO IN TK DAR

A COLUMN ABOUT MOVIES

We’re going to get a whole bunch of acts together and do a big festival. And rather than do it at one site, I said, we’re going to travel the country on a private train. - Ken Walker, promoter, on The Festival Express.

ovies about festivals lean toward music festivals. The spectacle of huge, outdoor audiences either in open air stadiums or fields, naturally attracts cameras of all kinds. With natural daylight, these movies, in their early technical versions, required minimal technical support. Here are three music festival movies and one new documentary that celebrates perhaps the biggest movie festival of all.

Gimme Shelter (1970)

Co-directed by brothers Albert and David Maysles together with Charlotte Zwerin, this documentary resembles its slightly bigger brother, Woodstock. It follows The Rolling Stones on their 1969 U.S. tour, beginning in Madison Square Garden and ending with a final, free concert at the Altamont Speedway in California. Like Woodstock, the movie gives us backstage details and performances of other musical acts (Jefferson Airplane, Sha Na Na) and shows the intriguing negotiations between tour producers and various artists. Like Woodstock, some 300,000 fans attended that final, free concert. Unlike Woodstock, the tour managers hired a branch of the California Hells Angels to provide “security.” The Maysles and Zwerin, experienced documentary filmmakers, capture footage of the Angels and attendees drinking, using substances, and then, most remarkably and unlike Woodstock, they capture an Angel stabbing a young audience member several times, in front of the stage. And then they go one step further. The movie shows us The Stones, later, after the concert, in a private screening room, watching footage of that murder happening. It is chilling.

Festival Express (2003)

A year following The Stones at Altamont and almost everybody else at Woodstock, a couple of Canadian producers got together, negotiated a deal with CN Railway, hired some of the same musical acts featured in those other two concerts, and put them on a train criss-crossing Canada to deliver summer concerts. Originally planned to include Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, and Vancouver, the “Festival Express” would eventually feature only three concerts (Toronto, Winnipeg, and Calgary). But the movie is really all about what was going on on the train! We see members of The Band, Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Ian and Sylvia Tyson, Delaney & Bonnie, Sha Na Na, and The Flying Burrito Brothers all jamming improvisationally, sometimes throughout the night, on that train. Shot in the summer of 1970, the footage got wrapped up in legal suits and was shelved in one of the lawyers’ garages. Some 30 years later, the canisters of film were found and work began assembling this remarkable, genuinely joyful film. Credit to director Bob Smeaton and a team of technical wizards

Taking Woodstock (2009) Director Ang Lee, working from a script by James Schamus (based on the memoir by Elliot Tiber and Tom Monte), gives us what purports to be the backstory about how Woodstock, that giant three-day festival of music, peace, and love, came to be. There is no extravagant festival footage here. It is a modest-sized, toneddown rural story about human relationships and ambitions, held together by a stellar young cast including Emile Hirsch, Liev Schreiber, Imelda Staunton, and Jonathan Groff. We get to see Eugene Levy as Max Yasgur, that guy who owned that farm. Perhaps because Lee shied away from spectacle, the film was not a commercial success and is ranked as one of the few failures in his notable cinematic career.

Cannes Uncut… Movies, Moguls and Money (2023)

Planned for three years and screening for the first time at this year’s Cannes Film Festival in May, this is a documentary about the world’s best known and most prestigious film festival. Codirected by Richard Blanshard and Roger Penny (who also edits the film), the film gives remarkable insights into the 80-year archives of this festival. The narrative script by Mark Adams and Christopher Pickard gives us factual history and generous interviews from just about everybody ever known in world cinema. We learn the famous red carpet is made from felt and cleaned twice daily! It is 60 metres long, rises to cover 24 steps, and is recyclable. Current Cannes Festival artistic director Thierry Frémaux discusses recent years, including the COVID shutdown, as well as speculating about the future of the festival and cinema in an electronic, platform age. The “reel” entertainment is seeing the stars, the directors, and writers parade their pomp and circumstances.

And here are six more festivals or festival stories captured and turned into movies: Monterey Pop (1968), Woodstock (1970), Soul Power (2008), You Instead (2011), The Festival (2018), and Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story (2021).

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FilmTheatre

 The heroes of the story depicted in The Entirely Untrue Tales of Sherwood Forest

A Walk in the Park

ConCollege Performing Arts Club Debuts New Interactive Show Story by Matt Prokopchuk, Photos by Thomas McDonald

wo of the writers and directors behind the Confederation College Performing Arts Club’s latest presentation say the audience can expect a very interactive experience this time around. The club will be performing a show called The Entirely Untrue Tales of Sherwood Forest. Written, directed, and starring members of the club, the show will move throughout parts of the college campus, with the audience following along. “The audience will actually follow the minstrel troupe of Alan-a-Dale, who is one of the traditional characters from Robin Hood, as he sort of fights his way through telling the story of Robin Hood with a not-tooterribly cooperative band of minstrels behind him who each have different ideas about how, and what parts of the story should be told,” says Thomas McDonald, the club’s artistic director and one of the play’s writers and directors. “There’s music, there’s stunts, there’s archery, there’s dancing, and it gets to be a little bit interactive, like

a melodrama.” “We always tell our group of actors to bring their camping gear because we’re really going to camp,” performing arts club president Kai Fucile Ladouceur adds, jokingly referring to how campy and over-the-top the work is. Fucile Ladouceur is also one of the show’s writers and directors. “It’s a lot of fun, lots of laughs, lots of different gags—it’s just a very fun show to be in and I think it’d be a fun show for any audience to experience.” The club has performed summer shows before, albeit in a more traditional format where the audience sits and watches, but has experience with theatre-on-the-move, as they’ve done a number of haunted hikes in the fall. For this show, McDonald says they essentially combined their ideas, with the college campus subbing in as Sherwood Forest. Other Robin Hood favourites like Maid Marian, Little John, Friar Tuck, and the Sheriff of Nottingham are also slated to appear. Because the show moves

around, the directors say the audience should dress for the weather, wear comfortable shoes, and bring bug spray and sunscreen. “The audience will be moving with us,” McDonald says. “There are a few places where they’ll get to sit and enjoy a longer sequence, but otherwise they’ll be tromping through the forest with Robin and the merry band.”

The show runs July 14 and 15, and tickets can be purchased through a link on the group’s Facebook page at facebook.com/ ConfedPerformingArts. The shows start in parking lot C, between the Thunder Bay Art Gallery and the college’s Dorion Building.

“It’s just a very fun show to be in and I think it’d be a fun show for any audience to experience.”

 The trio of Kai Fucile-Ladoucer, Chris Jason, Krista McAllister

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FilmTheatre

Return to Ombabika

Ma-Nee Chacaby as seen in Return To Ombabika

Elder Ma-Nee Chacaby Releases Film Documenting an Important Journey Story by Matt Prokopchuk, Image courtesy of Cricket Cave

hen Ma-Nee Chacaby saw the efforts of her work to document an emotional and important trip back to the community where she grew up come to life on screen, she says she was left with a good feeling. “I was really happy to show where I come from because I talk about it all the time,” she says of having the opportunity to film her 2021 journey back to Ombabika, a now-deserted community located between Armstrong and Nakina along the CN Railway line. “That’s where my grandmother raised me, and I always talk about my grandmother and how she raised me. I was really happy to see the film itself.” The film, called Return To Ombabika, was screened alongside two others at Magnus Theatre back in May: A

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Boy and His Loss, by Michelle Derosier and Braided Together by Victoria Anderson-Gardner and Kyle Schmalenberg. For her film, Chacaby worked with Thunder Bay media artists Zoe Gordon and Shayne Ehman on the production, which documents Chacaby’s reflections on the land, her healing, and the impacts of colonization on the community. Chacaby is no stranger to creating powerful art. As a TwoSpirit Ojibwe and Cree writer, she authored A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder. She is also an esteemed Elder, activist, visual artist, and teacher, working and volunteering throughout the Thunder Bay community for decades, mentoring and working with young people, community safety organizations

and advocacy groups, and people who are dealing with addictions and homelessness. Chacaby says she has many fond memories of her grandmother—who she says lived into her late 90s and died when Chacaby was just 16—as a great storyteller, and someone who she learned a lot from and trusted. “My grandmother raised me to have love, to love everybody [on] this planet,” she says. “She raised me not to have any hatred in my body, mind, and soul.” But when Chacaby was younger, that wasn’t always easy, living in Ombabika as a young mother and married to an abusive husband, with little surviving family for support. She eventually left with her children to return to Thunder Bay, where she was born and where she had friends who

could help. “They offered me a home in Thunder Bay if I ever leave,” she says. “And that’s what I did.” While she became free from the physical abuse, Chacaby says the city brought its own share of pitfalls, namely overt racism and easy access to alcohol, which she says she indulged in before joining AA in 1975 and becoming sober. Coming out in the late 1980s was also difficult, as Chacaby says she was shunned by friends upon publicly revealing her sexuality. A trip back to Ombabika in the 1990s was very difficult, she says, but subsequent trips back— including the one captured in the film—were much better experiences, as she says they came after her healing. “I faced the demons I was carrying around and I forgave

[…] anybody that was mean and bad, and I just forgave them and I wanted to live a good life,” she says. “So after I worked on my personal life, inside my body, mind, and soul […] it was more beautiful—the scenery, the everything. […] It was so innocent.” Chacaby says she’s still figuring out plans for future screenings of Return To Ombabika and how it may be made available, adding that she definitely wants to keep copies so her children and grandchildren can see it. She says she’d also like to make another autobiographical documentary about her life living in Thunder Bay, likewise, so her grandchildren can learn about how she survived here after moving to the city. “I did it; they can do it,” she says.

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Celebrating 10 Years

Neechee Studio Holds Curated Art Show at Thunder Bay Art Gallery Story by Roxann Shapwaykeesic, Photos by Willow Fiddler

L TThe April 29 opening of Neechee Studio’s curated art show

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ucille Atlookan, an Eabametoong First Nation member, founder, and lead coordinator of Neechee Studio, in collaboration with the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, has opened a celebratory 10-year anniversary art show entitled Oh My Creator! With guidance and training from the gallery, the final exhibition includes a juried selection of 25 Indigenous artists. Submissions include Woodland paintings, drawings, sculptures, ribbon skirts, and a dreamcatcher made of bone. “I didn’t even realize it was 10 years until [the art gallery] approached us,” Atlookan says. Thinking back 10 years ago, she says, “I was so shy, I thought if I didn’t smile in public nobody would bother me. When I first started I was scared.” While at a funding meeting she thought of her experience with Definitely Superior Art Gallery and how learning new skills while creating art was “what I needed when I was young.” Funding sources have changed over the years, but the main idea remains the same. Neechee Studio is geared to help young people aged 16 to 29 by introducing them to monthly art workshops. Each workshop also addresses issues such as abuse, racism, or appropriation through different art expressions, such as painting, silk screening, or

even wheat pasting (an oldfashioned way of putting up posters using a homemade glue). Jada Ferris, a Constance Lake First Nation member, recently joined the Neechee Studio leadership team and is currently in training to help take over operations while Atlookan goes back to school in the fall. She feels everyone should view the exhibition. “It’s a really good opportunity to see Indigenous youth have their work out there, and to get their ideas out there, to let other people know we’re here. I found the art really inspiring. Each piece has so much story and meaning in them,” says Ferris. As well as being available for external workshops, Neechee Studio has hosted a workshop once a month for 10 years, counting almost 120 gatherings that include youth and families with children. “I want [Neechee Studio] to flourish and grow. We want to build leaders and build up our communities and make them stronger. We need more of us out there,” says Atlookan with a confident smile. Oh My Creator! runs until July 16 at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, with a suggested donation of $5 at the door.

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Looming Joy The Wonderful Weaving of Tanis Melville

Story by Amy Sellors, Photos by Dead Name Studios

anis Melville loves the feeling of something tactile between her fingers. A crafter from a young age, she has always sewed, knitted, and crocheted. After Melville’s mother passed away, there was the necessary job of going through her belongings. Amongst them were some of her sheets that Melville just couldn’t part with. Searching the internet, she found a weaving process called twining that makes use of old sheets. Weaving wasn’t new to Melville. She’d had a small loom as a young girl. She discovered that this method of weaving goes back to Celtic times. “This Scottish

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redhead felt her ancestors were speaking to her,” says Melville. After looking for looms online, she determined it was simpler to make one. So, she did. Before tackling her mother’s sheets, she practised on some fabric she had handy. She learned from YouTube, and a lot of trial and error. At first, there were lots of errors, but soon there was a rug. A good rug. Melville was hooked immediately. When she felt more confident with her technique, she wove her mom’s sheets into an heirloom rug. Four years later, she’s made almost 60 rugs, all unique,

using primarily recycled or reclaimed fabrics. She also makes decor items like mug rugs and placemats. Twining takes time; a basic striped rug takes 40 hours, while an intricate wall hanging takes a minimum of 80 hours. The patterns and colours are what speaks to Melville. Her mother was an accomplished artist and passed along her keen colour sense. “One of the joys is choosing the colours and figuring out how they’re going to combine,” Melville says. For example, she was asked to make a “sea and sky” rug, and as she began weaving the horizon, she knew that the Sleeping Giant should

be there. Being self-taught, she didn’t know that you aren’t supposed to be able to do designs like that with this technique. But she did it, and it worked. The customer loved the rug, and Melville loved the challenge. Since then, Melville has made nine Sleeping Giant rugs, and no two are alike. “I like that the Giant is always changing. I work from a picture in my head, and I don’t start until the picture is there,” she says. “I can’t explain where it comes from or how it gets there. When it is, I go to my fabrics and put the colours together.” All nine have different colours and different

perspectives—as with all her work, there’s no pattern, and nothing is planned out. “I don’t sketch anything out. I don’t write it down,” she says. “It’s free-weaving. I know when to change colours because the colours tell me when.” Between inspirations, she makes rugs from scraps to keep honing her craft and exploring techniques. “I often start a piece a few times,” she says. “It’s a fixed frame, so everything has to fit into those dimensions. You get the effect through colour. The picture in my head is never exactly what comes out.” Twining is very forgiving because you can pull it out if you make mistakes.

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On a good day, she can weave four to six inches. Once done for the day, she keeps the loom visible and considers her work. In the morning, she decides if she’s going to carry on or rip it out. Melville emphasizes that learning and mastering technique is valuable, but it isn’t everything. “Don’t let not knowing the rules get in your way,” she says. “Try. Do something creative. Don’t denigrate your abilities. You’re going to have ragged edges and make mistakes. That will happen. But what can you get out of it? Pure joy.” “Everyone needs some form of creativity in their life,” she continues, her hands alive while she talks. “There’s a lot of me in my work—in every little thing I make. I love that. When someone buys or receives one of my pieces, I take that as an affirmation. I can’t tell you how much joy it’s given me.” Melville was close with her mother, who always encouraged her in her creative exploits. “She would have loved this. It’s so perfect that she and her fabrics inspired this. It’s become one of the greatest passions of my life.” Melville’s work can be found at Fireweed Crafts at 182 Algoma Street South, or visit her Facebook page, facebook.com/TeezGloves.

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2023 STUDENT AWARD RECIPIENTS Arthur Widnall Bursary Clayton Quisses, Matawa Education Centre

Bonnie Moore & Jay Eingold Boys & Girls Club Bursary Miguel-Joel Hernandez, Hammarskjold High School

Helen L. Dewar Scholarship Ethan Asselstine, St. Ignatius High School Jessica Kim, Superior Collegiate & Vocational Institute

James and Shirley Symington Family Bursary Piper Paleczny, Manitouwadge High School Thomas Stadey, Westgate Collegiate & Vocational Institute Cassandra Tolmie, Lakehead University Shyla Ruth, Georgian College Stephanie Rathwell, Brock University

John Alexander McLean Scholarship Cameron Henny, Westgate Collegiate & Vocational Institute

Joshua Dyke Family Scholarship Gabriella Pelletier, St. Patrick High School Sophia Downton, St. Patrick High School

2023 Student Award Recipients

Shirley H. & Meredith O. Nelson Scholarship Aidan Matyasovszky, Westgate Collegiate & Vocational Institute

Superior North EMS Leslie Vance Bursary Jett Sweitzer, St. Ignatius High School Raoul Figliomeni, Lake Superior High School

Thunder Bay Community Auditorium Foundation Performing Arts Award Calli Thompson, Westgate Collegiate & Vocational Institute Gabriella Galle, Hammarskjold High School Mackinley Harding, St. Patrick High School Katherine Comeau, St. Ignatius High School Tienchee Liu, Superior Collegiate & Vocational Institute

June Morgan MacDonald Bursary for Arts and Design Katherine Comeau, St. Ignatius High School

Paul Fitzpatrick MNP Accounting Scholarship

The Justice Ronald B. Lester Memorial Bursary Jett Sweitzer, St. Ignatius High School April Burridge, St. Ignatius High School

Nikola Peeva, Lakehead University

Veena Lamba Scholarship for the Arts Ross A. Wilson Education Fund Scholarship Rachel Tribe, Hammarskjold High School Kaija Erickson, Hammarskjold High School

Roy Seymour Rogers and Geraldine Ruth Rogers Scholarship Olli Zelek, Marathon High School Grace Marciski, Nipigon-Red Rock District High School Kate Harris, Marathon High School Cameron Ormston, Manitouwadge High School Raoul Figliomeni, Lake Superior High School Ella Langevin, Nipigon-Red Rock District High School

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Mackinley Harding, St. Patrick High School

Victor Stevenson Engineering Scholarship Mia Attema, Hammarskjold High School Myla Lawson, St. Ignatius High School Sydney Ruberto, St. Ignatius High School Kalyn Piaskowski, St. Patrick High School Tianna Plant, Superior Collegiate & Vocational Institute

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Man From the Bear Totem and Man From the Bear Totem in a Box By Penelope Smart, Curator, Thunder Bay Art Gallery Artist: Ahmoo Angeconeb Title: Man From the Bear Totem and Man From the Bear Totem in a Box Date: 1993 Medium: wood, copper Size: 78 ¾ x 66 inches Collection of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, gift of the artist, 1993 ou might do a doubletake with these images because they look similar to the two metal sculptures called Man From Caribou Totem and Man From Caribou Totem in a Box (1995) on the gallery’s front lawn. Similar in title and design, Man From the Bear Totem and Man From the Bear Totem in a Box (1993) are wood sculptures by the artist Ahmoo Angeconeb (1955–2017), who was experimenting with materials, form, and technique for his outdoor commission. Even when cut from plywood and not metal, his 3D figures look like 2D objects because of his precise lines and use of positive and negative space. These figures have fine copper wire that creates cross-sectional and

connective lines in the style of Woodland art. Copper also covers the head and face of Man From the Bear Totem, which allows the sculpture to catch the light through the front door. Ahmoo Angeconeb is a key artist in the gallery’s history, and our permanent collection holds almost 50 pieces by the artist. Born in Sioux Lookout in 1955, Angeconeb studied visual arts at York University and Lakehead University, and he was both a graduate of and an instructor at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He taught himself to paint at a young age, and sold his first painting at the age of 13. Like many artists of his generation, he was influenced by Norval Morrisseau, but in the 1980s, he began printmaking, and developed an original style, becoming one of Canada's greatest printmakers. These works are on view until September 17.

TheArts HE FROM T BAY R E D THUN LLERY’S ART GA TION E COLL C

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TheArts

Boreal Brushstrokes

Landscapes and Impressions From Northwestern Ontario By Leah Morningstar

 Artists Nicole Sutherland, Anne Winkworth, Sue Lewis

ne thing most of us here in the north can agree on is that we’re lucky to be so close to nature. When speaking with local artists Sue Lewis, Anne Winkworth, and Nicole Sutherland, each one talks at length about how happy they are to be living in Northwestern Ontario; each one mentions how they love being able to drive five minutes to be surrounded by nature. And being surrounded by nature—the boreal forest especially—is what their upcoming exhibit is all about. Lewis and Winkworth met at an event last year, and really connected over being recently retired and pursuing art full time. Winkworth later introduced Lewis to Sutherland and soon all three were hanging out together, visiting, chatting about art, and talking about the possibility of an

exhibition at Co.Lab Gallery & Arts Centre in Goods & Co. Market. Lewis was born in Calgary and came to Thunder Bay to attend Lakehead University. She spent 30 years as a teacher in Alberta and in southern Ontario before coming back to Thunder Bay after retiring. Winkworth was born in Thunder Bay but studied fine arts at the University of Manitoba, returning to pursue education at Lakehead University, before enjoying a long career as an art teacher at Churchill high school. Sutherland was born in Dryden and also studied fine arts in Winnipeg and then education at Lakehead. She’s just about ready to retire from a long and successful teaching career. It’s pretty clear these three friends have a lot in common. Lewis enjoys using many different painting mediums to capture the beauty around her. Most recently, she’s begun experimenting with layering oil paint with cold wax. Sometimes her work is more impressionistic than realistic, but she says “ultimately I reach for the energy, the feeling, and the magic that can be experienced through Northern landscapes.” Winkworth has played around with many different kinds of art (drawing, painting, graphic design, soap-making,

jewelry-making) but is presently focusing on painting with oils. “I’m a country girl and a nature girl, and creativity is the soul of my personality and thankfully, inspiration for my creativity is all around me in nature,” she says. Sutherland’s passion is the nature around her in the northern Ontario landscapes. She interprets what she sees in her own unique way. “Nature is wild and calming at the same time and I love being immersed in it,” she says. “I love being surrounded by the sights, sounds, and smells of the forest and then incorporating that into my art.” So what can you expect from three artists who love Northwestern Ontario? If you’re able to make it to the Co.Lab Gallery & Arts Centre between July 29 to August 16, you’re going to see a lot of impressionist and abstract paintings of rocks and trees and water. These three local artists are looking forward to sharing their artistic interpretations of the natural landscapes surrounding Thunder Bay through the seasons. The exhibition runs July 29– August 16, with an opening night gala on July 29, 6–9 pm. For more information, visit colabgallery.ca.

 Sue Lewis, Feathered Sky, cold wax and oil

 Anne Winkworth, Spring Melt  Nicole Sutherland, A Superior Spring

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An Artistic Science

TheArts

Co.Lab Gallery Exhibits the Work of Tuija Hansen By Emily Turner

Tuija Hansen

 Raanu Pohjanmaa / Mapping Via Plant Dyes Ostrobothnia, Finland, 2019

Chad Kirvan

Tuija Hansen

 Raanu Old Roots New Seeds Community Dye Garden, 2023

etween July 14 and 27, the Co.Lab Gallery & Arts Centre in Goods & Co. Market will exhibit the art work of Tuija Hansen, a textile artist from Thunder Bay who specializes in plantdyed weaving. Simmering... Developing a Hybrid Craft Practice Alongside Documentary Dyeing explores the intimate journey Hansen has experienced with the artistic science of plant dyeing. The exhibition features 11 handwoven pieces following themes of heritage, migration, documentation, and mapping. The collection tells the story of Hansen’s travels through urban and rural Ontario, western Finland, and northern Iceland as she pursued her research and practice with plant dyeing. Colours from each region are displayed and juxtaposed a g a i n s t o n e a n o t h e r, symbolizing the similarities found in ecosystems around the globe while simultaneously reflecting regional differences. Outdoor enthusiasts in Ontario may recognize the vibrant colours of goldenrod, alder, lupin, and lobster mushrooms in her work—colours that are remarkably similar to those found in the boreal forest of western Finland. This exhibition is a record of the five years Hansen has

spent documenting regional plant dyes, and represents her passion for ethical foraging and environmental sustainability. Hansen’s work with plant dyes is displayed through handwoven works created with the traditional Finnish weaving method known as raanu, which she describes as a “weft-faced weaving method that dates back centuries.” She began working with a floor loom inspired by raanu during her time researching her family’s history premigration to Canada in Kristiinankaupunki, Finland. “[Raanu] peaked in the mid20th century before falling out of fashion. Now, raanu pieces are mostly found in thrift stores and antique shops.” Inspired by the raanu piece that hung in her childhood living room, Hansen’s innovative work revitalizes this traditional artform. After perfecting her skill over many years of travel and at artist residencies located in northern Iceland, Hansen is excited to share her work with her home community and looks forward to displaying art that is deeply connected to her family’s heritage. Her work speaks to the Finnish roots that are sewn into the fabric of the Thunder Bay community.

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 Raanu River Blanda, Mapping Via Plant Dyes Northwestern Iceland, 2021

Chad Kirvan

The exhibition opens on July 14 with an opening reception from 6 to 9 pm. No registration or tickets required. Follow @tuija_hansen on Instagram or visit tuijahansenfibredesign. ca for more information.

Tuija Hansen

 Raanu Northwestern Ontario, 2020  Raanu Study Iceland Willow, 2021

Tuija Hansen

 Raanu Study Iceland Rowan, 2021

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For the Love of Minnesota

SAND A THOURDS WO

Bryan Hansel of Grand Marais on the Art and Craft of Photography Story by Bonnie Schiedel, Photos by Bryan Hansel

“P  Solo Canoe Waiting for the Sunrise to Finish

hotography combines a lot of different things: imagination, creativity, exploration, and discovery,” says Bryan Hansel, an award-winning landscape photographer in Grand Marais, Minnesota. “You imagine a new way to compose, you create the photo, [and] you have to go out and explore so you discover new things.” Hansel learned analog photography as a high school student in northeastern Iowa and was quickly hooked. “Back then it was film and blackand-white photography, so we would develop our film ourselves. […] It was magic, just watching that image appear on the paper when you dipped it in the chemicals.” By his senior year, he says,

 Waves Wash Over Basalt at The Tombolo, Lake Superior

 A Small Sea Stack, Lake Superior

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 Sunrise on Sea Gull Lake, Minn.

his teachers had created two private study classes for him and he spent hours in the darkroom. During his college years and beyond, he continued to study photography, including digital photography, and began to document his trips spent paddling, backpacking, and climbing. So it wasn’t surprising that a subsequent move to Grand Marais further entrenched his love for the natural world and landscape photography. “Lake Superior is by far my favourite subject and then that would be followed by the Boundary Waters,” Hansel says, referring to the Minnesota wilderness region that borders Quetico Provincial Park. “A big motivation of mine throughout my life has

been to get more people interested in the outdoors and hoping that if they fall in love with the outdoors, then they’ll protect those same wild places that I love.” His work has been published in national publications like National Geographic, Wine Spectator, and Backpacker Magazine. One of Hansel’s most rewarding collaborations grew out of a partnership with camera filter company Singh-Ray. “I’ve always had these ideas for filters that don’t exist that I wanted to use,” he explains. The result: the Bryan Hansel Waterfall Polarizer (which gives you a one-second-long exposure on an overcast day in order to create a “silky” effect when shooting moving water) and the Bryan Hansel All-in-One Graduated Filter (designed to help shots of a sunrise or sunset over water, or backlit mountain terrain, look natural while maintaining a bright foreground).

Since 2006, Hansel has also run photography workshops, both in Minnesota as well as natural areas throughout the United States, such as California’s Death Valley National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. “Workshops are a little bit of teaching, a little bit of guiding, but most importantly, getting people into the outdoors to experience the outdoors and relate to the outdoors through photography,” he explains. “When I learned photography in high school, my teacher really instilled this love for the craft and art of photography, and I also hope that I can give back to the photography community a little bit about what it has given to me.”

TheArts

 The Northern Lights Dance Near Grand Marais

 Beyond Adventure

 Quintessential Minnesota

 Surprise Sunrise at Mink

To see more of Bryan Hansel’s work, visit bryanhansel.com or @bryanhansel on Instagram.

 The Rising Sun, Gunflint Trail, Minn.

Ilena Hansel

Tech Specs

 Photographer Bryan Hansel

Cameras: Nikon Z 8 and Z 7II Lenses: Nikon Z 14-24 f/2.8 S, Z 14-30 f/4 S, Z 20mm f/1.8 S, Z 24-120 f/4 S, Z 35mm f/1.8 S, Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S, Z 70-200 f/2.8 S, Z 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 S RRS Versa Tripod and RRS BH-55 Ball Head Singh-Ray Neutral Density Graduated and Polarizing Filters

 A Gust of the Big Dipper

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Ben Bohemier

Outdoor

 Aric Fishman climbing what he’s named “The Flying Squirrel Climb” at The Outbreak Wall in Dorion, Ont.  The climbing route as seen from the base

Keep Calm and Climb On By Aric Fishman

Aric Fishman

s I met a few of my friends in the parking area to go climbing at The Outbreak Wall in Dorion, the morning air felt especially crisp, buzzing with a powerful and playful energy and excitement for what was to come. After getting all of our gear packed, we started hiking on a trail that we had created, heading to a cliff that we have been developing together into an epic new climbing area. Our game plan was to go climb two incredible new routes that we had spent days cleaning and preparing for. These climbs were long, stout, and absolutely amazing in every way. My good friends Dane, Keegan, Ben, and I got to the base of the walls—a place we had been visiting day after day. We put our heavy bags down, and my dog Summit settled into her usual spot. Looking up at the walls, I felt a deep sense of

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inspiration and motivation. The first climb to do was a route that went up a thin crack in the cliff, which provided an obvious but challenging line of weakness going from the bottom to the top. I put the necessary gear on my harness while rehearsing in my mind the moves and body positions that would get me from the bottom to the top. Ben wanted to document the climbs through photos, so he went up to the top of the cliff and rappelled down to a spot where he could get a bird's eye view to capture the ascents from a unique angle. It was time. I tied into the end of the rope, and my friend Dane put me on belay (the person at the base who holds the rope in case of a fall). We did our partner safety checks, and up I went! I kept my breath calm and heart rate down, and every move felt super smooth as I made my way up the climb. After

passing the first crux (hard section), there was a natural rest position in a wider section of the crack, which allowed me to wedge my leg in and take some weight off my arms. As I was catching my b re a t h I s u d d e n l y f e l t something crawl onto my foot. It felt big and furry, so I quickly looked down into the crack and saw two huge beady eyes staring back up at me. I was amazed at this moment I was experiencing, but did not freak out because I could tell it was a cute flying squirrel hanging out on my foot, looking deep into my soul as if to say, “You got this buddy, keep calm and climb on.” "There's a flying squirrel on my foot!" I yelled down. "What!? No way!." Dane replied. Then like a flash of light it ran quickly up my leg, leaped off my knee and took flight gliding out of the crack. "Oh my god, as if… as if that just happened!" Dane

Outdoor

care of each other. It was a beautiful day with friends and Mother Nature, one that I will never forget. You can find all the details of this new climb in the second edition of the Thunder Bay Climbing guidebook I self-published and just recently released.

Ben Bohemier

For more information on the Thunder Bay Climbing guidebook, go to page 65 to read Justin Allec’s review.

 Fishman and his friends have been developing the cliff into a new climbing area  The view from the bottom, as Fishman continues his climb

 The Outbreak Wall as seen from the air

Aric Fishman

Deana Renaud

 Fishman and his dog Summit at The Outbreak Wall

Aric Fishman

said, laughing. Ben at the top photographing me couldn't believe what he just saw, Keegan at the base, watching, was in total disbelief, Dane was laughing at what an amazing moment that was, and I stood there smiling, taking in the epic moment that we all just shared. Then I remembered I caught it all on my GoPro (see my YouTube video “There’s a Flying Squirrel on My Foot”) and giggled to myself before continuing up the climb. I needed to keep my composure since there was still a long way to go before I reached the top, with some more difficult sections ahead. Everything continued to feel super smooth, and I felt strong as I glided my way up to the top of the climb. Now out of sight from my partner below, I reached the top and let out a joyful scream, elated at what I just accomplished, and letting my buddies know I made it! I could then hear them hooting and hollering back at me, seemingly just as excited as I was. I named the climb “Flying Squirrel,” in commemoration of the experience and the unique creature that blessed us with its presence that day. I was reminded again of how we are all sharing spaces together and need to be active stewards of the land we enjoy with other animals and plants. We need to be respectful, be appreciative, take care of the land, and take

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CityScene

ModBox NWO Inc.

WALL SPACE

Creating Diverse, Durable Spaces Story by Tiffany Jarva, Photos by Darren McChristie

nthony McRae heads up Thunder Bay-based ModBox NWO Inc., a company that specializes in creating modular homes, bunkies, and commercial buildings. “It’s about trying something new and bringing it to Thunder Bay and Northwester n Ontario— something different than conventional wood,” explains Anthony, who is in business with his siblings John McRae, the general contractor for the spinoff land development company Modstruct, and Veronica McRae, who runs the ModBox office with Niina Vastamaki. Some ModBox constructions are made from shipping containers, while

others are custom-made steel frame homes and buildings. “Modular homes are all about durability, rigidity and longevity,” says Anthony, who built the first permitted container house in Thunder Bay—his own home on lower Ambrose Street. Most recently, ModBox created a bar at the Fort William Country Club and shipped modules and materials via a winter road for a school, therapy centre, and office in Pikangikum. “It’s also about making a social impact by creating lasting houses that do not fall apart in a couple of years,” says John, adding that “people feel better when they live in good places, contributing to an overall sense of

 ModBox has been in business for five years, and at this site for three. The Rough Terrain Crane (from GC Rentals & Enterprises, who also provide qualified operators) is one of two. The other is currently located in Pikangikum.

 Anthony McRae (right) and his brother John McRae in ModBox NWO Inc.’s 4,000-square-foot Thunder Bay-based shop where they customize shipping containers and weld and fabricate steel frame modular buildings. “Our hope is to expand our space and own a facility that can house a proper production line with some automation,” says Anthony.  Master welder and fabricator Kris Russell works on reinforcing a beam on a 14 x 40-foot steel frame currently in production. In total, 12 employees work for ModBox.

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well-being.” The McRaes grew up working with their dad and grandfathers building family homes, camps, and saunas. One of those grandfathers, Tony Yozipovic, and his wife Olga, designed and built the Voyageur Motel on Cumberland Street. Anthony studied log house building in British Columbia, and then business. John studied mechanical engineering, and Veronica is currently in school for civil engineering at Lakehead University. After living away for many years, Anthony says “we found ourselves coming back to where our family is from, where we grew up, and where we have roots.” For more info, visit modboxmodular.com, find ModBox NWO Inc. on Facebook, or follow @thinkmodbox on Instagram.

 From start to finish, it usually takes about six weeks to complete the structures. Projects rely on a sound construction process, including welding and grinding of beams and carpentry. To date, ModBox has built 13 different modular buildings including houses, bunkies, a bar, four- and sixplexes, and other commercial buildings, including an ambulance garage in Deer Lake.

 A welding cart, which Anthony says was one of the first things he bought when setting up shop.

 Skylar Locke works on securing wood to a steel frame on the ModBox site.  Moving from fixed shipping containers to steel frame modular buildings means dimensions can be more flexible. “We can go wider, longer and smaller,” says Anthony. In addition to containers, the steel framed modular construction allows for custom designs with dimensions— such as this one that is 14 x 40 feet—that are much more flexible.

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Walk in. Catch up. Get back to summer fun.

In July and August, our summer walk-in vaccine clinics will offer routine vaccines to anyone in the following groups: Preschool-aged • School-aged • Left high school after June 2020

999 Balmoral St.

Tuesdays & Thursdays

9AM-3PM

(807) 625-5900 TDBHU.COM/vaxclinics

AUG 12

Thunder Bay Ontario

$46,000 VALUE!

1966

Triathlon • Duathlon • Trail Runs

Ford Mustang

E-Raf fle

BUY ONLINE AT: museumraf fle.com 1 for $15 | 3 for $40 | 8 for $100 | 28 for $300 Draw date: August 12, 2023 - Limited to 14,833 Tickets Must be in Ontario to purchase - Raffle License: RAF1293325

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New Venue • 28 XTERRA World Champs Spots

NCS Media

Jonathan Portinga

CityScene

The Big One

North Shore Steelhead Association Celebrating 50 Years work throughout the Lakehead region. It fundraises through its annual dinner and auction and other endeavours, like raffles. For veteran anglers like Gordon Ellis Sr., the organization has also been a way to learn more about the sport. Ellis, who was a member for several years right at the outset (he says he still supports the organization’s work and fundraising efforts), says he joined as a way to learn more about fishing steelhead in the Lakehead region, as prior to moving up here for work, all of his experience had been on the waters in southern Ontario, and with different fish. “A lot of rookies like me who didn’t have a clue how to catch these fish were really helped by these guys who had fished them for years,” he says. Both Edgson and Ellis say that fishing for steelhead is a unique and fun experience, given the fish’s striking appearance and the challenge it poses due to its strength and fight. “It can become an obsession,” Ellis says, laughing. He adds that it’s also like “a rite of spring” and an indicator of winter being over, due to the timing of the steelhead run. “It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to catch one and then release it again, knowing you have not damaged the fish at all,” he says. Today, the steelhead association boasts about 375 members who volunteer their time for the group’s work in town and make their voices heard when advocacy is required. “When we have an opinion to express, it’s always good to have a larger number of members speak for [it],” Edgson says. “That’s the value of having a membership.”

 The fish ladder at the Boulevard Lake dam on the Current River

 A North Shore Steelhead Association cleanup at Lorne Allard Fisherman’s Park in 2023  The original association patch worn by many steelhead anglers in the 1970s and 80s

For more information on the NSSA, check them out on Facebook and at northshoresteelhead. com. To learn more about their ongoing raffle (draw date is August 31) and to enter, visit nssaraffle.ca.

Gord Ellis

n organization dedicated to the conservation and preservation of Thunder Bay’s urban fisheries is marking a major milestone this year, as the North Shore Steelhead Association turns 50 years old, and its current treasurer—and a 40-year member—says the group’s efforts will continue to support a valuable local resource. “We think it’s highly unusual, highly exceptional,” Frank Edgson says of the robust opportunities to catch fish like a steelhead—also called rainbow trout—right in town. “On Lake Superior, I would say we probably have the best fishery for rainbow trout in our urban settings.” The Steelhead Association was formed in 1973 with the express interest in preserving its namesake fishery, but that mandate quickly expanded to include all coldwater species that call the Lake Superior watershed home. Edgson says association advocacy has led to improvements in the fish ladder on the McIntyre River (also called a fishway, it’s a structure that allows fish to move past a barrier on a river, like a dam) and they’re working to likewise better the one on the Current River near Boulevard Lake. “We don’t think it’s working as well as it should and we’re working to improve that,” he says. The organization has also collaborated with provincial wildlife officials to tighten up regulations around the number and size of fish caught in Thunder Bay that can be kept and killed, effectively allowing more spawning fish to survive. It also takes part in numerous cleanups, rehabilitation p ro j e c t s , re s e a rc h a n d awareness initiatives, and other ecologically beneficial

Dylan Darbyson

By Matt Prokopchuk

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CityScene been an honour to be trusted with. “One thing that really stands out for me is that everyone in recovery has a story, and it’s usually a sad one, and everyone deserves kindness and compassion regardless of who they are or where they’ve come from,” he says. “The recovery community, the community in general, our friends, people who believe in us have really stepped up and supported this and I just couldn’t be more thankful.” Find all the latest episodes at asoberingpodcast.com or wherever you download your podcasts. Follow @asoberingstoryfilm on Instagram and Facebook for updates. A Sobering Story co-producer Ryan Hill in the podcasting studio

Recovering Out Loud A Sobering Podcast

Story by Kat Lyzun, Photo by Ryan Hill

ver the last year, buzz has been building around A Sobering Story, a locally produced documentary film highlighting the lack of resources for people struggling with substance use and addiction. While interviewing folks for the film, producers Ryan La Via and Ryan Hill found t h a t t h e y h a d m o re people wanting to share their stories than they ever imagined. The film couldn’t cover them all. Thus, A Sobering Podcast was born. In the first episode, Hill has a conversation with Bryan Tucker, a person well known in the recovery community, who unspools his story from addiction and crisis

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to the slow building of a meaningful sober life with incredible honesty and vulnerability. It’s raw, emotional, uncensored, and riveting. That first episode, released on May 22, gained over 350 downloads within 48 hours. That may not seem like a huge number, but it’s remarkable considering that most new podcasts will average around 30 downloads in their first week, according to BuzzSprout podcast hosting service. In less than 10 days, the podcast was up to 625 downloads, ranking it in the top 10% of new podcasts. Hill was blown away by the response. “I’ve had people reach out who I

haven’t talked to in 15 years, saying, ‘Wow that was a powerful podcast,’” he says. “We’ve had a tonne of good feedback. It’s almost hard for me to put it into words how good it’s been. I had no idea what to expect; I didn’t want to put expectations onto it. [...] It’s been humbling. It’s been fantastic.” With the podcast, as with the film, Hill and La Via’s goal is not to hit numbers but to raise awareness about the addictions crisis in the city by giving people a voice and reaching people looking for hope in their own situations. “It’s truly a wonderful thing when people in recovery are willing to

share their story with others,” Hill says. “If you ask 100 people who have substance use disorder, you’ll get 99 different reasons why they quit. But when you see the cause of substance use— trauma, abuse, things like that—a lot of stories are very similar at the start. They take a different path, but there’s a commonality to them that’s relatable to people who are in recovery or suffer from substance abuse disorder.” Hill and La Via work with community groups like the Thunder Bay Drug Awareness Committee and the DEK Foundation to find guests who are recovering out loud and comfortable sharing their stories, which Hill says has

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Land-Based Learning

CityScene

Aki Kikinomakaywin, A Summer Camp for Indigenous Youth

very once in a while, something happens that makes an adult think, “Wow, imagine experiencing that as a kid!” That’s exactly how one feels after sitting down with Lydia Johnson, project lead of Aki Kikinomakaywin, (pronounced ah-keh kehkeh-noo-muh-kay-win), and hearing about the project’s Indigenousled, land-and-waterbased STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) summer program happening this July in and around Thunder Bay. Johnson and her colleagues have organized an inspiring and exciting camp program. Made possible by partners such as the NORDIK Institute, Water First Education and Training Inc., and the Laidlaw Foundation, among many others, Aki Kikinomakaywin will offer 24 Indigenous youth aged 14 to 16 the chance to learn from important community members during a free, weeklong STEAM camp. The camp provides youth with opportunities to engage in cultural practices such as fish skin tanning, learn from the scientists at Lakehead University, and create art with artist Betty Carpick. “The whole point of camp is bringing in multiple ways of knowing,” Johnson says. “Activities weave Indigenous knowledge and Western science; they

also aim to promote postsecondary education for Indigenous youth.” The week will include a day trip to the School of Indigenous Learning, a tour of Confederation College, a Water Walk facilitated by Elder advisors Sheila De Corte and Sharon Manitowabi (leaders of the For the Love of The Rivers initiative), and a visit to the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, in addition to land exploration and lab-based activities. Youth from all over northern Ontario— including Sault Ste Marie, Thunder Bay, and the communities that make up the Mamaweswen North Shore Tribal Council— can expect an involved week filled with learning, love, and culture. The camp concludes with a traditional feast, which will include a musical performance by local star Sara Kae. Aki Kikinomakaywin is a valuable opportunity for Indigenous youth to learn about traditional cultural knowledge and Western science in a fun-filled environment supported by a strong team of professionals in a variety of fields. Johnson and program supervisor Haley MacLeod hope to see Aki Kikinomakaywin become an annual summer camp in the city for youth. Their efforts to organize this camp speak to their passion for STEAM education and supporting this generation of Indigenous youth.

Haley MacLeod

By Emily Turner

 The participants of Aki Kikinomakaywin 2022

“Activities weave Indigenous knowledge and Western science; they also aim to promote postsecondary education for Indigenous youth.”  Youth participating in a medicine walk at Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park with Elder Sheila DeCorte, who led the walk, teaching youth about the different medicines and how to harvest them in a respectful way

Erin Kelly

Aki Kikinomakaywin takes place in and around Thunder Bay from July 14 to 22. Visit akikikinomakaywin.com for more information and the full list of partners.

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CityScene

Stuff We Like For Sitting Around This Summer By Kelsey Raynard

Summertime is busy. Between birthday parties, weddings, family barbecues, and trying to attend every possible summer event, it can feel exhausting. That being said, one of the most underrated summer activities, possibly of all time, is the simple act of just sitting around. Whether you’re lounging in your own personal backyard oasis, resting at the end of a long hiking trip, or relaxing alongside the shores of one of our many lakes, we are here to advocate for these small moments of soaking it all in. Here is Stuff We Like for sitting around this summer.

1 Kuma Bear Buddy Double Chair

Gear Up For Outdoors 894 Alloy Place The only thing better than sitting around is sitting around with a friend. Cuddle up to your partner, friend, or pet in this Kuma Bear Buddy Double Chair from Gear Up For Outdoors. Equipped with two stem glass holders and two insulated can holders on either side, this two-seater will keep you (and your drinks) cosy all night long. Padded back, seat, sides, and arm rests along with a 500-pound weight limit ensure maximum comfort and relaxation. Available in a variety of colours.

$199.99

2 Freestyle Rocker Chaltrek 404 Balmoral Street Who says rocking chairs are just for porches? The Freestyle Rocker, available at Chaltrek, is equipped with springloaded shocks for a smooth rocking motion and a built-in handle for portability. The entire chair folds flat for easy storage and transportation to all of your summer adventures. Whether you have a small baby to rock to sleep, a young child with restless legs, or an older camper just looking to rock by the fire, the Freestyle Rocker has you covered.

$115

3 Adirondack Chair Trevisanutto's Greenhouses 684 Woodcrest Road If you are searching for a sturdy, longlasting, and sustainable seating option for your yard or camp, look no further. These Adirondack chairs, built by C.R. Plastic Products, are made in Canada from 100% recycled plastic. Not only are they ecofriendly, but they are built to last; each CR Plastic product comes with a 25-year warranty and are completely water- and weather-proof. Available in a variety of colours with additional accessories (like foot rests!) sold separately.

$450

4 Orion Sun Lounger Leon’s 799 Fort William Road Take your lounge chair to the next level with the Orion Sun Lounger from Leon’s. This modern but comfortable lounger is designed with a curved seat, an adjustable back, and plush outdoor cushions so you can really kick back and relax. Most importantly, the hand-woven wicker is UVresistant and the hardware is rust-resistant, so you can enjoy the lounger for many years to come. Bonus: the built-in rolling wheels mean you can roll around the deck to maximize sun exposure and get that gorgeous summer tan we’ve all been waiting for—just don’t forget the SPF.

$399

5 Helinox Chair One Fresh Air 710 Balmoral Street For those of you who may already have a packed summer schedule, fear not. Take your seat with you with the Helinox Chair One, available at Fresh Air. Whether you’re heading on a long-range backpacking trip, camping at one of our amazing festivals, or just going to the beach, the Helinox has a packed weight of less than three pounds, providing it with unmatched versatility. This chair can be outfitted with many accessories, including ball feet for uneven surfaces and attachable beverage holders for quenching your thirst.

$160

Nemo Stargaze Recliner Luxury Chair 6

Wilderness Supply 244 Pearl Street Camping chairs, meet luxury. Luxury, meet camping chairs. The Nemo Stargaze Recliner Luxury Chair, available at Wilderness Supply, is specifically engineered for comfort, stability, and relaxation. A low centre of gravity and swivel recliner mean you can stargaze all night, while the adjustable, supportive headrest means you won’t be straining your neck to catch that shooting star. Made with aircraft grade aluminum and non-absorbent monofilament mesh, this chair is lightweight, portable, and just really freakin’ cool.

$329.99–399.99

Canadian Flag Folding Camping Chair 7

Canadian Tire 939 Fort William Road You have probably seen the Canadian Flag Folding Camping Chair in your parents’ garage, in a friend’s backyard, or in a local park. While they may not come with any bells or whistles, these chairs are an absolute classic—and for good reason. Made with a weather-resistant steel frame, durable polyester fabric, and a single mesh cup holder, you just can’t beat the simplicity and portability of this quintessential camping accessory.

$31.99

Inflatable Hammock Sofa 8

Best Buy bestbuy.ca Couch potatoes rejoice! With the Inflatable Hammock Sofa by SAGA, you can maintain all the comfort of your living room while enjoying the short but sweet summer sun. Don’t let the picture fool you; this innovative lounger is strong enough to support up to 300 pounds and made of durable anti-tear ripstop material, providing both support and comfort. The best part? It inflates in seconds and no pump is required. Available via online order only in a number of bright colours, this inflatable seat is as fun as it is functional.

$99.99

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FREE FAMILY FUN!

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2023 FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

Let the sounds and sights of the streets transport you to a world of creativity and imagination at the Thunder Bay Buskers Festival happening on Bay & Algoma.

BACK TO THE STREETS

2 2

DAYS!

STREETS!

Watch as eight vibrant pitches (stages) come alive with an array of mesmerizing talents and captivating music. Prepare to be enthralled as you witness the rhythmic prowess of the Taika Drummers, who will transport you to the heart of their beats with their exhilarating performances. If you’re looking for a unique keepsake, don’t miss Brian Nieminen, the talented artist behind Niemerscreations, who will astound you with his live caricature creations, capturing the essence of each individual in an artistic masterpiece. And be sure to catch the Bay Street Bastards, a dynamic and energetic musical group that infuses traditional melodies with a modern twist, creating a sound that will have you tapping your feet and singing along. These are just a few of the remarkable performers you can expect to encounter at the Thunder Bay Buskers Festival, where every pitch unveils a new world of talent and entertainment.

CULINARY DELIGHTS

Indulge your taste buds with a delightful culinary experience awaits you at every corner. Epic Cones will tantalize your senses with their innovative and mouthwatering creations, filled with a variety of delectable flavours. For a savoury treat, head over to Tastebuds Pitstop, where you can savour their poutine and juicy burgers that are guaranteed to satisfy even the heartiest appetites. The aroma of freshly popped kettle corn and caramel corn from Poppin’ Hut will fill the air, inviting you to enjoy the perfect blend of sweetness and crunch. And for those with a sweet tooth, the Mini Donut Shoppe is a must-visit, where you can indulge in warm, sugary bites of heaven. The food vendors will delight your taste buds with their diverse and flavorful offerings, ensuring that every craving is met with a culinary delight.

ALWAYS TIP YOUR BUSKER!

CRAFT VENDORS

Expect not only mesmerizing performances but also a delightful shopping experience with an array of craft vendors. Loud Woman Collective takes a stand with their feminist and social justice clothing, accessories, and children’s books, empowering you to make a statement and wear your beliefs with pride. If you’re in search of groovy and original graphic art prints, stickers, and retro treasures, Demon Disco is the place to be. Their carefully curated selection of thrifted and retro items, including Y2K jewelry and keychains, will transport you back in time while adding a unique touch to your style. Indulge your artistic side with Ruby Moon Mehndi’s Organic Henna body art, where intricate designs come to life on your skin. They also offer cosmetic grade glitter and handicrafts, allowing you to embrace your creativity and adorn yourself with beautiful, handcrafted accessories. The craft vendors at the Thunder Bay Buskers Festival bring a touch of individuality and passion to the event, ensuring that you not only witness captivating performances but also find extraordinary treasures to take home.

DISCOVER LOCAL BUSINESSES

Support local businesses and explore a world of shopping and dining in the vibrant Bay & Algoma neighbourhood. Start your day off right with a visit to the Bean Fiend or Calico Coffee House, beloved coffee shops that brew aromatic and flavorful coffees, perfect for energizing your festival experience. Just steps away, The Cheese Encounter awaits, offering a tantalizing selection of specialty international and Canadian cheeses that will delight any cheese enthusiast. For a dose of eclectic charm, make your way to Pretty Fly Co., a modern general store brimming with unique and well-made products, from trendy fashion accessories to locally sourced artisanal goods. And that’s just the beginning! The festival promises an abundance of other shopping opportunities, ensuring that you’ll find something special to take home. With an array of local boutiques, vintage shops, and artisanal vendors, the Thunder Bay Buskers Festival on Bay & Algoma is a shopper’s paradise that invites you to indulge in the finest offerings this vibrant neighbourhood has to offer.

www.buskersfestival.ca

#TbayBuskers | @tbaybuskers

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www.buskersfestival.ca

#TbayBuskers @tbaybuskers

WHAT IS A

BUSKER?

DEFINITION OF A BUSKER: A person who entertains in a public place for donations

Anyone can busk. It’s a great way to earn cash and provide entertainment for the community. Whether it be strumming the guitar or performing a magic trick, buskers dazzle the crowd to earn their spot on the concrete stage. Busking is all about the connection between the performer and the audience. This year’s Buskers Festival features local and out-of-town performers that have honed their craft and are ready to amuse all weekend long. Want to stand out as a great audience member? Remember to tip your busker!

PET DLY

FRIEN SPACE

25+ CRAFTE

FESTIVA L WORLD & LY FOOD!

STAGES

FREE FAMILY FUN!

25+ MAGICAL

PERFORMANCES

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CityScene

Examples of ranunculus that Karly Huitsing grows

All in Bloom Florals

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

Story by Nicole Pocion, Photos by Ryan Hill

fter having her three kids, Karly Huitsing was looking for a job that could accommodate her working with her kids by her side. She first started selling flowers on Instagram, and after a year, she discovered she could work and spend time with her kids in the garden. Growing up on a dairy farm in Murillo, Huitsing is no stranger to working outside and getting her hands dirty. When she married and moved to Slate River, she knew she wanted to keep spending time outdoors. “I love working outside and having projects on the go,” Huitsing says. “Working in the garden and watching my hard work grow has been very rewarding and therapeutic.” Much like the flowers in her garden, Huitsing's business has continued to bloom over the past few years. She has developed a passion for creating wedding installations and arrangements and has grown her online business. Her once-small garden bed has increased to a 40 x 100foot garden to support her seasonal blooms. Currently, you can order fresh-cut flowers through

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her website, with pick ups available from her Slate River Valley home or downtown at Waxxed Candle Co. on Cumberland Street North. All in Bloom also offers a bouquet subscription service where you can pick up a fresh bouquet of seasonal flowers each month. You can also find All in Bloom flowers at George's Market Celebrations and, most recently, at the Thunder Bay Country Market. Huitsing shares how she has wanted to participate in the Country Market for a while, but didn't always have the volume. Now, with increased production and the availability of occasional vendor stands, All in Bloom will be available at the Thunder Bay Country Market as a pop-up vendor. Make sure to check out All in Bloom Florals for locally grown, fresh-cut flowers. Blooming this month are zinnias, dahlias, sweet peas, snapdragons, cosmos, and so much more. Find @allinbloomflorals on Instagram and Facebook, or check out aibflorals.com to stay updated on what's in bloom and place an order.

CityScene

Season in the Sun

Outdoor Cannabis Growing Tips and Tricks By Justin Allec

BIS CANNA N M U L CO

t’s early July! Thunder Bay is in the heart of the summer growing season, and every plant is straining to soak up as much sun and nutrients as possible. Your little sprouts have been in the ground—or in their pots—for a few weeks now, and are well-acclimated. If needed, you’ve eliminated the males from your crop, and can now just focus on getting those buds as big as possible. The days are still long, with that sun hanging out till around 10 pm, and there’s still many weeks before the harvest. If you’re relatively new to gardening, or cannabis is the only crop you grow, here are some tips and tricks to maximize your cannabis yield.

Location is key. Picking the right spot in your yard will help your plants grow healthy and strong, but ideally you’ve picked a location with as much sun as possible and good drainage. Throwing them into a corner of your yard might hide them a bit from the neighborhood kids, but plants do best with room to grow. Try to plan for having about two-to-three square feet of growing space for each of your four plants, as this will give both the roots and the branches room to spread, and you can always stake them to support the stalks on those aggressively windy days. If you’ve planted your cannabis in pots, then you can move

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them around your yard to chase the southern sun, which comes in handy once the days start to shorten in autumn. As well, consider what’s growing around your plants. If there are dandelions everywhere, then you’ll find their seedy fluff clogging up your buds. Instead of watering according to a schedule, meet the plant’s needs. If they’re in the ground, your cannabis will need less watering than if they’re in pots. If the soil appears to be dry or cracked, that’s a sign that you’ve waited too long to water, which will stress the plant and cause the leaves to droop or curl. And no, if it’s hot out, your plants will not be okay if you’re

leaving for camp for the long weekend. Similarly, too much water is also a bad thing. There should never be puddles around the plants, and you should consider tarping when Thunder Bay gets one of those hammering rainstorms that occur once a season. Regular compost treatments are also helpful; where I grow in Current River, the soil is fairly sandy, so I like to mix in some enrichment. Mulch on top of the soil is also helpful to keep moisture in and prevent weeds from taking hold. One bit of maintenance is to trim down the plant’s bottom branches around the first week of August; these branches use

a lot of energy but don’t produce a worthwhile quantity of dried flower. This will force energy to the top part of the plant and boost the biggest buds. If you’ve picked an appropriate strain for Thunder Bay’s climate, then the plants should mostly take care of themselves as long as these needs are met. Constant fussing and touching of the plants will damage them in the long run. It’s strange to consider but cannabis really does act like a weed in this regard: it’s a hearty plant, and if you’ve taken all the right steps, you’ll see the benefits in just a few months.

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CityScene

Views of Paradise Annual Art Gallery Garden Tour Returns in July

Story by Pat Forrest, Photos by Lynda Lahteenmaa

M The six private gardens on the Thunder Bay Art Gallery's July Garden Tour

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any of us feel the urge to peer through fences at others’ gardens, but on Sunday, July 30, the invitation is open to freely feast our eyes on some real beauties. The Thunder Bay Art Gallery Garden Tour is an annual fundraising event that celebrates creativity in the outdoors. For this 26th annual tour, the gallery will be presenting six different private gardens and a public garden from 10 am to 4 pm, rain or shine. Master gardener Lynda Lahteenmaa, a member of the garden tour committee for more than two decades, says that the private gardens are a diverse collection ranging from elegant to cozy. What they have in common is originality and the ability to evoke the personalities of the owners. In one garden, the majesty of nature is on display, incorporating rocks from the Canadian Shield, as well as shrubs, flowers, and a water feature. Another will have visitors encountering a bee’s paradise. In a third, an annual garden is featured. “This is a garden that is bursting with vibrancy and life,” says Lahteenmaa. Another tour stop incorporates the boulevard, as well as edible plants, while a fifth is a lesson in recycling, with items we may think of as junk having been turned into things of beauty. Finally, at the sixth stop, visitors will see how a senior couple has downsized their garden in a very creative way. The public garden is at Willow Springs, where visitors can buy refreshments and will also see several artisans giving demonstrations, including natural dye pots and making willow furniture. The Thunder Bay and District Master Gardeners

have volunteered their time and talents since the tour’s inception, and you’ll find one at each stop. They also select a feature in every garden as the “Master Gardener’s Pick” to showcase, and will produce a handout on each “pick” to share with their visitors. Apart from their role in the garden tour, the Thunder Bay and District Master Gardeners host an annual plant sale, and deliver the “Look, Listen and Learn” training series and other gardening workshops and presentations. Andrea Steinhaeusser, coordinator of the Thunder Bay and District Master Gardeners, has never missed a garden tour over the quarter century they have been offered, and was inspired to become a master gardener herself because of the experience. “I enjoy working at the garden tour as it’s great to see old friends as well as meet new gardeners,” she says. “I love discovering hidden gems of gardens behind gates and learning about new plants. There is always something different.” “The gallery’s annual garden tour is a popular and much anticipated event and we’re excited to welcome the community back again,” says Kamila Westerback, the gallery’s assistant director. The tour is self-guided, and guests can plan their own route. Carpooling is encouraged. Loonie raffle prize draws will be offered, and artists and musicians will entertain at select locations, weather permitting. Tickets are $25 until July 20 and $30 after that, and can be purchased at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Landale Gardens, and Vaillant Florist. Visit theag. ca for more information.

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THE

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Fort William Historical Park Fort William Historical Park is celebrating 50 years (1973-2023) of bringing life to history. This summer, enjoy a variety of exciting activities that celebrate the rich history of Fort William Historical Park.

July 8-9: Celtic Days July 10: Northern Nature July 11: Farm & Food July 12: Art & Music July 13-16: Historic Re-enactment Plan your visit at fwhp.ca @FortWilliamHP

Paid for by the Government of Ontario 62

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Fun and Feminine Thrifts with Champagne Teacup Boutique

CityScene

D SECONES C N CHA

By Kelsey Raynard

hampagne Teacup has undergone quite the evolution. Owner Sabrina Bolt explains that the original Champagne Teacup did not feature thrifted clothing at all, but rather functioned like a regular clothing boutique that brought in specialty brands, often from the United States. However, like many businesses, COVID19 impacted her ability to pick up product from across the border and shifted the entire landscape of her retail plan. “That was right around the time that Poshmark came to Canada,” Bolt explains. For those unfamiliar, Poshmark is an online retail platform for new and thrifted items, including clothing and housewares. “I discovered that I could buy clothing from thrift stores and sell it online, so it kind of flipped the business,” she says. “On top of loving the idea of thrifting and being environmentally friendly, it also felt great to find really good quality pieces for people at a better price point.” From there, Bolt moved C h a m p a g n e Te a c u p t o Poshmark and then eventually to Instagram for local buyers. On March 25 of this year, Bolt celebrated the grand opening of an in-store location as Champagne Teacup moved into 61 Beauty Bar Boutique. “It was one of those meantto-be things,” Bolt laughs. “I was chatting with my mom, explaining to her that I’m running out of space. Right after that, the ladies from the Beauty Bar asked me to join their space!” Bolt says this has provided her with the perfect opportunity to sell more locally and to give

people the chance to try her pieces on—something that most other online thrifters can’t do. Now, Champagne Teacup is thriving in all three spaces: Poshmark, Instagram, and instore. Bolt explains that the name of her store was born from a desire to capture her style and aesthetic: feminine and fancy, while still remaining casual and fun. She focuses on sourcing high-quality, recognizable brands that will last for many years to come. True to this fashion, Bolt has compiled an easy, breezy summer outfit from brands you definitely know and love. First up, we have a lightweight, brushed cotton cardigan from J. Jill in a soft terracotta colour (size S for $38). Next, we have a chic black tank from Intimately by Free People—and for those of you who shop Free People, you know what a steal this is (size S for $35). Towards the bottom, we have a pair of 100% cotton jacquard pants by Zara, which will pair perfectly with many different summer fits (size XL for $38). To finish off the look, Bolt has a pair of Bernie Mev black sneakers (size 9 for $40). Accessorize yourself with an Isaac Mizrahi suede and leather daisy crossbody bag ($36) and a retro lava bead bracelet ($12). To score this outfit or check out more from Champagne Teacup, follow @shopcteacup on Instagram or visit in person at 61 Beauty Bar Boutique (located at 1725 Hwy 61).

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Aric Fishman Puts Thunder Bay Climbing on the Map

ike many kids in the 90s, Aric Fishman was introduced to rock climbing at a time when “extreme” sports were becoming approachable for the masses. His first exposure was at age 14, when a portable climbing wall was set up at his school gym in southern Ontario. “I was definitely one of those kids who was always up in trees or on top of the play structure,” Fishman says. He loved the portable wall so much that he ended up staying the whole day. With encouragement from his parents, Fishman found a mentor—his older brother’s friend—and his first introduction to real rock. From there, experience led to experience: semesters at a wilderness survival school, climbing road trips to the U.S. by his mid-teens, and finally the operation of a small rockclimbing guiding company with his brother. After hearing about Thunder Bay’s cliffs for years, Fishman committed to Lakehead’s outdoor recreation program and realized that he had found his new home. “I was going to stay up here,” he laughs. “I mean, I visit down south and take trips

every shoulder season, but I’m always happy to come home because the climbing is so good.” Thrilled with the climbing community, the cost of living—and the potential of so much unclimbed rock— Fishman decided Thunder Bay was the perfect place to relaunch his guiding business. Outdoor Skills and Thrills operates year-round, offering ice climbing and snowshoe trips in the winter and rock climbing and hiking in the summer. A passionate teacher who usually operates solo, Fishman does everything from hosting groups of beginners on their first trips to the crag to providing coaching for experienced climbers looking to level up. Combining business with pleasure just made sense for him. “I’d say that mixing my work with my passion has made me even more interested in climbing. I’m totally obsessed with it, and it feeds my love of teaching,” Fishman says. Producing a guidebook seemed like the natural next step. The first edition of Thunder Bay Climbing from 2016 set a standard—it was the most accurate guidebook I had ever used. The second edition is now available, and adds in an additional 300+

Aric Fishman

By Justin Allec

climbs in areas like Pass Lake, Claghorn, and Orient Bay, along with two whole new areas. As a consummate climber who spends more time on northern Ontario granite than anyone else, new growth and development is a good problem for Fishman to have. The author has also managed to keep the new edition the same size as the previous version—a win for your backpack. Prior to publication, Fishman verified all the new climbs to ensure the descriptions were accurate. “Access to places like Fort William First Nation have changed, but it’s also been six years and lots of development. And why wouldn’t you want a chance to try those new climbs?” he says. The guidebook also acts as

an advertisement for Thunder Bay climbing, with Fishman distributing the self-published book across the country and into the northern U.S. If you’re an experienced climber looking for your next route, Fishman’s guidebook will show you the way. If you’ve ever looked up at the granite cliffs surrounding Thunder Bay and wondered what it would be like to scale

them, you won’t just need a guidebook, you’ll need a guide. Whether you’re an obsessed rock-hound or just looking for your first chance to rope up, Thunder Bay is benefiting from Fishman’s hard work and passion for heights. The book can be ordered from Fishman’s website at outdoorskillsandthrills.com.

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 Fort William First Nation Chief Michele Solomon stands at the community cemetery, one of the spots in the First Nation that is important to her

With Michele Solomon

EYE EYE TO

As told to Matt Prokopchuk, Photo by Lois Nuttall

ort William First Nation elected its newest chief and council in late May, with longtime councillor Michele Solomon edging out former chief Georjann Morriseau for the top elected position. Solomon, who has also worked in community development with the Ontario Native Women’s Association and in the fields of mental health and addictions, restorative justice, and adult education, spoke with The Walleye about her election win, her favourite festival to attend, and who her personal hero is. T h e Wa l l e y e : W h a t was your reaction to being elected? Michele Solomon: It’s been really exciting and

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humbling to be elected to this role. It’s a role that I know my community holds in high regard, so it has been—I guess the best way I can describe it is to express how humbled I’ve been and how honoured I’ve been to be elected. It has left me speechless a couple of times for sure. TW: Is there a particular event or festival that you particularly enjoy attending? MS: The July 1st weekend is Fort William First Nation’s annual pow wow weekend, a n d s o f o r m e , t h a t ’s important, because it brings our community together and it really provides that opportunity for community pride, inviting community to our sacred mountain, and people come from all over

to attend this. So, I really love that, [to] spend time over that weekend. That’s been—I don’t know how many years it’s been our pow wow weekend, but it’s been many, many years. From when I was a kid, I remember it being the July 1st weekend. TW: What is it specifically about the pow wow? MS: It’s a time when the community all comes together in celebration and pride— community pride—so those are the main things. One of the things that’s important for me, and I haven’t really shared this publicly before right now, I guess, is having Every Fort William First Nation Child Matters, because we do talk about Every Child Matters out there in the larger context, but I would really like to bring

meaning to that in our own community. And so one of the ways I’d like to see that happen is to ensure that all of our young people who would like to have a regalia to dance at the pow wow be supported to have that. It is out of reach for some children, some young people, and I don’t want it to be out of reach for young people, I want it to be something that is accessible to them, so that if that’s what makes them feel pride in their Indigenous heritage, then I want them to have that. TW: One of the locations where we photographed you was by the Fort William First Nation cemetery; why is that location important to you? MS: When I think about that cemetery, it makes

me think about a lot of the oppressive things that happened to our people. So, one side of that cemetery is actively used, and the other side of it is more of a burial mound than a marked cemetery. In 1905, there was the land-taking by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, and when that land-taking happened, the whole community was basically evicted from that land, so they had to take their buildings, their homes—everything had to be moved, including the burial ground. The ancestors had to be unearthed and moved, so that’s where they were moved to, where the cemetery is today. When I was a young girl, my father and I went down there a few times and, of course, he told me about the cemetery and what happened. At that time, there was just a little footpath that went down to the cemetery. It’s not like it is today, with a paved road going in there, and at that time it wasn’t used actively like it is now. TW: Who is your personal hero, or someone you look up to? MS: When I think about my life, and who has had the greatest impact on me in my life—it’s probably true for many people, but I’m no exception—my mother has had a really big influence on me. I look at her history and she did a lot of amazing things with very little education. I’m going to say, sometimes education is not always accessible to people, and she had me really young, so the achievements she had came from her own personal qualities. That’s who I feel has had the greatest impact on me, but being a mother has also really impacted my life and wanting to be the best person that I can be. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. You can find the expanded interview on our Eye To Eye podcast on Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, and more.

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This is Thunder Bay Interviews and photos by Leah Morningstar This month we asked The Walleye readers: What’s your favourite festival or favourite experience at a festival? Jill: I’m not really one to attend any big festivals because I’d rather go out to camp; summer is all about going to camp for me. But I do enjoy the big pow wow hosted out at Fort William Historical Park every summer, I think late August? It’s in the town square area and aside from all the great drumming and food, it’s pretty awesome to see the regalia and the Fort costumes coming together. It just feels good and inclusive and positive.

John: The CLE, I love it. I’ve been going since I was a young man. Then I went with my kids. Now I bring my grandkids. I can’t wait to go this summer.

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Derrick: I love Buskers Fest. It's a perfect meld of performers and local businesses. I love the bands playing in the rawest form, just a musician and an instrument, no sound check, no doorman, no age restrictions, music for everyone. It's a great place to sample local food you may not have tried before. I discovered my favourite Indian restaurant because they were set up there. Super excited it’s back!”

Richard: Back in the 80s there was the Praise Festival. I liked it because they let me sing my weird songs like “Jesus Jargon” and “The Boring Testimony Blues.” The last time I was set to perform, it began to rain just as the previous act finished. “Praise the Lord!” they said. Now my favourite is the Festival of India. Free food!

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CityScene

 Marie-Bastienne Revel at the Voyageur Winter Carnival, explaining the layers involved in 1815 fashion

Marie-Bastienne Revel

G BRIDGINST A P THE

 A reenactment of Françoise Belinge and her husband Joseph Belinge in the tradesmen’s house

Story by Kris Ketonen, Photos courtesy of Marie-Bastienne Revel Position at Fort William Historical Park: Costuming Specialist

Marie-Bastienne Revel brings a keen interest in history and historical reenactment to her role as costuming specialist at Fort William Historical Park, a position she’s held for more than a year. “My day-to-day duties vary by season and the events schedule,” Revel says. “For the summer, my time is split between the costuming department in the modern buildings and the tailor shop, on the historical site.” In addition to her work creating costumes, Revel also portrays a historic character, Françoise Belinge, in the tailor shop. She was “the only FrenchCanadian woman we know who stayed at Fort William between 1817 and 1820,” Revel says. And the historical accuracy carries over into how the clothing itself is made. “Sewing machines did not exist in 1815, the time period portrayed at Fort William Historical Park,” she says. “Neither did the measuring tape

or polyester thread. So, in my period accurate sewing box, you can find linen thread and wax, and I use my own two hands to construct the garments. Period scissors, needles, and pins were very similar to modern ones. “In the costuming department, we do have sewing machines to make more mass-produced costumes for our volunteers or rentals, and some pieces for the summer employees,” she adds. Revel is certainly not new to this kind of work. “I started reenactment in 2011, in France, focusing on two specific periods in French history (Napoleonic eras),” she says. “It quickly grew into a passion for period clothing and the role it played in everyday life all along the centuries.” And getting that period clothing right takes a great deal of research. “We study the cuts, the materials, but also the logic behind using this instead of that,” she says. “Once a garment is made, it is worn a few times and we learn

from experience.” “Afterwards, we keep researching, which can lead to modifications and so on,” Revel says. “It is [a] constant learning process.” In fact, Revel’s favourite costumes to work on are the ones she doesn’t know that much about. “I love to experiment with the fabric to obtain the right shape, and the incredible feeling when you see the final result on an interpreter that corresponds to a period painting you know about or a description you read in a journal.”

 Patterns hanging in the tailor’s shop  Marie-Bastienne Revel as her character Françoise Belinge in a 1780 working-class outfit

1973-2023: 50 Years of Bringing Life to History

For more information, visit fwhp.ca.

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CityScene

 Director Esther Maud (far left) and the Indigenous youth coordinators of the WAB after-school program

A Safe and Trusting Space Wabshkaa Animkii Benesii After-school Program By Sarah McPherson

fter-school programs have long been relied on by parents for support and student well-being. Often volunteer-run, these programs offer food security and continued learning outside of conventional school requirements, and provide parents with extra support, time, and space in raising their children. Esther Maud is one such parent—but not only has Maud found that support as a parent, she has also worked in after-school programming at Sherbrooke Public School. “I understand poverty, and I understand the needs of parents,” she says. After Sherbrooke Public School’s program stopped running in 2022, she saw the need for support remained. In particular, she saw that students weren’t familiar with Indigenous culture, traditions, and practices, and so Wabshkaa Animkii Benesii was born. Wabshkaa Animkii Benesii, meaning white Thunderbird, and more commonly known as the WAB after-school program, was created in just six weeks. The free program runs after school

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throughout the school year and from 2 to 6 pm in the summer months, offering seasonal landbased teachings, nutritious meals, and recreational activities to young students. Registration opens to Sherbrooke students first, and then expands city-wide. Run by five Indigenous staff, WAB is dedicated to creating a safe and trusting space for children. “We’re the kind of team that listens to the children,” Maud says. “That’s what people need to know, that’s what’s important.” April 11 marked their first anniversary, which they celebrated with a pow wow at the school on June 14. “It’s been an amazing journey,” says Maud. “It’s been really amazing to see the kids grow.” While WAB is dedicated to Indigenous ways of being, Maud notes that it has also been beneficial for immigrant children in helping them adapt to life in Thunder Bay. Maud attributes much of the success of the program to the support it has received since its inception. The school’s principal, Leslie Hynnes, strongly

backed the program from the start, and the city’s Indigenous relations liaison James Wilkinson advocated for it. WAB has built relationships with organizations across the province: in town, Roots Community Food Centre (formerly Roots to Harvest) and Gaagige Zaagibigaa (GZ) offer support by addressing food insecurity; in Halton, Grandmother’s Voice regularly fundraises for financial support of the program. Maud says that WAB, still underfunded, initially opened on donations of both money and food. “We were literally just a group of people who wanted to do this,” she says. To learn more about WAB, contact program director and president Esther Maud at esthermaud.wab@gmail. com. The Facebook page is currently private, but parents and interested parties can be added by request.

 A proud child after completing her first Dewegun, or hand drum  The children creating Deweguns (hand drums); the process of creating these sacred gifts begins with a ceremony and teachings

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Music than us.” Cernjul says, as of early June, the plan was to finish the tour at Minnesota Park, right in the heart of the neighbourhood. Other locations he says the group has been eyeing include places like Trowbridge Falls, Centennial Park, the north side waterfront, Vickers Park, and, of course, the Buskers Festival in the Bay and Algoma district. The desire to help a part of town that Cernjul feels great affinity for, but says has “always been kind of a rough neighbourhood,” extends beyond his band’s plans. When he moved back to the area last year, he set up a hot dog cart outside his home on Halloween, and decided “I’m going to be the fun house; I’m going to be that house every year that does cool stuff that nobody else is doing. [I’m going to] give the kids something.” The Busker Tour, he says, is part of that. “Evergreen, being like, a kilometre away from my house, it ties in, and it’s close to my heart to be able to give back to my community.”

Busking for a Cause

The Bay Street Bastards' Summer Performances Fundraiser By Matt Prokopchuk

hunder Bay area residents will see local busking favourites The Bay Street Bastards at several venues around town this summer, but this year, the musicians won’t be pocketing the money you toss in their guitar cases.

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The band’s Busker Tour will see them, along with a variety of other performers, playing in city parks and other open spaces every Sunday afternoon throughout July and August, says frontman Kevin Cernjul, with money raised going to Evergreen

A United Neighbourhood, a grassroots organization that supports children and families in the Simpson-Ogden area. Cernjul, who grew up in that neighbourhood, lived there for many years, and recently moved back, says it’s about wanting to give back.

“It’s been a decade that we’ve been busking and having people throw money in our cases—[we wanted to] just give it back,” he says. “We all have jobs, we’re not busking for a living […] so let’s give it to the people who need it more

To keep up with the band, including where they’ll be playing this summer and information on an upcoming new album, find The Bay Street Bastards on Facebook and Instagram.

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Music

 Forever Dead: Marc Viherkoski (guitar), Jorge Gratzo (bass), Chelsea Heart (vocals), Tylore T. Destroyor (drums), El Gratzo (guitar)

Long Time Dead Forever Dead! Keep Kicking

Story by Justin Allec, Photo by Adam Phillips

nterviewing Thunder Bay’s Forever Dead! as a group is a serious challenge. Celebrating the release of their latest EP, Here’s to Long Drawn-out Terrible Endings, the band’s energy is physical, like they can’t wait to kick your door down and blast some beloved punk rock. After all, you’re talking to one of the city’s longest-running punk bands, friends who have been playing music together for the better part of two decades. The conversation is a mess, full of jokes, insults, stories, and always some hard-earned truths. In short, it’s like seeing Forever Dead! play, which means a lot of fun at full volume and maximum speed. “We probably have more songs we’ve forgotten than recorded,” vocalist Chelsea Heart says about the gestation of the new EP. “Being together this long, we dream about songs that we’ve never

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finished, turned half songs into other songs, and some songs we finished but never recorded.” It seems strange, but with this EP, somehow Forever Dead! is becoming more prolific despite having to grow up. A collection of demos came in 2021, their first recorded music since 2015, followed by the exceptional Pretending We’re Surviving, an 18-track album of originals. Are the chaos and constraints of full-time work and parenting making them more efficient, or is it that the world is just a scarier place and punk is the right antidote? Bassist George Gratz (or Jorge Gratzo) put it simply: “We’re fucked, so we have more to write about.” For a band with a median age north of 30, youth is very much on their minds. The band recently played the opening of the Cinema 5 Skatepark, their first all-ages show in a very long time.

With teens as young as 14 attending, Forever Dead! suddenly found themselves as veterans, showing the kids how to put on a good ol’ punk show and get into good kinds of trouble. “It’s awesome, the younger bands, younger fans, the energy that they bring,” Heart says. Hanging with the youth of today is good practice for when the band can retire from their day jobs. “Our kids are almost old enough for all-ages shows, so we’ll pull them out of school, have them sell merch, and drive the van,” drummer Tylore T. Destroyor says, probably only half-joking. However many years the band (or the world) have left, there’s a strong sense that Forever Dead! feel lucky for what they’ve gotten to do and that they’re still eager to play. Their ongoing relationship with engineer Paul Dutil has resulted in another killer

batch of songs—including a mashed-up NOFX cover of “Scavenger Type”—so it’s not a problem to get material out there. When Forever Dead! do play, whether it’s Black Pirates Pub for the hundredth time or a transcendental set at Tumblestone, flanked by honestly great bands both from the local scene and touring, they’re in their best

place. And when it’s time to return to the jam space and try to knock together another batch of riffs and vocals, it’s as a group of life-long friends still excited to share music, fun, and fart jokes. Pre-order Forever Dead!’s new album at xforeverdeadx. bandcamp.com.

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Music

The Legacy of a Lost Band Member on Tour The Sadies Soldiering on in Honour of Dallas Good Story by Michael Charlebois, Photo by Heather Pollock

he Sadies, a legendary Canadian rock and country-western band that’s been active for nearly 25 years, were forced to reinvent themselves after the death of a key band member. Longtime vocalist and guitarist Dallas Good passed away unexpectedly due to coronary illness at the age of 48 in February 2022. “A son, a brother, a husband, a friend, a bandmate, a leader, a force to be reckoned with, we have no words for the shock we are all feeling,” The Sadies wrote on their

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Instagram account at the time. In the aftermath of this tragedy, Dallas’s brother and fellow band member, Travis Good, was faced with an obligation to his brother and their shared love of music. The group had a completed record which Dallas “was very proud of,” according to Travis Good. That record, Colder Streams, was released later that year, and went on to win the Juno award for Adult Alternative Album of the Year in 2023. Now the band is touring across Canada and parts of the northern U.S. to

promote Dallas’s last record, and honour his contributions. “It’s a very strange and unique situation we find ourselves in, where we’ve been a band for 25 years and we’ve had to re-learn everything,” Travis Good says. “We’ve got some help from our friends who sit in with us and help once and a while, but it’s been about a year now [since Dallas’s death] and we’re starting to get our sea legs.” The decision to carry on wasn’t entirely out of sentiment, but also a reminder of the need to finish the job as professional musicians.

“We had this new record. […] It hadn’t been released yet when Dallas died, so it was just a no-brainer to carry on.” The record is propelled by the deeply haunting song “More Alone,” which contains the lyric “He died all alone, but he was never alone,” as a posthumous Dallas Good can be heard on vocals and guitar. “It’s a grim period that we’re still working our way through, and who knows how it will end,” Travis Good says. “We have a duty to promote this last record that he was so proud of, and we’re soldiering on.”

“We have a duty to promote this last record that he was so proud of, and we’re soldiering on.” The Sadies will be performing at Black Pirates Pub on July 24 with the Cartwrights opening. Check out The Sadies’ website at thesadies. net and the Cartwrights at facebook.com/ cartwrights807.

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Music

Lucinda Williams Stories from a Rock and Roll Heart

TO BURNINGKY S THE

By Gord Ellis

ucinda Williams should be much more famous among the general music audience than she is. Her songs have been covered by everyone from Elvis Costello to Emmylou Harris. She has won three Grammy awards and has had a total of 17 nominations. Williams has been hailed as “America’s best songwriter” by Time magazine. She has never topped the charts like some of her contemporaries, yet can rock as hard as Chrissie Hynde or be as gentle as Jewel. Williams is a brilliant enigma and one of the greatest singer-songwriters of the past 50 years.

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The closest Williams came to a breakout hit was with her 1998 album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. Produced in part by Roy Bittan (of the E Street Band) and Steve Earle, this album features some of Williams’s most vivid writing. It also includes several songs that have become signature tunes. The title track is among the best of them, and paints pictures of Williams’s childhood in the Deep South: There goes the screen door slamming shut You better do what you're told When I get back this room better be picked-up

Car wheels on a gravel road. Those lines are delivered with Williams’s honey-dipped drawl, while music that draws from folk, country, and rock intertwines behind her. Car Wheels also includes a handful of her most frankly romantic—and erotic—songs. The languid “Right in Time” celebrates the bliss of lovers who know exactly what the other wants, while “Still I Long for Your Kiss” chronicles the ache of new love. Williams has an offhand singing style that makes all her songs feel real. You sense there is not a fake or affected bone in her body.

Although Car Wheels is her best-known album, every disc in her catalogue is unique and worth a listen. One of my personal favourites is the 2008 release Little Honey. This album has some perfect Lucinda Williams moments, including the rocking “Real Love,” and a unique roadhouse cover of the AC/ DC cla ssic “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll).” My favourite on Little Honey is “If Wishes Were Horses,” a heartfelt plea to a lover who is about to leave. Why’d I turn on you and say those things? I didn’t mean ‘em

Wish you were bringin’ your love back to me Instead of leavin’ But if Wishes were horses, I’d have a ranch Come on and give me another chance. The pace of the song and Williams's determined delivery strike directly into the heart. It’s a majestic, bittersweet song. Williams suffered a stroke a couple of years ago that left her unable to play guitar. However, her voice and songwriting ability remains beautifully intact. Williams has had something of a late career revival over the past few months. She has released a new memoir, Don’t Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You, which the Wall Street Journal calls “bracingly candid.” The book chronicles her traumatic childhood in the Deep South, her years of being overlooked and misunderstood by the music industry, and her mother’s s e v e re m e n t a l i l l n e s s . Williams also talks about her long-held attraction to the type of man she describes as “poets on motorcycles.” While this led to a tumultuous love life, it also helped provide the grist for many of her greatest songs. As if writing a book wasn’t enough, Williams also has a new album called Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart. The two cuts from the album I’ve heard at the time of writing this column are instant classics. The lead single is “New York Comeback,” a ballsy, Phil Spectorish duet with Bruce Springsteen. Then there is “Stolen Moments,” a breezy road song that chronicles memories Williams has of her friend—and Lucinda superfan—Tom Petty. The song is a killer and deserves a Grammy. Do yourself a favour and explore Lucinda Williams’s catalogue. It is time well spent.

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Doni Song

Music

Brandy Kenna

Finding Silver Linings Thunder Bay Rapper B The Wiz Telling Positive Stories By Jason Wellwood

randon Rodeghiero, known professionally as B The Wiz, will never be accused of lacking positivity or enthusiasm. After just a few minutes with the local rapper, you can tell how much he loves life and all it has given him. The enthusiasm is contagious and you’ll soon find yourself just as excited about the evolving perception of hip hop—not just in Thunder Bay, but around the world. “I love that there are so many opportunities for hip

hop to grow in a positive light now. It’s changed so much in the 10 years I’ve been creating music,” he says. Rodeghiero has been helping change that perception himself—not just with his music, but also by bringing up-and-coming artists, or those new to the city, to people’s attention. In fact, this year he was asked to put together the hip hop spotlight for the Maamawe Festival on June 24. “I may not have been putting out music consistently for the last 10 years, but I have

been talking about hip hop, showing people the positive storytelling that is happening,” he says. That lack of consistency in music releases changes this year, however. B The Wiz, with the help of (now) Torontobased producer Jah The Prophet, has been releasing a new song every month as part of his Humility Over Everything project, beginning with the track “Wake Up” in May and followed by “Meditation” in June. “Passion” and “In My

Head” will follow over the course of the summer. He’ll be taking the songs on the road with him when he heads to Kenora and Winnipeg to open for Canadian hip hop legend Choclair and NK47. B The Wiz is, unsurprisingly, excited to bring his stories of life, finding silver linings, and overall positivity to the world. “I love hearing who listens and having my stories resonate with other people. That’s what it’s all about,” he says.

New (and back catalogue) B The Wiz tracks can be found on all major streaming sites. For more information, find him on Facebook at facebook.com/ BTheWiz807.

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Music

The War on Drugs Philly Rockers Visit Thunder Bay This Month

Story by Kris Ketonen, Photo by Jimmy Fontaine

ringing their textured, layered sound from the recording studio to the stage provides an interesting challenge for the members of The War on Drugs. “Part of the fun process of the live show is kind of getting to the root of ‘what makes this song a song?’” drummer Charlie Hall says during a recent phone interview with The Walleye from Barcelona, prior to a show. “What do we need to do to get this song across in a way that's natural and not just trying to recreate the record, making sure that you hit those marks of […] whatever things are important? Obviously the riffs and the melodies and things like that, but sonically, figuring out what’s important or where can we change it up, and where can we sort of play the song differently and have it feel like it's moving.” It’s been nearly two decades since The War on Drugs formed in Philadelphia; the current lineup also includes Adam Granduciel, David Hartley, Robbie Bennett, Jon Natchez, Anthony LaMarca, and Eliza Hardy Jones. They’ve since

released five studio albums, two EPs, and one live album. It has been, however, nearly two years since their most recent studio album, 2021’s I Don’t Live Here Anymore, was released. And, while Hall says they’re always working on new music, when exactly fans can expect another release is a bit up in the air. “I think everyone's just always continually working and writing, and working on the live show and that kind of thing,” Hall says. “As far as when something new will come out, that's the unknown, but certainly always working at it.” In the meantime, Thunder Bay fans will get a chance to see the band live this month. “They can expect to get sort of taken away for a couple hours,” Hall says. “The band is pretty locked-in, I think.” The War on Drugs plays the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium on July 10; Montreal country/folk singer Shaina Hayes opens. For more information, visit thewarondrugs.net.

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Music

The Scott van Teeffelen Band performing at Thunder Pride 2019

Diversity is Key

Scott van Teeffelen on Performing and New Music By Jason Wellwood

“A

s a musician, diversity is key—pigeonholing is not a good thing,” says Scott van Teeffelen. The Thunder Bay musician definitely knows what he’s talking about, having gone through phases of synthpop, classic rock, and country over the course of his career. Prior to the pandemic, The Scott van Teeffelen Band was busy, opening for country artists at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium and playing events such as what is now known as Country on the Bay, and Thunder Pride.

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COVID put a lot of that on hold, and for many artists, that would have been (and was) the end of the creativity and drive to perform. For van Teeffelen, however, it gave him some time to step back from country music and rejuvenate a little. Joining in with some friends on more classic rockbased recording projects gave him a bit more perspective on his own music. He had become frustrated with the starting and stopping of work on follow-up material to his 2004 North album, and then during a studio move, about

four years worth of songs were lost after a hard drive crash. Retooling and reworking those songs while also playing the harder rock covers has given the new music a twist. “It’s almost more southern rock-infused,” he says. A new song from The Scott van Teeffelen Band was released on streaming sites in March, called “Make His Dream My Own.” He also had time to ruminate on music in general and found he was a little dismayed. “Music shouldn’t be about competition. It should

be about getting on stage and celebrating the beautiful art that you are making,” he says. “It shouldn’t matter what one person on a television show has to say about you, there are no real metrics for what is good. It’s not like a sport.” Van Teeffelen will be getting on stage sooner than later to celebrate his art—in addition to The Scott van Teeffelen Band, he also plays in local band Toxic Neighbour and summer 2024 will see the debut of his newest band, Acid Flashback.

“Music shouldn’t be about competition. It should be about getting on stage and celebrating the beautiful art that you are making.” Check out The Scott van Teeffelen Band’s most recent single on YouTube and other streaming sites. They’re also on Facebook at facebook.com/ countrymusicthatrocks.

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OfftheWall

Reviews

The Great Sea

Hide Your Light

In Between Dub

Nadjiwan’s latest album, The Great Sea, was inspired by his rediscovery of the landscapes of his hometown of Thunder Bay and the North Shore of Lake Superior. The main musical pieces of the album were also assembled at the Chippewa Park Pavilion before being taken back to Toronto, where he now lives, for its final polish. A follow up to his 2022 EP Resurgence, The Great Sea is a truly personal glimpse into the spirit of Nadjiwan’s music as he shares his love of the region through organ-infused folk-rock as well as more traditional sounds (Nadjiwan is a member of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation and has family in Atikameksheng Anishnawbek, near Sudbury). “Land of Skoden” and “North of Superior” are sure to be favourites, along with the title track, but the entire work is rich with the spirit of the northern shores of Lake Superior.

I could listen to Andy Maize and Josh Finlayson harmonize until the cows come home—they are amazing singers. The two musicians are the heart and soul of the Toronto band Skydiggers. The group has been recording their unique blend of folk, roots, and country rock for over 30 years, and have just released a new EP called Hide Your Light. For the most part, the new songs continue that same musical format with the exception of added horns and strings on a couple of tunes. The songwriting is exceptional. Love, loss, and hope sum up the themes. The song “Wednesday” is especially poignant. The production and mix are top notch, and Maize and Finlayson’s vocals are like a good red wine, aged and full bodied. Favourite songs include the previously mentioned “Wednesday” and the bluesy “Muscle Cars & Sissy Bars” that features some killer organ and guitar. Check out Skydiggers on Facebook for a couple of acoustic versions from the new EP.

Jack Johnson is the ultimate multihyphenate: he’s a Hawaiian pro surfer turned universally adored indie-folk singer-songwriter and critically acclaimed filmmaker. And if you thought it was impossible for Johnson to be any more chill, think again. Johnson has just released In Between Dub, a reggae remix album featuring “dubs” of some of his most iconic songs. In Between Dub is a play on the singersongwriter’s third and best-selling album, In Between Dreams, and features an impressive lineup of legendary reggae artists. The late Lee “Scratch” Perry (who helped to originally conceive of the album with Johnson) works his magic on opening track “Traffic in the Sky” and “Times Like These.” Other contributors include Nightmares on Wax, Subatomic Sound System, and Dennis Bovell. While the album is definitely a departure from his classic soft guitar and melodic vocals, fans of Johnson can enjoy his classic tracks with a new twist. Ultimately, In Between Dub is a great addition to your collection of summer jams to just chill out to.

Nadjiwan

-Jamie Varga

Skydiggers

-Gerald Graham

Jack Johnson

-Kelsey Raynard

Weathervanes

Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit

Though Jason Isbell has been fronting the 400 Unit since 2017’s The Nashville Sound following his two solo efforts, there’s really no template to their albums. They do have a sound—an easy blend of country, bluegrass, rockabilly, folk, and rock—but Isbell’s curiosity as a lyricist bends your interest with every song. This time around, he’s feeling uneasy. Not unsure, mind you, as Isbell and his heavy-hitting band are too good at what they do, but there’s tension to these 13 songs. Like a lot of Isbell’s songs, fighting opener “Death Wish” is working on several levels, interrogating society, his past, and the larger communities he’s part of, as well as applying some instant ear-worm lyrics to a driving rhythm. This is what we like about Isbell; it’s who he’s built himself to be through the stories and mythology. Weathervanes offers a few of these songs, with “Middle of the Morning” and “If You Insist” being particularly cutting examples of the distance between how we want to live and how we end up living. The 400 Unit know when to hang back and simply punch out a melody, like on southernfried “Strawberry Woman,” but also when to kick into a higher gear, such as on the guitar-driven epics “This Ain’t It” and “Miles.” Being uneasy as an artist is a good thing—complacency doesn’t lead to interesting art. Isbell must know that because once again, he’s put everything on display. -Justin Allec

Paddle Superior Waters Tbay to the Soo

Naturally Superior Adventures On Superior near Wawa naturallysuperior.com 88

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The Age of Pleasure

You Didn’t See Nothin

Rose Addams

Janelle Monáe has long been waging a war against mainstream sensibilities with power pop unlike any other. Her fourth album comes at a time when that war has been won. From the first hit of horns on the opener, “Float,” Monáe sets the scene of a world of Afro-rhythms, celebration, and sensuality. Monáe and her team sound futuristic as always, but rather than the electroleaning sound of Monáe’s past work, The Age of Pleasure feels like the islands with its blend of dancehall, Caribbean rhythms, and amapiano. The star of the show is still Monáe, who asserts that she’s changed on the album’s opener. For the first time in her career, she takes a backseat to let the vibes, collaborators, and producers coat her vocals with colour. As a result, The Age of Pleasure doesn’t take listeners on the same type of adventure as her prior albums. But for Monáe, who's been in the spotlight as a prominent Black entertainer for nearly 20 years, a record that’s as liberating and danceable as this one is simply beautiful.

On March 21, 1997, Lenard Clark and a friend rode their bikes to a gas station to fix a flat tire; it was there that Clark, who is Black, was severely beaten into a coma by three white teens. Never fully recovering, Clark was left with extensive brain damage. Lacour, who was in his early 20s at the time, was forever changed by this crime and recently decided to revisit it, as the story seemed to have gotten lost in the everswirling media cyclone. He tracked down key players, dug up archived audio, and arranged for new interviews that brought forth a fresh perspective. This podcast is an emotional journey for justice that exposes the power of money and stresses the importance of racial healing. Despite happening over 25 years ago, You Didn’t See Nothin makes the heinous crime against Lenard Clark feel like the present time, and reminds us of how far we have yet to come. It is both a memoir and an investigation, deeply personal and beautifully narrated.

Rose Addams is a Canadian everywoman: readily recognizable, easy to engage with, sympathetic, and empathetic. She lives in Vancouver with her husband Charles, a university professor. They have two adult children—a son Jason, who is a lawyer, and a daughter, Morgan, who lives in Toronto and is planning an end-of-theyear wedding with her fiancé Ian. Rose works in a library, in management. The novel begins with Rose navigating her way out of a crowded parking lot, en route to home. Getting home might be a larger metaphor for this richly layered journey story. Margie Taylor effectively juggles about a dozen characters, divulging secrets in their relationships and surprises in their everyday lives. The gift in Taylor’s writing is that we come to care about these people and eagerly want to know what will happen to them. Things begin to get complicated when the characters all sit down to Thanksgiving dinner at Rose and Charles’s home. Taylor was born and raised in Fort William, graduated from Lakehead University, and went on to become the first female on-air host and journalist at CBC Thunder Bay. Rose Addams is her fourth novel. It is a quiet masterpiece.

Janelle Monáe

Yohance Lacour

-Andrea Lysenko

-Michael Charlebois

Margie Taylor

A Year Full of Celebrations and Festivals Claire Grace

Travel around the world and visit countless unique events and festivals with Claire Grace’s A Year Full of Celebrations and Festivals. Colourfully illustrated by Christopher Corr, this children’s title will take your kids to the spring International Kite Festival in Gujarat, India, the many summer music and food festivals across North America, and the winter Festival of the Dancing Masks in West Africa. There will be detours along the way as you explore other celebrations from across the globe. Rich with facts and illustrations, this title is a diverse, informative, and fun choice for the whole family to enjoy. The only downside for kids may be its size and length. However, it’s the perfect book for children to dip in and out of during reading times or before bed. It’s easy to give this eyecatching title a perfect score. -Samantha Convey

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Lois Nuttall

Architecture

 View from the lantern room’s outside gallery, showing the lighthouse keeper’s house  The lighthouse lit up under the stars

Porphyry Island Lighthouse By Jennifer Bonazzo

Lois Nuttall

n July 1, 1873, Donald Ross stood in the newly built Porphyry Island Lighthouse and lit the lantern for the first time, sending a solid white beam of light across the cold waters of Lake Superior. He was the first lighthouse keeper, one of many who would take on the role. Although that building looked very different from the one that stands there today, both are important to understanding the history of those lighthouses that have been there for the past 150 years.

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ocated over 40 kilometres east of Thunder Bay, Porphyry Island is most accessible from the harbour at Silver Islet. The lighthouse is on the Black Bay Peninsula and was one of three built around this time, the other two being on Michipicoten Island, at a cost of nearly $7,000 from funds raised by the government. This original structure stood 36 feet tall and was made of wood—painted white, of course, to be visible during the day. Designed in a “wedding cake” style, the bottom level was the residence for the

lightkeeper and his family in the form of a rectangle, above which was a second, slightly smaller square. The third level was an octagon topped with the lantern room with a viewing gallery around it. When 87 years of wear necessitated a new lighthouse be built, the original one was demolished in 1960 to make way for the new structure that is recognizable today. Anyone comparing the new lighthouse to the old one will see a dramatic difference in both the architectural style and the materials used. Built in a

Jennifer Bonazzo is a member of 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 thunderbay.ca/en/cityhall/heritage-in-thunderbay.aspx.

Lois Nuttall

Architecture

 Porphyry Island Lighthouse  The entrance to the lighthouse

Lois Nuttall

under the supervision of Robert Dasey are building a scale model of the original lighthouse and its architectural design. Working from photographs provided by CLLS, they have created a replica that stands approximately 14 feet high, learning about the cedar shake roof, how to protect the building, and discussing successes and hitches along the way. This remarkable collaboration will be revealed to the public on July 1, so if you haven’t yet made the trip to discover Porphyry Island, this might be the time.

 Another image of the original lighthouse structure, photo undated

McKay Family Collection, courtesy of CLLS

 A colourized photo of the original lighthouse structure from 1932

 Standing on the lighthouse’s lantern room gallery

McKay Family Collection, courtesy of CLLS

 Bedrooms in the lighthouse keeper’s house (built c. 1950), now a guest house

Lois Nuttall

Bonnie Schiedel

skeletal pyramid, the 80-foot tower is made of galvanized steel, with its design and material selected for durability. On the tower’s south side are boards known as “daymarkers,” so it is still visible in daylight. According to Paul Morralee, managing director of Canadian Lighthouses of Lake Superior (CLLS), Porphyry’s new style showed the practicality of the decade, and was consistent with other lighthouses, with both Angus and Welcome Islands having steel towers as well. Members of a crew from the Canadian Coast Guard stationed on the Alexander Henry were the builders, constructing not only the tower but also the helipad. Lighthouse keepers would continue to live on the island, using a number of outbuildings, until the lighthouse became automated in 1989. It has been 150 years since Ross first lit the lantern in the original lighthouse, and that occasion will now be marked in a significant way. Sixteen woodworking students from Hammarskjold High School

The Walleye

JulyEventsGuide July 1, 11 am

Canada Day Fort William Historical Park

Come explore the Anishinaabe encampment and Fort William Historical Park to learn about and celebrate our nation’s diverse heritage, and celebrate Canada’s birthday.

fwhp.ca

July 1, 3 pm

Canada Day Marina Park

A culturally informed Canada Day, including food vendors, community groups, artisans and programming, a sacred fire, along with an educational display by Nishnawbe Aski Nation. Opening ceremonies start at 5 pm on the main stage. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

thunderbay.ca

July 1 & 2, 1 pm

Fort William First Nation Pow Wow

Anemki Wajiw (Mount McKay) Pow Wow Grounds Come out for a fun, familyfriendly, and communitybased celebration at Fort William First Nation’s annual community pow wow. Grand Entries at 1 and 7 pm on July 1, and at 1 pm July 2. Feast at 5 pm July 1. See this month’s Cover Story for more info.

fwfn.com

July 2, 11 am

Sunday Brunch

Red Lion Smokehouse The Red Lion’s monthly Sunday brunch is back! They’ll be poaching eggs and mixing beer-y cocktails from 11 am to 2 pm. Book to secure your spot by calling (807) 286-0045.

EVENTS GUIDE KEY General Art Food Sports Music Theatre

July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 10 am

July 4, 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 27, 29

July 5–7, 7 pm

Marina Park Skatepark (or Cinema 5 Skatepark in case of rain)

Marina Park International Tai Chi Park

Paramount Theatre

Sunday Skates

The Female Boarder Collective is back at the Marina Park Skatepark until September. Lessons run from 10 am to 11 am, with an open skate from 11 am to 1 pm. Open to anyone who identifies as female and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. $5 donation to join and free gear to use.

femaleboardercollective.ca

July 4, 2:30 pm

Puppet Show: The Frog Prince Waverley Resource Library

A spoiled princess reluctantly befriends a frog in exchange for retrieving her lost golden ball from a pond. Watch this hilarious story unfold as the princess discovers she receives more than she bargained for.

tbpl.ca

July 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26, 9 am

Pierogi Days

Everyone is welcome to join Master Peng You Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the summer for an hour of relaxing exercise, fresh air, and social interaction at the International Tai Chi Park. Tuesday sessions 7–8 pm, Thursday sessions 7:30– 8:30 am.

pengyou-taiji.ca

July 4, 11, 18, 25, 5 pm

Yoga by the Lake Boulevard Lake

Join Leanne Wierzbicki for drop-in style, outdoor, weekly, all-levels gentle Hatha yoga. Open to all levels and abilities. Meet at Boulevard Lake in front of the parking lot across from Rita Street on Lyon Boulevard East (restrooms are also located there). Pay what you can ($5–$20).

facebook.com/ BreatheLiveBelieve

July 4 & 18, 5:30 pm

Fresh Air Trail Run Kamview Nordic Centre

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

807-345-1861

Tai Chi in the Park

Run the trails at one of Thunder Bay’s premier crosscountry skiing sites. In-person registration will take place at the stadium from 5:30 to 6 pm. Short and long courses. Mass-start race starts at 6:30 pm. $10 per participant (to a max of $30 per immediate family). Kids fun run at the end with treats for all participants. Chalet will not be open.

tbnordictrails.com

tbaytel.net/fibre

The The Walleye Walleye

July 5, 12, 19, 26, 7:30 pm

Trivia Night The Foundry

performing arts, 15+ artists, fire spinning, wearable art, flamenco and bhangra world dance, live music, artist talks, volunteer appreciation draws, summer refreshments, and exquisite birthday cupcakes. Exhibitions run until August 5 (Tuesday–Saturday, noon–6 pm). By donation, all ages, accessible.

An adaptation of the 2004 cult classic film Mean Girls performed by the young cast of Paramount Live. Directed by Amanda Commisso and Tegin Menei. Tickets are $20+. See this month’s Film & Theatre section for more info.

Weekly trivia nights continue at The Foundry. There is a new topic each week, and there are fun, local prizes to be won. Registration starts at 7:30 pm, games start at 8 pm.

paramountlive. eventbrite.com

Mama’s Country Record Collection

Music and Dancing

Written by Magnus Theatre artistic director Thom Currie, this jukebox musical is about a woman visiting home to help her dad clean out the basement after the death of her mother. See this month’s Film & Theatre section for more info.

The Polish Combatants’ Association Branch No 1’s Bar Polonia has live music and dancing every Friday. Cover is $7. Everyone is welcome.

July 5, 12, 19, 26, 11 am

Lil Wednesdays Goods & Co.

Every Wednesday, the market will be transformed into a fun, free space for you to bring your little ones. Expect play areas, crafts, special kids meals on offer, and soft crawl areas for your extra tiny ones.

facebook.com/ goodscomarket

July 5, 12, 19, 26, 2 pm

Babies & Brews

Red Lion Smokehouse Connect with new moms and dads in the Red Lion Smokehouse Lounge. Nursing is welcome and both washrooms include changing facilities.

@redlionsmokehouse

July 5, 12, 19, 26, 6:30 pm

Wednesday Night Races Thunder City Speedway

Start your engines! A full season of racing continues at the Thunder City Speedway. There will be weekly racing events on Wednesdays featuring many classes of vehicles. Schedule subject to change.

thundercityspeedway.ca

@redlionsmokehouse

2 92

Mean Girls: The Musical

facebook.com/foundrytbay

definitelysuperior.com

July 6–29

July 7, 14, 21, 28, 8 pm

Magnus Theatre

Bar Polonia

magnustheatre.com

July 7, 7–11 pm

Gala Opening, 35th Anniversary & Appreciation Party Definitely Superior Art Gallery

Join Definitely Superior Art Gallery for a gala opening/35th anniversary/ appreciation party celebrating the opening of two new exhibitions. The 35th Anniversary Definitely Superior Art Gallery Members Exhibition is a diverse annual exhibition of the best and most vibrant eclectic/ experimental multidisciplinary contemporary regional art, by 125+ new generation, emerging, and established professional artists. The Connor McMahon solo exhibition features visual art and two short films, Cradle Moon and The Axe/ Man by the emerging multidisciplinary artist, combining elements of the psychedelic, surreal, absurd, and gothic. The party features a ferocity of

807-345-1861

July 8, 6 pm

CWE Live In Thunder Bay

Crickets at the Old Odeon Theatre Experience a night of professional wrestling featuring former WWE star “The Masterpiece” Chris Masters. VIP meet & greet at 6 pm, doors open at 6:30 pm, bell time 7 pm. General admission is $23 in advance, $26 at the door.

cwetickets.com

July 8–16

Fort William Historical Park’s 50th Anniversary Rendezvous Fort William Historical Park

Enjoy over a week of programming, workshops, activities, crafts, food, music, re-enactments, and more. Each day will have a different theme, culminating with the Great Rendezvous Reenactment from July 13 to 16. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

fwhp.ca

July 9, 2 pm

July 13, 6 pm

Red Lion Smokehouse

Carlito’s Cafe

Stitch & Bitch Crafters Meet-Up Knit, crochet, cross-stitch, embroidery—whatever your needle craft, get together to compare patterns, share techniques, and trade tips with others. All experience levels welcome.

@redlionsmokehouse

July 9, 4 pm

Community Clean Up

Kaministiquia River Heritage Park Meet at the entrance to the Kam River Heritage Park off Simpson Street. Volunteers will proceed to clean up the surrounding area, and haul away trash for tent city tenants to help them in their time of crisis. PPE and safety briefing provided.

facebook.com/ StandUp4CleanUp

July 11, noon

Teddy Bears Picnic Vickers Park

Children, parents, and teddy bears are invited to the annual Teddy Bears Picnic to enjoy an afternoon of free crafts, activities, and entertainment. The “Boo Boo Bear” station will also be returning, led by the Lakehead Nurse PractitionerLed Clinic. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

thunderbay.ca

July 12, 8 pm

Joe Avati: When I Was Your Age World Tour Da Vinci Centre

In his latest show, Joe Avati compares the “then versus now” generational differences of today’s children against his own, the complexities of modern-day parenting compared to the strict upbringing of yesteryear. Tickets are $85. The show is all ages.

davincicentrethunderbay. com

July 13, 9 am

Our Kids Count Golf Tournament Whitewater Golf Club

Come celebrate 25 years of Our Kids Count at the organization’s golf tournament. Registration for teams is $1,000. Proceeds go to Big Brothers Big Sisters.

ourkidscount.ca

Queer Coffee Nights Join Thunder Pride for Queer Coffee Nights every second Thursday of the month at Carlito’s Cafe on Simpson Street.

thunderpride.ca

July 13–16

Lutsong Music Festival Lutsen, Minn.

Twenty acts are scheduled to play during the fourday weekend at Caribou Highlands Lodge and the North Shore Winery, plus a vendor village, bronze metal pour, food, and beverages. Tickets are USD$80 in advance for four days; single-day tickets are USD$45. Online ticket sales end 11:59 pm CT on July 13, then tickets are USD$90 for the festival, and USD$45 single-day.

lutsongmusicfestival.com

July 14, 8 pm

Kickin’ It Country Kick-off Party Shooter’s Tavern

Get ready for Country on the Bay and dust off those dance moves. Kickin’ It Country with Lady T has been practicing their favourite line dances to bust out at the concert, and they want to show off their hard work. Come dance and learn from the pros! $5 at the door, 19+.

Kickin’ It Country with Lady T on Facebook

July 14 & 15, 4 pm

BrewHa Festival Marina Park

BrewHa is back for another year. Now under the ownership of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce, it aims to further spotlight and engage local and regional culinary and brewing offerings. Tickets are $35 + taxes and fees. The event is 19+. See this month’s Cover Story for more info.

$20, $15 for youth under 12, and $10 for Confederation students. See this month’s Film & Theatre section for more info.

Until July 16

July 26, 8 pm

July 30, 10 am

facebook.com/ ConfedPerformingArts

Thunder Bay Art Gallery

On The Links

Various

July 14–27

Simmering... Developing a Hybrid Craft Practice Alongside Documentary Dyeing Co.Lab Gallery & Arts Centre

This exhibition features the work of textile artist Tuija Hansen, who specializes in plant-dyed weaving. It opens on July 14 with a reception from 6 to 9 pm. See this month’s Art section for more info.

colabgallery.ca

July 15, 9 am

Beauty and the Beast Thunder Bay Various

Get ready for a twisted take on a classic tale, as this brand new Beauty and the Beast experience hits the streets of Thunder Bay. Based on the original 18th-century fairy tale, this outdoor adventure combines the challenge of an escape room with the excitement of an interactive scavenger hunt.

facebook.com/CluedUpp

July 15, 8 pm

Thunder Bay’s Next Drag Superstar Wild Thyme

Drag performers will be presented with different challenges to showcase their talents, with the hope of making it to the end to become Thunder Bay’s First Drag Superstar and a chance to win the grand prize of $2,000, plus bragging rights. Tickets are $5 at the door. The show is 19+.

brewhafestival.com

facebook.com/ PinkMafiaProductions

July 14 & 15, 7 pm

July 15, 9 pm

The Entirely Untrue Tales of Sherwood Forest Confederation College Campus

Written, directed, and starring members of the Confederation College Performing Arts Club, this take on Robin Hood will move throughout the college campus, with the audience following along. Tickets are

Bottoms Up Drag Show ft Seymour Bottoms Black Pirates Pub

Come out for an evening of drag, featuring international drag and cabaret queer artist Seymour Bottoms. Tickets are $15 + fees in advance, $20 at the door. The show is 19+.

facebook.com/ BlackPiratesPub

Neechee Studio Presents: Oh, My Creator! Neechee Studio is celebrating their ten-year anniversary with a juried art exhibition of 25 Indigenous artists. Neechee is geared to help young people aged 16 to 29 by introducing them to monthly art workshops. Suggested $5 donation at the door. See this month’s Art section for more info.

theag.ca

July 19 & 26, 6 pm

Live on the Waterfront Marina Park

Come down for a variety of local and out-of-town musical artists. The lineup is TBA. Sponsored by Ontario Power Generation, Live on the Waterfront concerts are free to attend and all are welcome. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

Eric Johnston: Unstopabull Comedy Tour Campfire Comedy presents Eric Johnston on his North American tour. Buckle up for some high-energy fun. Johnston is an actor, emcee, and comedian from Hamilton. Tickets are $25. The show is 16+.

facebook.com/ OnTheLinksTbay

July 26–30

Alex the Artist

Thunder Bay Art Gallery Superior Theatre Festival, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, and Applauze Productions are producing the world premiere of a new musical by Alycia Novak. Showtimes are 10 am and 7 pm from July 26–28 and 2 pm on July 29 and 30. Tickets are $10 for ages 10 and under, and $20 for ages 11+. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

thunderbay.ca

superiortheatrefestival.com

July 21–23

July 28–30

Country on the Bay

Summer Arts Retreat

Come out for a fun weekend of country music, featuring Brothers Osborne, Walker Hayes, Dean Brody, and more. Tickets are $99 for a day pass, $209 for a weekend pass. See this month’s Cover Story for more info.

countryonthebay.ca

Learn a new skill while having an enjoyable and productive arts experience in a remote, scenic environment. The summer arts retreat takes place at various locations in and around Rossport. You will learn how to start a sketch, paint, craft, and incorporate literary work through to the finished product.

July 22 & 23, 3 pm

tracybarry.ca

Fort William Historical Park

Festival of India and Festival of Colours Marina Park

Join in for the annual Festival of India on July 22 and enjoy time with family and friends. The festival includes an extraordinary lineup of musicians, singers, and dancers, as well as a delicious free feast for all. The Festival of Colours takes place on July 23. These events are all ages.

indianfestival.ca and festivalofcolours.ca

July 23, 11 am

Mid-Summer Keepsakes Craft Market The Westfort

A monthly craft market featuring baking tables and craft tables in Thunder Bay’s Westfort neighbourhood.

Shedden Keepsakes on Facebook

Rossport

July 29 & 30, 10 am

Buskers Festival Bay & Algoma Neighbourhood

A two-day street festival in Thunder Bay’s historic Bay & Algoma neighbourhood featuring talented buskers, performers, food vendors, and crafters. See this month’s Cover Story for more info.

facebook.com/tbaybuskers

July 29–August 16

Boreal Brushstrokes Exhibition Co.Lab Gallery & Arts Centre

Thunder Bay Art Gallery Garden Tour Enjoy the sights and scents of six private gardens and one public one (Willow Springs Creative Centre) on this year’s garden tour. Tickets are $25 until July 20, $30 after, and can be purchased at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Landale Gardens, and Vaillant Florist. See this month’s City Scene for more info.

theag.ca

Until September 17

Wiigwas Manidoog Descendants

Thunder Bay Art Gallery The first solo exhibition of works by artist Helen Pelletier. Her etched baskets, objects, garments, and accessories express her relationship with wiigwas, or birchbark, and reflect the love she feels for the land.

theag.ca

Until September 17

Ziibaaska’iganagoodayan – The Jingle Dress

Thunder Bay Art Gallery The Thunder Bay Art Gallery celebrates a major acquisition of 11 paintings by local artist Christian Chapman. This exhibition is a stunning collection of Chapman’s signature popart style paintings depicting Anishinaabe women. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

theag.ca

Until September 25

Behind Racism: Challenging the Way We Think

Thunder Bay Museum This travelling exhibition shows how the mental processes that help us think and act quickly can lead to racism and discrimination, and examines racism in Canada, encouraging visitors to recognize bias, challenge discrimination, and appreciate our differences. Pay what you can.

thunderbaymuseum.com

Featuring the paintings of Sue Lewis, Anne Winkworth, and Nicole Sutherland, Boreal Brushstrokes is a celebration of the nature that surrounds us. Opening night gala on July 29, 6–9 pm. See this month’s Art section for more info.

colabgallery.ca

The The Walleye Walleye

3 93

JulyMusicGuide July 1

Crossroad Music Saturdays Crossroad Music

1 pm • No Cover • AA

Codd Dubz: Finesse the World Tour Atmos

9 pm • $15+ • 19+

BPP Canada Day Bash ft Hopeless Ghost + more Black Pirates Pub 9 pm • $10 • 19+

Blvcksheep w/ Evan Woods The Foundry

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Saturday Night Remix ft DJ Mo NV Music Hall

10 pm • $5 • 19+

July 2

Open Jam

Branch 5 Legion 8 pm • No Cover • AA

July 3

Open Mic

Howl at the Moon 8 pm • No Cover • 19+

KT Tunstall

Macgillivray Pipe Band Hillcrest Concert Series

Simply The Best: The Tina Turner Tribute Show

10 pm • $5 • 19+

7:30 pm • No Cover • AA

7:30 pm • $67+ • AA

Atmos

Karaoke

July 16

Open Decks

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

Karaoke

Branch 1 Polish Hall 8 pm • No Cover • 19+

July 7

Jazz & Old Fashioned Fridays ft Mood Indigo Anchor & Ore

6 pm • No Cover • 19+

Barely Alive: Feel the Panic Tour Atmos

9 pm • $30 • 19+

VHS Album Release Party Black Pirates Pub 9 pm • $10 • 19+

Mother of Wolves The Foundry

The Foundry 10 pm • No Cover • 19+

July 12

Evan James Redsky w/ Nick Sherman Sleeping Giant Brewing Co.

7 pm • $15 • 19+

Danny Johnson’s Piano Bar Shooter’s Tavern

Karaoke

Branch 5 Legion 7 pm • No Cover • 19+

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Open Stage

July 8

7 pm • No Cover • AA

Crossroad Music Saturdays Crossroad Music

Lakehead Beer Co.

Macgillivray Pipe Band Hillcrest Concert Series Hillcrest Park

7:30 pm • $53+ • AA

The Foundry

Open Decks

Blood Red Moon 10 pm • $5 • 19+

7:30 pm • No Cover • AA

Atmos

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

Karaoke

Saturday Night Remix ft DJ Mo

Branch 1 Polish Hall

10 pm • No Cover • 19+

NV Music Hall

10 pm • $5 • 19+

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

The Gin Tonics

July 5

Matt Sellick

Goods & Co. Market 7 pm • $25+ • AA

Dead Eye Tour ft Tunic & XL Atmos

10 pm • $15+ • 19+

Karaoke

The Social

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

July 14

Jazz & Old Fashioned Fridays ft Mood Indigo

Danny Johnson’s Piano Bar

July 9

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

8 pm • No Cover • AA

Anchor & Ore

July 10

Femur & Friends

Shooter’s Tavern

Open Mic

The Foundry 9 pm • No Cover • 19+

Open Jam

Branch 5 Legion

Open Mic

Howl at the Moon

July 6

Summer in the Parking Lot Da Vinci Centre 6 pm • $5 • AA

Karaoke

Branch 5 Legion 7 pm • No Cover • 19+

Open Mic

Lakehead Beer Co. 7 pm • No Cover • AA

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

The War on Drugs

Thunder Bay Community Auditorium 8 pm • $60+ • AA

Sea Shanty The Foundry

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

July 11

Surf & Turf Tuesdays ft Mood Indigo Anchor & Ore

6 pm • No Cover • 19+

4 94

The The Walleye Walleye

Open Mic

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

9 pm • $10 • 19+

July 18

The Foundry

July 17

Howl at the Moon

Surf & Turf Tuesdays ft Mood Indigo 6 pm • No Cover • 19+

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Karaoke

Branch 1 Polish Hall 8 pm • No Cover • 19+

July 28

Jazz & Old Fashioned Fridays ft Mood Indigo Anchor & Ore

6 pm • No Cover • 19+

Mixtape

The Foundry

Branch 5 Legion

Danny Johnson’s Piano Bar Shooter’s Tavern

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

Open Mic

The Foundry 9 pm • No Cover • 19+

July 20

Summer in the Parking Lot Da Vinci Centre

Open Jam

8 pm • No Cover • AA

Crossroad Music

1 pm • No Cover • AA

Lost Nebula (Mexico)

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

9 pm • $15 • 19+

Black Pirates Pub

The Foundry

The Sadies w/ Cartwrights 8 pm • $20+ • 19+

Open Mic

Howl at the Moon 8 pm • No Cover • 19+

Branch 5 Legion

July 25

Karaoke

Crossroad Music Saturdays

Sea Shanty

July 24

6 pm • $5 • AA

Black Pirates Pub

Californication: RHCP Tribute 10 pm • $5 • 19+

Saturday Night Remix ft DJ Mo NV Music Hall

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Open Stage

Surf & Turf Tuesdays ft Mood Indigo

July 30

7 pm • No Cover • AA

6 pm • No Cover • 19+

8 pm • No Cover • AA

7 pm • No Cover • 19+

Lakehead Beer Co.

Macgillivray Pipe Band Hillcrest Concert Series Hillcrest Park

7:30 pm • No Cover • AA

Open Decks

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

The Foundry

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

July 19

Ethereal Tomb

The Selfies

NV Music Hall

Atmos

July 29

9 pm • $10 • 19+

1 pm • No Cover • AA

Saturday Night Remix ft DJ Mo

Open Decks

July 23

Branch 1 Polish Hall

Crossroad Music

10 pm • $5 • 19+

7:30 pm • No Cover • AA

10 pm • No Cover • 19+

The Foundry

Karaoke

Crossroad Music Saturdays

Rogue

Hillcrest Park

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Black Pirates Pub

July 15

Black Pirates Pub

Macgillivray Pipe Band Hillcrest Concert Series

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Atmos

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Crossroad Music

Hopeless Ghost Album Release Party

6 pm • No Cover • AA

Rogue

July 22

1 pm • No Cover • AA

July 13

6:30 pm • $5+ • AA

10 pm • $5 • 19+

8 pm • No Cover • AA

Branch 5 Legion

Karaoke

Da Vinci Centre

The Foundry

Open Jam

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

Five Alarm Funk

Thunder Gun

Crossroad Music Saturdays

Anchor & Ore

1 pm • Free • AA

The Foundry

NV Music Hall

Thunder Bay Community Auditorium

Hillcrest Park

Thunder Bay Community Auditorium July 4

Saturday Night Remix ft DJ Mo

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

Black Pirates Pub 9 pm • $15 • 19+

July 21

Jazz & Old Fashioned Fridays ft Mood Indigo Anchor & the Ore

6 pm • No Cover • AA

Tumblestone Showcase

Black Pirates Pub 9 pm • $10 • 19+

Anchor & Ore

Karaoke

The Foundry 10 pm • No Cover • 19+

July 26

Open Jam

Branch 5 Legion

The Anchor w/ Along Came a Spider Black Pirates Pub 9 pm • $15 • 19+

Danny Johnson’s Piano Bar

July 31

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

Howl at the Moon

Shooter’s Tavern

Summer in the Parking Lot Da Vinci Centre 6 pm • $5 • AA

July 27

Open Mic

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

Dave East w/ Peter Jackson Canadian Tour NV Music Hall

9 pm • $50+ • 19+

Karaoke

Branch 5 Legion 7 pm • No Cover • 19+

Open Stage

Lakehead Beer Co. 7 pm • No Cover • AA

Brought to you by:

For more info visit tbshows.com

Music

LU RADIO’S MONTHLY TOP 1 Zoon*

Bekka Ma’iingan

Paper Bag

8 Bully Band

Lucky For You

Sub Pop

9 Indigo De Souza

All of This Will End

Saddle Creek

18 Half Moon Run Salt

BMG

19 Beach House Become [EP]

Sub Pop

3 L CON*

The Isolator

Idée Fixe

4 Arlo Parks

My Soft Machine

Transgressive/PIAS

5 PRIORS*

24 Louise Burns* Element

Light Organ

25 boygenius The Record

Interscope

Dead Oceans

Caracol

El Swing Que Yo Tengo

27 B.A. Johnston*

Power Is The Pharmacy

Heart Lake

Keep it locked on 102.7 FM, online streaming at luradio.ca.

26 Alex Cuba*

11 Ky*

Gateway Experience

CILU 102.7fm’s Monthly Charts for this issue reflect airplay for the month ending June 13, 2023.

10 Wednesday Rat Saw God

2 Witch Prophet*

Music

Argos Suck

Constellation

Self-Released

12 Planet Giza*

28 Gord Downie and Bob Rock*

Ready When You Are

Quiet Note

13 Begonia*

Powder Blue

Birthday Cake

14 Vivek Shraya*

Baby, You’re Projecting

Mint

20 Softlung*

Second Chances

Lustre Parfait

Arts & Crafts

Self-Released

21 The New Pornographers*

Continue as a Guest

Merge

22 Bodywash*

Daffodil

I Held the Shape While I Could

Mothland

6 Debby Friday*

Self-Released

GOOD LUCK

29 U.S. Girls*

Bless This Mess

Sub Pop

Royal Mountain

30 Yves Tumor

Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)

15 Tunic

Wrong Dream

Artoffact

16 Feist*

Multitudes

7 FRANKIIE*

Between Dreams

Paper Bag

Polydor/Interscope

17 Joni Void*

Everyday Is The Song

Constellation

Warp

23 Great Lake Swimmers*

Uncertain Country

Fontana North

* Indicates Canadian Content Courtesy earshot-online.com

The Walleye Walleye The

5 95

TattooedYou D TATTOOE U O Y

Coffee Love

Story and photos by Leah Morningstar Tattoo by Vern Allan of Identity Tattoo and Piercing

Jay Stapleton and his tattoo that pays homage to his love of coffee

The Walleye

o n g t i m e re a d e r s o f T h e Wa l l e y e m i g h t remember Jay Stapleton as a local coffee consumer and connoisseur, as well as the owner of Waking Giant Coffee (2014 to 2016). Some have even referred to Stapleton as the nicest coffee snob you’ll ever meet, and he enthusiastically embraces the moniker. You might be under the impression that he was born knowing how to roast and grind beans and make a perfect espresso, but that’s not the case. He didn’t really get interested in coffee until his later teen years. Stapleton remembers trying espresso and cappuccino when he was around 18 years old; his love for good coffee with good beans began brewing from there. It was also around this time that Stapleton began finding a footing in the computer and tech field. His first job was in a dingy basement computer repair shop, where Goods & Co. Market is now. He moved to other computer-related jobs and eventually left Thunder Bay, came back again, left again, and came back, always able to find work in IT and tech. Coffee grabbed his interest again when Stapleton went back to university at age 28. He was hired as the manager for The Study Coffeehouse on the Lakehead campus. That experience was an interesting change from the slower-paced world of IT—a bustling coffee shop where everybody needs their caffeine fix, and they need it quick. After managing The Study and learning more about coffee than he ever anticipated, Stapleton endeavoured to start his own little coffee shop. It was going to be different than repairing computers or setting up networks, but that’s what he wanted: something different. He found equipment and a location on Cumberland Street and secured a space at the

Thunder Bay Country Market as well. After a few years, Stapleton realized that while he loved the work, he needed to go back to the financial stability of a job in IT. He says that “building a coffee shop from the ground up was a great experience, and I learned so much. But I knew I couldn’t keep it going long term: it just wasn’t sustainable for me.” He closed the Cumberland location (it became Hey Sailor Boutique for a while) and handed the market space over to Jamie and Jesse from Rose N Crantz Roasting Co. While he’s no longer a coffee shop owner, people continue to view Stapleton as a coffee aficionado. People ask him what beans to buy and what French press is best. “I enjoy opining about the right way to make a good cup of coffee to anyone who’ll listen,” he says. About seven years ago, Stapleton asked Vern Allan from Identity Tattoo and Piercing to design a sweet and simple tribute to coffee. As you can see on his forearm, it’s a little cup with a frothy heart design. It’s a pretty clear statement: Stapleton loves coffee. Stapleton also loves his family. This month, he and his partner, two teenagers, and two cats will be headed to southern Ontario to begin their next chapter. He’ll miss Thunder Bay and the wonderful people, the amazing local restaurants and, of course, the locally roasted coffee beans. Chances are Stapleton will continue buying beans from Rose N Crantz, but you can bet he’ll be exploring his new city and new neighbourhood, in search of an all new roster of locally owned cafés and roasteries. Best wishes in Windsor, Mr. Stapleton! Come back often, for the good company and the great coffee.

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The Walleye

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Community Seed Saving

Green

Connecting People and Planetary Health

Story by Sarah Siska, Thunder Bay + Area Food Strategy, Photo by Rachel Portinga

ood impacts our health, not only through what we eat, but how we get involved and active in cocreating food systems that work for both people and the planet. Rachel Portinga, a PhD candidate at Lakehead University and coordinator of the Lake Superior Living Labs Network, was involved in a project about community seed saving in the Thunder Bay area. Her biggest insight was that the act of saving seeds has a positive impact on individual and collective health and well-being. Seed saving extends the time of year that you are physically active and engaged with growing. Beyond Thunder Bay’s roughly 90-day growing season, seed savers clean, store, prepare, and trade seeds throughout the winter, extending the time spent engaging with community and food to nearly the entire year. Portinga says that “some folks reported that seed saving helped with their seasonal depression because in February they started thinking about getting together, sharing seeds, planning their gardens, which made them feel more connected with others.”

Growing through the whole cycle from a seed to a plant and then harvesting seeds for next year provides an intimate understanding of where our food comes from (along with the labour required, and our reliance on—and connection to—the natural environment and all living things), extending both the growing season and how and when we engage with food and community. Portinga stresses the importance of foregrounding community in community seed saving, saying that “we tend to think of it as an individual activity, but it happens on a community level. Even if people don’t come together every day, they come together at critical times in the year as part of an essential process.” Supporting urban biodiversity is necessary as we move into a future with overlapping and increasingly severe impacts from the climate crisis. Interest in regionally adapted seeds is growing here in the Thunder Bay area, with the Thunder Bay + Area Food System Report Card recording an 800% increase in these seeds sold locally since 2015. Groups like the Superior Seed Producers, who develop

and maintain public access to regionally adapted seeds, play a key role in protecting biodiversity. To keep up with increasing demand and to further the resilience of our community, we need more people to participate in and experiment with seed saving. While seed saving takes time to learn and do correctly, it is a tangible way to work with (as opposed to against) nature while building capacity for regional food sovereignty— that is, people, especially Indigenous communities, having more control over their food systems. Seed saving will not solve all the world’s problems, but having locally adapted and open-pollinated seeds is an active step we can

take toward building better futures. As Portinga says, “By saving the seeds, people are actively helping them adapt to a changing climate and doing that work can help their mental health, so these things are looped together.” As you tend to your garden this summer, whether it be a full acre, a plot in a community garden, or pots on a balcony, consider how you can start saving seeds. Start simple by letting some beans or peas dry on the vine and work your way toward saving more complicated cross-pollinating seeds like squash and spinach over time. Better yet, find someone to mentor you through the process—seed saving is a continual learning

process, and young folks interested in food security and sovereignty have a lot to learn from those with decades of experience. Seed saving, done right, is an intergenerational community task that will help our regional food system's resilience and both personal and planetary health. For more information on local foods, visit foodsystemreportcard. ca and tbayinseason.ca. For local resources to help you save your own seeds, or to purchase locally adapted seeds, check out Superior Seed Producers at superiorseedproducers. wordpress.com.

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Green

Greener Festivals

By Denise Smith, Rethinking Waste Coordinator, EcoSuperior Festival and event season is here! Large events can get a bad reputation from their litter, waste, and emissions created through energy use and travel, but there are environmentally friendly choices event planners and festival-goers can make to have a fun and green event. There are many options organizers can choose to be more economical as well as eco-friendly. Organizers can go digital with promotion and tickets to cut down on paper. Event-goers can also keep it green by saving information

and tickets digitally instead of printing. Reusable tokens made of recycled materials or plantable wristbands made from seed paper are other alternatives to typical event ticketing. Events can be beautiful without being wasteful. Ditch the balloons, glitter, and plastic confetti, and go for signage without dates and reusable decor that can be saved for future events. If choosing to give out swag, organizers should seek high-quality items that can be used at the event

and beyond, such as fabric bags, mugs, or reusable cutlery kits. Attendees can refuse to take swag that they don’t find useful. Often the largest contributor to an event’s carbon footprint is food and beverage. Choose sustainable options with vendors, such as choosing food prepared with local goods, reducing packaging waste, and offering more vegan and vegetarian options. Set up a water bottle refill station and leave bottled water out of the

event. Swap disposable food and beverage containers for reusable options. Creative solutions such as giving each attendee a food or beverage container as part of their ticket, as BrewHa has done with their sample glasses, is one great example. If reusables aren’t an option, keep food packaging to a minimum by offering finger foods and choose packaging made from renewable materials such as paper, cardboard, and wood. Event goers can bring their water bottles, reusable cutlery

sets, and napkins to help keep waste to a minimum. There is nothing worse than overflowing garbage and litter at an event. Reducing waste, paired with properly managed garbage and recycling stations, is key to hosting a green event. Place recycling receptacles and garbage cans together in strategic, high-traffic locations with highly visible signage detailing which materials go where. This will benefit organizers, attendees, and the planet. Though small, cigarette butts are the worst litter offenders, leaching toxins before degrading into microplastic pollution. Organizers can provide cigarette butt receptacles, if smoking is permitted on or near event grounds. Organizers and goers dread parking at events. Make getting to the event part of the fun with bikes, walking, city transit, or carpooling, or consider booking a shuttle for limited-access venues. Organizers can offer incentives to those who do so, such as a free transit pass to the event, or preferred parking for carpoolers. Hosting and attending green events shows your commitment to building a healthy community for people and the planet.

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Green ET LET’S G G IN GROW EDY WITH H

Garden Tours This year, there will be two dates for their garden tours: the first one will be Sunday, July 9, with the second to be scheduled sometime in August. Many thanks go out to these homeowners for opening their gardens for people to enjoy. We all appreciate your hard work and passion for gardening. And wait! Don’t forget Thunder Bay’s own Centennial Botanical Conservatory—a tropical treat any time of the year. The conservatory is a multi-functional facility and home to many plants. The facility also grows, plants, and maintains city-owned pots and gardens we all enjoy. If you have never been, I encourage you to walk their gardens and the greenhouse. There’s a sense of calm as soon as you walk into that greenhouse. Seasonally, they have different flowering plants in all their glory, so you might be able to see a tropical plant in bloom that wasn’t on your last visit there. Houseplant owners beware though: you’re going to want another plant after your visit. I have to admit, I purchased more after my visit. Check it out. Summer hours are 10 am to 4 pm every day. Donations are welcome at the door. Save the date, grab a friend or family member and walk through these beautiful gardens. You’ll be so glad you did. Oh, and if you see a dahlia blooming in these gardens and want to know more on how to grow them, check out next month’s issue!

Centennial Botanical Conservatory

Lynda Lahteenmaa

f you are new to gardening, or even if you have been doing it for years, a garden tour is a must. It’s a chance for you to dream about what you can do and learn how to do it, exchange ideas with other gardeners, and discover new and different plants to grow. I highly recommend checking out these tours if you have an area of your property you wish to beautify, these homeowners and the experts you meet there will be more than happy to advise you on how you can achieve your vision or even just walking through a beautiful garden will inspire you to create your own little piece of paradise. Thunder Bay has some garden tours this year that you can enjoy. We have one from the Thunder Bay Art Gallery in conjunction with Master Gardeners Thunder Bay, and another from the Thunder Bay Horticultural Society. The gallery tour’s big event is Sunday, July 30 from 10 am to 4 pm. This year there are six amazing private gardens and one public garden you can view on that day. The Thunder Bay Art Gallery is the largest public gallery between Sault Ste. Marie and Winnipeg, while the Master Gardeners are an independent nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to helping home gardeners. The Thunder Bay Horticultural Society is also holding garden tours free of charge to its members and their families. The group is a non-profit group of dedicated green-thumbed volunteers who set out to beautify our city and help educate its members with gardening knowledge.

Hedy Koski

By Hedy Koski

Learn more about the Thunder Bay Art Gallery at theag.ca, while more information about the Master Gardeners can be found at facebook.com/ MasterGardenersThunderBay. You can also find the Thunder Bay Horticultural Society on Facebook; membership to the society is $15 for the year. They can also be contacted by e-mailing tbayhort@gmail.com

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102 WalleyeJuneMagazine9x11May9.indd The Walleye 1

2023-05-09 11:36 AM

Advertising Feature

July Behind the Business Feature

Emily Shandruk, Founder and Owner, Emily Shandruk Solutions

Meet Emily Shandruk, a sessional instructor in the Faculty of Business Administration at Lakehead University, and the entrepreneur behind Emily Shandruk Solutions. In school, Emily focused on conflict management and negotiation, obtaining her undergraduate degree from the University of Manitoba in criminology in 2002 and a Master of Arts degree in conflict management with a specialization in organizational development in 2007. Her career has taken her across Canada, including Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Toronto, and spanned several different types of organizations, both non-profit and for-profit, where philanthropy, conflict management, and employee relations were the main focus of her work. Emily founded her consulting firm, Emily Shandruk Solutions, in 2019, with the primary focus on non-profit consulting. Since the pandemic, there has been a rising need to assist organizations that are undergoing change and looking for support with employee relations. Emily also assists small- to medium-sized businesses with hosting events (online or in-person), strategizing and planning around fundraising, donor management, and project goals, team-building, strategic planning, effectively giving and receiving feedback to employees, and exit interviews. This is not an exhaustive list, but just a few of the scenarios that she has supported clients with. Thanks to what she calls the “black hole” of consulting, instead of answering the question "what do you do?” she often starts with "what do you need?" To learn more about Emily and her

firm, visit emilyshandruksolutions. com, facebook.com/emilyshandruksolutions, or instagram.com/ solutionsboss.

Q & A with Emily

What drew you to entrepreneurship? I have a hard time saying “no” to things that I think would be interesting, or allow me to work with new and fascinating people and organizations. Some would call this FOMO and I just call it innovative networking. I absolutely love what I do. I love that each day is completely different and I get to make and create my schedule to be as full or free as I want. I love that I never have to miss a school concert or a friend’s birthday because of someone else’s agenda or priorities. What inspired you to launch your business? After I graduated from Royal Roads, I sort of shelved my conflict management and mediation goals, as I began a position in donor management and event management for the Arthritis Society of BC & Yukon and then leaned into my philanthropy and non-profit work. It was through some additional education and work that I realized I wanted to get back to what drove me to do my MA, and I was allowed to dip my toe back into the world through a teaching position with the Faculty of Business Administration and the MBA program at Lakehead, and then I rebuilt my confidence in taking this and supporting others. Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently when you were

first starting out? (1) Trust yourself. I had such insane imposter syndrome, and I would leave meetings with such guilt that I was tricking people. My first year felt shaky and not just because of a pandemic. I had to go through some learning curves and give myself the benefit of the doubt a few times. I participated in an art project that had me face this head on and seeing my fears personified in a photo really helped me realize that we all have these moments of doubt and we either give into it, give up, or take a breath and go forward. (2) Refine, refine, and stay true to what you say you do. You don’t have to do everything and say yes to everything. This is a lesson that I need to still remember and repeat to myself daily. When I first started my company, I worried that if I said no to something that there wouldn't be more work to follow. I then found myself spread thin and a lot of people asked me what it is I “actually” did. I know that my categories of potential work are still vast, but I have found that I can easily say no to projects that I feel are not aligned with what will keep me smiling every morning. I have learned that the work will be there and if people know what it is I can offer, they will know where to look. What advice would you give to someone who is trying to become an entrepreneur? You don't have to wait until you have everything organized before you get started. You don't need a website and three months of social media content

planned or even a client. You can just say that you want to do it and try it. Yes, it is helpful when you have financial and other supports around you to truly make your dreams come true, but sometimes a side-hustle can be a full-time career if you give it the right time and space. What are you working on now? I am working on building my team. I was able to add the fabulous Chelsey Lokstet to my team about a year ago and have partnered with Brook Dallaire on a lot of projects and it has allowed me to grow and add capacity without necessarily taking on the overhead. I am also working on creating more workshops and easy-to-use programs for those small- and medium-sized businesses to work through difficult conversations. I have two resources available on my website for download for free right now. Is there anyone specific you would like to thank? My family—from my husband to parents and friends that are family because I told them they are. Being an entrepreneur can be lonely and disheartening and there are days when you just want to delete all the emails and start again and without the cheerleaders around you, you could easily give up and just go get a “regular” job and it’s amazing to have those around you that keep you motivated and focused. Sometimes that means a pity party or a vent session and sometimes that means a kick in the butt and straightening your crown and sending you on the way!

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Health

Sciences Centre (TBRHSC), in collaboration with St. John Ambulance, launched a therapy dog program for its staff. “The use of therapy dogs to support mental health and prevent burnout amongst health-care workers has not only been found beneficial based on current literature, but has also been well received by staff at leading hospitals throughout Canada and many other countries,” says Kelly-Jo Gillis, manager of preventive health services at TBRHSC, adding that patients also benefit. “Through our hospital’s volunteer services, a therapy dog program has been offered to patients at TBRHSC since 2005.” “The idea of therapy dogs for staff came up as a way to boost morale and enhance staff experience,” Gillis explains. “Many of us have pets and know the positive impact they can have, especially with those who are not well. I’m sure staff will benefit from the unconditional kindness of these therapy dogs.” The program is currently running as a pilot project, but feedback from staff thus far has been overwhelmingly positive. During a therapy dog visit to 3C, the surgical inpatient and neurosurgery unit, one staff member commented: “A dog! This is all the therapy I need.” Another staff member shared “I wish this program

Paws and Relax Therapy Dogs for Hospital Staff

By Caitlund Davidson, Health Promotion and Communications Planner, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre Pets serve a great purpose in our daily lives. In addition to being our furry friends, some are trained to perform specific duties. Therapy dogs undergo an extensive evaluation process to become certified and take on unique roles. Through petting, affection, and regular visitation, many people benefit both physically and emotionally from the unconditional love of a dog. “Therapy dogs can be more effective than people at offering companionship to those in need of comfort

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or support, because dogs are non-judgmental,” explains Jill Biggs, St. John Ambulance therapy dog coordinator/ evaluator. “Dogs are accepting of those with physical or mental illness, or those presenting with confusion or tears. They calm the distressed, distract those in discomfort, and comfort the lonely.” Research indicates that therapy dogs can have a significant impact on an individual’s social wellness, interpersonal reactions, mood,

fear, anxiety, and stress. Recent studies have emphasized the positive impact therapy dogs have on enhancing workplace wellness. Following a threemonth pilot study with therapy dogs, health-care employees reported a boost in mood, an improved clinic atmosphere, and reduced levels of burnout and stress. Other research has deemed therapy dog programs feasible, effective, and much needed in health care settings. As such, in May 2023, the Thunder Bay Regional Health

had started years ago. Our stress levels would be much lower.” Although most dogs are loveable and affectionate to their owners, it does not necessarily qualify them as a therapy dog. Therapy dogs undergo a series of testing and evaluation, such as a temperament assessment, to ensure they meet therapy dog standards. Therapy dogs must be obedient, friendly, calm, and able to adapt well to unfamiliar noises, places, and smells. In order to ensure the dog meets these standards, Biggs describes the series of exercises they must complete. “These exercises have the dog walking through a crowd, greeting people in wheelchairs and with walkers, crutches, and canes, being exposed to a sudden loud noise, and being surrounded by a group of people. Throughout the whole evaluation, the dog is being assessed to ensure there is no aggression, timidity or shyness, jumping up, or pulling on the leash, and that the dog is well groomed and neat in appearance.” To learn more about the St. John Ambulance’s Therapy Dog Program and the benefits of therapy dogs, visit sja.ca/ en/community-services/ therapy-dog-program.

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105

TheWall

University of Toronto PhD student Francis Nuamah adds yellow-coloured polyethylene microplastics to a bucket, where they are mixed, pumped, and released in the propwash of the boat, driven by IISD-ELA biologist Desiree Langenfeld

The Macro Problem of Microplastics Editorial and photo by Lauren Hayhurst

lastic pollution has become a global problem, and not just in landfills. When left to accumulate in the environment, plastics break down into smaller pieces, called microplastics. Their small size and persistence in the environment mean microplastics are everywhere: in the air we breathe, in the food we eat, in the water we drink. Microplastics can have complex impacts on organisms, as they interact both chemically and physically, which can impact everything from the smallest cells to the largest environments. Ocean ecosystems have been a focus of microplastics research for decades, but efforts have not been convincing enough for protection to extend to freshwater. In Canada, the average person creates 125 kilograms of plastic waste per year (around 700 water bottles). As a result of insufficient waste management, water quality surveys across the Great Lakes reported levels of microplastics ranging from 30,000 particles per square kilometre in Lake Superior to

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6,700,000 particles per square kilometre in Lake Ontario. Results from surveys were not convincing enough to enforce mitigation. Laboratory studies show negative effects on fish health (changes in feeding and fertility, organ damage, movement of plastics between tissues) and on human health (allergic reactions, cell death, immune system disruption). Results from laboratories were not convincing enough to enforce risk assessment. So, we are taking on the macro problem of microplastics at the freshwater ecosystem scale. I work on pristine, small boreal lakes set aside for research and whole-lake experiments to understand how human activity affects our freshwater. We have a unique agreement with the Province of Ontario to study, experiment on, and recover 58 lakes and their watersheds in a remote area of Northwestern Ontario, 450 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay, on Treaty 3 traditional territory. These research lakes are removed from human pressures, including the effects of city

life, industry, and agriculture. Specifically, I work with fish on a five-person crew of biologists, technicians, and research assistants at the IISD Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA). We practice the three Rs of animal welfare: reduction, replacement, and refinement. We capture thousands of smalland large-bodied fish using non-lethal methods and we measure thousands of fish to identify any changes in their growth and condition across baseline, experiment, and recovery phases of whole-lake studies. We develop non-lethal methods and collect samples (gastric lavage, mucus swab, muscle biopsy) from our fish to minimize our impacts on our small lakes with small fish populations. We tag, we clip, we mark, and we return the fish to the lake in the same morning or afternoon. Then we capture them again to inform our non-lethal mark-recapture population estimates. We do this alongside long-term monitoring of fish in our unmanipulated reference lakes, to rule out environmental

effects. There are seasonal checks to ensure reduction in the number of samples, replacement of more sensitive species, and refinement of our methods. While we study the fish, researchers intentionally add microplastics representative of common products—plastic water bottles (polyethylene terephthalate), plastic cutlery and cups (polystyrene), and plastic bags (polyethylene)— to a lake. Every two weeks, a carefully measured 76 kilograms of microplastics is dispersed, which is equivalent in both weight and density to a 167-pound human and is based on the (environmentally relevant) amount documented in Toronto Harbour. Graduate students round out our fish efforts with studies of amphibians, birds, invertebrates, plankton; IISDELA crews sample the lake and analyze the full suite of chemical and physical water quality parameters. Students and scientists alike examine detritus, guts, sediments, and tissues for recovered microplastics, every year, to

determine how microplastics travel and break down and impact freshwater ecosystems, to acquire the data needed to inform policy, and to incite permanent change. This study is set to span 10-plus years—will this be convincing enough!? We need to practice the three Rs of waste management: reduce, reuse, and recycle. While we wait on the wholelake results to prompt largescale plastic policy, immediate small-scale efforts can be made. For such a widespread issue, most microplastics in freshwater originate from local sources (compared to global sources of ocean microplastics). So, any local initiative to eliminate singleuse plastics, prevent and divert microplastics in runoff, and promote individual decisions to reduce, reuse, and recycle (including slow fashion and any part of the slow movement) will decrease the prevalence and persistence of microplastics in our own backyard—rivers and lakes.

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WAVES OF SUPERIOR

MONDAY EVENINGS JULY 3 AUGUST 28

6:30 PM - 9:00 PM

WAVERLEY PARK

Outdoor Concert Series

The Coalition for Waverley Park and the Thunder Bay Musicians' Association Local 591 are excited to announce that concerts will be returning to the Waverley Park Band Stand.

Bring your lawn chair and enjoy the show!

Log cabins / Lakeside campsites Email: wavesofsuperior@gmail.com

The United States and Canadian Recording Companies furnish funds in whole or in part for the instrumental music for these performances through The Music Performance Trust Funds as arranged by Local 591 CFM, Thunder Bay Musicians’ Association.

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JulyHoroscopes

Aries

(March 21– April 19) July brings a surge of energy and excitement for those born under the sign of the Ram. Feeling a little squelched lately? You fiery beasts will feel a renewed sense of motivation and determination, ready to tackle any challenge that comes your way. This month, focus on setting clear goals and prioritizing your objectives. With your assertiveness and confidence, you have the potential to make significant progress in various areas of your life. The new moon on the 4th brings some much needed closure. Spending time in nature is never a bad idea.

Taurus

(April 20–May 20) In the realm of relationships, July encourages Taurus to focus on deepening connections with loved ones. Nurture your existing relationships by expressing your appreciation and spending quality time together. Open and honest communication will strengthen the bonds you share, fostering trust and intimacy. If you're single, this is a favourable time to meet new people and potentially form a meaningful connection. It’s a great time to get out on the golf course!

Gemini

(May 21–June 20) July is a sunny month for the Twins, and energy is running high. Finances may require some attention this month. It's important for Gemini to be mindful of their spending habits and maintain a balanced approach. Consider reviewing your financial

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By Sunny Disposish

goals and finding ways to save for the future. Look for creative solutions and explore new avenues for financial growth. With prudence and resourcefulness, you can make positive strides in your financial well-being.

Cancer

(June 21–July 22) Happy Birthday, Cancer! As you celebrate another trip around the sun, July brings a powerful wave of emotions and new beginnings. This is a significant time for selfreflection, personal growth, and setting intentions for the year ahead. In the realm of relationships, this birthday month encourages the Crab to deepen connections with loved ones. Your nurturing and empathetic nature will shine as you provide support and care to those around you. Make plans to go to Merla Mae for some ice cream!

Leo

(July 23– August 22) As you celebrate your birthday, Leo, remember to embrace your natural radiance and share your unique gifts with the world. Trust in your abilities and let your creative spirit soar. Your presence and enthusiasm will inspire those around you, and your warmth will light up any room. Star-gazing is always a fun idea for Lions— spend some time under the full buck moon on the 2nd and see what messages come your way. Make a plan to head down to the local farmers market and enjoy the freshness of the season.

Virgo

(August 23–

September 22) I n J u l y, V i r g o , i t ' s important to trust your instincts and rely on your inner wisdom. Your attention to detail and practicality will guide you in making sound decisions. It’s a busy month for travel too, so it’s a good time for Virgos to stick to their organized roots. You’re definitely in the spotlight these days, so make sure the grounding and protection work is done. Enjoy a leisurely picnic (extra helping of potato salad allowed!).

Libra

(September 23– October 22) Emotionally, this is a time to celebrate your quirks and embrace your individuality, Libra. You have a magnetic personality, and July invites you to express yourself authentically. Engage in activities that bring out your eccentric side, explore new interests or hobbies, and surround yourself with people who appreciate your unique qualities. Let your true colours shine brightly! Throughout July, don't be afraid to mix things up and step out of your comfort zone. Embrace the unexpected, dance to your own rhythm, and let your quirkiness be your superpower. Embracing your individuality will not only bring you joy, but will also inspire those around you.

Scorpio

(October 23– November 21) For those Scorpios in a relationship, July encourages you to dive deeper into the emotional depths with your partner. Open your heart and express your deepest

desires, fears, and dreams. Share your vulnerability and allow your partner to do the same. This level of intimacy will strengthen your bond and create a profound sense of connection. Embrace passion, trust, and authenticity as you navigate the complexities of love. Enjoy the long summer nights, whether it be surrounded by family at a campfire or out on the town with pals.

Sagittarius

(November 22– December 21) F i n a n c e s re c e i v e a boost in July, Sagittarius. Your optimistic outlook and abundance mindset attract prosperity. Embrace opportunities for financial growth, whether through investments, collaborations, or new ventures. Your fiery nature is serving you well right now, and there’s nothing you can’t accomplish. The world is your oyster! Individual experiences may vary, but let your free-spirited nature guide you to new horizons and experiences. Love blossoms. Embrace the adventure that awaits you, Archers, and may this month be nothing short of absolutely stellar!

Capricorn

(December 22– January 19) Emotionally, this month invites Capricorn to reflect on their personal growth and the values they hold dear. Embrace the spirit of inclusivity, kindness, and community. Take time for self-reflection and consider how you can contribute positively to the world around you. Nurture your own emotional well-being while also extending care

and support to others. Happy Canada Day and enjoy the fireworks! They don’t call you the GOAT for nothing. Stay up past midnight for once and take in the razzle dazzle.

Aquarius

(January 20– February 18) Get ready for a zesty and electrifying month, Aquarius! July brings a wave of excitement, innovation, and unbridled energy. It's time to embrace your unique quirks and let your individuality shine. In the realm of relationships, this month encourages WaterBearers to seek connections that ignite their intellectual curiosity and zest for life. Gardening brings this air sign joy this month on the regular. Engage in deep conversations, explore new ideas, and surround yourself with like-minded individuals who appreciate your eccentricity.

Pisces

(February 19– March 20) In the realm of relationships, this is a time of heightened emotions and deep connections for Pisces. The full moon casts its ethereal glow, illuminating the bonds you share with loved ones. Allow yourself to be vulnerable and express your innermost feelings. Embrace intimate moments and create memories that will last a lifetime. Gather your loved ones for a backyard barbecue, where laughter, delicious food, and heartfelt conversations intertwine. It can be an emotional time for Fishes, but when one door closes, another one opens.

TheBeat

FOSTER By Elizabeth Pszczolko

His fur was thick-black. He was tooth-sharp and eye-sharp, his lips lined with white—you could see him smile in the dark. At morning chore time he’d dance in front of us, insistent, ears rakish, one up, one down—a walk was essential—it must be had, like a good scratch or a long drink of stream water. He’d lead us down the lane, his thick, haunch fur ragged and bouncing, both ears straight up, nose scouting the air. What did he see in us that called him to do this? Why were we so necessary to this moment of his? He could have just as easily gone off on his own, and he did, once coming back with a throat full of quills—rare panic in his eyes. He was wolf-smart too, chased off his wild-shadow cousins when called on. He always came back. What old language, dried in his throat, did he use to negotiate safe passage? The other morning, I thought of him. Spider silks floated along the dark forest-edge. Silver lines disappearing, then reappearing as their invisible spinners navigated folds of light and darkness. This was the world he brought us to, saying, “See, this and this.”

Rescue, digital illustration, boy Roland

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TheEye

Kevin O’Neil of The JB Band performs at the Thunder Bay Blues Society’s Blues Challenge in June Photo by Anna Buske

Y R BA

NDE

THU

presents...

E W N I N R ! S BLUES H W Y 61 TO M E M P H I S

C H A L L E N G E

Congratulations to

The Bustle

The band will represent the Thunder Bay Blues Society at the 39th Annual International Blues Challenge held in Memphis, Tennessee January 16-20, 2024 2nd Place

Junior & the Bifocals

3rd Place

Dr. Buck & the Bluesbangers

w w w .t hu n d er ba yb lu ess oci ety. ca

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DEEPLY CONNECTED TO THE WATER

visitthunderbay.com 1-800-MOST-FUN (667-8386) The Walleye

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Introducing the All-New 2023

The NEW Honda CR-V is at Gore Motors. Take a TEST DRIVE today! Can you rely on a crossover SUV to empower your every adventure? Yes you can.

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