June 2023 by The Walleye Magazine

FILM FREE ARTS Vol. 14 No. 6 MUSIC JUNE FOOD 2023 CULTURE thewalleye.ca

Exploring Our Urban Rivers Thunder Bay Artistic Swimming Club

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Contents Editor-in-chief Darren McChristie Editor Adrian Lysenko Senior Editor Tiffany Jarva Copy Editors Amy Jones, Bonnie Schiedel 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 Editorial Assistant Emily Turner 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

Dawson Trail and Station 22

FEATURES 9 Exploring our urban rivers 10 Kaministiquia River 12 Neebing River 13 McVicar Creek 14 Current River 15 McIntyre River 16 The Rivers That Shape our City 18 For the Love of the Rivers Water Walks

66 72

A Fresh Start

26 53

THE ARTS 36 Welcoming Community 38 Sharing Cultures 41 FROM THUNDER BAY ART GALLERY’S COLLECTION 42 Women in Wiigwas 44 Making their Mark 46 A THOUSAND WORDS

85 42

Women in Wiigwas

OUTDOOR 48 Fast and Furious

CITYSCENE 50 WALL SPACE: Superior Screen Printing 53 Writing Weird Magic on the Lakes 54 Superior Dirt Riders Club 57 SECOND CHANCES 58 STUFF WE LIKE

People at Night

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FOOD 20 THE GRINNING BELLY 21 DRINK OF THE MONTH 22 OFF THE MENU 24 Rolling into Summer 26 SUPERIOR SIP 28 Dawson Trail and Station 22 FILM&THEATRE 30 10x10 33 CONFESSIONS OF DRAG DEALER 34 THE SECOND MOST PLEASURABLE THING WE DO IN THE DARK. A COLUMN ABOUT MOVIES

Writing Weird Magic on the Lakes

TheTOPFive

61 62 64 66 67 68

CANNABIS CORNER GO LOCAL THUNDER BAY COUNTRY MARKET EYE TO EYE: With Judi Vinni THIS IS THUNDER BAY BRIDGING THE PAST Thunder Bay Artistic Swimming Club

MUSIC 70 Party in the Back 72 A Fresh Start 74 Opera on Lake of the Woods 76 An Homage to Our Great Sea 78 Artificial Dissemination 80 Pillar of the Music Scene 83 Striking the Right Chord 85 BURNING TO THE SKY 86 People at Night 88

OFF THE WALL REVIEWS

ARCHITECTURE 90 Plymouth Landing 92 94 95

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

TATTOOED YOU 96 Life is a Mixtape GREEN 99 Coming Together to Support Forest and Freshwater Foods 100 Deep Connection 101 LET'S GET GROWING HEALTH 104 Active Commute Challenge is Back THE WALL 106 Are We There Yet? 108 THE BEAT 110 THE EYE

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From Our Instagram Feed

In Error

On page 40 of our May issue, the wrong headline appeared above Michael Sobota’s column. The column headline should have been “Wedding Movies.”

Watching the River Flow Featured Contributor

rowing up as a country kid, rivers were my playground. I would spend many summer days swimming, searching for crayfish, fishing for brook trout, and later in life, I developed a passion for canoeing and kayaking. These memories are fondly ingrained in my mind. As my son grows up, I can already see he has a similar affection for rivers, and as I get older, the more I’ve come to realize how important it is to respect and protect them. Sustaining ecosystems, allowing transport, and providing energy, rivers serve as a lifeblood to communities. And this is especially true of the five major rivers in Thunder Bay. Whether the Current River, McVicar Creek, McIntyre River, Neebing River, or Kaministiquia River, for our June issue we’re all about exploring our urban rivers. We look at the history of each river, as well as its geography, paddling routes, fishing spots, and more. Also as part of our cover story, Emily Turner takes part in a water walk based on Anishinaabe ceremonial water teachings. Keeping with our theme, Darren McChristie paddles the Kam in our Outdoors section, film columnist

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Michael Sobota shares his favourite river films, and Erin Moir, co-executive director of EcoSuperior, writes about nature connection in our urban natural landscape. This month marks many special celebrations. For Stuff We Like we present some ideas to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day; to help kick off Pride month, Jimmy Wiggins writes about ways people can help support the queer, drag, and trans communities; and in honour of Father’s Day, pommelier and sommelier Jeannie Dubois delves into the world of dad beers. Also in the pages of this month’s issue, Michael Charlebois talks to musical artist Nadjiwan about his new album, Tiffany Jarva grabs a Finnish pancake at the Hoito’s new satellite location in the Thunder Bay Country Market, and Taylor Onski gets a sneak peek at the annual 10x10 play showcase. Especially with this month bringing the official arrival of summer, I hope our June issue will not only encourage readers to explore our urban rivers, but to appreciate how important they are. -Adrian Lysenko

Adrian Lysenko

Adrian first fell in love with Thunder Bay while studying film production at Confederation College in 2004. After working as a journalist in Alaska, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, he moved back to the city, began writing for The Walleye, and became editor in 2015. Adrian is also the author of the graphic novel Five Stalks of Grain (illustrated by Ivanka Theodosia Galadza), that tells a story of tragedy and survival during the Holodomor, the terror-famine that claimed millions of lives in Soviet Ukraine. R e a d A d r i a n ’s s t o r y o n t h e Kaministiquia River on page 10, his Wall Space feature on page 50, and a review of Arlo Parks’s new album on page 89.

On the Cover Paddling the Kaministiquia River Photo by Darren McChristie

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You belong here 6

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TheTopFive

1 Pride Month June 1–30

Keegan Richard

Various locations

2 Kite Festival

Time to raise those rainbow flags—Pride Month is here! Throughout the month of June, Thunder Pride has organized a number of events for people of all genders, identities, and orientations. Pride Month kicks off on June 1 with a sunrise ceremony at Anemki Wajiw (Mount McKay) presented by the Thunder Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre. This year’s Pride Awareness Breakfast—Thunder Pride’s largest fundraiser of the year—will be held on Monday June 5 from 7 to 9 am at the Ramada by Wyndham Thunder Bay Airlane Hotel, featuring a number of youth presentations from GSAs (GayStraight Alliances) around the city. The annual Pride March and Street Fest will run on Saturday June 17 throughout the downtown waterfront district—a celebration you do not want to miss. Visit Thunder Pride’s website to see the full list of events happening throughout June. #YQTPRIDE2023 thunderpride.ca

3 Seussical Jr.

June 3 & 4

June 17 & 18

Take to the skies at this year’s Kite Festival. This award-winning event will be held on June 3 and 4 at Marina Park. Enjoy two days filled with professional kite flyers, community groups, arts programming, food vendors, and more. The location of the event (which was previously held at Chippewa Park) has been changed to accommodate some special guests: the Snowbirds Air Show! The Snowbirds will perform on both days of the festival and are a stunning aerial display for spectators of all ages. The Kite Festival runs from 11 am to 3 pm each day and is free to attend.

Applauze Productions, who have been training musical talents in Thunder Bay for more than 25 years, are proud to showcase their latest production: Seussical Jr. Based on the legendary works of Dr. Seuss, this show (which originally debuted on Broadway) follows the misadventures of Horton and Gertrude as they try to save the Whos. Musical, whimsical, and above all else, silly, Seussical Jr. will star up-and-coming local performers and is directed by Denise Krawczuk and Angela Valela. The show will be held at 6 pm on Saturday June 17 and then at 2 pm and 6 pm on Sunday June 18. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students under 18.

Marina Park

Trinity Hall Theatre

thunderbay.ca/en/recreation/kite-festival

applauzeproductions.com

National Indigenous Peoples Day

5 Belluz Farm Hall Dinner

June 21

June 24

Mark your calendars for a full day of culture, ceremony, and celebration when the National Indigenous Peoples Day events return to Anemki Wajiw on June 21. Sponsored by Fort William First Nation, Enbridge, and TC Energy, this year’s celebrations begin with the sunrise ceremony at approximately 5:45 am (the exact time will be announced closer to June 21, and depends on the time of sunrise) on Anemki Wajiw. Opening ceremonies will begin at noon and the grand entry for the powwow starts at 1 pm. Spectators can enjoy drumming, singing, dancing, and food and craft vendors from Fort William First Nation, Thunder Bay, and surrounding communities. The annual feast happens at 5 pm and the powwow ends with giveaways at 7 pm. The event is free to attend and all are welcome; bus shuttles will run continuously from noon to 8 pm, taking guests from Fort William First Nation Arena to the top of the mountain and back. indigenoustbay.com

Good food, Goods & Co. Market, and a good cause— need we say more? On June 24, Goods & Co. Market is hosting the Belluz Solstice Dinner, a fundraiser for Belluz Farms’ new gleaning program in partnership with Thunder Bay Health Unit and Superior Seasons Farm Store. Presented by Jones & Associates, this event will provide guests with a Belluz strawberry cocktail or mocktail from Woodside Bar upon arrival and charcuterie by Charkuu 102 during cocktail hour. Guests will then enjoy a five-course dinner prepared by the Goods & Co. Market restaurants using local ingredients from Belluz and Ontario farms. With a silent auction, amazing prizes, live music, and decor by Tents & Events, this is a market experience unlike any other. The event starts at 6:30 pm and tickets are $125 each through Goods & Co. @goodscomarket

Marlene Wandell

Anemki Wajiw

Goods & Co. Market

The The Walleye Walleye

fresh finds for father’s day and all summer long A portion of all clothing sales in JUNE is donated to isthmus thunder bay

710 BAL MORA L STRE ET

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FRES HA IREXP ER I EN C E.C A

CoverStory

Exploring Our Urban Rivers

bird’s-eye view of the rivers of Thunder Bay invites a variety of comparisons: arteries and veins, perhaps, or abstract art, or how about meandering pathways or even trickles of sweat and tears on a face? Those comparisons are fitting, because the waterways are part of the region’s history, commerce, transportation, recreation, ecology, and culture, marked by sorrow and joy. In this issue of The Walleye, we take a closer look at the Current, McIntyre, Neebing, and Kaministiquia Rivers along with McVicar Creek, and the role they play in Thunder Bay’s past, present, and future. - Bonnie Schiedel

Brent Bigford, City of Thunder Bay

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CoverStory

Kaministiquia River

(Gaa-ministigweyaa) By Adrian Lysenko

Darren McChristie

Ian Gill

Meaning: It’s debated, but some sources say it comes from the Anishinaabemowin word meaning “where a stream flows in island” (because of the McKellar and Mission Islands), while others say it derives from Algonquian-speaking Cree or Monsoni Source: Dog Lake Mouth: Lake Superior Length: 320 kms Main access points for paddling: Mission Island Marsh Conservation Area, Kam River Heritage Park, the end of Mountdale Avenue, in Stanley (adjacent to the bridge), and beside the hydro outflow station via Hydro Station Road The largest of the rivers that flow through Thunder Bay, the Kaministiquia River has served as a “highway” to the west for thousands of years. “The river has been so unique, not only in its formation and connection to other systems, but its history with First Nations, the fur trade, and transportation routes,” says Robert M. Stewart, associate professor in the department of geography and the environment at Lakehead University. “[Also because of its] modern day industrial degradation and fish collapses from pulp mills and hydroelectric development; to the [subsequent] revival of the ecosystem, improved water quality and fish populations resurgence (sturgeon) from Remedial Action planning the past 20 years.” The Kaministiquia River Valley is the remnants of Glacial Lake Kaministiquia, a massive lake that existed about 10,000 years ago as a result of glacial melt waters from the Superior Lobe of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. With soft sedimentary rocks easily eroded by the power of glacial periods, Kakabeka

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Falls (meaning “thunder water” or “sheer cliff” in Anishinaabemowin), the “Niagara of the North,” was formed. “For thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans, the river was central to the lives of Anishinabek people in the area, serving, for example, as an important transportation route (the doorway to the west) and its diversity of wildlife [was] an important source of food (especially fish),” says Michel S. Beaulieu, professor of history, Lakehead University. “The first European presence occurred at the delta in the late 17th century by Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, in 1717 by Zacharie Robutel de la Noue, and perhaps the most commonly known in 1803 by the North West Company.” Fur traders widely used the river route until the 1720s, when they adopted the shorter Grand Portage route to Lake of the Woods. “By the mid-19th century, it also became important for the industrial growth of the region. The river dramatically changed ecologically and physically beginning in the early 1870s as a result of periodic dredging to make it navigable. The delta itself was irrevocably altered in the early 20th century to facilitate larger ships so they could access industry along its banks and adjacent area,” Beaulieu says. “This only increased with the expansion of railways into the region, particularly the Canadian Pacific Railway.” “By 1912, industrial activity could be found from the CPR terminus all the way to the Canadian Car and Foundry Company (today Alstrom and until recently Bombardier),” Beaulieu says. “By 1923, the expansion of pulp and paper (initially a mill on Mission River)

Ian Gill

CoverStory

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum

long way from the 70s and 80s when fish kills were a common occurrence. Pollution controls really saved the river,” says Gord Ellis, fishing professional and guide. “The Kam has maybe the most diverse fishery of all Lake Superior tributaries. It is home to many species of fish including walleye, bass, pike, salmon, crappie, perch, rock bass, steelhead, brook trout and more. It also has a population of lake sturgeon that are protected from angling.” Without giving away any secrets, Ellis notes that people fish above and below the Highway 61 bridge, near Fort William Historical Park, and below the mill, but says there are fish throughout the river.

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum

led to the establishment of the Great Lakes Paper Mill (now Resolute) at the end of Neebing Avenue.” As for parks and conservation areas, the river flows by Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park, Kam River Heritage Park, and the Mission Island Marsh Conservation Area. For recreational canoeing and kayaking, paddlers can float right by Fort William Historical Park and admire beautiful scenery, including Animikiiwajiw (Mount McKay). But use caution—the river has changeable flow and is deceptively fast in areas, so always wear a PFD. In terms of fishing, the river is a bit of an angler's paradise. “The Kam has really good fishing. It has come a

 The Red River Expedition at Kakabeka Falls by Frances Anne Hopkins, 1877

Library and Archives Canada

 Busy stretch of the Kaministiquia River with CPR elevators near middle, 1920

 Portage Below Kakabeka Falls on the Kaministiquia River by Edward Roper, 1878

Library and Archives Canada

 Paddling the lower Kaminstiquia River near Fort William

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Emily Turner

Darren McChristie

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum

CoverStory

 Paddling an outrigger canoe

Neebing River By Justin Allec

Meaning: The Neebing (Niibing/Niibin) River is named after the Anishinaabemowin word for “summertime” or “by the river” Source: No specific source. It forms into the Neebing River within its watershed Mouth: Neebing-McIntyre Floodway Length: Approximately 56 kms Main access points for paddling: James Street or Edward Street North bridges The Neebing River has been one of the more contentious waterways in Thunder Bay. W ith a watershed that extends along the western part of the city and as far as the municipality of Oliver Paipoonge, the Neebing—and its seasonal flooding—is responsible for much of the necessary

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infrastructure in the Intercity area. The Neebing gradually flows southeast through the city’s core, eventually draining into the Neebing-McIntyre floodway channel before emptying into Lake Superior. It is one of the city’s more accessible rivers, with many access points throughout Fort William, including backyards that lead down to its banks. In 1941, the Intercity area experienced extensive flooding thanks to a fierce s t o r m ; t h e N e e b i n g ’s waters rose so high that they overflowed into the neighbouring McIntyre River. Realizing that flooding would be a periodic problem, in 1951 the city moved to create a conservation group to address the issue, eventually leading to the founding of the Lakehead Region Conservation

Authority (LRCA). The LRCA’s investigations found that two railway bridges that crossed the Neebing were poorly constructed. While adequate for rail travel, the timber structures led to the waterway narrowing at key points, which promoted flooding. While the railway bridges would eventually be replaced, the Neebing flooded again in 1968, 1971, and 1977. It wouldn’t be until 1984 that the floodway could actually be constructed, with the LRCA taking responsibility for the $15-million price tag. After the floodway was established, excessive flow could now be lowered or diverted toward the Neebing-McIntyre Floodway Channel. With the area now protected from flooding, development flourished, leading to the construction of the Intercity Mall and surrounding areas. Because the Neebing flows through so much urban development, the city

 Children fishing on the Neebing River

took steps to incorporate the river into its recreation planning. After the floodway was completed, pathways were established along the Neebing’s banks. The network of pathways has become quite extensive over the years, and is extremely accessible for biking and walking. After the river crosses under the Highway 61 bridge, pathways flank the Neebing’s broad, grassy banks as it runs parallel to Riverview and Parkway; this section of the river is almost park-like, with several footbridges providing access to either bank. After passing through Chapples Golf Course, the Neebing cuts through Fort William, including under Vickers, May, and Simpson streets, before meeting up with the McIntyre. The easiest spots to put in a boat or a hook are along the Riverview/Parkway section of the river; early morning anglers can be spotted here in the spring hoping to hook rainbow trout or the odd walleye.

There are also opportunities to spot wildlife, as the area provides habitat for a variety of waterfowl, small rodents, deer, and even the odd bear! Given the prevalence of the Neebing, there might be a tendency for residents to take it for granted. McKellar ward councilor Brian Hamilton had a revelation after paddling along the Neebing in 2021. “People in Thunder Bay are wanting accessibility for recreation, and waterways, such as the Neebing, offer a great opportunity,” he says. Hamilton drafted a report to focus on developing recreation opportunities along the river, such as boat launches, and determine which organizations would be responsible for the river’s care and maintenance. “Rivers such as the Neebing are such an absolute treasure,” Hamilton says. “We should be encouraging people to explore the rivers and wild spaces that are in their backyards, in their neighbourhoods.”

By Taylor O’Brien

Meaning: Named after the McVicar family, who arrived in the area in 1859 and purchased 600 acres of land to create a homestead alongside the river Source: No specific source. It forms into McVicar Creek within its watershed. Mouth: Lake Superior Length: 24.4 kms Main access points for paddling: McVicar Creek cannot be accessed for paddling. McVicar Creek may be one of the smallest Lakehead watersheds, but it has distinguished itself as one of Thunder Bay’s most accessible and beautiful creeks. The river’s luscious trees, plants, and picturesque stream make McVicar Creek the perfect place to unwind and escape through nature, or to connect with others during a serene stroll along the channel. The river gained its name from the McVicar family, who came to the Lakehead in 1859. Robert McVicar was a retired chief trader for the Hudson’s Bay Company who purchased 600 acres of land to create a homestead alongside the river. McVicar Creek spans 24.4 km flowing through the City of Thunder Bay and emptying into Lake Superior. What makes this river so unique is that it is the most developed

watershed in the area, and there are approximately 40 homes built within the floodplain, says Tammy Cook, the chief administrative officer of the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority. Some residents living on streets such as Blanchard and Primrose are fortunate enough to have a spot of nature right in their very own backyard. However, this can become problematic during heavy rainfalls, as McVicar Creek is “flashy,” Cook says. In other words, the river is the most susceptible to flooding— because it’s such a small watershed, it doesn’t take long for it to reach high water levels. Cook says that while it takes the Neebing River 18 hours to react to heavy rainfall, it only takes McVicar Creek six to eight hours. W h i l e y o u c a n ’t g o paddling on the creek because of its small size, it’s a great river to fish seasonally for smelt and brook trout. The perfect time to catch these fish is during the spring, and the best fishing spots are near the mouth of the river and at Madeline Street, Cumberland Street, and Court Street. Despite everything the river has to offer, the urbanization from walking paths and residents living on the river has done more harm

 Kings Garden at McVicar Creek near the present-day Maudslay Court, summer 1913  Stocked with trout by Department of Lands and Forest, June 1, 1966

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum

McVicar Creek

than good for McVicar Creek. Robert Stewart is an associate professor in the department of geography at Lakehead University. He says McVicar Creek is a “fragile system” and activities such as cutting down trees, walking in the water, and surrounding development threaten its existence. He adds that any pollution and contaminants such as plastic, rubber, and engine oil that are thrown on the ground will eventually end up in McVicar Creek. He says this discharge “shocks” the river during the spring and fall, which causes the river’s cold water to warm up and become toxic. But small changes can make a big difference to ensure McVicar Creek stays protected and continues to thrive. Stewart emphasizes the importance of the community rallying together to protect the river. He says people need to stop polluting the area and realize that everything dropped on the ground will make its way into Lake Superior. He also says that people need to be more respectful of the fish that lives there. “It's all about us re-seeing these rivers as life, as lifeblood to our lands,” Stewart says. “They're not recreation places that we take from. And if we can shift that [focus], then those rivers will continue to, little by little, provide the lake with the cold water we need to drink, and fish need to live. It’s that simple.”

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum

Ian Gill

Emily Turner

CoverStory

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Darren McChristie

Meaning: Early French explorers dubbed this river "Rivière aux courants" in reference to the waterway’s numerous currents and rapids Source: Current Lake Mouth: Lake Superior Length: 63 kms Main access points for paddling: Boulevard Lake, Centennial Park, Trowbridge Falls, Cascades Conservation Area The Current River is a waterway rich in history, natural beauty, and cultural significance. With an entire neighbourhood inheriting its name, the Current River has been an integral part of Thunder Bay for generations. Geographically, the scale and variety of the river is impressive. Running for approximately 63 kilometres, the Current River passes through numerous lakes (including Current Lake, Ray Lake, Onion Lake, and Boulevard Lake) and hosts a number of tributaries on both the east and west sides of the river. Covering such a great distance, the river showcases everything from rushing waterfalls to slow and shallow streams, from wide expanses to narrow channels, from violent waters to calm swimming holes, from smooth riverside rocks to steep cliffs. Historically, the river was an integral part of Port Arthur’s development. In the 1800s, the river was explored by the

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Hudson’s Bay Company and other early colonists, and later was chosen as the site for the Thunder Bay Silver Mining Co. because of the rich mineral deposits throughout the river. In 1901, the original Boulevard Lake Dam was constructed, providing power to Port Arthur and creating the reservoir that would eventually become one of Thunder Bay’s most popular public parks, Boulevard Lake. Following the success of this dam, Onion Lake Dam and Paquette Dam were then constructed along the Current River to boost hydropower capacity. The Black Bay Bridge was constructed across the river in 1911–1912 to provide a more permanent connection from Port Arthur to the (aptly named) growing community of Current River; at the time of construction, it was the largest single span reinforced concrete bridge in the world. Construction of Centennial Park, Trowbridge Park, and Cascades Conservation Area all occurred in the 1960s, providing even greater public access to the river. Biologically, the river has always been rich in wildlife and ecology. With native populations of migratory coaster brook trout, lake trout, whitefish, and walleye, Current River has long held a reputation for good fishing. In 1910, the city of Port Arthur built a fish hatchery at the mouth of the river, with the

 Kayaking the Cascades on the Current River

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum

By Kelsey Raynard

 Current River near Port Arthur; possibly the site of Centennial Park  Boulevard Lake beach on a very busy day, possibly 1940s; grain elevators visible in the background

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum

Current River

intent of further bolstering fish populations. However, throughout the early 1900s, construction of pulp and paper mills along the mouth of the river and the coast of Lake Superior threatened these populations because of large-scale industrial pollution. Since the 90s, the Ministry of Natural Resources has been working to restore trout and walleye populations in the Current River through the fish ladder that was added to the Boulevard Dam. Today, Current River is a mecca of recreational activity, and much of the waterway is now protected through a number of public parks and conservation areas. Paddlers and swimmers enjoy access to the river through Boulevard Lake, Centennial Park, Trowbridge Falls, Soldier’s Hole, Cascades Conservation Area, and countless unnamed trails that lead you to the river’s edge. Hiking, walking, and biking trails now line much of the waterway, and many of these routes are accessible all year long. Anglers of all ages enjoy fishing along the river, including the ever-popular spring smelt run at the mouth of the river. Perhaps I may be biased as someone who grew up in Current River (is it obvious?), but when you truly take in the kilometres upon kilometres of currents, rapids, falls, fishing, hiking, biking, swimming, and unparalleled natural beauty, it’s clear the Current River really does have it all.

Julian Holenstein

Darren McChristie

CoverStory

McIntyre River

CoverStory

Darren McChristie

[protected] wetland” around the river north of John Street Road. That’s not to say the river within city limits hasn’t been altered, as the construction of Lakehead University’s campus included the building of a dam in the late 1960s to create the artificial lake now known as Lake Tamblyn. That damming required the installation of a fish ladder, which was reconstructed in the 1980s to significantly improve the ability for fish to bypass the dam and use the river freely, says Frank Edgson, the treasurer of the North Shore Steelhead Association, who also worked on the project. “ I t h i n k t h e r e ’s a really interesting sort of conservation piece there, where you can look at the fish ladder and actually see it operating, in terms of how it’s allowing fish to pass up the watercourse,” says Michael Rennie, an associate professor at Lakehead University and a Canada Research Chair in aquatic ecology and fisheries. That, combined with changes to harvest regulations, has seen the steelhead fishery on the McIntyre rebound significantly over the past couple of decades. “As an urban fishery, it’s got to be one of the best ones in Ontario,” says Gord Ellis, a professional angler and guide, and outdoors journalist. “It’s a really healthy stream—it’s surprisingly healthy for an urban river.” And, Ellis and Edgson add, it’s become extremely popular with anglers, with dozens—if not over a hundred—on the river at peak times. Other fish species found in the McIntyre, Ellis adds, include the native brook trout, some salmon, and suckers. Angling isn’t the only popular activity on the McIntyre, as it also is a favourite of whitewater paddlers. Spring runoffs create ideal conditions for the sport “for a short window every spring,” says Joey Miller, a veteran kayaker. During these

periods, he says there’s very little flat water along the river from John Street Road all the way to Central Avenue, with a number of exhilarating rapids. However, outside of the spring (and the occasional major rainstorm), Miller says the McIntyre generally isn’t traversable. Like Ellis, Miller says that having a resource like the McIntyre right in town is something to appreciate. “We’re hoping to really grow the […] whitewater paddling community here, so hopefully, a few years down the road, there will be even more people just taking advantage of the amazing opportunities we have even just within town.”

Darren McChristie

Meaning: Named after “Governor” John McIntyre, the head of the Hudson's Bay post at Fort William from 1855 to 1878 Source: Trout Lake Mouth: Neebing-McIntyre Floodway Length: 45 kms Main access points for paddling: Near Belrose Road, George Burke Park, Lakehead University, near Central Avenue While flowing through a significant part of urbanized Thunder Bay, the McIntyre River’s oftengreen surroundings and fast flows make it a favourite for anglers and whitewater paddlers alike. However, we can’t start talking about the McIntyre without properly delineating it first: effectively running from Trout Lake in the Township of Gorham and generally meandering s o u t h e a s t e r l y t h ro u g h the rural municipality and Thunder Bay, its watershed consists of the river’s main channel, as well as several contributing tributaries, according to the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority (LRCA). The McIntyre River proper ends just south of Confederation College where it flows into the NeebingMcIntyre Floodway (the two often get conflated), right near the connection with the floodway’s diversion channel. That channel carries water from the nearby Neebing River when it gets too high and discharges it into the floodway. Unlike some of the city’s other rivers, there isn’t as much intensive urban development around much of the McIntyre, which almost acts like a sort of green thoroughfare through town. “It definitely will be like a wildlife corridor in general, just because […] there’s not a lot of development on both sides of the river,” says Tammy Cook, the LRCA’s chief administrative officer, adding that there are also a “whole bunch of complex pockets of

Emily Turner

By Matt Prokopchuk

The Walleye

The T Rivers That Shape Our City

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Public Library

CoverStory

By Nicole Pocion

 Kaministiquia River at the mouth of Lake Superior in Fort William showing several boats conducting day-to-day operations, 1870

 Man and woman sitting by Current River, 1922

 Boulevard Lake region as seen from the Bluffs, 1932

 A tugboat and the docks along the Kaministiquia, 1913

 Mary Anne tug with Sir Hector Langevin and company heading up the Kaministiquia River for a tour, 1880s

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Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Public Library

 Group of people overlooking Kakabeka Falls, Kaministiquia River, 1899

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Public Library

 Work crew on Kaministiquia Power Project on the Kaministiquia River, c. 1906

he rivers that flow through Thunder Bay have played a significant role in shaping our modern city. With archeological evidence indicating that this area has been inhabited for over 10,000 years, the importance of these waterways significantly predates our modern society. Before European settlement in the 18th century, Aninishinaabe people populated the region, hunting, fishing and gathering along the north shore of Lake Superior. The birch bark canoe was the principal means of transportation for the Aninishinaabeg, allowing them to travel through networks of shallow streams, ponds, and lakes. The Kaministiquia River, which naturally flows into Lake Superior, played a vital role in the fur trade. In 1803, the North West Company built Fort William, the first permanent European settlement in Thunder Bay. In the first few decades of the 19th century, Fort William was the world’s largest fur trading enterprise. By the 1880s, the fur trade had slowed, and Fort William was permanently closed and the property sold to the Canadian Pacific Railway. Today, Fort William Historical Park is located further down the Kaministiquia River, but portrays the fur trade post as it existed in 1815. The Kaministiquia River has various rapids and cascades, notably Kakabeka Falls, the site of one of the oldest hydroelectric generating facilities in Ontario. Construction began in the fall of 1905 and employed around 600 men. Since its opening in 1906, the Kakabeka Falls Generating Station has provided clean, renewable energy and is still operating with most of its original equipment. The Current River enters Lake Superior from the north side of Thunder Bay, and although it is much smaller than the Kaministiquia, its history is equally as rich. Flowing 63 kilometres from

 Kings Garden at McVicar Creek, winter

 Neebing River in spring flood with sunken boat house taken at Cameron Street Bridge, 1930s  Neebing River in spring flood taken at CPR trestle in the East End, 1930s

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum

 Lovers Lane small falls, McVicar Creek, 1950

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum

CoverStory

 Setting the dynamite charge to blast ice jams, Neebing River at Simpson Street river mouth, April 14, 1971  An explosion to blast ice jams and alleviate flooding, Neebing River at Simpson Street river mouth, April 14, 1971

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum

Current Lake into Lake Superior, the Current River is distinguished by its high slope and multifarious rapids. The river's upper reach remains near-natural, with development increasing as the river approaches the lake. The final kilometre of the river has always been disposed to industrialization, starting in 1866 when the stamp mill was built at the river’s mouth. In 1908, the Current River flooded due to the Paquette Dam bursting, causing 200 cubic feet of water to rush into the river and through the city of Port Arthur. This disaster remains one of the most tragic events in the city's history, causing the loss of power, property, and lives. The Neebing River, which flows along the western side of Thunder Bay, has also experienced extensive flooding. In 1941 a large storm hit the region, and the water in the Neebing River overflowed into the McIntyre River. Subsequent storms led to flooding in the Intercity area, and in 1984, the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority constructed the NeebingMcIntyre Floodway to prevent further destructive flooding damage. McVicar Creek snakes through the backyards of Thunder Bay’s north-side neighbourhoods. The creek gets its name from Robert McVicar, the first person to establish a homestead in Port Arthur’s Prince Arthur’s Landing area. Big or small, cascading or retreating, Thunder Bay's rivers, floodways, and creeks keep history flowing through their currents. Leonardo da Vinci once wrote that water is the blood of Earth and rivers its veins; the rivers that flow through Thunder Bay connect to Lake Superior just as veins do to a heart, keeping our city alive.

 McVicar Creek with the house at 146 North Court Street in background, August 1966; the house was built in 1913 and then owned by Louis Walsh

Sources: https://web.archive.org/web/20070928080649/http://www.opg.com/power/hydro/northwest_plant_group/kakabeka. asp https://web.archive.org/web/20071022160858/http://www.thunderbay.ca/index.cfm?fuse=html&pg=313 https:// www.thunderbay.ca/en/city-hall/history-of-thunder-bay.aspx#Expansion https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia. ca/en/article/thunder-bay# https://images.hydroreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2506_HallofFame.pdf

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CoverStory

 The migizi (eagle) staff

For the Love of the Rivers Water Walks Anishinaabe Water Ceremonies in Thunder Bay Story by Emily Turner, Photos by Darren McChristie  The first pair of walkers starting the journey after picking up nibi (water) from McVicar Creek

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ince time immemorial, Anishinaabe women have had an intimate relationship with water. Protecting and caring for nibi (the Anishinaabemowin word for water) is an important duty that Indigenous women have always shared, though their ability to do so was disturbed by the advent of settler colonialism. But it is a connection that is being reclaimed, as Anishinaabe women here in Thunder Bay and all over Turtle Island rediscover their ways of supporting nibi. In 2003, Josephine Mandamin, a nokomis (grandmother) from Wikwemikong First Nation of Manitoulin Island, perceived the damage that was being done to the rivers, lakes, and oceans across the globe, and was called upon to do something about it. After inviting her sisters and girlfriends, grabbing her best sneakers, a copper pail, and a migizi (eagle) staff, she set out to walk the Great Lakes Watershed, carrying water from the lakes up to the St. Lawrence River, and offering prayer and blessings along the way. Twenty years after the late Mandamin’s first Water Walk, Anishinaabe women continue their commitment to the Creator to care for water by facilitating ceremonial walks every spring across Turtle Island. Elders Sharon Manitowabi and Sheila DeCorte, who knew Nokomis Mandamin personally, first brought these walks to the local rivers in Thunder Bay in the wake of the tragic deaths of Indigenous young people in or near the city’s waterways. But facilitating the walks locally serves many objectives. When I reached out to learn more, I was promptly invited to participate in the walk for McVicar Creek on May 7. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was honoured to experience the immense feelings of gratitude, community, and love that was present in the journey. Knowledge keeper Manitowabi shared with me that my initial hesitancy

and powerful feelings were common among new participants. “People don’t realise what this is, that they can choose what they wish to do, whether that be walking the entire thing or only walking a little bit, it doesn’t matter,” she says. When we first spoke, DeCorte explained that the process was like a relay, but the true meaning of that wasn’t clear until I was there doing it. No one woman walks the entire way—walkers are spaced out strategically (using cars) so a walker may pass on the copper pail of nibi whenever they get tired or need a break. The most important aspects of the walk were outlined by Mandamin herself: walkers move like the water; it never stops nor goes backward. The pail moves from one woman to another just as water in the river flows, and hears only song, prayer, and blessings the entire time it is carried. Tobacco offerings are made to all water sources that are passed by the migizi staff holder, who serves as the protector of the water carrier. The migizi holder is traditionally a man, though women carry it when there are not enough men present, which is often the case. The walk is a process that tells the water spirits that it is cared for, and that it is supported and recognized for supporting every living thing on Earth. Manitowabi explains that “It’s not just the walk itself, it’s about being at the water, that’s what matters. It’s a way to bring the women to the water,” because, as DeCorte adds, “We have a responsibility to the water, not only for our generation, but for generations to come. We walk not only to cleanse the water, but to cleanse ourselves. When we walk, we are walking for ourselves, for our families.” Wa t e r b r i n g s u s a l l together; it has healing properties and powerful abilities. Anishinaabe women have always known this, but the colonial past has led many to forget. Manitowabi hopes that bringing traditional

water ceremonies to the local rivers in the city will encourage more women to relearn their commitment to the water, and to refamiliarize themselves with their responsibility to care and protect nibi. She recognizes not every woman can participate in the threeSocial_with carsthat copy month walks often occur along major bodies of water, and she stresses that you don’t need to take part in the long-distance walks to rediscover your connection to nibi. “Accessibility is a major objective of all this,” Manitowabi emphasizes. “We just want to see women together here. If you need a skirt, if you need a ride, let us know. We will help.” Women’s traditional water ceremonies have perhaps never been as necessary as they are now in the face of climate chaos and unchecked capitalism. Manitowabi and others know what the solution is, though. “The Creator tells us there

CoverStory

will always be enough water, as long as we take care of it,” she says. This series of Water Walks, called For the Love of the Rivers 2.0, is organized based on the full-moon schedule. The next walk will occur on June 4 along the McIntyre River, followed by a walk along the Neebing River on July 2, and finally along the Kaministiquia River on July 29–30. Route maps were co-created by DeCorte, Manitowabi, and the City of Thunder Bay mapping department and can be found on the For the Love of the Rivers 2.0 Facebook page, which also explains more about the protocols and procedures of these walks. More history about water walks can found at motherearthwaterwalk.com as well as in Joanne Robertson’s illustrated book The Water Walker.

 Sheila DeCorte and Lydia Johnson offering semaa (sacred tobacco) to the river

Why Taos? German engineering everyone can get into That’s why.

Downtown Volkswagen downtownvw.com The Walleye

Food

Strawberry Shortcake serves 4

2 pints ripe strawberries ½ c sugar* *or to taste

4 c flour 3 Tbsp sugar ¼ tsp salt 5 tsp baking powder

Scones and Roses

THE G IN GR NIN Y L BEL

1¼ c softened butter 1¼ c whipping cream

By Chef Rachel Bayes

id you know strawberries are part of the rose family (Rosaceae and subfamily Rosoideae)? Me neither! Also, strawberries aren’t classed as real berries, but “accessory aggregate fruit,” which just means strawberries are covered with what look like tiny seeds but are actually individual fruits attached to a fleshy container. Strawberries are the most delicious of fruits and are among the first to ripen in the summer—generally in late June and early July around here. And you’ve got to pick ‘em while they’re hot, as strawberry season lasts but a few short weeks. (I like to have a bag of them in the freezer to use in January, but I’m getting ahead of myself here).

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Back to berries in season. So, you’ve picked 4 litres of berries, but your recipe calls for 1 pint—what the heck do you do? Culinary math is my jam (no pun intended), and strawberry math is really the best math. Technically, 4 litres = 8.4 pints (fewer if you’re snacking on the way home). One pint of strawberries equals approximately: • ¾ pound, 12 ounces, or 340 g • about 12 large, 24 medium, or 36 small whole berries • 1½–2 cups sliced • 1¼ cup puree So, if you have 4 litres of berries, multiply the above amounts by 8 or so. Fun! For summertime desserts,

strawberries reign supreme in pies, cakes, and over ice cream. Fresh strawberries are also fantastic in salads and salsas. And, if you’re feeling adventurous, you could go deeper down the savoury route and top focaccia dough with sliced strawberries, garlic, rosemary, and a drizzle of honey before baking. I’ve even tried chicken cooked with a strawberry basil reduction. But, IMO, fresh strawberries taste best as the star of the show, full stop. On that note, here is the simplest, but most decadent of desserts, the OG strawberry shortcake—sweet berries nestled in pillowy whipped cream atop buttery shortcakes or scones. Hello summer!

Rinse, pick over, and hull strawberries. Cut in half or slice, depending on size. Gently crush about a quarter of the berries with a fork to release their juices. Mix with remaining berries and sugar. Set aside, covered, for about half an hour to develop flavour. Try not to sample too many… Preheat oven to 450°F. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add ¾ c of softened butter and rub into dry ingredients as for pastry. Add 1¼ c cream and mix to a soft dough. Knead the dough for one minute on a lightly floured pastry board, then roll it out to about ½-inch thickness. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut an even number of rounds—2 rounds per serving.

Use a little of the remaining butter to grease a baking sheet. Place half the rounds on it. Melt the rest of the butter and brush a little on the rounds. Place the remaining rounds on top. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and pull shortcakes apart. Brush the insides with even more of the remaining melted butter. 1 ¾ c whipping cream ¼ tsp vanilla extract

Beat remaining cream until it thickens. Add vanilla. Beat again just until thick.

Place the bottom half of a shortcake on each plate. Top with a generous spoonful of berries. Cover with a top half, add a few more berries, and top with whipped cream. Devour immediately.

Food

OF DRINK H T N MO

Zackss Wild Thyme Caesar Wild Thyme

Story by Jeannie Dubois, Photo by Jack Barten

othing says summer has arrived in Thunder Bay like a savoury Caesar, and Wild Thyme, with their charming location on the verge of the Great Lake, has brought their A game with a towering inferno—congrats to Zack and Alec. In this spin on the classic Caesar—vodka, Clamato, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and celery salt—they include a unique dabbling of pickle juice and Montreal Steak Spice that ups the umami ante in the cocktail. Throw in a plateful of tasty skewers featuring in-house deep-fried jalapeño cheddar pierogi, Cajun chicken wing, in-house deep-fried ravioli, and a mozzarella stick that would stop traffic, as well as your olive, pickle, and celery, and the Rubicon couldn’t keep anyone from trying this killer cocktail this summer!

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Food

Tomlin Subdivision

E OFF TH U N E M

Story and photo by Jack Barten

omlin Subdivision quickly became one of my favourite pizza destinations last year shortly after it opened. Their signature Detroit-style pizza is distinct, delicious, and hard not to get every time you visit. So, shamefully, I had not explored the rest of the menu as much as I would have liked. But this is going to change now that I have tried their fried tofu. New to the ensemble of

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appetizers and snacks on offer, the deep fried tofu is unique but at home at Subdivision. Featuring tofu, miso vinaigrette, scallion slaw, ssam mayo, and sesame seeds, this dish perfectly balances fried elements with fresher flavours. The first thing one will notice is the fried texture and taste of the tofu, which in itself is not too crunchy or soft; but then those flavours are cut with those of the scallion

slaw and sesame. Then there’s the miso vinaigrette, which is a great bridge between the more decadent ingredients like the fried tofu and ssam mayo and the fresher tasting ones like the scallion slaw, while also being a distinct flavour on its own. But let’s circle back to that ssam mayo. Ssam is short for ssamjang, a Korean paste that has a salty-spicy flavour and is often described as

a Korean barbecue sauce. As a mayo, it really works well with the fried tofu, as it gives the dish a wonderful mild spice that elevates but doesn’t overwhelm the other flavours. The clear Korean influences in this dish make the whole experience a different and fun experience when enjoyed amongst some of the other snacks at Subdivision, as it pairs well with nearly everything as a contrast or

complement. It’s simple to articulate: this dish is good and you should try it, either alongside their signature pizza or maybe while being adventurous and trying a variety of their apps (resisting the pizza demon inside all of us). The choice is yours. 28 Cumberland Street South (807) 346-4440

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2023-05-10 5:19 PM

Food

(L–R) Shubham Patel and Jaimin Patel

Rolling into Summer

Frost N’Rolls Opens on Arthur Street Story and photos by Jack Barten

he age of soft-serve superiority is ending in the ice cream culture. Or at least that's what it feels like, with every new viral post containing ice cream is that of the stone-cold variety. This brings us to Thunder Bay's latest dessert house, Frost N’Rolls, which opened in March. Owners Shubham and Jaimin Patel say they wanted to operate a different kind of ice cream shop. “We went on a trip to Toronto, and we went to a rolled ice cream business and we thought it would be a good idea to do here,” Shubham says. Readers may be wondering: precisely what is rolled ice cream, anyway? Well, a cream and milk mixture is poured onto an ultra-cold surface, and then once the cream is workably frozen, any toppings are incorporated into the mix and then satisfyingly rolled into perfect portions for one to enjoy. During my visit to Frost N’Rolls, they made me the Oreo Glacier. Jaimin artfully cut up the Oreo cookies and frozen cream on the cold counter, and then rolled them into clean and concise portions. And it was

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fantastic. The Oreo-to-icecream ratio was balanced perfectly, and the fast-frozen nature of the ice cream gave it an interesting texture that emphasizes whatever toppings you choose. “One of the advantages of rolled ice cream is that you can choose to add or take away toppings based on preference,” Shubham explains when asked why one would choose rolled over traditional ice cream. But while the star of the show is the rolled ice cream, Frost N’Rolls also have a variety of other items. Of course, they have their milkshakes, which are also made fresh to order. But they also offer fresh juices and health shots in a variety of flavours, including jamun and lemon ginger. Overall, it's nice to see businesses open with different takes on everyone’s favourite products. And it is clear to see that a wonderful product and friendly staff will make Frost N’Rolls a summer favourite through the rest of the year. 100 Arthur Street West (807) 285-7655

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Food

Cool Brews for Father’s Day

R SUPERIO SIP

By Jeannie Dubois, Pommelier and Sommelier

ummer is coming along beautifully on the Bay with the thunder, and across the lake, camps are open, docks are out, boats are launched, and decks are sunnily beckoning. At home, all the dad-tastic summer chores are in the

works—there are cars to be washed, lawns to be mowed, grills to be cleaned, and pools to be filled. After hours, all the father funtime begins in earnest as well, with lines to be cast, pigskins to be thrown, canoes to be paddled, and of course, a cold beer for dear

Is your pops always spinning a yarn? Then grab him up this light lager while he tells you for the hundredth time how he walked to school backwards in two feet of snow.

Storyteller Beverages Storyteller Lager $2.95 for 473 ml

Dad drew the short straw and gets to be on soccer/ baseball/dance driving duty with you and half the team? Load up the minivan and afterward, let him have a cool, juicy IPA.

Refined Fool Brewing Co. Van Full of Weirdos Juicy IPA $3.75 for 473 ml

old dad waiting to be cracked. At our house we’ve been downloading “dad rock” playlists (only slightly more summer anthem-y than yacht rock) to accompany us on all our adventures inside and out. With tracks that range from bombastic Bruce

Springsteen to The War on Drugs, classic Steely Dan and Modest Mouse to sonorous David Bowie and Bon Iver, or melodic Led Zeppelin and Guided By Voices, dad rock has become the soundtrack for all our summer dadcentric fun.

Have you finally driven your dad around the bend? If you’re making him crazy, then he might as well enjoy this funky fermented IPA before he loses his noodle.

Forked River Brewing Co. LoCo Hazy Kveik IPA $3.60 for 473 ml

Is papa always tinkering on that big block engine, and up to his elbows in grease? Grab him this retro-style cherry cola to keep him cool in the garage—and a rag to clean up, too.

Blood Brothers Brewing Autopop Session Sour with Cherry Cola Flavour $4.95 for 473 ml

So, this Father’s Day, celebrate your dad—fire up the grill, throw on a playlist for pops, let him put his feet up, and bring him out that cold beer that he so well deserves.

Does your pop-pop pull out all the rusty monikers when you and your pals are around, like “you young whippersnappers”? This traditional-style Mild might be the trick for him.

Henderson Brewing Co. Whipper English Pale Mild $3.30 for 473 ml

Heard the one about papa going to see Jefferson Airplane in his Volkswagen Beetle? Yeah, I have too. Music fan dads can chill out this summer with this hoppy IPA.

Nickel Brook Brewing Co. Head Stock West Coast-Style IPA $3.45 for 473 ml

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Food

Dawson Trail and Station 22

New Location, New Partnership, Same Great Beer Story by Nicole Pocion, Photos by George Renner

S Images of Dawson Trail Craft Brewery's new taproom

ince 2016, Dawson Trail Craft Brewery has been serving local favourites like Border Run and Bae's Haze. After calling Copper Crescent their home for the past seven years, the brewery recently moved its operation to 1181 Golf Links Road. After teasing a move with a Vienna Lager called Goodbye Copper Brick Road in December 2022, Dawson Trail officially announced its move in early March. Jeannie Dubois, Dawson Trail brewer, shares that they had been preparing for the location change since last February. “We needed to increase our production. That was the primary motivation,” says Dubois. “We were essentially running on a large hopper system, and now we have an actual commercial production system.” In addition to housing a full-production brewery, the new location allows for a larger taproom space equipped with plenty of seating, board games, and retro arcade machines. Among the many new features, perhaps the most exciting is the addition of Station 22 by Daytona’s Kitchen and Creative Catering. The local restaurant and catering service is a staple within the community, and its newest partnership with Dawson Trail will certainly be a hit. “This kind of partnership is really wonderful,” Dubois says. “We get to focus on what we

do; we’re going to continue to make our great beer and have service. And then they’ll make great food and have their service for that.” Infused with the same creativity as Daytona’s, Station 22 will offer a unique dining experience from within the brewery. The new Dawson Trail Craft Brewery also shares a building with On the Links, a local virtual golf and sports bar that opened in 2019. “They're already really big clients of ours, which is wonderful,” Dubois says. “I see a lot of back and forth as far as patrons.” In addition to the support from other local businesses, the brewery has also received overwhelming support from its customers. Their loyal regulars have embraced the move, many sharing that they prefer the new location. The “Friyay” end-of-week business has continued to boom, and the brewery has also noticed an increase in foot traffic, with walkers and cyclists stopping in from the Golf Links multiuse trail. Next time you’re in the neighbourhood, make sure to stop in and check out Dawson Trail Craft Brewery’s new location featuring Station 22. Stay updated on what’s brewing by following @dawsontrailcraftbrewery or visiting dawsontrailcraftbrewery. com. Keep up with what’s cooking by following @station.22 on Instagram.

“We needed to increase our production. That was the primary motivation.” 28

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FilmTheatre

 The 2023 10x10 Festival kick-off with all the playwrights, directors, and actors

10x10

Local Play Festival Celebrates its 10th Anniversary Story by Taylor Onski, Photos by Marty Mascarin

W  The cast of Dive by Katya Arifin, directed by Rachel Warburton

 The cast of Deal by CB Campbell, directed by ShaeMichelle Watson

 The cast of Uhtceare by Amanda Doig, directed by Ariana McLean

 The cast of Leapfrog by Stefani Celine, directed by Leigh Wood

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ith its simple formula of 10 plays, each 10 minutes long, featuring many talented actors and directors, the 10x10 festival has become a celebrated occasion. This year, there is even more room for celebration, as the local theatre festival will be celebrating its 10th anniversary. Heading into his second year overseeing the festival, Magnus Theatre’s education director Jordan Blaxill is ecstatic to bring the festival back. “With having it on the Summer Stage in the professional performance space, I want to have a real fun summer festival vibe,” says Blaxill. Helping bring those summer vibes will be live music, Lakehead Beer Company samples, and sponsors such as The Growing Season, Heartbeat Hot Sauce, and Goods & Co. What will also make this an unforgettable anniversary is that this year’s showcase taking place in a professional grade tent. Much like ones used in other theatre festivals such as Stratford, this outdoor performance stage will still have Magnus’s raked seating, operational lights, and sound equipment, but also promises something that viewers may not get in a large indoor auditorium. “The tent will offer a level of

intimacy—a greater connection with the work, which will elevate every single play,” says Blaxill. “It's going to make the comedies that much more hilarious and the serious plays that much more affecting.” As for the plays themselves, audiences can expect a mix of comedies, dramas, and those that tackle both social and relationship issues, performed by 32 talented local actors from teens to seniors. And, as anniversaries are a time to reflect on the past and look forward to the future, the festival has partnered with Shaw Spotlight to create short clips about 10x10 to broadcast on Shaw’s channel. They also hope to broadcast the entire festival, with the goal of having this celebrated occasion reach a wider audience. “I want people to come to see theatre here in Thunder Bay like they go to Stratford,” says Blaxill. “The wider reach the festival gets, the more people can see the talent we have here in the city.” 10x10 runs June 9 and 10 at Magnus Theatre. For more info, including how to purchase tickets, visit magnustheatre.com.

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Not All Rainbows and Glitter

FilmTheatre SSIONS CONFE AG D OF R DEALER

Story by Jimmy Wiggins, Photo by R. Macsemchuk

i t h t h i s y e a r ’s Pride season well underway, many folks in the queer community are gearing up for a monthlong celebration with events happening all across the city— everything from a street festival and several drag shows and parties to a Pride march and allyship town hall, all in the name of celebrating Pride in Thunder Bay. But this June is not all rainbows and glitter. In the last few years, we’ve seen a spike in hate crimes and vitriol directed at the queer community, specifically the drag and trans communities. There has always been disdain and contempt thrown at these groups, but recently it seems like the hate has erupted out of chat rooms and social media comments and oozed out exponentially into the real world, causing some very real concern for people’s human rights and their personal safety. “It feels for the first time in a lot of years that we’re really facing a threat to our community,” says local drag queen, Amber Ail. “Actual legislation is being tabled against us, and it’s frightening. Our identities have been politicized.” All across the U.S. and beyond, bills are in the works to restrict health care for trans people, criminalize drag performers, ban all mention of the LGBTQIA+ community in schools, and in some countries, criminalize those who identify as LGBTQ and impose the death penalty for some offenses. “I think for a country that pretends it's brave or free, they're deeply afraid of people lip syncing to Cher in a pair of heels from the thrift store,” says co-host of Story Time with TBay Drag Queens (and mother of four), Mz. Molly Poppinz. These bills are targeting drag, but are also

a roundabout way to control trans people. “The wording of all these bills restricts clothing against your assigned gender at birth, which will affect trans people the most,” says Amber Ail. “Drag, you can take off; your gender identity, you can’t. These laws essentially force trans people to choose between going back in the closet, or risk going to jail. It’s insane.” Don’t think for a second that this hate is limited to our neighbours to the south. Not only have we seen a dramatic uptick in negative comments on the Story Time with TBay Drag Queens Facebook page, but right here in Thunder Bay there have been several instances of people trying to shut down drag events by emailing the city, complaining about the Youth Week Drag Show, and showing up to city council meetings with non-factual arguments and uninformed claims that Story Time with Drag Queens equates to a gender-bending strip show— which anyone who’s actually attended a Story Time event knows is wildly untrue. So what can we do to show support? Half the battle is just showing up. “Be present at events and show your support as often as possible,” says Mz. Molly Poppinz. “When confronted with homophobic or transphobic rhetoric, speak against it immediately. Do not politely laugh at that coworker’s hateful joke. Do not make excuses for people refusing to learn, and vote for politicians who don’t use hating gay and trans people to further their own agendas.” For a list of local drag events during Pride month, follow @wigginsproductions and @tbshows.

L–R: Lady Fantasia LaPremiere and Mz. Molly Poppinz

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FilmTheatre

River Movies By Michael Sobota

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

A COLUMN ABOUT MOVIES

It would be a lot of teardrops… of joy to see that river running again. -Bryan Jones, Snake River farmer in DamNation

ivers in movies are frequently symbols for energy and life—also destruction and death. They are almost always part of a journey story and usually filmed with extraordinary cinematography. Here are four films that capture the importance of rivers and their relationship to humanity, including a documentary that warns us about that destruction and death that humans inflict on nature.

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

David Lean is arguably one of the finest film directors ever, and I would argue that The Bridge on the River Kwai is one of his best films—better than Dr. Zhivago and equal to Lawrence of Arabia. The story is about British prisoner of war soldiers who, under the guidance of their colonel (Alec Guinness), collaborate with their Japanese wardens to build a bridge that will assist Japan with moving military materials during World War ll. At its core, it is a morality tale about the folly of collaboration. The script, originally credited to novelist Pierre Boulle, was later adjusted to co-credit Michael Wilson and Carl Foreman, who were blacklisted in Hollywood at the time of making the film for being communists. The movie took eight months to shoot in the jungles of Sri Lanka. With magnificent cinematography by Jack Hildyard and a memorable score by Malcolm Arnold, the movie would go on to win seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Lean), and Best Actor (Guinness).

The Cure (1995)

Screenwriter Robert Kuhn and director Peter Horton have crafted a modern Huck Finn story, with two equally engaging young male characters and a journey down the glamorous and perilous Mississippi River. Eleven-year-old Dexter (Joseph Mazzello) and his mother move to a small riverside town. When word gets out that Dexter has AIDS, (contracted via a blood transfusion), they are shunned. A next- door neighbour teen, Erik (Brad Renfro) sticks up for him and they become friends. When Dexter and Erik read about a doctor in New Orleans who may have discovered a cure for AIDS, they brazenly craft a raft and set off down the Mississippi to find him. The movie is an epic journey story and a coming-ofage experience for both boys. Both comedy and tragedy swirl amongst these deep waters. Renfro and Mazzello are superbly cast and they push easily through the script's layered moods toward a deeply moving conclusion.

The River (Joki) (2001)

Writer and director Jarmo Lampela interweaves the stories of about a dozen characters in a small town in Finland one Saturday morning. He opens with a young man being hoisted in a cage by a tall crane above the town square. It is the annual day for bungee jumping. We then see two boys pause with their bicycles on a bridge. They look down and see a young woman with a baby carriage approaching the river below them. She takes the baby out of the carriage and begins to walk into the river. We cut to another young man delivering flyers door to door. He knocks on an apartment door and soon we see he is smitten with the male occupant. Then we see another young couple, having just finished joyful sex, preparing for the remainder of their day. She will go off to work in a local pizza parlour (she will be late, of course). We meet an elderly woman, in a hospital, caring for her dying husband who will, before the movie is half over, demand what we now know is medically assisted dying. This is a beautiful, multi-layered movie about ordinary people on what might be an average day. The film was Finland's submission to the 74th Academy Awards in 2002.

DamNation (2014)

Co-directed by Ben Knight and Travis Rummel, with a script by Knight, Matt Stoecker and Yvon Chouinard, this documentary is as important today as when it was released in 2014. Opening with the stentorian tones of the voice of U.S. president Franklin Delano Roosevelt at the dedication of the Hoover Dam in 1935, the film begins with the hopeful messages that dams would bring to the American landscape. Those messages included preservation of fresh water, irrigation for farming, and growth of jobs and industry. Those heady dam building decades mostly ignored or dismissed the effects dams had on nature, fish, wildlife, and archeological sites. Water from these dams meant life— and, rapidly, recreation. Water kept the lawns green and swimming pools full for the exploding population of California and the southwestern U.S. states. Carefully and skillfully, the story transitions into the destructive elements of damming up rivers with scenes of such emotional depth and intensity that I wept several times watching the documentary unfold. If you watch or re-watch any film from this list, let it be this one. Everyone, especially your children and grandchildren, should experience this film.

And here are six more flowing stories that will genuinely whet your cinema appetites: River of No Return (1954), Deliverance (1972), Ode to Billy Joe (1976), A River Runs Through It (1992), Frozen River (2008—yes, it’s Canadian!), and Wind River (2017).

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Kathleen Sawdo of Sister Bear Designs is one of the event organizers

Welcoming Community

Sister Bear Designs and Goods & Co. Hold Spring Feast By Roxann Shapwaykeesic

veryone is welcome to enjoy cultural food and Indigenous teachings at a spring feast hosted by Sister Bear Designs, Kathleen Sawdo, and Maelyn Hurley of Goods & Co. The event is the second feast hosted at the Goods & Co. shopping area and is expected to be a bi-annual event every fall and spring. “We expect two to three hundred people,” Sawdo says. “Springtime is a time of new beginnings. We feel energized and are coming out of our hibernation, so to speak.” The first feast was held last October, with nearly 200 people attending. “Fall time is honouring our spirits, the foods, the land and the

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water that have given us nourishment throughout the year,” she says, referring to last autumn’s event. “And it’s important to gather as a community to make sure everyone has enough.” Food served at that feast included salmon, corn, salad, beef and vegetarian stew, rice pudding, and blueberries. There was enough food for everyone but “we ran out of bannock,” Sawdo says. Sharing of food and harvest has been a tradition in many households, according to Sawdo. “My grandfather and grandmother always taught us if someone comes to your home, one of the most sacred things you could do is share a meal with them.

Because you're nourishing spirit, and you're connecting.” When word got out the feast was going to happen, a number of restaurants volunteered to cook and donate to the event. Each prepared one dish. Teachings were shared with the contributors on how to observe protocols for preparing meals that are shared in a traditional community feast. It was a great learning experience. “In my household we always respected the relationship to the land and water, and the animals. So when we're preparing feast food, the first thing we think of is honouring that relationship. They're giving their life so we

can live,” says Sawdo. This year they’re expanding to a market with vendors and food stations. “We're going to have different food stations because everyone has their own teachings about what to serve, and what's considered Indigenous foods, and where we get these foods from,” says Sawdo. The day will also feature a community art project. The event is free to attend. “We want you to know everyone is invited. People can walk around, shop in a culturally safe and interactive learning environment.“ “I share a little bit about me, you tell me about you, and that's how we become friends,” says Sawdo.

“Springtime is a time of new beginnings. We feel energized and are coming out of our hibernation, so to speak.” The spring feast event is being held at Goods & Co. on June 4 from 10 am to 4 pm, with the feast starting at noon. For more information, check out Sister Bear Designs at facebook.com/ sisterbeardesigns and Goods & Co. at facebook. com/goodscomarket.

More playtime. Less worry. Did you know that routine vaccines help protect your child from serious diseases? Visit www.TBDHU.com/vaxclinics or call the Health Unit at 807-625-5900 (press 4) to learn more about routine vaccines for school-aged children. Living in a District community? Contact your local TBDHU office or call toll-free 1-888-294-6630.

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Sharing Cultures Bato’o: A Multicultural Soirée

Story by Kat Lyzun, Photos by Chondon Photography

Models walk the catwalk at The African Boutique’s Four Seasons Fashion Show in April 2023

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n June 10, Goods & Co. will be transformed into a multi-sensory experience of food, dance, and fashion. Organizer Liliane Breiland says that Bato’o: A Multicultural Soirée and Fashion Show will be an evening that showcases the city’s diversity and invites people to embrace other cultures together. “Bato’o means ‘people’ in my language, in Cameroonian,” explains Breiland, owner of The African Boutique. “We want people to be transported when they come to this event, to come in and forget where you are for a moment and travel the world through spice and smell and atmosphere.” The evening will begin with the opportunity for guests to browse and purchase different ethnic foods from vendors before the main event—“a mega fashion show,” Breiland says enthusiastically. The show will feature clothing and swimwear from The Loop, Perfect Fit Lingerie, The Little Mermaid, Loud Women Collective, The African Boutique, Finn Origins, and Sister Bear Designs. There will also be music and dance performances by Edwin Martinez and Dame Màs Dance, African dancing and

djembe drums, and a mustsee multicultural ballet. Breiland is excited to put on her second fashion event this spring, the first being her Four Seasons event in April, which featured clothing from her store. She was so encouraged by the positive reception of that event that she jumped at the chance to host a larger one at Goods & Co., where her boutique is located. She says the community’s response to her business and her desire to share her culture has been a powerful motivator. “People have been so encouraging and supportive of me when I think of doing things like organizing fashion shows. I think people like it because it really brings a different vibe,” she says. “Being a newcomer, that [encouragement] has been so important—I can’t believe where I am today from starting my business in my living room in 2018. And when I say I’m supported I really mean by everyone—the whole community. I’m so thankful.” Part of the proceeds from ticket sales will go back into the community, in particular a fund to help rebuild the Salem Lutheran Church in Pass Lake, which was destroyed by fire in 2020.

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS 1998-2023 ER

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Y BA

P RES ENT S . . .

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C H A L L E N G E SATURDAY, JUNE 17 AT

242 RED RIVER RD Bato’o: A Multicultural Soiree will begin at 7 pm on June 10 at Goods & Co. Tickets are $40 and available from The African Boutique and on eventbrite.ca. Visit African Boutique’s Facebook or Instagram for details.

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FEATURING H Dr. Buck & the Bluesbangers H H Double Blue H The Bustle H H The JB Band H Voodoo Blue H

MUSIC STARTS 12:30 PM The winner will represent the Thunder Bay Blues Society at the 39th Annual International Blues Challenge - January 16-20, 2024 in Memphis, TN

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Untitled (Bull Rushes)

HE FROM T BAY ER THUND ERY’S LL A G T R A TION E L COL C

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By Penelope Smart, Curator, Thunder Bay Art Gallery Artist: R. Gary Miller Title: Untitled (Bull Rushes) Date: 1979 Medium: oil on masonite Size: 76.5 x 60.5 cm Collection of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Gift of L. Bruce Pierce, Norflex Limited, 1994 his oil painting is an post-impressionist take on bullrushes. PostImpressionism was a French art movement in the late 19th century that transformed landscape paintings into frenetic, energetic slices of light—think Van Gogh’s The Starry Night. Suddenly, the world went from being painted in a dreamy, naturalistic style (Monet anyone?) to being depicted as a kaleidoscope of colours and movement. Miller’s painting is a great example of how PostImpressionism was more about capturing a feeling of a real likeness of a person, place, or thing. If you have spent time on a marshy shoreline or paddled or portaged a canoe through the waterways of Northwestern Ontario you know that moving through bullrushes is a particular experience. The reflection of light can shift, and the

sound of wind comes into focus in the midst of these tall, freshwater plants. Haudenosaunee-Mohawk artist R. Gary Miller was born in 1950 on the Six Nations Mohawk Reserve in Brantford, Ontario. He was known as a painter who prefers bold colours and textured surfaces, and (no surprise) he admired Post-Impressionist painters. He used his love for this style of painting to experiment within the genres of landscapes, portraits, and Indigenous themes. Miller studied at the Ontario College of Art and Design, the University of Toronto, Queen's University, and Trent University. His works are displayed in national and private galleries in Canada and Europe, including the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, the Canadian Embassy in Washington, and Loyalist College in Belleville. His works have been exhibited across Ontario.

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Women in Wiigwas

Helen Pelletier Presents her First Exhibition at the AG Story by Sarah McPherson, Photos by Chondon Photography

Alyssa Lentz models Helen Pelletier's winter wiigwas floral-etched skirt

or Indigenous communities, a strong relationship to the land is key to a good life. With this in mind, I sat with Helen Pelletier of Fort William Fort Nation to chat about her upcoming exhibition at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery while boiling maple water down to sweet golden syrup. P e l l e t i e r ’s w o r k i s epitomical of community and reciprocity. She spends her time caring for the land, learning to listen and trust the earth’s natural life cycle, and using what it gives her in return to create masterfully made baskets, bags, and earrings. “For me, it’s about connecting, healing, and relationship-building,” she tells me. “It’s communitybased creation.” And it shows—the teachings she has been given have helped her shape wiigwas (birch bark) into her beautiful pieces. “ I t ’s a r e c i p r o c a l relationship,” she says about her harvesting of wiigwas. “People don’t understand that there are different kinds of bark.” She harvests not only summer wiigwas, which is golden in hue with a soft, smooth finish, but also winter wiigwas, the star of her exhibition, which is coppery red and feels more gritty to the touch. “I can only harvest winter wiigwas for about a week in the year, and only when the trees allow me to harvest,” Pelletier says. Reciprocity is central to her creation process—it’s evident that her pieces don’t begin and end with the weaving of

roots and etching of bark, but are a product of the time and dedication she shares with the land and trees: “I give, the tree gives,” she says. It’s Pelletier’s long-standing relationship with the trees that bring forth her work. Pelletier started her wiigwas practice back in 1998 and honed her skills for 20 years before starting the intricate work she does now. In 2018, she started a five-year plan of creation, dreaming of women wearing birch bark. Her latest piece, a winter wiigwas floral-etched skirt, achieves that dream in a beautiful way: the skirt is made of two panels, held together with home-tanned deer hide by Kanina Terry and adorned with copper beads and jingle cones. It was made to fit Alyssa Lentz, who models the piece. The outfit also features earrings and a necklace by Only Child Handicrafts. Pelletier makes it clear that the skirt, the design of which came to her in a dream, could not have come together without the support of the women who contributed to its making. Helen Pelletier’s exhibition opens June 23 at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. The exhibition will include etched baskets and backpacks, a wiigwas jiimaan (birch bark canoe), and her most ambitious piece of wearable art, the winter wiigwas skirt. Follow @helendawnp on Instagram for more details.

“It’s community-based creation.” 42

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Managing cash ﬂow efﬁciently

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Chris Baldi, Associate Consultant Chris Baldi, Associate Heather McLeod CFP, RISConsultant Senior Financial Consultant Lise Anderson, Executive Assistant Group Financial Services Inc. Lise Anderson, Executive Assistant Chris Baldi, Associate Consultant Marie Baldi Investors RRC, Executive Consultant 807.345.6363 l Marie.Baldi@ig.ca Lise Anderson, Executive Assistant Keith Anderson CFP, Senior Financial Consultant Investors Group Financial Services Inc. Inc. Investors Group Financial Services Cody Atkinson CFP, Senior Consultantare owned by IGM Financial Inc. and licensed to its subsidiary corporations. 807.345.6363 l Financial Marie.Baldi@ig.ca 807.345.6363 l Marie.Baldi@ig.ca Trademarks, including IG Wealth Management, Group Services Heather McLeod CFP, RIS Senior Financial Consultant © Investors Investors Group Inc. 2019Financial INV2090MA_E (11/2019)Inc. Trademarks, including IG Wealth Management, are owned by IGM Financial Inc. and licensed to its subsidiary corporations. Trademarks, including IG Wealth Management, are owned by IGM by Financial Inc.©and licensed to itsInc. subsidiary corporations. Trademarks, IG Wealth Management, are owned IGM Financial Inc. andGroup licensed to2019 its subsidiary corporations. 807.345.6363 |including Marie.Baldi@ig.ca Investor INV2090MA_E (11/2019) Chris Baldi, Associate Consultant © Investors Group Inc. 2019 INV2090MA_E (11/2019) © Investors Group Inc. 2019 INV2090MA_E (11/2019) Lise Anderson, Executive Assistant

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Making Their Mark RetroGraduate and Conflix Exhibitions at Definitely Superior Art Gallery Story by Amy Sellors, Photos courtesy of Definitely Superior Art Gallery

hen you graduate f ro m u n i v e r s i t y or college, a new chapter of your life begins. For students graduating from the Lakehead University visual arts program and the Confederation College film program, their new chapter begins in the spotlight, with a show at Definitely Superior Art Gallery. The work of the graduates of both programs will be featured as part of the Lakehead University RetroGraduate Exhibition 2023, running until June 17. For many of the graduates, this is their first opportunity to have their work exhibited at a professional gallery. DefSup and the LU visual arts program have always had something of a symbiotic relationship, beginning with their first graduate show 35 years ago. “Artists need a place to show, to get feedback. These are the people you want to be involved in the gallery. It’s mutual,” says David Karasiewicz, executive and artistic director of DefSup. “The relationship between the organizations gives the artists a place to show and to work. Artists need the push,  Alyson Chasse: Spun Out-Ceramics  Alyssa Angus: Phenomenally Indigenous, acrylic on canvas

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 Kevin Niemi: Waiting For Daycare, oil on canvas

the opportunities, the target of a show. Without a target, it’s hard.” This year the LU RetroGraduate Exhibition comprises artwork from eight graduates: Vanessa Magee, Alyson Chasse, Alyssa Angus, Ashley Gerolami, Erin Mueller, Hannah King, Kevin Niemi, and Matthew Clara. The graduates self-curate the show; together, as a group, the graduates determine which pieces will be shown, and where they will be installed in the gallery. “The show belongs to the students,” Karasiewicz says. “Curating the show themselves teaches them more aspects, [such as] how to manage themselves, and the group. They learn another aspect of the arts. They learn to figure it out.” Curating and installing a show can be complicated. In previous years, graduates have brought in too many works for the space and they need to edit their pieces. Other years, graduates haven’t brought enough, and DefSup has had to send them back to their studios for more. It’s a delicate balance. It’s about the individual artworks, and it’s

“You can see their styles changing or adapting or blending styles together. It’s progress.”

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 Gallery view south

also about how the audience receives the collection. It can’t be too over-crowded or too minimal. But when it comes to the work itself, the graduates have freedom in the choices they make. Everyone will bring different pieces. One might bring their honours show pieces; one might bring a compilation of years of their work. Some might want to show collaboration pieces. It’s up to the graduates. “Once a grad brought in a picture from when he was seven,’” says Karasiewicz. “It was cool. You could see that as a seven-year-old, he had something.” If students bring in work from years past, there’s a visible progression in their work. “I like seeing the transformation,” Karasiewicz adds. “You can see their styles changing or adapting or blending styles together.

It’s progress.” Coinciding with the LU RetroGraduate show is Conflix Films, where the graduates of the Confederation College film program screen their short thesis films. Like the LU graduates, the Confederation College film graduates need the opportunity to show their work outside of the classroom. This year there are 32 short films to take in. Both exhibitions run concurrently— this fusion of visual art and film results in a much larger audience, who are viewing and participating in a provocative multi-disciplinary art forum. “It is exciting to see the graduates from both programs,” says Karasiewicz. “Artists have fully formed ideas in their heads and the goal is to find a way to express them. There’s so much crossover. You see their journey.”

 Alyson Chasse: Loon Lake In Winter

The RetroGraduate and Conflix exhibitions at Definitely Superior Art Gallery run until June 17. Visit definitelysuperior.com for more information.

 Ashley Gerolami: Awakening, acrylic on canvas

 Vanessa Magee: Entwined, hydrocal, pine needles, waxed thread

 Gallery view north

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We the North

Photographer Tyler Sklazeski Shares His Love for the Northwest in Pictures Story by Bonnie Schiedel, Photos by Tyler Sklazeski

“I  Prince Arthur’s Landing at Sunset

 Lake Superior Overlook

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 Little Trout Bay at Sunrise

Cameras: Canon EOS R Sony A6500 DJI Mavic Pro 2 Lenses: Canon 70200mm f2.8L / 2x Teleconverter Canon 16-35mm f2.8L Sigma 24mm f1.4 Sigma 50mm f1.4 Sigma 85mm f1.4 Sony 18-105 f4 OSS  Forest Marsh

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think one of the big things for photography is putting yourself in uncomfortable situations that are going to inspire you,” notes Tyler Sklazeski, Thunder Bay photographer and longtime contributor to The Walleye. “All the best experiences in my life have been things that I was pretty afraid or uncomfortable with trying and ended up being life-changing. Photography is one of those things: it’s kind of scary to put yourself out there creatively.” Sklazeski got hooked on photography while backpacking through Europe for a few months after graduating from university. As he puts it, “It’s pretty tough not to be inspired in Europe.” A tree-planting stint back here at home opened his eyes to nature photography, and he bought his first SLR camera. “I’m the type of person [who], if I spend money on something, then I have to learn it, because I’m too cheap [to abandon it].” Early gigs for The Walleye were also educational. “You’re at shows, you’re getting beer spilled on you, you’re gonna do all these crazy environments that really sharpen you. It’s a difficult environment to shoot, and it’s pretty hectic. So yeah, you learn a lot, quick.” Entirely self-taught, he also learned on the job when he started working in a design role at Shout Media 10 years ago, doing corporate shoots for everything from paper mills and iron forges to gold mines and Lakehead University. In his downtime today, Sklazeski most often

photographs Northwestern Ontario’s stunning natural scenery and wildlife, posting his images on his Instagram account @facing_north. “I’m very passionate about economic and tourist development in our region, and about just encouraging people to come here and see what it’s all about. You can just pick a direction with a map, go in the woods, and you will find jaw-dropping, incredible, world-class spectacles.” Sklazeski will sometimes engage in monthslong planning sessions so that he and some of his companions, including other local photographers like Alan Poelman or Damien Gilbert, can trek many kilometres through the bush to find a hidden waterfall, or get a different perspective on a local favourite like the hike to the top of the Sleeping Giant. “We scaled it and then shot the sunset and then hiked back down the back end of that cliff at 2 am. And then said, ‘Well, I’m here, so we’ll shoot a time lapse of the Milky Way on the back end of the Giant and just not sleep.’ It’s incredible the things that you’re able to accomplish as a group.” While he’d love to shoot the wild landscapes of Norway or Iceland, home is equally appealing. “I’m just as excited to go on a trip in the bush here and just see what we find. [During] COVID it was like, ‘Okay, I have to stay in Thunder Bay for two years? No problem.’ […] I’ll take being able to drive to the forest and have these great experiences.”

To see more of Tyler Sklazeski’s work, visit @facing_north on Instagram.

TheArts “I’m very passionate about economic and tourist development in our region, and about just encouraging people to come here and see what it’s all about.”

 Sunset Paddle

 Wolf in Gilles

 Remote Waterfall

 Northern Aurora

 Candy Mountain at Sunrise

 River Canyon at Sunset

 Dorion Tower

 Camping Under the Stars by Quetico

 Photographer Tyler Sklazeski

 Remote Waterfall, Aerial View  Sleeping Giant Overlook

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Outdoor

 Passing under the 100-year-old Harstone Bridge

Fast and Furious Canoeing the Kam River

Story and photos by Darren McChristie

 Fast-moving water just after Kakabeka Falls

ur weathered 17-foot Old Town Penobscot canoe is one of our most valued possessions. Purchased used from Wildwaters over 20 years ago, this former rental owes us nothing. Its Royalex hull and aluminum gunwales require very little maintenance and it doesn't mind being neglected. Every one of its battle scars tells a story. It is perfectly imperfect. This humble canoe has provided me and my family with some of our most memorable adventures exploring the massive wilderness of Northwestern Ontario’s lakes and rivers.

 “Is this safe? Is Nathan prepared for this?...Is that a boulder up ahead? Did I bring my keys?”

 Red mud banks near the Stanley

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And of all the waterways we have explored, shooting the swifts and rapids of the iconic Kaministiquia River remains a favourite. This year my teenage son, Nathan, joined me on the Kam on a sunny Sunday afternoon in May. Our plan was to put in below the falls and float downstream over class 1 and 2+ rapids to just past the Stanley Tavern—a distance of approximately 10 km. Paddling one-way requires shuttling vehicles. We parked my truck on Harstone Road, just past the Stanley and followed the road in the second vehicle (with canoe) back up to the

village of Kakabeka Falls where I portaged the canoe down to the river. This year, the river flow was high, with a heavy current. Although we had intentions to fish along the way, one sight of the fast-flowing water and we abandoned our rod and reels. We knew this trip would require focus and concentration. After reviewing safety protocols (water’s cold, so don’t fall in; if you do, swim to the nearest shore) and with our hearts racing, we launched into the turbulent waters, with Nathan in the bow and me in the stern. Chaotic whitewater always looks bigger when

you’re in the thick of it and panic set in momentarily. It’s amazing how many thoughts can blast through your mind as you begin down a path of no retreat: “Is this safe? Is Nathan prepared for this?... Is that a boulder up ahead? Did I bring my keys?” With the water level so high, many of the underwater features were not a concern, and we found ourselves moving at mach speed. We promptly decided to move into a more stable paddling position on our knees and settled into a comfortable rhythm. Typically, during this spring paddle we enjoy the company of various birds who migrate to the Kam to nest and raise families. This year, if there were birds, we didn’t see them, instead focusing our attention on potential obstacles ahead. The river soon gave way to

Outdoor

fast-flowing flat water and we were able to relax and enjoy the views. The layers of low sedimentary shoreline cliffs slowly shifted to muddy shores and it wasn’t long before we saw the first signs of development. We floated under the old Harstone Bridge, choosing the longest route where the river splits around a few islands. The water became muddy where the Whitefish River flows into the Kam and, before we knew it, our ride was over. We traveled 10 km in just under an hour—a record paddle. Our trustworthy 17-foot Old Town Penobscot canoe was there once again when we needed it. I was proud and amazed how easy it was to paddle with my son through such chaotic conditions. We didn’t have to talk much thanks to family synergy—it left me wanting more.  The confluence of the Whitefish and the Kaministiquia  A short portage up to Harstone Road

International Scale of River Difficulty

At approximately 320 kms long, the Kam has a mixture of class 1–4 rapids. The International Rating System classifies rapids as follows: Class I Easy Smooth water, light riffles, clear passages, occasional sand banks and gentle curves. The most difficult problems might arise when paddling around bridges and other obvious obstructions. Class II Moderate Medium-quick water, rapids with regular waves, clear and open passages between rocks and ledges. Manoeuvering required. Best handled by intermediates who can manoeuver canoes and read water. Class III Moderately difficult Numerous high and irregular waves, rocks and eddies with passages clear but narrow,and requiring experience to run. Visual inspection required if rapids are unknown. Open canoes without flotation bags will have difficulty. These rapids are best left to canoeists with expert skills.

Class IV Difficult Long and powerful rapids and standing waves, souse holes, and boiling eddies. Powerful and precise manoeuvering required. Visual inspection mandatory. Cannot be run in canoes unless the craft is decked or properly equipped with flotation bags. Advance preparations for possible rescue work are important. Class V Extremely difficult Long and violent rapids that follow each other almost without interruption. River filled with obstructions. Big drops and violent currents. Extremely steep gradient. Rescue preparations are mandatory. Can be run only by top experts in specially equipped whitewater canoes, decked craft, and kayaks. Class VI Extraordinarily difficult Paddlers face constant threat of death because of extreme danger. The consequences of errors are severe and rescue may be impossible. For teams of experts only, at favourable water levels, after close personal inspection and taking all precautions

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CityScene

 (L–R) Dave Christen, Dallas Flesher, and Pablo Balboa with Leroy, the shop dog, in front of Superior Screen Printing’s mural by boy Roland and Vicki Nerino.  T-shirt with a design by artist Peter Wesley “We work with a lot of artists—tattoo shops, illustrators, lots of Indigenous arts,” Christen says. “And we do a lot of workshops with DFC [Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School] and we go up north to Pelican Falls [Pelican Falls First Nations High School in Sioux Lookout].”

WALL SPACE

Superior Screen Printing Story and photos by Adrian Lysenko

s an art form, screen printing’s roots go back to 960 CE China. From the murals, vivid colours, and past projects on display in Superior Screen Printing’s shop, it’s clear that the business is preserving the art form’s craftsmanship with high-quality products. “I’ve been screen printing for almost 14 years, but it was more of a hobby and I had a couple of side jobs with some other people like Ungalli,” says Dave Christen, owner of Superior Screen Printing. “But it was really a side hustle and it wasn’t until the end of 2018, early 2019 that I decided to

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really give it a go.” Screen printing is a process where ink (or dye) is forced through a mesh screen onto a surface. “We’re basically the premium screen shop in Northwestern Ontario,” Christen says. “But I say that humbly because it’s been a very challenging journey to get here. [...] We’re competing with a lot of people who do digital printing. We’re more focused on preserving the art of screen printing.” For more information, visit superior-screenprinting.myshopify.com.

CityScene

 Superior Screen Printing’s auto press.

 A mural by boy Roland on the door to Superior Screen Printing’s shop, featuring Leroy.  Superior Screen Printing uses traditional, eco-friendly plastisol inks. “We do everything by hand, all our mixing,” Christen says.  A collage of films used in past screen prints.

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Writing Weird Magic on the Lakes

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Author Tina Petrick’s Debut Young Adult Novel

here’s a distinct moment in Tina Petrick’s new young adult novel where you realize the author is having a lot of fun, and I’m not just talking about the title. At the end of the first chapter of Avery the Dogless Orphan and the Interdimensional Stray, our young heroine, Avery, has just been discovered by the principal in an off-limits shed, and what she’s cuddling is definitely not a dog. It’s a silly situation that also tells us a lot about our main character. Avery’s pining for a canine pet eventually gets her and her strict Aunt Laurel into all kinds of trouble when they visit an old family home on Beaver Island in Lake Michigan. It also resolves in a very sweet way, probably because of Petrick’s commitment to the weird interdimensional mythology that permeates the story of a girl finding a new version of home “When I started writing during the pandemic, it was a distraction, a chance to play imagination,” the author explains. “When I was writing, I said I was inhabiting my child brain.” The heartfelt strangeness of Avery’s story came about during that time, but it wasn’t just the pandemic that had upended Petrick’s life. Recently married, she and her husband honeymooned by touring the Great Lakes on a motor trawler. Leaving Thunder Bay, the couple slowly—over seasons—made their way through the Great Lakes. “It’s hard not to be inspired when you’re on the water, there’s so many stories and so much beauty,” Petrick says. One of the locations

where they stopped, Beaver Island, had a bizarre history that eventually found its way into Petrick’s book. “People touring the Great Lakes talk about finding an island and declaring yourself king,” she explains, “I adapted the story of someone who tried to do that on Beaver Island, until he came into conflict with the locals, of course. It’s a fascinating place, and a great location for a story.” On the subject of dogs, Petrick isn’t lacking like her main character: her husband brought his dog with him when they got married. One curious fact is that Petrick’s name doesn’t appear on the cover—instead, her pseudonym, Prim Pawn, gets the author credit. It was a conscious move. A former lawyer and long-time resident of Northwestern Ontario before her recent relocation to Calgary, Petrick publishes essays and shorter non-fiction pieces under her own name with great success. Her 2016 Globe and Mail opinion piece, “Lovesick Leftie Blues,” was the newspaper’s most shared article on social media for the year. Having paired with Chicken Scratch Books for her debut, Petrick is excited to see her book appear in libraries and bookstores over the next few months. Avery may be an orphan at the start of the book, but her story will certainly attract all kinds of attention, and not just from four-legged fans. For more information, visit primpawn.com.

Laura-Lynn Petrick

By Justin Allec

“When I started writing during the pandemic, it was a distraction, a chance to play imagination.”

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CityScene

Superior Dirt Riders Club

 A large group takes the corner at KBMX track

A Community of Racers

Story by Emily Turner, Photos by Cody Marshall

 A pair of young riders practise in Emo after the race was cancelled due to the wet conditions last year  The group leaving the gates at the AMX track

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here are plenty of activities one can enjoy on their own in the summertime. Motocross racing is not one of them—or at least, probably shouldn’t be. Thankfully, Northwestern Ontario is lucky enough to have the Superior Dirt Riders Club, a community of riders who are happy to support anyone interested in trying out dirt bike or ATV racing this season. Active since 1997, the club has supported motocross racing in this region for decades. With tracks in

Kakabeka, Atikokan, and Emo, races happen on average once a month during the summer and fall. This year the season kicks off in Atikokan on June 10, followed by a second race in Kakabeka on June 17. Known as the AMX and KBMX tracks respectively, these locations will host all the races for this season, as the EMX track in Emo recovers from the wet weather that has plagued Northwestern Ontario this year. Still, even without Emo, this race season is sure to be a great one, with a new executive committee eager

 President Vicki Vezina shows how it’s done at the KBMX track last year

to improve the Thunder Bay series of motocross racing. Though it is a relatively expensive sport in other places, here in Northwestern Ontario it is accessible to all. With the low cost of $40 to compete and a variety of class types, Superior Dirt Riders have worked to make their events inviting and open to all skill levels. And they are not exclusive to a certain demographic, either. “We have a seven-yearold out there competing in our ladies’ class right next to a 40-year-old. […] The open class sees the older, experienced guys with the talented young bucks right next to them,” shares Vicki Vezina, current president of the club. Visit the Kakabeka track on practice days, and you’ll probably even see a fiveyear-old on a small bike with training wheels on it. Make no mistake though, starting as a kid isn’t necessary. Vezina herself had little

experience with the sport until she went out to her first event. “I was 20 years old; I snowboarded all the time in the winter and needed some extreme sport to do in the summer,” she says. “So, I bought a dirt bike, even though I didn’t know how to ride it.” With the help of the club, it didn’t take long for Vezina to figure it out. With a $10 admission to watch and plenty of opportunities to volunteer during race days, it is easy enough to find out if this sport is for you this season. Already have enough going on in the summertime? You can still get involved in the winter too, with the Superior Ice Riders riding on ice tracks in Shuniah and Red Rock. Some more gear is required for that kind of motocross racing, though.

CityScene

 Riders at the AMX track

For more information, find Superior Dirt Riders on Facebook.  A pair kicks up dust when practising at the EMX track

 A young rider takes a jump

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Reduce, Reuse, and Refurbish with Indigo Lakehouse

D SECONES C N CHA

By Kelsey Raynard

t the heart of Second Chances, we aim to celebrate the thrifters, vintage-lovers, and secondhand sellers who are giving a new lease on life to items that need a second chance. But what about the items that are less than perfect? What about the items that may have a little (or a lot) of wear and tear from their first life? Enter Indigo Lakehouse, who is refurbishing mid-century modern furniture for the ultimate second chance. Lindsay McColm, who started Indigo Lakehouse at the end of her maternity leave in 2018, says that getting

into furniture refinishing was the perfect way to combine h e r c re a t i v i t y a n d h e r values of sustainability and conservation. This personal curiosity grew, and Indigo Lakehouse was born, allowing McColm to share her love of refinishing via selling through social media. “The benefit of this business is sharing it with others,” McColm says. “It is such a bonus getting other people excited about something old made new again. It’s a great feeling.” While McColm’s work is stunning (just take a look at her before and after pictures), she explains that many of the

“imperfections” are cosmetic rather than structural— ensuring the piece will last for many more years to come. “Vintage furniture shopping is nothing new; however, at least in my experience, local vintage furniture shopping doesn’t mean buying something in excellent condition or on-trend,” she explains. “Often the pieces I get are a little shabby, parts are broken, or it is heavily scratched. One of my hopes is that I am taking pieces that are to some degree unloved or shabby and giving them that second chance at life— to be a really treasured and

cherished piece again.” However, McColm does warn that many people (with good intentions) set out to refinish furniture without realizing the tools, time, and skill necessary for a highquality final product. “A common misconception about furniture refinishing is that all it takes is to simply slap a coat of paint on and away they go,” she laughs. “That’s simply not the case.” As previously mentioned, McColm’s before and after pictures speak for themselves. This nine-drawer mid-century modern dresser has been completely revitalized from

faded and outdated to fresh and modern. With a gorgeous maple wood grain, fluted maple top drawers, and new matte black hardware, it is the perfect addition to your home or office space. The dresser measures 56” long by 16.5” deep by 31.5” tall, and is currently on sale for $700. If you don’t get the chance to snag this piece, keep an eye on indigolakehouse.ca or @IndigoLakehouse on Instagram for more fabulous refinished furniture.

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CityScene

Stuff We Like National Indigenous Peoples Day By Kelsey Raynard

As a northern hub community, Thunder Bay has long been an epicentre of Indigenous artistry. From beading to drumming to painting to storytelling, the creative energy within Thunder Bay’s Indigenous community is unparalleled. Across all mediums, there is no shortage of talent; across our city, there is no shortage of Indigenous businesses to support. As National Indigenous Peoples Day approaches on June 21, we could think of no better way to ring in the summer season than by celebrating the Indigenous artisans and makers within our community. Here is Stuff We Like for National Indigenous Peoples Day.

1 Candle Heart/Soul Co. @heart_soul_co Need another excuse to add to your candle collection? Heart/Soul Co. is one of Thunder Bay’s newest candlemakers. Available in 8 oz ($20) and 13 oz ($30) options, these candles are warm, earthy and welcoming—the exact vibe we want in our homes. The names of their candles are as unique as their scents; popular titles include Real Deadly Auntie, Anemki Wajiw, and FAFO (I’ll let you figure out what that stands for on your own). Made with love and poured on the traditional lands of Fort William First Nation, these candles are an essential for every space.

$20-30

Piitwewetam Exhibition Catalogue 2

Thunder Bay Art Gallery 1080 Keewatin Street Piitwewetam: Making is Medicine is a collective art exhibition from the Gustafson family following the passing of son and brother, Jesse Gustafson. In the process of their grieving, the Gustafson family came together and created this stunning and heartfelt collection of intricate beadwork and traditional Anishinaabeg items to honour their loss and Jesse’s life. The Piitwewetam exhibition catalogue is filled with letters written by Ryan and Shannon Gustafson to their son, a prayer by Ron Indian Mandamin, and more. Filled with images, words, colour, and ceremony, the book shares the Gustafsons’ message of how to grieve in a good way.

$21

3 Mamakeesick Roots Mug

Goods & Co. Market 251 Red River Road Oji-Cree artist Jessica Mamakeesick has brought her stunning collection of art to Goods & Co., including these handpainted mugs. Picture yourself sitting outside, watching the sunrise on this year’s summer solstice, sipping your morning coffee out of this work of art… need we say more? If your mug collection is too large, Mamakeesick also sells hoodies, T-shirts, and even planter pots.

2 6

$18.50

Angela Benedict Painting 4

Ahnisnabae Art Gallery 18 Court Street South Angela Benedict is an established mixed media artist from Sheshegwaning First Nation on Manitoulin Island, who now lives in Thunder Bay. Inspired by Indigenous art traditions, her work ranges from delicate acrylic paintings to large stained glass pieces. You can score one of her originals at the Ahnisnabae Art Gallery, which has one of the largest collections of Indigenous art in Northwestern Ontario. With nearly 300 artists on display at any one time, you are guaranteed to find a piece for your home.

$275

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5 Sister Bear Designs Bath Salt Soak

Goods & Co. Market 251 Red River Road Treat yourself to some self-care with a bath salt soak from Sister Bear Designs. Located inside Goods and Co., Sister Bear Designs carries a wide variety of Indigenous products from dream catchers to jewelry to smudge kits. These bath salt soaks are made with hand-harvested sage, sweetgrass and cedar, sourced from right here in Northwestern Ontario. Each herb is individually combined with Epsom salt to create the perfect bathtime blend.

Manoominaaboo Tisane (Roasted Wild Rice Tea) 6

Tea Horse teahorse.ca If you need something to fill your new mug from Mamakeesick Roots, look no further. Tea Horse sells a variety of custom roasted and hand-blended teas, including this Manoominaaboo Tisane (or roasted wild rice tea). This nut-flavoured 100% caffeine-free herbal beverage will warm you from the inside out. Check out their other blends of artisanal teas and roasted wild rice for the full Tea Horse experience.

$20

7 Cree Stevens Jewelry Goods & Co. Market 251 Red River Rd. Multi-disciplinary artist Cree Stevens has long been a creator of wearable art in Thunder Bay. Her jewelry is unmistakable: natural details like birch bark, driftwood, quills, and leather are contrasted with industrial elements like copper, paint, and resin to create her unique and beautiful jewelry collections. With necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and more, Cree Stevens has something for every style.

$Various

8 Aniibimin T-Shirt @ice.bear.studios on Instagram Complete your summer wardrobe with an Aniibimin T-shirt from Ice Bear Studios. In Ojibwe, “aniibimin” translates to “highbush cranberry,” a delicious late-summer fruit native to Northwestern Ontario. Anishinaabe artist Jacenia Desmoulin often incorporates these natural depictions into her work, combining classic Woodland art imagery with bold colours and quirky pop culture references. Available in a variety of unisex sizes, this T-shirt will become a regular in your summer rotation.

$26.80

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Raise Your Glass Cannabis Beverages

CityScene BIS CANNA N M U L CO

By Justin Allec

wasn’t too impressed with cannabis beverages when I first tried them in 2020. This was “cannabis 2.0,” a time when the industry was allowed to move past simply offering dried flowers and pre-rolled joints. Charging into edibles full tilt, I found the first products released were… interesting. As an edible alternative, beverages worked fine—after about a half-hour lag period, I was in a fairly happy place. Where the beverages failed, however,

was in terms of taste, which had me gagging down soda water with hints of grass clippings, hoping to find some “refreshment.” None was forthcoming, so I quickly went back to my usual methods of ingesting. Since the cannabis industry refuses to stay still, though, I had a feeling that I’d be looking at beverages again. The methods for infusing beverages haven’t changed: cannabis, once reduced to an oil or a concentrate, is

combined with an emulsifier that allows it to dissolve in the liquid. What has changed is the techniques available. After a few years of research

XMG Mango Pineapple

and testing, we’ve arrived at a point where cannabis beverages are doing exactly what they should do: provide a tasty experience.

Bubble Kush Root Beer

$6.95/236ml (THC 10.00 mg, CBD 0.00 mg) XMG is a Hexo brand, one of the bigger licensed producers operating in Canada. This fruit juice has been infused with nano cannabinoids, which are smaller molecules than regular cannabinoids. The advantage of reducing the size of the cannabinoids is that they become water-soluble and can be metabolized quicker. This allows XMG juices to bypass the need for an emulsifier, but it seems in this case they’ve replaced it with sugar—15 grams for this tiny can! Gently carbonated, amazingly sweet with a slightly bitter undercurrent, and with a maxed-out THC level, one can goes great (and hits hard) on a hot afternoon in the backyard.

$5.95 / 355ml (THC 10.00 mg, CBD 0.00 mg) Keef Cola, a Canadian company, really delivered with this take on probably my favourite traditional soda. And if I didn’t feel the euphoric effects shortly after finishing my can, I might’ve guessed that it was just a regular root beer. There’s absolutely no difference in taste between the Bubble Kush version and what’s on the shelf at the grocery store. This is an award-winning edible, and I can taste why. Perfect for drinking ice cold or pouring over ice cream for the ultimate float!

pie.ology H AND PIE S M ADE WI T H HE AR T

eat . more . pie.

There are now dozens of beverages on the market that are worth your time, and here are some that we’ve tried recently:

Tweed Iced Tea Lemon

$4.95 / 355ml (THC 5.00 mg, CBD 1.00 mg) Ah, Tweed. As this was one of the first producers of cannabis beverages on the market and responsible for my initial aversion, I was hesitant. Happily, Tweed seems to have sorted out their issues. Using a sativa strain instead of a generic blend, this iced tea really packs a punch, despite being at a lower THC level than other beverages. Most importantly, it tasted good, too. The strong black tea flavour has a mouth-watering current of lemon running through it, which means that this beverage is the most refreshing out of the three we sampled. If you were going to stock anything in a cooler, this would be my pick.

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 The beloved, ultra-thin Finnish pancakes are the focus for now, with hopes of introducing some other legacy menu items in the future, according to the Finnish Co-operative's president Paula Haapanen

Hoito Restaurant

AL GO LOC R E THUND TRY N U O BAY C T MARKE

Story by Tiffany Jarva, Photos by Jack Barten

T  Staff at the Hoito's new stall at the Thunder Bay Country Market (L–R): manager Kristine Burk, cook Thomas Mantle and Audrina Magbanua, expo and service

 Thomas Mantle dishes up some pancakes with a side of bacon

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he spirit of the Hoito is alive and well at the Thunder Bay Country Market. It’s 9 am on the first Saturday in May and there’s already a growing line of people eagerly waiting to order their beloved Finnish pancake. And here, the pancake is the star of the show. Choices include orders of one, two, or three pancakes, with the option of sides like bacon and eggs. On its second day of operation, the kitchen is humming, and the staff works quickly and efficiently. The official opening was on May 3 to coincide, as closely as possible, with the historical May 1 opening of the original Hoito restaurant in 1918. “The market is appealing because much like the Hoito, it’s another gathering place in town,” explains Paula Haapanen, president of the Finlandia Co-operative of Thunder Bay. “Some local vendors have been there for decades. It checked all the boxes.” As the latest addition to the market, the Hoito is also committed to using local ingredients like Tarrymore Farms eggs, Rose N Crantz coffee, Canada West maple syrup, and bacon from Cornell Farms. The Hoito’s iconic blonde wooden chairs with their blue seats were salvaged from the fire, and huddle around sixseater communal tables—a true gift to the space, echoing past days spent sitting, eating, and sharing conversations in the original restaurant. “The

Hoito was a place that anyone could go to regardless of social status and be comfortable,” says Haapanen. The restaurant began as a co-operative for the working class and grew into a place for anyone. Whether you were a student, a labourer, or the CEO, it was a place where you’d fit. “We’re hoping we can provide that feeling more and more with a gathering place for everyone,” Haapanen adds. Since the devastating fire, the co-operative’s volunteer board has been fundraising and trying to expand memberships in order to help preserve the spirit of the Hoito and the Finnish culture, starting with the pancake. At the market stall, you can also pick up Hoito merchandise like mugs, hoodies, pancake mix, Kiitos blend coffee, and sign up for a membership. Haapanen is quick to mention her gratitude for her fellow board members and the generosity of the Thunder Bay community. “There has been a lot of goodwill and the community has been very patient with some of our stumbles and bumbles along the way,” she says. Watch for board members acting as ambassadors, helping to bus tables at the market, and letting people know more about the co-op. The next Finlandia Cooperative annual general meeting is in June. Keep an eye on social media like Facebook and Instagram for the exact date and time.

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Willow Springs Creative Centre's Judi Vinni stands in front of the Midnight Wench, the centre's wood-fired oven

With Judi Vinni

EYE EYE TO

As told to Matt Prokopchuk, Photo by Lois Nuttall

udi Vinni speaks passionately about working and creating in the outdoors, and with good reason. Alongside many other talented artists and artisans, the coordinator of Willow Springs Creative Centre has spent roughly the past two decades teaching a wide variety of those skills. That includes the not-for-profit’s ongoing, two-year project Donning Nature, which focuses on using materials found in the outdoors to create wearable and other forms of art. We spoke with Vinni about working outdoors as therapy, her love of water and paddling, and her favourite dish to make. The Walleye: How do art and nature work together in a therapeutic way? Judi Vinni: It grew out of the whole thing that was happening when we would

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see groups of people come and build a willow chair— someone who had never built anything before—and the pride that they felt afterwards. An organization [Children’s Centre Thunder Bay] had a group of Indigenous youth who were going through a program and they asked if they could come out and maybe we could do a willow chair workshop with them. We took them out to the bush and they cut the willow and worked together as teams and built several chairs that they raffled off so that they could travel to a powwow. Their supervisors could not believe how much this affected the kids. We just kept seeing what happened to people when they would be able to come here, or we would go to them—especially if they were in a treatment centre or correctional centre or group home—and bring

them these opportunities. TW: Our June issue focuses on Thunder Bay’s rivers. Do you have a memory or pastime related to that? J V: F o r 1 7 y e a r s I coordinated the Conquer the Dog Triathlon along the Dog River. It was a fundraiser for the Kam Community Centre, and instead of swimming, we would paddle the 5K on the river. That event was, again, such a community event—it was away from the city, you were cycling along the river, you were running on back roads and we would have hundreds of people come and compete and it was a wonderful event for all ages. People told me it was their favourite sporting event of the year many, many times. TW: What is it about being on the water that appeals to people? JV: Again, it’s therapeutic,

it’s activating so many senses. I don’t know if you’ve had a sauna and you jump in the water, and you just surface and you get that beautiful water smell, and a feeling all over your body of perfectness. In therapeutic gardening and horticultural therapy, water is a basic element and a metaphor for life. Gardens almost always try to have water features in them, and I think this is what’s so incredible about Northwestern Ontario. We have water everywhere, and camps are so important to people—you go there and you are by the water, and that’s when all of a sudden people are calmer, more relaxed. You put your campfire on there and we connect with something very basic and needed. TW: What is a perfect start to a Saturday or Sunday? JV: I live on 260 acres of land on Strawberry Creek and

I love a lazy, lazy day start. There’s a pond right out the back of my house and I love when the sparkle [comes] off the water. I love listening to the water. I love coffee in the morning and just taking it nice and gentle on the weekend because I usually work very hard the rest of the week, and I try to make some time for myself. TW: What’s your favourite outdoor activity? JV: Two come to mind: one is picking blueberries, something that I’ve done my whole life. I grew up in Geraldton and I was plunked in a blueberry patch from when I was very, very tiny, and I love to do that still and go out looking for fresh berries. The other thing I love doing outside is harvesting potatoes with people who have never done it before, especially children. We’ve done that at one of the Dilico treatment centres for children. For years we were there and we built gardens and, for someone who doesn’t know where a potato comes from—at first, there are some kids, they don’t want to get their hands dirty, but then it becomes this amazing treasure hunt—and then all of a sudden no one’s using tools. They just use their hands, and we find them all and we make food out of them. TW: Willow Springs does a lot with food. What’s your favourite dish to make? JV: On Friday at our market, we probably bake 100 to 150 pizzas that come out of our little pizza oven, which is named the Midnight Wench. This’ll be the 12th year. I think pizza lines up with saunas— even a bad pizza or bad sauna is still really good. We make an amazing variety of pizzas. We have a wildcard pizza every week where we try to invent new pizzas. So it’s either that or the fresh bread that comes out of that oven. But pizza’s pretty important and delicious. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. You can find the expanded interview (including how the Midnight Wench got its name) on our Eye To Eye podcast on Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, and more.

Your hub for early literacy tbpl.ca (807) 345-TBPL @TBayPL The Walleye

CityScene

This is Thunder Bay Interviews and photos by Leah Morningstar This month we asked The Walleye readers: What’s on your summer bucket list?

Erin: I’m going to spend as much time as possible with my husband and my kids. I have a 19-year-old daughter and a 16-year-old son. I’m especially looking forward to July, when my son and I will be travelling to Cincinnati. He’s playing in the Youth World Series Baseball tournament. It might be his last year participating so we’re going to make the best of it!

Danièle: I want to go swimming and hiking more! I love Thunder Bay especially in the summer; I make it a goal every year to check out new places for adventures.

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Logan: I’m hoping to go on as many road trips as I can, regionally within Canada, and the U.S. I want to walk as many of the different wilderness trails in the region as I can with my dog, and I want to visit Ouimet Canyon like I do every year. Basically I want to spend a lot of time outside while the weather is good!

Dave: I’m looking forward to planting my garden. I plant a huge garden every year, usually around Mother’s Day weekend. String beans, peas, onions—I’ve got everything.

CityScene

Ryan Pendziwol

G BRIDGINST A THE P

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From musket repairs to forging chains, Ryan Pendziwol is Fort William Historical Park’s go-to when it comes to metal work. Pendziwol has been working as the Fort’s armourer and blacksmith since 2022, but has been studying the craft for the last seven years or so. “My brother was a student in the armourer shop when he worked here, and I actually worked on the farm at the time,” Pendziwol says. “When he left the Fort, we started a small blacksmithing company, and then he kind of taught me everything he knew. [...] I just kind of had the necessary skills to apply for the job for the armourer/blacksmith here.” For Pendziwol, the draw to blacksmithing is the ability to make new things. “Right now, I'm actually teaching myself how to make chains,” he says. “You have to make

each link individually and then put them together and forge weld each piece so it’s a completely closed loop.” Another project Pendziwol intends to get into is building trade axes, something working on chain links is helping with. “It’s small material and it’s getting the basics down, because what you do with a trade axe is, you actually have to take a piece of mild carbon steel or iron and you wrap that around a mandrel […] and you put the two sides together. You’ll put a piece of higher-carbon steel, so something that you’re able to heat treat properly to get a nice, hard, sharp edge on it, and then you’ll have to forge weld it together,” he says. “Hopefully now that I’ve done a little bit of the chain work and the forge welding, know the basics, I’ll be able to transfer that over to making some of the trade axes.” Pendziwol is also the Fort’s armourer, which

involves repairing things like muskets, or building new ones from kits. Whatever he’s working on, Pendziwol’s shop is a popular one among visitors. “People are usually very interested about the muskets […] and everything from the threepound cannons to the small Murdoch Scottish Highland pistols,” he says. “There’s lots to show them and talk about the technology and history.”

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Thunder Bay Artistic Swimming Club Sport Combines Swimming, Dance, and Gymnastics By Pat Forrest

ara Hagstrom was caught a little off guard when her 11-year-old twin daughters Delaney and Quinn asked to join the Thunder Bay Artistic Swimming Club a couple of years ago. “The fact that a friend was joining had sparked their interest, but at the time I had no idea that Thunder Bay even had such a club and pretty much knew nothing about the sport,” Hagstrom says. Artistic swimming—or synchronized swimming, as it is more commonly known— is a sport that combines swimming, dance, and

gymnastics. Hagstrom quickly learned that artistic swimming is one of the most underrated but most difficult sports. There is no clear answer as to why it is undervalued, though many speculate it’s because most of the athletes are women. In fact, The Canadian Sport Information Resource Centre examined print and online sport media coverage and found only 7.4% of content features female-dominated sport. With respect to the level of difficulty, though, it’s very clear. The athletes must have both superior aerobic and anaerobic skills, as much

of their performance happens with them upside down in the water. At the 2012 London Olympics, artistic swimmers were found to be only second to the long-distance runners for aerobic capacity. "Like most parents, we did the circuit of trying out extracurricular sports since the girls were old enough to walk. Nothing ever stuck for them past a season.” Hagstrom says. “They are now entering their third year with the club, and I believe this is due to two main factors: the sport itself combines so many components from gymnastics,

dance, swim and water polo that my children are never bored.” The second factor, she says, is due to the club itself. “I have never seen a club as supportive of their athletes through both celebrating each other’s successes and providing holistic athletic training in core strength, sports psychology, and stretching.” Delaney and Quinn have different reasons for loving the club. “It is a fun sport. Everyone is super supportive, and I felt really welcomed into the community,” Delaney says.

Her slightly more competitive sister, Quinn adds, “I really like going to the competitions and traveling with the team, and winning is really great.” Thunder Bay Artistic Swimming is Northwestern O n t a r i o ’s o n l y a r t i s t i c swimming club, offering a range of programs from the AquaGO! recreational program to competitive teams within an inclusive environment for all athletes. For more information, visit tbasc.ca.

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Party in the Back Deadwolff Tear into Thunder Bay

Story by Justin Allec, Photo by Megan Kay Photography

here’s a storm coming; hear it? It’s elemental, a rampaging force known only as Deadwolff, and a call to a more primitive kind of heavy metal. It’s a rumbling in the distance as Angus Pike’s drums pound in a furious double-time rhythm. It’s the pure electricity jolting through the battle axes

of Tommy Wolff and Bobby Deuce. It’s a howl, shake, rattle, and roll that threatens to mow down all those opposed to cold beers and raised fists on a Saturday night. For context, Black Sabbath’s debut album will turn 53 this year, which means that heavy metal has proven

that its combination of volume and attitude are definitely here to stay. Given the genre’s long history and ongoing evolution, it’s not surprising to see bands not just looking back for inspiration but using those sounds from past eras— such as Motörhead’s Ace of Spades—as the template.

Though none of Deadwolff’s members were actually born when that classic from 1980 was released, they embody the energy and attitude. Founded in 2020, Deadwolff have captivated fans of retro sounds, and are tearing up the asphalt to promote their first full-length,

the aptly titled Heavy Rock n’ Roll. As much of a mission statement as an album title, Heavy Rock n’ Roll presents a full package of 80s-era heavy metal lunacy. Tempos come in two speeds: fast, and really fast. The song ingredients are also wellknown to anyone who has spent time in an Econoline van with a rad sci-fi scene airbrushed along the side. Something like “Walking on Nails” is a hell-raising, leatherand-denim-clad anthem of heavy riffs. With no time for technicality or nuance, the band uses their songs as explosive party-starters, each distorted note keyed to propel the audience into the throes of wild headbanging. Additional awesomeness will come from a trio of supporting acts that also grace the Atmos stage on June 10. Rider Waites, who split their time between Vancouver and Thunder Bay, offer a thumping take on garage rock with plenty of electrical interference. Ostensibly a solo act on tape, I’m curious to see how the band will translate their frantic songs to a live setting. Other local support comes from punkers Wrong Odds and the witchy sludge sounds of Shatterhorn. So if you're liking the sounds of any of this madness, come out for a night where the pedal will firmly be pressed to the metal. For more information, visit facebook.com/ officialdeadwolff.

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Music

A Fresh Start

Community Auditorium, City, Moving Ahead with New Arrangement Story by Matt Prokopchuk, Photo by Keegan Richard

he top official with the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium says the “arm’s length” agreement it now has with the city shouldn’t mean too many changes for event-goers, but that the popular performance venue may not be able to take quite as many chances with its bookings. Late in 2022, city council approved new terms with the Auditorium, which effectively cleans up—and reduces areas of confusion over—the relationship between the two entities. Auditorium general manager Trevor Hurtig says the facility, which is on cityowned property, has in some ways been run like a municipal department, yet it has its own

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employees and always had its own charity licence and board of directors, almost concurrently operating like a not-for-profit. Over the years, the particulars of that relationship evolved, Hurtig says, and it came to the point where, for example, the Auditorium was carrying its own debt but the city provided payroll services and handled the accounts. “There [were] a lot of […] things that were just unclear,” he says. The city will continue to own the property and will pay off the facility’s nearly $2 million debt; a December 2022 report to council noted that the Auditorium will also have access to loans from city hall. The Auditorium can also

continue to apply for yearly municipal arts and culture funding, like other local organizations, Hurtig says, and will effectively run like a typical not-for-profit business. While part of its debt was due to some money-losing seasons, he says the recent pandemicrelated shutdowns that halted all performances for over two years exponentially increased it. “We do have a fresh start,” he says. “That was a huge relief and […] it allowed us to kind of put a new foot forward with the Auditorium and start fresh.” The cleanedup arrangement with the city, Hurtig adds, should also make it easier for the Auditorium to access outside grant funding. While the Auditorium is

expected to be more selfsufficient going forward—city staff note in the December report to council that the transition “will promote greater financial responsibility on the TBCA”—Hurtig says the public shouldn’t notice major changes, although, he adds, that facility staff will be keeping a close eye on “how [financially] risky a certain show or production might be.” “We used to look at some shows [...] maybe knowing that the city was backing us a little bit coming into some of those, with the idea that ‘Well, let’s take a run at it anyway,’ sort of thing,” he says. “Now we might have to take a little closer look at whether or not it’s truly feasible and whether

or not it makes economic sense to bring something in that might be riskier than others.” Hurtig adds, though, that those situations were often “few and far between.” And, he says, he expects that other more communityminded pillars of the Auditorium’s schedule, such as graduations, dance recitals, and other performances and exhibitions, will continue at rates that are “as reasonable for them as possible, keeping in mind that we do need to operate a little bit more like a business.” “We’re certainly cognizant of the fact that we’re still known as the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium—that ‘community’ is very important.”

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Opera on Lake of the Woods Productions Pair Music with Natural NWO Beauty

Story by Kris Ketonen, Photos by Matt Kennedy

new program running in Kenora is pairing the musical power of opera with the beautiful natural surroundings of Northwestern Ontario. Opera on Lake of the Woods is a series of videos featuring opera singers performing some of the genre’s staples in and around the Kenora area. “The first three [videos] were released December, 2021,” director and opera singer Edward Franko says. “Then I was able to find

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funding to do six more.” Those newer six videos were released in March, Franko says. The project itself began after Franko and Lenard Whiting, who run TrypTych Concert and Opera, moved to Kenora from Toronto in 2018. They were producing shows with community organizations, but then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. “We kind of went, ‘Okay, everything's been put on hold. We can't really do much live,’” Franko says. Then,

a teacher they had been working with at the Kenora Catholic District School Board proposed a video, bringing in videographer Matt Kennedy to film it. “We did a video called ‘How the Grinch Stole the St. Louis Christmas Concert,’” Franko says. “It got like 50,000 views, it was incredible.” Franko and Kennedy, meanwhile, found they had a very good working relationship. “I said, ‘If I get money, why don’t we do some video?’” Franko says. “I wanted to get involved in the film aspect. [...] He said, ‘Yeah, I'd be happy to do it.’” Franko was successful in finding the necessary funding for the Opera on Lake of the Woods videos. “The concept really was taking great vocal music—not all of it turned out

to be opera, but it’s sung by opera singers—and meshing it with the local landscape, landmarks, and the water,” he says. The settings include canoes, the Grace Anne II yacht, camps, and the MatherWalls House. “As Lenard says, if you don't like the style of music, you can turn off the sound and watch the videos, cause they’re beautiful to look at,” Franko says.

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All Opera on Lake of the Woods videos can be found on Upriver Media’s YouTube channel. For more information about TrypTych Concert and Opera, visit tryptych.org.

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Music

An Homage to Our Great Sea

Seasoned Multi-Instrumentalist Nadjiwan Pays Fitting Tribute to Lake Superior Story by Michael Charlebois, Photo by Nadya Kwandibens/Red Works Photography

ulti-instrumentalist Marc Meriläinen— known as Nadjiwan— cut his teeth in the local music scene, playing in a classic rock band over three decades ago. Even though his geographic location has changed, he offers his latest record as an homage to his hometown of Thunder Bay and its geographic character. The Great Sea, a 30-minute long, genrebending LP, was released on the 30-year anniversary of the creation of his Nadjiwan chapter, and pays tribute to Lake Superior. “I originally played in a band called Small House Stories, and we won Battle of the Bands on a local radio station,” says Meriläinen. Like many locals, Meriläinen got his start playing shows at the iconic Crocks N Rolls and says the lessons were

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pivotal to shaping his career. “We got to meet a lot of national touring acts that were traveling across the country that we even got to open for sometimes,” he says. Now based in Toronto, Meriläinen carries the Northwestern Ontario region in his mind and through his music. “I’m always inspired by the geography of Northwestern Ontario—the trees, the wonderful sunset, the fresh water and air, as well as all of the local stories and mythologies,” he says. “A couple years ago [...] I made the decision that my next project would pay homage to Northwestern Ontario, and Lake Superior.” Few come equipped with the talent and the voice to pull off such a daring testament, but the opening seconds of the first track on The Great

Sea leave nothing to doubt. “The lake to me is representative of the universe as well as our humanity,” Meriläinen says. “On one side, the lake can be calm and gentle and nurturing, but on the other hand, the lake has a dark side. It has sunk a number of vessels, ships, and countless lives. [...] It can be a provider of life, but it can also take away that.” Meriläinen wants to put the listener there through the sonic experience. “I wanted to place the listener within. What kind of vibe would you get if you were sitting on the shore of Lake Superior with the vast forest behind you?”

The Great Sea by Nadjiwan is available on all streaming platforms. Visit headingnorthmusic.com or find them on Facebook.

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Artificial Dissemination Punk Duo to Play BPP

Story by Jack Barten, Photo by Jando Rock

n many cases, new bands rarely last even a year. But then there’s Artificial Dissemination who are celebrating their tenth anniversary this year with a cross-Canada tour, with a stop at Black Pirates Pub on June 16. Founded in 2013 in Hamilton by Jamie Problem and Shawna T. Heist, Artificial Dissemination established themselves as a classically witty punk rock act that (in their own words) “takes inspiration from Mad Max and The National Enquirer.” With a sound that ranges from

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old-school hardcore punk to garage, with surf influences and “lots of screaming,” it’s hard not to get caught up in Artificial Dissemination’s energy when you listen to one of their tracks. Their Robot Apocalypse tour (named after one of the songs on their latest LP, Moder n Day Peasants) is the band’s first tour since before the pandemic. “For a few years it’s been kind of fly-by-the-seatof-our-pants, where someone would ask us to play a show here or there and we would do it, but we haven’t done a tour,” says Heist, the band’s

guitarist. But as their tenth anniversary approached and things opened up, the stage was set. This series of shows will really show off the personality of Artificial Dissemination. “Shawna goes up there with two amps and a big punk guitar sound and I bash away at the drums,” Problem says. This simple, concise, no-frills description really shows the band’s approach of music and material over everything. They also prioritize physical media, with cassettes and vinyl available at all their shows. “We go on tour with

a mini record store, which is a little crate with a bunch of our releases as well as some friends of ours who have records out,” Problem says. Over the course of our interview it was clear that AD put a lot of thought into this tenth anniversary tour, their album releases, and overall every element of everything they do. So it's no doubt that June 16 at Black Pirates Pub will be one of bombastic sounds, witty lyrics, and a long overdue celebration you don’t wanna miss.

“Shawna goes up there with two amps and a big punk guitar sound and I bash away at the drums.”

For more info, find Artificial Dissemination on Facebook.

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Pillar of the Music Scene

Fifteen Years of Black Pirates Pub Story and photos by Sarah McPherson

n a town like ours, one small business can have a big impact—and no one knows this better than Onur Altinbilek, the owner of Black Pirates Pub. At the beginning of May, BPP celebrated 15 years in business with a twonight bash featuring some favourite local bands, including Slugbate, Femur, Hopeless Ghost, and Shatterhorn. As is always the case at Black Pirates, the bar was filled with an eclectic group of diverse individuals. Patrons lined up along the stage, leaving space in the centre for rowdier types who like

 Femur

 Femur  Hopeless Ghost

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 Shatterhorn  Hopeless Ghost

to mosh: there’s room for everyone at Black Pirates Pub. Looking around the room, I saw plenty of familiar faces— professors, businesspeople, and artists alike—but a lot of new ones, too. “There’s a fantastic sense of inclusion and welcoming that can’t be understated,” says Nathan Pakka of Slugbate. Many local performers got their start during Black Pirates’ era of all-ages shows, which provided a valuable space for budding musicians, struggling teens, and music-lovers alike. “We were all making different art,” says Cameron

Padovese of Hopeless Ghost. “But putting our efforts into this scene, and this bar, it was like we were working together towards a common cause.” Aidan Domenis, one of many local musicians who have moved away to pursue music on a larger scale, remembers his time at BPP fondly. “BPP provided my band with a safe space to get on stage.” Josh Talakoski of Pedestrian Lifestyle says that “it’s a place that has allowed us to cut our teeth as musicians and given us the opportunity to hone our craft as artists. It is definitely a pillar of the music scene.” In discussing Black Pirates’ success, Altinbilek is clearly proud of the inclusive and comfortable nature of his bar. “You can come here and just be you—don’t worry about nothing else.” Anyone who’s been to Black Pirates knows that Altinbilek isn’t just a

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bartender, he’s also a friend to everyone who walks through the door. Pakka describes Altinbilek as “an absolute professional with a big heart,” and he’s right; conversations about BPP’s unique environment always circle back to Altinbilek, who does what he can to keep bigotry out. “I try to be an ally to many communities,” he says. “Because every community needs one.” BPP is known for hosting all kinds of events: everything from fashion to punk to drag shows. Aside from sound technician Shaun Kelly, Altinbilek says there really isn’t any one person to thank for the bar’s success. “I didn’t make this bar what it is—the people did.” It doesn’t matter what you wear or where you come from—at Black Pirates Pub, you’re always welcome.  The Selfies as Turnstile

 Shatterhorn  Slugbate

 The Selfies as Turnstile  Slugbate

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JUNE IS SENIORS MONTH! FALLS PREVENTION “SPRING FORWARD” INTO A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE – ONE STEP AT A TIME! Did you know that people should do at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week to achieve health benefits and improve their ability to move? Walking is one of the best low-impact activities for abled bodies. For older adults, try exercising in bouts of 10 minutes or more! Remember, Spring brings plenty of rain, which can increase the risk of slips and falls. Always wear shoes with good grip and avoid walking on wet grass or other slippery surfaces! Happy Seniors Month, Happy Spring, and Happy Walking!

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Banner Rails with Posters

Music

Striking the Right Chord

 Sounds of Superior Chorus in 2019 at a competition in Minnesota

Sounds Of Superior Chorus Celebrates 50 Years By Matt Prokopchuk

longstanding, allfemale choral group in Thunder Bay is celebrating 50 years of bringing live music to the community as it hosts a gala concert this month. The Sounds of Superior Chorus for med in 1973 after Ken and Pam Duke, performers in a barbershop chorus in Winnipeg, moved to the Lakehead and learned there was no similar chorus here for women, says Carol Morgan, the past president of Sounds of Superior, who has been with the group for 43 years. Women were invited to meet under the tutelage of founding musical director Barbara Dunn; a year later, the fledgling group was chartered as a member of Sweet Adelines, an international allfemale singing organization dedicated to the preservation and advancement of the barbershop style (music sung in four-part a cappella harmony). Since then, the local organization has performed countless shows in and around Thunder Bay, and competed in singing competitions locally and abroad, most recently in Rochester, Minnesota, where they took first place in the

mid-size chorus category, and third overall. The chorus’s gala concert will be held at the Da Vinci Centre on June 10 and will celebrate the group’s history and present accomplishments, say Lana Bullough and Kathleen Milks, chorus members and co-chairs of the group’s 50th anniversary committee. The night will feature two sets by the group, consisting of songs in a variety of musical genres, all performed in their trademark barbershop style—including one where past members of the group will join in—and an intermission where concertgoers can look through organizational memorabilia including historical costumes, and enjoy a meal featuring the Da Vinci’s antipasto bar. “People [can] get a taste of what we have been in the past, right up until now,” Bullough says. The chorus, currently under the direction of Jason Scriver, has 44 members, Morgan says, adding that they were able to weather the COVID-19 storm, which challenged many performance organizations who couldn’t meet in person for over two years. They survived by continuing their

weekly rehearsals virtually, as well as organizing other fun activities from afar, like showing educational videos, virtual Thursday morning coffees. “Sometimes we just put ourselves on mute and sang in our own home along with everybody else—which was really strange but we did it,” Morgan says. That dedication to keeping in touch effectively kept the group intact for when restrictions lifted and in-person practices could resume. “We just tried all different things,” Morgan says.

“People [can] get a taste of what we have been in the past, right up until now.” Sounds of Superior Chorus practises every Monday evening at 7 pm at Superior Collegiate and Vocational Institute and is always welcoming new members. For more information, visit soundsofsuperiorchorus.com.

 Sounds of Superior Chorus circa 1973–74, including founding director Barbara Dunn (middle second row)

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MUNICIPALITY OF NEEBING MUNICIPALITY OF MUNICIPALITY OFNEEBING NEEBING

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST - TOURISM-BASED BUSINESS REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST -The TOURISM-BASED BUSINESS Municipality of Neebing is looking to open up a

- conversation TOURISM-BASED BUSINESS The Municipalitywith of Neebing looking to openbusiness up a currentisand potential owners. To

The Municipality of Neebing looking to open owners. up a Tois looking conversation with current and is potential business capitalize on existing tourism opportunities, Neebing conversation with current potentialtobusiness owners. To capitalize existing tourismand opportunities, Neebing is looking for newon tourismrelated businesses set up shop! for new tourismrelated businesses to set up shop! capitalize on existing tourism opportunities, Neebing is looking forNeebing new tourismrelated businesses to set up is a rural community comprised ofshop! 5 townships: Blake, Neebing is a rural community comprised of 5 townships: Blake, Scoble, Crooks, Pearson, and Pardee. It spans 877 square Scoble, Crooks, Pearson, and Pardee. It spans 877 square Blake, Neebing is a rural community comprised oflake 5 townships: shore, cliffs, and kilometers of rolling hills, breath-taking and kilometers of rolling hills, breath-taking lake shore, cliffs, Scoble, Crooks, Pearson, and Pardee. It spans 877 square prime agricultural land. prime agricultural land. kilometers of rolling hills, breath-taking lake shore, cliffs, and prime agricultural land. The Municipality of Neebing is requesting EXPRESSIONS OF

The Municipality of Neebing is requesting EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST ESTABLISH A TOURISM-BASED BUSINESS WITHIN INTEREST TOTO ESTABLISH A TOURISM-BASED BUSINESS WITHIN The Municipality of Neebing is requesting EXPRESSIONS OF THE MUNICIPALITY. THE MUNICIPALITY.

INTEREST TO ESTABLISH A TOURISM-BASED BUSINESS WITHIN THE MUNICIPALITY. Examples of such businesses include, but are to: to: Examples of such businesses include, butnot arelimited not limited a cafe or or restaurant; a campground; outfitting or guiding a cafe restaurant; a campground; outfitting or guiding Examples of such businesses include, but are not limited to: services (i.e. lake tours); accommodations. services (i.e. lake tours); accommodations. a cafe or restaurant; a campground; outfitting or guiding Current include: servicestourism (i.e. lakeassets tours); accommodations. As a potential Neebing Municipally-owned parks and boat launches along Lake Superior, Cloud Lake, Oliver Lake, Journey’s Middle Park, and the Alf Olsen Center. Other notable recreation opportunities include: Pigeon River Provincial Park Thompson Island Provincial Park James Duncan Nature Trail Pearson Wetland Trail Little Trout Bay Conservation Area

business owner, you would be joining a community of other businesses making their mark on the Neebing area, such as: Slate River Dairy The Bakeshop on Boundary Mink Mountain Resort Niibing Tribal Tours Thunder Oak Cheese Farm and more...

The municipality is prepared to offer assistance in site selection, permitting, and seeking funding The municipality is prepared to offer assistance in opportunities.

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sitemunicipality selection, permitting, seeking fundingin The is preparedand to offer assistance opportunities. Please send your proposal to: site selection, permitting, and seeking funding opportunities. Municipality of Neebing Please send your proposal to: 4766 Highway 61 Neebing, Please Municipality ofproposal Neebingto: ON P7Lsend 0B5 your Municipality of Neebing 4766 Highway 61 Neebing, (807) 474-5331 ON Highway P7L 0B5 61 Neebing, 4766 development@neebing.org ON P7L 474-5331 0B5 (807) (807) 474-5331 development@neebing.org development@neebing.org

Gordon Lightfoot

Music TO BURNINGKY S E TH

Story by Gord Ellis, Photo by Arnie Lee

s I sit to write this column, the news of the death of Gordon Lightfoot is not even 36 hours old. My personal grief at the news has been mirrored by music lovers across Canada and around the world. Lightfoot was decades past his hit-making prime, yet his influence on singers and songwriters around the world has remained immense. The tributes have been pouring in from all corners of the music world. Nearly every rock, country, folk, and Americana artist seems to have some connection to Lightfoot or has been inspired by his work. What also strikes me is that there are so many pictures of people with Gordon Lightfoot. He was a musical genius and star who was utterly accessible. A man of the people. Lightfoot exploded in the 1960s during the folk revival and never really left those roots. While his contemporaries—including Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and Bob Dylan—would embrace rock and roll, jazz, and blues, Lightfoot stayed largely true to his acoustic folk roots. You’d be hard-pressed to even find a picture of him with an electric guitar. Lightfoot’s most famous songs are almost completely acoustic, with judicious and subtle use of drums and electric instruments. His biggest hit, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," is also one of the most unusual pop songs of all time. A true ballad, with no bridge, the song features both synthesizer and electric guitar, but in no way does it rock. Lightfoot didn’t really rock. That said, when the song came blaring out of my radio in the mid 1970s, it gave me chills, as it did for millions of others. The song is about as close to perfect as a story song

can get, and was done in one take—a testament to the connection Lightfoot had with his musicians. Lightfoot was proudly and staunchly Canadian. He was born in Orillia, Ontario and lived most of his life in Toronto. While Joni and Neil left Canada, Lightfoot stayed put in the country he loved. He famously would take long canoe trips in the remotest parts of Canada, usually for weeks on end. He loved the wilderness, wildlife, and the excitement of fast water. Lightfoot was also a keen sailor and knew of what he spoke when wrote about places like Christian Island. Although Lightfoot had a difficult and sometimes turbulent life, he took his craft seriously no matter what his life circumstances. In the excellent book Lightfoot, music journalist Nicholas Jennings takes great pains to show just how much work the artist put into his work. Lightfoot would sit for hours at a table in his house, smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee, guitar in hand, waiting for the muse to hit. Sometimes he would mine the pain and passion in his life, as he did with “Sundown.” Other times he would chronicle his long road as an artist, such as on “A Painter Passing Through.” Gordon Lightfoot was a singer-songwriter without equal, but was also a live performer. He was at his core an old-school minstrel. Lightfoot felt compelled to tour, and did so throughout his long career. He played around the world, and was especially popular in the midwestern United States, but he never ignored Canada. I saw him twice, both times at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium. The shows I saw were after the nearly lifeending abdominal aneurysm

that had him in a coma for six weeks. A tracheotomy damaged his vocal cords and a lifetime of smoking impacted his breathing. Yet it was him standing on the stage, with the excellent band he kept on retainer. The songs came

quickly and without fanfare: “If You Could Read My Mind,” “Early Morning Rain,” “Beautiful,” and “Canadian Railroad Trilogy,” to name just a few. Some tears flowed. At the last show I saw, in 2017, he was often labouring to sing.

Yet I’d never seen a crowd pull for a performer like they did for Lightfoot that night. He had always been there for us, and we were there for him. Gordon Lightfoot will be missed.

The Walleye

Music

(L–R) Kevin Haynen, Stephen Holloway, and Lee Waddington

People at Night

Thunder Bay Rockers Release New Album Story by Kris Ketonen, Photo by Blythe Haynen

hunder Bay three-piece indie rockers People at Night (Stephen Holloway, Lee Waddington, and Kevin Haynen) have proven quite prolific in the last few years. The band recently released their fourth album, A Beautiful Place (they’ve also got an EP to their credit), and are already working on their next project. In their media release for A Beautiful Place, the band states the album would be of interest to people who are fans of Beck, Dr. Dog, the New Pornographers, and Advance Base. But Holloway says it can be difficult to really

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pin down the band’s musical style. “Part of our trouble is that we’re interested in sound and music,” he says. “Genres are not even a thing that we worry about.” “Kevin and I, we have extremely broad listening interests. Lee’s probably more focused on punk music, Americana, folk music, those types of genres,” he says. “Because of that, the style that we've developed, we feel, is fairly unique because it just comes from not really imitating anybody, or trying to be anything in particular, just trying to create music for the sake of it and trying to reflect

what we wanted to hear.” That approach is clear in the sound of A Beautiful Place. The album is very layered and atmospheric. “If you listen to Keeping Distance, which is the prior album, there are fewer of those layers,” he says. “We intentionally tried to make [A Beautiful Place] more lush.” Holloway says People at Night don’t play many shows—in fact, they’ve only taken the stage a couple of times in total, due to other obligations like jobs and family. But they keep things going with regular weekly gatherings to write and record music. “We're writing another

album, and probably leaning more into more complex guitar parts,” Holloway says. “Some of my old stuff's a bit simple, so I'm trying to increase the complexity of the guitar playing.” “A friend of ours plays clarinet, we might try to bring her in on it.” The next People at Night album won’t be released for some time; Holloway says it’s something fans can expect in a couple of years.In the meantime, People at Night can be heard on Spotify, iTunes, and Bandcamp.

“A friend of ours plays clarinet, we might try to bring her in on it.”

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OfftheWall

Live at the Ancienne Belgique

That! Feels! Good!

O Sun O Moon

This record makes you believe that disco, in its finest form, is the absolute peak of music. But wait… wasn’t that her last record, What’s Your Pleasure? The London-born Jessie Ware has done it again. While her last record gave a sultry, forbidden form of seduction, That! Feels! Good! is upfront in its indulgence. “Pleasure is a right!” she proclaims in the opening track, and if the next three songs aren’t the biggest rush of dopamine since the advent of disco, then check for a pulse. In a world where there is no such thing as hyperbole, That! Feels! Good! forces you to be a prisoner to the moment. The unrelenting snare hits in “Free Yourself” and the “lala-la”-ing in “Pearls” or the pure musicianship of “Begin Again”— there are constant reminders of why the title is the title. Jessie Ware doesn’t make serious music, but she’s oh so serious about her craft. That! Feels! Good! executes every last detail to perfection.

I’ve always been a fan of Bruce Cockburn’s music. “Wondering Where The Lions Are” is probably my all-time favourite song of his (although it’s almost 45 years old). I haven’t heard much of his new music, so I was glad to review his latest album, O Sun O Moon. Cockburn’s musical themes haven’t changed much on his new album. He sings of love, human rights, climate change, and politics. Gentle ballads and talking songs make up most of the album's tracks. There are a couple of uptempo tunes and some bluesy shuffles as well. The production is clean and uncluttered. Cockburn’s vocals are as good as ever, and there are some top-notch harmonies from folks like Shawn Colvin. Favourite songs include the bluesy “On a Roll” with some juicy guitar work from Colin Linden, and the blues shuffle “Push Comes to Shove.” I was hoping for a little more punch or sparkle to the album, but I’m sure longtime Cockburn fans will not be disappointed.

Jessie Ware

Robert Jon & The Wreck Recorded in Brussels, Belgium, and southern California, the first-ever live concert CD/DVD from Robert Jon & The Wreck, Live at the Ancienne Belgique, shows the quintet flexing their substantial musical muscles. The set of more evolved versions of songs from their decade-long discography gets the first-class buff and polish from Joe Bonamassa’s Journeyman Records. Built upon the strong vocal prowess of frontman Robert Jon Burrison, group harmonies, a solid rhythm section, and dramatic guitar solos, Robert Jon & The Wreck are committed southern blues rockers. While their sound is at times reminiscent of icons of the genre, they avoid the pitfall of being derivative. Among many memorable standouts are the sing-along “Shine a Light on Me Brother,” the country-tinged “Oh Miss Carolina,” and the soulfully distilled “Blame It on the Whiskey.” -Ken Wright

Reviews

-Michael Charlebois

Bruce Cockburn

-Gerald Graham

Dance Fever

Florence and the Machine

If the pandemic did one positive thing for the music scene, it confined artists inside with nothing but time, setting the stage for some excellent post-lockdown albums. Written during the long months of isolation, Dance Fever is the fifth studio album from British indie rock band Florence and the Machine. With large, swelling rhythms, selfmythologizing lyrics, and a wealth of musical variety, this 14-track collection is the latest addition to the group’s growing canon of music. Throughout the album, frontwoman Florence Welch contemplates a number of recognizable themes (like female empowerment and the delicate balance between life and death), but this time she turns an intense eye inward and fiercely interrogates her own self-image. Referencing struggles with mental illness and sobriety, Welch brilliantly layers unique instrumentals and lyrics, creating a distinct mood and identity for each track. While the title may be a bit misleading (not every track will have you dancing on your feet), Dance Fever is more of a metaphorical, fevered dance through the mind of a tortured artist—one I was happy to get lost in. -Kelsey Raynard

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My Soft Machine Arlo Parks

Arlo Parks is one of those artists who seems wise beyond her years. The 22-year-old British singer-songwriter’s debut album, Collapsed in Sunbeams, was met with critical acclaim, with some critics calling her the “voice of a generation.” My Soft Machine sees the artist venturing into somewhat new sonic territory, most notably with the fuzzy and brashy “Devotion” and the fun-loving, disco-loop-inspired “Blades.” The artist’s spoken word-like vulnerability is still there (especially on “I’m Sorry” and “Impurities”); still, where on her previous effort Parks’s superlative poetic lyrics served as the glue for this versatility, My Soft Machine feels at times like the listener is being pulled into multiple directions at once. With all the praise for her debut, it’s hard not to avoid the pitfall of the sophomore slump, yet My Soft Machine is a good album, on which Parks shares the growing pains of fame and success. -Adrian Lysenko

Something Different This Way Comes

Pebble & Dove Amy Jones

When the thought of climate change became all too daunting with few hopeful solutions in place, Heather McLeod decided to spring into action right here in Thunder Bay and pursue some local insight and much-needed inspiration. Contributors to this podcast are from all walks of life who share their achievements, ultimately helping build neighbourhood resilience and lasting connections. For example, Paul Berger has a wicked “library of hope” that focuses on carbon budgeting on your own terms; Judi Vinni thrives on therapeutic gardening and building studentled learning; and Erin Beagle demonstrates her passion for gathering people together to make good food, all the while establishing a deeply rooted community. With uplifting guitar introductions that help set the mood, McLeod takes you on a journey of discovery that is not only empowering, but truly encourages all listeners to make a difference on our planet, no matter how small the impact.

It’s so easy to slip under Amy Jones’s narrative spell. When my copy of her new novel, Pebble & Dove, arrived, I swear I just opened it up for a second. When I looked up, about 20 pages later, I realized that I’d have to put my current read off to the side because that I-needto-know itch was infuriating. Starting with a bit of heartache is a great way to ease a reader into your characters’ lives, and Jones excels at that: her creations are real, struggling people that we’ve just interrupted during their latest crisis. Centring on the characters of Lauren and her teenage daughter Dove, this fractured family makes a sudden departure for a Florida trailer park after their lives are upended. Hunkering down in a trailer that belonged to Imogen, Lauren’s eccentric, kinda-famous mother, and adjacent to a marina where a captive manatee promises renewal, the two women are lost and adrift in a new space chock full of humorous, revealing incidents, and colourful characters. With shifting points of view, ridiculous escalating action, and enough truth to bring several tears to your eye, Pebble & Dove is another masterwork of Jones that salvages people from the neverending wear ‘n’ tear of relationships, and the best book I’ve ever read about a very lonely manatee.

-Andrea Lysenko

-Justin Allec

Heather McLeod

Sometimes I Feel Like A River Danielle Daniel

The follow-up to the equally engaging Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox, the children’s book Sometimes I Feel Like a River is full of metaphors and similes as the narrator likens themselves to the earth around them. I enjoyed how each child compares themself to peaceful things, such as a rainbow or the sun, as well as louder things such as rain and thunder, reminding us that we can be many different things, all at once. This book is found in our children’s Indigenous Knowledge Centre, and features diverse characters of different ethnicities and abilities throughout the story. The book offers a great introduction to poetry for children, as each page is essentially its own short poem. The illustrations by Josée Bisaillon are gorgeous and really enhance the beautiful story of our connection to the earth. This is a great story for children of all ages and their families to appreciate. -Lindsay O’Brien

Paddle Superior Waters Tbay to the Soo

Naturally Superior Adventures On Superior near Wawa naturallysuperior.com The Walleye

Adrian Lysenko

Architecture

Plymouth Landing By Jennifer Bonazzo

O Courtesy of The City of Thunder Bay Archives

n the banks of the Kaministiquia River, west of the James Street swing bridge, sits a building people might not know about. Built over a century ago to much anticipation and eagerness, today it appears vacant, its future yet unwritten. This property is known as Plymouth Landing. Talks between Plymouth Cordage Company and the City of Fort William first began in 1913 to have the city become the site of a warehouse for their company. Plymouth Cordage Company was a successful American rope and twine business located in Plymouth, Massachusetts that had been expanding into Canada. After first building a factory in Welland, Ontario in 1905, Plymouth then set

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their sights on the Lakehead— specifically, the property now known as 600 Montreal Street. What made this location ideal was the rail and river access, which allowed for easy transportation of their product to Canadian markets. Despite the initial interest, a meeting didn’t happen between stakeholders until October 10, 1918, with the formal agreement signed February 22, 1919 between the two to have the warehouse built. According to archival records, there were several reasons for the delay. Multiple agreements required for access of land, railway spur issues, and installation of telephone and power, along with culvert diversions were only the start. The main issue, however, was the draining of a creek running across the property, an arduous

Architecture

Landing, and details about it have become vague. It is known that in the early 2000s, architects Jim Peterson and Ahsanul Habib purchased it, but the building’s current owners and vacancy could not be confirmed. But one thing is clear when it comes to this property; its unique features and picturesque location make it one to watch for future potential.

Adrian Lysenko

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.

Adrian Lysenko

Courtesy of The City of Thunder Bay Archives

and expensive task that was estimated to have cost $5,000 upon completion. Despite all of this, the promise of an exciting new business made the efforts worthwhile. The warehouse was finally completed in late 1919. It is believed that it was built by Fox Construction Company; The Times Journal reported that their company normally would “do the engineering work on all contracts for the Plymouth Cordage Company,” a fact confirmed by Lucile Leary, director of the Plymouth Cordage Company Museum. Built in an industrial architectural style, the warehouse is 100,000 square feet and stands five storeys tall, with three at street view, and five facing the river. It holds many impressive exterior features such as a bold red brick, and its façade is a grid pattern segmented by a belt course and concrete pilasters. Windows run horizontally along this grid pattern on both sides of the building. Inside, notable stylings include poured concrete, splayed (or “mushroom”) columns, and exposed brick. Many of these features were viewed by the public during the City of Thunder Bay’s 2016 Doors Open event, when this building was a participating site. The warehouse operated for almost 50 years. It closed around 1969, when the introduction of the harvesterthresher made the binder twine and rope market fade away. After that, the property became known as the Plymouth Cordage Building or Plymouth

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

June 1–30

June 1, 7:30 pm

All The Daze Presents: Into the Woods Thunder Bay Community Auditorium

Pride Month Various Locations

Throughout the month, take part in events for people of all genders, identities, and orientations, including a sunrise ceremony at Anemki Wajiw, the Pride Awareness Breakfast, and the Pride March and Street Fest. #YQTPRIDE2023. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

thunderpride.ca

June 1–30

Active Commute Challenge All Over Town

It’s time to dust off your walking shoes, tune up your bikes, and prepare to be active. The challenge is a friendly workplace competition that encourages you to switch your ride and actively commute to and from work. See this month’s Health section for more info.

tbayonthemove.ca

June 1, 7 pm

Book Launch: Rose Addams by Margie Taylor Entershine Bookshop

Join Entershine Bookshop and Michael Sobota for the launch of former CBC Thunder Bay radio host and producer Margie Taylor’s latest book, Rose Addams, described as “an empathetic and incisive look at the problems of those just exiting middle age while attempting to keep up with a rapidly changing world.”

facebook.com/ entershinebookshop

This musical follows a baker and his wife who are trying to reverse the witch’s curse of them not being able to have a child.

tbca.com

June 1–3

Beauty and the Beast Paramount Theatre

A performance of the classic fairy tale, directed by Tegin Menei, Katherine Nemec, Amanda Commisso, and Candi Badanai. Tickets are $20.

facebook.com/ paramounttbay

June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Music and Dancing Bar Polonia

EVENTS GUIDE KEY General Art Food Sports Music Theatre June 3, 7:30 pm

Improv Comedy Show

Cambrian Players Studio Are you ready for a night of affordable fun and laughs? Enjoy a night of improv comedy with Cambrian Players. If you like Whose Line Is It Anyway then you’ll love these funny, one-act plays without a script. Tickets are $5. The show contains mature language and suggestive content.

facebook.com/Cambrian PlayersImprov/events

June 3 & 4

Ontario Aspire Provincial Diving Competition

Canada Games Complex The Thunder Bay Diving Club will be hosting the Ontario Aspire Provincials. The community is invited to watch and cheer on local divers!

facebook.com/ ThunderBayDivingClub

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

June 3 & 4, 10 am

(807) 345-1861

The Junk Zone

June 3, 10 am

Thunder Bay and District Master Gardeners’ Plant Sale West Thunder Community Centre

The Thunder Bay and District Master Gardeners will be holding their yearly plant sale, alongside their Look, Listen and Learn gardening education event, with three workshops: Spectacular Succulents, Starting Roses & Rhododendrons from Cuttings, and Gardening For Everyone—Growing Vegetables, Herbs, & More.

tbmastergardeners. homesteadcloud.com

Swap Meet, Flea Market, & Yard Sale Come find that hidden treasure at The Junk Zone’s second annual outdoor swap meet, flea market, and yard sale at their location on Alloy Drive.

facebook.com/thejunkzone

June 3 & 4, 11 am

Kite Festival Marina Park

Enjoy a day filled with professional kite flyers, community groups, arts programming, food vendors, and more. Special appearance by the Snowbirds aerial demonstration team. Free event. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

thunderbay.ca/en/ recreation/kite-festival

June 4, 10 am

Community Feast and Market Goods & Co.

Enjoy this free event in the downtown north core featuring a feast starting at noon, as well as a market highlighting Indigenous artists and artisans, a community art project, and more. See this month’s Art section for more info.

facebook.com/ goodscomarket

June 4, 10 am

Thunder Bay Gutsy Walk

Polish Combatants Branch No. 1

The Foundry

Pierogi Days

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.

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.

@redlionsmokehouse

June 5, 7 am

Pride Breakfast

Ramada by Wyndham Thunder Bay Airlane Hotel This year Thunder Pride is very excited to be working with GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) clubs from many high schools and all school boards across Thunder Bay. The breakfast is also their first fundraiser of the year to support year-round and Pride Month events. Tickets are $35. Vegan and gluten-free options included.

thunderpride.ca

For full details visit tbaytel.net/communityfund

facebook.com/foundrytbay

June 6, 8, 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 28

Thunder City Speedway

Tai Chi in the Park Marina Park International Tai Chi Park

pengyou-taiji.ca

Red Lion Smokehouse

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.

June 7, 14, 23, 24, 25, 28, 6:30 pm

June 4, 11 am

Sunday Brunch

Trivia Night

(807) 345-1861

gutsywalk.ca

Gutsy Walk is a fun-filled, family-friendly, and noncompetitive day to walk in support of those impacted by Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Registration required.

Winner Announcement Coming Soon

The The Walleye Walleye

June 7, 14, 21, 28, 7:30 pm

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.

Boulevard Lake

STAY TUNED

2 92

June 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28, 9 am

June 7, 14, 21, 28, 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

June 7, 14, 21, 28, 2–4 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

Race Nights

Start your engines! A full season of racing returns to the Thunder City Speedway. There will be weekly racing events on most Wednesdays featuring all classes of vehicles, and dedicated races from June 23–25 for street stocks, super stocks, and modifieds. Schedule subject to change.

thundercityspeedway.ca

June 8, 6:35 pm

Pride Night with the Thunder Bay Border Cats Port Arthur Stadium

The Rainbow Collective is teaming up with the Thunder Bay Border Cats to host Pride Night at Port Arthur Stadium on June 8. Come cheer on the Cats as they face off against Duluth. Everyone is welcome and there will be fun planned for all.

rainbowcollectiveof thunderbay.com

June 8, 7 pm

Ryan Joyce: Mindblowing Magic

CLE Heritage Building

In support of Make-A-Wish Canada, Ryan Joyce presents a unique show filled with tons of family-friendly laughter, magic, and mentalism. His performances have won critical acclaim with audiences all around the globe.

benefitshow.net

June 9, 3 pm

Northern Hearts Charity Golf Event Centennial Golf Course

The Northern Hearts Charity Golf Tournament is a ninehole, best-ball event, and a social, recreational, and physical exercise initiative. Cost is $125, and includes green fees, cart rental, supper, with a $45 tax deductible receipt with each registration.

northernhearts.org/ golf-with-doc

June 9, 6 pm

Glitter Ball with Rita Baga The Chanterelle

Immerse yourself in an evening of exquisite food, glitter, drag, and dance, featuring Canada’s Drag Race superstar Rita Baga with local queens and kings Amber Ail, Faux Rocious, Ivan Love, and Mz. Molly Poppinz. Tickets are $80 each, or $600 for tables of 8. Drag show/dance $30 advance, $35 door. All ages.

facebook.com/ TheChanterelle

June 9, 16, 23, 7 pm

Paint and Wine Night Gallery 33

Social painting done in a creative environment with artist and gallery owner Kristen Wall. Create a unique painting on canvas using guided instruction and liquid courage. Registration required. Cost is $40, and includes supplies (but BYOB). 19+.

facebook.com/gallery33. paintandwinenights

June 9 & 10

10x10 Festival Magnus Theatre

June 10, 7 pm

Bato’o: A Multicultural Soiree and Fashion Show Goods & Co.

Goods & Co. will be transformed into a multisensory experience of food, dance, and fashion in an evening that showcases the city’s diversity and invites people to embrace other cultures together. See this month’s Art section for more info.

facebook.com/ theafricanboutiquet thunderbay

June 10, 7:30 pm

Sounds of Superior Chorus Da Vinci Centre

Enjoy the distinct sounds of barbershop chorus with Sounds of Superior Chorus’s 50th anniversary gala concert, with two sets of music, displays of memorabilia, and a meal featuring the Da Vinci’s antipasto bar. Tickets are $40 from chorus members or Eventbrite. See this month’s Music section for more info.

soundsofsuperiorchorus.com

June 10, 10 pm

Pride Disco Party The Foundry

Break out your best stylin’ 70s garb and dance moves as the Foundry hosts a disco party as part of June’s Pride celebrations. Cover is $5. 19+.

thunderpride.ca

June 10 & 11

Electric Ride to Terrace Bay Terry Fox Memorial Lookout

June 11, 7 pm

Poetry Readings Howl at the Moon Dry Saloon

Join some of the region’s published poets, including Sunday wilde, Kathy Labrador, Nancy Ewachow, and others for a special evening to celebrate wordsmiths. Are you a poet? This is also an open mic event in support of the Howl on Cumberland Street. $5

facebook.com/HowlTBay

June 13, 4 pm

Compassionate Thunder Bay Meeting Various Locations

Compassionate Communities is a social movement that aims to normalize and increase community support for those experiencing death, dying, loss, or those caregiving. Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month at different community locations.

compassionatetbay@ gmail.com

June 15, 7 pm

Bobby Knauff’s Andre The Alien Atmos

Seven guest comedians will perform stand up comedy sets and then be interviewed by curious Andre the Alien, who is excited to learn all about Earth with only the knowledge he receives from the comedian’s jokes. Tickets are $20–25. 19+.

@campfirecomedy.ca

June 17, 11 am

Pride Street Festival

Waterfront District

Get charged up for an electric vehicle road trip. Starting at the Terry Fox monument on June 10 at 10 am, ride to Terrace Bay, and ride back the next day. There are charging stations in Nipigon and Terrace Bay. Stay at a motel, camp, or make it a day trip. Hike, explore, sightsee, and more.

The popular Pride Street Festival returns to Red River Road as part of Pride 2023. Walk in solidarity with all genders, identities, and orientations. There will be performances by Nancy Freeborn & Morning Light, Amber Ail, Faux Rocious, Ivan Love, and Mother of Wolves.

magnustheatre.com

facebook.com/ norontarioev

June 17, 9 pm

June 10, 10 am

June 11, 2 pm

With 10 plays, each 10 minutes long, featuring many talented actors and directors, the 10x10 festival has become a celebrated occasion. Audiences can expect a mix of comedies, dramas, and those that tackle both social and relationship issues. See this month’s Film & Theatre section for more info.

Thunder Bay Farmers’ Market North End Rec Centre

Come check out a variety of fresh goods at the Thunder Bay Farmers’ Market in the North End. Food is also being served from the kitchen for eat-in or take out.

tbfm@tbaytel.net

Stitch & Bitch Crafters Meet-Up Red Lion Smokehouse

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

thunderpride.ca

Pride After Dark Black Pirates Pub

If you’ve never been to a Thunder Bay drag show, there’s one hell of a night coming up June 17 at Black Pirates Pub: Pride After Dark, the biggest Pride party in town, with the largest showcase of Northwestern Ontario drag you’ve ever seen. Tickets are $20+, 19+.

thunderpride.ca

Until June 17

LU RetroGraduate Exhibition and Conflix Films Definitely Superior Art Gallery

See contemporary art by eight Lakehead University visual art grads, from their four-year program and new works. There will also be screenings of 32 thesis short films by Confederation College grads. Exhibition runs Tuesdays to Saturdays noon–6 pm. By donation, all ages, accessible. See this month’s Art section for more info.

definitelysuperior.com

June 17 & 18

Seussical Jr.

Trinity Hall Theatre Based on the legendary works of Dr. Seuss, this show follows the misadventures of Horton and Gertrude as they try to save the Whos. June 17 show starts at 6 pm, with stagings at 2 pm and 6 pm on June 18. Tickets are $20, and $15 for students under 18. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

applauzeproductions.com

Until June 18

Exhibition Spotlight: Ruth Tye Mckenzie

Thunder Bay Art Gallery This exhibition, which runs until the middle of the month, honours Ruth’s Tye Mckenzie’s creative spirit and passion for art. She loved the northern Ontario landscape and captured it in paintings, etchings, and mixed media works.

theag.ca

Until June 18

Blake Debassige Exhibition

Thunder Bay Art Gallery The Thunder Bay Art Gallery is honoured to exhibit 17 works from its permanent collection by artist Blake Debassige, who passed away last year.

theag.ca

June 21

National Indigenous Peoples Day Anemki Wajiw

This year’s celebrations begin with the sunrise ceremony at approximately 5:45 am, with opening ceremonies at noon and the powwow grand entry at 1 pm. Enjoy drumming, singing, dancing, and food and craft vendors before the annual feast at 5 pm. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

June 23

June 24, 10 pm

Thunder Bay Art Gallery

In Common

Helen Pelletier Exhibition

The first solo exhibition of the Fort William First Nation artist’s contemporary wiigwas (birch bark) works. The exhibition runs until September 17. See this month’s Art section for more info.

theag.ca

June 23

Ziibaaska’iganagoodayan: The Jingle Dress

Thunder Bay Art Gallery Come and see this new acquisition to the gallery’s permanent collection— eleven paintings by acclaimed Fort William First Nation artist Christian Chapman. The exhibition runs until September 17.

theag.ca

June 24

Maamawe Summer Festival Marina Park

The Maamawe Summer Festival and Showcase is a community festival that promotes inclusion, diversity, and well-being for Thunder Bay and all visitors to the region. The festival showcases local talent with a focus on Indigenous artists and performers.

thunderbay.ca

June 24, 10 am

Pottery Pop-Up Goods & Co.

Connect with local members of the Thunder Bay Potters’ Guild as they return again this year offering unique handmade items.

thunderbaypottersguild. com

June 24, 6:30 pm

Belluz Solstice Dinner

Goods & Co. Market The Solstice Dinner is a fundraiser for Belluz Farms’ new gleaning program in partnership with Thunder Bay Health Unit and Superior Seasons Farm Store. Tickets are $125 through Goods & Co. on social media. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

Pride Retro Dance Party Break out your dancing shoes for a retro-style dance party, as part of June’s Pride celebrations in Thunder Bay. 19+.

thunderpride.ca

June 24–27

35th Anniversary Members Show Call for Art Submissions Definitely Superior Art Gallery

The Contemporary Art Members Show offers the opportunity for both emerging and established artists to share exhibition space, and is designed to encourage eclectic and experimental works. Art that investigates social, political, environmental, and critical issues of importance is welcome. Call (807) 344-3814 for more info on how to become an artist member.

definitelysuperior.com

June 29

Two-Spirit Mini Powwow TBD

The Thunder Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre is hosting a two-spirit mini powwow on June 29. A location is still being determined, and everyone will be welcome. For more information, contact Logan McIvor at (807) 345-5840 Ext. 9071 or logan.mcivor@tbifc.ca.

tbifc.ca

Until July 16

Neechee Studio Presents: Oh, My Creator! Thunder Bay Art Gallery Neechee Studio is celebrating their ten-year anniversary with a juried art exhibition of 25 artists.

theag.ca

@goodscomarket on Instagram

indigenoustbay.com

The The Walleye Walleye

3 93

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

June 1

Karaoke

Branch 5 Legion 7 pm • No Cover • 19+

Open Mic

Lakehead Beer Co.

Karaoke

Thunder Gun

10 pm • No Cover • 19+

9:30 pm • $5 • 19+

The Bar

Bass Drum of Death + Basement Revolved + Dearly Beloved Branch 5 Legion 7 pm • $25 • AA

Norteños Cantina

Karaoke The Social

9:30 pm • No Cover • 19+

Karaoke The Bar

10 pm • No Cover • 19+

7 pm • No Cover • AA

June 4

June 10

Atmos

Branch 5 Legion

Westfort Prosvita

Open Decks

Open Jam

Karaoke

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

8 pm • No Cover • AA

7 pm • No Cover • 19+

Howl at the Moon

Black Pirates Pub

Howl at the Moon

Brass Camel

Karaoke

8 pm • $5 • 19+

9 pm • $15 ADV • 19+

8 pm • $5 • 19+

Branch 1 Polish Hall

June 5

Karaoke Karaoke

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

Karaoke

The Westfort

Open Mic

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

10 pm • No Cover • 19+

June 6

June 2

Old-Fashioned Fridays with Mood Indigo Anchor & Ore

6 pm • No Cover • AA

Family Values Tribute Show Black Pirates Pub 9 pm • $10 • 19+

Mother of Wolves Norteños Cantina 9:30 pm • $5 • 19+

Karaoke The Social

9:30 pm • No Cover • 19+

Karaoke The Bar

10 pm • No Cover • 19+

The Foundry 10 pm • No Cover • 19+

June 7

Danny Johnson’s Piano Bar Shooter’s Tavern

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

June 8

Karaoke

Branch 5 Legion 7 pm • No Cover • 19+

Open Mic

Lakehead Beer Co. 7 pm • No Cover • AA

Open Decks Atmos

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

June 3

Karaoke

Westfort Prosvita 7 pm • No Cover • 19+

Karaoke

Howl at the Moon 8 pm • $5 • 19+

Pantychrist with Forever Dead! Black Pirates Pub 9 pm • $10 • 19+

The Well Hungarians

Norteños Cantina 9:30 pm • $5 • 19+

Karaoke The Social

9:30 pm • No Cover • 19+

DJ Rogue The Foundry

10 pm • $5 • 19+

DJ Supa Atmos

10 pm • $10 • 19+

4 94

Karaoke

The The Walleye Walleye

Deadwolff + Rider Waites w/ Wrong Odds + Shatterhorn Atmos

9 pm • $15 • 19+

Bloodshots Nirvana Tribute Black Pirates Pub 9 pm • $15 • 19+

V3nom

Norteños Cantina 9:30 pm • $5 • 19+

Karaoke The Social

9:30 pm • No Cover • 19+

Karaoke The Bar

10 pm • No Cover • 19+

June 11

Open Jam

8 pm • No Cover • AA

Space Queen w/ Son Hound + Vape Dealer

Karaoke

8 pm • $5 • 19+

June 12

Karaoke

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

Karaoke

The Westfort 10 pm • No Cover • 19+

June 9

Old-Fashioned Fridays with Mood Indigo Anchor & Ore

6 pm • No Cover • AA

Bloodshots Green Day Tribute Black Pirates Pub 9 pm • $15 • 19+

VLM Karaoke Atmos

9 pm • $5 • 19+

7 pm • No Cover • 19+

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

9 pm • $15 • 19+

Lakehead Beer Co.

June 20

The Social

June 19

Branch 5 Legion

Howl at the Moon

Karaoke

Open Stage

7 pm • No Cover • AA

Karaoke

Howl at the Moon

8 pm • $15 • 19+

Open Mic

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

June 13

Karaoke

The Foundry 10 pm • No Cover • 19+

June 14

Mvll Crimes w/ Haters + locals Black Pirates Pub 8 pm • $15 • 19+

Danny Johnson’s Piano Bar Shooter’s Tavern

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

Karaoke

The Foundry 10 pm • No Cover • 19+

8 pm • $5 • 19+

Karaoke

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

Karaoke

The Westfort 10 pm • No Cover • 19+

June 16

Old-Fashioned Fridays with Mood Indigo Anchor & Ore

6 pm • No Cover • AA

Artificial Dissemination w/ Wrong Odds + more Black Pirates Pub 9 pm • $15 • 19+

The Dhads

Norteños Cantina 9:30 pm • $5 • 19+

Karaoke The Social

9:30 pm • No Cover • 19+

Karaoke The Bar

10 pm • No Cover • 19+

Branch 5 Legion

Black Pirates Pub

Howl at the Moon

Open Mic

The Haileys w/ Hopeless Ghost + Lakeside District

June 15

June 17

Thunder Bay Blues Competition The Foundry

Noon • No Cover • AA

Karaoke

Westfort Prosvita 7 pm • No Cover • 19+

Karaoke

Howl at the Moon 8 pm • $5 • 19+

Karaoke The Social

9:30 pm • No Cover • 19+

The Well Hungarians The Wayland

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Karaoke The Bar

10 pm • No Cover • 19+

June 18

Open Jam

Branch 5 Legion 8 pm • No Cover • AA

June 21

Danny Johnson’s Piano Bar Shooter’s Tavern

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

June 22

Karaoke

Branch 5 Legion 7 pm • No Cover • 19+

Open Stage

Lakehead Beer Co. 7 pm • No Cover • AA

The Peelers

Black Pirates Pub 8 pm • $15 ADV • 19+

Open Decks Atmos

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

Karaoke

Howl at the Moon 8 pm • $5 • 19+

Black Pirates Pub

Karaoke

9:30 pm • No Cover • 19+

Karaoke The Bar

10 pm • No Cover • 19+

June 25

Open Jam

Branch 5 Legion 8 pm • No Cover • AA

June 26

Open Mic

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

June 27

Karaoke

The Foundry 10 pm • No Cover • 19+

June 28

Danny Johnson’s Piano Bar Shooter’s Tavern

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

Karaoke

June 29

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

Branch 5 Legion

June 23

Open Stage

Branch 1 Polish Hall

Old-Fashioned Fridays with Mood Indigo Anchor & Ore

6 pm • No Cover • AA

When We Were Young Throwback Black Pirates Pub 9 pm • $10 • 19+

Casper TNG with Easy Finesse NV Music Hall

9 pm • $30+ • 19+

Karaoke The Social

9:30 pm • No Cover • 19+

DJ Sugarman The Foundry

10 pm • $5 • 19+

Karaoke

7 pm • No Cover • 19+

Lakehead Beer Co. 7 pm • No Cover • AA

Open Decks Atmos

8 pm • No Cover • 19+

Karaoke

Howl at the Moon 8 pm • $5 • 19+

Karaoke

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

June 30

Old-Fashioned Fridays with Mood Indigo Anchor & Ore

6 pm • No Cover • AA

Karaoke

The Social

10 pm • No Cover • 19+

The Foundry

The Bar

June 24

Karaoke

Westfort Prosvita 7 pm • No Cover • 19+

Karaoke

Howl at the Moon 8 pm • $5 • 19+

9:30 pm • No Cover • 19+

The Gin Tonics 10 pm • $5 • 19+

Karaoke The Bar

10 pm • No Cover • 19+

Brought to you by:

For more info visit tbshows.com

Music

LU RADIO’S MONTHLY TOP 1 Zoon*

Bekka Ma’iingan

Paper Bag

7 boygenius

The Record

Interscope

15 Braids*

Euphoric Recall

Secret City

8 The New Pornographers*

Constellation

10 Wax Mannequin*

Jagjaguwar

3 Debby Friday* GOOD LUCK

Sub Pop

4 Feist*

Multitudes

Polydor/Interscope

Acrobat

Acrophase

12 Bodywash*

I Held the Shape While I Could

Darling the Dawn

Heart Lake

11 Winona Forever*

With a Hammer

24 ALL HANDS_MAKE LIGHT*

Getaway Experience

22 Yaeji

Self-Released

9 Witch Prophet*

The Red Brain

Check out our weekly charts online at luradio.ca. Keep it locked on 102.7 FM, online streaming at luradio.ca.

One Wayne G

Continue as a Guest

Coax

CILU 102.7fm’s Monthly Charts for this issue reflect airplay for the month ending May 16, 2023.

23 Mac DeMarco*

Merge

2 Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Music

25 William Prince* 16 Hillsburn* Stories

LHM

17 Wednesday Rat Saw God

Dead Oceans

Stand in the Joy

Six Shooter

26 Uh Huh* Uh Huh

Telephone Explosion

27 Tunic

Wrong Dream

Artoffact

Self-Released

28 Devours*

13 Miesha & The Spanks*

Homecoming Queen

STG

Unconditional Love In Hi-Fi

29 Bart*

Some Kind of Way

Mint

Idée Fixe

30 Atsuko Chiba* 18 Cat Clyde*

Down Rounder

Second Prize

Mascarade Rhythm Section

Powder Blue

6 U.S. Girls*

Bless This Mess

Royal Mountain

Mothland

19 Gayance*

5 Begonia*

Birthday Cake

Water, It Feels Like It’s Growing

14 Yves Tumor

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

Warp

20 Indigo De Souza

All of This Will End

Saddle Creek

21 Altin Gun Ask

ATO * Indicates Canadian Content

The Walleye The Walleye

5 95

TattooedYou

Life is a Mixtape

Story by Leah Morningstar, Photos courtesy of Tara Marcin Tattoo by Mike Gresham at High Tide Tattoo Parlour

 Tara, Tiko, and Wayne Marcin

ara Marcin has always been a fan of music, ever since she was a young child. She can tell endless stories about watching MuchMusic, going to local concerts, collecting records and CDs, and of course, making mixtapes. As she got older, Marcin continued attending concerts; she met a handsome red-headed musician and soon they were married and attending concerts together. Marcin was and still is an ever-present cheerleader at her husband Wayne’s shows. Previously he’s played with Makeshift Astronaut, Secret Baby, and Black Letter Vendetta. He is now playing bass with the Cartwrights, guitar with The Shouldn’ts, and has released music solo under the name Chemical Bank. Marcin is always there to cheer him on and does an amazing job keeping a photographic record of her husband’s musical career. But she’s not always behind a camera lens—she’s also behind a microphone. For almost 20 years, Tara has hosted a radio show on LU Radio (CILU 102.7) called RawkStarGurl’s Rawkin Hours of Rock N Roll, airing every Saturday from 7 to 9 pm. When Marcin isn’t able to be behind the mic, her husband fills in for her. After so many years and so many concerts

and so many radio shows together, it’s clear Tara and Wayne Marcin have always been that music couple. It’s not just Tara and Wayne anymore, though, because they also have a son. As you can see in the tattoo, the cassette tape is labelled “Tiko’s Mix.” Marcin says, “About four years ago, Wayne and I talked to Mike at High Tide about designing a matching tattoo for us, something to honour our love of music and our love for our kiddo.” Mike drew up the mixtape design and Marcin loved it. “So many people my age remember waiting by the radio as a kid, waiting for their favourite song to play so they could press record,” she says. That anticipation of waiting for that one perfect song to play and finally hearing it can be likened to the anticipation of waiting for your baby to be born. The Marcins both remember waiting for that one song to come on and they both remember waiting for their son to be born. The Marcins have certainly enjoyed the rollercoaster of ups and downs that come with parenting, just as they’ve enjoyed watching their son Tiko grow into his own person with his own musical tastes and talents. And they can’t wait to see what he’ll do next, as he adds his own chapters to the Tiko Mix.

D TATTOOE YOU

The Walleye

Thunder Bay Emergency Shelter Inc.

presents

BACK TO NATURE RAFFLE Winning Ticket Draw : Shelter House July 12, 2023 at 11 AM

Trust Petrone for Wills and Powers of Attorney