March 2022 by The Walleye Magazine

FILM FREE ARTS Vol. 13 No. 3 MUSIC MARCH FOOD 2022 CULTURE thewalleye.ca

Chilli Point The Addams Family

Woodland Style Sewing the Threads of Hope Richard Veurink EYE TO EYE: With Krista McCarville The Walleye

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Contents

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

TheWalleye.ca Where can I find The Walleye? thewalleye.ca/wherecan-i-find-the-walleye/ Ad Deadline for our April Issue March 16th

54 44

Challenging Norms and Expectations

67 91

Big Bad Roads

28 35

A Queen is a Queen is a Queen

24 68

Promo Man

46 80

FEATURES 9 Woodland Style 10 Woodland Art 12 Pushing the Boundaries 14 Where Woodland Meets Pop 16 Carrying the Brush FOOD 18 THE GRINNING BELLY 19 DRINK OF THE MONTH 21 Chilli Point 23 OFF THE MENU 24 SUPERIOR SIP 25 Gacha Viet Mini Mart 26 Cajun Fuzion

The Show Must Go On

TheTOPFive

FILM&THEATRE 28 Finding Where She Fits 30 The Addams Family 33 A Night Full of Laughter 35 A Queen is a Queen is a Queen 36 THE SECOND MOST PLEASURABLE THING WE DO IN THE DARK. A COLUMN ABOUT MOVIES THE ARTS 38 Sewing the Threads of Hope 40 Building an Analog Community 42 A THOUSAND WORDS 44 Challenging Norms and Expectations 46 Wearable Art 47 FROM THUNDER BAY ART GALLERY’S COLLECTION 48 When Art Meets Reality 50 Dear Diary OUTDOOR 52 Ungroomed and Unmatched CITYSCENE 54 Stuff We Like 56 THE ENTHUSIASTS 58 SECOND CHANCES

63 64 65 66 67

WALL SPACE: Thunder Bay Art Gallery’s Permanent Collection CANNABIS CORNER EYE TO EYE: With Krista McCarville GO LOCAL Thunder Bay Country Market THIS IS THUNDER BAY The Show Must Go On

MUSIC 68 Promo Man 69 Richard Veurink 70 BURNING TO THE SKY 73 Classical Music and the Pandemic 74 Trio Vows Triumphant Return to Stage 75 The Stunning Strings of Emotion 76 Rediscovering Great Music 77 TBSO PROFILE: Heather Kilborn 78

OFF THE WALL REVIEWS

ARCHITECTURE 80 The Andrew Block 82

Tbaytel MARCH EVENTS GUIDE

LU RADIO'S MONTHLY TOP 30

TATTOOED YOU 86 Dan Herneshuhta’s Coho Salmon HEALTH 88 What Can I Eat to Prevent Colon Cancer? GREEN 90 What’s Wrong with my Houseplant? 91 Free the Girls for International Women’s Day THE WALL 92 Big Bad Roads 94 97 98

HOROSCOPES THE BEAT THE EYE

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From Our Instagram Feed

A Window to the Past

first saw a pictograph while paddling on a lake when working on the short documentary Woodland Spirits. Even though the Anishinaabe rock painting was more than hundreds or possibly thousands of years old, the red colours on the cliff face were vibrant. The images depicted could be interpreted as survived messages and stories from the past, and it truly felt like a sacred site. Often on our family’s summer canoe trips we’ll venture to lakes and rivers with pictographs to marvel in the beauty, but also make sure to respect the place and paintings. Having evolved from these prehistoric images, Woodland art blends ancient oral storytelling with contemporary painting to create a world-renowned art form with its roots in our region. We’re exploring the distinct style of Woodland Art for our March issue. As part of the cover story, Tiffany Jarva looks into the history of the art style, we talk to third-generation artist Kevin Belmore, profile three female Indigenous artists who have put their own contemporary spin on the form, and Stephanie Wesley chats with Fort William First Nation artist Christian Chapman about his

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solo show Ziibaaska’Iganagooday: The Jingle Dress. Also in the issue, we celebrate the return of live music (once again) as Sleeping Giant Folk Music Society presents the Andrew Collins Trio, TBSO performs Schubert and Farrenc, and Loch Lomond Ski Area welcomes musicians to the stage with their Live@Loch series. Plus, we go Eye to Eye with Thunder Bay curler Krista McCarville, do some backcountry skiing at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, and Susan Pretty digs into the authentic South Indian food offered at Chilli Point. Although March brings the official arrival of spring, it might not feel like it here. So what better way to beat the winter blues than see some live theatre? We preview Magnus Theatre’s Salt Baby, Cambrian Players’ Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, and Badanai Theatre’s The Addams Family. In the same way that Woodland art evolved from the pictographs of our region, it’s incredible to see how new generations of artists are continuing to create their own unique styles inspired by those who came before them. -Adrian Lysenko

Featured Contributor Lois Nuttall Although photography began as a tourism business need for Lois, it has evolved into a passion. In 2014, she joined the Professional Photographers of Canada (PPOC) and has since had nine PPOC accreditations and received her Masters of Photographic Arts - First Bar designation. Whether it’s finding the right angle, right time of day, or right lens choices, Lois enjoys the creative part of photography and trying to achieve excellence in all aspects of the actual camera capture. Check out Lois’s photos in our new Off the Menu column on page 23.

On the Cover The Nest by Kevin Belmore

In Error

On page 10 of our January issue (Vol. 13 No. 1) the Polish Combatants' Association in Canada Branch No. 1 (Lakehead), Inc. was misidentified as the Royal Canadian Legion Polish Combatants LWOW Branch #219.

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“My teacher helps me

reach for the stars” You belong here 6

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Waterfront District’s

Cambrian Players’ Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike

TheTopFive

March 2–5 & 9–12

Cambrian Players Theatre All the world’s a stage, but there’s nothing like seeing live theatre, especially when it’s amazing community theatre by Thunder Bay’s very own Cambrian Players! Cambrian is bringing Christopher Durang’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike to life with a stellar cast of local actors. Directed by Julie MacCoy and set in Picture Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in this play you’ll meet two bickering, middle-aged siblings whose moviestar sister Masha turns up with her new boy toy, Spike. Oh boy, indeed! There’s also Cassandra, a sassy maid who can predict the future, and an aspiring actress named Nina whose attractiveness causes Masha to spiral. Please note: the show does contain mature content, so it’s best suited for audience members who are 14+. Tickets can be purchased online at cambrianplayers.eventbrite.ca. cambrianplayers.com

2 Comedy Nights March 4 & 26

March 5

Sleeping Giant Provincial Park

Keegan Richard

They stand-up, you sit down! Join Thunder Bay’s “King of Comedy,” Ron Kanutski, and special guests for two nights of comedy this month. Kanutski has been headlining shows for over a decade in both Canada and in the U.S. and is home to kick off some laughs before hitting the road on a nine-stop Ontario tour this summer in collaboration with Science North. On March 4, Kanutski will be joined by veteran Thunder Bay comedian Issu Rautsalainen (together they have 40 years of stand-up experience) and will be serving up that special kind of northern Ontario humour along with song and storytelling. The second show, on March 26, promises “ingenuity of the Indigenous perspective” with new comedian Brent Edwards and comic idol Todd Genno. Tickets are $20, you must be 19+, and the shows start at 8 pm. portarthurlegion.ca

Winter FunDays

March 6, 13, & 20 Various

Sundays are FunDays in the city! You only have one month left to enjoy some good clean (and absolutely free!) fun as part of the City of Thunder Bay’s Winter FunDays. On March 6, head over to Minnesota Park for an afternoon of skating, Science North activities like launching a hot water rocket, as well as sipping on some hot chocolate. On the 13th, snowshoe through Chapples Golf Course and collect things to make your own frozen suncatcher (a limited number of snowshoes are available so bring your own if you have them!). And on the 20th, you can get crafty with Community Arts & Heritage Education Project and create a winter wreath to take home, or make a greeting card to thank local front-line workers. All the activities run from 2–4 pm. thunderbay.ca

Attention Nordic skiers: the Sleeping Giant Loppet returns! A modified ski event will be held on March 5, giving participants the option to choose their own start time and distance to ski. There will be three start locations: Bay’s End to Lookout Trail (Pass Lake), Thunder Bay Lookout Road (Rita Lake), and Marie Louise Lake Campground. Although skiers will not be timed and there won’t be any awards given out, a website will allow skiers to record their start location and distance. The snow conditions are incredible, the scenery is beautiful, and the camaraderie among the community of skiers is beyond comparison. Plan now to gather with family and friends at Ontario’s most spectacular provincial park. Each parked vehicle must display either a park seasonal or day pass or a Thunder Bay Nordic Trails membership card. sleepinggiantloppet.ca Marty Mascarin

Port Arthur Royal Canadian Legion Branch 5

3 Sleeping Giant Loppet

5 TBSO March Concerts March 11, 18, & 25 Hilldale Lutheran Church

The TBSO is very excited to perform for you once again in person with three concerts. On March 11, it’s Schubert & Farrenc, featuring the lovely Mother and Child by William Grant Still, Schubert’s Symphony No. 2, and Farrenc’s colourful Symphony No. 2. On the program for March 18 are three iconic composers: McGrath, Mozart, and Mendelssohn. The audience is in for a special treat as TBSO’s own Kristy Tucker will perform Mozart’s beloved bassoon solo in Concerto for Bassoon in B-flat major, K.191. Closing out the month is a powerhouse performance featuring the TBSO strings and violinist Chris Stork. The concert will include Igor Stravinsky’s Concerto for Strings, Pēteris Vasks’ Lonely Angel and Ludwig van Beethoven’s masterpiece Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op.68. tbso.ca

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Woodland Style

rom prehistoric paintings on rock to bark, canvas, and beyond, Woodland art is rooted in Northernwestern Ontario and the Anishinaabe people. This art form explores the Indigenous connection to the land and the spirit world, drawing on oral history passed down through generations. And while there are some hallmarks of style like vibrant colours and strong lines, each artist communicates their own experience, using a brush to shape their stories. We are so grateful to the artists for sharing their work with us, and with you, the readers of The Walleye. - Rebekah Skochinski

Legend of Red Lake by Goyce Kakegamic Courtesy of Red Lake Regional Heritage Centre

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Norval Morrisseau, known as the founder of Woodland art

he contemporary Woodland art movement was born out of Northwestern Ontario in the early 1960s. “It started with Norval Morrisseau as the grandfather, the first generation of Woodland. Roy was second generation and now we are into the fifth and sixth generations of this style,” says Louise Thomas, wife of the late Woodland artist Roy Thomas and owner of Ahnisnabae Art Gallery in Thunder Bay. “Woodland art has always been evolving in our region, starting with the prehistoric paintings on rocks across Northwestern Ontario,” explains Thomas. The style is about deep connections to the Anishinaabe consciousness, and i n t e rc o n n e c t e d n e s s between beings. In addition to canvas, sometimes pieces are painted on birch bark, wood panels, or beaver skins. “Roy, just like Morrisseau, was born in the bush, raised by grandparents who shared stories about animal beings and their connections to human beings and the land,” she adds. Also known

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as Legend or Medicine Painting, Woodland art is rich with spiritual imagery and symbolism, blending ancient oral storytelling with contemporary painting. According to Thomas, Morrisseau was one of Roy’s inspirations, and also helped him secure his first show at the Pollock Gallery—artist Jack Pollock’s commercial gallery in Toronto active from 1960 to 1981. A selftaught artist, Roy Thomas worked with Morrisseau for a short period of time before branching out into his own unique Woodland style, including blending his own colours. “I used to watch him make his own colours using white ice cube trays,” says Thomas. “It was amazing to watch.” Morrisseau, on the other hand, did not mix his colours. Instead, according to Penelope Smart, curator at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, whatever colour came straight out of the tube was the colour seen on the canvas. “Morrisseau didn’t blend. Instead he used undiluted pops of colour.” The Thunder Bay Art Gallery is home to a large, diverse collection of Woodland art,

including some works by the Professional Native Indian Artists Incorporation (PNIAI)—more popularly known as the Indian Group of Seven—which was established in 1973 to promote Indigenous art across Canada. The group includes Norval Morrisseau, Carl Ray, Jackson Beardy, Eddy Cobiness, Joseph Sanchez, Daphne Odjig, and Alex Janvier. “There has always been a variety of styles within the Native Group of Seven,” says Smart. Styles ranged from the more figurative storytelling of Carl Ray (who Morrisseau called “Little Brother”) to the works of Jackson Beardy and Daphne Odjig. “Daphne was definitely a real trailblazer in art with her own sense of style,” says Thomas. “Historically, art has evolved because every artist brings their own experience to the work,” reflects Smart. That said, there are some generally recognizable symbols of Woodland art. These include lines of power, communication, prophecy, and movement, orbs or circles divided in half, X-ray points of view, and pure colours bordered by bold black lines. “Wavy

Woodland Art

Rooted in Indigenous Consciousness and Interconnectedness By Tiffany Jarva

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum

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 Boy and the Loon by Cree artist Johnson Meekis in the Woodland style, circa 1975  Family Unit by Goyce Kakegamic, serigraph on paper, collection of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Gift of Arne and Margaret Westlake, 1991

Three Concepts of Woodland Art Transition of the ancient oral traditions into visual representation: done as a means of reintroducing the Anishinaabe worldview into contemporary consciousness. Imagery of transformation and duality: the representation of man and animal being two life forms at the same time (e.g., thunderbird).

Frequent struggle between humans and animals: the representation of spiritual communication or fighting between the physical and spiritual, or the manmade and the natural.

Symbolism in Woodland Art Lines of Power

Lines radiating from the heads and bodies of both animals and people Variation in length and intensity indicate the quality of power Both transmit and receive information

Lines of Communication Flowing lines indicate relationships, which reflects the artist’s understanding of the nature of interdependence between two beings

Lines of Prophecy

Powerful creatures may have ivy-like vines spewing from their mouths, indicating prophecy

Seen with most shamanic imagery

Lines of Movement

Very short lines indicate movement

When clustered near an organ like the heart, this could indicate an active attempt at communication with the viewer

and radiating lines of power transmit energy between beings,” explains Smart. “You will also notice orbs or circles inside of a seed representing a sort of yin and yang, duality and connection.” Finally, there is the X-ray-like element, which Smart says can be “really fun for kids when studying art.” She also notes that the X-ray vision can be seen as a view into the inner spiritual life of a being and being within beings. “It’s a real honour to work with these pieces and exciting to support artists who are experimenting with expressions of Woodland art,” says Smart. Reflects on the art of her late husband, Thomas says, “Roy really wanted the art to bounce back on people. He wanted people to feel good about what they were looking at. It’s really wonderful to see our community overflowing with so much art and seeing all the different styles of Woodland from generation to generation.”

To learn more about Woodland art, visit the Ahnisnabae Art Gallery at 18 Court Street South (577-2656) or the Thunder Bay Art Gallery at Confederation College, 1080 Keewatin Street (577-6427).

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum

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 A framed painting by Norval Morrisseau, title unknown

 We’re All in the Same Boat by Roy Thomas. The painting depicts Woodland artists (L–R) Blake Debassige, Joshim Kakegamic, Carl Ray, Daphne Odjig, Norval Morrisseau, Saul Williams, and Roy Thomas. “They’re all painting on rock and you’ll see their own individual styles of painting,” says Louise Thomas.  Louise Thomas, wife of the late Woodland artist Roy Thomas and owner of Ahnisnabae Art Gallery in Thunder Bay

The Divided Circle

A representation of duality

When connected with Lines of Communication it represents the duality of connection between worlds X-Ray Decoration

Representation of inner spiritual life

Colour

Prehistoric artists used ochre paints (ruddy reddish-brown)

Adrian Lysenko

Norval Morrisseau used unmixed paints, colours that he said represented the inner reality of the inner beings

-Red Lake Regional Heritage Centre

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CoverStory

Pushing the Boundaries

Artists Inspire Audiences Across NWO and Beyond with their Unique Creations By Kelsey Raynard

oodland style is a recognized school of art utilized by many contemporary Indigenous artists. Popularized by Canadian painters such as Norval Morrisseau, this style of art is sourced from traditional Indigenous themes and symbolism, such as the sacred interconnectedness between humans and nature. Today, artists inspired by the style are showcasing both the historical significance of traditional Indigenous art as well

as the continuity of this art form in our modern world. Thunder Bay is home to countless Anishinaabe and Ojibway/Oji-Cree artists who are putting their own contemporary spin on this timeless style of creation. Three women in particular—Deanna Therriault, Angela Benedict, and Candace Twance—are inspiring audiences across Northwestern Ontario and beyond with their unique creations.

Mukwa-Manidoo Mushkiki/Bear Spirit Medicine

Kookum's Laughter Heals the World

Deanna Therriault

“B

ooshoo, Giziizikwe indigoog. Ma’iingan indoodem. Anemki Wadjiw indoonjibaa / Hello, my Spirit name is Sun Woman. I am wolf clan and a member of Thunder Mountain Anishinabek, commonly known as Fort William First Nation,” says artist Deanna Therriault, a Nishnawbe-Aski (Oji-Cree) visual artist who paints predominantly with watercolours in a style she calls “neo-Woodlands.” “I use this ter m to describe my style because it's not traditional Woodland, yet clearly incorporates foundational aspects of the original Woodland school

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of art established by Norval Morrisseau,” she says. “I use bold black outlines, bright colours, spirit lines (internal or X-ray lines present in traditional Woodland), and use subjects reflecting nature, traditional Indigenous story, teaching, ceremony, and memory reflective of my nation and the region we live in.” Therriault was a talented and artistic child. She emphasizes the profound impact art has made both on her life and in the lives of her community. “Indigenous art saves. It is widely used as a culturally appropriate response to Indigenous

My Faces

trauma and mental illness. It is how my career began: institutionalized, broken. A ceremony in the hospital called my gift back out,” she says. “Basically, I strongly believe First Nations art and craft is the cultural expression we need to connect with, take pride in, respect, and accept as an overt visual representation of us and our healing.” While Therriault draws inspiration from personal mentors like late Ojibway author Richard Wagamese and idols like Woodland artist member Carl Ray, her style pushes the boundaries of what Woodland art can be. “It took

me several years to find and refine my style, specifically my line work. I think it is so important to showcase that, as Indigenous artists in northern Ontario, we don’t have to paint with acrylics in the typical style most are familiar with,” she says. “We can still be Woodland artists creating outside the box. When I gave myself permission to try other things, I realized I was still a part of the Indigenous artist collective and that my interpretation of Woodland is valid and necessary to encourage evolving the art form.” When asked how readers can support her work,

Therriault emphasizes that she wants all Indigenous artists and their art to be valued and recognized within our community: “Any answer requires a foundational understanding that Indigenous art is a necessity. It is a reclamation of identity and culture that has to be appropriately respected before meaningful support of any kind can be given.” Follow Therriault on Instagram @therriaultdeanna or purchase an original piece of art at ingaged. market/collections/artprints/deanna-therriault.

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Three Sisters

Angela Benedict

ngela Benedict grew up on and around Sheshegwaning First Nation on Manitoulin Island, until moving to Thunder Bay for university. She is a selftaught artist with a Master of Education degree, who was inspired to take up painting during a therapeutic recreation course. Her work is vast and varied, from delicate acrylic paintings to large stained glass pieces. “I’m not stationary. I am constantly trying out new mediums and seeing how far I can push things. Over the years I've developed skills

Return of Spring

in drawing, acrylic painting, digital drawing, stained glass, glass painting, beading, leatherwork and sewing,” she says. “I rent a studio space, which really helps with experimenting with more complex mediums. There is no way I would have been able to create my large 3 Sisters stained glass piece if I didn’t have my own studio space.” Benedict’s inspiration comes from other artists, as well as long-held Indigenous art traditions, such as animal motifs, bold colours, and storytelling. “Right now I'm doing a lot

Niijii (Friend)

of experimentation in stained glass. The Woodland style of painting really translates well to stained glass, as it is a series of shapes forming a picture with solid colours. I'm excited to begin pushing the stained glass medium in such a way because stained glass is so associated with churches and religious imagery,” she says. “With the legacy of residential schools that caused a lot of harm, I think it will be an interesting flip to start showing First Nations imagery through stained glass.” Benedict emphasizes that while Woodland style is a

Dark, Dead, Colourful & Lively

source of inspiration and pride for many Indigenous artists, the world of Indigenous art is limitless and transcends any one style, school, medium, or theme. “I hear a lot of Indigenous artists say ‘Oh, I wish I could paint something like that but I can’t’ because they have a particular style that they are known for and it is kind of their brand. Because I'm self-taught and I figure things out as I go along, it kind of frees me from falling into that way of thinking,” she says. “I think as Indigenous artists, to prevent our own creative burnout we need

to experiment with different things every once in a while. You are still an Indigenous artist even if you aren't painting or creating in the Woodland art style.” Follow Benedict on Facebook and Instagram @starbeamwomanart; you can also purchase her paint kits from The Creative Company or email her at artbyangelabenedict@ gmail.com to book a private painting session.

Bird Song

Candace Twance

andace Twance is a multidisciplinary artist from the Ojibway community of Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg (Pic Mobert First Nation), located along the northern shore of Lake Superior. Twance demonstrated an interest in creative expression from a young age, and started showing and selling her work as a teenager. “Louise Thomas of Ahnisnabae Art Gallery in Thunder Bay was a huge support to me when I was getting started selling my

Kilala Lake

work at a young age,” Twance says. “She invited me to join her gallery and has always been an insightful mentor, offering much guidance and encouragement, and as a young person that kind of support was really invaluable.” Twance currently raises her family in Thunder Bay, and has been exploring mixed-medium abstract painting with an emphasis on Anishinabek thought, philosophy, and wisdom. “I make use of materials which were traditionally valued and

Ojibway Floral

prized by Anishinabek people, including beads, copper, fur, shells, and actual beadwork pieces. I incorporate these cultural artifacts into my work to acknowledge their historical use and to honour their legacy today,” she says. “I want to encourage a very tactile experience when viewing my work […] to create work that’s very physical and solid, in a sense.” With a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a newly acquired degree in psychology from Lakehead University, Twance is

Trapline

interested in the intersection of art, psychology, and spirituality. “My paintings allude to the concept of ‘cellular memory,’ the teaching that there is more to this life than solely the physical realm. By creating layers in my work, and painting veils of lines, I’m expressing this idea of realms,” she says. “I suppose the linework in my paintings is a nod in part to the ‘energy lines,’ which are a defining feature of the Woodland style, connecting all things.” Twance concludes that

readers can best support her by purchasing pieces of her art: “As an artist working out of Thunder Bay, which can feel so remote from larger centres, artwork sales directly support myself, my family, and my ability to keep creating and sharing my work within the community and beyond.” Follow Twance on Facebook and Instagram @seaballast and on her website, candacetwance.com.

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CoverStory

Where Woodland Meets Pop Christian Chapman on his Inspirations and New Exhibit By Stephanie Wesley

Adrian Lysenko

 Christian Chapman overseeing the installation of his exhibit Ziibaaska’Iganagooday/Jingle Dresses in the Co.Lab Gallery & Arts Centre  Trickster, acrylic on canvas, 56 x 78 inches, 2022

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ne of the first Woodland style creations that Christian Chapman recalls seeing was by artist Noel Ducharme. “I remember he did a mural at the old Fort William First Nation band office,” Chapman says. He recalls the mural depicting a beaver lodge with birch trees in the background. “It was pretty neat, actually.” It is in that community of Fort William First Nation, where Chapman was born and raised, that he spends his time creating art in various styles. The studio that he works in is his grandmother’s home on the reservation. Chapman was a child when he first started taking an interest in drawing and artwork. “My brother drew a lot. It was just something that we did growing up as kids. I’ve been drawing and making stuff since I was very young.” Chapman says that as an artist, he is inspired by Woodland style, with the form’s creator Norval Morrisseau (Copper Thunderbird) being his biggest inspiration. While many artists of Woodland style tend to focus on animals in their work, Chapman finds himself more interested in creating figures and people in his art, which he uses as a form of storytelling. He enjoys creating narratives in his work, and finds that while storytelling runs in his family it does not always come easy to him. “I grew up with some

pretty amazing storytellers in my family,” he says. “I’m not really a good storyteller myself, but I find that using art to tell a story is something that I can do a lot better than having to tell a story myself. I think visual art has definitely allowed me to get my narratives and stories out there.” Chapman ventures into other mediums and art styles as well to tell his stories and share messages. Ziibaaska’Iganagooday/ Jingle Dresses, one of Chapman’s more recent series of work, was inspired by the creative Indigenous community in Thunder Bay, and also Andy Warhol, who was a leading figure in American pop art. The vibrant artwork, a combination of photography and printing, features images of local Indigenous women in their jingle dresses. “I always wanted to do the photo-based Warhol paintings, and I really wasn’t sure how I would go about doing that,” he explains. “I’m around a lot of people who do a lot of crafting, and I was just really inspired by these women who make their regalia. I thought it would really work in terms of doing the photo-based Warhol-style paintings.” Chapman is excited for the women in the exhibit to finally be able to see the work. “It’s going to be nice for the people to come and see the work in person. Most of the women are family and friends. They are

community members. Everyone in the show are community members.” Shelby Gagnon, one of the show’s co-curators, is also looking forward to the exhibit. “It’s really beautiful because all of these women depicted in the paintings are from the Thunder Bay area and northern Ontario,” she says. “We’re really excited to bring these women and the community together.” Gagnon explains that the jingle dress is meant for healing, which is something she feels the community and the world needs now. “People say the jingle dress originated a hundred years ago. The influenza pandemic had really been affecting the world then,” she says. There are similarities today with the COVID19 pandemic, which has impacted many people. She views the exhibit as a way for the community to come together during this time. “It’s an intimate exhibit in the way that each woman is staring directly into the viewer’s eyes, as well as the position they are standing in,” Gagnon says. “In each painting the women are standing very powerfully, with their hands on their waists looking stoic and very proud, and just empowered by wearing the regalia.” Gagnon explains that the colours Chapman used in the series are very vibrant and really bring the paintings to life. “The colours really complement each other.

CoverStory It’s really appealing to the eye.” Chapman’s work has resonated with many, and he is looking forward to the exhibit. Gagnon explains that Co.Lab Art Gallery is a place that aims to give both emerging artists and established artists such as Chapman a place to display their work, which is good news for the creative community in Thunder Bay. Along with new artists who paint, over the years there has also been a surge of artistic creators in the community who work with different mediums, which Chapman is pleased to see. “I see there are a lot of crafters and people who do beadwork and leatherwork,” Chapman says. “I see people who make moccasins, and people who are into hide tanning. It’s inspiring to see that.” “It’s pretty amazing, I am surrounded by artists all the time,” Chapman says. “My partner Jean is an artist too, my sister. It’s just great. There’s a lot of inspiration flowing from all over the place.” Ziibaaska’Iganagooday/ Jingle Dresses will be on display until March 20 at the Co.Lab Art Gallery & Arts Centre located in Goods & Co. Market.

Cher

Leanna

 Waterlilies, mixed media on canvas, 52 x 52 inches, 2022  Wisdom of the universe, screenprint on paper, 28 x 22 inches, 2022

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CoverStory

Sociable Thunder Bay

Nanabijou of The North

Third-generation Woodland artist Kevin Belmore

Carrying the Brush The Art of Kevin Belmore By Adrian Lysenko

hether it was watching Fort William First Nation artist Noel Ducharme paint or being drawn to Norval Morrisseau’s work in books, art played a profound role in Kevin Belmore’s life even before he picked up a brush. “I’ve always seen Native artwork throughout my life, seen Native artwork books, and I was fascinated with some of the imagery,” the Ojibwe artist from Gull Bay First Nation says. When he was just 16 years old, Belmore participated in a workshop led by the

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late influential Anishinaabe artist Roy Thomas, where he learned how to paint in the Woodland style. “[Thomas] was in turn inspired by Norval Morrisseau, so I consider myself a third-generation Woodland artist,” Belmore says. “I was excited because I was learning something about my culture, which I’ve been doing throughout my years—picking up pieces of what’s left of our culture.” Belmore recalls being attracted to the colours often associated with the style. “I remember being mesmerized by the reds that

I saw in a Norval Morrisseau book,” he says. “After, it was the imagery. I used to wonder, ‘Why is this there?’ There’d be these shamanlooking people and I didn’t know what they were—I knew that they were people but I didn’t understand what their roles were. So over time I started learning more about it and then I started painting Ojibwe legends.” “The main pillars of his work are balance, colour, smooth lines, and the way he is able to capture emotion in the stories he tells on canvas,” says Amy

 The Nest  Animals

CoverStory

throughout Thunder Bay and has been featured in the pages of Maclean’s and Toronto Home Magazine. The artist also does freelance work, including logo and tattoo design. W ith his paintings, Belmore feels a responsibility to what he refers to as “carrying the brush” for the Ojibwe people. “We have to do clean artwork, we have to do nice artwork, we have to be honest with our artwork. So when I’m carrying the brush [for the] Ojibwe people I want people to know they’re getting good artwork, and from a true Ojibwe person too.” Kevin Belmore’s Black and White gallery show opens April 8 from 6–8:30 pm at The Creative Company and will remain up for the rest of the month. For more information, visit thecreativecompany.ca.

“We can not only survive here, but we can live here. There’s a difference between surviving and living […] and when I highlight to them the fact of how good we have life here, it opens their eyes, makes them feel more free.”

Adrian Lysenko

Ryan, customer relations manager with The Creative Company, where Belmore’s original acrylic paintings are featured, and where his studio space is located. The artist’s inspiration comes from his passion for nature and the wildlife in our region. “In my artwork, what I like to tell people about our region [is that] where we’re situated is on one of the best and safest places on the planet. We’re on the Canadian Shield, we’re by one of the biggest freshwater supplies on the planet, and we’ve got a lot of beautiful bush in our backyard,” he says. “We can not only survive here, but we can live here. There’s a difference between surviving and living […] and when I highlight to them the fact of how good we have life here, it opens their eyes, makes them feel more free. That’s what I like. That’s what I do with my artwork.” Belmore’s work is found

Belmore working in his studio at The Creative Company

available at

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J B E VA N S . CA The Walleye

Food

Mix-in ideas*

Some tips:

Seeds pepitas, sunflower seeds, or hemp hearts; use up to ¼ cup of chia or flax seeds, as they absorb moisture— add too much, and your bars might be too crumbly

2. Press it down firmly because air pockets in the bars will cause you grief. I use the bottom of a jar or bowl to make sure every last bit of goodness is jammed together well. Make sure you get the edges of the pan, too.

Use a total of two cups of yummy add-ins 1. Chop up your ingredients. These bars to make these your own. Mix and match: hold together so much better when the yummy bits are small (e.g. mini Nuts walnuts, cashews, almonds, chocolate chips, finely chopped nuts). or pecans

Chocolate super sweet, so I would add ¾ cup or less; mini chocolate chips are best, or blitz larger chunks in a food processor to chop finely

3. Chill out: Let the pan rest for a couple of hours (or overnight) before slicing, to ensure the oats have soaked up all the nut butter and honey.

Coconut shredded or flaked options work 4. Slice and store: Remove from pan well here—I would use unsweetened, as and use a sharp chef’s knife to slice the bars are pretty sweet to begin with into bars or squares. Stack them with Dried fruit about ¾ cup of anything such parchment paper between them, to as craisins, cherries, raisins, apricots, prevent sticking, and store in an airtight etc.— make sure you chop/food process container. You can refrigerate or freeze anything larger than a raisin them as you wish.

Granola Bars

Makes a 9x9” pan cut into 16 Line a 9-inch square cake pan with two strips of criss-crossed parchment paper, cut to fit across the base and up the sides. (This will make it easy for you to slice the bars later.) 1¾ c old-fashioned oats or quick-cooking oats 1 tsp cinnamon ½ tsp fine sea salt (or ¼ tsp table salt)

Ward Off the Hangries

2 c mix-ins* (see above)

THE G GRINNIN BELLY

By Chef Rachel Bayes

nyone who’s spent any time with me knows I can get hangry (hungry and angry) with a capital “H.” I morph from feeling a little peckish, through spacey and indecisive, hurtling toward downright snarky, all in the space of 25 minutes—my stages of hanger. Once I eat, I’m soon back to my pleasant, witty self, apologizing profusely to anyone left stunned in my hanger wake. Over the years, I’ve learned to always be

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packin’—protein-rich snacks, that is. Cheese is tough to tote without it getting sweaty, jerky is soooo salty, and sometimes you want some savoury and sweet. Granola bars to the rescue! No bake, easy to make, and customizable as heck—you can tuck these puppies into your pocket (even the frustratingly tiny ones in most women’s pants) and spare yourself (and those around you) from the Hanger Games.

1 c creamy nut butter (or nut-free Wow butter) ½ c honey or maple syrup 1 tsp vanilla extract

Place the oats in a large mixing bowl (you can whiz up old fashioned oats in a food processor to make smaller first). Add the cinnamon and salt and stir to combine. Set aside. In a food processor, whiz the whole lot of mix-in ingredients if you haven’t already chopped them by hand. Add any large nuts (like almonds or pecans) first and blitz for a few seconds. Then add the rest and buzz around for a few more seconds until the ingredients are chopped into pieces smaller than a pea. Pour the mix-ins into the bowl of oats.

Measure into a glass measuring cup. You can warm it gently in the microwave to get it to stir everything together well, but just don’t make it too warm, or you’ll melt your chocolate chips!

Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry stuff. Mix it all together until it’s evenly combined, and no dry oats remain. Use those arm muscles! If the mixture was easy to mix together, that’s a sign that you need to add some more oats—sprinkle in more oats until you can’t incorporate any more. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan. Arrange the mixture evenly in the pan, then use the bottom of a flat, round surface (like a sturdy bowl or jar) to pack the mixture down as firmly and evenly as possible. Cover the pan and refrigerate for at least one hour, or overnight if you can. When you’re ready to slice, lift up on both pieces of parchment paper on opposite corners and place on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to slice the bars into four even columns and four even rows. Freeze flat and wrap individually, or keep ‘em separated by extra pieces of parchment paper.

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Food

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Food

Chilli Point

Fresh and Authentic South Indian Food Review by Susan Pretty, Photos by Aravinth Sundararaj

ooking for fresh, authentic South Indian meals right here in Thunder Bay? Look no further than Chilli Point. Chef Melbin Raphael has a wonderful menu that will tempt your tastebuds with some exotic flavors. The menu itself is a onepager, and the dishes might sound a little different to some of us. However, Raphael is keenly aware that there’s a population of about 4,000 students in the city who would call this fare “home.” Nothing on the regular menu is priced over $15, as he knows what it feels like to live abroad. “Students here would think nothing of travelling to Winnipeg or Toronto to just eat at a restaurant that has the flavours of home,” he says. Beef kotthu is considered a street food back home in Kerala. It’s a delicious dish made with egg, onion, beef, tomato, masala (spices), and gravy, and drizzled with ketchup. We had a hearty discussion about the gravy—it’s not the brown gravy that one might think, but rather a South Indian “mother sauce” of red onion, tomato, garlic, and spices that is cooked down

and simmered for extreme flavour and used as a base for most dishes. Fish pollichathu is simmered in gravy and coconut and topped with cilantro for an incredible taste sensation. Flaky and falling off the bone, every bite is full of flavour. “Like our chicken, our fish is always served bone-in,” the chef explains. “More flavour that way.” The showstopper here is the chicken dum biryani. As a nod to the dish’s Middle East heritage, raisins, cashews, rosewater, and saffron are all part of the package. Staffer Amir lends his saffron from Iran to the dish, and he showed me his coveted supply of the fragrant threads. The classic cooking method is to seal and cook on a slow dum process, trapping the steam inside for even cooking. Generous portions and very friendly and hardworking staff make for a great dining experience. For more information, find them on Facebook @chillipointgrill. 1408 Brown Street 622-7760

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Food

In Common Roasted Beet Flatbread and SGBC Stout BBQ Chicken Flatbread Story by Chiara Zussino, Photo by Lois Nuttall

eets. You can chop, jar, and sauté them, and if you’re like my Nonna, you can even add them to cookies (bet you didn’t see that coming). Regardless of your preference, beets come in many different forms, including roasted on a flatbread at In Common. Vibrantly coloured beets are the pièce de résistance of a staff favourite, the roasted beet flatbread, consisting of a base of house-made pesto followed by crema and topped with melted mozzarella and prosciutto from Brent Park Store. The final touches? Dressing it with a balsamic glaze, garnishing with Veg.e.tate sprouts, and adding thin pieces of roasted beet from B&B Farms. It is truly layer upon layer of goodness sure to warm you up during our infamously frigid northern Ontario winter. “If I wouldn’t feed it to myself or my children then I wouldn’t feed it to this community,'' says In Common owner Dani Thunder. Thunder adds that the restaurant is an

E OFF TH U N ME all-inclusive space and as such the food served reflects that, including having dishes with meat. According to Thunder, using local suppliers and tapping into substantial, sustainably sourced ingredients is key to In Common’s business model and serves as the inspiration for the flatbreads. Yes, plural. You didn’t think we would launch a new column with just one dish, did you? Meet the SGBC Stout BBQ chicken flatbread. It is the epitome of food for your soul, featuring pulled chicken marinated in a house-made barbecue sauce using Sleeping Giant Brewing Company’s Skull Rock Stout or Snow

Goose Coffee Vanilla Porter, prosciutto from Brent Park, a three cheese medley of mozzarella, cheddar, and shaved gouda from Thunder Oak, and topped with a roasted red pepper aioli. Instantly comforting, this dish pairs well with the house salad and lemon vinaigrette slaw or the soup of the day. The feature roasted beet flatbread is available this month and can be found on the menu bi-weekly. The SGBC Stout BBQ chicken flatbread is available year round. Both flatbreads can currently be found on the menu. So, what are you waiting for? Head over to In Common to try them out!

“If I wouldn’t feed it to myself or my children then I wouldn’t feed it to this community.” In Common 40 Cumberland Street South 344-4450

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Food

The Art of the Label

T R SUPERIO SIP

By Jeannie Dubois, Certified Pommelier and Sommelier

he days of winter a re n u m b e re d Thunder Bay, and under that brilliant sheen of white that blankets us still, the earth is rousing from its deep slumber and ready to send out the first cautious tendrils of spring. Due time for us to stretch too, shake out our winter weary limbs and embrace spring and all it brings: new life and

growth, productivity and of course, creativity! In the industry, we are constantly enmeshed in an organic cycle—wake up, yeast, it's time to take these apples, grains, and grapes, and make something new and delicious with them! The creative process of bringing about these beverages is rich and storied, as are the

people who craft them, and what could be more symbiotic than parlaying those histories onto the packages that bring them to you. While it’s all fine and good to know what you’re drinking, where it’s from, and how wobbly it will make you, sometimes producers will open a window for you on their labels and share a piece

of their story, a small insight into the passion that has brought that product about. Label art is the opportunity for a one-way conversation with the people who have crafted that product—a chance for them to pull back the curtain for a peek at what moves them to make it. So take the time to drink in every detail!

Think:

Ontario Wine

Organized Crime Winery The Mischief 2019 LCBO No. 434472 $19.95 for 750 ml The quaint Quakerinspired hand art on these kitschy labels is based on a bizarrebut-true historic event of a pipe organ theft in the Niagara region.

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Ontario Beer

Foreign Affair Winery The Conspiracy 2018 LCBO No. 149237 $19.95 for 750 ml These tenderly crafted labels layer beautiful landscapes evocative of the owner’s then-home of Italy and now-home of Ontario beneath one of our native field familiars.

Godspeed Brewery Ochame Green Tea IPA $3.75 for 355 ml The essential love for all things Japanese translates not only into the bottle, but in these gorgeous and clean Eastern line artand textile-inspired labels.

Ontario Cider

Blood Brothers Brewing Fall of Thebes $14.00 for 500 ml Clever occult inspiration meets Roman and Greek mythology in these intricately illustrated labels and cerebral nomenclature.

Revel Cider Waves $16.50 for 750 ml The simplicity of the hand-drawn art labels beautifully serves to accentuate the purity of the fermented passion within the bottle.

Collective Arts Brewing Nature of Things LCBO No. 13571 $3.65 for 473 ml Duly noted by their name, these rotating labels are done by a choice collective that has progressively created an inspired new cultural platform for cans and bottles.

Food

Gacha Viet Mini Mart Grocery Store Offers Specialty Items

Story and photos by Olivia Bosma

here is nothing mini about the wide variety of Asian ingredients, snacks, and treats offered at Gacha Viet Mini Mart. Run by brothers Chau Kha Le and Truong Kha Le, this small Asian grocery opened one year ago. “We started the business because we had a tough time finding many Vietnamese ingredients in Thunder Bay. There are a couple of Asian mini markets in town, but they carry a limited selection,” Chau says. “So, we thought we could contribute by opening the shop to provide more selection.” The brothers are dedicated to ensuring that people of many Asian backgrounds can find items at their store that are not available in the large chain supermarkets. Customers are also encouraged to make requests for items they cannot find. “We carry items that customers requested because they could not find it in town,” Chau says. “Things like perilla oil, perilla leaves in chili sauce, gochujang hot pepper paste, frozen dim sum, and of course some very spicy instant noodles.” “We have some unique things in our store, but the most unique item we have is

the Vietnamese non la—the bamboo hat,” Chau says. On weekends, customers can also purchase a delicious Vietnamese dish called banh mi. “Banh mi has several types of cold cut ham, liver pate, pickled vegetables like carrot and daikon, and a spicy sauce on the side,” Chau says. In the coming months, the mini mart’s inventory will continue to grow and expand to allow customers to have an even bigger selection of their favourite items. During these times, the importance of supporting local business has never been clearer. “It has been challenging to say the least during these difficult times. But we have been blessed with the overwhelming support from the local customers who prefer to spend a little bit more at a small shop like ours rather than the big supermarkets,” Chau says. “That’s why we always ask our customers for new product ideas, so we can provide more choices to everyone who likes to cook and to enjoy Asian foods. It is our way of saying thank you.”

Chau Kha Le, co-owner of Gacha Viet Mini Mart

For more information, visit gachavietmarket. com or find them on Facebook

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Food

Cajun Fuzion A World of Flavours

Story and photos by Olivia Bosma

usion is the process or result of joining two or more things to form a single entity, and that is exactly what Cajun food does: it combines a multitude of flavours to form one amazing experience. This is the inspiration for the name of a new local restaurant, Cajun Fuzion. Owner and head chef Kalada Miadonye had over 15 years experience in the food industry and well over 15 years of cooking experience before opening his own restaurant last November. “From a young age, my mother always taught my siblings and me to cook. I am the oldest of four so as soon as we came of age—about the age of 12—everyone was in the kitchen learning how to cook,” Miadonye says. He and his family immigrated from Nigeria to Thunder Bay 20 years ago, and he and his siblings began work in the food industry while making their way through school. “The first restaurant I worked at was The Keg. I

went from being a chef at the Keg, to The Prospector, to the Thunder Bay Country Club, and then to work as head chef at Daytona’s for about four years,” he says. “It is there that I figured out my passion and that I wanted to run my own restaurant. I learned a lot from my experience there.” His passion for cooking, along with his upbringing, led to the idea of owning and operating a Cajun restaurant. “My ties to Cajun food stem from my heritage, being from Nigeria,” Miadonye says. “I also have family in the south and every time I visit them, we have our restaurants that we eat at— Cajun restaurants especially. Then when I came back, I wanted to put together my own jambalaya or Creole chicken.” Seeing a need to bring this type of cuisine to TBay, Miadonye was up for the challenge. “One thing I would like people to know is to always be willing to try new and different flavours. I know people tend to be afraid of trying new flavours,

but I know you will like it when you try it,” he says. “I have always believed in my food speaking for itself, and it has, which has been amazing to see.” For the last couple of months, Miadonye has seen his dreams become a reality: the food he is passionate about is becoming a local favourite. “The most popular dishes so far, aside from the seafood boil, have been between the Cajun mac and cheese and the jambalaya,” he says. For the foreseeable future, Miadonye will continue cooking and sharing these special and delicious recipes with everyone he can. “For me, I am so lucky that this has been my passion for so long,” he says. “Even though I am just a one-man crew, I wouldn’t have it any other way.” For more information, visit cajunfuzion.com. 116 Syndicate Avenue South 577-2223

Kalada Miadonye, head chef of Cajun Fuzion

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Scott Hobbs

FilmTheatre

(L-R) Jeremy Proulx, Brianne Tucker, Danelle Charette, Jordan M. Burns, and Natalie Robitaille

Finding Where She Fits Acclaimed Writer’s Play Tackles Identity Issues with Humour and Heart By Pat Forrest

alen Johnson, a Mohawk writer and podcaster from the Six Nations Grand River Territory, laughs when asked what the term “salt baby” means. “ I ’ m p re t t y s u re i t ’s something that my grandpa invented when I was born. I was so pale, I looked like a white baby,” she says. Johnson says that, while she remembers her family ribbing her affectionately about her light skin and curly brown hair growing up, she was also bullied by other children on the reserve because of her looks, and she was called “Shirley Temple” a lot. Twenty years later, she channelled those and other experiences into the writing of her first play, a semi-autobiographical examination of her life called, not surprisingly, Salt Baby. The play is a comedy about learning who you are and about the importance of kinship and relationships, tugging at your heartstrings while making you laugh.

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Salt Baby is a Six Nations woman whose light skin sets her apart, both on the reserve and in the city. She’s something of a fish out of water and, accompanied by her Caucasian boyfriend, Alligator, she’s determined to discover how she fits into her two very different worlds. There are three main characters: Salt Baby (played by Brianne Tucker), her boyfriend (played by Jordan M. Burns), and her father (played by Jeremy Proulx). All the other characters, including a doctor, a psychic, an Elder, Salt Baby’s grandfather, and others are played by Danelle Charette. Johnson describes this blended character as a kind of a Trickster who straddles both genders and is sometimes ghostly or otherworldly. “It’s a hell of a ride for actors to play this role. Plus, there are a lot of wigs involved,” she laughs. Johnson says that she’s always leaned towards the wacky and zany in her writing. “My tendency is to ‘write

funny.’ There are truths to be told and I think that laughter tends to make the audience more willing to listen, especially when some of those truths are hard,” she says. Besides Salt Baby, Johnson also wrote Two Indians, which was nominated for the Governor General’s Award for Drama, and Ipperwash, for which she received a Dora nomination. She co-hosts the CBC podcast The Secret Life of Canada with Leah-Simone Bowen, and she was named one of Maclean’s “20 to Watch in 2020,” which she jokes was the year to watch her “cooking and bingeing on videos.” Salt Baby runs March 3–19 at Magnus Theatre. This season, tickets will be sold individually for each show. Information on ticket sales will be updated regularly at magnustheatre.com.

“I’m pretty sure it’s something that my grandpa invented when I was born. I was so pale, I looked like a white baby.”

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FilmTheatre

The Addams Family Badanai Theatre Brings Musical to Stage

Story by Sara Sadeghi Aval, Photo by Lawrence Badanai The cast of Badanai Theatre's upcoming production of The Addams Family

ixing the best of ghoul and groove, Badanai Theatre’s next production will be the Broadway musical The Addams Family. Based on the original TV show, Tony Award winner Andrew Lippa’s music styling is combined with comedic writing in the production. In a show that will make you fall in love with your family all over again, the iconic and creepy Addams family appears on stage depicting a grown-up Wednesday Addams, who

is hiding a secret love that only her father knows about. Will the star-crossed lovers unite? Will Morticia find out? Everything unfolds onstage as the family dynamic encounters new hilarious circumstances. Candi Badanai, the troupe’s director, says the show has already been cast, and the troupe has been working on the production since fall of 2021. Returning Badanai Theatre stars Nancy Freeborn and Robert Perrier take on the roles of Morticia

and Gomez Addams. Lakehead University music graduate Katherine Nemec, who is also returning to performing with the troupe, plays a smitten Wednesday Addams. Along with the favourite core characters, 30 other actors and actresses have been cast in grand Badanai fashion for roles like Uncle Fester, Pugsley, and Lurch. “It’s fun, it’s light, and yet heartfelt. Because the characters are so well known you can quickly relate,” says

Badanai. Rehearsals have been well underway, and she is confident the songs will have everyone in the family singing along. From the first opening Addams Family theme song to the closing ensemble number, the troupe brings energy to each piece. The show comes to life on the Paramount Theatre stage, and the director assures us we will be transported into the Addams’s ghostly castle home, just as Badanai Theatre has previously transported us to the Greek

Islands of Mamma Mia or the church halls in Sister Act. “During the pandemic we know how important each of our relationships are in our theatre family, and coping with COVID precautions and keeping each other healthy is second nature now,” says Badanai. You can enjoy the show March 23–26, March 30– April 2, and April 6–April 9. For more information, find Badanai Theatre on Facebook @badanaitheatre.

For more information call 623-2353 30

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FilmTheatre

(Top L–R) Millie Gormely, Eric Fox, Katie Maki, and Mary Davis

A Night Full of Laughter

Cambrian Players Present Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike By Taylor Onski

fter setting sail to Treasure Island, Cambrian Players is back with the Tony Awardwinning play Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. “This is a great play for the middle of winter, where everyone is stuck inside,” says returning Cambrian director Julie MacCoy. “I hope the magic of theatre will get people out and make them laugh a little bit.” A s s i b l i n g s , Va n y a (Dennis Dubinsky) and Sonia (Lauren Payette) cared for their ailing and now deceased parents for the last 15 years, while their

sister Masha (Millie Gormely) was off gallivanting around the world as a famous actress. When Masha arrives home with her much younger boyfriend Spike (Eric Fox), the next few days, a soothsaying housekeeper, and neighbour’s costume party turn into a dramedy guaranteed to give audiences a good night filled with laughter. Though playing siblings coming to terms with feeling stuck in life in different ways—one bitter and one disillusioned—actors Payette and Dubinsky are the opposite of bitter and defeated when discussing

their return to live theatre. “I laughed more here than I have in two years. Being able to do this again with likeminded people—I would do it for no reward,” says Payette. “It’s great to have the opportunity to do live theatre again and show audiences we can do this, and they can do it too by coming out and enjoying the show,” says Dubinsky. In taking on the role of Masha, the famous actress of the family, Gormely stays true to the excitement of live theatre, saying that this great cast of six local performers and enormous amounts of

humour in the script will be worth the night out. A Thunder Bay staple for over 70 years, Cambrian Players aims to be an excellent destination for an enjoyable night out— something everyone in this production from the cast, backstage crew, lighting room, and box office all hope to accomplish. “We’re here because we want to be here and put on a show,” MacCoy says. “We want to make people laugh, have fun, and be with our friends. Cambrian welcomes anybody who wants to join and have fun with us.”

(Bottom L–R) Dennis Dubinsky and Lauren Payette

“This is a great play for the middle of winter, where everyone is stuck inside.”

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike runs March 2–5 and 9–12 at Cambrian Players (818 Spring Street). For more information, find Cambrian Players on Facebook and Instagram @ cambrianplayers, or visit cambrianplayers.com.

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FilmTheatre

A Queen is a Queen is a Queen By Jimmy Wiggins, Photo by F. Crichton

f you’ve been to a drag show in Thunder Bay in the last half-decade, you’ll know the name Mz. Molly Poppinz. She’s the colourful and campy queen with a British accent hosting the show. Like any good drag queen, Molly is very entertaining and can work a crowd with her eyes closed. But unlike most queens who identify as gay or queer men, out of drag Molly (a. k. a. Felicia Crichton) is a cisgender woman. She can sing, act, paint, write, and cook up a storm all while taking care of her four young children at home. She’s a fan favourite among the Thunder Bay drag community, a gem on stage, and one of my favourite people. Crichton was born in Vancouver and bounced around all over the Okanagan as a child with her family. After briefly living on a farm in Romania, her family moved to Thunder Bay, where she would meet the love of her life and eventually begin laying down roots to start a family of her own. After years of singing, acting, and performing with a local burlesque troupe, Felicia attended a drag show at Black Pirates Pub and fell in love with drag. “I’ve always gone to concerts and local shows, but I rediscovered the local drag scene in 2009,” she explains. “I was completely in love with the drag scene but I never felt like the kind of drag I wanted to do was going to be allowed or accepted. It took years to build up the courage to start talking to local performers and show runners, learn more about the art and eventually inquire about how to get

started. It came to a point where I just couldn’t not be up there on stage. In 2015 I finally debuted Mz. Molly Poppinz at Wig Wars. I’ve never looked back.” Taking inspiration from famous queens like Bianca Del Rio, Jinkx Monsoon, Acid Betty, and Trixie Mattel as well as eccentric singers/ actresses like Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand, and Goldie Hawn, Mz. Molly Poppins is a colourfully vibrant queen with a sharp tongue and quick wit who can sing live and lip sync. “I wanted her to be magical, larger than life, kooky, loving, and matriarchal by nature but also a wild and crazy party,” she says. “I combined Mary Poppins and Molly Weasley with a drug reference and voila! Mz. Molly Poppinz was born.” Over the years her experience in drag hasn’t always been cupcakes and rainbows. She’s had to fight and work harder than her gay male counterparts to garner the same attention and respect from fans. As an AFAB queen (assigned female at birth), some people still view her drag as less than because she was born with certain body parts. “There is a terrible stereotype that cisgender performers have to do less work or have a head start in their transformation,” she says. “Even one occurrence of a cisgender or even heterosexual performer giving a lacklustre performance seems to validate some people’s preconceived notions about the rest of us.” It wasn’t too long ago that many held this view, and that anything other than a gay man doing drag was seen as not drag. “It was explicitly pointed out

as a problem by members of our own community for at least a year or two,” she says. “It was the idea of my drag that offended them, not my performances. The strides we’ve made as a global queer community is both mindboggling and heartwarming.” Drag is art and should be practiced by anyone who wants to. Labels like bio-queen, faux-queen, or even AFAB were designed to gatekeep a scene that’s supposed to be about love and inclusivity. “I want the world to not care about the label AFAB. I’d love to remove it completely. If I tell you I’m a drag queen, that's what I am. Deciding whether you approve of someone's art based on what genitals they were born with is ridiculous.” Fortunately, as we move into 2022, the general consensus among the global drag community is that a queen is a queen is a queen and that gender has no bearing on the validity of a performer’s art. People are quickly beginning to see that these misogynistic notions that drag is only for cisgender men is a thing of the past, and that variety and diversity are what make a drag scene great. “Men have dominated the stages of the world for literally centuries

longer than women, gay or straight, and a woman reclaiming space to express herself is punk AF,” she says. “Drag is supposed to be about freedom of gender/ spiritual/artistic expression and fortunately acceptance of all styles of drag is now commonly based on the effort and dedication of its artist, rather than what’s between their legs or where they came from.” “There’s always going to be a small group of antiquated purists whose glory days are tied to the memory of a very narrow representation in the drag community, but I know I’ve changed a few minds along my journey and I’m hopeful the trend will continue.”

Mz. Molly Poppinz

“I combined Mary Poppins and Molly Weasley with a drug reference and voila! Mz. Molly Poppinz was born.”

Follow Mz. Molly Poppinz online @mz.molly.poppinz.

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FilmTheatre

Movies About Art and Artists M By Michael Sobota

ovies are art of and by themselves. Well, some of them are. Sometimes movies take art and artists as their subject. Here are four movies made about artists that lived six centuries apart, and were made six decades apart.

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

Buonarroti, when will you make an end? - Pope Julius ll (Rex Harrison), standing on the floor of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, looking up to Michelangelo (Charlton Heston) lying on his back on top of scaffolding, painting the ceiling, in The Agony and the Ecstasy

The Agony and the Ecstasy (1956)

This movie is produced and directed by Sir Carol Reed from a script by Philip Dunne based on Irving Stone’s popular novel. Reed’s movie is a 16th- century period epic focused on Pope Julius ll’s invitation to Michelangelo to paint the Sistine chapel. Michelangelo, who had made his reputation as a sculptor, reluctantly accepted the commission. Julius was known as “the warrior Pope,” more often out on battlefields expanding his religious domain than staying in Rome. Periodically he would return, arguing with Michelangelo about the painting and why it “was taking so long.” It took Michelangelo seven years to complete the project. Dunne’s script is thin and silly, full of these two characters’ bluster, and both Heston (Michelangelo) and Harrison (the Pope) overact with macho egos, all the while pretending Michelangelo was not homosexual. What saves the movie and makes it worth watching is the splendour of the historical period, captured in Leon Shamroy’s cinematography as well the film’s art direction, costume design, and musical score (by Alex North), all of which received Oscar nominations.

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Pollock (2000)

Ed Harris directed and starred in this biopic about the American abstract painter Jackson Pollock. The screenplay was written by Barbara Turner and Susan Emshwiller, based on a book by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith. Pollock was troubled, from boyhood until his tragic death in a car accident while driving alone, drunk. He married artist Lee Krasner (Marcia Gay Harden) who, for a while, kept him stable. She encouraged and supported his abstract expressive art, executed using a splatter and drip technique (he flung paint at canvases, laid out on his workshop floor). The script captures significant moments in Pollock’s career and has an authentic 1940s and 1950s look and feel, but the dialogue is wooden. It is rescued by the terrific, intense performances of Harris and Harden, both of whom were nominated for Oscars. Harden won for her best supporting actress role.

Maudie (2016)

Director Aisling Walsh cast Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke as the troubled, awkward couple Maud and Everett Lewis in this film biography of Maud’s life. Maud Lewis was born with several physical challenges and became severely arthritic as she matured. She left her parents’ home and went to live with Everett, first as a housekeeper, then as his wife. She never wanted to be a housekeeper, and began making simple, primitive but colourful paintings. She painted most of the surfaces inside their home, including the furniture. Her style was simple folk art, in the manner of Grandma Moses, and made her famous late in her life. Walsh shot the entire film in various locations in Newfoundland, though Maud spent her entire life in Nova Scotia. The film has strong production values and great performances from both Hawkins and Hawke.

Loving Vincent (2017)

Written and co-directed by Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman, with a script assisted by Jacek Dehnel, this is an astonishing animated biography about Vincent van Gogh. Using digital rotoscoping, the film has the look of animated oil paintings done in Van Gogh’s style. We experience the film as though it is a moving, live Van Gogh painting. One hundred individual artists hand-painted over 65,000 frames to create this animation style. More than 200 personnel who worked on the film are listed in the credit roll at its conclusion. Van Gogh led a troubled life, riddled with poverty and a lack of recognition. Though he painted hundreds of canvases, he sold only one in his lifetime, which was mostly supported by his brother, Theo. The story is revealed by a friend who, three years after Van Gogh’s death, goes to deliver the last letter he wrote to Theo. The narrative is delivered to the letter carrier by neighbors and friends who lived in his village. The film is a visual splendour.

And here are six more works of movie art about other artists worthy your attention: A Bigger Splash (1973 – about British/American artist David Hockney), My Left Foot (1989 – about Irish painter Christy Brown), Frida (2002 – about Mexican painter Frida Kahlo), Chris & Don: A Love Story (2007 – about British writer Christopher Isherwood and American painter Don Bachardy), Mr. Turner (2014 – about British painter J.M.W. Turner), and Packed In a Trunk (2015 – about American painter Edith Lake Wilkinson).

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TheArts

Global Connection, Yvonne Carlson

Terry, Linda Val Gastel

Sewing the Threads of Hope Quilting to Envision a Brighter Future By Amy Sellors

hat are your hopes for the future? How do you want the world to change

and improve? If you want change, they say, you have to put your ideas out there. This is exactly what

the Fibre Art Network (FAN) will do with their installation, Threads of Hope, on display at the Thunder Bay Museum

until April 10, 2022. The Threads of Hope exhibit explores our hope, longing, and desire for the

Threads of Hope, Christina Thomas

future of our world. To express the issues that are meaningful to them, FAN’s many contributors have spent countless hours creating a series of beautiful quilts. They are displayed with a “thread of hope” connecting them, to demonstrate the wish

of these artists to join together to improve the world. Visitors to the Thunder Bay Museum will be familiar with the work of FAN, as they have partnered together for many years. Originating in western Canada, their work is on display

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TheArts from British Columbia to Thunder Bay. Most recently, visitors may remember the 20/20 Vision exhibit that was on display last year. According to curator/ archivist Michael deJong, FAN exhibits are “always well received.” While other FAN exhibits have utilized a number of mediums, this show is all quilting. Both individually and as a collection, the quilts tell a story. “The main theme of the exhibit is exploring the hope and desire for the future world. A lot of the quilts reflect on the artists’ experiences, and from that, what they would like to see in the future,” says Sydney Belluz, exhibits curator. “It’s nice to see art represented in this way. You get to reflect on the artist’s experience and think ‘Hey, I want that for

the future, too.’” Belluz installed the exhibit in the third floor Antechamber Gallery. “It was a bit challenging to put up because you have to connect the red ribbon to each quilt as one of the themes.” Each location where the exhibit is installed is differently configured, which means that each space that hosts the show may present it a bit differently. Belluz had seen pictures in advance but up close, the quilts themselves are so much more intricate than a photo can do justice. “It’s way more detailed than I had thought. They are very beautiful.” “It’s right outside my office door. So, I always enjoy it,” says deJong. “Some of these must take years to create.” T h e c o m p l e x i t y, the nuances—that’s

a huge part of what people enjoy about these quilts. Requiring extensive planning and consummate skill, the exhibit will allow visitors to “marvel at the technical proficiency of the art and how intricate it is, and how amazing it is that people can create these designs from fabric—a relatively non-traditional art form,” says deJong. Picking a favourite piece is challenging for both Belluz and deJong, as every time they walk by the quilts, they see something new. Both share being recently drawn to the quilt called Circle of Life. “It’s about sockeye salmon and their journey moving from the rivers to the oceans, their hope to be able to find a place to hatch their eggs,” says Belluz. “I love the colours and the

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Cycle of Life, Diana Bartelings

fish. It’s not something you traditionally see in a quilt.” The museum re c o m m e n d s g i v i n g yourself an hour to take in the exhibit. And if you have more time, there are other permanent and temporary exhibits to see, including the Strawberry Hill Werkshop and Aftermath 1812: A Union of Rivals.

“The main theme of the exhibit is exploring the hope and desire for the future world.” Visit thunderbaymuseum.com for more details and COVID protocols.

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TheArts it, because it does cost you money for every photo that you’re taking, and you don’t get that opportunity to look at the image immediately after and determine whether or not it’s good, if you need to redo the shot.” McPherson and Urquhart plan on holding more events in the future, and there are plenty of opportunities for people to take part. “There’s two goals, mainly, for everything here,” McPherson says. “The first one being to build an analog community, where people who are interested in film photography—maybe [those who] haven’t tried it before or maybe [those who] are seasoned film photographers—can all get together and learn from each other […] But then, also providing these services to the community.”

“Workshops are free,and film and cameras are provided, if needed.”

For more information, find them on Instagram @ nefarious.film.

Nefarious Collective's late October photo walk

Building an Analog Community Nefarious Collective Promotes Film Photography in Thunder Bay

Story by Kris Ketonen, Photo by Sarah McPherson

hile digital cameras are certainly everywhere, there’s still a great deal to be learned from shooting on film. That’s one of the messages Thunder Bay’s Sarah McPherson and Riley Urquhart are looking to convey through their photography collective, Nefarious. “Both of us have had a passion for film photography for four years, five years,” McPherson says. “What we’ve found to be kind of the most notable is that it’s really inaccessible, especially here.” McPherson and Urquhart are doing what they can to pick up the city’s film photography slack. Workshops are free, and film and

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cameras are provided, if needed. And the pair even has a darkroom set up to develop film. There are a lot of good habits to be learned when shooting with film, Urquhart says. “I think a lot of people get it a bit mixed up that it’s one way or the other,” he says. “Whereas practicing with film photography, incorporating that into your art practice, you’re able to bring that mindfulness into your digital shooting. Whether it’s taking a picture on your cell phone on the side of the street, or going out and doing a professional shoot with your DSLR, that mindfulness carries across.” Adds McPherson, “You’re forced to stop and think about

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TheArts

"Concrete Indians" Rosary Spence, Toronto ON, May 2010

"Shiibaashka'igan: Honouring the Sacred Jingle Dress" Naotkamegwanning First Nation ON, May 2019

Child & Elder, First Nations Health Authority, Heiltsuk Nation, Bella Bella BC, February 2015

Talking Stick Festival, Full Circle First Nations Performance, Vancouver BC, February 2011

Culture and Connection

Nadya Kwandibens Chronicles Indigenous Stories Through Her Photography

A AND THOUS DS R O W

Story by Bonnie Schiedel, Photos by Nadya Kwandibens

hotographers draw on all kinds of experiences to hone their skills. Nadya Kwandibens of Red Works Photography credits some of her success as a portrait and event photographer to her teen years in improv theatre. “I take some of the improv theatre rules and apply them to my practice. It’s made me become a better photographer over the years,” she says. “Working with natural light, working with any given situation and accepting it for what it is, and being able to create something new out of it, or different—I think comes

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really natural to me now.” Kwandibens is Anishinaabe from Animakee Wa Zhing #37 First Nation, near Kenora. While mainly self-taught, she was first introduced to photography at the film production program at Confederation College. Later, when she moved to Arizona with her then-partner, photography became a passion. “I can still remember one of the first photo shoots I did, in 2006, when one of our friends wanted to do a session in her cultural regalia. It really just picked up from there.” Her career soon

took her on the road six to nine months of the year, documenting Indigenous families, leaders, festivals, marches, and events around North America. Kwandibens has several ongoing bodies of work, including Red Works Outtakes, which she describes as “an uplifting portraiture series created to combat the ‘stoic indian’ stereotype,” and Red Chair Sessions, outdoor portraits of Indigenous people with a red chair, representing Indigenous peoples’ inherent connection to the land. The Red Chair idea came from a

Ascension Harjo, Na-Me-Res Pow Wow, Toronto ON, June 2017

photo that really resonated with her for years, one that her niece snapped of Kwandibens sitting in a red chair in the water. “The series is about recognizing that we’re all on Indigenous land. And it’s also about language revitalization. In all of the image captions, I use as little English as possible and try to write it in the person’s respective language,” she says. “I also research Indigenous place names for the areas I photograph. And I also recognize and honour the treaty territory that the session takes place in.” There are more than 30 Red Chair portraits now, which were shown in a solo exhibit in Kenora in summer 2021 at the Douglas Family Art Centre. Kwandibens hopes the series will be shown in Thunder Bay as well. Now based in Toronto

and no longer travelling quite so much, Kwandibens is looking forward to her role as a mentor to young creatives in the prestigious Futures by Canon Creator Lab program. While she can’t pinpoint a favourite image in her body of work, Kwandibens says that photographing Buffy Sainte-Marie was a definite career highlight. One day she’d love to photograph filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin. “The main reason I started Red Works Photography is to amplify and to spotlight and highlight Indigenous stories,” she says. “I’m interested in the lives that people live, where they’re from, what their nation, their background is. They really open up and share their stories and it’s fun getting to know […] what they find joy in and what they’re proud of.”

TheArts

"Sacred MMIWG" National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Vancouver BC, March 2019

"Zaagi''idiwin: Silent, Unquestionable Act of Love" Leanna Marshall, Fort William First Nation, Thunder Bay ON, April 2016

Model: Cleo Keahna, Designer: Tania Larsson, Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto, June 2018

George Paul, Metepenagiag First Nation NB, August 2017

 Sugar Bush Sessions Pt.1, Animikii-Waajiw, Fort William First Nation, Thunder Bay ON, April 2016

Follow Nadya Kwandibens on Instagram @_redworks or redworks.ca.

Tech Specs

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 LUSM Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM Canon EF 70-200mm F2.8L IS III USM Canon Speedlite 600EX II-RT Canon BG-E20”

 Toronto Standing Up With Standing Rock: Solidarity March, Toronto ON, November 2016

"The Red Chair Sessions" Ryan Gustafson, Animikii Wiikwedong / Thunder Bay ON, September 2018

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TheArts

Challenging Norms and Expectations The Art of Gene Boshkaykin Story by Leah Morningstar, Photos provided by Gene Boshkaykin

I  Whitehorse and Big Eagle

 Artist Gene Boshkaykin

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 Iron Man

 Favre with the Vikings

t was during his early years, living with the Johnson family in Seine River First Nation (a foster home), that Gene Boshkaykin first found an interest in art. He remembers another boy in the home, a few years older, who was always drawing. Boshkaykin would watch this older boy as he drew pictures and coloured, taking it all in, and then would try to recreate what he’d observed. He started out drawing stick men, laughingly saying, “My stick men were better than the average stick men, of course!” From there, he moved on to coloured pencils, watercolours, and acrylic paints. It’s coloured pencils, however, that have remained his favourite medium after all these years. When he was around 10 years old, Boshkaykin moved to Duluth with his mother and siblings. He spent the next 20 years living south of the border, attending school, working, and developing his artistic skills. Boshkaykin proudly

recalls a few amazing career highlights from his time as a young artist in Duluth. In the late 1980s, he befriended Jeno Paulucci, CEO of the Grandma’s restaurant chain. He showed him his art and Paulucci was so impressed he immediately bought five pieces. Another highlight came in 1988 when Boshkaykin was chosen to be the featured artist at the NiMi-Win pow wow and the accompanying exhibit at the NorShor Theatre in Duluth. And another, albeit more recent, career highlight came in 2007, when Boshkaykin’s drawing of Princess Diana was chosen to be featured in the book Diana in Art. Boshkaykin moved back to Canada in 2002 and now makes his home in Thunder Bay. He lives with his partner, two older step-children, two young daughters, and two dogs. Life can be really busy for Boshkaykin; he works during the day at Halfway Motors and then works on his art during the evenings

 Dwight Album Cover

TheArts and weekends. Boshkaykin is Indigenous and identifies as a Native artist. Often when people hear “Native art,” they automatically think about the Woodland style of the legendary greats, like Norval Morrisseau and Roy Thomas. But Boshkaykin is always ready to challenge norms and expectations. He found he had a gift for drawing realistic portraits, and that has become his go-to style. “I’m a Native artist who loves my culture, so I incorporate that into my art,” he says. “But I do realistic portraits; all the celebrity and pop culture drawings show that I have range.” Boshkaykin has shipped his art all over Canada, the United States, and Europe as well. The dream now is to keep

working and keep drawing and hopefully get to a point where he no longer needs the day job. Boshkaykin’s art career has been fruitful and long-lasting and he’s proven his work ethic over and over again. “For the past two years in the pandemic, I’ve been getting up, going to work, and then coming home to draw and be with my partner and children,” he says. Boshkaykin has been a hard-working artist for decades now. He certainly has the drive, the dedication, and the audience to keep going.

“I’m a Native artist who loves my culture, so I incorporate that into my art.”

Check out Gene Boshkaykin’s work on Instagram @genebosh or find him on Facebook.

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TheArts

Wearable Art MaryJane Livingstone Studio By Kat Lyzun

Kirvan Photography

Artist Mary Jane MacDonald

“I think through the use of embroidery you can start to think of your clothing as more of an art piece that needs to be cherished and taken good care of.”

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rtist Mary Jane MacDonald has been creating unique embroidered art for the last few years, and through the pandemic found a way for her beautiful embroidery work to breathe new life and style into previously loved clothes. Whether it’s adding delicate embellishments to hats, wildflowers to a basic button-down, or silvery birds to a blazer, each item she creates is a piece of wearable art. MacDonald was introduced to the craft of embroidery by a talented aunt, but didn’t start doing it herself until she was in grad school studying art conservation. In her studies, she was working with costumes and textiles, fostering an appreciation for the artistry involved. In looking for a creative outlet to help her decompress in her downtime, she started embroidering. “I had an art degree from Lakehead and had mostly been a painter up until then, but I was moving around a lot and embroidery is much more portable,” she says. “I really fell in love with it. It is incredibly challenging and can be so frustrating, but also calming and therapeutic. I like to take photographs when I am out on walks or hikes in the woods and draw inspiration from the colours and textures of rocks and flora to create my abstract pieces. I’m starting to embrace this with my new clothing pieces as well.” Finding herself off work and with more time on her hands during the early months of the

pandemic, MacDonald started experimenting with embroidered wearables. She made a few face masks for herself, and received tonnes of requests after posting one on her social media. She explored that for awhile but ultimately it wasn’t a good fit for her. Seeing a demand for unique hand-detailed pieces did, however, lead her down the path of embroidered clothing and slow fashion. “I have always loved fashion, but I never pursued it as a career because as much as I loved clothing, I was disenchanted with the industry itself. The fast fashion industry is absolutely devastating to the environment, while also contributing to systems of oppression and exploitation of garment workers in poor countries,” she says. “I wanted to make sure the clothes I already had lasted as long as they could, so I used embroidery to make repairs or cover up stains to extend the life of my clothes. I started getting positive comments on these pieces, so I decided to start selling them.” “I think through the use of embroidery you can start to think of your clothing as more of an art piece that needs to be cherished and taken good care of,” she adds.

Find your next upcycled gem or a unique abstract piece on Instagram @maryjane_livingstone or her online studio, maryjanelivingstonestudio.com.

TheArts

The Rabbit and Frog

HE FROM T BAY R E THUND ERY’S LL ART GA TION C E L L O C

By Penelope Smart, Curator, Thunder Bay Art Gallery Artist: Carl Ray Title: The Rabbit and Frog Date: 1971 Medium: Acrylic and pen on paper Dimensions: 50.5 cm x 69.3 cm (framed) Collection of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Gift of Kerstin Mueller, 2021 n an issue about Woodland style, it’s important to talk about Carl Ray (1943–1978) who was one of the earliest—and most enigmatic—Woodland painters. Ray formed a visual and spiritual bridge between the initiator of the Woodland

School, the late Norval Morrisseau, and the second generation of Woodland artists. Morrisseau referred to Ray as “Little Brother,” and he was hired to work with the older artist on the design and creation of the mural for the exterior of the Indians of Canada pavilion at Expo ’67 in Montreal. Ray was also a leading member of the Indian Group of Seven and travelled internationally to exhibit, lecture, and teach art, but his travels also took him to many remote communities in northern Ontario, including Fort Frances, where this work was originally purchased

by the donor. The Rabbit and The Frog is one of several new donations of Ray’s work to our permanent collection. It’s the original to the illustration on page 85 of Sacred Legends of the Sandy Lake Cree (1971), a slim hardcover many northerners have on their home or cabin bookshelf. Each drawing in this book represents Ray’s personal translation of stories retold by Sandy Lake elders in the 1950s into visual form. In the story, O-ma-ka-ki, the frog, was married to her husband, Wa-booz, the rabbit. The unlikely pair discover a

windigo spirit in the shape of a moose. The frog enters the moose and kills the monster by biting a vital organ (an organ exists inside the moose that contains the tracks of a frog). When a pack of wolves come to eat the carcass, the frog hides in the bloody snow. The rabbit hides in the belly of the moose carcass. The frog survives and the wolves “ate the carcass and the stupid rabbit.” (Stevens and Ray, 86) This work contains all the elements of this story, and, as the artist intended, holds to the teachings of this legend within its composition.

“Ray formed a visual and spiritual bridge between the initiator of the Woodland School, the late Norval Morrisseau, and the second generation of Woodland artists.”

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TheArts

When Art Meets Reality Artist Bianca Gascoigne

Bianca Artistry’s Panarchy Exhibit Story by Olivia Bosma, Photos by Curtis Jensen

or many, art is the highest form of individual expression. It is speaking without saying a word. It can be joyful or morose, serious or funny, realistic or abstract, or all of the above. Even those who consider themselves unimaginative can still appreciate what the world of art has to offer. To experience incredible art, one need look no further than local artist Bianca Gascoigne. Gascoigne is hosting an art exhibit at the Goods & Co. Market in the Co.Lab Gallery & Arts Centre on March 26 from 6–10pm. Gascoigne, who has several years of experience, paints a wide variety of work, all with various meanings. “I work with acrylic paint and texturizing mediums. My style is abstract, though, I like to throw in figurative pieces here and there because I do love to paint people,” she says. “My inspiration usually comes from a dark place or a place of imagination. It is common to suffer with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. I fall into that multitude. Art is therapeutic for me and a way to express myself. I like my art to be beautiful and dark at the same time because, such is life.”

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Her upcoming exhibit will be a visual representation of panarchy and the adaptive cycle. “I am excited because of what my art show represents. I would like it to be a creative and educational experience—a framework of nature’s rules that helps us understand the process of change in ecosystems as well as social systems,” Gascoigne says. “A key component of panarchy is called the adaptive cycle; a repeating loop that explains nature’s ability to adapt to the unpredictability of its surroundings. The resiliency of nature.” Gascoigne will depict the four stages of the adaptive cycle—exploitation/growth, conservation, release, and reorganization—in a series of nine to ten large painted canvases. Along with her work, people can also enjoy food and drinks from the restaurant and bar. “I would love for guests to feel comfortable and enjoy a night of art, food, drink, and to feel free to dissect the art, or just come say hello and have a good time,” Gascoigne says. “A little fun fact, I like to hide a face in each of my exhibit paintings. It is quite enjoyable to watch guests have fun walking from canvas to canvas,

attempting to make sense of the paintings and find the hidden faces.” As for plans for the future, Gascoigne will continue to share her talents and work with the community. “The urge to keep becoming my best self is what drives me. I feel like my life only just started at 30 years old and I have so much more to share with people,” she says.

“I plan to continue going strong with my business, Bianca Artistry, which offers makeup and concept design services, as well as visual arts. I just want to be consumed by art and surrounded by people who enjoy it as much as I do.” For more information, visit biancaartistry.ca.

“I like my art to be beautiful and dark at the same time because, such is life.”

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TheArts

Dear Diary

Media Artist Releases Sound Diary By Sara Sadeghi Aval

oe Gordon is sharing her diary with the world—well, her sound diary, that is— to create awareness of our relationship to the soundscape. Now, what is a sound diary? Gordon—a local media artist and owner of Cricket Cave, a small business media group where she offers her sound skills for animation and film projects—has published a book full of photos and reflections from her almost two years of walking and listening to the industrial shorelines of Thunder Bay. Have you ever wondered what power lines sound like? You can hear them in Gordon’s sound diary, recorded with an EMF (electromagnetic field microphone). After graduating from her post-secondary art education in 2008, where she was heavily influenced by artist and educator Hildegard Westerkamp, Gordon became interested in listening to the world around her. For her sound diary, born from the World Soundscape Project in the 1970s, Gordon uses a variety of microphones on her “sound walks” and records raw sounds. Some microphones manipulate space, some are essentially like “pointing a laser” at one particular sound. With the help of the Ontario Arts Council, Gordon was able to publish the entire project.

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“As a young media artist, I was captivated by sound. Listening to the soundscape was an awakening for me,” she says. The artist places emphasis on her curiosity about the constantly changing relationship between herself and the space and sounds around her. She is motivated by the impacts of hydroelectric dams on our natural surroundings and the relationship between herself and the sounds of industry. “I hadn’t given enough thought to my relationship [to my surroundings] and I felt ignorant to the implications of media o n w a t e r, r e s o u r c e extraction, and culture. I’m just listening from the perspective of trying to understand that disconnect,” explains Gordon. The book contains a link to field recordings and diary responses as well, which correspond to each page and photo so the reader can listen along. “It’s endlessly creative,” says Gordon. Gordon’s project is available on Bandcamp for listening, and she also has a few copies of the book available as well. She is currently working on her next sound project. Learn more at cricketcave.ca or on Facebook @cricketcave.

Images from Gordon's sound diary.

“As a young media artist, I was always captivated by sound. Media is such a visual culture and sound was an awakening for me.”

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Outdoor

Ungroomed and Unmatched Backcountry Skiing at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park Story by Michelle McChristie, Photos by Darren McChristie

 Skiing through the deep powder on Sawyer Bay to enjoy the view of the Sleeping Giant

f you’re a frequent visitor to Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, you probably share my feelings of sheer joy every time you pull into the Kabeyun trailhead parking lot to find only a handful of vehicles. It’s as though you pulled the wool over the eyes of other park users, you’ve snuck off for some time away, and, as luck would have it, you won’t need to share it with many others. Truth be told, you needn’t rely on luck to be rewarded with this gratuitous feeling—you just need to diverge from the beaten path, which, in the winter, is just about any trail in the park that is not groomed for cross-country skiing or short enough to attract a lot of hikers and snowshoers. And one of the best ways to enjoy these little-used trails is with

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backcountry skis. Backcountry or off-track touring skis are basically a little fatter than regular cross country skis and usually have metal edges. Both are oldschool adaptations to make it a little easier to break trail and hold an edge. The poles have bigger baskets, which helps keep them from sinking with each pole plant in unpacked snow. As for traction, this is gained through a textured surface with a fish scale pattern built into the kick zone (the area under your ski boot), wax that is applied to the kick zone, or detachable skins. The boots are a little stiffer than regular cross country classic or skate boots and the bindings a little more robust to avoid snow buildup. Trust me, it’s not as complicated as it sounds— you can also grab some old wooden skis with three-pin

 Enjoying some hot chocolate and snacks at the backcountry camping area

bindings, boots, and some bamboo poles. On this sunny weekend afternoon, we headed 400 metres down the Kabeyun Trail to the first junction, which leads to Sawyer Bay on Lake Superior. There were no fresh human tracks on the trail, just evidence of some snowshoers who packed the trail a little but whose tracks had been covered by the previous day’s snowfall. The only sounds along the trail were the odd bird call and that of trees creaking in the wind. This is what the backcountry is all about. The Sawyer Bay Trail is an 11.2-kilometre round trip with several hills, including one that climbs to a maximum altitude of 276 metres, and a spectacular view of the Sleeping Giant’s head from the ice on the bay. While the hills are an effort to climb, the downhills offer more than fair compensation—I hit a maximum speed of

25 km/h, which is pretty impressive considering the snow was soft and I held a narrow snowplough position for the steepest part of the decline. Keep in mind, the trails in the park are multiuse, and you need to stay in control lest you take out (or be taken out) by a hiker or deer. Because Sawyer Bay has backcountry campsites, there are picnic tables and a privy at the end of trail. You might want to bring something to sit on since the tables will most likely be covered with snow and ice. It’s also a good idea to bring an extra dry layer to ward off the chills when you take a break. But, the most important advice is to remember to look up and drink in the scenery—there is a lot that can only be seen in the winter when there are no leaves (or people!) to obscure the view.

Outdoor

 Dappled sunlight and solitude make for a tranquil experience

 Breaking trail into Sawyer Bay

 Cruising to the bottom of a long downhill

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CityScene

Stuff We Like

Hoito Pancake Mix 1

For Mardi Gras By Amy Jones

T 3 5

hunder Bay might be a long way from New Orleans, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate Mardi Gras with the best of them. This annual tradition—spanning the period between Epiphany and Lent and culminating the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (the Mardi part)—is a time for eating rich, fatty foods (the Gras part), having a drink or four, and general hedonistic revelry. So whip up some pancakes, pour yourself a fancy cocktail, and have a party in your living room. This is Stuff We Like for Mardi Gras.

Barkeep/Facebook

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Sleeping Giant Brewing Co. 712 Macdonell Street Pancakes are associated with Shrove Tuesday, the day preceding Lent, because they are a way to use eggs, milk, and sugar before Lent. And here in Thunder Bay, there’s really only one pancake worth talking about: the Hoito’s. While you may not be able to get them in person these days, you can make them at home with this easy-to-use pancake mix, available at Sleeping Giant Brewing Co. $9

Take-out Cocktails 2

Barkeep 15C St. Paul Street If there were ever a time for a fancy cocktail, Mardi Gras is it. But maybe you don’t want to go out and buy a whole bottle of some obscure spirit just for one drink. Lucky for you, Barkeep has take-out cocktails! Try an Orchard Island Punch, made with amber rum, bénédictine, apple, pear, lime, allspice, clarified milk, and red wine float, or their twist on a classic like a cinnamon tequila sour with tequila, lemon, cinnamon syrup, and egg white. $Various 3 Owl Goblet Hygge Loft 271 Bay Street It’s a Mardi Gras party, and you have your fancy cocktail from Barkeep—you can’t just drink it out of any old glass. We love this cool owl goblet from Hygge Loft for its shape, its colour, and its cool animal design. Plus, who doesn’t want to drink out of a goblet? $14 4 Cajun Feast Cajun Fuzion 116 Syndicate Avenue South Leave the cooking to someone else this Mardi Gras and order a Cajun Feast from Cajun Fuzion. This feast includes four buttermilk biscuits, four empanadas, crab bisque, and a large seafood boil—a mix of shrimp, crab, andouille sausages, mussels, corn (if available) and potatoes steamed in Cajun creole sauce. We’re drooling just writing this! $110

5 Peace in Trouble Sunday wilde sundaywilde.com Bluesy, jazzy, with an old-style, intimate sound without guitars or drums, Sunday wilde's Peace in Trouble is the perfect musical accompaniment to your Mardi Gras celebrations. Her ninth release, the album features 11 tracks recorded on a real piano in her living room, and will certainly sound pretty good in yours. $20 6 Animal Masks Toy Sense 447 May Street North/309 Bay Street While they might not be the traditional masquerade masks you see in New Orleans, these animal masks from Toy Sense will do double duty: they’re both a fun addition to your living room Mardi Gras parade, and a cool, hands-on project for kids that encourages creativity, imagination, and open-ended play. The kit includes two pig masks, two cow masks, one hen mask, one rooster mask, and four horse masks. $10.99 7 DIY Beads Jangles 475 11th Avenue When most people think of Mardi Gras, they think of strands of beads. You could pick up a cheap, plastic strand at your local big box store, but we prefer making our own unique, beautiful strands with beads from Jangles that will last us long after the celebration is over. Choose your beads, string them together, and toss them to your favourite person off your couch parade float in your living room (what they may have to do to get them is none of our business). $Various 8 Lonely Planet New Orleans City Guide

Indigo 797 Memorial Avenue If you’re having a blast at your at-home Mardi Gras celebration and have an itch for the real thing, maybe a post-pandemic trip to New Orleans is in the stars for you. Pick up this New Orleans city guide from the world’s number one travel guide publisher, Lonely Planet, and get the best advice on what to see, where to stay, and more. $28.99

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CityScene

$10 Blue Whale stamp

50 cent Bluenose stamp

THE SIASTS H T EN U Martin Fuhr, philatelist and president of the Lakehead Stamp Club

Canadian Flag 50th Anniversary stamp

Lakehead Stamp Club By Deanne Gagnon

hen Martin Fuhr was almost 14 years old, he became a philatelist. A philatelist is the technical—and elegant sounding—name for a person who studies and collects postage stamps. “Just before my 14th birthday, my dad and I were wandering through the old Intercity Mall. We were walking down the aisle, I think at Woolworths, and my dad turned to me and said, ‘What do you want for your birthday?’ It caught me off guard because I was never asked that before,” Fuhr, now the president of the Lakehead Stamp Club, recalls. “We were standing by a craft aisle, and I looked over and there was this orange canvas bag that sorta hit you in the eyes. It had 500 stamps, albums and Superman Series stamps

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stamp tongs and stuff, and I didn’t know what to say so I said, ‘Maybe I’ll try that.’ Without any hesitation, we went over and picked it up.” The hobby became quality time for father and son, who eventually both joined the club. The Lakehead Stamp Club was formed in 1947 when a group of 12 men with a collective interest in stamps got together, organized a club, and drew up a constitution. The club gained chapter status with the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada in 1954; it is still known as Chapter 33 to this day. There are currently around 40 members of the club, with a regular meeting

attendance of about half of those members. COVID permitting, the club meets twice monthly from September through June. Meetings cover business and pleasure, complete with door prizes— stamp-related of course. Once business has been taken care of, there is a program that consists of either having a speaker, quiz games, or question periods. A couple of members have even organized stamprelated bingo in the past. There is also a floor or table auction at each meeting, which provides the opportunity for collectors to sell articles or stamps that another collector may like

Berlin Famous Women stamps

Titanic 100th Anniversary stamp

to have. The club also hosts an annual stamp exhibition at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. Their last was the 70th annual exhibition in 2019, but they are hoping to host it again this year. “I consider them little pieces of art,” Fuhr says, who has adorned some of his walls with framed stamp collections. “Just like money, they have to go through a pretty rigorous process so people can’t forge them. Also, every stamp is issued for a reason. It is about both history and geography. You see a subject or a place and it makes you want to know the story behind who, what, or where it is from”.

Everyone is welcome at meetings, and current members are happy to answer any questions to help new collectors. They would be thrilled to see their membership grow, and welcome junior members with an adult. There is a nominal yearly fee of $20.

“I consider them little pieces of art.” For more information, visit lakeheadstampclub. ca, call 631-9991, or email tmethot@tbaytel.net

Historic Land Vehicles stamps

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CityScene

D SECONES C N A CH

Spring-Inspired Thrift Finds by Jewels of Crown By Kelsey Raynard

s we all know, the benefits of buying secondhand are felt on a local, provincial, national, and international level. What you may not know is that Thunder Bay is home to some of the best and most unique thrifters

who are sharing their love of vintage goods as a business venture. This month, we are proud to feature Jewels of Crown, a local entrepreneur with a keen eye for vintage clothes and housewares alike. Carly Vieira, owner of

Jewels of Crown, says her business was born from a communal closet of wildly different vintage clothing shared with her closest friends. “In my university days I lived with a group of girlfriends in a big character

reimagine

Your feelings, your look.

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270 Bay Street (807) 622.6989

home on Crown Street; we were nicknamed ‘The Jewels of Crown,’” she says. “I began collecting pieces I couldn’t pass up, even if they weren’t my size. Every time us girls wanted to dress up, that closet was opened, styling each other's individuality with wonderfully uncommon pieces of clothing.” For us inexperienced thrifters, the prospect of hunting for a diamond in the rough can be intimidating. Vieira’s advice? “Be patient. It takes a lot of time digging through unwanted items, or numerous trips to the thrift store to find a gem. Don’t be intimidated by the amount of items in a shop or the condition of some pieces. Take your time; there is gold in there!” Clearly, Jewels of Crown is an appropriate business name. This month, Vieira is selling a spring-inspired outfit complete with double denim and a vintage bowler hat. First up, we have highwaisted, dark wash, vintage mom jeans (30” waist, $45), which can be worn year-round. Secondly, we have a 90s Cotton Ginny cropped denim vest (size XS/S, $40), which is one of the 1990s trends we are actually excited to make a comeback (is anyone truly ready to bring back lowrise jeans?). Next, Vieira chose a modern camel tone ribbed tank (size S/M, $18), another versatile year-round piece to add

to your closet, and a pair of weave-patterned black leather shoes with a chunky heel (size 7, $38), which are ready to kick those winter boots out of your closet. You clearly need a cute bag to carry around all of your new thrifted items, so grab this medium-sized floral purse with braided vegan leather straps (O/S, $25) while you’re at it. Complete this look with a 100% wool hat featuring leopard print details, inspired by bowler hats from the late 19th century (O/S, $28).

“Our passion for thrifting definitely comes from the thrill of the hunt and being able to modify your wardrobe without breaking the bank!” While we may not be able to will spring into existence, perhaps our outfits can. You can find these pieces and more from Jewels of Crown in their studio at 278 Bay Street, on the web at jewelsofcrown.ca, and on Instagram at @jewels_of _crown

Christopher F. Gash Practice Areas

General Civil Litigation, Small Claims and Administrative Law

Professional Membership Law Society of Ontario Thunder Bay Law Association

Christopher was born and raised in Thunder Bay & after a successful ten year career in automotive management, Christopher attended Lakehead University where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Gerontology, an Honour’s Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and a Master’s Degree in Sociology with specialization in Gerontology. Thereafter, Christopher attended Lakehead University’s Bora Laskin Faculty of Law where he received his Juris Doctor law degree in 2018 and was called to the Ontario Bar in September of the same year. Christopher practices in the areas of Civil Litigation and Administrative Law, including Human Rights, Landlord and Tenant matters and Municipal Law.

We at Ericksons LLP are delighted to have Christopher Gash join our dynamic team. Christopher’s skills and talents in Civil Litigation, Small Claims, and Administrative Law are a great addition to our wide range of services. We look forward to his successful partnership with us.

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Adrian Lysenko

CityScene

Thunder Bay Art Gallery’s Permanent Collection

(L–R) Meaghan Eley, registrar and curatorial assistant and Penelope Smart, curator of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery  Eley and Smart encourage artists or students studying basketry, quillwork, or beadwork to get in touch with the gallery to see some of the items in the collection.

WALL SPACE

hen the Thunder Bay Art Gallery opened at its current location in 1976 as an exhibition centre, it was a space to display the work of local artists and touring shows travelling the country, but there was no permanent collection. “Very quickly it became clear the building was too small,” says Meaghan Eley, registrar and curatorial assistant with the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. “Two more exhibition spaces and an art vault were added in 1981, making it possible for the gallery to start collecting and caring for artwork to share with the community.”

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Over 1,600 pieces make up the collection, which includes paintings, drawings and photography, sculptures, beadwork, and art installations. “We don’t have people back here often, but occasionally we have done some tours,” Eley says. “It is nice to share the collection because we know that such a little portion goes out at any one time. We are trying to find more ways to share it when it can’t be out on display.” With a focus on contemporary Indigenous art, the collection is modern, with pieces from the 1960s and up.

Adrian Lysenko

By Adrian Lysenko

Adrian Lysenko

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery

CityScene

 "We strive to have as much information as we can to share, but also to provide context—information on artists, dates when things were made or used. All of these things add to the story of the piece,” Eley says. “Now everything is in an electronic database, but for a long time galleries relied on cards like these.”

 The very first piece that came into the collection, by Noel Ducharme of Fort William First Nation, donated by the artist in 1981.

Adrian Lysenko

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery

 Thirty-five years ago, internationally acclaimed artist Carl Beam (1943–2005) from M’Chigeeng First Nation completed his monumental art installation, Exorcism, the gallery's first commissioned work; measuring 7 ft by 20 ft, it remains the largest and most materially complex piece in the permanent collection.

 Sliding racks art storage used in the permanent collection.

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long with the telltale signs of red eyes and empty chip bags, another assumption about cannabis is that it will promote creativity. Yes indeed, you just need to inhale, and soon your mind will be soaring to unknown heights—or something. At first glance, though, the connection makes sense. Cannabis puts you in a different head space. Combine this elevated perspective with known physiology: “creativity” occurs in the frontal lobe of the brain, which is the same area that cannabis mainly acts on. Ergo, after consuming, you should be able to think around corners, right? As neat as that sounds, the actual link between using cannabis and creativity is more perception than fact. For anecdotal evidence, consider that I’ve written some brilliantly creative pieces after using cannabis… only to sheepishly crumple them up the next day. So, what happened? Well, we know that cannabis changes your thinking—that’s part of the reason many people use it. What’s also important to realize is that cannabis changes your perception of how you think. The idea of cannabis promoting creativity then becomes one of those chicken-andegg questions with no easy answer. The few scientific studies done around cannabis and creativity lead to this curious conclusion. These studies mainly look at how cannabis changes a user’s convergent or divergent thinking—briefly, your brain being able to work towards a single, “correct” solution versus the ability to generate multiple, flexible answers as a solution. Interestingly, these studies posit that small doses of cannabis have little effect on someone’s c o n v e rg e n t t h i n k i n g . However, with divergent thinking—which is more

Rainbow Connection

BIS CANNAER N R O C

Creativity and Cannabis By Justin Allec

creative overall—it seems the sober control group was more creative than those under the influence. Further more, when testing subjects under the influence, those who would rate themselves as “highly creative” exhibited less divergent thinking than those who rated themselves as “not creative.” From these studies, it seems that a low dose of cannabis can inspire some creativity, but only if you’re not really wired that way to begin with. A large dose, however, was detrimental to all subjects. A flaw with these studies

is that creativity is difficult to define beyond the binary of convergent/divergent thinking. Is creativity the quantity of new ideas generated? The quality and practicality of those ideas? Is it making art? Crafting? If I’m discussing creativity in terms of an artistic process, then I’d say that we’re in a 10% inspiration/90% perspiration situation. Cannabis can provide an epiphany, but your focus and enjoyment of that idea will determine its worth. Fortunately, there are many cannabis strains that can do just that.

Spinach Blue Dream ($28.95 / 3.5g; THC 18.00 - 24.00%, CBD 0.00 - 2.00%) A bit of a hybrid, Blue Dream is a powerful strain for a relaxing yet focused experience. Sweet-tasting and tangy, Blue Dream keeps things hazy while also keeping you motivated, a great choice for evening activities. Go Elevate Kali Mist ($26.95 / 3.5g; THC 20.00 - 26.00%, CBD 0.00 - 0.20%) With earthy flavours tied to a citrus burst, Go Elevate Kali Mist is a classic sativadominant strain. The feelings it delivers are classic, too:

a floating euphoria tied to some motivating energy. This is a good choice for the morning that’ll be a positive influence all day. Tw e e d C h e m d a w g ($26.95 / 3.5g; THC 18.00 - 24.00%, CBD 0.00 - 0.10%) Sativa Dominant Tweed Chemdawg is a sativa strain that combines the best, most potent aspects of Sour Diesel and OG Kush. With a dank chemical smell that cannot be mistaken, Chemdawg hits hard and fast before mellowing out.

The Walleye

CityScene

EYE EYE TO

With Krista McCarville As told to Matt Prokopchuk, Photo by Shannon Lepere

econd place wasn’t the goal, but Thunder Bay’s Krista McCarville says she’s still proud of the way her team continues to compete at the national level—most recently in her hometown. Team Northern Ontario, skipped by McCarville, lost in the finals of the 2022 Scotties Tournament of Hearts women’s curling championships, which wrapped up in the city last month. McCarville, who is also a teacher at Holy Family School in Thunder Bay, spoke with The Walleye about her thoughts on the tournament, returning to her classroom, and what’s on her music playlist these days. On the Scotties: Going into it, our goal is obviously to win it. This is our sixth or seventh year as a team, and as a team we have been successful—our very first year together, we placed second, and then since then we placed fourth every time. So to get

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that second place [this year] is great; however, our goal going into it was to win, And of course, it being in Thunder Bay, our hometown, we really wanted to win and just kind of break that barrier of doing well but not winning it. […] I just feel like this is the team that I want to win it with—these are the girls that I have such great friendships with that I feel like this is the team that I’d like to do that with. On playing in a mostly empty arena due to COVID19 rules: [At] the round robin there were no fans at all, so I remember walking out the first game thinking “this is quite strange,” you know. They’re introducing the teams and we’re waving to like eight people in the stands that are doing statistics and the timing […] and you hear the odd clap here and there for a really good shot. But then after the game we talked and

it’s quite nice because we can actually hear each other talking and we don’t have to yell our brains out to hear, you know, to call line and all that, so we thought well, this is kind of nice. But I mean, it being in Thunder Bay, what we’ve pictured—what we’ve dreamed of—was playing in front of the home crowd and having all the cheers. So when the opportunity arose that we were allowed to have fans in and our families were allowed to come in, it definitely was such a positive energy that we felt with all the cheering and the noisemakers and the moose calls. It was such a great feeling. On the support from her students: They’re great! They cheered me on all week. They were actually on TSN a few times, which was super exciting. They loved it. Even coming back, they were so supportive of me and they

knew that we lost in the final and they were like “Mrs. McCarville, you came so close.” They were really, really good, a super great group of kids here at Holy Family, and that’s always nice. My job is a job, but I do have a passion for teaching. I love it, so coming back—I came back on Monday [the day after the finals] and lots of people said “Why didn’t you take it off?” and I said that I’d rather be back with the kids than think about the loss, and they helped me get over the disappointment. Teaching is such an amazing profession. Just to help the kids—it’s not the best profession for curling, but it is another passion of mine and to get the support of the school board, I think, is truly amazing. On what she enjoys doing away from the rink: Obviously in the wintertime, curling is pretty

big in our life [McCarville’s husband Mike is also a competitive curler and their two kids are involved in the sport]. Outside of the winter months, I’ve been golfing my whole life but not super dedicated—especially when our kids were young I didn’t do very much golfing. I started picking it up a little bit more last year and got my first set of golf clubs last year, so I’m trying to do that a little bit more. I also took up tennis this past summer, so I really enjoy tennis. There’s a great group of people at the tennis club that I’ve made good friends with, so that’s a big part of it. On what food she’s craving: I crave peanut butter all the time—by far my favourite thing ever to eat is peanut butter. On what’s on her music playlist: All dance, pretty much all dance music. On who she looks up to: It’s always been [the late] Sandra Schmirler. She’s someone who I always looked up to and dreamed to be like. I just remember watching her. I was probably 11, 12 years old and I remember watching her in the curling trials and just the way she held herself and she won the game—it was a really big game—but I just remember thinking what an amazing curler she is and I just remember thinking I wanted to be like her. I did have the chance to meet her just before she passed away; I was in the nationals in New Brunswick and she was actually there as a commentator. She was really sick with cancer at the time, but I got to meet her and I just remember thinking […] if I could be anything, I want to be like her because she was a pretty amazing person and obviously I think a role model for many many females out there. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

CityScene

Paula Clarke, creator and founder of Art and Whimsies

Art and Whimsies Story and photos by Olivia Bosma

he Thunder Bay Country Market is a much-loved fixture in our community. The market provides an opportunity for people from all walks of life to start a business and earn a living doing what they love. Such an opportunity presented itself to long-time creator and founder of Art and Whimsies, Paula Clarke. In her store, customers can step inside her whimsical world of charming handsewn gnomes to purchase DIY gnome making kits and any gnome on display. “My interest in sewing started around the age of 10 with guidance from my mother and we discovered I had a natural talent for it,”

Clarke says. “I used to make my own clothes, and later, my children’s clothes.” Throughout her lengthy careers in both the corporate and creative worlds, she has always been designing pieces that are as special and unique as the person they are given to. “I made dolls for my children and my friends' children when they were little, so for over 40 years, I have been doing this,” she says. “As a former member of the Artisans Northwest group for eight-ish years and one of the original vendors at the early Craft Revivals, I've been selling my creations to the general public for over 20 years at community

markets. I also used to teach art classes in our hobby and craft stores and schools.” In recent years, Clarke has been sewing and creating a series of gnomes. Each gnome is handmade with care and with their own unique characteristics, right down to their own names. After many years of creating work, Clarke now holds a permanent spot at the market. “One of my customers last Christmas, also a vendor, encouraged me to apply by saying I just had to get my gnomes into the Thunder Bay Country Market,” she says. “That made me feel so good and how could I argue with such excitement! I thrive

AL GO LOC R E D N U TH NTRY U O C Y BA T MARKE on personal interaction with other vendors and customers.” Along with the ability to walk into Art and Whimsies to pick out a gnome, patrons can also custom order a gnome to suit their own whimsy. “Oh, I love it. Sometimes people will come up to me and just describe the person they want to give the gnome to, and I will design and create a gnome that I feel best matches that person,” Clarke says. In the future, Clarke will stay at her shop in the market and plans to expand her gnome line and DIY kits. One thing is for certain, she will never stop creating.

“My interest in sewing started around the age of 10 with guidance from my mother and we discovered I had a natural talent for it.” For more information, visit artandwhimsies.ca or find them on Facebook.

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CityScene

This is Thunder Bay Stories and photos submitted by readers

This month we asked The Walleye readers what their ideal March Break looks like. “My ideal March Break is just beer, take-out, and time off work with this guy (refer to photo).” -Martha

“I used to look forward to going on a cruise during March Break with our children and friends, but now to be outside with my friends and our dogs exploring what Thunder Bay has to offer is great.” -Sharon “Spending time outside with my kids! Bringing my son to [Mount] Baldy for some skiing. This is his first winter skiing and he’s doing so well.” -Sam

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“A great March Break is loaded with outdoor activities with the grandkids… followed by a sauna and relaxing on the dock.” -Rhonda

“My ideal March Break would be spent enjoying the great outdoors we are so fortunate to have in Thunder Bay with my two awesome, super fun, and inquisitive kiddos.” -Dale “Spending time outdoors. Weather would determine what we do. Love downhill skiing, snowmobiling, and ice fishing.” -Stephanie

CityScene

The Show Must Go On

Painting a Picture of the Information, Culture, and Recreation Sector in TBay During COVID By Baran Karabeyoglu, Policy Analyst, Northern Policy Institute

defining and important aspect of the Thunder Bay community, the arts and culture sector has experienced a major setback due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As we can see in Figures 1 and 2, there was a significant drop in employment numbers within the information, culture and recreation industry in Thunder Bay, which signals a decrease in the overall output of the sector. In September 2019 approximately 2,900 were employed within the industry, but after the first lockdown in 2020, employment rates never recovered to what they were in previous years. The postpandemic period has seen the industry’s employment rate drop as low as 2% and at one point, it was so low that the data wasn’t published. As of December 2021, the figure sits at approximately 2,000 total creative workers. This trend was undoubtedly due to the strain caused by the restrictions on social gatherings and changes in consumer behavior

following the lockdowns. According to a Toronto Star article published in January 2022, under normal conditions “anywhere from 15,000-25,000 visitors each year” were expected for art galleries and museums in Thunder Bay, but those numbers were heavily impacted by the pandemic. Numerous exhibitions were either postponed or cancelled. Much of the 2022 Scotties Tournament of Hearts was held without fans in attendance due to health concerns. Throughout Canada, one of the more adversely impacted sectors within the industry is live performance. It is heartening to see that the Canadian government is launching initiatives to support the live performance industry with a Canada Performing Arts Workers Resilience Fund, but more must be done to uplift the overall creative economy. As an industry that plays a critical role in the identity of the Thunder Bay community, the holistic protection of the creative sector in a postpandemic economy is of the utmost importance.

“The post-pandemic period has seen the industry’s employment rate drop as low as 2% and at one point, it was so low that the data wasn’t published.” The Walleye

Music

Promo Man

Writer Bob Klanac

New Book Chronicles Life of Canadian Record Hustler By Kris Ketonen

rom the Rolling Stones to Liberace to Queen, the career of Canadian record promoter Nick Panaseiko has included some of the biggest names in music—and some absolutely incredible stories. Now, Canadian music fans can experience these stories, thanks to a new book by Thunder Bay-born writer Bob Klanac. Promo Man: Backstage Tales From the Vinyl Jungle was published in November, and is based on stories Klanac heard directly from Panaseiko himself. “I came across Nick when I was tasked to write an article for a local music/entertainment magazine about the history of London music,” Klanac

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says. “Every single person I talked to said, ‘Have you talked to Nick Panaseiko?’ So I finally did, and I finally started to understand why he was so important to London.” The two would later reconnect when Klanac was chair of a London music festival. “I started listening to his stories, and his stories were amazing,” Klanac says. Panaseiko had plans to get those stories into a book, and asked Klanac to write it. As for the stories themselves, they feature some of the biggest names in music. For example, Panaseiko’s work promoting the Rolling Stones went far beyond the

shows themselves. “That’s where his duties included everything from playing games with young Marlon Richards, just because he felt sorry for him, and finding cocaine connections for Keith and Ronnie,” Klanac says. “The heroin was taken care of by someone else.” Another story, which Klanac says Panaseiko didn’t initially want in the book, involved a reunion tour by the band Lighthouse. “A guy that Nick kind of knew reached out and said ‘Hey Nick, someone in the band wants some marijuana,’” Klanac says. “Nick said ‘Okay, I know a guy.’” But, Klanac says, it was all a RCMP sting, and Panaseiko ended up going

to jail. “I convinced him that, no, [the story] makes him look good,” Klanac says. “They wanted him to give up someone, and he said ‘No, I’m not going to.’” The response to the book, Klanac says, has been “wonderful.” “The overall response that I’m getting, and this is wonderful to hear, is it’s a good, fun read,” he says. “And I think it also helped shine a light on the development of the Canadian music scene. It was the wild west in the 70s, because the music industry was just getting started in Canada, so Nick had all the freedom he wanted.”

“The overall response that I’m getting, and this is wonderful to hear, is it’s a good, fun read.”

Promo Man: Backstage Tales From the Vinyl Jungle, is available on Amazon, and at Entershine Book Shop.

Music

Richard Veurink

Loch Lomond Stage Sees New Talent By Sara Sadeghi Aval

ive music is slowly but surely returning to Thunder Bay, and what better place to start than Loch Lomond Ski Resort’s lounge? Live@Loch is returning after pausing during pandemic regulations, and Michelle Addison, local booking agent and founder of Go Beyond the Show, has been busy securing musicians to accompany your time on the mountain. The shows began on February 4 and will continue until the end of the ski season. You can enjoy the free shows—that’s right, free—every weekend on Friday and Saturday 11;

afternoons and evenings. Addison says she is ecstatic to see music lovers back at the mountain. “I was overjoyed as I looked around the crowd at our first Live@Loch show and saw smiling faces and people clapping and singing along,” she says. “It completely melted my heart. Live music brings us together, we become a community, and I think that’s exactly what we need, especially right now.” Solo guitarist R i c h a r d Ve u r i n k previously played at the lounge during the 2019 season, and will be

returning on March 11 and 12 for a weekend of his favourite soft rock and country covers. Born and raised in the area, Veurink has been playing guitar since the age of seven after learning from his mother. His acoustic background brings a fresh sound to classics and his soulful roots began while playing music at church and singing hymns for inmates as a young child. “It was a blast playing last year and it’s so nice to see the Loch venue being used by artists again,” says Veurink. If you’re planning on catching Veurink’s show,

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“I was overjoyed as I looked around the crowd at our first Live@Loch show and saw smiling faces and people clapping and singing along” you can expect some of the best hits from acts like Collective Soul, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Morgan Wallen. Veurink will be playing two 45-minute sets each day, and although he will be doing covers of songs like “The World I Know,” “December,” and “Simple Man,” he also has a couple original pieces to share with the

crowd. Veurink and his three young sons frequent the slopes, and his show is open to all ages.

Find Loch Lomond on Facebook for all the upcoming Live@Loch events.

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Music

Meat Loaf A Bat Out of Hell By Gord Ellis

“I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).”

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here is a lot of magic built into music. It has the power to change your mood, lift you up, or make you sad. Yet music is maybe the very best at putting you into a time and place, like a time travel machine. When I hear “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” or “For Crying Out Loud,” I am transported to my 17th year, in a high school cafeteria, and to many, many after-school parties. The music was made by Meat Loaf, the largerthan-life artist who died from causes related to COVID-19 in late January. Marvin Lee Aday, the man apparently known even to his kids as “Meat,” never did anything small. And in the late 1970s, the operatic, theatrical, and wildly overblown music he made was the soundtrack to a generation of angstfilled, horny teens—who, of course, grew into angstfilled, horny adults. Meat Loaf was never a critical darling and was never seen as a true contemporary of John Mellencamp, Bob Dylan, or Bruce Springsteen. The irony is that much of the music Meat Loaf made had more than a passing resemblance to Springsteen’s music in particular. This is due in part to the presence of E Street Band members Roy Bittan and Max Weinberg on some of his most famous recordings. Meat Loaf also outsold the critical darlings by a wide margin. His debut album, 1977’s Bat Out of Hell, would sell 43 million albums internationally, making it the third best-selling album of all time. Bat Out of Hell is a wall of sound, immaculately produced by Todd Rundgren, and is still rip-roaring fun to listen to

G BURNINE H T TO SKY

all these years later. One interesting side-note on Bat Out of Hell is that it had to be sped up to fit all the music on vinyl, so Meat Loaf’s keening vocals were even more so on the radio. This would come back to haunt him as he grew older and struggled to recreate that sound live. The thing that is often forgotten about when discussing Bat Out of Hell, Meat Loaf, and his longtime partner Jim Steinman is that this was more musical theatre than just rock and roll. Meat Loaf considered himself an actor first, and had the resume to support it. He was in Hair and the film and stage versions of the Rocky Horror Picture Show—who can forget his Elvis-gone-to-seed character singing “Hot Patootie (Bless My Soul)”? As if that wasn’t enough, Meat Loaf did more than 50 other movies in his career, including Fight Club and Roadie. There was more music than just Bat Out of Hell of course, but none really could reach the debut’s mountainous pinnacle of awesomeness. The muchdelayed follow-up to the album, Bat Out of Hell 2: Back into Hell, released in 1993, came close and had a monster hit with “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).” The singer’s off-and-on relationship with Jim Steinman would need a separate column, but when Meat Loaf wrapped that golden baritone around those songs, they came alive. Those songs will live on, although both Steinman and Meat Loaf have left us. Thank you, Meat Loaf, for making me feel the topsyturvy emotions of youth every time “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” comes on. That is real magic.

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Music

Classical Music and the Pandemic

Two Local Students Win Prizes in International Competition By Ayano Hodouchi Dempsey

Jessica Hayes

he pandemic has posed many frustrations for students and unique challenges for those studying performing arts. Despite this, two Lakehead University students say they have learned to navigate the new normal, and have even found recognition beyond Thunder Bay. Evelyn Davenport won first in the piano category and Jessica Hayes won second in the voice category at the first round of the 2022 Crescendo International Music Competition. Davenport, who has been playing piano since the age of five, says it was a “big mental shift” to go from live auditions to video submissions. “Typically, if I perform, if I compete outside of town, it’s a two-, three-day process of having to fly down. But now it’s two, three days of rerecording the same piece,” she says. “It’s definitely a different challenge mentally, because there’s the option to redo the performance. It’s a lot more work on my part, but it definitely strengthened

me as a performer.” “I’ve learned a tonne about audio setup,” she adds. “It’s been a lengthy process, but it’s definitely paid off and I’ve learned a tonne about how to be selfsufficient in performing and recording.” She decided to participate in the second round of the competition virtually. Performing and taking lessons over Zoom has actually opened up a lot of doors for her, Davenport says. Last year she participated at the Cremona International Music Academy and Festival virtually. “We were actually able to connect with 60 participants and I still had access to all the faculty, from all over the States and Europe,” she says. She also won first prize in the senior category, and will go to Cremona, Italy in July this year, where she will be performing the first movement of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.4. Hayes delayed participating in the Crescendo International Music Competition for a

couple of years, hoping to be able to compete in person, but this year, she decided she might as well try, and placed second. For the second round, she has the opportunity to perform live at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall on February 14. “Zoom vocal lessons aren’t really fun,” says the soprano. “Especially in the beginning, Zoom wasn’t really set up for any kind of music thing.” The shift

from live performances to recordings has been challenging for Hayes. “I did previously record and post stuff on YouTube, but I never expected to be doing any of my operatic work on there. The way you record pop songs, versus opera, is very different,” she says. “But if I could offer some advice to students going through all this, it will get easier.”

“It’s been a lengthy process, but it’s definitely paid off and I’ve learned a tonne about how to be selfsufficient in performing and recording.” Evelyn Davenport

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Music

Trio Vows Triumphant Return to Stage Andrew Collins Trio to Perform in Thunder Bay By Michael Charlebois

Local Roots. Friendly Approach. Helping You Move.

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early two years have gone by since the Andrew Collins Trio last took the stage. They were travelling through Manitoba when the hysteria of the early pandemic days had begun. “We actually had a show the Monday after that weekend where everything went crazy,” says Andrew Collins. “I obviously can’t verify this but I like to think we were one of the last shows in Canada.” Now, the trio is set to make a triumphant return in front of a room of folk lovers in Thunder Bay. “I may cry tears of joy; it has been an emotional couple of years,” Collins says. The Andrew Collins Trio is made up of the man with his name on the billing, along with multi-instrumentalist Mike Mezzatesta, and bassist/ vocalist James McEleney. Since the trio is usually playing amid a busy touring schedule, this show will be different, Collins says. “When we’re touring, we’re usually playing the same set. So we get into a groove, the show gets more and more refined, it gets more natural. This show is going to be relatively fresh because we haven’t played in two years.” For the listeners, the show may sound unlike anything you’ve heard. Collins calls it new acoustic,

but the trio like to play fast and loose with genre conventions and bend their music around the confines of bluegrass, folk, classical, and Celtic. “It’s really all about exploring music, always pushing boundaries.” Despite the style being extremely technical, Collins says his focus is on the art of the performance. “My main goal as a performer is to be entertaining. It’s not like we’re trying to do heavy music that people have to think and put their index finger on their chin and nod.” Performances are filled with banter, comedy, and stories to pull it all together. “We love to try to make the best performance all the time, It’s like a game. I love the energy of connecting with people and seeing when things work.” With an unreleased album waiting in the wings, the trio now has a catalogue of six projects they can pull from to complete the show. “It will be very exciting to be in the van again and have a taste of community,” Collins says.

Despite COVID-19 postponements affecting the recent Sleeping Giant Folk Music Society shows, the Andrew Collins Trio show is set to go forward on March 26. Tickets are available at sleepinggiant.ca.

“It’s really all about exploring music, always pushing boundaries.”

Music

The Stunning Strings of Emotion Melody McKiver Delivers Moving Film Score By Michael Charlebois

n the feature film Returning Home, Secwépemc director Sean Stiller tells the story of Canada's history of residential schools using the metaphor of the plight of Pacific wild salmon. The film has received recognition from major film festivals across Canada, and has won awards in documentary categories. Layered behind the emotional picture is a remarkable score recorded by Anishinaabe composer Melody McKiver. McKiver is a working music professional with an undergraduate degree in viola from York University. The sonic mastery of their instrument gives the film a certain level of nuance that makes Returning Home an

artful watch through and through. “We were looking for a certain musical tone where we wanted audiences to be reflective, but still able to draw their conclusions about what they were witnessing,” McKiver says. McKiver, themself an intergenerational survivor of the residential school system, released the work in recognition of the sixth anniversary of the release of the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. “I was proud of the work I put into the musical project, so I wanted to share that in a more accessible manner,” they say. McKiver recorded the bulk of the work in January 2021. The film’s context,

however, took on a new meaning over the summer during a social shift in attitudes towards Canada’s residential school history, and McKiver says they felt compelled to release the project as a standalone product. “I think it’s my way of contributing to the ongoing dialogue where [… ] we weren’t anticipating the increased visibility that Every Child Matters, and the Orange Shirt Day movement has had. I see it as contributing to a community of Indigenous storytellers. It’s definitely a muse in that capacity.” McKiver says the work was emotionally taxing and required a certain amount of give and take due to their

personal affiliation. “There was a certain amount of emotional preparation to take on to cover the subject matter because many of my family members had attended residential schools across Northwestern Ontario,” they say. “It was a challenging subject matter for me to spend that much amount of time with.” Despite the challenges, McKiver says they were inspired by the picture to produce something that would be remembered. As for the music, McKiver says they were given the space to let their artistic vision shine. “The expectation was that my own personality as a musician would come through.”

“It was a challenging subject matter for me to spend that much amount of time with.”

The soundtrack to Returning Home is available on streaming services.

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Music

Rediscovering Great Music TBSO is Back with Live Concerts By Ayano Hodouchi Dempsey

he back and forth of pandemic restrictions hasn’t been easy on the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, but the local ensemble is returning this month at Hilldale Lutheran Church. “We’re making music, however and whenever we can,” says artistic director Paul Haas. The March 11 concert starts off with William Grant Still’s Mother and Child for string orchestra, written in 1943. Born in Mississippi in 1895, Still was an AfroAmerican composer who had “an impressive career for someone who was completely outside the club,” Haas says. Still composed both classical and popular music, including music for films. In 1943, he turned down a lucrative film project because he

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felt the movie propagated degrading racial stereotypes. After that experience, he decided to compose music inspired by contemporary Afro-American artists to showcase the true value and beauty of Afro-American culture. Mother and Child was inspired by a simple and dignified chalk drawing by Sargent Johnson depicting a mother pensively comforting a small child. “It’s a beautiful, beautiful piece,” says Haas. Going deeper than an idealized take on the maternal bond, the “emotionally laden” music encapsulates “all the emotions—the love, the care, the worry, the obsession,” he explains. “It has dark moments in it; it’s very rich in colours and textures, and it really works with the string orchestra.”

Following this piece in the first half is Schubert’s Symphony No.2, an early work by the prolific composer. A product of Schubert’s teenage years, the symphony emulates Beethoven and is full of joyful energy. For the second half, Haas programmed a symphony by another oft-overlooked composer, Louise Ferrenc. Ferrenc was a 19th-century French composer and pianist. She found early success as a performer and started composing for the piano in the 1820s, eventually broadening her output to chamber music, then symphonic works. Another composer who was “outside the club,” Haas says she must have found it difficult to get orchestral works performed.

Ferrenc taught at the Paris Conservatory for 30 years, but for many of those was paid less than her male colleagues. After premiering her Nonet in 1849 to great acclaim, she demanded— and received—equal pay. Haas says programming Ferrenc isn’t a token gesture. Her second symphony “fully occupies the space of the second half of the concert, no apologies needed,” he says. “It’s a phenomenal work. It’s an equal piece to the Schubert. There’s a reason why I’m putting it on the second half and Schubert on the first half. The Ferrenc is the main piece.” “It’s really exciting to be able to do this, and have people wonder, ‘Hey, where has this been?’” he says.

“It has dark moments in it; it’s very rich in colours and textures, and it really works with the string orchestra.”

For details and tickets, visit tbso.ca/events.

Music

Heather Kilborn Flautist, TBSO

TBSO E PROFIL

By Kris Ketonen Born: Montreal Instrument: Flute Age you started to study music: 7 How long have you been with TBSO: Had a one-year position in 2019, returned in October 2021 What’s on personal playlist: Varies, but recently Cake, Ed Sheeran, smooth jazz Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra flautist Heather Kilborn’s career has come full circle. Kilborn was born in Montreal, and moved to Thunder Bay shortly after. When she was five, her family moved to Nipigon. “The TBSO was the orchestra I grew up listening to,” Kilborn says. “I came home from school one day and asked my mom if I could start playing the flute.” “She was like, ‘Well, how the heck did you learn about the flute?’” she says. “So I’m assuming it was one of the outreach concerts that they did, because they travelled, and I must have heard them.” Kilborn started taking flute lessons at age seven, and earned her undergrad at Wilfrid Laurier University, and

her Master’s at Northwestern University in Chicago. The instrument, Kilborn says, “fit well with me, which is kind of funny, because it’s a very beautiful, sort of delicate instrument, and I am very much a bull in a china shop.” And now that she’s back with the TBSO, Kilborn herself is playing in those outreach concerts that first attracted her to symphonic music. In fact, when she first joined the TBSO in 2019, the first concert she played in was in Nipigon. “There were so many people in the audience that I knew growing up, but I haven’t seen for years,” she says. “My old elementary school principal was there, and my bus driver was there.” “I haven’t lived in Nipigon in 25 years, so for them to get to see me doing it professionally and loving it is really great,” she says. “And for me to be able to go back into my community and play and show them that, you know, this is not something you guys are exposed to, but look what you can do with it. This is really fantastic.”

683 Woodcrest Road | 807-767-6900 | www.creekside.ca The Walleye

OfftheWall Reviews

Once Twice Melody

So Happy It Hurts

The most consistent shoegaze band of their generation; Beach House has been delivering the most deliriously dreamy product in music for over 15 years. Once Twice Melody was released in four chapters over the course of the last four months. Thus, when you’re listening in one sitting, you can hear the new injection of sound with each opener, making it their most structurally ambitious project to date. This album doesn’t quite carry the immediate emotional weight of some of their past efforts. At an hour and 24 minutes, the songs can feel like they don’t serve as standalone highlights until you’re prepared to be analytical with your listening experience; a bit of an exhaustive ask. So there’s two ways to enjoy this album: sink into the lyrics, and let the depth of this album hit you like a tidal wave, or let its sweet, sweet melodies coast in the background. Either way, Beach House continues to be the best of the best at what they do.

If you like kickass, guitar-driven rock and roll then you’ll want to check out Bryan Adams’s new album So Happy It Hurts. In fact, there is a song on the album called “Kick Ass.” It’s Adams’s 15th album and this multiaward-winning Canadian rocker shows no signs of slowing down at age 62. So Happy It Hurts is classic Adams. There is a timelessness to his music. “Cuts Like a Knife” or “Summer of ‘69” would feel right at home on this new album. Adams’s vocals and guitar riffs are as good as they were 30 years ago. The production here is top-notch. Listening with headphones, the separation and mix made the songs sparkle. My favourite song, “Never Gonna Rain,” has a killer bass line and backup vocals. The power ballad “You Lift Me Up” also gets a nod. Come this summer, roll down the windows on your truck or car, turn up the volume, and let Bryan Adams take you on a rocking good drive.

Beach House

-Michael Charlebois

Bryan Adams

-Gerald Graham

Laurel Hell

The Sun Is Shining Down

Mitski

John Mayall

Laurel Hell marks Mitski’s first studio album since announcing her indefinite hiatus in 2019, during which the singersongwriter contemplated quitting music altogether. In the album’s opening line, Mitski invites us into this period of existential conflict as she urges the listener to “step carefully into the dark” with her. Though her willingness to grapple with such emotional territory could have easily steered the album into doom and gloom, Mitski filters these issues through the rose-coloured glasses of slick synth-pop beats and grooving disco basslines. And, while some of the tracks, namely “Love Me More” and “Should’ve Been Me,” are infectiously danceable, that in no way cheapens their emotional impact. Instead, it feels as though Mitski is daring us to dance through the pain and panic of our own tumultuous lives. After all, what’s the point of being trapped in a Laurel Hell if you can’t stop to smell the flowers every once in a while.

At 88, John Mayall is in fine form as his distinctive reedy vocals, multi-instrumental prowess, unerring ear for talent, and energizing spirit take centre stage on The Sun Is Shining Down. Long-time rhythm section Greg Rzab (bass) and Jay Davenport (drums) anchor the album’s 10 songs. Guest guitarists exHeartbreaker Mike Campbell, genre-bending phenomenon Marcus King, Americana pillar Buddy Miller, Chicago touchstone Melvin Taylor, and Texas spitfire Carolyn Wonderland play like veteran Bluesbreakers (Mayall’s longtime band). Violin virtuoso Scarlet Rivera and Hawaiian ukulele ace Jake Shimabukuro supply tonal variety. From the opening “Hungry and Ready” playful poke at the downside of life to the closing title track's sentimental statement of gratitude, this is the kind of album that makes people lifelong fans of blues music. The legendary Godfather of British Blues has a sound worth listening to and an attitude worth emulating. -Ken Wright

-Melanie Larson

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The Walleye

Tongues

Tanya Tagaq

After garnering every musical accolade possible, Tanya Tagaq has become entrenched as a Canadian music icon. Despite that, she somehow still manages to surpass expectations with her latest album Tongues. Tagaq began her journey into the avant-garde by incorporating traditional Inuk singing into experimental compositions, creating a buzz with her unique sound. With each of her six albums, it is inspiring how that facet of her music has become less of the face of that sound and more like blood through its veins. Enigmatic and profound, and without arrogance, Tongues truly is musical artistry that evokes emotion with each track. “I Forgive Me” and “Don’t Fear Love” are two tracks in particular that speak to the album’s theme, and the music and poetry truly take the listener down a path, holding Tagaq’s hand as she tells her stories. -Jamie Varga

Maintenance Phase

Audienceology

Maintenance Phase is a beautifully researched storytelling session that blends science and facts with humour, delivered by two really witty hosts. While diet culture—and the health and wellness industry in general—can be daunting at the best of times, Gordon and Hobbes debunk many nutritional misconceptions while maintaining a level of hilarity and snarkiness that keeps things delightfully captivating. From celery juice and chocolate ice cream to sexual health and snake oil, this podcast puts it all out on the table. As an example, one episode talks about how, hundreds of years ago, women would often keep agitated bees inside hollowed gourds as their vibrations and sounds brought forward calmness and relaxation. Maintenance Phase is jam-packed full of fascinating facts and critically engaging conversations and it’s also just downright entertaining as hell.

Product testing has become the standard procedure for almost all new items that come before the buying public. In the movie business, test screenings of films before they are launched is mostly a secretive process. Kevin Goetz, who has worked in the marketing and testing field for more than three decades, has written a book about his life and experiences that reveals some of those secrets. Goetz has a reputation for being the go-to guy for advance movie testing. He and his company have garnered the highest reputation in a highly competitive business. Films today can cost in excess of hundreds of millions of dollars, and producers want some risk assurance before releasing their newborns to the public. Goetz writes about his work behind the scenes that “rescued” such popular films as Thelma and Louise, Cocktail, Clash of the Titans, and many others. He reveals the scoring cards, audience questionnaires, and analysis he uses to help filmmakers make their films better. For his efforts, one highly placed industry executive has branded Goetz as “the doctor of audience-ology.” Goetz writes well, and his narrative is packed with information, industry mogul interviews, and lots of humour. This is a great read. Highly recommended.

Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes

-Andrea Lysenko

Season of the Dead Hours

Kevin Goetz, with Darlene Hayman

Merk

Season of the Dead Hours by Thunder Bay artist Merk is a chilling graphic novel of ancient magic and Celtic myth. A ritual returns the ancient sorcerer Sitchenn from his grave in the peat bogs of Ireland. Now in the modern world, Sitchenn relies on the guidance of a boy named Fionn to find an important artifact. But Sitchenn isn’t the only person returned from the bogs—many other beings rise from them, including the sinister pair of druids, the Janus Magus. Sitchenn and Fionn’s journey is marked by encounters with other creatures of Celtic myth, and like many myths, looks can be deceiving. I enjoyed Merk’s book. It is drawn in stark black and white, which is a great complement to the themes of duality in the book—death and life, past and present, myth and mundanity. The smaller size of the book means that the text can be hard to read at times, but Merk does make interesting use of different fonts in his lettering to denote character. -Ryan Gracey

-Michael Sobota

We are so fortunate to have many talented Woodland artists in our area.

Marcus Powlowski

MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT, THUNDER BAY - RAINY RIVER

marcus.powlowski@parl.gc.ca The Walleye

Architecture

The Andrew Block By Laurie Abthorpe

t the corner of Red River Road and St. Paul Street stands one of Port Arthur’s earlier brick commercial buildings, the Andrew Block. Its original address was 200 Arthur Street (now Red River Road). Construction began in July 1904 for Thomas Nicholas Andrew, on a building which would house the insurance company he founded in 1895, along with his real estate interests. Not only a businessman, Andrew was also an elected official. Hailing from Silver Islet, he is noted as being the first municipal representative born in the local area. The November 23, 1904 edition of the Fort William Daily Times-Journal reported that brickwork for the Andrew Block was to be completed that day, though it would be another three or four months until the interior would be finished. It also went on to say that the building would be “an ornament to the business portion of town [Port Arthur].” Designed by architect

The Walleye

Marshall Benjamin Aylesworth, the Andrew Block features Classical Revival elements. The tall, flat-roofed, brick building was built on a foundation of Vert Island sandstone. Brickwork on the building’s exterior is used to create some of its decorative components, such as the voussoirs above the upper storey windows as well as string courses between the first and second floor and the uppermost storey and the roofline. The parapet crowning the very top of the building is also made of brick. Ornamentation was added through brickwork on the St. Paul Street facing side, while more elaborate work on the building’s front façade included three open sections that originally contained a series of balusters. Stone is also found on the building’s exterior, used for window sills as well as decorative elements. A moulded stone cornice separates the building’s first floor from its second. A second one, further

to the sidewalk, allowing for a lower level window. At three storeys tall, the Andrew Block was spacious enough to accommodate additional commercial ventures beyond Andrew’s alone. Its earliest tenants included the Dominion Express Co. and the C.P.R. Telegraph Office. For several years the building’s third floor served as the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) Hall.

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

The building as it appeared in the 1910s, after the "Andrew Building" sign came off

“An ornament to the business portion of town [Port Arthur].”

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum

enhanced with dentil detailing, separates the third storey from the parapet. The front façade of the first floor, faced entirely in stone, has three pilasters with carved bands across their capitals, dividing this area into two parts—one featuring a large arched window, and the other, the building’s main entrance. The main entry section of the building is flanked by additional pilasters rising to support a moulded shelf above the entranceway, below a transom window. An unfluted Doric column on either side of the entry opening supports the door’s lintel. The large main window, with its semi-elliptical curve and projecting keystone above, is a focal point for the building. Though not highly visible, false radiating voussoirs are carved into the stone, accenting the window’s curve. The window opening itself extends right

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum

Architecture

Andrew Block, circa 1910

Front of the Andrew Block, circa 1977

Thunder Bay Archives 9119-02

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum

Taken in 1943. The structure was called the Insurance Building at the time, and this name is visible above the door

Andrew Block, circa 1977

Judith Monteith-Farrell MPP Thunder Bay—Atikokan

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

March 3–19, 2 pm & 7:30 pm

March 2–5 & 9–12, 7 pm

Salt Baby is a comingof-age story of a young Indigenous woman who is finding her place in the worlds around her. This show contains adult language. Tickets are available by calling the box office. See this month’s Film and Theatre section for more info.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Cambrian Players Theatre

The Cambrian Players troupe is back to live performances with this story about two bickering siblings and the chaos that ensues. This show is intended for audiences aged 14 and up. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

cambrianplayers.com

March 3, 6 pm

One Time Brew Co. Trivia One Time Brew Co.

Chris Barstow hosts this 19+ evening of trivia. Register with your group of friends and win. Registration starts at 6 pm. This is a free event.

onetimebrew.co

March 3, 7–9 pm

Drum Night Social Giinawind Co.

The Giinawind Co. team invites drummers, singers, and spectators to the return of their Drum Night Social. Meet other creatives, musicians, and community members. Tea and coffee will be available.

@giinawind_co

Salt Baby

Magnus Theatre

magnustheatre.com

March 4 & 26, 8 pm

Comedy Nights Port Arthur Royal Canadian Legion Branch 5

Enjoy two evenings of laughs at the Legion with Ron Kanutski and Issu Rautsalainen on March 4, and then again on the 26 with new comedian Brent Edwards. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

portarthurlegion.ca

March 4 & 11, 7–9 pm

Wine & Charcuterie Workshop

Woodside Bar, Goods & Co. Market Sweet & Savoury Grazing Co. is hosting a night of food art. Learn the step-by-step process of building the perfect charcuterie board that can serve 2–4 people. Each ticket includes a disposable bamboo platter, ingredients, and tools along with chocolate-covered strawberries.

@thewoodsidebar

EVENTS GUIDE KEY General Art Food Sports Music March 4 & 5, 3:15 pm & 7:45 pm

Live@Loch Loch Lomond Ski Lounge

End your day on the slopes with the musical stylings of Just Me, a solo guitar act covering songs from the 80s and 90s. This is a free show for all ages.

@gobeyondtheshow

March 5

Sleeping Giant Loppet Sleeping Giant Provincial Park

Are you a ski fanatic? This casual ski event takes place at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, and although there will be no winners (or losers!) skiers can track their time online. Bring your friends and enjoy the views. See this month’s Top Five listing for more information

sleepinggiantloppet.ca

March 5, 12, & 19, 11 am–3 pm

LIVE at Goods & Co.

Goods & Co. Market Downtown Thunder Bay is getting a brand new series of live music performances curated by Go Beyond the Show. Enjoy three Saturdays of musical performances while you shop for your favourite vendors. For more information visit the Go Beyond the Show Instagram page.

@gobeyondtheshow

March 5, 7:30 pm

Live Music at Ungalli

Ungalli Clothing Co. Enjoy an intimate night of music by Danielle Pollari, Ryan MacDonald, and Tennyson King. BYOB: bring your own blanket (and beer) to watch the show. This is a pay-whatyou-can event. Tickets available online.

Various Locations

The City of Thunder Bay wants to help turn your Sundays into FunDays with their winter activities. Show up in your winter gear for ice skating, snowshoeing, and winter craft-making. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

thunderbay.ca

March 5

March 6, 6 pm

I Can Find Peace in Thunder Bay: 21 Day Guided Meditation Virtual

The Sahaja Yoga meditation team and volunteers are hosting a free 21-day meditation workshop to help you remove turmoil and toxicity in your 2022. This is a practice done in more than 108 countries. Join the WhatsApp group so you don’t miss any of the sessions. Recordings are also available.

bhargava.potukuchi@ gmail.com

March 5, 7:30 pm

TBSO Presents: Sisu Celebrating the Finnish Labour Temple Virtual

The TBSO celebrates Finnish composers and remembers the Finnish Labour Temple with an evening of music. This is a streamed event.

tbso.ca

tbaytel.net/homewifi

The The Walleye Walleye

Winter FunDays

ungalli.com

Set the clock to turn off their TikTok

82 2

March 6, 13, & 20

Prioritize bandwidth, limit screen time, block harmful sites, and protect your network, all right from your phone.

Wine & Paint Night

Boulder Bear Climbing Centre Boulder Bear invites you and your friends to an evening of wine sipping and painting. Locally sourced canvas bags are available to paint with your own design and are perfect for everyday use. All materials are included in the registration fee. Please call to save a spot.

286-6633

March 9, 6–9 pm

Goddessite and the Spiritual Centre of the Universe North Mcintyre Recreation Centre

This one-day course will delve into the Goddessite stone. Learn Heart Alignment, participate in a meditative journey, and learn the 56 minerals that make up the Goddessite stone. Tickets are $55 and available online.

northmcintyrereccentre. com

Time Limits None Everyday From

10:00 PM

08:00 AM

Custom

March 11, 7:30 pm

TBSO Presents: Schubert and Farrenc Hilldale Lutheran Church

The Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra is welcoming you in person again for their March concert series. Kicking off the month will be an evening conducted by Evan Mitchell and showcasing the compositions of Franz Schubert and Louise Farrenc. See this month’s Music section for more info.

tbso.ca

March 11 & 12

Live@Loch Loch Lomond Ski Lounge

New talent is hitting the Loch Lounge stage in the name of Richard Veurink. The musician brings soul and his roots to the stage with covers by bands like Collective Soul and Lynyrd Skynyrd. This is a free show open to all ages. See this month’s Music section for more info.

@gobeyondtheshow

March 12, 10 am–1 pm

Expert Bike Mechanic Workshop

Community Spokes This workshop covers intermediate/advanced bike mechanical skills. Learn how to swap a frame, bleed hydraulic brakes, and build a wheel. Space is limited.

kelsey@ecosuperior.org

March 12, noon

St. Patrick’s Day Tea Port Arthur Royal Canadian Legion Branch 5

The Ladies Auxiliary of The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 5 present their St. Patrick’s Day Tea. Enjoy an afternoon of socialising and refreshments at the legion. Advance tickets only available by phone or at the clubroom.

portarthurlegion.ca

TBSO Presents: Mozart and Mendelssohn Hilldale Lutheran Church

This evening features three of the world’s greatest composers, as well as a solo piece by the TBSO’s own Kristy Tucker. Hear famous pieces by Mozart, Felix Mendelssohn, and Jim McGrath. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

tbso.ca

March 17, 3 pm

St. Patrick’s Day Bash Port Arthur Legion Branch 5 (Club Room)

Get in the lucky spirit with Irish stew, Celtic music, and green beer. This is a free event. Open til the bar closes.

portarthurlegion.ca

March 17, 10 pm

St. Patrick’s Karaoke Party The Westfort

Sing the night away at The Westfort. There will be green beer, Irish whiskey, and prizes. There is no cover to attend. DJ Low will be playing hits all night to get you dancing. This is a 19-plus event.

@thewestfort

March 18, 7:30 pm

March 18 & 19, 7–10pm

Gala Opening: Expressionism Definitely Superior Art Gallery

Join the DefSup team for the opening of their newest exhibit, Expressionism. Artists Patrick Doyle, Damen Chase Scott, and Sofles each give their approach to expression through abstract paintings and media. Live music and refreshments will be available. Please pre-register to attend. Admission is by donation and all ages are welcome. The exhibit runs until April 16.

definitelysuperior.com

March 19, 8–11 pm

Our Tyme

Port Arthur Legion Branch 5 (Club Room) Enjoy an evening of country, folk, and pop covers by Our Tyme. The band will also be playing original music. Tickets are $5 at the door.

portarthurlegion.ca

March 19, 10 pm

Felix Cartal NV Music Hall

NV Music Hall is excited to open its doors for this St. Paddy’s Day-themed concert. Canadian DJ Felix Cartal is hosting the evening to keep you dancing. Tickets are available online. This is a 19+ event.

nvmusichall.com

Until March 20

Ziibaaska’Iganagooday: The Jingle Dress

Co.Lab Gallery & Arts Centre If you haven’t seen Christian Chapman’s exhibit located inside Goods & Co. there is still time. Chapman is of AnishInaabe heritage from Fort William First Nation and is an artist renowned for his storytelling. This exhibit showcases femaleidentifying Indigenous community members dressed in their jingle dresses.

@co.labgallery

March 23–26 & March 30–April 2, 7:30 pm

Badanai Theatre Presents: Addams Family Paramount Theatre

March 25, 7:30 pm

TBSO Presents: Stravinsky and Beethoven Hilldale Lutheran Church

Chris Stork is bringing his talent on the violin back to the stage in this evening of classical sounds. Conducted by Paul Haas, this show features string pieces by Beethoven, Igor Stravinsky, and Vasks. See this month’s Top FIve for more info.

tbso.ca

March 26, 8 pm

March 26, 6–10 pm

Until March 27

Co.Lab Gallery & Arts Centre

Thunder Bay Museum

Panarchy Exhibit Bianca Gascoigne will be showcasing the visual framework of nature’s rules. Within 9–10 canvases, Gascoigne depicts growth, conservation, release, and reorganization in her abstract styling. There’s even a hidden image in the paintings the artist encourages you to find. Refreshments will be available. See this month’s Art section for more info.

SGFMS Presents: The Andrew Collins Trio

@co.labgallery

The Sleeping Giant Folk Music Society presents the Canadian acoustic/roots group, Andrew Collins Trio. They are hitting the Polish Hall stage for one night only. Listen to their diverse musical skills both instrumentally and vocally. Collins is joined by Mike Mezzatesta and James McEleney, each with their own unique sounds. This is a 19+ event. See this month’s Music section for more info.

Skateboarder and “hip hop devotee” Geoff Reich, a. k. a. Stylust, is bringing his creative fusion of rap hooks and heavy bass to Thunder Bay. The DJ/producer puts his own spin on electronic music. This is a 19+ event. Featured guests include WurlWind. Tickets are available online.

Polish Hall

March 26, 10 pm

ATMOS presents Stylust Atmos

atmostbay.ca

sleepinggiant.ca

Threads of Hope More than 50 quilted pieces are travelling together in this Threads of Hope exhibit. Located on the third floor of the museum, each piece depicts imagery of hope and a desire for the future. Curated by the Fibre Art Network of Western Canada, the exhibit flows from one piece to the next with a single thread. See this month’s Art section for more info.

thunderbaymuseum.com

March 31–April 2

Eleanor Drury Children’s Theatre Presents: Wilde Tales Paramount Theatre

The Eleanor Drury Children’s Theatre is back with their first onstage performance of Wilde Tales, a collection of stories based on Oscar Wilde’s stories. Share in an evening of love, laughter, and loss in this jampacked production. This show is best for 10–18 year olds and performed by youth.

@edctheatre

Badanai Theatre is bringing ghosts and groove to the Paramount Theatre with their production of Addams Family, the comedy musical. A perfect show for the whole family with songs everyone will love. See this month’s Film and Theatre section for more info.

facebook.com/ badanaitheatre

"If your compassion does not include yourself, it's incomplete." - Jack Kornfield

Mindful Self-Compassion Group 8-week, in-person training with Monique Mercier + Dr. Bryan MacLeod

TUESDAYS @ 6-830PM APR 5 - MAY 24, 2022 $450 TO REGISTER CALL: 807-623-3607 OR EMAIL: INFO@KINDFULPSYCH.COM THEWALLEYE.CA/SUBSCRIBE 807-344-3366

The Walleye Walleye The

83 3

Music

LU RADIO’S MONTHLY TOP 1 OMBIIGIZI

Sewn Back Together

Arts & Crafts

10 Big Thief

Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You

19 PUP*

THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND

CILU 102.7fm’s Monthly Charts for this issue reflect airplay for the month ending February 15, 2022. Check out our weekly charts online at luradio.ca and tune in to the Top 20 Countdown, Mondays from 7-9 am, or catch one of the rebroadcasts throughout the week! Keep it locked on 102.7 FM, online streaming at luradio.ca.

26 Toro y Moi MAHAL

Dead Oceans

Rise

4AD

11 KC Westfort*

The Shuniah E.P.

Self-Released

12 Azar Lawrence New Sky

Trazar

2 Elder & Kadavar

ELDOVAR: A Story of Darkness & Light

Robotor

3 Ryan McCulloch* The State of the Union

13 Polemics

The Sesh - EP

Beatbuzz

14 Parquet Courts

Sympathy For Life

Rough Trade

Zen F.C./Interscope

1311074 Records DK

23 Sea of Lettuce*

5 Teen Mortgage Smoked - EP

RIDE

15 NicFit Fuse

Perpetual Doom

The Walleye

29 Guerilla Toss

Famously Alive

Sub Pop

Modern Fiction

Carpark

30 The Heavyweights Brass Band* Stir Crazy

Thirteen Moons

Slammin Media

Blew//Rose

18 Alien Nosejob Paint It Clear

Feel It

25 John Dwyer Gong Splat

Castle Face

84 4

Perpetual Doom

24 Ducks Ltd.*

Good Morning

17 Did You Die*

On the Floor - EP

All the Same

16 Uh Oh

8 Kontact*

9 Max Bien Kahn

28 Max and the Martians

Upset The Rhythm

Self-Released

Temple of Mystery

The Pugilist

Dig-It

Sea of Lettuce

Mothland

First Contact

27 The BBB Featuring Bernie Dresel

Sun/Moon - EP

King Pizza

7 Hot Garbage*

Cobra Poems

The Overload

Little Oil

Exploding In Sound

21 Daniel Romano* 22 Yard Act

4 Little Oil

Buds

Heart EP

diy

You’ve Changed

Choose

6 Ovlov

20 Rewind Rewind

* Indicates Canadian Content

Advertising Feature

NWO Innovation Centre BTIF Project Rent Panda

development section of the program and were able to not only update their online front but also expand into southern Ontario. “The funding allowed us to professionalize the tools we had already implemented. Tools like standardizing applications and a viewing schedule, which are simple in theory, have become our biggest time savers,” explains Richard. By implementing these resources online, tenants can fill out an application that is accessible to the landlords they choose and only visit the properties they feel they are best matched with. “Especially during COVID, you don’t want 20 applicants entering your home. And you don’t want to visit 20 homes. We narrow down the top matches in order to get people housed, which at the end of the day, is the service,” says the duo. Brothers Richard and Hart Togman started their housing search as young tenants in 2016. During their hunt for housing, they identified a lack of professional rental services that benefited both the tenant and the landlord, and so RentPanda was created in 2017 with the goal of connecting the two parties and simplifying the rental process. Now, five years later, they hold over 75% of the Thunder Bay rental market share. “There is traditionally a lot of animosity between landlords

and tenants. When we came along as the first professional platform in town, everyone reacted positively,” says Richard. The platform aims to reduce scams, verify properties and any issues they may have, and protect tenants and landlords. In 2021 the duo began an angel round of investment to expand the enterprise and programs like the Business Technology Improvement Fund allowed them to do so. As the website is the main source of contact, the team applied to the web

Although applying for business funding can at times take months to process, the Togmans describe their experience with the Innovation Centre as

“fantastic and efficient.” The Innovation Centre team kept the pair updated on timelines and funding dates for them to plan accordingly. The Innovation Centre was able to structure their application package and maximize results while minimizing the workload associated with applying for the funding. The quick approval timeline also enabled them to focus on the tools they needed instead of the application process. “It’s helpful to have a person to speak with instead of just a name on an email. I recommend it to everyone I know, even if they are simply thinking about starting their own business,” says Hart Togman. The BTIF program aims to increase innovation and efficiency in the day-to-day operations of businesses through advancements in software, hardware, and data management. For information on applying, please visit nwoinnovation.ca/btif.

The Walleye

TattooedYou

 (L–R) Kenneth Parker and Dan Herneshuhta  A group shot of Thunder Bay people at the Shambhala Music Festival

The Walleye

Dan Herneshuhta’s Coho Salmon

Story by Leah Morningstar, Photos provided by Dan Herneshuhta Artist: Paul Bennett of Central Body Art very summer for the last decade, Dan Herneshuhta has been meeting up with a big group of friends in British Columbia. to attend the Shambhala Music Festival. It’s a week of camping, being with friends, enjoying life, dancing to electronic music, and being open to new and beautiful experiences. Herneshuhta is a re g i s t e re d n u r s e a n d volunteers some of his time as a harm reduction outreach worker at the festival, so his time there is always divided between work and play. During his time volunteering at Shambala, Herneshuhta has had the opportunity to meet a lot of other volunteers. One volunteer in particular, Kenneth Parker, became a very good friend. Parker worked on site as a

medic and was always at the festival. Tragically and unexpectedly, Parker passed away in the summer of 2020. This tattoo is a tribute to Parker and the wonderful time they spent working together and enjoying nature and music. The mountains on the body of the fish are the Kootenay Mountains in B.C. The sun nestled in the mountains is the logo of the Shambala Festival. Due to the pandemic, it’s been a couple years since Herneshuhta has been able to travel out to B.C. But for now, this tattoo, a permanent part of his forearm, is a wonderful daily reminder about a good friend, good times, good music, and good people. One day, hopefully this year, Herneshuhta will get out west again, and he can’t wait.

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Health colon cancer.” The iron in the red blood cells of red meat (beef, pork, and lamb) may promote the formation of potentially carcinogenic (cancercausing) compounds. Cooking red meat at a high temperature can also result in the release of potentially carcinogenic compounds. Processed meats (deli meat, hot dogs, sausages, etc.) often contain additives like sodium, nitrates, and phosphates that can be harmful. Limiting these foods will lessen the potential impact of these carcinogens and additives. There is no one food that will prevent colon cancer, but having a healthy diet and following other prevention guidelines, like routine cancer screening, can help keep you healthy and decrease your risk of colon cancer.

What Can I Eat to Prevent Colon Cancer? By Caitlund Davidson, Health Promotion and Communications Planner, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

olon cancer is the third most common form of cancer diagnosed in Ontario. It is also the third most common cause of cancer death among Ontario men and women. Although it can occur in young adults and teenagers, the majority of colon cancer cases happen in individuals over 50 years of age. Individuals with a family history of colon cancer (a parent, brother, sister, or child) are also at increased risk for developing colon cancer. While we cannot stop the aging process or change our family history, there are many other lifestyle behaviours we can incorporate at any age to help lower our risk of colon cancer. These

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lifestyle behaviours are called modifiable risk factors and include being physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, living smoke-free, and avoiding or reducing alcohol use. What we eat can also play an important role in colon cancer prevention. Holly Freill, a registered dietitian at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences C e n t re , s h a re s s o m e nutrition tips to help lower your risk of colon cancer. “When choosing your meals, think about including leafy greens and non-starchy vegetables, whole wheat, lentils, and dairy products (not cheese),” she says. “These have all been associated with reducing your colon cancer risk.” Research has shown

that high (compared to low) intake of vegetables and fruit is associated with a small reduced risk of colon cancer. So how do we include more fruit and vegetables into our diet? “ C a n a d a ’s F o o d Guide (CFG) does well to demonstrate and emphasize the plant-based foods and leafy greens responsible for protecting the colon. When we follow the CFG’s plate method, which ensures there is a fruit or vegetable with every meal and snack, we know we will be eating the recommended amount of produce in a day.” Not only do fruits and vegetables contain the necessary vitamins and minerals we need, they are high in fibre. Fibre helps

keep the colon healthy by speeding up the removal of stool. “Increasing our fibre intake from fruits and vegetables, as well as from whole grains, has health benefits that extend beyond colon cancer protection,” explains Freill. “Weight status, digestive health, and blood sugar control may all improve as our intake of plant based foods increases.” Filling our plates with salad or steamed vegetables also displaces other foods, including meat. “There are some foods that you will want to avoid or limit,” shares Freill. “This includes red meat and processed meats, as there is evidence that consuming these foods can increase your risk of

“Increasing our fibre intake from fruits and vegetables, as well as from whole grains, has health benefits that extend beyond colon cancer protection.”

March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month. Learn more about your personal risk for colon cancer and how you can prevent colon cancer by visiting mycanceriq.ca.

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March Entrepreneur of the Month

Deena Kruger, Artist and Founder of The Creative

Meet Deena Kruger, the founder and CEO of The Creative Company Ltd. Kruger has always believed in living her passions, whether she is taking time to create or working on building a legacy that supports artists and inspires people all over the country. She always puts her full heart and soul into her work and her team. Just like the birch trees found in her signature paintings that stand tall, strong, and forever growing, she is always evolving, learning, and striving to create a company that serves many in a positive way. When it comes to her personal artwork, she considers living in Northwestern Ontario to be a gift, with each season bringing beauty in its own way. Some of her most treasured time is spent camping, travelling, and exploring Lake Superior with her husband Jeff. In 2017, Kruger was able to bring her passion of painting into the business world, and founded The Creative with two other artists. In 2018, one of the other founders decided to go on their own path, but Kruger and Steve Gerow still continued on. In the early days, Kruger and Gerow focused on building the perfect in-person customer experience. Kruger was

teaching classes, and as popularity grew, the focus became events and fundraisers. Then COVID-19 hit. Kruger and Gerow immediately had to look for new ways to provide creative experiences, and started selling at-home paint kits. This was a huge game-changer for the business. With continued growth and success, The Creative has moved to a new location, 1134 Roland Street. The new space allows the business to be a studio, gallery and gift shop all in one. Providing creative experiences is at the forefront of the business, and Kruger is able to achieve this through thousands of take-home products and Zoom opportunities, which has helped to create and build relationships across the country. 1. What drew you to entrepreneurship? I’ve always felt a pull to chart my own path. Maybe it’s the dreamer in me. I’m also drawn to a challenge, and get excited when opportunities present themselves in interesting or unexpected ways. My mind is always thinking about all the possibilities, and playing out scenarios of what they could look like 5–10 years from now if we took action today. The creative side in me also loves the

innovation behind entrepreneurship, and seeing something come to life from an idea to reality is true magic for me. As an entrepreneur, you are constantly living and breathing highs and lows. Every day is different and the potential for growth in all areas of your life is tested regularly. The people you meet along the way and the lives you have the opportunity to positively impact is so rewarding. Entrepreneurship checks all the above for me and so much more, I honestly can’t imagine doing anything else. 2. What is your most memorable moment being an entrepreneur? This is a hard one. There have been so many amazing (and challenging) moments along my journey so far. I will have to go with a recent game-changing moment I just experienced a few days before writing this. A big goal of mine has been to get our products carried by Indigo across the country, but there are so many steps between that idea and the reality of what that would truly look like for us. For months my team and I worked on a catalogue we felt represented us in the best way possible. I’m proud to say that after countless proofing and design changes along the way, on February 8, 2022 we

emailed it in. I will never forget looking through the catalogue for the last time, saying “I think we are finally ready,” and hitting that send button. 3. Who was your biggest inspiration/mentor? Honesty, I can’t pinpoint just one. I have always been one to seek out multiple mentors, and follow people who I admire in business, whether locally or globally. Doing this has allowed me to pick up all kinds of great information, make amazing friendships, and gain new perspectives. However, I do remember watching Dragons’ Den in my early 20s and telling Jeff (my husband) that I wanted to be just like Arlene when I grew up. My 5–10 year plan from now is to be able to invest in small business start-ups and provide creative sponsorships through our company. 4. If you could go back in time what piece of advice would you give yourself? Listen to your heart and start sooner. For years I held back from pursuing my art seriously because I lacked formal training. The day I decided I was going to just put myself and my work out there anyway changed my life.

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Green

What’s Wrong With My Houseplant?

t Let’s Gewith g Growindy He

By Hedy Koski

hen you’re a plant parent, you probably asked yourself what’s wrong with your plant many times.

You may have searched the internet for a quick answer—I know I have. What I want you to know is each problem has many possible causes for your plant’s suffering. You will need to become Sherlock. So let the investigation begin….

WATERING Only the one who does the watering can rule this out. Be honest, did you forget that a couple of weeks ago you let your plant sit in water too long? There are some diva-like plants out there with tricky water requirements— tap, filtered, distilled, dechlorinated, rainwater, warm, cold—and good on ya if you are parenting the difficult ones.

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LIGHTING Every plant has its lighting requirements, and yours could be getting too little, or too much.

BUGS! Some of those little sapsuckers will ruin your day. But with a little persistence, you will overcome and show them the power of a parent’s protection of their babies.

DISEASES Plant diseases can be bacterial, fungal, and viral. Remember most diseases thrive and spread in moist locations. HUMIDITY For most houseplants, 40%–60% humidity is ideal, but most homes are typically between 30%–40% humidity (less in the winter). TEMPERATURE Is your plant sitting in front of a heat register or near a cold draft from a window or door?

FERTILIZING Have you fertilized correctly (or at all)? CATS Yeah, they can use it as a litter box. It happened to me, and I lost a 22-year-old jade plant. ROOTS One true way to know if your plant is root-bound is by looking at the root ball. If all you see is roots, well, that’s root-bound. AGED FOLIAGE Older leaves may fall as part of a natural process.

Plants don’t just start dying for no reason, and these are just a few things to take into consideration when trying to diagnose. If you need help, you can ask another plant parent, plant groups online, or a professional. One great resource is the Thunder Bay & District Master Gardeners. They will welcome any of your questions, and can be reached through their Facebook page @MasterGardenersThunderBay or their website, tbmastergardeners.homesteadcloud.com.

When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. -Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes.

Free the Girls for International Women’s Day

Green

By Jesse Hamilton, Program Coordinator, EcoSuperior

nternational Women’s Day symbolizes the hopes and dreams of women, recognizes their many strengths and achievements, and raises awareness about equality. On March 8, millions of people across the globe celebrate this day. This celebration started over 100 years ago, with women marching in the streets demanding better working conditions and standing up for equal rights. In honour of International Women’s Day, EcoSuperior is doing a community drive to gather gently used or new bras. These bras are for Free the Girls, a nonprofit organization that takes everyday items we no longer use to make a difference in the lives of others. Since its start in 2011, Free the Girls has collected over 1.4 million bras globally, and this year, Thunder Bay will join the project. It may not seem like much, but the bras sitting in the back of your drawer not being used can do a world of good for a woman in another part of the world. Bras collected through Free the Girls are sent to victims of human trafficking in countries like El Salvador and Mozambique, where the women can use them to start their own businesses selling the bras in local markets, providing an economic opportunity and a chance to change lives. This form of upcycling also contributes to a circular economy and keeps used bras from ending up in landfills. Through the Free the Girls Project, 230,000 pounds of bras have been given to women who can use them as income instead of having them end up as waste. Something simple can

be the sustainable vehicle to freedom and hope. For the entire month of March, there will be a bra collection station available outside the back door of EcoSuperior’s office. Give new life to the bras you never use by donating them to Free the Girls. You may never meet the women you help, but your donation can help them start a new life by providing economic independence and a source of stable and safe income. Let’s support and uplift each other by celebrating International Women’s Day through the act of giving and re-using to benefit others. To all the women out there, we say BRAvo!

“You may never meet the women you help, but your donation can help them start a new life by providing economic independence and a source of stable and safe income.” Visit freethegirls.org or ecosuperior.org for more information.

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TheWall

whined, and opined about for years and ground has finally broken on that project, which is welcome news. However, that is one small piece of the puzzle. In fact, the stretch east of Vermillion Bay to Thunder Bay is often subject to more delays from accidents than the cottage country route of Winnipeg to Kenora. Real action must be taken to ensure drivers can take to the roads safely to access vital services. One option is to adopt a 2+1 highway system, which is widely used in Europe. It essentially is a three-lane highway with longer passing lanes, which could help improve safety and faster driving times. The rugged landscape of the Canadian Shield is not ideal to be carving up completely with twinning, so perhaps a 2+1 system is a way to save some coin. The people of Northwestern Ontario deserve better, and instead of having no other option other than dealing with the treacherous highways currently in place.

Big Bad Roads Editorial by Ryan Stelter

“N

orthwestern Ontario’s highways are a national embarrassment and something has to change!” Now, if only you had a dollar for every time you’ve heard that said within the pages of a newspaper or magazine, or during a television segment, you’d probably have enough to rebuild the Trans-Canada Highway from Thunder Bay to Kenora from scratch. In Northwestern Ontario, highways are lifelines. They’re how we deliver supplies to remote communities, access medical appointments, and attend hockey tournaments. Northerners understand this perhaps more than those in southern Ontario who traverse the 401 at blistering speeds to get to their cushy office jobs

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in downtown Toronto. This is not meant to sow more seeds of dissent between those in southern and northern Ontario, but it is frustrating to see money being poured into the highway systems in the Greater Toronto Area and not to fix the atrocious highways in the north. Northern Ontario is travelled by thousands of truckers each month delivering supplies to the rest of Canada. Highways 17 and 11 are a vital link between eastern and western Canada. In fact, they’re the only link. A 2013 report from the Ministry of Transportation showed that in that year, 53,800 trucks travelled on norther n Ontario highways, carrying $1.24 billion in commodities. It can be safely assumed that traffic volumes have

increased due to travel restrictions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. More could be done to get proper training for truck drivers—especially in northern Ontario—but with the industry now facing a shortage of drivers, most companies are anxious to get people on the road as quickly as possible. When that stretch of highway between Kenora and Thunder Bay gets shut down due to inclement weather or accidents, it blocks off the main artery going through Canada. It’s embarrassing, really. All one has to do is Google “Highway 17 accident” and dozens upon dozens of results show up. A 2018 annual report from MTO—the most recent that actually breaks down accidents by region— shows there were 3,615

collisions in the Thunder Bay district, resulting in 14 fatalities and 678 people injured. In the Kenora district, there were 882 collisions resulting in seven people losing their lives and 106 getting injured. The interesting thing about those statistics is how many of those collisions happened on provincial highways, with 430 of those in Kenora and 1,485 in Thunder Bay. It’s no secret that everyone within the region uses highways each and every day to work and play. Canadians have no business gloating about the mighty Trans-Canada Highway when most of it cutting through northern Ontario is a paved logging road. The stretch of Highway 17 between the Manitoba border and Kenora has been talked,

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MarchHoroscopes Aries

(March 21–April 19) Aries likes to be the first at everything, so it makes sense that the St. Paddy’s Day planning has been on your mind for a few weeks now. Always the social butterfly, you find yourself perusing dollar stores in search of the most leprechauny décor. No one even drinks green beer anymore, except for you, Aries. You Rams are just “ram-ping” up for your birthday celebrations! Late March fiery folk are ready to celebrate their solar returns in style. It can’t be all fun and games though—make sure you include a bit of quiet time to balance the socializing. The new moon on the 2nd makes for a good time to rest.

Taurus

(April 20–May 20) Luck is on your side this month, Taurus! Now is the time to dream big and bold. Interactions are favourable and your personal power is on high. The 14th is Pi Day, so why not get into the kitchen and roll out some pie dough? The hearth is the central focus of any home, and when you don that apron it’s easy to find yourself in a soothing state of bliss. Whether you opt for apple, cherry, or pecan, delight those under your roof with a bite of homemade goodness. The positive effects will linger all month long, and may even entice others to try out their own cooking skills.

Gemini

(May 21–June 20) You’ve been feeling like you’ve been tested lately, haven’t you Gemini? You Twins have been going through it all lately. Taking time to journal can be helpful, or talking to a trusted advisor or friend can work wonders. There is a light at the end of the

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By Sunny Disposish

tunnel, however. Family is willing to step up and lend a hand. Don’t be too proud to say yes! Spend some time in nature as more seasonal temperatures arise and signs of spring can be spotted. Tune into your creative side. Whether it’s taking a few photos or doing some crafting, these hobbies will light you up from the inside out.

Cancer

(June 21–July 22) Nurturing Cancer can get a little overextended sometimes. Who cares for the caregiver? You are so busy ministering to others that sometimes your own needs are overlooked. Plan a spa day alone or with friends. The spring equinox has you feeling fresh and new and doing a bit of spring cleaning. There’s a little more pep in your step when the harsh winter starts to recede. Stock up on supplies and really give your home base a good going over. If there are any little ones under your roof, they’ll be more than happy to “help” too. Curl up with a good book.

Leo

(July 23–August 22) There’s nothing a Leo likes more than a party, and a small St. Paddy’s Day celebration might be the ticket to perk up your month. If green beer brings you joy, then go ahead and free up space in your busy calendar. It’s all the small things, and heaven knows Lions enjoy a bit of the luck o’ the Irish at times. Being the centre of attention is a must for proud Leos, and that’s not a bad thing. You are sharing your gifts with others, so go ahead and be your engaging self by drawing others into your circle. Your heart is big and there’s room for everybody. A new venture that you invested in earlier this month pays off.

Virgo

(August 23– September 22) The full moon in your sign on the 18th has you Virgos amped right up. Also referred to as the “Storm Moon,” it may have you—or those close to you—experiencing some stormy moments at this time. Welcome these stormy moments, as that’s when change happens.There may be a change of venue on your horizon—whether it be a new residence, or a new view at work, there’s a shift coming in your home and hearth. Fill a jar with water and place it under the moon’s bright light, then drink it down in the morning. You’ll feel refreshed and recharged! Furry friends figure prominently. Man’s best friend indeed!

Libra

(September 23– October 22) Libras have been thinking entrepreneurial thoughts for some time. It’s time to bust out of your comfort zone and live your dream! This airy sign would do well at a side hustle, and that niggling feeling you’ve been experiencing is your intuition telling you you’re on the right track. Do the research and legwork and you could find yourself being a business owner. It’s never too late to make a fresh start, and your friendly and sincere nature will draw others to you like bees to honey. No need to wait for the “right” time— the time is now. Strike while the iron is hot. An inspiring podcast spurs you on.

Scorpio

(October 23– November 21) The day of the week associated with your sign is Tuesday, so it’s no surprise you may feel a draw towards Mardi Gras on the first of the month. Also known as Fat Tuesday, it reflects the practice of the eating

of rich, fatty foods before Lent. This may be a good time to examine your health and well-being, and perhaps some adjustments or modifications need to be made. Stay true to any resolutions you may have made a few months ago and remember your “why.” However, intense Scorpions still like the odd indulgence, so why not try Chilli Point and give your taste buds a treat? Try something new!

Sagittarius

(November 22– December 21) The spring equinox on the 20th has Archers all a-flutter. Also referred to as Ostara, this glorious day falls directly between the end of winter and the high point of summer. Sure, active Archers love snowshoeing, skiing, and snowmobiling, but this is not to say the awakening is not welcome! This is a wonderful time to look at the things you have been working on, acknowledge the progress you’ve made, and reflect on what you want to grow in your life. Set intentions and watch them blossom as you move through spring. A little spring cleaning will leave this fire sign feeling refreshed and invigorated.

Capricorn

(December 22– January 19) This earthy sign has been hibernating. Winter months will do that to a Goat, but it might be time to test the waters. Digging your heels in will only keep you stuck. Take small steps into the world if you have to, but your light is too bright to keep yourself in the house. Start with what you are comfortable with. Small steps over time equal big results. Physical fitness plays a large part in your well-being, so make time for some positive body movement as a part of your regular routine. If you’ve already got a bit

of practice going, know that your dedication has a positive effect on others. You’re a role model!

Aquarius

(January 20– February 18) Two planets swing into your sign on the 6th: Mars, with its fiery energy, and Venus, with its loving vibes. The effects can last all month long, so do not waste this transformative time! Take spring cleaning to the max, and give some thought to those spring and summer seedlings. Plants always bring a refreshing energy to you, so do indulge your green thumb. Romance is front and centre, so time to plan a date night with the one you love. Take the lead and perhaps plan a lovely surprise. Expect to take some great leaps in the relationship department as you realize what’s most important in life. International Women’s Day on the 8th finds you in a contemplative state. Be still.

Pisces

(February 19– March 20) It’s Pisces season, and the end of the astrological calendar. Many of you may be celebrating a birthday this month, and with that comes a bit of the party feels and joie de vivre. The winter doldrums may have gotten to you lately, but that’s ok—fish are resilient creatures, and Fish folk are bound to perk up as long as cake is a part of things. Why not host your own special day celebration? That way you still have full creative control but can enjoy some pampering at the same time. You may get a special surprise from a loved one. Spend some time by the water, as this is a great practice for clearing your mind and getting close to nature. A social media break is a good idea this month— take some time to unplug.

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A FREE Virtual Improv Comedy Event hosted by AETS in partnership with Indigenous Works & Magnus Theatre.

Inspiring laughs, to inspire change. THURSDAY MARCH 24, 2022 VIA ZOOM 1:00 PM- 2:30 PM

’S NEPHEWS! TO

Featuring

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nization is a rg o r u o y re Explore whe m through u u n ti n o C n sio on the Inclu medy skits. o c d e iz m to cus

Be part of the ac ts, join in the fun or just sit back and le arn all about Indige no us Workplace Inclus ion.

ry imenta l p m o C l unch ) pickup or cu eliver y

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A r t, enous ll g i d n I r o le to a availab pants partici

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Learn more and register by March 21st at aets.org

TheBeat

Untitled By Susie Q

Run, run faster Jump, jump into bushes Shh shh don’t move breathe shallow into Mother Earth Oh no here he comes Raging like a fierce thunderstorm Striking as fast as lightning Duck, weave duck again Oh Lord not fast enough Falling like a giant tree snapped in half Hitting the ground Hard He stomps on me as if he’s putting out a fire Sshhh ssshhh don’t make a sound just play possum Nature at its finest Play dead girl Play dead No sound no move, lie silent As he frantically kicks at me seeing if I’m alive No breathing allowed Be still be silent Mercy be with me

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TheEye

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A Northern Barred Owl made a home for itself on the photographer’s front deck in Kaministiquia for four days, hunting for mice and rodents while diving into the snow near their bird feeder. -Photo by Damon Dowbak

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