FILM FREE ARTS Vol. 10 No. 3 MUSIC MARCH FOOD 2019 CULTURE thewalleye.ca
Comfort Food The Dumpling Issue
SOMETHIN’ FOR YOUR DUMPLIN 20
BUTTERFLY AND FLOWER 30
A NEW WAY FORWARD 49
SONGS FOR THE SOUL 66
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Contents
walleye the
FEATURES
■ 8
Thunder Bay’s arts & culture alternative
■ 13 ■ 14 ■ 15
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
FOOD
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Art Directors Steve Coghill, R.G.D., Dave Koski, R.G.D. production@thewalleye.ca
Dumplin'
FILM&THEATRE
Clash of Cultures ■ 24 Kitchen and Dumpling Movies
THE ARTS
47
■ 26 Martin King ■ 29 Made by Meag ■ 30 Butterfly and Flower ■ 32 RiVAL Workshop
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ARCHITECTURE
■ 78 The Former Polish Hall HEALTH
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■ 86 When Has Spring Sprung? GREEN
■ 87 Garden Planning Season
is Upon Us
■ 17 Drink of the Month ■ 46 Stuff We Like ■ 54 This is Thunder Bay ■ 76 Off the Wall Reviews ■ 82 Tbaytel March EVENTS ■ 84 Music EVENTS ■ 85 LU Radio's Monthly Top 20 ■ 88 The Wall ■ 89 The Beat ■ 90 The Eye
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CITYSCENE
■ 34 Passion and Purpose
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■ 57 Craig Cardiff ■ 58 The Summertime
in a Nutshell ■ 81 Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program
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Reproduction of any article, photograph or artwork without written permission is strictly forbidden. Views expressed herein are those of the author exclusively.
■ 16 Les Grand-pères ■ 19 They All Can’t Be Perfect ■ 20 Somethin’ For Your ■ 23 A Wonderful
Marketing & Sales Manager Martina Benvegnu sales@thewalleye.ca Photographers Patrick Chondon, Bill Gross, Scott Hobbs, Chad Kirvan, Dave Koski, Kay Lee, Shannon Lepere, Marty Mascarin, Darren McChristie, Laura Paxton
CoverStory: Comfort Food Built on Perogies All Roads Lead to Pierogi The Perogy Grid
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4 Balsam St. (by George’s Market)
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The Humble Dumpling
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s far back as I can remember, perogies have been the ultimate comfort food for me. With two sets of Ukrainian grandparents, the dumpling is practically in my DNA. Growing up, my babusyas and my mom would form an assembly line to make varenyky in a flour-dusted kitchen while large pots of potatoes bubbled on the stove. My mom even made thousands of handmade perogies as a fundraiser to send my sister’s high school band to Vancouver for a national competition. But while doing research for this issue, we discovered this comfort food goes beyond Slavic countries, and almost every country has a variation of the dumpling. From gyoza to dim sum to gnocchi, in our cover story we’ve reviewed 13 varieties of dumplings from restaurants around the city. Also in our cover story, Olivia Canuel visits St. Mary’s Our Lady Queen of Poland Church to talk to the volunteers who have made approximately 35 million dumplings, Alex Frankow digs deep into origins of the word perogy, and whether you call them
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pirogi, pirohy, pyrohy, pedeha, or varenyky, we fill you in on which halls, churches, and Legions hand-make the delicious dumplings. Following our theme, Chef Rachel Globensky serves up something sweet, film columnist Michael Sobota shares his favourite films involving the food, and sommelier Jeannie Dubois pairs up dumplings from around the globe with the perfect drink. Also in this issue, Justin Allec chats with the legendary musician Randy Bachman about his upcoming concert, Kim Latimer stops by Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School to get the scoop on the Wake the Giant program, and Ayano Hodouchi Dempsey provides a sneak peek at Magnus Theatre’s production Buying the Farm. To paraphrase Maria Polushkin from her book, The Dumpling Cookbook, like a good actor a dumpling can fill many roles. We hope the food in this issue brings you some comfort—something that’s perfect as we welcome spring this month. - Adrian Lysenko
Featured Contributor Susan Pretty Susan has been a contributor for The Walleye for about six years now. When she’s not helping us out with our foodie articles, she can be found in her kitchen experimenting with keto recipes and cursing her cast-iron pan. An avid reader, she chose to balance that with a beginner’s running club and has since signed up for three races this year. Her hobbies include quoting from the Baroness von Sketch Show and dealing with her nine-year-old giant schnauzer, Maddie. Check out her review on page 8.
On the Cover Comfort Food Photo by Chad Kirvan
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TheTOPFive
1 Sleeping Giant Loppet March 2
Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
John Sims
To ski or not to ski? Ski! Each year the Sleeping Giant Loppet sees approximately 800 cross-country skiers of all levels and abilities come together to participate in one of the most anticipated community sporting events of the season. Set in the breathtaking wilderness of Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, the Loppet features an 8km Mini-Loppet (ideal for families, children, and rookies), a 20km route along the rolling Marie Louise Lake, a popular 35km with scenic vistas of the Burma Trail, and the flagship event: the 50km classic, skate, or skiathlon. Plus there’s drinks, snacks and encouragement along the route and a chocolate medal at the finish. Show us your best retro clothing and gear to win The Walleye Go Retro contest. See you there! sleepinggiantloppet.ca
TBSO Northern 2 Lights 4: Nancy, Arley, & Zoey March 8 & 9
Italian Cultural Centre Sarah McPherson
Rearrange you calendar if you must so that you don’t miss the final Northern Lights concert of the season. This series of concerts are casual and intimate affairs that bring together the finest local performers to perform with our fantastic symphony orchestra. The stars for the last two shows are a trio of women: Nancy Freeborn, whose vocals resonate with power and colour, gritty blues-rock artist Arley Hughes, and Zoey Williams, who they’re calling the city’s best kept secret. At the helm of the symphony will be Mélissa Biroun, who is joined by keyboard wizard Danny Johnson and the full TBSO. Tickets are available online or at the door. The magic begins at 7:30 pm. tbso.ca
Snowed In 4 Comedy Tour March 16
Thunder Bay Community Auditorium
3 Five Alarm Funk March 12
The Outpost Sound the (funk) alarm! Vancouver-based, Junonominated eight-piece band Five Alarm Funk are returning to the city in March in support of their 2018 album, Sweat. And sweat you will. As funk fans know, these shows are always high octane. Together now for over a decade, this funk/rock/ska/latin/punk group is showing no signs of slowing down; in fact, they are just leaning even more into the groove. So grab your friends, grab your dancing shoes, and grab some of that fun. Dance like it’s spring and maybe it will come. This Tuesday night concert is a 19+ event and the doors open at 8 pm. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. fivealarmfunk.com
5 Shamrock Shakedown March 16 & 17
Sleeping Giant Brewing Co.
tbca.com
sleepinggiantbrewing.ca
tbayalive
If you’re going to be snowed in, make sure you’re in good company! Celebrating its 10th year, the Snowed in Comedy Tour is now one of the largest comedy tours in Canada and has travelled to Australia, France, Switzerland, and the United States. On the program for this year are four international comedians with enough diversity in humour to tickle everyone’s funny bone. Returning is Just for Laughs winner Dan Quinn, who is joined by Seattle Comedy Competition winner Damonde Dan Quinn Tschritter. Paul Myrehaug, The Great Canadian Laugh Off winner, also returns along with five-time Canadian Comedian of the Year nominee Pete Zedlacher. The laughs begin at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium box office.
Get ready to shake your shamrock at this year’s Shamrock Shakedown! Stop by the brewery on Saturday night for delicious food by Pinetree Catering and live music by McNasty Brass Band and DJ Rogue. Kick up your heels with an Irish jig or two! Then wet your whistle with one of 18 draft beers, including Stouty McStoutface—a specially made, limited edition cask beer. Tickets are $5 but there are also options for VIP passes and Beer School (think: beer and whisky pairings). On Sunday, it’s a free all-ages event from 2–5 pm, featuring the pipes, fiddles, whistles, and drums of Seisiùn Ceol. Also making an appearance are Celtic dancers from the Morgan’s School of Highland Dancing. Proceeds from the weekend festivities in support of Our Kids Count.
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CoverStory
Comfort Food
The Dumpling Issue
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Nik Fiorito
or all the ways that people can be different, when it comes to food, our cultures often share variations on a theme. In this issue, we take a close look at those miniature pillows of goodness—dumplings. There are as many ways to interpret the word "dumpling" as there are ways to eat them; for our purposes—and to hit on the wide variety of dumplings in Thunder Bay's culinary scene—we define it as some kind of starch (bread, flour, potatoes, rice) and with or without a filling. We found dumplings in just about every shape and form: baked, fried, simmered, steamed, stuffed, and/or smothered in sauce. Your job? Try them all and tell us which dumplings are your favourites!
Ravioli ◄ The Place: Caribou Restaurant & Wine Bar 727 Hewitson Street 628-8588 The Price: $26 The Basics: Ravioli with ricotta cheese filling, served in a butternut squash sauce, with arugula, roasted squash, sage, and parmesan cheese. The Lowdown: Who can resist perfectly plump pasta pillows? Filled to the brim with ricotta and parmesan, each tender morsel begs for an extra turn around the plate to pick up that butternut squash sauce to go with every bite. The sage and arugula give it that extra bit of verdant that makes for a well-rounded flavour. The pasta is made in-house and every taste was truly heaven in my mouth. Pair it perfectly with a glass of red. Review by Susan Pretty, Photo by Shannon Lepere
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CoverStory
Gyoza
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The Place: Wasabi Japanese Restaurant 538 West Arthur Street 628-8088 The Price: $6.50 The Basics: Pan-fried meat dumplings with sweet dipping sauce. The Lowdown: Countless people across Thunder Bay describe the gyoza from Wasabi as their favourite Japanese dish, and with one bite of these little beauties it’s easy to see why. These flavour-filled
meat dumplings are perfectly paired with a sweet-and-sour dipping sauce and served to share. The outstanding texture of gyoza go wonderfully with any sushi dish and because gyoza is served hot it’s the perfect starter for kids and adults who are trying Japanese food for the first time. Best of all, it’s featured in Wasabi’s all-you-can-eat buffet menu, which means you can literally gorge on gyoza. Review and Photo by Chad Kirvan
Gnocchi Pomodoro ▲ The Place: Nook 271 Bay Street 285-7775 The Price: $19 The Basics: Potato-based dumplings covered in tomato sauce and fresh parmesan cheese. The Lowdown: Fun fact—did you know that “gnocchi” is the Italian word for dumplings? These morsels of dough are made fresh in-house every day using a
special potato-to-flour ratio, ensuring that each piece is firm but still tender enough to melt into a creamy consistency with each bite. They’re topped with the perfect smattering of tangy tomato sauce and heaps of parmesan cheese. There’s even extra parm baked into each dumpling for added flavour! This simple dish packs in texture and savouriness to make the ultimate Italian comfort food. Review by Martina Benvegnu, Photo by Sarah McPherson
Curry Puffs ◄ The Place: Thai Kitchen 11 South Cumberland Street 345-1707 Phone: 621-4330 The Price: 3 for $6 or 8 for $12 The Basics: Ground pork, potato, onion, and spices wrapped in a homemade pastry of blended local wheat and rice flours. The Lowdown: For something relatively small, Thai Kitchen’s curry puffs pack
a lot of flavour. From the first bite, the dish’s namesake spice is prevalent but not overpowering. The savoury ground pork, potato, and onion filling is enclosed in a tender yet crispy shell that is pan-fried to golden brown goodness. For those who don’t mind a little bit more heat, I recommend dipping the puffs into sweet chili sauce or if you’re really brave, the hot sauce. Review and Photo by Adrian Lysenko
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Wonton Deluxe with Noodles ◄ The Place: Golden Wok Restaurant 106 May Street 623-4291 The Price: $11.95 The Basics: Savoury broth with pork wontons, noodles, shrimp, barbeque pork slices, broccoli, carrots, and napa cabbage. The Lowdown: Soup is the ultimate comfort meal in a bowl, and this one offers such a pleasing array of textures and flavours, from the tender-crisp veggies to the juicy pork slices, all tucked into a not-
too-salty broth. Manager Phuong Pham says that traditionally, the wontons would contain mung beans, but this Canadian adaptation of ground pork seasoned with garlic and onion and crimped into soft wide noodles tastes mighty good too. Drizzle it with the housemade chili oil—part fresh chilies, part dry—for a little sinus-clearing kick. And they deliver, so you don’t even have to leave the couch. Review by Bonnie Schiedel, Photo by Dhiraj Arunachalam
Dim Sum Dumplings ▲ Festival Dumplings ▲ The Place: Island Spice Jerk House 71 South Algoma Street 344-8070 The Price: $4 (for three pieces) The Basics: Fried dumplings made with flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder, and water. The Lowdown: Keeping it simple is what the festival dumpling is all about. With just six ingredients, you get something that is,
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simply put, delicious. Straight out of the fryer, the dumpling has a crispy outside but moist inside, making it the perfect comfort food. The cornmeal gives it a nice texture and with the dish’s sweet and savoury combo, it’s easy to see why the festival dumpling is a popular street food in Jamaica. I recommend having it as a side dish with Island Spice’s escovitch fish, jerk chicken, or curry. Review and Photo by Adrian Lysenko
The Place: Cumberland Restaurant 45 South Cumberland Street 345-6612 The Price: $3.50–$4 per bowl (3–4 items each) The Basics: The various dumplings each feature their own ingredient twist, but most contain a pork base wrapped in a wheat or rice flour dumpling. The Lowdown: As the first restaurant to offer a Chinese dim sum option over 40 years ago , Cumberland Restaurant is the place for those seeking to try this authentic
Chinese dining experience on Saturdays and Sundays. “Dim sum” loosely translates to “snack,” and was once reserved for the wealthy ruling class whose servants prepared the flavour-packed pastries for consumption between breakfast and lunch, or between lunch and dinner. Most of the dumplings have a pork base with various seasonings, vegetables, and other features such as shrimp and crab eggs; each has a unique flair and taste profile while being grounded by the juicy pork flavours and delicate steamed dumpling shells. Review and Photo by Nik Fiorito
CoverStory
Molotes ▲ The Place: El Tres 269 Red River Road 344-3443 The Price: $13 The Basics: Fried masa pockets stuffed with chorizo sausage, roasted poblano peppers, and queso chihuahua, served with salsa roja and crema. The Lowdown: Presenting two-bite awesomeness direct from way down south of the border! A crispy outer shell made out of masa dough contains an ooey-gooey
Samosas
depth charge of spicy ground sausage and piquant peppers awash in queso chihuahua—a rich, mild cheese. They arrive nested on a bed of salsa roja and drizzled with crema and a sprinkling of cilantro. Five molotes come with this dish, though I wish there had been more. They’re not too filling and just spicy enough, though you can turn up the heat by ladling the salsa roja onto each bite. Great for sharing before a meal or on the side. Review by Justin Allec, Photo by Keegan Richard
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The Place: Monsoon Restaurant Unit 4, 588 West Arthur Street 286-6315 The Price: $4.50 for an order of two The Basics: Mashed potatoes and green peas spiced with garam masala, cumin, and peppers in a crispy, deep-fried chickpea flour pastry wrapper and served with two side chutneys, mint and tamarind. The Lowdown: Little dough pouches stuffed with a savoury filling and deep
fried, and compact enough to eat with your fingers, samosas are the ultimate in Indian street food. Perhaps the most popular samosa in India is the one filled with spicy potatoes and peas, and this is the one that’s offered at Monsoon Restaurant. Perfectly complemented by both sauces, they’re nice and crispy on the outside with a filling that delivers a welcome little bit of heat. Review by Pat Forrest, Photo by Patrick Chondon
Gnudi and Scallops ► The Place: Giorg Cucina é barra 114 North Syndicate Avenue 623-8052 The Price: $19 The Basics: Fresh ricotta dumplings served with scallops, bagna cauda, orange segments, and sauteed bitter greens. The Lowdown: Gnudi is gnocchi’s lighter, fluffier Tuscan cousin. It’s made with ricotta cheese instead of potato, which gives it a soft, pillowy texture and a slightly sweet
flavour. The simple, light-as-air dumplings in this primi piatti dish from Giorg provide a mild palate on which the diverse flavours of buttery scallops, sweet orange, sharp greens, and the savoury garlic and olive oil “bath” come together for a wonderfully layered taste. The little balls of fresh cheese just melt in your mouth. Pairs well with a glass of citrusy chardonnay. Review by Kat Lyzun, Photo by Laura Paxton
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Mushroom Tortellini ▲ The Place: Tony & Adam’s 45 South Court Street 767-3897 The Price: $22.50 The Basics: Fresh tortellini stuffed with mushrooms and cream cheese, finished with a roasted red pepper rosé sauce. The Lowdown: Ah tortellini, the Italian dumpling. Combining my deep fondness for both pasta and cheese, these precious pockets of love meet all my comfort food requirements, and Tony & Adam’s has created a superb dish to satisfy those
needs. Freshly made, silky-smooth pasta sheets (rolled in-house) are stuffed with a savoury portobello and button mushroomcream cheese concoction, each folded to uniform perfection. The rosé sauce adds a sweetness to the dish, while the topping of roasted red peppers and parmesan flakes offers a welcome complexity to every bite. Served with a side of (also housemade) lightly toasted focaccia, the mushroom tortellini delivers a divinely rich, generous meal. Review by Maija Zucchiatti, Photo by Tyler Sklazeski
Vegetable Pakoras ▲ The Place: Bight Prince Arthur’s Landing, Marina Park 2201 Sleeping Giant Pkwy, Unit 100 622-4448 The Price: $15 The Basics: Potato and onion fritters made with chickpea flour and Indian spices, served with cucumber yogurt and sweet chili sauce. The Lowdown: Bight makes the perfect pakoras that are crisp on the outside and soft and savoury on the inside. These Indian-inspired appetizers are a blend
of potatoes, onions, and chickpea flour, and seasoned with garam masala and yellow curry. The fritters are deep-fried until golden brown and served on a bed of refreshing cucumber yogurt and housemade sweet chili sauce and topped with microgreens. Trust me when I say that you’ll want to bring a friend (or two) to share these with, as the appetizer portion is quite generous. These pakoras are gluten-free and a hearty vegetarian option that deliver just the right amount of heat on the coldest of winter days. Review and Photo by Tanja Coghill
Maple Whisky Pumpkin Gnocchi ◄ The Place: The Silver Birch Restaurant 28 North Cumberland Street 345-0597 The Price: $25 The Basics: Homemade pumpkin dumplings with grilled radicchio in maple sage whisky sauce topped with smoked almonds, parmesan cheese, and fried sage leaves. The Lowdown: The Maple Whisky Pumpkin Gnocchi at the Silver Birch Restaurant will forever change your mind about what can be done with gnocchi, especially in
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the hands of owner/chef Darlene Green. Upon first bite you immediately taste the pumpkin, immediately followed by the smooth and delicious sage whisky sauce. The perfectly complementary grilled radicchio adds a nice kick to the taste buds and the smoked almonds are pure joy. It wasn’t until I realized I could crumble the sage on top that the whole dish came together in utter perfection. I will never look at gnocchi the same way again. Review by Anne Chondon, Photo by Patrick Chondon
CoverStory
Built on Perogies Volunteers Help Raise Money for St Mary’s Church Story and Photos by Olivia Canuel
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dward Filipek has made a lot of perogies. For the past 26 years, he has has volunteered his time every Friday, and more, in his role as head cook, at St. Mary’s Our Lady Queen of Poland Church. If he includes what he has prepped for assembly, he estimates that he has had a hand in the making of around 35 million pierogies. St. Mary’s Church has a long history of perogy and cabbage roll sales. To quote a current kitchen volunteer, “This church was built on pierogies.” With church attendance on the decline, all those busily pinching dough in the basement kitchen know that what they are doing is, financially, keeping the church alive. But it’s more than just a means
of raising money. The six or eight volunteers who work from 7 am to mid- or late-afternoon every Friday (and who, out of modesty, ask not to be named or photographed), are maintaining a cultural tradition, using recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. They come for different reasons: to socialize(one lady jokes that “it’s boring at home”), to learn how to make the foods they grew up eating but never learned how to make themselves, and to help the church, which has long been a centre of religious, cultural, and social tradition for Polish immigrants and their families. Regardless of the particular reason, they all agree that they are there to “do something to give back.”
Edward Filipek makes rounds of dough for perogies And so as stories are exchanged and laughs are shared, heads are bent and fingers fly, and row upon row of perfectly formed perogies are set out, as quickly and uniformly as if they had been made by a machine. A more recently recruited volunteer points out, “It looks easy, but it’s hard!” Stuffed too full or rolled too thin, they burst when boiled, creating “perogy soup”. Evidently, the perfect product created here is the result of much experience. December is the busiest month for sales at St. Mary’s. They fill orders for Christmas, with regulars requesting their usual weekly two dozen, locals and those visiting for the holidays pre-ordering six, eight, ten dozen at a time, orders of 1,000 dozen each to Safeway and to a local
fundraiser. Typical total December production is approximately 4,000 dozen, all prepared by a group of 6 to 10 mostly octogenarian ladies. Filipek personally shops for 300 pounds of potatoes, 20 pounds of cheese, and 60 pounds of flour per week, prepares all the dough and filling so that the pierogies are ready for assembly when the other volunteers arrive, and coordinates the workers so that they are able to fill their orders. The commitment, dedication and skill of these volunteers is worthy of celebration, though they would never say so themselves. For them, it is enough to work alongside friends and to see a customer walk away with a smile, grateful for perogy “just like Babcia used to make.”
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CoverStory
All Roads Lead to Pierogi Searching for the Best Dumpling By Alex Franków
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of deliciousness are heavily associated with Eastern European and Slavic countries, with each claiming creation. The battle of origin and proper name/spelling continues to this day. Various sources indicate that such dumplings originated in Asia where other sources reach back into European folklore, spanning from Russia to Ukraine and most of Eastern Europe. The first written pierogi recipe can be found in the Compendium Ferculorum (A Collection of Dishes) by Stanisław Czerniecki, published in 1682. However, the stuffing we know and love—potato and cheese—was not used in the original recipe, as potatoes were unknown to Eastern Europeans during the seventeenth century. Instead, Czerniecki’s pierogi were composed of chopped kidneys, mixed greens, nutmeg, and veal fat. The growth and evolution of pierogi vary among ethnicities with fillings ranging from fruit, cabbage, meat, and even cottage cheese. The possibilities are endless. Although many may argue about the spelling and pronunciation of perogies/varenyky/pirohy/pedaheh/ perhory, there is one thing most of us can agree on—it’s personal
to us. We are proud of our culture, our traditions, and our dumplings of doughy goodness, however we may pronounce/spell them. We can relay recipes, tricks of the trade, and memories at the drop of a hat. For many of us, it is not only a staple food, but a comfort food; transporting us back to our babcia’s
kitchen, to past Christmas dinners with our families, or moments with our parents. Although we have a friendly rivalry amongst each other, there is one thing we can all agree on—no matter which way you choose to spell pierogi, it will always remain plural in our hearts, and in our minds.
Polish Combatants Branch 1
Photo courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum
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f Food Network’s Guy Fieri were to cruise to Thunder Bay in his red 1968 Camaro and ask you where to find the best pierogi (I’m Polish, this is my preferred spelling, no matter what the Canadian Press says), you would find yourself in quite the predicament. Where would you send him first? If you’re Ukrainian, you would send Fieri to the Holy Cross Ukrainian Catholic Church for some mouth-watering varenyky/pirohy/ pedaheh, or you’d skip the chit chat, hop in the Camaro, and direct him straight to your baba’s house whilst pointing out various Thunder Bay landmarks. Being Polish it’s very likely bickering would arise between you and your family members on where exactly to send him for the best pierogi. A decision would really come down to what side of town you happen to be on and what day it is. If you don’t fall into either of these ethnic categories, you’d most likely tell Guy “I know someone/ someplace.” Regardless of where you would send Guy, our city has many sources for authentic and homemade dumplings. Generally, these delectable little potato-cheese nuggets
CoverStory
The Perogy Grid By Adrian Lysenko
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orget those freezer-burned perogies that are made out-of-province—everyone knows nothing beats something that’s handmade. In Thunder Bay, we’re lucky to have churches, halls, and Legions that prepare the delicious dumpling. Here’s the lowdown on when and where to get your fix.
The Place Port Arthur Polish Hall
Polish Combatants Branch 1
Price per dozen
Hours/ Date
Address/ Contact
Cheese and potato; sauerkraut
Potato: $6
Friday 10 am–5 pm
102 South Court Street 344-3772
Maltese Grocery, Shoppers Drug Mart (McIntyre Centre), Brent Park Store, Shoppers Drug Mart (Memorial Avenue)
Potato; sauerkraut
Potato: $6
Wednesdays 10 am–4 pm (Also available regular hours until they’re sold out)
209 North Cumberland Street 345-1861
Shoppers Drug Mart (Grandview Mall), Maltese Grocery, Brent Park Store, George’s Market, Bogdala’s Smoked Meat, and Cressman’s North End Variety
Type
sauerkraut: $7
sauerkraut: $650
Distribution
St. Mary’s Our Lady Queen of Poland Parish
Cheese and potato
$6
Fridays 10 am–5 pm
93 North Algoma Street 344-1066
Safeway (Arthur Street)
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 149
Potato and old cheddar cheese; jalapeno; sauerkraut
$525
Thursdays 11 am–5 pm or from the bar noon–10 pm
730 Simpson Street 623-1775
Skaf’s Just Basics, George’s Market, The Commissary Deli & Smoked Meats, Westfort Foods, and Country Fresh Meats & Deli
Holy Cross Ukrainian Catholic Church
Potato with cheddar cheese (cooked or frozen raw)
$6
Pre-orders only
415 West Victoria Avenue Call or email Walter: 475-3757 or warywodaw@ gmail.com
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Nicolas Bouliane
Food
Les Grand-pères By Chef Rachel Globensky
I
’d first heard of the FrenchCanadian dessert, grands-pères au sirop d’érable, through a friend’s adventures at a cooking class. Thought to have originated in Quebecois logging camps, these soft dumplings that are simmered in maple syrup and served warm with cream sound like the ultimate comfort food—especially after a long day in the bush! Some variations I’ve seen have added fresh blueberries, cranberries, raisins, or nuts to the biscuit dough; some are served with ice cream and drizzled with rum. In doing some research as to why these sweet doughy pillows are called “grandfathers,” I came across a couple of explanations, both a little sad. The first: grands-pères are so named as they are soft enough to be eaten by elderly gentlemen who have lost their teeth. The second: dumplings were cooked by
16 The Walleye
men who were too old and frail to stoke the fire or otherwise contribute to the physical labour needed at la cabane à sucre (the shack where collected maple sap is boiled down into syrup), but still wanted to be of use. I like to think these sweet dumplings are named after grandfathers because they toughen up and bloom when placed in hot water—much like my own grandpère, André.
Grands-pères au Sirop d’érable Serves six ½ c water 2 c maple syrup 2 c all-purpose flour (*can use a combination of AP and whole wheat flours for a chewier texture) ¼ c sugar 2 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt
Pour water and maple syrup into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Make dumpling dough.
In a medium bowl, combine flour(s), sugar, baking powder, and salt.
¼ c unsalted butter, softened
Work the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers, or a pastry cutter, until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Make a well in the centre of the mixture.
1 c milk 1 tsp vanilla extract
Pour milk and vanilla into the dry ingredient well, and work with a wooden spoon (or your hands) until a smooth dough forms.
Using a soup spoon, scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough. Carefully drop the dough into the almost-boiling syrup, using a second soup spoon, taking care not to crowd the saucepan. Cover and poach for 12–15 minutes, ensuring syrup does not boil. When dumpling is cooked through, remove from syrup, and serve with warm cream, ice cream, sprinkles of toasted nuts, and a drizzle of rum!
DRINK OF THE MONTH
Food
The Secret Garden The Foundry
Story by Rebekah Skochinski, Photo by Adrian Lysenko It’s difficult to imagine the loveliness of a garden in March when there’s still so much snow on the ground. However, we can tell you that sitting down to sip this drink will provide a muchneeded taste of the promises of spring. Joshua Dowbak knows a thing or two about how to grow a garden as much as he knows a thing or two about creating a lush cocktail. His creation, The Secret Garden, is a harmonious hybrid of the two. It consists of first muddling cucumber in a glass and then pairing it with fresh blossoms, aromatic florals, and tastes of tropical fruit from St. Germain elderflower liqueur. Dillon’s No. 7 gin is added for complex botanicals as is housemade lemon juice for tartness and a touch of sweetness for balance. It’s refreshing, uplifting, and, quite simply, made us very happy. To spring!
The Foundry 242 Red River Road 285-3188
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2019-02-14 11:15 AM
Food
Brew it Yourself
They All Can’t Be Perfect Beer Off Flavours
By Josh Armstrong, PhD, BJCP Certified Judge
B
rewing is by no means easy, and any brewer can easily make a mistake that can have an adverse effect on their beer. Being able to objectively critique your beer and identify any off flavours in it is an important skill for a homebrewer. By knowing what off flavours commonly occur in brewing your own beer, you are more likely to be able to identify the problems and make corrective changes prior to your next brew day. From a beer judge’s perspective, not only does a judge have to know off flavours and be able to correctly identify them in beer entries at a competition, they also must be knowledgeable about the potential sources for the problem and how to correct for them in order to provide useful feedback to brewers. You can build skills by reviewing books like How to Brew by John Palmer and Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher. Both are great sources of information about all things beer. In addition to reading about flaws, you can also order sensory training kits that you can use to “spike” beer to add off flavours to them. These
kits can be expensive and probably work best for a group of people to learn more about flavours caused by compounds like diacetyl, dimethyl sulfides, and butyric acid. One of the most common problems that both home brewers and professional brewers have is from oxygen in the final beer. Oxidation leads to beer tasting like stale bread, wet cardboard, paper, or even a sweet sherry flavour, all in addition to simply dulling the flavour of your beer. The key to avoiding oxidized beer is to reduce any chances of your beer mixing with oxygen after fermentation. By far, the biggest risk of oxidation comes from when the beer is being packaged. It’s important to pay close attention to potential sources oxygen when brewing hoppy beer or when brewing beer that you plan to age. Oxygen will kill the aroma and flavour of hops, and will make the beer taste worse over time. A second common problem in homebrews is created by diacetyl. Diacetyl is a natural byproduct of the fermentation process and small traces of it are acceptable in some beer styles (e.g., British
ales). Diacetyl tastes like butterscotch or fake popcorn butter and can also cause a strange slickness in the mouthfeel. In lighter beers, a small amount of diacetyl can be very noticeable and make the beer undrinkable. Diacetyl can also be produced by bacterial infection within dirty keg lines (have you ever been to a bar where all the draft tastes similarly bad?) Diacetyl can be controlled in the brewing process by the same thing that creates it: yeast. When properly used, yeast will break down and clean up diacetyl. It’s important to pitch a proper amount of health yeast and have good control of fermentation temperatures. Control of fermentation temperatures is especially important for lagers, when a diacetyl rest (increasing the temperature near the end of fermentation) is always used to reduce diacetyl in the finished beer. Other off flavours to be aware of are astringency (harsh bitterness that can come from tannins in the grains), acetaldehyde (fresh green apple character from not allowing your beer to condition long
enough), and solvent or “hot” alcohol character (this can be caused from fermenting too hot for your yeast strain). All of these off flavours can be controlled for and corrected after identifying the problem in your beer. In addition to working on correcting these specific issues, you can do the following to reduce your chances of getting off flavours in your beer: Proper sanitation: Any contamination can lead to off flavour. Trust me, you don’t ever want to drink beer with butyric acid in it (literally is like the taste of barf/stomach acid). Controlled fermentation temperature: Many brewers will say that the one thing that improved the flavour of their homebrews is investing in fermentation temperature control. Strong boil with no lid: This helps drive off unwanted compounds like dimethyl sulfides. Reduce oxygen pickup when packaging: Anything you do to limit oxygen in the final beer will improve the hoppiness and shelf life of your brews.
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Food
Somethin’ For Your Dumplin' By Jeannie Dubois, Certified Sommelier
W
hile I was living abroad in a lovely little hamlet in the heart of Burgundy, I grew quite enamoured of a charming daily tradition during the wine harvest known as aperitif. At the end of each long day of bringing in the grapes, every door on the single street in Buisson was open and we all celebrated the bounty by enjoying steaming Gougére. These warm, crisp, and savoury pastry balls stuffed with
gruyère were always served up with jambon cru and the good company of all of the harvesters in tow. Needless to say, after a backbreaking day in the vineyard, there was also a delicious drink in store to pair with these delicious little dumplings that the Burgundians so adore. Their equally beloved sparkling wine, Crémant de Bourgogne, was transformed into an extra charming cocktail with the addition of a shot of cassis, adding just a touch of fruity sweetness and a
warm rose colour. A balm for all wounds rendered in the vineyard, the combination of lovely drink, lively community, and delicious dumpling proved to be all one needed to contentedly carry on. As it turns out, every culture seems to have a similar recipe for creating community with their own version of a sweet or savoury dumpling paired with a time-honoured tonic. Skål!
Nokedli:
Gyoza:
Pastéis:
Gnudi:
Hungarian egg dumpling often served with chicken paprikash.
Japanese wonton dumpling often stuffed with cabbage and pork.
Brazilian deepfried, cheese filled dumpling.
Italian ricotta dumpling made with semolina for a pillow-like texture.
Pair with:
Pair with:
Cachaça
Tokaji
Biro So Sweet 2016 LCBO No. 617324 $17.95 for 375ml
Sake
Hakutsuru Junmai Ginjo LCBO No. 28969 $8.95 for 300ml
Pair with:
Pair with:
Pitu LCBO No. 600833 $28.95 for 750ml
Peroni
Nastro Azzurro LCBO No. 525188 $14.50 for 6 x 330ml
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22 The Walleye
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FilmTheatre
(L-R) Sandy Winsby, Olivia Ulrich, and Tristan Carlucci
A Wonderful Clash of Cultures
Magnus Theatre Presents Buying the Farm Story by Ayano Hodouchi Dempsey, Photos by Warden Bémont
A
Tristan Carlucci and Olivia Ulrich
lways offering Thunder Bay’s audiences something different, Magnus Theatre will feature a March production that will be very different from February’s Huff, which was a dark, gritty tale of suicide and addiction. Buying the Farm is a romantic comedy in two acts about a young real estate agent who approaches a third-generation farmer to buy up his farm for development. Add to that combination the elderly farmer’s young and smart great-niece, a city girl who has decided to make her life on the farm, and you have the perfect trio for some lighthearted comedy. The playwrights, Shelley Hoffman and Stephen Sparks, actually met at Magnus Theatre in the 80s acting in a play, says artistic director Thom Currie. This is the couple’s first play (she is an award-winning TV writer and he is an established actor) and when they approached Currie with Buying the Farm, he immediately liked the humour surrounding the clash of rural versus city cultures (as well as old versus young) and also thought it
would be “fun to bring it home for them,” he says. It’s not by accident that the old Scandinavian farmer in the play is named Magnus. Two up-and-coming actors from Winnipeg, Olivia Ulrich and Tristan Carlucci, are taking the roles of the story’s two young protagonists, Esme and Brad, while the old patriarch Magnus will be played by Sandy Winsby, who was last seen at the Magnus Theatre last season in Miracle on 34th Street. “He’s a veteran of Broadway and the Stratford Festival; he’s been in North American theatre for decades and is a delight to watch on stage,” says Currie. “I was thrilled when he said yes.” A co-production with the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, the show is touring northern Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario before arriving in Thunder Bay for 20 shows between March 14 and 30. As always, there will be one pay-what-you-can performance; this time on March 24 at 2 pm. For dates, times, and ticket availability, stop by the Magnus Theatre box office, call 345-5552, or visit magnustheatre.com.
Olivia Ulrich, Tristan Carlucci, and Sandy Winsby
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FilmTheatre The Second Most Pleasurable Thing We Do In the Dark. A Column About Movies
Kitchen and Dumpling Movies
By Michael Sobota
Eat, drink, man, woman. Basic human desires. Can’t avoid them. All my life, that’s all I’ve ever done. It pisses me off. Is that all there is to life? - Chu (Sihung Lung) to his wife in Eat Drink Man Woman
M
any international cultures have dumplings in their cuisine. However, few international movies, or even Hollywood movies, feature dumplings in their films. Dumplings do appear on screen, but often within the larger context of food or meals in general. Here is a modest buffet of movies about kitchens and food. In some of them you will see dumplings.
Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) Ang Lee’s wonderful family dramedy explores the relationship between food and society. Chu (Sihung Lung) is a master chef working in a middleclass restaurant. He has three grown daughters, all of whom are straining to get on with their completely disparate lives. Their internal family relationships revolve around a shared Sunday dinner. There, Lee wittily explores a traditional family structure about to implode and explode simultaneously. There’s lots of eating and drinking and yes, some dumplings.
Spirited Away (2001)
The Lunchbox (2013)
The winner of multiple awards (including several Oscars), Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki also explores a family theme in this brilliant creation. His central character is a 10-year-old girl, Chihiro (Rumi Hiiragi), who is unhappy that her family is moving to the country from the city. Enroute, they stop in a small village and stumble into an amusement park full of strange creatures. They become separated. Her parents enter a restaurant where there is a phantasmagoria of food. In a wild frenzy, they indulge. When Chichiro finds them, they have been turned into pigs. Miyazaki is examining our contemporary indulgences, relationships and the role of memory when we transition from one place to another.
Director and screenwriter Ritesh Batra explores a simple, intimate story about love and food set against the backdrop of one of the most crowded cities in the world, Mumbai. We are introduced to the city’s famous lunchbox delivery system that services tens of thousands of workers daily in that busy city. In a modest apartment in the clogged suburbs, Ila (Nimrat Kaur) daily prepares a hot meal for her distant husband, working in a factory in the city. The steaming dishes are stacked atop one another in separate containers. This delivery service picks up the meal at her home and, dashing through complex Mumbai traffic on motor scooters, delivers these meals to individual workers in time for their lunch breaks. The sequence of the preparation and packaging of the hot food and the pick up and delivery is gorgeous, sensual filmmaking. Ila always includes a personal note with her meals. But a mistake is made in the delivery, and it lands on the desk of an elderly man who is soon to retire. They exchange ever-increasing intimacies in their notes and an awkward, beautiful love story unfolds.
To complete this kitchen and dumpling buffet, here are six more visual treats to whet your cinematic appetite: The Wedding Banquet (1993), Kitchen Party (1997), Mostly Martha (2001), Kitchen Stories (2003), Julie and Julia (2009), and Chef (2014).
24 The Walleye
Crazy Rich Asians (2018) This first all-Asian ensemble big studio comedy, directed by Jon M. Chu, became a monster summer hit last year, grossing more than $175 million. It is a bright and sassy—and sometimes vulgar—examination of class and Asian culture. Chu assembles a superb acting ensemble who relish the opportunity to bite into this cultural feast. Yes, there is a lot of eating, with food appearing in almost every other scene. Yes, there are dumplings, likely thousands of the steamy delicacies. This is large-scale food and fun, but not without incisive examination of hot and haute culture.
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Avenue II provides support to adults with developmental disabilities in all aspects of daily living. Requirements: Secondary Education, Developmental Service Worker Diploma, Social Services Worker, Child and Youth Worker, or an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.Casual positions are expected to work a flexible schedule which includes: weekdays, weekends and statutory holiday coverage. Casuals may apply for internal positions upon hire. Valid driver’s license,reliable vehicle with appropriate insurance, a vulnerable sector criminal records check and a valid First Aid certificate are all requirements for employment. For more information please visit: www.avenueii.com Please submit a cover letter and resumé to:
georgie@avenueii.com or by mail to: Georgie Ostrowski Human Resources Officer Avenue II Comunity Program Services Inc. 122 S. Cumberland St. Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5R8
High Tea &Fashion Show Sunday, March 31, 2019 Victoria Inn, Embassy Ballroom port of
s in sup
Proceed
1:00 - 4:00 p.m. (Doors Open at 12:00 p.m.) An Afternoon Featuring:
Designer Fashions & High Tea with Fancy Sandwiches and Desserts Fashions Provided by / Tickets Available at:
• The Little Mermaid • Perfect Fit Lingerie & Fashion • mars. clothing • The Loop • Street Legal Clothing Tickets: $50.00
☞ Purchase a table of 10 and receive your 10th ticket free!
HOSTED BY
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TOTAL INCLUSION THROUGH PEOPLE
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For more information and tickets, please visit Community Living Thunder Bay at 1501 Dease Street, call 624-4285 or email pcharrette@cltb.ca
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䐀漀眀渀琀漀眀渀 嘀漀氀欀猀眀愀最攀渀 搀漀眀渀琀漀眀渀瘀眀⸀挀漀洀 The Walleye
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TheArts
Martin King An Artistic Triple Threat By Savanah Tillberg
M
artin King is a local artist, actor, and filmmaker. Born in Thunder Bay, King started drawing at the young age of six. “Even when I was young, everyone told me I was really good. They always liked the pictures I drew of them, so, I took that as a sign to keep drawing,” he says. As a teenager living in New Jersey, he realized that his artistic ability could prove to be lucrative, and started selling the portraits that he drew of friends and beloved cartoon characters. While you can often see King with a small notebook and pen, sketching the people who might be passing by, he also works with acrylic paints, charcoal, coloured pencils, and mixed media. His work has been featured in galleries across the city and he was included in Definitely Superior Art Gallery’s latest juried exhibition. A cartoonist in the early stages of his career, King later wanted to test his abilities and expanded into realism. He still creates some surreal works, but King explains his main inspiration is people. “I used to walk up to people and ask to draw them,” he says. “But it wasn’t always well received. Sometimes I just outright draw people and then show them.” As a young adult, King returned
26 The Walleye
to Thunder Bay to study film at Confederation College. Following his graduation, he explains that it was a “bucket list item” to create his own movie. After two years of hard work, King released Wake Up, a series of six short films which he wrote, directed, and acted in. “It was really fun,” he says, “I loved getting people together to bring my weird scripts to life.” He is currently working on his second film, entitled Hurry Up, which will feature five short films. His hopes are to complete the project in one year, beating his last record. King, who is very humble about his talents, also created a comic book, which he published on his website several years ago. He laughs, “I’m not the best storyteller, but I like telling them anyway.” Recently he was commissioned to lend his animation abilities to create storyboards for a video project. He hopes to soon illustrate more videos, graphic novels, and other literature. King is entering a period of transition and both is unsure and excited about what he and his art will be doing next. To see more of Martin King’s work, you can check out his website: kingmartinj.wixsite.com.
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7:00 p.m.. Thunder Bay Community Auditorium
Tickets: 807-684-4444 www.tbca.com
Thunder Bay Symphony orcheSTra paul haas music director
Something’s brewing in March. Nancy, Arley and Zoey kick off Northern Lights on the 8th and 9th. Then it’s The Outsiders’ Concert at the Auditorium on the 28th. March closes off with Brew & Beethoven on the 30th!
For all concerts and tickets, go to tbso.ca
2018-2019 SEASON SPONSOR
28 The Walleye
PUBLIC ARTS FUNDERS
MAINSTAGE AND SECOND STAGE SPONSORS
TheArts
T
he light floods into the bright space, making the vibrant fabrics and colours pop and filling visitors with the possibilities at hand. On the far wall, a paper-pieced wall-hanging is emblazoned with a burning heart and “FURY” patched across it. It’s not your grandma’s patchwork, but that’s Meagan Botterill—she brings a whole new punk-rock style to sewing. From her Dr. Who fabrics to sell-out shows at comic cons across the country, Made by Meag’s success is growing, and she is now offering opportunities for you to make your own creations in her new workshop space. “This space is so me,” she says. “It is all my own. I love
teaching and I love the rapport and relationship I have with students and that they’re learning something. Often I am learning new things from them as well.” Officially going into its fourth year, Made by Meag began as a home-based business while Botterill worked full time and raised her two young boys. Her business grew every year, and she began teaching classes at a local shop as well as attending fan expos and comic cons in other cities. With constant requests for classes on the items she specializes in, and more and more demand for her product, Botterill envisioned a future where she could have her own workshop space, and
Made by Meag
Maker and Artist Sets Up New Space By Sarah Kerton Meagan Botterill be a full-time maker. Taking the plunge last April, she left her fulltime job and hasn’t looked back. With the support of her husband and boys, as well as in-laws, friends, and family, she has increased her creative output as well as secured her own space for classes. She can fit up to eight people per workshop, and posts her upcoming classes and open house days on her website. Following her dreams has also opened up new opportunities such
as becoming a maker for Janome Canada, a company that makes sewing machines and software. Botterill’s favourite thing is to see her bags “out in the wild.” Check out her space on March 7 at her monthly open house day, or sign up for a course—or just treat yourself to a one-of-a-kind Made By Meag creation. For more information, visit madebymeag.ca or visit her at 212 East Miles Street Suite 206.
PRESENTS
Anastasia BY
MARCELLE MAURETTE & GUY BOLTON
DIRECTED BY EVA BURKOWSKI • PRODUCED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT WITH SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.
GALA OPENING THURS. FEB. 28
FEB. 27 - MAR. 2 & MAR. 6 - 9 • 7:30pm Cambrian Players Theatre, 818 Spring St. Tickets at Calico • Fireweed • Thunder Pet at the door & Eventbrite.ca WED. $20 • THU. - SAT. $25 • Senior/Student $20
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TheArts
Register for our
Spring Session • GYMNASTICS • PARKOUR • TUMBLING
We offer Thunder Bay’s long-running ORIGINAL Ninja Program - PARKOUR
We’re OFTEN Imitated NEVER Duplicated
344-FLIP CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE:
ultimategymnastics.ca Follow us on social media
Butterfly and Flower By Andrea Terry, Acting Curator, Thunder Bay Art Gallery Artist: Angelique Merasty Title: Butterfly and Flower Date: 1982 Medium: Birch bark, porcupine quill, willow root, mat board Dimensions: 25.5 x 31.5 cm
A
ngelique Merasty (1924–1996) produced countless birch bark bitings, and over 40 of those are part of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery’s permanent collection. These compositionally complex and intricate works were featured in the 1983 exhibition, Wigwas: Bark Biting by Angelique Merasty (1983).
30 The Walleye
ST. PAUL’S
ultimategymnastics.ca From Thunder Bay Art Gallery’s Collection344-FLIP UNITED CHURCH
Born in Beaver Lake, Manitoba, Merasty was a member of the Peter Ballantyne band, a Woodland Cree First Nation in northeast Saskatchewan. She learned the art from her mother Susan Ballantyne and from watching competitions amongst women in and around her home. Over time, she visualized the entire image before biting into the bark. She developed a distinctly characteristic style that included floral variations, as well as animals, such as insects, hummingbirds, fish, rabbits, owls, ants, beavers, mice, and butterflies. She also applied bitings as decorative elements to the exteriors of bark containers. Her husband Bill collected birch bark from the forest around their home in Beaver Lake during the spring season, when it proved easier to peel and supple enough to retain tooth prints. The ideal bark has up to ten layers, and often five or six would prove suitable for biting. Merasty
selected thin pieces that suited her vision and then folded each piece numerous times, applying bite marks along the folded lines to make her designs. From time to time, she changed the intensity of the bite to suit the size or detail of the composition. Pinprick perforations make up the design, and the bark’s textured surface acts as the background. The bark “transparency” was considered complete upon Merasty holding the bark up to the sun so that it warmed to the light and the bite marks became infused with sunshine. Merasty’s artworks are located in collections around the world, such as the Manitoba Museum, the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C., as well as in Britain and Germany. Of her work, Merasty stated, “My pattern is in my mind. I see it all the time I’m working and it comes out perfectly on the birch bark.”
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TheArts
RiVAL Workshop
Advancing the Conversation on Indigenous and Labour Rights By Lindsay Campbell
A
Dylan Miner
32 The Walleye
ward-winning artist, activist, and scholar Dylan Miner will travel to Canada from south of the border with plans to engage the local community on a number of social justice issues this March. Miner, the co-host of an upcoming workshop Art for Indigenous and Labour Struggles, with the ReImagining Value Action Lab (RiVAL), is expected to use his talent as a printmaker to shine a spotlight on the intersection of challenges within the labour movement and the rights of Indigenous persons. According to Max Haiven, event organizer and co-director of RiVAL, Miner was an obvious choice for the workshop. “Dylan is extremely unique in his ability to speak to both of these topics and does so in a way that is very visually and artistically charismatic and approachable for many different audiences,” Haiven says. “He’s done a tremendous amount of work on the history of the
industrial workers of the world and radical trade unionism... He’s also done a huge amount of work about borders, imperialism, and colonialism.” Since it was founded in 2017, RiVAL has hosted events in Thunder Bay and around the world to generate conversation on what its directors feel are pressing inequalities of present day. Haiven says over the past two years, its focus has been particularly on the topic of decolonization, but adds the upcoming workshop on March 24 will unpack an issue that’s been relevant to the area for quite some time. “In recent history, the strong connections that could be made between the labour movement and Indigenous struggles are not being made as powerfully as they could be, especially in Thunder Bay,” he explains. “While many large unions like UNIFOR have Indigenous caucuses or anti-racist secretariats, a lot of that work is not necessarily reaching our community and we
think that ultimately the struggle of working people and Indigenous people are deeply connected.” The workshop, happening at the Finlandia Club, will begin with a talk from Miner. It will then provide opportunity for participants to speak as they create silk-screen prints and learn about each other’s struggles. Haiven says this is a free workshop accessible to everyone. “Like all of our events, we want to cast a wide net… Radical imagination is awakened in the moments when people meet across differences. We’re reaching out to a number of different communities, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to come out to this event,” he explains. “We really want to encourage people from all walks of life to participate as long as they come with a good heart and an open mind.” To sign up for the Art for Indigenous and Labour Struggles workshop, or find more information visit rival.lakeheadu.ca.
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Outdoor
Passion and Purpose Training with the NTDC
By Julian Smith, National Team Development Centre
What a Season Looks Like Training Season
May 1 – Begin training and preparing for testing week in late May. June, July, and August – The focus is primarily fitness. This is obtained through volume and intensity training. Training ranges from 15 to 30 hours and one to two intensities a week, to 10 to 20 hours with three to five intensities a week. September, October, and November - These months are used to prepare athletes for going hard and fast. Workouts become shorter and more difficult. Lots of hill repeats and race simulations. Race Season Racing begins in November with some low-key races, and then the team travels out west to begin the serious racing.
Fergus Foster
T
here is something calming and motivating about waking up every morning with a single and simple purpose: to become better than you were yesterday. From May 1 until mid November, that is how the cross-country skiers at the National Team Development Centre (NTDC) here in Thunder Bay start their days, so that they can best prepare themselves for the gruelling race season. The first six and half months of every season are devoted to
physically and mentally preparing for competition through rigorous and regimented training. The athletes do everything from fitness testing that has athletes dropping to the floor in pain to five-hour sessions pounding the pavement on roller skis for up to 70 kms, from tracking sleep and keeping nutritional logs to making goals for the upcoming race season. To these athletes—ranging from 18 to 27 years of age—cross-country skiing is their passion and purpose.
▼ (L-R) Sam Greer, Graham Ritchie, and Julian Smith
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All of the work that goes in to becoming an elite skier could not be better showcased than when it comes to the race season. While a 15 km race only takes around 37 minutes, the hundreds of hours of training in the spring and summer months are hidden behind serious pain faces. It is clear just how much focus, determination, and hard work is put in prior to the snow flying when these athletes collapse at the finish line or smile atop the podium. There is no questioning
▼ Timo Puiras
The new year usually brings trials races, which are specific races that qualify the winners for higher level competitions (international events in Europe and Scandinavia) Racing in Canada and the United States continues through January and February. The season culminates, as far as serious racing in concerned, with Nationals, which are held in a different location every year and take place in mid-March.
Outdoor
how much pushing to the very limit, fighting for one’s goal, and making it to the top of the podium means to these elite individuals. However, it is important to understand that the podium is a small place. Whether you are at a regional night race or World Championships, the podium remains the same size and athletes know that better than anyone. It is important to find joy and sustenance in day-to-day life as well as the people around you. For the NTDC athletes, being a team and supporting each other is of utmost importance. When weeks at a time are spent together on the road, living out of a duffle bag and going through the highs and lows of intense competition, being friends can make all of the difference. Sharing in the successes of others, motivating each other, and elevating the game of those around you is part of the culture that the athletes try to cultivate.
â–ź Angus Foster
â–ź Sadie White
The Walleye
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International Women’s Day: Think equal, Build smart and Innovate for Change
See below for ways you can support the to health. Community supports (friends, health of women in your community and neighbors, community agency personal, around the globe: clergy) are trusted resources for providing women assistance in navigating the health (October 22nd-28th). Instead of ensuring and services produced during a time care goods system. (October 22nd-28th). Instead of ensuring goods and services produced during a time Ensure women you go you for agorun or pack a healthy lunch on on period, health providing us providing with an depend indication of for a run or pack a healthy lunch period, us with anon indication of A person’s should not International Women’s Day is held access to neighbour and walk OctoberOctober 22nd,have grab your 22nd,in grab who they are, how much money they have, services theiryour neighbour and walk annually on March 8th, and is a global to your local and vote. Voting measure of how we are doing regards yourpoll local pollcast and your cast your vote. Voting measure of how wewith are doing withto regards to to language. or where they live, but for many women day celebrating the social, economic, is a healthy maybe the healthiest is a healthy choice,choice, maybe the healthiest October 22-28, 2018 our health. our health. October 22-28, 2018 that is a reality. Health and wellness will cultural and political achievements of can make. To learn about the Be a better one youone canyou make. To learn moremore about Support athe woman theCIW rootare of the are the Canadian listener and At the root ofAt the theCIW Canadian candidates, polls, how to register toher vote and Community Healthonly Centres isachieved with daily be by (October 22nd-28th). Instead ofto ensuring goods andaddressing services produceddiversity, during a time women.NorWest The 2019 themeNorWest for International candidates, polls, how register to vote and more informed values of democracy, economic Community Health Centres is Community Health values of democracy, diversity, economic needs: important election dates visit part of a vibrant network of more than 100 period, you go for a run or pack a healthy lunch on providing us with an indication of talker. security, equity, fairness, important election dates visit environmental, and social health, inclusion, Women’s Day Think equal, Build smart part of is a vibrant network of more than 100 societal, Pay for child care It’s anOctober important 22nd, grabFive your ways neighbour www.tbayvotes.ca security, equity, fairness, health, inclusion, community governed, interprofessional, youand walk Buy her groceries. and Wellbeing Week safety and sustainability. Under theto CIW, one time for women's’ www.tbayvotes.ca community governed, interprofessional, that impact people’s health. factors to your local poll and cast your vote. Voting measure of how we are doing with regards and Innovate for Change. The focus is organizations and girls voices to be primary health care that serve safety and sustainability. Underis the one heard. can support Get her a bus pass. of health civicCIW, engagement. is a healthy choice, maybe the healthiest our indicator health. primaryways health care diverse organizations that in serve October 22-28, 2018 communities Ontario. NorWest Policies intended promote access on innovative gender equality and women’s indicator of health isofcivic Asto part her engagement. research for her book ‘The one you can make. To learn more about the At the root of the CIW are the Canadian diverse communities in Ontario. serves people who often experience barriers candidates, polls, how tohealth register to vote and health care will onlyEffect’, beforsuccessful Village psychologist Susan Pinker Asispart of her research her book ‘The the empowerment of women can beNorWest NorWest Community Healthto Centres values of democracy, diversity, economic health people living on low incomes, serves people who to often barriers important election dates visit partexperience of care: a vibrant network of more than 100 Effect’, found that “face-to-face contact matters”, Village psychologist Susan Pinker security, equity, fairness, health, inclusion, when the experiences of women with advanced, particularly with regards to those in rural and remote areas, recent www.tbayvotes.ca interprofessional, to health care: people community living ongoverned, low incomes, and the personal village around you helps Donate to an and sustainability. Under the CIW, one found that safety “face-to-face contact matters”, low-incomes, immigrants, women of immigrants, people disabilities, people primary health care with organizations that serve access to public services and developing Support organization that indicator of health is civic engagement. those in rural and remote areas, recent you thrive. The network of community and and the personal village around you helps Female-led diverse communities in Ontario. NorWest directly supports living with mental and addictions As part of her research for her this’ book village’ ‘The color, adolescent women, LGTBQ sustainable infrastructure. Inserves 2019 thewhohealth connections you have, you women. immigrants, people with disabilities, people businesses. people often experience barriers youasthrive. Village The network of community and challenges, and people who identify Effect’, Susan Pinker belong to,psychologist has the greatest impact on The your Thunder Bay is chalk full Northwestern Ontario Indigenous women, women to health care: people livingpeople, on low incomes, world is living looking industry leaders, withto mental health and found that “face-to-face contact you matters”, of kick-butt female-led LGBTQ. Weaddictions are able to provide both Women’s Centre, Ontario connections you have, this’is village’ longevity and more of a determinant those in rural and remote areas, recent organizations. Native Women’s Centre and challenges, and people who identify as and women the personalliving village around you helps with disabilities, with start-ups, social entrepreneurs, gender primary health care services and a range of PARO are good ones! belong hasofthe greatest impact on drinking, your immigrants, people with disabilities, people to, you living a long life than not not thrive. The network of community and LGBTQ. We are able to provide both community thatand are based onsenior the and HIV and women are inyou lifestyle living withsupports mental health addictions equality activists, and women innovators to longevity is more ofhave, aincluded determinant smoking, exercising other connections you this’ and village’ of the people we who serve. health care needs services and a range of the challenges, and people identify as factors. belong to, has the greatest impact on of living a long life than not drinking, notyour planning. For many individuals who examineprimary the ways in which innovation can Community Health Centres programs LGBTQ. are able provide both community supports that areisWe based ontothe longevity andand is more of a lifestyle determinant One way people exercising other NorWest celebrating Community Health and services visit www.norwestchc.org, identify with these communities, a broad primary health care services and a smoking, range of remove needs barriers and accelerate progress of living a long life than not drinking, not of the peopleand we serve. supports can engage and Wellbeing Week from October 22the community that are basedfactors. on or www.facebook.com/NorWestCHC smoking, exercising and other lifestyle Community Health Centres programs range of barriers—including inadequate for gender equality, and build services connect with their needs of the people serve. to 28, 2018. Our focuswethis October is factors. orHealth call us at www.norwestchc.org, 807-622-8235. One way people Community Centres programs NorWest is celebrating Community Health and services visit personal village wages, stigma, discrimination, lack of and infrastructure that meet the needs of to encourage and support our clients to One way people NorWest is celebrating Community Health and services visit www.norwestchc.org, can engage and and Wellbeing Week from October 22 is to participate or www.facebook.com/NorWestCHC can engage and engage in their community and vote in the information, lack of affordable housing, women and girls. and Wellbeing Week from October 22 or www.facebook.com/NorWestCHC connect with their inwith elections. Theor call us at 807-622-8235. to 28, 2018. Our focus October isThethis connect their municipal election. Canadian Index of tothis 28, 2018. Our focus October is or call us at 807-622-8235. transportation, lack of paid leave and Although women are living longer, they personal village personal village upcoming municipal to encourage and support to to encourage and support our clients to Wellbeing (CIW), the basis our for clients our community is to participate childcare, criminalization and detention, election falls during do not necessarily live better, healthier engageand in their community and vote the is to participate development strategy, focusses on in key engage in their community vote in the in elections. The municipal election. CanadianDomestic Index of Community Health elections. The aspects of life. Just asThe the interfere with their health.inWe all have a lives. The community plays a Canadian big part in municipal election. The ofGross upcoming municipal Wellbeing (CIW),Index the basis for our community and Wellbeing Week Product (GDP) measures the value of electionmunicipal falls during part women’s health. supporting women to overcome barriers development focusses on to key play in advancing upcoming Wellbeing (CIW), the basis for ourstrategy, community Advertisement
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36 The Walleye
Community Health election falls during and Wellbeing Week Community Health
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CityScene
Making Cystic Fibrosis History
Bora Laskin Chili Cookoff for Charity By Andrea Stach
T
here are currently 4,200 Canadians affected by Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Local Lakehead University law student Katie Akey’s personal connection to the disease drives her to be a motivated advocate for those living with CF. Her childhood best friend is a two-time double lung transplant recipient and Akey has witnessed the struggles of living with the disease. Wanting to be involved and to make a difference, Akey and a friend have decided to take part in the CF Foundation’s inaugural Worldwide Walk to Make Cystic Fibrosis History. The eight-day trek will see 79 dedicated participants, all with personal
connections to CF, hike from Cusco to Machu Picchu in Peru from May 26 to June 2. The first day of the walk coincides with local walks that will be hosted all across the country, including here in Thunder Bay at Marina Park. Before the hard work of hiking in the Lares Valley can begin, each participant must raise $4,200, which represents $1 for every Canadian living with the disease. In honour of the trek, the First Annual Bora Laskin Chili Cookoff for Charity is set for March 8 from 6–8 pm at Law School Auditorium. This fun and tasty event will feature 15 unique and savoury chilies homemade by a selection of law
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professors, law students, and one local lawyer as they vie for the honour of being voted the First Chili Champ by three celebrity judges and tasting participants. For a minimum donation of $10, the cookoff is open to everyone and includes a penny auction, cash bar, and an opportunity to cast a vote for the yummiest chili in the city. A busy law student with plenty on her plate, Akey says that while fundraising and training for the trek
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has been challenging, she is driven to support her best friend and others like him living with CF. “He is my inspiration for the walk and I look forward to celebrating his 34th birthday with him when I get back,” she says. Tickets for the Bora Laskin Chili Cookoff are available at the door. Contact Katie Akey for more information at vpcomms.lss@lakeheadu.ca.
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CityScene
Jim Pedwell
Courting Romance Former Courthouse Transformed into Snazzy New Venue Story by Bonnie Schiedel, Photo by Adrian Lysenko
F
or nearly 100 years, visiting the Courthouse (the Superior Court of Justice) overlooking Court Street didn’t evoke celebration or relaxation. However, that’s about to change, as the venerable building has been recreated as the Courthouse Hotel. Built in 1923
and designed by architect Frank R. Heakes, it’s a pretty stunning example of a boutique hotel. It’s scheduled to open in late March. The building was placed on the city’s Heritage Registry in 2009 but stopped functioning as a courthouse in 2014, when the new consolidated courthouse opened. Owner David Sun, who will move to Thunder Bay with his family, bought it in 2017 for $500,000 and embarked on a four-storey renovation that aims to preserve the historic charm. That translates to polishing the original terrazzo floors and keeping the massive oak doors, the coffered ceiling, and details like the burnished brass accents in the elevator, oak trim and paneling, and gilt paint. In the former Hall of Justice,
which boasts a 23-foot ceiling and can now seat about 150 for weddings and other celebrations, the quarter-cut oak judge’s bench on a dais now doubles as a bar or stage. The judge’s chambers? Converted into the bridal suite. The former box for the accused is now the front desk, and a few of the courtroom benches will be used for extra seating. “We’re still thinking about what to do with the witness box and the vault,” says manager Jim Pedwell (who also happens to be a wedding officiant). The main entrance has the original divided, curved staircase with ornate railings and a ginormous sparkly chandelier (apparently, the bridesto-be who have toured the venue all comment that it’s “just like Titanic.’”) The 41 guest rooms are located on all four floors of the hotel,
many with gorgeous views of Lake Superior and the Sleeping Giant framed by huge arched windows. On the main floor, there’s a breakfast room that has a small commercial kitchen that can also be used by caterers. And no, you can’t see the actual holding cells—they’ve been converted into a fitness area, change room and washrooms. “We’re looking forward to being part of the community,” says Pedwell. “Next year we’d like to host a sliding party on the hill and serve hot chocolate, we’ll be part of an historic walking tour and we’ll definitely direct our patrons to various local establishments.” Verdict: sounds promising. For more information, visit courthousehotel.ca.
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CityScene
Wall Space
Creating from Centre Dog Paw Pottery Studio
Story and Photos by Leah Morningstar
A
few years ago, a successful crowdfunding campaign enabled Meg Sheepway to fulfill one of her dreams: creating a home studio for her craft. Sheepway had already been making pottery since 2012, but thanks to funds gathered from supporters across Canada, Dog Paw Pottery studio was born. Walking through the front door of the backyard studio reveals a small storage and foyer area, dominated by a kiln in the corner. Stepping past the kiln through another door is a spacious and bright working and teaching area with ample storage and display areas. Finally, through yet another door
40 The Walleye
lies a special meditation room with mats and pillows and art covering the walls. It’s the perfect place to transition from the hustle and grind of everyday life to a calm energy. Sheepway centres herself before she begins creating—or, as she puts it, “I am creating from centre.” In the middle of the work space, eight wheels and eight stools sit in a circle. Sheepway teaches pottery classes several times a week for both adults and children. Each class begins with meditation before moving on to the wheels; the walls are lined with finished and unfinished student projects. Window and door frames,
CityScene ceiling boards, work tops, and storage boxes are constructed from cedar, bamboo, applewood, spruce, and tamarack. It smells amazing and perfectly complements the warm earthy aroma of wet clay. The cedar and bamboo were purchased from larger chains, but the tamarack was sourced from a local lumber mill in Murillo, and the spruce and applewood were salvaged from trees in Sheepway’s own backyard. She explains why she was initially so hesitant to cut down her own trees: “My partner and I are both outdoor educators; we spend a lot of time in nature. At first I couldn’t bear the thought of chopping down such big beautiful trees. My friend is an arborist and advised us about some problems with the trees though, so I was able to come to terms with cutting them down.” In addition to reclaiming and repurposing the wood, Sheepway repurposes old clay as well. “A potter’s life has a lot to do with reclaiming: reclaiming broken pots and bits of clay. Reclaiming is a huge part of my values as an artist and as a human
being.” Gazing around the studio, it’s quite clear how Sheepway’s art imitates life and the other way around. Everything looks like it was lifted straight from the forest—not only is it a visual treat, but a tactile delight as well. It’s grounding and humbling to run one’s hands over the various surfaces and textures that make up Dog Paw Pottery. On any given day, it’s likely that Sheepway will be set up behind her wheel, hands covered in clay, podcasts or music playing while she works. A glance out the large picture window reveals a backyard garden and a fun play area for the kids and dogs. To be surrounded by her family and homegrown food, while creating art truly is a dream come true. The backyard is still blanketed in snow, but Sheepway stays pretty warm in her studio. A firing kiln, burning sage, and endless cups of coffee ensure this warm oasis in the heart of Northwestern Ontario continually inspires creation. For more information, visit Sheepway’s website: dogpawpottery.ca.
Meg Sheepway
The Walleye
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Rolled to Perfection? OCS’s Pre-Rolled Joints By Justin Allec
J
oints are both iconic and effective. A good one that burns slowly and evenly is a treat. Additional positives are that rolling papers are cheap, joints travel well, they’re easy to share, and knowing how to roll is a desirable life skill. The drawbacks: joints will stink up the neighborhood. A bad joint will also ruin your night: the paper tears, they canoe (burn on one side, instead of evenly), they flare up, they get soggy, or they go out. This is even if you can roll one properly, which many people can’t. Now, if you believe that a machine-produced joint is blasphemous, this isn’t to convince you
otherwise. If you want to trust the sales pitch, though, the best reasons to try a pre-rolled is price, as they’re (usually) cheaper than a loose gram, and the rolling work is done. Prerolled joints have largely overcome their bad reputation and what the Ontario Cannabis Store is carrying makes sense for the mass-market— to a point. Those stories about prerolled joints made up of shake leftovers and sold as premium strains have some truth to them. Rolling machines weren’t (and still aren’t) infallible either, and they work best with cones—not my preferred shape for a joint, and the inch-long filters demand trimming. Also,
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pre-rolled joints are only available in half- and one-gram sizes, which is a bit much for a solo session. Look, I’ve given up trying to roll joints with OCS cannabis; I find it incredibly hard to roll a decent joint working with cannabis that has crumbled to powder. So, for sampling, I went with the Ace Valley Sativa 3-pack, (THC 7.42 - 17.62%; CBD 1%; $27.75), Synr.g’s Fantasy Island one-gram (THC 10 - 16%; CBD <1%; $10.60), and Edison’s half-gram Rio Bravo (THC 12 - 20%; CBD <1%; $6.65). Everything between brands appeared consistent—cone shape, long filters, excessive packaging. Cost seemed not tied to the strain so much as the quality of construction. The Edison joint canoed almost immediately, though it was
only rolled a month prior to my purchase, while the Ace Valley joints burned slow and nice, despite being packaged seven months ago. The Synr.g joint was a behemoth, and needed a bit of minding as it made its way around the circle. All brands were dry, though, and definitely left me with a sore throat. I know that the market is still adapting, so I’m not going to say “never” to a pre-rolled, but these experiences weren’t great. Paying an additional cost to have the joint prepared for you and still having the typical issues was disappointing. Given that freshness is an issue with all OCS cannabis, I’m not convinced I’ll be able to roll one on my own until the brick-and-mortar stores arrive.
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CityScene
Wake the Giant
Forming Stronger Bonds, Relationships, and Understanding Story by Kim Latimer, Photo by Adrian Lysenko
Shawnda Mamakwa
I
t’s lunchtime at Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School. Inside, several uniformed police officers mill around a classroom. They’re smiling, chuckling and eating a hot lunch with students. For a city that’s captured international headlines with the words “systemic racism,” this is a glimpse of hope on a -40°C winter day. Sean Spenrath, a First Nation Secondary School Pass (FNSSP) coordinator, shows me to the most raw and vibrant room in the school: the art classroom. This is where the late Kyle Morrisseau (grandson of internationally renowned artist Norval Morrisseau) once sat. I’m quietly aware that this is the room where the next generation of Canada’s great Indigenous artists will undoubtedly sit. We’re joined by teacher Greg Chomut and the school principal Sharon Angeconeb to talk about their plans to Wake the Giant—a social movement that’s bubbling up out of their school and into the city. “In the long-term, we want to change attitudes in the city. We want people to be more welcoming to students and their families…we need to engage on the very difficult topics,” says Angeconeb, who herself years ago was one of these students, uprooted to Thunder Bay to get her high school education. “People like Sean and Greg have a heart for the students,” she says. “We want to go
44 The Walleye
further—Thunder Bay as a whole can benefit and business people play a huge role in helping.” Right now the group is pooling its resources with assistance from a Heritage Canada grant. The committee guiding Wake the Giant says they have over 100 local businesses on board who’ve agreed to help. The aim of Wake the Giant is “to form stronger bonds, relationships and understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities in Thunder Bay and surrounding areas,” according to their mission statement. “We hope to create a platform for positive connections… [where students will] feel more welcome and safe when they come to the city.” They’ve asked local businesses to put their Wake the Giant decal on display in their storefront window or door as a recognizable symbol to students signalling that they are welcome, safe, and can even seek help there if needed. Not unlike Neighbourhood Watch from decades ago, it comes across as a visible gesture of safety, reconciliation, and community care on public scale. “Students are telling us all the time that there are a lot of microaggressions of racism happening, like people being followed in a store or being treated in a rude way and not getting the same service as someone else,” says Chomut. “Everyone who is joining Wake the Giant wants to
be part of a positive change and we want to build greater understanding. People do want to help.” Angeconeb takes that vision a step further: “We want businesses to consider our students for co-ops, and actively participate in hiring them for part-time jobs.” Both the college and university have also contacted the committee saying they want to join the movement. Chomut chimes in on behalf of his vision for his art classes at DFC, saying “using the kiln at Lakehead University would also be a big step.” Spenrath says we need to flip Thunder Bay’s racist image on its head: “Let’s become the city that’s leading the way [toward reconciliation, against racism]. The spotlight is very negative right now. Let’s make it positive and show that Thunder Bay is a welcoming place for Indigenous people.” This is only phase one of the movement. The plan is to roll it out over the next three years. This summer the Wake the Giant committee is planning a large music and arts event with the hope that the community will mix and mingle to celebrate diversity. Spenrath hopes to draw headline First Nations recording artists to their Wake the Giant Music Festival planned for September 13. He says the committee hopes that participating businesses will set up booths and
participate at the festival in a collaborative show of support. “We believe that music and food to bring people together, this is the idea and the students are really excited about it,” he adds. In fact, music is having such an impact on students at DFC that they’ve composed and recorded their own song, “Mourning Keeps Coming Back,” now available for download on Spotify and iTunes. Other events, including The Amazing Race and The DFC Experience are also being planned for September. For now, the goal is to encourage more businesses to Wake the Giant. “We are open to anyone getting involved and joining in on this movement,” says Chomut. “It’s weird to say ‘you’re welcome to come back to your land’ but that’s what we need to do… bring everyone together and that’s what makes community.” To learn more or become part of Wake the Giant contact Sean Spenrath seanspenrath@gmail.com.
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The Walleye
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CityScene Plant
Stuff We Like
Bloomers and the Brownhouse
330 South Archibald Street Prep your green thumb for the growing season and add some horticultural happiness to your surroundings with a plant (or two) from Bloomers and the Brownhouse. We chose a Maidenhair fern (adiantum aethiopicum) for its delicate, lacy look and for this fun fact: oil is extracted from its leaves to make shampoo, hence the name “maidenhair.” Don’t forget to ask the friendly shopkeepers for the best way to take care of your new friend.
For Transitioning to Spring By Rebekah Skochinski
W
e’ve skied and we’ve snowshoed. We’ve hiked and we’ve shovelled. We’ve gathered around cozy fires and lit candles and snuggled under blankets. We’ve bundled and trundled. We love winter, we really do, but we’re also ready to set it free. Here’s Stuff We Like for Transitioning to Spring.
$12
Rain Boots JB Evans
122 West Frederica Street Forget dashing through the snow and get poised for puddles with these Hunter boots in a lovely gloss finish and gull grey colour. Similar to the iconic tall boot, this shorter style is handcrafted from the same natural vulcanized rubber and comfortable quick-dry nylon lining, but features an expandable gusset at the back— perfect for a wider calf and for maximum range of movement. Waterproof and stylish to boot!
$180
Pea Shoots
Essential Oils Hygge Loft
286 Bay Street Say sayonara to hibernation mode and come to your senses with Vitruvi essential oils. Originating from the west coast, these premium oils are 100% pure, which means no fillers, synthetic fragrances, or unnatural components. Only good things! We’re partial to Boost, which is a delightful blend of juniper, lime, bergamot, and grapefruit. Add to a diffuser, a bath, or dab on your wrists anytime you need a pickme-up.
$26
Thunder Bay Country Market
Vitality Natural Food Market
160 Waterloo Street Some colour, some colour, our kingdom for some colour! Get revived from the inside out with a cold-pressed juice that is teeming with goodness and several rainbow shades (pre-pressed of course). Check out The Clockwork Orange at Vitality’s juice bar. It has carrot, apple, pineapple, cucumber, lemon, ginger, and turmeric. One helping and you’ll be revved up and raring to go in time for the equinox. Zing zing!
$7
850 North May Street Everything tastes better with a little green on top. Veg-e-tate Market Garden’s microgreens will add the crunch and colour we’ve all been craving. Their pea shoots are fantastic raw, whipped into salad dressings, or layered in your favourite grain bowl. Grown indoors under natural lighting (year-round) in a soil mix without any animal byproducts, the shoots are tasty and nutritious— you get a dose of vitamins A, C, and folic acid with every bite.
$5 per container
Cold Pressed Juice
Sunglasses Street Legal
701 Memorial Avenue Start off the next sartorial season in style and stay shady with a new pair of sunnies. We’re smitten with Quay Australia—a brand with fashion-forward frames and an affordable price point that is popular with celebrities and civilians alike. The High Key Desi is an update to the universally flattering aviator style with an oversized frame, reflective lenses, and signature triangle notches. So glam!
$90
Mug
Finnport
290 Bay Street Take a sip of spring any time your heart desires with this bright and colourful Marimekko mug from Finnport. The Unikko poppy pattern designed by Sami Ruotsalainen is beloved with good reason. Can you smell the flowers? We can. Dishwasher, microwave, and even freezerproof, it’s made of durable white stoneware so the pattern won’t fade or wear off. Just like our hope that springs eternal.
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$24
CityScene
GO LOCAL THUNDER BAY COUNTRY MARKET
El Cubano: A Taste of Cuba at the Market Story by Wendy Wright, Photo by Marty Mascarin
E
l Cubano has been open upstairs at the Thunder Bay Country Market since last autumn. Julia and Steve Miles, the same folks behind Juicy Ju’s, are now bringing you Cuban food right beside their smoothie booth. There are many tempting items on offer, but by far the most popular is the El Cubano panini, which features roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard. Julia explains how in Cuba, the El Cubano sandwich is akin to our club sandwich— every restaurant has one, but each may have a different twist. There’s also the pan con timba, which is a three-cheese grilled cheese with guava paste. Both sandwiches feature homemade bread and are great for the market as you can walk with them while you browse. Other fare includes tamales, ropa vieja bowls, churros, burritos, and arroz con pollo—all favourites in Cuba, where the love of these foods began for the Mileses. The Mileses love Cuba, its people, and its food, and visit three or four times a year. They bring back recipes, ingredients, spices, and ideas. One of the main
things brought back each trip is the specialty guava paste, guayaba, used for the pan con timba sandwich and assorted pastries. Each of the Miles’s Cuban adventures includes cooking and recipe sharing. They mainly spend their time in Cárdenas, an inland town off the beaten path where they have found kindred foodie spirits and friends. Sharing Canadian and Cuban recipes between friends is a great way to connect, and you can taste it in their food. We in the Thunder Bay area are then lucky to taste this friendship and love as well. The Mileses also bring a lot to Cuba on their trips, contributing to construction, water projects, and even purchasing a food cart for a friend to make a living. This is in addition to the medical and other supplies they arrange for. Every spring and autumn, the Metropolitan Moose in Kakabeka Falls (their restaurant) hosts four events, with all funds raised going to these philanthropic endeavours. If you can’t get away this winter to sunnier climes, stop at El Cubano at the Thunder Bay Country Market for a taste of Cuba.
Caribbean Night March 9, 4-7pm - kicking off a week long sale March 12-16 Going on holidays? Thinking about summer? Get first access to some of the latest incredible designs by Thunder Bay's own Elfarrow Apparel Ethically handmade in Nepal Tontu Cafe-Boutique | 108 E. Fredrica St – Westfort Village tontuplanet@gmail.com
Julia Miles, co-owner of El Cubano
DON RUSNAK MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT Thunder Bay—Rainy River A Strong Voice For Thunder Bay– Rainy River /Rusnak2015
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A group for children and youth to talk about their experiences with women abuse.
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48 The Walleye
CityScene
A New Way Forward
Diversity Thunder Bay Celebrates International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination By Pat Forrest
Tanya Talaga, author of Seven Fallen Feathers and keynote presenter at the upcoming International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Breakfast
O
rganizers of Diversity Thunder Bay’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Celebration Breakfast face the challenge each year of living up to the calibre of the previous year’s event. With such speakers as award-winning activist Toni Morgan in 2018, Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner Dr. Marie Wilson in 2017, and renowned author and Companion of the Order of Canada Stephen Lewis in 2016, among many others, they have set the bar high. They are confident, however, that this year’s speaker will attract yet another sell-out crowd. Tanya Talaga, acclaimed author of Seven Fallen Feathers, which investigates the
seven deaths of Indigenous students attending Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School between 2000 and 2011, will be this year’s keynote presenter at the breakfast, scheduled for March 21 at the Victoria Inn. Seven Fallen Feathers, a national bestseller, was the winner of the RBC Taylor Prize, the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing, and the First Nation Communities Read Award: Young Adult/Adult. It was also a finalist for the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Nonfiction Prize and the BC National Award for Nonfiction, and was named CBC’s Nonfiction Book of the Year and a Globe and Mail Top 100 Book. Talaga was the 2017–2018 Atkinson Fellow in Public Policy, the
2018 CBC Massey Lecturer, and is author of the national bestseller All Our Relations: Finding The Path Forward. For more than 20 years, she has been a journalist at the Toronto Star and is now a columnist at the newspaper. She has been nominated five times for the Michener Award in public service journalism. Talaga says that now it is time to come together to find a new path towards understanding, so that all who call Thunder Bay home feel as though they belong. “We are all responsible for our past, and therefore, we can all have a hand in prevention, and a new way forward,” she says. Her keynote will touch on the ways the community did not look after its children, and
thereby allowed them to be lost, as well as the positive changes that have already taken place in Thunder Bay to better support children, and what more could be done by the community, individually and as a whole, to make it a safer and more welcoming community. “I have deep family ties to Thunder Bay and the traditional territories of Fort William First Nation. I care for the city and all of its people and I have great faith in the city’s future,” she says.
Victoria Inn March 21, 7:30–9 am diversitythunderbay.ca
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CityScene to problem-solve, and to express themselves. Each child’s discovery is listened to and the program caters to their capacities. As the children enter grade one and two, woodwork, knitting, storytelling, movement, drawing, painting, and play are just a few examples of how the education moves from an enriched experience to understanding. Waldorf Education has existed for 100 years and is a whole holistic teaching method. After two years, Northern Lights School, with its volunteer board of directors made up of parents, grandparents, and friends of the school, continues to celebrate its growth and the beauty of a mission realized. For more information on current programs visit northernlightsschool.ca
Northern Lights School
Re-Imagining Education in Thunder Bay By Marcia Arpin
T
he mission statement of Northern Lights School is to re-imagine education in Thunder Bay. This initiative blossomed from a committed group of parents into a Waldorf-inspired school in 2017. Located in North McIntyre Recreation Centre, this independent, not-for-profit incorporated school currently offers junior and senior kindergarten, grade one, and grade two, and will continue to expand as the children enrolled grow. “The current teaching staff have taught in conventional schools for years, however, for the first time, they express loving their job because they have a newly discovered
50 The Walleye
freedom to build meaningful and lasting relationships with each child year after year,” says Arlene Thorn, founder of the school. “Expectations of a child differ from conventional school by eliminating the ‘hurried approach’ and instead investing in healthy child development.” With smaller class sizes, the youngest children explore a curriculum with a foundation in nature. Kindergarten is a place where nature-based imaginative free play is enriched by life skills, crafts, stories, music, and festivals. With access to an outdoor classroom filled with trees, pathways, and waterways, teachers support the unfolding of each child to be curious,
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CityScene to be won. “It’s a world under glass,” says Feller. “Whether it is an older crowd feeling nostalgic or the younger crew trying it out for the first time, it’s really kinetic—you feel what’s going on, and it’s very physical when you’re playing.” Every pinball machine can play up to four players at a time, which is also encourages a sense of community as groups crowd around the machines and cheer each other on. Whether it’s as part of the league play, or an enjoyable night out with friends, the guys at Savvy Amusements are happy to let you know that the silver ball is back and here to stay. For more information, check out their website, pinball.rocks or find them on Facebook facebook.com/ savvyamusements.
(L-R) Steve Vares and Bryan Feller
Savvy Amusements They Sure Play a Mean Pinball By Deanne Gagnon
W
hen Bryan Feller and Steve Vares were asked to repair a broken pinball machine, the two friends, who love to tinker with and fix electronics, met their match. “Pinballs are the neverending fuss-machine,” says Feller. “It’s not just some metal ball rolling around in a wood box,” adds Vares. After learning the intricacies of (and growing to love) these complex machines, they travelled to pinball expos from Winnipeg to Chicago and noticed a trend—pinball has made a comeback in a big way. The guys saw an opportunity and went for it. “We realized it was inevitable. It was going to happen in Thunder Bay with or without us and we thought it would be a lot more fun if we were part of it,” says Vares with a smile.
52 The Walleye
Savvy Amusements is a one-stop shop for all things pinball: they buy them, move them, service them, have them on location, will sell them, sell parts, and also run the Pinball Thunder Bay Facebook page, where fellow pinball enthusiasts can connect. There are currently pinball machines in three locations around town: Cheer’s the Village Pub, Dawson Trail Craft Brewery, and The Waterhouse, with more to come. The response has been overwhelmingly positive—all three locations have already requested more machines and other local establishments have expressed an interest. They have started a pinball league, as the league grows they are hoping to become registered under the International Flipper Pinball Association (IFPA) where there are large tournaments and big money
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CityScene
The First Shift
A $5000 cheque presented to McKellar Park Central School by Correctional Officers (L-R) Warren Giertuga and Raffaeli Tassone on behalf of the Wayne Gretzky Foundation
Students Learn Hockey Skills and Build Confidence as Part of National Program By Kris Ketonen
D
ozens of students in two Thunder Bay public schools are getting their first taste of hockey this year thanks to a national program—and they’re making major strides both on the ice and in the classroom. The First Shift program aims to get more kids into hockey, and remove as many barriers as possible in the process. It’s run by Hockey Canada in partnership with Canadian Tire and Bauer, providing equipment, ice time, and instruction for kids who may not otherwise have access to it. This year, Lakehead Public Schools is running the program at McKellar Park and Ogden
Community schools, where students are learning how capable they are as their hockey skills improve, says Jouni Kuokkanen, a teacher at McKellar Park and former professional hockey player, who works with the students on the ice. “You can see the determination and perseverance in these students,” he says. “The skill development takes the willingness of the students to take risks and make mistakes, which is what we value in our classrooms.” At McKellar Park, First Shift runs Thursday mornings at the Fort William Gardens. And Kuokkanen says it’s become a family event. “We have dads that come out there and
skate with their kids,” he says. “I see that they’ve bought themselves a stick and new skates, and they look forward to this every week.” Adds McKellar Park principal Jo-Anne Giertuga: “It’s very exciting for them to see their kids do that, because oftentimes the parents don’t have that opportunity, or the grandparents don’t have that opportunity. All of a sudden, ‘I didn’t know my child could skate like that,’ so they’re getting excited about it, too,” she says. Giertuga says the initial funding was enough for 15 kids to participate, but interest among students was higher. So the community
stepped in, donating money and equipment. This year, more than 30 McKellar students in total are participating due to that support. And the support is coming in the form of volunteering, as well, with various groups—including corrections and police officers—helping out on the ice. This year’s First Shift wraps up in April, and the hope is the program will continue next year, and eventually expand to other schools, Giertuga says. For more information, visit firstshift.ca.
patty.hajdu@parl.gc.ca I 1-888-266-8004 @pattyhajdu
PATTY HAJDU Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay-Superior North
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CityScene
This is Thunder Bay Interviews by Nancy Saunders, Photos by Laura Paxton This month we asked The Walleye readers what comfort food gets them through the winter.
Ashley: I always like mac and cheese. Carolyn: I don’t know…maybe pizza, I guess. Pepperoni, bacon, and mushroom. Extra cheese sometimes.
Graeme: I would have to say my favourite comfort food in the winter is a butter
chicken or a chana masala—something creamy and kind of spicy. It just warms me up.
54 The Walleye
Shane: Blueberry waffles. Something simple. Sometimes I like homemade but usually store-bought.
SATURDAY, MARCH 16 cheadles llp is proud to announce our newest partner, jordan lester! Jordan joined the firm in 2013 and has since grown to be one of Northwestern Ontario’s top civil litigators. He has successfully represented clients before many different courts and tribunals, including the Ontario Court of Appeal, Ontario Superior Court, Federal Court, Alberta Queen’s Bench and the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal.
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Nurses & Personal Support Workers Caring Careers Start Here Enjoy a future-focused career in healthcare as a Nurse or Personal Support Worker with St. Joseph’s Care Group. For more information, visit careers.sjcg.net For more career information on St. Joseph’s Care Group, visit www.sjcg.net 56 The Walleye
Music
Craig Cardiff
Everybody Has a Song in Them By Emma Christensen
A
fter over two decades, Canadian singer-songwriter Craig Cardiff still feels privileged to interact with others through music. The folk/roots musician makes Thunder Bay a regular stop, and he plans to return to The Study Coffeehouse at Lakehead University this month. Cardiff’s shows initially have the feel of a cozy evening in a friend’s living room, where someone just happens to pick up the guitar. Wearing jeans and a T-shirt, Cardiff talks casually with his audience as he strums the first chords. When the room falls silent and the first song begins, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary evening. Cardiff’s unaccompanied skill on the guitar
and his gracefully insightful lyrics give him away as a Juno-nominated professional musician. As he plays, Cardiff circulates the Book of Truths, a blank notebook in which he encourages members of the audience to write something that is meaningful to them. It’s the act of writing that allows us to be more honest. “If we tried to say these things to each other in person they would be harder,” he says. Cardiff’s lyrics frequently tackle tough topics, from homelessness to stillbirth. He’s undaunted by the fact that these subjects are often beyond his personal experience. “You write about things that matter to you or that you don’t fully
understand, or you wonder about,” he says. Convinced that “everybody has a song in them,” Cardiff regularly visits schools to give workshops. “There’s beauty and chaos in art that fills the soul and unless you have people other than teachers showing up and saying that, music’s going to continue to be a peripheral [part of the curriculum],” he says. Throughout the course of a prolific career—resulting in about an album a year—Cardiff has emphasized songs that “have connection or have a bigger place in the world.” In November 2018 he compiled some of his favorites in This is Craig Cardiff: Collected Works. This is the first album released since Cardiff signed on with AntiFragile Music a
year ago, after years as an independent musician. “I’ve gotten to build a great team and work with different people and I think this is an extension of it,” he says. “It’s been an amazing partnership.” With characteristic humility, Cardiff expresses his gratitude toward audiences who continue to take time out from their busy lives to support live music. “It’s so appreciated and that can’t be expressed enough,” he says.
The Study Coffeehouse March 22, 8 pm craigcardiff.ca
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Music and wealth of experience. Torontow spent a number of years in Toronto singing professionally before moving to Thunder Bay to start a family. Their pianist, Jamie Philp, is best known around town for being the entertainment at the Valhalla Inn’s Sunday brunch and has also entered an original composition in CBC’s national Searchlight songwriting contest. Saxophonist Mark Piovesana, who passed up on the opportunity to play professionally in his youth, is now pursuing it in retirement. With the professional pedigree of all the members and the high quality of the music they are performing, The Summertime JAM Project should definitely make your list of bands to see in 2019. On that note, the group will once again grace the stage of The Foundry on March 7. If at all possible, I suggest you make your way there and try to brighten up this dreary winter with a little summertime.
(L-R) Jamie Philp, Mark Piovesana, and Anna Torontow
The Summertime JAM Project
Protect Your Home from Flooding! The City of Thunder Bay is offering financial assistance for homeowners, churches, and not-for-profit organizations to take flood prevention measures. Homeowners interested in protecting their property from water damage have until November 30, 2019 to apply.
Musicians Brightening Up the Dreary Winter
Residential Rebates Sump Pump – 50% of the invoiced cost up to a maximum of $1500 including labour, materials, permit and taxes.
By Noel Jones
I
f you are planning a lavish dinner party or seeking to jazz up your upcoming company function, you should look into acquiring the services of The Summertime JAM Project. Since their first gig at The Foundry just this past September, their popularity has been steadily growing. In addition to regular performances at The Foundry’s Jazzy Thursday nights, they have also put on shows at the Craft Revival, Savour Superior, as well as at The Silver Birch. The group plays a timeless, classy brand of music that is perfect for any event, so it should come as no surprise that their popularity continues to grow.
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The Summertime JAM Project specializes in music from the Great American Songbook. In case you aren’t exactly sure what that is, just think Frank Sinatra—or, for those of you whose listening experience doesn’t go back further than the 1980s, Diana Krall and Michael Buble might help to typify the style. These are the original Broadway hits and they still continue to draw a crowd to this day. The group even derived their name from a musical—the song “Summertime” from Porgy & Bess, which singer Anna Torontow sang as her audition for the group. Like the song, all the members of the group have a rich musical background
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Eligibility
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The property must have its downspouts properly disconnected from the sewer system. A plumber licensed by the City of Thunder Bay must be hired to install the backflow prevention valve and a qualified contractor must undertake all other work. Call EcoSuperior for a list of plumbers participating in the program. Building permits and inspections must be obtained for all work. The rebate program is available for all homeowners within the city of Thunder Bay who are completing work this year, as well as those who completed improvements after May 28, 2012. Please keep all receipts and inspection forms associated with your residential drainage improvements. Visit www.ecosuperior.org, call Will Vander Ploeg Drainage Rebate Coordinator at 624-2658 or contact william@ecosuperior.org for full details.
Music
Blues House Party
Thunder Bay Blues Society Presents an Evening of Music, Entertainment, and Dancing By Ken Wright
T
he tradition of the blues house party was an excuse for musicians and their friends to get together, play some tunes, swap some stories, have a few drinks, pass the hat for a worthy cause, and celebrate the spirit of the shared community that tied it all together. The Thunder Bay Blues Society (TBBS) will be recreating that vibe at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 5 on March 30 as a fundraiser for their Road to Memphis program, which has sponsored many local musicians to perform on the world stage of the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge over the past several years. And, with winter leaving or spring arriving like a lion or a lamb as Mother Nature 2019 will dictate, what better reason to welcome the changing season than a house party. Encouraging the next generation of our city’s blues musicians, a young power trio called The Shortstops will get the party started. Blues variety will be the theme as three more groups take the stage, beginning with the R&B styling of American Heritage
Blues Hall of Fame inductee James Boraski & MomentaryEvolution, with a surprise guest saxophonist. The Shakes, a spinoff from the resoundingly popular bands Loose Cannon and The Angies will follow. Blueshawk—a veteran band featuring the venerable Eddie Mlynarski on guitar, piano sensation Brad Rusnak (Smedley B), and Mike Carson, who has played with Jeff Healey and Tyler Yarema— will headline. The night will wind up with the first-ever Blues House Party All-Star Jam that will include exciting combinations of musicians from each of the evening’s bands. Advance tickets include a 7-oz beer sampling from Sleeping Giant Brewing Company. TBBS members will qualify for draws to win a grand prize of two weekend passes to the 2019 Thunder Bay Blues Festival, tickets to upcoming TBBS events, and CD/DVD packages.
Royal Canadian Legion Branch 5 March 30 thunderbaybluessociety.ca James Boraski
We are OPEN Sunday, March 17th for St. Patricks Day!
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Music
TBSO Earns Juno Nomination Into The Wonder Skyrockets to National Attention By Michael Sobota
T
he 2019 Juno Awards take place on March 16 and 17 in London, Ontario, and this year, Thunder Bay is in that national spotlight. The Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra (TBSO) is nominated for Classical Album of the Year Large Ensemble category. In experiencing the TBSO over the past several decades, I have always said they punch above their weight. Hearing them live, you would think they sound like an orchestra twice or three times their size. This 2019 Juno nomination confirms this— they are competing against recordings by the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Seattle and Detroit Symphony orchestras. Into The Wonder, the nominated recording, consists of two classical works commissioned by the TBSO from Canadian composer Jordan Pal. Starling, a triple concerto for violin, cello, piano, and orchestra, was given its premiere by the TBSO in 2014, followed by Into The Wonder, an orchestral tone poem, in 2016. Later that spring, a small army of musical forces assembled to record the two pieces. Local musician, arranger, performer, and
mentor to countless musical artists, Danny Johnson, took on the coordinating role of executive producer for the project. While his overview and guidance was critical, in an interview Johnson was quick to give generous credit to many others. Paul Inksetter, then president of the TBSO Board of Directors, lead the initial funding drive that brought local investors on board. Johnson helped secure the participation of the Gryphon Trio. Arthur Post, then the TBSO’s music director and conductor, rehearsed the musicians. A highly regarded and in-demand recording engineer, Carl Talbot, joined the project as recording producer. This roster of participants— from the composer to the orchestra to the technical team—is what makes Into The Wonder unique in this Juno nomination field. The album is the only genuinely Canadian musical recording in this category. The other orchestras recorded familiar classical composers. Recording took place over two days in the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, where the pieces had originally premiered. With this diversity of personalities involved in such a large project, Johnson said
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that yes, tensions rose. “But the musicians brought their A-game. Everybody stepped up their energy and that quality shows in the finished recording.” Linda Penner, current president of the TBSO Board of Directors, sees the nomination as more than merely recognizing the TBSO. She sees it shining light on the city. “The nomination offers us, along with our
community, an inspirational boost. It presents another positive aspect of our city to a wider audience and it underscores the importance and power of collaboration.” Into The Wonder is available for purchase at any upcoming TBSO concert, or by phoning their office at 626-8276. It is also available on iTunes and Spotify.
On behalf of the Morriseau Family and Keewaytinook Okimakanak Secondary Student Services, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude towards our generous donors:
Christian Morriseau Josh Kakegamic Lisa Morriseau Eugene Morriseau Ninesixty Media Group Mallon’s Corporate Impressions Brotherhood Dance Group Abe & Eva Kakepetum Max Kakepetum Bill Mequanawap Darryl Big George Wasaya Airways North Star Air
Windigo Education Authority Northern Bands Hockey Tournament Ontario Native Women’s Association Ahnisnabae Art Gallery Renco Foods Canadian Tire – Thunder Centre Nicole & Wesley McKay & Family Lydia Meekis & Family Keewaytinook Internet High School KOSSS Well-Being Program KOSSS Land-Based Program Keewaytinook Okimakanak
We appreciate your support in making the Seventh Generation Memorial Scholarship Fundraiser Gala a successful event and a night to remember for Kyle’s family. The Seventh Generation Memorial Scholarship will be able to continue to provide scholarships to Indigenous youth across the Nishnawbe Aski territory, as they pursue their post-secondary education. Kyle Peter Morriseau is remembered with love by his family, friends, and his home For more information on the Seventh Generation Memorial Scholarship and how to donate, please The visit:Walleye kmms.ca61
Music
TBShows.com presents ON THE SCENE
A Lesson in Old School Metal By Jimmy Wiggins
Band: 12 Gauge Prayer Hometown: Thunder Bay Genre: Heavy Metal For fans of: Judas Priest, Anthrax, Metallica, Skid Row. Online: @hellcitys Next show: April 5 at Black Pirates Pub
M
ade up of Darcy Forneri (vocals), Darren Patkau (guitar), Gordon Maunula (bass), and Matt Chase (drums), 12 Gauge Prayer play old-school heavy metal. Drawing influence from major acts like Mötley Crüe, Skid Row, Anthrax, Motörhead, Metallica, and Judas Priest, 12GP’s sound is no joke. Their songs are loud and heavy with catchy riffs, groovy bass lines, and pounding drums that all come together with anthemic vocal hooks. With songs like “Live II Ride,” “Metal Dragon,” and “Let’s Get Fucked Up,” the boys of 12GP hit the stage ready to raise hell, dressed in all black and with devil horns in the air.
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This band is no one’s first rodeo. All four members of 12GP have played in various bands over the years including Psychotic Overtones, Disciples of Doom, White Knuckle, A Black Tie Affair, and Mackenzie Heights. The band name comes from a dream Forneri had while recovering from a motorcycle accident. “I had a dream one night that I was on a big stage with the band,” explains Forneri. “Behind the drum riser was a banner with a picture of a priest holding a shotgun to the devil’s head while he was in a praying position. The banner read ‘12 Gauge Prayer’ underneath.” Over the relatively short time they’ve been a cohesive unit, 12GP have opened for the likes of Skeletonwitch, Voivod, Kataklysm, and Dark Mourning. They’re currently working in the studio, mixing their track “Kiss the Crown,” with plans to release their debut album, Bone Fragments, this summer.
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The Walleye
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Music
An Uneasy Peace
Wreck-Defy Unleash Their Second Album By Justin Allec
T
hrash metal is about conflict, and Matt Hanchuck, guitarist and the mastermind of locals Wreck-Defy, has seen plenty. “Being an ex-military member with time spent in the Middle East, in addition to being a cop for the past 18 years, yeah…it’s given me a plethora of situations to draw inspiration from,” he says. Hanchuck started the band in 2016, along with friend Justin Steer on vocals, with the intention of writing street-level thrash anthems. When he had the music written for Wreck-Defy’s first album, Hanchuck’s considerable skill and some lucky connections filled out the band with Shawn Drover, formerly of Megadeth, on drums. 2017’s debut Fragments of Anger had some immediate clout outside of Thunder Bay, but was also a good album that moved at lightning speeds while razing thrash’s usual enemies of endless war, environmental degradation, and capitalist exploitation through six-string artillery. Back with second album Remnants of Pain, Wreck-Defy’s line-up has solidified considerably. “The main difference between the two albums is that although I’m still the songwriter… this is now a band with members and not just a one-man project
with hired guns,” Hanchuck says. Remnants allowed Hanchuck to assemble a dream team of thrash alumni. Aaron Randall, formerly of Annihilator, is on vocals. On bass is Greg Christian, who also played on every good Testament album. Studio drums were done by Dave O’Neal of Angerhead, but in looking forward to the summer, Hanchuck recruited Alex Marquez of Demolition Hammer and Malevolent Creation fame. “No bigger compliment can be said than one that comes from your influences,” the guitarist says modestly. These are all trusted names in the metal world, so Remnants moves differently than the debut. Songs feel more thorough, less hasty, with smoother transitions, though the insane musicianship is still present. The guitarist doesn’t have plans to quit his day job anytime soon—“I’m a realist,” he says—but is thrilled to be able to produce music of this calibre. Hanchuck is tight-lipped about upcoming shows, but if Wreck-Defy does end up on a stage nearby, you best get ready for a very physical show. In the meantime, get your hands on a copy of the album by contacting WreckDefy through their Facebook page— and thrash on!
Matt Hanchuck
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Music
Steppin’ Down Superior The Sleeping Giant Folk Music Society Presents Ryan McNally
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F
or some musicians, musical awakenings come early, and for Whitehorse-based artist Ryan McNally that was definitely the case. At the age of ten he began learning guitar, and with the help of his parents’ encouragement, playing in talent shows, and exposure to his grandfather’s collection of jazz and blues records from the 1930s and 40s, he developed a unique passion for music. According to McNally, it wasn’t until he studied to be a sound technician that he realized he wanted to “be playing the music rather than making sure it sounded right coming through the speakers.” Since then, McNally has studied traditional jazz, swing, country, and blues, and on his last album, Steppin’ Down South, he explored the jugband sound of New Orleans. Following two years of touring and picking up new influences along the way, he began working on his third full-length album, Listen Up. Expected to have an early summer release, this album will see McNally broaden his musical horizons further to take on 1930s calypso and old-time fiddle music. In response to his passion for playing such versatile music,
McNally has cultivated an equally versatile backing band known as The MessaRounders. “I love the people I get to perform with,” says McNally. “I feel lucky every time I get to share the stage with this great community of players.” Performing alongside him will be Whitehorse native Patrick Hamilton on percussion and guitar, as well as Christian Leclerc and Aurélien Tomasi of the Montreal-based traditional jazz band The Royal Pickles playing tuba and baritone saxophone respectively. “I’m extremely excited to be performing in Thunder Bay again,” shares McNally. “Last time I was there on tour as opening act for The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer in the spring of 2017. So I’m overdue for a visit.” While his music draws from vastly different genres, McNally hopes to engage Thunder Bay concertgoers and invite them to see how much these styles have in common. “And ultimately, the music is for dancing, so I hope the audience can join in the good times with us!”
Port Arthur Polish Hall March 23 sleepinggiant.ca
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SILVANA CIDDIO
Songs for the Soul
S R, R®
home
where our story begins
Algoma House Presents Annie Sumi Story by Amy Sellors, Photo by Liz Lott
M
ark March 17 in your calendar now to enjoy an evening of thought-provoking music in a unique and intimate setting. Annie Sumi will be performing her beautiful songs at Algoma House. If you don’t know Annie Sumi, you soon will. She has been called the future of contemporary Canadian folk music. If you’ve never heard of Algoma House, it’s Thunder Bay’s best-kept secret music venue, and it won’t be a secret for much longer. Nominated for New/Emerging Artist of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards, Sumi has received airplay and critical acclaim across Canada, and has recently opened for Buffy Sainte-Marie, Amelia Curran, and Jim Cuddy. Her songs tackle “big questions of life and love and the unknown” with inspiration coming from
the landscape around her. “The most important part of music is creating space for people to feel things together,” Sumi says. Sumi has been sharing her songs across Canada—this leg of the tour takes her from southern Ontario to Edmonton. Performing with Piper Hayes, Sumi shares songs from her most recent album along with songs from her first album. She recently wrote lots of new material at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and plans to workshop these new songs and share them with audiences for the first time. This concert at Algoma House is her debut in Thunder Bay and promises to be intimate, cozy, acoustic, and unplugged. Chad Kirvan created Algoma House as a passion project—a place for musicians living on the road to rest and
to show off their talents. Operating as a showcase for local bands and a place for touring artists to play and stay, Kirvan—a filmmaker and photographer—films every concert and shares it on their YouTube channel so bands can share their talent with the world. Algoma House is a small space where the focus is the music. When touring artists come to town, Kirvan pairs them with local musicians whose styles are complementary. Thunder Bay’s Tiina Flank is on the bill for March 17 alongside Sumi. An important note—if you know you want to see this concert, contact Algoma House to make a reservation today. The concert is by donation only and seating is limited. Visit algomahouse.ca for more information. To learn more about Annie Sumi, visit anniesumi.com.
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Music
BURNING TO THE SKY
Six Glaring Omissions The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame By Gord Ellis
A
s consistent as tax time, February means the induction of fresh “new” blood to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. When the RRHOF was founded in the late 1980s, the choices of inductees were relatively easy. The Beatles, Chuck Berry, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, The Who, Bruce Springsteen etc. were no brainers. However, as the years have gone on, some of the choices made by the Hall of Fame voters have been…puzzling. I mean, Joan Baez is awesome, but she could not be any less a rocker. And yet, for every one head-scratching entry into the Hall, there are two mind boggling omissions. Here are six that come to mind. T. Rex Here is a band that epitomized everything you could ever want in an inductee. For starters, T. Rex had a sexy, glam, slightly dangerous singer in Marc Bolan. He was like an unholy cross between David Bowie, Jim Morrison, and Dusty Springfield—the epitome of that early 1970s rock sound and look. Play any T. Rex song from “Jeepster” to “Metal Guru” to “Get it On (Bang a Gong)” and you hear the fuzzy guitar sound that spawned a thousand bands. T. Rex was sexy and dirty and a bit shiny, like a pair of silver high heel boots. Both U2 and Guns N’ Roses can claim a direct lineage from T. Rex. That they are not in the
68 The Walleye
RRHOF is unthinkable. The Guess Who It has been suggested through the years that the RRHOF favours American bands and artists over those of European and Canadian extract. The non-inclusion of The Guess Who could be used as exhibit A if you were to make this case in court. The Guess Who were a huge band in Canada but did just as well in America, charting some monster hits, the two biggest being “These Eyes” and “American Woman.” The latter has become one of those songs that continues to reappear in modern media. Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman were the musical heartbeat of the band, and came up with most of the band’s early hits. But even after Bachman left, The Guess Who churned out hits. The raw, punchy harmonies and two-guitar sound that fuelled The Guess Who can be clearly heard today in The Sheepdogs. C’mon Hall peeps. The Smiths Another example of a potential non-European bands bias at the RRHOF, The Smiths are one of those bands that seem to go under the radar. The band sounded like no one else and spawned nearly as much devotion in the 80s as the Beatles did in the 1960s. Although The Smiths only made four albums, those discs remain much-loved and influential to this day. The Smiths’ self-titled album is pure genius,
with bright guitar underscoring dour and dark singing by Morrissey. There would have been no Brit Pop explosion without the Smiths, and certainly no Oasis. They kicked the door open. Kate Bush An incredibly successful artist with a huge body of work, Kate Bush is one of those artists who just seems to be ignored by the Hall for no apparent reason. She had her first hit record at 19, the massive Wuthering Heights, that was a UK number one for four weeks. Since then, she has produced 10 albums with 10 top ten UK hits. The fact that Kate Bush has seen most of her greatest success outside the United States may be her kryptonite. Yet by any measure— whether singer, songwriter or live performer—Kate Bush should be in
END OF WINTER
the RRHOF. Peter Frampton That Peter Frampton is not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a bit puzzling. He had one of the most successful live albums of all time with Frampton Comes Alive! He has penned some enduring rock classics, including “Show Me the Way,” “Do You Feel like We Do,” and “Baby, I Love your Way.” Frampton was key part of the seminal English band Humble Pie and played guitar with David Bowie. His pedigree seems impeccable. Yet he also suffered a backlash in the 70s due to his embrace by the teeny-bopper world and his ill-fated role in the horrendous (and now mostly forgotten) Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band movie. Is that enough to keep him out? Consider this: ABBA is in but Peter Frampton is not. Boston Sometimes a band comes along that makes that one album, and everything that comes after it is kinda like that first album, but not quite as good. That is maybe not totally fair to Tom Scholz and his band Boston, because God know he tried to improve on perfection. Yet that first Boston album (Boston) with its multi-tracked, ultra-saturated guitar and soaring vocals, has stood the test of time. It is a classic. The songs, which include “More than a Feeling” and “Foreplay/Long Time,” sound fresh today. Boston is still out there too, with Tom Scholz and an ever-changing cast of musicians. Sadly, Brad Delp, whose voice drove the songs, passed away several years ago. But it’s not too late to give Boston its rightful place in the Hall.
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which is from a symphony of his that will premiere later this month. For that piece, musicians moved to the edges of the room to surround the audience, with two trumpets standing on either side of the symphony like bookends. The effect was wonderful. After Sellick played his second set, he followed up with a never-before performed encore piece— something he wrote this previous summer while camped out along the north shore of Lake Superior. It served as a stunning reminder of his growth as a musician. After another standing ovation, the TBSO closed with Mozart’s “Haffner” symphony to bring us full circle, back to where we began. And to another reminder: of how lucky we are to have a symphony orchestra as good as this one in our midst, and how lucky we are to live in this particular northern town with its northern lights, and one very bright northern star.
TBSO spotlight
Matt Sellick with the TBSO Northern Lights, Northern Star
Story by Rebekah Skochinski, Photos by Keegan Richard
O
n the evening of February 8, after digging out of two snowstorms in less than a week, the audience at the TBSO’s Northern Lights series at the Italian Cultural Centre was ready to be lifted elsewhere. And lifted we were. The program began with Beethoven’s sweeping and dramatic Coriolan Overture, followed by Dvorák’s “Slavonic Dances” and Tchaikovsky’s “Serenade for String Orchestra.” As music director, Paul Haas, said in his opening remarks: “This is the kind of concert that I love—it’s a mix of everything.” His love showed through his conducting: often positioned fully forward on his toes, letting the buoyancy of the music and the musicians hold him upright.
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And then, the “red-haired man” arrived. Those who are familiar with Matt Sellick’s Flamenco guitar playing appreciate it for its clean and beautiful lines, and how his music has a way of ensnaring you like a lasso. His orchestral compositions with solo guitar are no different. He played six pieces in total, each of them seamless. Clarinets carried the melodious notes of a singer, cellos swelled with sensual juiciness, and the intricately timed rhythms bounced between Sellick and JeanFrançois Breton, who expertly alternated between the cajón (a boxshaped percussion instrument) and palmas (hand-clapping). The energy in the room was electric. It was also a night of firsts. Paul Haas treated us to “Heart of Hearts,”
▲ Matt Sellick
▼ Jean-François Breton
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Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board invites past and present students and staff to share their memorabilia and memories! Please contact the Board Office or email: communications@tbcschools.ca
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Music
Small-Town Stories
Long Range Hustle Brings New Album on the Road
Story by Kris Ketonen, Photo by Helen Pie
T
he members of Long Range Hustle are flexing their storytelling muscles with their new album, Town. The appropriately named album, which was released on February 15, is set in a mostly fictional small town not unlike where the band members themselves grew up, says Jay Foster, Long Range Hustle’s vocalist and pianist. “Each song is basically from a character living in this town,” Foster says. “We’re from small towns. You know, Thunder Bay is pretty small … it kind of gets forgotten every once in a while. Not by us, we love
coming out there. But there’s this whole community full of tragedy, full of triumph, full of love. It’s a bunch of people just living.” The songs on Town, however, aren’t necessarily entirely made up. Rather, the band—which also includes Paul Brogee, Mike Brogee, AJ Fisico and Ryan Pritchard—pulled inspiration from their own lives and experiences, as well. “We kind of got a way to separate ourselves [by] saying ‘this is a character in this town,’” Foster says. “You can kind of really dig in at that point, and get down to, maybe, something that’s more
embarrassing to admit or harder to address if you’re speaking on your own terms. But when it’s someone else, you can kind of come at it with a… blank canvas.” Long Range Hustle embarked on its first-ever tour of western Canada as part of the Town launch, travelling out to British Columbia and back to southern Ontario. The tour includes a stop in Thunder Bay later this month, marking the second time Long Range Hustle has played the Lakehead. For those who missed the first go-round, Foster promises a memorable, energetic show.
“We’re going to play all these new tunes,” he says. “But we pride ourselves in basically leaving everything that we have on stage.” “We put on a show that everyone gets engaged in,” he adds. “Spiritually, emotionally, everyone can get involved and get excited, and we’re going to try and show people who we are.”
The Foundry March 8 longrangehustle.com
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Music
TBSO Spotlight
Sam Hughes Principal Trumpet, TBSO By Kris Ketonen Band: London, England Instrument: Trumpet Age you started to study music: Piano at 6, trumpet at 11 How long have you been with TBSO: In his first season What’s on personal playlist: The Brand New Heavies, Travis Scott
S
am Hughes remembers exactly when and why he first picked up a trumpet. “They had the test-out day in Grade 6, when we were fitted to band instruments,” Hughes says. “I found I kind of had an affinity for trumpet. I got a nice sound out of it right away, and I was hitting the higher notes right off the bat, so I really felt a connection with it.” It turned out to be a match made in musical heaven. Playing the instrument has since become a career for Hughes, who’s currently in his first season as principal trumpet with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. “I pursued classical
music because I enjoyed the mixture of rigid rules and styles, with a bit of room for personal interpretation,” he says. “I like the structure of that.” “I’ve always had a love for the big, orchestral pieces,” Hughes adds. “There’s kind of a sublime aspect to them that you don’t really find in any other music.” The TBSO position marks Hughes’s first with a professional orchestra. And while he’s played in orchestral settings before—such as during his school days—there was a learning curve. The pace of things at the TBSO was a big part of that, Hughes says. “When you’re in school, in a semester you maybe do two concerts, and you’ll be rehearsing that music for weeks,” he says. “But here, there’s a concert a week, maybe two concerts a week, with a couple of rehearsals each.” “The pace is so much faster,” Hughes says. “You go through so much more music.”
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Road Work
Q&A
Music
A Conversation with Randy Bachman Story by Justin Allec, Photo by Dave Koski
R
andy Bachman doesn’t just talk during interviews; he sings, he hums, snaps his fingers, and does everything short of playing his guitar. He’s an elder statesman of rock and a musician’s musician, still as much of a fan of great music today as he was when The Guess Who were starting out. Bachman’s ready to head out on the road again with his latest album, By George by Bachman, a collection of George Harrison songs he’s reinterpreted. The Walleye had a chance to speak with him before his appearance at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium on March 7. The Walleye: Where does the idea come for a project like By George by Bachman? Randy Bachman: I was fortunate enough to get to know Jeff Perry, who owns the stage rights to Let it Be, where he does this tribute show to the Beatles all over the world… it’s four guys dressed up just like the Beatles, and they do songs from the early days right up to rooftop of Abbey Road when they broke up. He invited me to the premiere in London, which coincided with John Lennon’s 75th birthday. So I went to that—I’m a tourist, a fan—I get on the bus, see Strawberry Fields, Penny Lane, the Beatles museum… it was amazing for a Beatles fan. On my way home I realized—George was the youngest Beatle, so when
is he 75? It was February 2018, and I thought, I’ve always sang the George songs in every band that I’ve been in ‘cause I was the lead guitar. Our drummer always sang the Ringo Starr songs, Burton would sing the Paul McCartney songs, so I thought, hey, I’m going to do a George album. I’ll take all the George songs I do, I think there were 35, and I can’t do them any better than the Beatles, so I’ll do each song differently. I’ll reinvent each song like a songwriter. Imagine if George walked in with a song like “Taxman”—what kind of groove or beat can I put to it? I just tried to have fun with it. TW: The arrangements you settled on are really different from the originals. Did you just start with the lyrics, or pick a melody you like? How did you figure out what your George songs would sound like? RB: I took songs that I liked and ones that I can sing… I can’t sing something like McCartney! So I would put these songs on in the middle of the night, and I got a program with different drum loops. I would print up the lyrics and think, “How can I play ‘Something in The Way She Moves’ but not do it with a zillion chords; I want to use only three chords?” I’ve heard it done a lot lately on jazz stations—new artists taking classic rock and redoing them. I went a little nuts with, like, three versions of each song, then
I’d send them to my band for their opinions. Once we were happy we went into the studio and recorded live off the floor, a very Beatle-y way to record, with my band doing the harmonies, and it ended up being a lot of fun. We’ll be playing a few of them on the tour. TW: As for your own songs, how do keep them feeling fresh? How do you keep the excitement when you’ve played it so many times? RB: It’s easier now, actually, because everybody sings along. To look out there and see people of all ages, even teenagers singing the song— it’s amazing because when we first played it, nobody sang it, nobody knew it. There’s a real switch over that comes halfway through your career when your songs don’t get played anymore on the radio because you’re in this void, but then suddenly you get picked up again, you’re part of classic rock, fit into radio’s format, part of movies and commercials, you’re everywhere all of sudden. That’s what’s neat about these concerts. I do my solo stuff, BTO songs, Guess Who songs. I love touring and people telling me that
we were their first concert, or we blew the headliner off the stage, then we came back the next year, the year after—that’s how you make fans and keep fans. TW: What makes a good song? What makes a song worth sharing? RB: I follow the adage that you have to have a hook—the guitar plays, you know what it is the first time you hear it. Then you have to sing a hook. You sing it, and the next time it comes along in the song you can sing along to it, because if you can’t sing along to it, you never want to hear it again. There are exceptions—Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” for example—but it helps if songs are LCD, lowest common denominator, three chords, some lyrics you can relate to, and then you have a hit. Or a chance at a hit, because then it’s up to radio, the people listening and if they want to hear it again. You could write what you think is the greatest song in the world, but it isn’t if nobody wants to hear it again. This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
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OfftheWall
Mohawk
Lee Harvey Osmond
Music serves several purposes, and takes different forms for different reasons. Mohawk, the latest release from Lee Harvey Osmond, fills the role of “food for the soul” and takes on the form of liquid poetry. Reminiscent of a sound somewhere between Robbie Robertson, Leonard Cohen, and Steve Earle, Tom Wilson (aka Lee Harvey Osmond) takes the listener on an artistic journey through self-reflection and discovery. If I had to label the album under a genre, I would call it contemplative folk-blues with a country twist, but realistically, genres are insignificant. Mohawk sits among those works that define music in general not by its label but by its execution. My favourites start the album off in good standing with “Colours,” “Forty Light Years,” and “BAM,” but the entire album is great and well worth a listen for those who enjoy the peace that comes from simply putting on a record and soaking it in. - Jamie Varga
REVIEWS
What a Rush
Cascadia
Adrenalizer
Said the Whale
The spirit of 1983 is strong with Adrenalizer, which is both a blessing and a curse for this young Toronto five-piece. Ah yes, those halcyon days of dollar beers, unironic mullets, and outright classic albums… what better era to draw your retro-minded band’s sound from, eh? Adrenalizer are derivative: so what? They’re here to play some metal that wholeheartedly worships at the altars of Motörhead and Priest—no more, no less. Throughout these four songs there are crunchy riffs and bonkers solos aplenty that harken back to metal’s golden age—proof that Adrenalizer have at least done their homework. The band’s got obvious skills, they love the albums they’re drawing inspiration from, and their vocalist, though he’s the weak link on the EP, probably brings the pain in a live setting. The worst thing I can say about What a Rush is that it isn’t good enough to make me forget about the originators, even for a minute, but its earnestness wins it at least a few listens.
Said the Whale have returned with their sixth studio album, Cascadia, and for the most part, the Vancouver indie rockers play it safe on the new release. Gone are the heavy synths from their previous effort As Long as Your Eyes Are Wide, and what mainly remains is the pop-rock sound that helped them achieve their success. With its backup vocals and chorus, the album’s radio-friendly single “UnAmerican” is formulaic and bubble-gummy; same goes for “Cascadia” and “Record Shop.” But the album shines when Said the Whale stray away from this humdrum course. “Shame” starts similarly enough to other tracks, but slips into a dream-like piano outro. It’s followed by the excellent mellow-folkie “Old Soul, Young Heart,” and “Gambier Island Green” is a beautiful lo-fi closer to the album. All three tracks offer a wellneeded respite from the outdated party anthems that make up the rest of Cascadia.
- Justin Allec
- Adrian Lysenko
Median Age Wasteland
Hawksley Workman In the context of his last release, Old Cheetah, the pure, synth-laden, theatrical ambition of Median Age Wasteland feels like a testament to how effortless reinvention must be for Hawksley Workman. While this album keeps that same ambition in its overblown, emotive rock ballads like “Oksana,” it also takes a sharp turn into country-folk territory with its abundance of whining, steel guitars on tracks like “To Receive.” It’s a peculiar combination, but that variety proves to be a much-appreciated palate cleanser amongst some of the more meditative tracks on this release. Median Age Wasteland’s gems are not so hidden, as they lie in plain sight on singles “Lazy” and “Battlefords.” The former treats the listener to a searing guitar solo that concludes just as Workman lets loose his soaring falsetto, while the more subdued latter combines sentimental strings with the nostalgic imagery of childhood, of “freezie-stained lips and lawn darts in the yard.” Although melancholy at times, Median Age Wasteland is raw and sure to get your emotions working. - Melanie Larson
Full details online at www.tbpl.ca/onlinecalendar Locations Create a Craft
Storytimes
Programs
76 The Walleye
Puppet Shows
Game Days Special Events
The Big Story
Jordan HeathRawlings If you ever find yourself in a situation where you are going to a fancy dinner party and you need to bone up on some current events, then The Big Story is the podcast for you. Every weekday, host Jordan Heath-Rawlings addresses a topic in the headlines and makes it available to you, the listener, by 6 am, so that you able to effectively participate in the conversation around the water cooler at work. Each episode is only 20 minutes long, but with the accompaniment of an expert guest, Health-Rawlings is able to provide a factual presentation of the issues at hand. The best part is that the podcast is Canadian, and through the Frequency Podcast Network, they cover a wide range of relevant topics from politics and sports to science and pop culture. The news isn’t always so friendly these days, but somehow The Big Story makes it tolerable and has you coming back for more. - Tara George
Sugar Run
Mesha Maren
A World of Dumplings
Forest Meets Farm
Eighteen years after being sentenced to life in prison in the late 80s at the age of 17, Jodi McCarty’s case catches the interest of a lawyer, resulting in her release. Sugar Run bounces between two periods: Jodi running off with her lover to find happiness and easy money on the fringes of society in the lead-up to her incarceration, and her attempts to carve out a simple life on her late grandmother’s West Virginia property after getting out. The two most effective aspects of the story are the subtle, careful build of the plot alongside the use of different viewpoints to influence characterization. Both come together to help readers sympathize with Jodi throughout as she shoulders the problems of others in an attempt to atone for her past and reluctantly finds herself being dragged back into a life of crime. Things unfortunately come apart to create an unsatisfying end, but so much on the way is engaging and atmospheric.
Brian Yarvin delves deep into the world of dumplings with over 100 dumpling recipes, detailed instructions for filling and wrapping, plus recipes for essential dipping sauces in the second edition of his dumpling cookbook. If you haven’t thought much about dumplings, Yarvin’s introduction is a great primer on what he calls “a common thread in cuisines throughout the world,” which have “a bit of joy inside each one.” The photos accompanying each recipe make it a little easier to decide where to begin your dumplingmaking escapades. The book will make your mouth water with its combination of photos and detailed descriptions of recipes from almost every corner of the world. However, there are no recipes from Africa and Australia (and Google tells me they have dumplings, too). While this book offers a diverse and easy-to-follow collection of recipes, perhaps Yarvin can delve even deeper in his next edition.
Forest Meets Farm is so much more than a cookbook, but then Roots to Harvest is so much more than a not-for-profit, charitable organization. Their first book is brimming with interesting interviews, delicious recipes, and an abundance of information about food from the boreal forest. It’s beautifully laid out and neatly divided into four sections: foraging, farming, hunting and fishing, and preserving. Within each there are tempting recipes and interviews with passionate individuals. This is the kind of book that is as much a joy to read as to cook from. The emphasis on local products and producers make this a standout book for any collection.
- Alexander Kosoris
Brian Yarvin
Roots to Harvest
- Ruth Hamlin-Douglas
- Michelle McChristie
SCHOLARSHIP & BURSARY APPLICATIONS
NOW OPEN
NURTURE your passion, BUILD our community, CREATE a legacy.
VISIT TBCF.ORG FOR MORE INFO
Questions? Contact MJ Green at 807.475.7279 or mjgreen@tbcf.org The Walleye
77
Architecture
T
he former Polish Hall found at 818 Spring Street is a good representation of the Boomtown style of construction popular at the turn of the twentieth century. The wood frame hall features a stepped façade that extends above the roofline, concealing a simple, steep-gabled structure behind. The façade is symmetrical, with windows flanking either side of the central covered main entrance. The roof covering the entry we see today has been modified from the original steep-pitched, open gable
The Former Polish Hall
Photo courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum
By Laurie Abthorpe
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roof supported with brackets. Though its original construction could possibly predate this timeframe, we pick up the hall’s story in 1913, five blocks southwest at the corner of Pruden and McMurray Streets. St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church purchased the lot in 1912 intending to relocate their old church building there to become home to a new Presbyterian mission in East Fort William. Before the old church was moved, a white wood frame building was purchased and set up at the north end of the lot facing McMurray Street. This served as a place of worship and Sunday school for the new congregation. The old church made its move to the south end of the lot, midsummer 1913, becoming Knox Presbyterian Church in January of 1914. The wood frame building—no longer needed—was given by St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church to the Ruthenian Protestant congregation established just months earlier. In the spring of 1914, the Church and Manse Board of the Presbyterian Church in Canada purchased two lots side by side on St. Paul Street (now Spring Street). This site was purchased to give the Ruthenian church land of its own in an area closer to where many of its parishioners lived. Fundraising to cover the expense of the building’s move was successfully underway when St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church covered all of the costs involved. The structure was moved early that summer with St. Stephen’s Ruthenian (Presbyterian)
Architecture Church dedicated on Sunday, July 5, 1914. The church served its community for many years and joined the United Church of Canada in 1925. In 1930, the congregation disbanded and the building was sold to the Polish Pilsudski Mutual Benefit Society for $1000. Established in 1928 and named after the first Marshall of Poland, the Polish Pilsudski Mutual Benefit Society worked to promote brotherhood, offer aid during illness, assist new Polish immigrants, and support Polish culture and language. Renovations, which included the addition of a basement, were made to accommodate the Society, with the hallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s official was opening celebrated on May 23, 1933. In 2004, the Polish Hall was designated by the City of Thunder Bay for its historical and social significance, because of the assistance given to immigrants and contributions made to the development of the region. In December 2017, the former Polish Hall was purchased by Cambrian Players. An icon of local live theatre, Cambrian Players has been active in the community since 1949. The inaugural performance at their new home is Anastasia. 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 cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heritage resources, visit thunderbay.ca/en/city-hall/heritage-in-thunder-bay.aspx
Large mixer from the Polish Hall
wedding | portrait | corporate | headshot | event
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Health
Canada’s New Food Guide in a Nutshell
By Katherine Mayer, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
cholesterol levels.” Additionally, Maltais mentions that as our meat consumption increases, so does its climate impact. “Eating more plant-based foods can help to conserve soil, water and air, including reducing greenhouse gases created by livestock.” If you look through the entire new Food Guide, you’ll notice that it takes a more holistic approach to food. “Healthy eating is much more than just the food we eat… The healthy eating habits that we adopt support the foods we eat and our relationship with food,” says Maltais. “The basics of healthy eating include mindful eating, cooking food at home, enjoying meals with others, embracing cultural and traditional aspects that food has to offer, and limiting consumption of convenient processed and prepared foods and beverages. Together this creates a healthy eating framework to support healthy habits at work, school, and home.”
The new Food Guide has made some significant changes from 2007, which opens the door for many opinions. “Whether you agree or disagree with the new Food Guide, just remember that that food is personal and individual, sometimes making it difficult to find one size that fits all solutions,” insists Maltais. Like many other organizations in Canada, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is working to change their retail food environment. The initiative, titled “Eating Healthy Together”, aims to provide a supportive, informative, and healthy food environment for consumers at the hospital. This is accomplished by removing ultra-processed foods and beverages to ensure nutritious items are available. Eating Healthy Together will launch June 2019. To view Canada’s new Food Guide, find recipes or learn new cooking tips, go to food-guide.canada.ca.
The CLE Presents The 21 st Annual Spring Home & Garden Show
A
fter undergoing extensive research, engagement, and consultation, Canada has a new Food Guide. The new Food Guide has made some significant changes from the previous 2007 version, but the goal remains the same—encouraging Canadians to eat a variety of healthy foods. Sheri Maltais, registered dietitian at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, highlights the improvements made from the 2007 version. “The new Food Guide approaches healthy eating in a whole new way,” she says. “Instead of the historical four food groups with recommended daily servings, the new messaging is designed around healthy eating principles. These include recommendations to
80 The Walleye
eat more vegetables and fruit, look to plant-based proteins, choose whole grains, and make water the drink of choice.” In regards to the emphasis on plant-based proteins, Maltais has some explanations. “Regular consumption of plant-based foods, such as dried beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds, are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, and diabetes due to the high fibre content,” says Maltais. “Encouraging more plant-based foods also encourages a lower intake of processed meats, such as hot dogs and bacon, which have been linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer. Plant-based foods also help us to consume more unsaturated fat, which helps to control
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$3 ADMISSION
Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board
Health
Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program By Rachel Globensky, Thunder Bay District Health Unit
T
he Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program has officially launched in our area. This health promotion initiative is an enormous undertaking across northern Ontario, delivering over 3 million servings of fresh fruit and vegetables to 76,000 students in over 400 elementary schools ranging from Shoal Lake First Nation, to New Liskeard, to Peawanuck First Nation on the Hudson Bay coast. The 20-week program runs from January to June each school year, and since 2006, has been wildly successful in the health unit areas of Algoma, Porcupine, and Sudbury. In 2017, planning began for the program’s expansion to the health unit areas of North Bay, Timiskaming,
and Parry Sound, in addition to Northwestern Ontario and Thunder Bay District Health Unit areas. Within the District of Thunder Bay, when fully implemented, the program will serve fresh produce to over 15,000 students from junior kindergarten to grade 8 in 87 schools, including 17 schools located in First Nations communities. With a focus on Ontario-grown produce when available, some of this year’s menu items include broccoli florets, celery sticks, clementine oranges, mini sweet peppers, grape tomatoes, and pears. As well as serving fresh produce to students, locally the program includes educational resources for school staff, students, and their families
highlighting the benefits of healthy eating and active living, in addition to food literacy and hands-on food skills programming, such as the Cooking with Kids workshops run by the Thunder Bay District Health Unit (TBDHU). The program is funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. TBDHU is responsible for engagement with local and area school boards and education authorities; the program menu and delivery logistics are organized through the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association. In addition, there are many key partner organizations that help supply area schools with fresh fruit and vegetables: Wasaya Airways, North Star Air, The North West Company, Farquhar Massey Wholesale, and Loudon Bros. Limited. The program is tied to a provincial evaluation, coordinated through a third-party evaluator at the University of Windsor. Preprogram evaluation has shown that 85% of participants were
willing to try new fruit and vegetables they’d never tried before! The aim of the program is to increase access, awareness, consumption, and likeability of fruit and vegetables—something everyone can benefit from! For more information, please visit tbdhu.com/NFVP.
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81
MarchEventsGuide February 27–March 2, March 6–9, 7:30 pm
Anastasia
Cambrian Players
A crowd-pleasing play with emotion and intrigue set in Russia in 1918. This suspenseful drama and will keep you guessing right until the end.
cambrianplayers.ca
March 1, 2, & 3
Nipigon Ice Fest Greenstone
Hosted by Outdoor Skills And Thrills Inc., this annual ice climbing festival takes place at Orient Bay and Kama Bay and includes a variety of clinics, snowshoe outings, presentations, a gear swap and sale, plus dinner specials and prizes.
outdoorskillsandthrills. com•nipigonicefest
March 2, 2 pm
Is Superman an Immigrant? Race, Ethnicity, and the Superhero Brodie Library
Join L.U. professors Dr. Judith Leggatt and Dr. Monica Flegel for a discussion of the ethnic and racial backgrounds of superhero comic creators, and the development of characters such as T’Challa (Black Panther), Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel), and Miles Morales (Ultimate SpiderMan). This presentation will discuss the role that superhero comics play in supporting and challenging ethnic and racial stereotypes. Everyone is welcome to attend.
lakeheadu.ca•about•news-andevents
March 2, 3 pm
Home Made Visible: Sleeping Giant Loppet Screening + Talkback March 2
Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
Waverley Library
sleepinggiantloppet.ca
A theatrical screening of all of six short films commissioned by Home Made Visible with a discussion with Indigenous filmmakers Nadine Arpin, Jennifer Dysart, and Lisa Jodoin. Please register in advance.
March 2, 9 am
homemadevisible.ca•tour
The Sleeping Giant Loppet is one of the north shore’s most iconic winter events. See this month’s Top Five for more info.
Scrap for Heart Current River Community Centre
Scrap for Heart is back in support of the Heart & Stroke Foundation. Doors open at 9 am and crafting stops at 12 midnight. All crafters are welcome. The ticket price of $64 includes dinner and a light afternoon snack.
623-1118
March 2, 10 am
NOWW Workshop: Writing the Sensual Body with Karen Connelly Waverley Resource Library
A cross between a creative writing and creative wellness workshop, this session will incorporate some physical grounding and meditation techniques. Admission is $10 for members and $40 for non-members (includes membership).
nowwwriters.ca•workshops
March 2, 6 pm
Passport Around the World Valhalla Inn
A new event hosted by the MS Society’s Lake Superior District Chapter, this evening features dinner from five countries with dessert and a silent auction plus a chance to win a pair of tickets anywhere WestJet flies. All money raised will help those living with MS in Thunder Bay. Tickets are $85.
marc.larocque@mssociety.ca
March 2, 6 pm
8th Annual Black History Month Dinner & Gala Italian Cultural Centre
Join the Caribbean & African Multicultural Association of Thunder Bay (CAMAT) for an evening of authentic Caribbean and African cuisine, dynamic cultural performances, a silent auction, and
RECEIVE A
500
$
WELCOME CREDIT on a 12-month contract
the opportunity to win amazing prizes. Proceeds benefit the CAMAT scholarship fund, which provides educational resources and financial support for underprivileged students, including newcomer•refugee students.
camatnetwork.com
March 2, 8 pm
The Baroque Concerto Grosso: La Folia and More St. Paul’s United Church
Consortium Aurora Borealis wraps up its stellar 40th season with a special anniversary concert. Violinist Jeremy Bell returns to lead Consortium’s fine string ensemble and harpsichord in magnificent music from the Baroque era, including concerti grossi by Geminiani and Wassenaer, a Vivaldi cello concerto performed by Peter Cosbey, the De Beers commercial “A Diamond is Forever” theme, and the premiere of TBSO violist•composer Patrick Horn’s “La Folia,” commissioned by Consortium. A reception follows for all. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students, and children under 12 are free.
consortiumauroraborealis.org
March 2, 8 pm
Until March 3
Lessons: The Artistry of Learning Thunder Bay Art Gallery
An exhibit featuring work by artists dedicated to the accumulation and sharing of knowledge. Works by Moses Amik Beaver, Zoe Gordon, Sarah Link, Jean Marshall, Riaz Mehmood, Crystal Nielsen, and Mavourneen Trainor come together, collectively making evident how artists both accrue and communicate knowledge.
theag.ca
Until March 3
21 Pillows
Thunder Bay Art Gallery
An interactive installation featuring 21 pillows placed on the gallery floor. Cheryl Wilson-Smith invites visitors to enter the dimly lit gallery, reminiscent of dusk, and pick a glass rock—one from thousands all designed and kiln-fired by the artist— to place on the pillows. This collective shaping of the environment allows us to consider the passage of time and the vulnerability of both humanity and the natural world.
theag.ca
Sunday wilde & the 1-eyed Jacks
March 3, 11 am–4 pm
KamJam presents a night of music in celebration of International Women’s Week and the Kaministiquia Community Hall. The canteen will be serving food and drinks, including local craft beer. Music will also feature special guest Tara O’Brien. Tickets are $20.
Victoria Inn
Kaministiquia Community Hall
kamcca.ca
Thunder Bay Wedding Show
Sample, compare prices, and view the hottest trends with Thunder Bay’s best wedding retailers and service providers, all without having to schedule a single appointment or drive all over town. Admission is $10.
thunderbayweddingshow.ca
March 3, 2–4 pm
Until March 3
From the Permanent Collection: Carl Beam’s Exorcism 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. This work was Thunder Bay Art Gallery’s first commissioned work.
Winter FunDays: Winter Science
Prince Arthur’s Landing
Join Science North for a variety of winter science themed stations and, after you’ve enjoyed the activities outside, warm up with a creative activity inside the Baggage Building Arts Centre.
thunderbay.ca•events
theag.ca
March 3, 5:30–8:30 pm
Thunder Bay Roller Derby League Tubing Take Over Loch Lomond
An exciting, awesome, crazy FUNdraiser—Thunder Bay Roller Derby League is taking over Loch! Tickets are limited so be sure to get them ASAP. Tickets are $15•person.
tbrdl.com•tubing
March 4 & 11, 1 pm
Yoga and Meditation NorWest Community Health Centres
A free program that is open to all. Registration is required.
626-8480
March 6, 7 pm
Lighthouse Festival of Music Urban Abbey
The festival of music features Bruce Hansen & The Superior Lighthouse Players and a mix of Celtic, bluegrass, country, classical, folk, and swing mixed with robust sea songs. Proceeds will support the Canadian Lighthouses of Lake Superior’s artistin-residence program. Tickets are $20•person or $45•family, available at The Habit coffee shop or at the door.
clls.ca•music-event
March 6, 13, 20, & 27, 7:30 pm
Weekly Wednesday Trivia Night The Foundry
Come out to weekly trivia night with Chris Barstow. Admission is free.
thefoundrypub.com
March 8 & 15, 10–11 am
Coffee Talk
NorWest Community Health Centres
Looking for support or want to improve your well-being? Join the NorWest Community Health Centre for conversation, coaching, and coffee. Topics include community support, handling conflict, anger, boundaries, assertiveness, and problem-solving.
626-7856
INTERNET + TV
You pick up the services. We’ll pick up the bill. tbaytel.net/connectedhomepromo © 2018 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.
2 82 The Walleye
March 8, 9, & 10
LUNSA Powwow CJ Sanders Fieldhouse
The Lakehead University Native Student Association (LUNSA) is excited to be hosting their 31st Annual Powwow. The theme of this year’s powwow is Celebrating Community and all students, staff, faculty and the greater off-campus community are invited to attend this free event featuring Battle Nation as the host drum. Attendees can purchase traditional Aboriginal merchandise from on-site vendors.
lunsa@lakeheadu.ca
March 9, 9:30–11:30 pm
Music Bingo
Red Lion Smokehouse
Get your groove on. Music Bingo combines your favourite tunes with traditional bingo. Cards are $2 each or three for $5. B.Y.O.D. (Bring Your Own Dabber, although they are available for purchase if yours has dried up).
redlionsmokehouse.ca
March 9, 5 & 6:30 pm
Shrimp Feast Columbus Centre
Love shrimp? Enjoy a pound of golden breaded shrimp, home fries, hot vegetables, coleslaw, and an assortment of desserts for $26. A cash bar will also be available.
623-3252
Until March 10
Home Made Visible Exhibition Waverley Library
Home Made Visible brings a personal lens to Indigenous and visible minority archives through a free exhibition that consists of six short films and a mixed media installation by their commissioned artists. Visit the library during operating hours to view the collection of short films on designated computers.
homemadevisible.ca•tour
March 10, 2–4 pm
Winter FunDays
Prince Arthur’s Landing
This week, Parks Canada is offering a variety of activities and, after you’ve enjoyed those, warm up with a creative activity inside the Baggage Building Arts Centre. The Community Arts & Heritage Education Project will be teaching participants how to stitch on soluble paper through their activity “Air” (revisited) – Stitch-Work and Dancing Figures.
thunderbay.ca•events
March 11–14
Third Annual Anemki Unity Winter Classic
Fort William First Nation Arena A hockey tournament designed to bring First Nation and non-First Nation players together during March Break. Divisions include Tyke, Novice, Atom, and Peewee divisions, girls Bantam and girls Midget, boys Bantam and boys Midget.
anemkiunity.com•winterclassic
March 14, 7–9 pm
March 16, 8:30 pm
Toy Sense Game Night Irish Night Dinner Dance Red Lion Smokehouse Toy Sense will have a variety of games on hand; there is no charge to play, but players are asked to spend a minimum of $20 on food or drink in the restaurant during game play.
624-2765
March 14–30
Buying the Farm Magnus Theatre
Magnus Bjornson, an old bachelor farmer, finds himself with mounting debt and suburban neighborhoods advancing from every direction. A young real estate agent arrives at the farm, but Magnus’ niece insists this family farm is NOT FOR SALE. See this month’s Film & Theatre section for more info.
magnustheatre.com
March 15, 7:30 pm
Thunder Bay North Stars vs. Red Lake Miners Fort William Gardens
Cheer on your hometown Junior A team. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students and free for children.
thunderbaynorthstars.com
March 15–17
St. Patrick’s Weekend
Grand Portage Lodge & Casino Enjoy specials, such as Irish stew and green beer and live music on Saturday night with the Centerville All-Stars band at the event center.
grandportage.com
March 16, noon–8 pm
Columbus Centre
Support the Knights of Columbus’ community projects and enjoy a buffet dinner and entertainment, including Celtic Rhythms and dancers. Tickets are $32.
623-3253
March 16–17
Fat for the Weekend Fatbike Races Loch Lomond Ski Area
Two days of cyclocross-style timed fat bike races, put on by the Thunder Bay Cycling Club. Registration starts at 8 am and races start at 8:30 am on each day. Must be a member of the TBCC to participate.
tbaycc.ca
March 16 & 17
Shamrock Shakedown Sleeping Giant Brewing Co.
Get ready to shake your shamrock at this year’s Shamrock Shakedown! This weekend of Irish-inspired food, drink and music features live music and dancing, including an all-ages event on Sunday. See this month’s Top Five for more info.
sleepinggiantbrewing.ca
March 17, 10 am–2 pm
Finlanda Market Mrs. Urho’s Tori Finlandia Hall
Local vendors, artisans, and organizations are setting up shop in the Finlandia Hall to showcase their unique products and crafts. Don’t forget to wear purple and green!
St. Urho’s Day
thefinlandia.com
Come out and celebrate St. Urho and his legacy with the grasshoppers with this annual walk around Bay Street. The parade will begin at noon at the Finlandia Club front steps; following the parade meet back at the Finlandia to watch performers and enjoy local talent. Cash bar. Admission is $5 at the door for performance. After the day festivities, there will be a Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre with the Capitol Players; tickets are $35 and available at the Hoito.
Winter FunDays
344-7081
International Day for the Elimination of Racial DiscriminationCelebration Breakfast
Finlandia Club
March 16, 7:30 pm
Thunder Bay North Stars vs. Minnesota Iron Rangers
March 17, 2–4 pm
Prince Arthur’s Landing
This week, All The Daze Productions is encouraging individuals to come out dressed in your favourite costume and have some fun on the rink. After you’ve enjoyed the outdoor activities, warm up with a creative activity inside the Baggage Building Arts Centre.
thunderbay.ca•events
March 21, 7:30 am
Victoria Inn
March 21, 6 pm
Grande Opening Gala The Chanterelle
This elegant cocktail event will feature live acoustic entertainment, food catered by Tomlin Restaurant, guest speakers, raffles, and a silent auction with a cash bar available. All proceeds will support Thunder Bay’s new low-cost spay & neuter clinic. Tickets are available at the Thunder Bay District Humane Society and Pet Valu.
475-8803
March 21, 6 pm
Autism Ontario: Craft and Chat•Bricolage et bavardage
Northwood Park Plaza Suite 11 Join Autism Ontario - Thunder Bay for a night of crafting and chatting. Bring your project to work on while relaxing and enjoying the company of other parents. This event is for parents and•or caregivers only.
622-9713
March 21, 7 pm
Building the Monarch Population
Oliver Road Community Centre Join the Thunder Bay Horticultural Society for their monthly meeting that will feature a presentation by Dan Fulton about gardening to support Monarch butterflies.
tbayhortsociety.weebly.com
March 23, 10 am–4:30 pm
Free Playwriting Workshop Mary J.L. Black Library
Join the Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop for a free playwriting workshop hosted by playwright Lila Cano. Two workshops will be held: a beginner’s workshop and an advanced workshop. Registration is required by March 16.
nowwwriters.ca•workshops
March 23, 7:30 pm
Improv Comedy Show Cambrian Players Studio
If you’re a fan of the popular television show Whose Line is it Anyway?, you’ll love this Thunder Bay-based improv group. Based on suggestions from the audience, they will make up everything on the spot. Please be advised subject matter includes mature language and suggestive content. Tickets are $5 cash at the door.
facebook. com•CambrianPlayersImprov
March 24, 1:30 pm
thunderbaynorthstars.com
Join Diversity Thunder Bay for an inspiring and thought-provoking event featuring guest speaker Tanya Talaga, acclaimed author of Seven Fallen Feathers. See this month’s City Scene for more info.
March 16, 7:30 pm
diversitythunderbay.ca
Hosted by Seek Adventure & Tours with special guest Noles Photography, explore tips and tricks for photographing outdoors in the boreal forest, including equipment, technique, staying comfortable, and the art of storytelling. This tour is designed for beginner and intermediate photographers and enthusiasts. Limited spots are
Fort William Gardens
Cheer on your hometown Junior A team. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students and free for children.
Snowed-In Comedy Tour
Thunder Bay Community Auditorium
The Snowed in Comedy Tour is now one of the largest comedy tours in Canada. See this month’s Top Five for more info.
tbca.com
March 21, 6 pm
Cross Fat Race Chippewa Park
A cyclocross-style timed fatbike race, put on by the Thunder Bay Cycling Club. Registration starts at 6 pm and the race starts at 6:30 pm. Must be a member of the TBCC to participate.
Adventure Photography in the Boreal
Cascades Conservation Area
available for $69 (includes a small snack), transportation is not included.
seekadventureandtours.com
March 24
RiVAL Workshop: Advancing the Conversation on Indigenous and Labour Rights Finlandia Hall
This workshop, hosted by awardwinning artist, activist, and scholar Dylan Miner, will begin with a talk from Miner and provide opportunity for participants to speak as they create silk-screen prints and learn about each other’s struggles. See this month’s Art section for details.
rival.lakeheadu.ca
March 25, 7 pm
Hellzapoppin Circus SideShow Revue Crocks in NV Nightclub
This performance features performers who are outsiders; artistic children who never grew up. They’re true vagabonds, hearts filled with wanderlust. They travel upon a modern day pirate ship a.k.a The Big Red Prison Bus.
loffredo.ca
March 26 & 27, 8:30 am
ASIST: Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training St. Joseph’s Heritage
This workshop emphasizes suicide first aid and provides information on how to help a person at risk stay safe and seek further help. The training will be held over two consecutive days. For details, contact the Canadian Mental Health Association.
345-5564
March 30, 8 pm
TBSO presents Brew & Beethoven O’Kelly VC Armoury
Celebrating seven years of Brew and Beethoven! There will only be two more B&Bs after this one, as they’ll be ending with Beethoven’s 9th, so this year they’re planning to dial up the energy to get you up dancing! And don’t forget, they’ll have the best craft beer in the city on tap—and a special custom brew just for the evening. Tickets are $30, and yes, the TBSO will play Beethoven’s 7th.
tbso.ca
EVENTS GUIDE KEY
General Art Food
Sports Music
tbaycc.ca
The Walleye Walleye
83 3
MarchMusicGuide March 1 Plan B (The Band)
CLE Coliseum 11 am • No Cover • AA
LU Equality at Law presents Variety Show Black Pirates Pub 7 pm • $5 • 19+
The Gin Tonics The Apollo 9 pm • $5 • 19+
2000s Hip Hop Mashup The Outpost 9:30 pm • $5-$10 • 19+
Luke Warm & The Cold Ones + DJ Big D The Foundry 10 pm • $5 • 19+
Strait Up
The Royalton 10 pm • $3-$5 • 19+
Friends of the Road as Led Zeppelin Black Pirates Pub 10 pm • $5 • 19+
March 2 Plan B (The Band)
CLE Coliseum 11 am • No Cover • AA
James Boraski Solo
Blue Door Bistro 11:30 am • No Cover • All Ages
Folk’n Saturday Afternoons w/ Mood Indigo The Foundry 1 pm • No Cover • 19+
The Cover Show XXIII Encore Black Pirates Pub 10 pm • $5 • 19+
Zack Bright w/ DJ Big D + more The Foundry 10 pm • $5 • 19+
March 3 Open Jam
PA Legion Branch 5 8 pm • No Cover • AA
March 4 Every Folk’n Monday Night w/ Robin Ranger The Foundry 7 pm • No Cover • 19+
March 6 Prada West
Crocks in NV NightClub 9 pm • $15–$19 • 19+
March 7 Jazzy Thursday Nights ft. Mark Piovesana
TBSO presents Northern Lights 4: Nancy, Arley & Zoey Shine (Night One) Italian Cultural Centre 7:30 pm • $12–$43 • AA
The Thirsty Monks + Long Range Hustle + DJ Big D The Foundry 10 pm • $5 • 19+
Jazzy Thursday Nights w/ Martin Blanchet The Foundry 7 pm • No Cover • 19+
Open Stage w/ Craig Smyth & Tiina Flank The Foundry 10 pm • No Cover • 19+
Carver w/ Engine House + AJ Esquega
March 15 McNasty Brass Band
Black Pirates Pub 11 pm • $5 • 19+
Crocks in NV NightClub 9 pm • $10 • 19+
March 9 Folk’n Saturday Afternoons w/ Jamie Smith
Back Forty + DJ Big D
The Foundry 1 pm • No Cover • 19+
TBSO presents Northern Lights 4: Nancy, Arley & Zoey Shine (Night Two) Italian Cultural Centre 7:30 pm • $12–$43 • AA
The Thirsty Monks
Loch Lomond Chalet Bar 7:30 pm • No Cover • AA
Darren Frost & Kenny Robinson: Rank and Vile Da Vinci Centre 7:30 pm • $22–$25 • 19+
Queer Prom: Colours of the North The Outpost 8 pm • $8–$10 • AA
The Honest Heart Rock Revival + DJ Big D The Foundry 10 pm • $5 • 19+
Mountain Mansion + FITM + Burning Chroma + The Shallow Void The Apollo 10 pm • $5 • 19+
Femur & Friends Black Pirates Pub 10 pm • $5 • 19+
March 10 Open Jam
PA Legion Branch 5 8 pm • No Cover • AA
March 11 Every Folk’n Monday Night The Foundry 7 pm • No Cover • 19+
March 12 Five Alarm Funk
The Outpost 8 pm • $15–$20 • 19+
March 13 OZbourne: The Ultimate Ozzy Experience
The Foundry 10 pm • $5 • 19+
I.R. Idiot Spore Album Release Black Pirates Pub 10 pm • $5 • 19+
March 16 James Boraski Solo
Blue Door Bistro 11:30 am • No Cover • AA
Folk’n Saturday Afternoons w/ Flipper Flanagan’s Flat Footed Four The Foundry 1 pm • No Cover • 19+
St. Patrick’s Day Weekend Red Lion Smokehouse 1 pm + 7:30 pm • No Cover • 19+
James Boraski Duo
Crystal Beach Restaurant 4:45 pm • No Cover • AA
The Honest Heart Collective
Piper Hayes & Annie Sumi Algoma House 8 pm • $10 • AA
BPP 11th Annual Paddy’s Double Banger Black Pirates Pub 10 pm • $5 • 19+
March 18 Every Folk’n Monday Night The Foundry 7 pm • No Cover • 19+
March 21 Jazzy Thursday Nights The Foundry 7 pm • No Cover • 19+
Open Stage w/ Craig Smyth & Tiina Flank The Foundry 10 pm • No Cover • 19+
March 22 James Boraski Solo
Mama Alfa’s Restaurant & Pizzeria 5:30 pm • No Cover • AA
Craig Cardiff
The Study Coffeehouse 8 pm • $10–$20 • AA
Dana Swarbrick Solo Cheer’s Pub 9 pm • No Cover • 19+
Undercover w/ DJ Big D The Foundry 10 pm • $5 • 19+
Phoebe The Feeb Variety Show
March 28 Jazzy Thursday Nights The Foundry 7 pm • No Cover • 19+
TBSO presents Outsiders Concert: Coming Out of the Cold
Thunder Bay Community Auditorium 7:30 pm • $12–$53 • AA
All Ages Rock Showcase Black Pirates Pub 8 pm • $6 • AA
Open Stage w/ Craig Smyth & Tiina Flank The Foundry 10 pm • No Cover • 19+
March 29 James Boraski Solo
Blue Door Bistro 11:30 am • No Cover • AA
SnapSis
The Outpost 8 pm • $10 • 19+
Vinyl Night ft. DJ Dr. Dave Red Lion Smokehouse 9:30 pm • No Cover • 19+
St. Patrick’s Party
The Westfort 10 pm • No Cover • 19+
The Pintsmasher ft. The Bay Street Bastards + Hunt & Gather The Foundry 10 pm • $5 • 19+
BPP 11th Annual Paddy’s Double Banger Black Pirates Pub 10 pm • $5 • 19+
March 17 St. Patrick’s Day Fun
Sleeping Giant Brewing Co. 2 pm • No Cover • AA
Blue Door Bistro 11:30 am • No Cover • AA
Folk’n Saturday Afternoons The Foundry 1 pm • No Cover • 19+
Sleeping Giant Folk Music Society presents Ryan McNally Port Arthur Polish Hall 7 pm • $30–$35 • AA
James Boraski Trio
Loch Lomond Chalet Bar 7:30 pm • No Cover • AA
8 pm • By Donation • 19+
Country Legends Tribute Tour
Finlandia Hall 8 pm • $25–$30 • 19+
March 14 James Boraski Duo
Portside Lounge, Prince Arthur Hotel 6 pm • $15 • 19+ Red Lion Smokehouse 7:30 pm • No Cover • 19+
Open Jam
PA Legion Branch 5 8 pm • No Cover • AA
Blue Door Bistro 6 pm • No Cover • AA
Cheer’s Pub 9 pm • No Cover • 19+
Us as Them: Rock Steady Tribute to Bob Marley The Foundry 10 pm • $5 • 19+
Isolate Peaks as Underoath w/ ArchAnger + Piggybank Black Pirates Pub 10 pm • $5 • 19+
March 30 Folk’n Saturday Afternoons
Sunday Wilde’s Half Century The Foundry 1 pm • No Cover • 19+ Hootenanny The Apollo Blues House Party
March 8 James Boraski Solo
4 The Walleye 84
Crocks in NV NightClub 6:30 pm • $25 • 19+
March 23 James Boraski Solo
St. Patrick’s Day Weekend
Seattle Coffee House 6:30 pm • No Cover • AA
March 26 John 5 w/ Jared James Nichols
St. Patrick’s Saturday Smash
Underlier w/ ArchAnger + A New Machine
Blue Door Bistro 11:30 am • No Cover • AA
The Foundry 7 pm • No Cover • 19+
James Boraski Trio, Pre-Blues House Party
Open Stage w/ Craig Smyth & Tiina Flank
The Outpost 8 pm • $5 • 19+
March 25 Every Folk’n Monday Night
Black Pirates Pub 10 pm • $5 • 19+
Poetry Night & James Boraski Back to the 80s Party ft. Acoustic Performance Plan B
The Foundry 10 pm • No Cover • 19+
PA Legion Branch 5 8 pm • No Cover • AA
Loch Lomond Chalet Bar 7:30 pm • No Cover • AA
Crocks in NV NightClub 8 pm • $15–$18 • 19+
The Foundry 7 pm • No Cover • 19+
March 24 Open Jam
The Wayland 9 pm • No Cover • 19+
Beauties & Booties Drag Show II Black Pirates Pub 10 pm • $10 • 19+
PA Legion Branch 5 7 pm • $20–$25 • 19+
The Thirties
Black Pirates Pub 10 pm • $5 • 19+
March 31 Open Jam
PA Legion Branch 5 8 pm • No Cover • AA Brought to you by:
Page 38 w/ DJ Big D The Foundry 10 pm • $5 • 19+
For more info visit tbshows.com
LU RADIO’S MONTHLY TOP Top 20 1
Royal Canoe* Waver Paper Bag
20 3
Tanya Tagaq* Snowblind Six Shooter
2
Elizabeth Shepherd* Montreal Linus Entertainment
11 Ocean Alley Chiaroscuro Unified
4
Sarah Louise Nighttime Birds and Morning Stars Thrill Jockey
3
Jazzlab Orchestra* Quintessence Effendi
12 Belle Plaine* Malice, Mercy, Grief & Wrath Self-Released
5
Ivory Towers* Queller Self-Released
4
Alfredo Rodríguez and Pedrito Martinez Duologue Mack Avenue
5
Michael Wolff Swirl Sunnyside
14 Hot Pocket* A Slippery Slope Self-Released
3
4
5
6
Foxwarren* Foxwarren Arts & Crafts Weakened Friends Common Blah Don Giovanni Fever Feel* Fever Feel Self-Released The O’Pears* Stay Warm Self-Released Dan Mangan* More or Less Arts & Crafts
7
Castlecomer Castlecomer Concord
8
Georgia Anne Muldrow Overload Brainfeeder
9
Whitehorse* The Northern South, Vol. 2 Six Shooter
CILU 102.7fm’s Monthly Charts for this issue reflect airplay for the month ending February 19, 2019. Check out our weekly charts online at luradio.ca and tune in to the Top 20 Countdown, Mondays from 4-6pm, or catch one of the rebroadcasts throughout the week! Keep it locked on 102.7fm - online streaming at luradio.ca
10 Devon Welsh* Dream Songs You Are Accepted
13 Charles Bradley Black Velvet Daptone
2
Music
15 wild/kind* West Ends Self-Released 16 Kandle* Holy Smoke Self-Released 17 Various* Live At Massey Hall, Vol. 1 Arts & Crafts 18 High Parade* The Ocean Self-Released 19 Daniel Romano* Finally Free You’ve Changed 20 Christine Fellows* Roses on the Vine Vivat Virtute
Hip Hop 1
Eekwol & T-Rhyme* For Women By Women Self-Released
2
deM atlaS Bad Actress Rhymesayers
3
Georgia Anne Muldrow Overload Brainfeeder
4
Atmosphere Mi Vida Local Rhymesayers
5
Raiza Biza and REMI Black Hole Sun EP Low Key Source
International 1
Jah Cutta* Ladies and Gentlemen Indica
Loud 1
Ye Goat-Herd Gods* Ashes Shall Be Made of Them Self-Released
2
School Damage* Hello, Cruel World Self-Released
3
Makthaverskan Demands / Onkel Run For Cover
4
Jock Tears* Bad Boys Inky
5
Fractal Cypher* Prelude to an Impending Outcome Self-Released
Folk•Roots•Blues 1
Hungry Lake* Townies Self-Released
2
Christine Fellows* Roses on the Vine Vivat Virtute
3
Daniel Romano* Finally Free You’ve Changed
4
Belle Plaine* Malice, Mercy, Grief & Wrath Self-Released
5
Jesse Matas* Tamarock Self-Released
Electronic 1
Royal Canoe* Waver Paper Bag
2
Craig Aalders* Oceanography Self-Released
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event?
Add it to our online Events Guide (for free) at thewalleye.ca
2
Novalima Ch’usay Wonderwheel
3
Fabrizio Piepoli Il cedro e la rosa Self-Released
4
Bicicletas Por La Paz Surfeando Un Cometa Self-Released
5
Various Ole Ting Riddim - EP Trinidad and Tobago
Jazz 1
Various A Day In The Life: Impressions Of Pepper Verve
* Indicates Canadian Content
The Walleye Walleye
85 7
WeatherEye
ART COLONY MEMBER SHOW APRIL 24 – MAY 5
When Has Spring Sprung?
OPENING RECEPTION APRIL 26, 5 PM
Story by Graham Saunders, Photo by Darren McChristie MORE INFO ABOUT THIS EVENT AT
Superior slowly releasing its icy grip on Black Bay.
T
he spring season is seen as a time of hope and fresh beginnings. The landscape emerges from winter and new life surges from the earth. However, the beginning of spring is a subjective concept; you can choose whenever you want it to begin. Weather people, climatologists, and meteorologists start spring when winter is over. Winter is the three coldest months of the year: December, January, and February. Therefore, the spring season begins on March 1—perhaps you are reading this on the first day or two of “spring.” The month of March was named after the Roman god Mars, originally their god of agriculture. It was the time for spring planting, and most modern ways of defining spring follow this tradition in some fashion. Astronomers have another angle. Winter is the period from the winter solstice—around December 21, when the sun is at its most southerly point over the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere—until the vernal equinox, when the sun crosses the equator again on its seasonal procession northwards. Astronomical spring begins this year on March 20 at 5:58 p.m. EDT.
86 The Walleye
I do not know how many people took seriously the longer-range projection of a rodent forecaster a month ago. Groundhog Day originates in northern Europe, from an ancient celebration of the midway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox—the day right in the middle of astronomical winter. According to folklore, sunny skies soon after sunrise on February 2 signify a stormy and cold second half of winter, while cloudy skies and no shadow visible indicate the arrival of warmer weather and an early spring. Thus meteorologists, astronomers, and groundhogs (I suppose) all have their own criteria and context for the beginning of spring. In any case, to many people in our region—in particular gardeners— all the above dates are very premature. One way of deciding when the season has arrived is to watch for the budding of local plant life. This preview of renewed vitality is rare in March and token appearances have occurred only twice in the past decade. Pussy willows and buds on shrubs typically are visible in April but actual green-up—the delightful hush of light green from emerging poplar leaves on distant hills—usually holds off until
May. However, “the times they are a-changin”—spring growth in the Northern Hemisphere is beginning earlier, occurring on average one to two weeks sooner now than it did in the early 1960s. In Thunder Bay, the average date of the final spring frost has changed from June 4 to May 26. March is a complicated month in northern Ontario. It can revert to its wintry origins, but its lengthening days hint at more warmth and outdoor activities to come. March 15, the Ides of March, is best known for the demise of Julius Caesar. This date implies the wisdom of paying attention to warnings, but on more pleasant, warmer note, it marks the date that, on average, the daily high climbs above the melting point in and around Thunder Bay. As well, March is the month with the most dramatic changes in temperature. The spread between the warmest March temperature on record, 23.9°C, and the coldest, -36.7°C, exceeds all other months. On average, the final day of March is 11°C warmer than the first. Green-up may be still weeks away, but more warmth with the sun higher and longer in the sky prepare the landscape for spring no matter how it is defined.
GrandMaraisArtColony.org 218.387.2737
Green
Garden Planning Season is Upon Us By Julia Prinselaar, Environmental Programs, EcoSuperior
I
n its first revision in more than a decade, Health Canada’s newly overhauled Food Guide has more to say about the dietary value of plant-based foods and their role in healthy eating. Since the 1940s, the document has informed institutions, policy-makers, and the public on guidelines for nutrition. The updated edition, released in January 2019, eliminates recommended daily servings of the food groups we grew up with, in favour of plant-based diets with fewer animal products and processed foods. Water is the preferred beverage. While the guide acknowledges that a regular intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, beans, peas, and lentils can help to reduce the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and cholesterol, it’s not surprising that healthier food choices can also lead to an increase in the household grocery bill. Growing a food garden, cooking these foods at home, and preserving surplus
harvest for the off-season are some ways to help bring costs down. Even though we’ve barely made it to spring, March rings in the season for garden planning. The catalogues are out, seed racks are stocked, and some of the first community seed exchanges have already taken place. And despite our region’s short growing season, many garden favourites like peas, choy, spinach, and lettuce can be direct seeded early in cooler weather. Others, including leeks and tomatoes, can get a head start indoors. EcoSuperior’s retail storefront carries seed from suppliers who specialize in organic, heirloom varieties of vegetables, herbs, and wildflowers that attract beneficial insects and pollinators to your garden. Now is the time to take out a notebook and sketch out your garden’s footprint along with a list of what you’d like to grow. Here are a few varieties that we’re excited to stock on our shelves this growing season: The Japanese Black Trifele
tomato from Hawthorn Farm yields medium-sized dark fruits with a thin skin, making these pear-shaped tomatoes presentable and decorative for slicing. They taste great in salads or simply drizzled with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a few fresh basil leaves. A nutritional powerhouse and member of the brassica family, rapini is well-suited to cool weather production. It’s one of the most popular greens in Italy, with bitter notes and a visual resemblance to leafy broccoli. Our seed supplier, Matchbox Garden & Seed Co., based in Caledonia, Ontario, recommends direct seeding in the early spring or late summer. A new-to-us variety from the local seed-saving collective Superior Seed Producers is GeteOkosomin, a torpedo-shaped winter squash that ripens to a dark orange with bright yellow-orange flesh. If you like the nutty flavor of the classic butternut, we trust you’ll enjoy the sweeter, milder taste of
this early-maturing variety. We recommend that, among your vegetables, you plant flowers and herbs that bloom throughout the season. Dill, coriander, anise hyssop, and boneset are just a few examples of annual and perennial plants that will attract pollinators and beneficial insects that prey on unwanted pests. If you’re short on space at home, our city has a growing number of community gardens around town. The Thunder Bay District Health Unit website currently lists 17 community garden sites, including plots at Confederation College and Lakehead University. For more information, visit tbdhu.com or call 625-5900.
The Walleye
87
TheWall
In Search of Comfort Foods By Betty Carpick
I
n the junk food realm, Old Dutch potato chips are my default comfort food. The thin, crunchy, salty, greasy deliciousness of these chips have been a favourite since I was a kid in northern Manitoba. At the arena, community club, curling rink, grocery store, and on the train that connected us to the south, the four Old Dutch flavours of the 1960s—plain, ripple, onion and garlic, and barbeque—whispered to me from neat wall-mounted shingle style displays. It was exquisite to bite into a
treat that inspired my palate with its futuristic texture. Once in a while, you’d find brown chips or chips with green edges in a package. I didn’t care. While I understood the beauty of abundant patches of sun-ripened berries and knew how to pick clean without the leaves, stems, unripe berries, and tiny worms, a bag of chips held the promise of pleasant feelings without much work. The fact that bags of potato chips made their way intact over 1,000 kms from Winnipeg to an isolated community surrounded by water and granite was
good enough for me. Recipes for fried potato slices can be found in several nineteenth century cookbooks. In the 1850s, Native American cooks and siblings Kate Wicks and George Speck refined the process of frying and salting very thin slices of potatoes and popularized them at Moon’s Lake House near Saratoga Springs in upstate New York. Before they became popular, it was a bit of scandal to be seen out in public munching on Saratoga chips or potato crunches from paper cones. However, it wasn’t long before potato chips were produced for sale in grocery stores. In 1934, Old Dutch Products Co. was founded in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. Twenty years later they opened a potato chip manufacturing plant in Winnipeg. Southwestern Manitoba’s soil and climatic conditions made it one of the most productive places in Canada to grow potatoes. New flavours and new products were eventually introduced to appeal to regional and generational preferences—sour cream and onion, salt and vinegar, all dressed,
ketchup, baked, reduced salt, sea salt, jalapeno and cheddar, and more. Part of the insidiousness of junk foods, with their convenient purity, consistency, and longer shelf life, meant that remote and rural communities were infiltrated. It became easy for people to eat unhealthy food and the snack attack was inevitably normalized. When I moved to southern Ontario in the 1980s, I missed my family and friends, I missed Manitoba, and I missed the comfort of eating Old Dutch chips. Once, on a return flight from Winnipeg, I watched a couple of passengers stuff boxes of Old Dutch chips into the overhead compartment. I felt remorseful that I hadn’t had the wherewithal to do the same. Comfort foods are very personal dopamine fixes. As much as I still enjoy indulging in a few potato chips, the one food that I really crave is a traditional spring ritual for my family, a delicacy that I haven’t enjoyed in over 30 years: the tender, salty, greasy deliciousness of brined wild muskrat cooked over an open fire.
10TH ANNUAL CHARITY RUN & WALK
THANK YOU to our
SPONSORS
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DONORS Afloat, Canada Games Complex, Cav Tel, Daytona’s, Fresh Air, Inside Up Games, Popeye’s, Sasi Spring Water, Seek Adventure and Tours, Sleeping Giant Folk Music Society, Thunder Bay Timing, 2Tone Music
& EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED!
AUTHENTIC MEXICAN – 269 RED RIVER RD. – 343-3443
88 The Walleye
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TheBeat
Six of One By Rebekah Skochinski On Wednesdays we buy perogies from the Legion on Simpson Street. We don’t see the Babas who make them. Instead there is a basement with a low ceiling and a cement floor and fluorescent lights that paint unflattering shadows on our faces. The walls are a colour that is somewhere between mint and grey. Not much light gets in. The people who sell us perogies are volunteers who can speak good English and count change. The Babas are hiding in the kitchen with flour caught on their clothes and in their hair. After awhile they forget it’s there. These women live in the East End near the coal docks. Many of them are Ukrainian with last names that are uncomfortable for people to say: too long, too many syllables, too many letters that shouldn’t be beside one another. What we want is sitting in Styrofoam, stacked on rectangular tables that have been pushed together and covered in shiny plastic tablecloths in floral patterns of turquoise, yellow, and red. The kind of tablecloths that can be wiped a hundred times and still look new, until one gets a tear. Perogies are strange. They are unappealing unless you have a connection to the taste of them. Especially these pre-cooked ones. These shriveled half-moons with hardened butter and pieces of onion glued to them like a promise.
Some of our Babas don’t make perogies anymore because their hands have arthritis and their knuckles are fat and swollen. Some of our Babas live in one-room apartments without a kitchen or a stove that we’ve tried to convince them are homes. Some of our Babas are dead. We talk about this while we wait. We tell each other about the bulging freezer bags. Dozens and dozens. So many you didn’t bother to count. They were all exactly the same size. Remember Hunky Bill’s Perogie Maker? Yeah, yeah, I tried one of those. Me too. My dough still stuck and they popped open in the pot. Mine too.
boy Roland, Home, digital illustration
With onions? Yes. And sour cream? Not me. Some of us love the potato and cheese ones best. Some of us prefer sauerkraut, cottage cheese and dill. Others speak wistfully of fruit-filled pockets made with fresh-picked wild blueberries.
There’s a man in line with cheekbones like Baryshnikov who says, “Expensive for what you get.” Still, he is here with the rest of us. His wallet folded in half wearing a crease into his back pocket.
Most people know them as perogies but we know them as pedaheh. That you eat them boiled in a huge pot. That you melt an entire brick of butter into a saucepan with a spout on one side. That you fry onions until they are amber-coloured. That you tumble them together in a huge bowl until they are slippery. That you eat them by the forkful and lose count of how many.
He’s not wrong. These perogies are expensive even though they are made in the hundreds from only flour and water and boiled potatoes and cheese. That isn’t what we’re paying for. What we’re paying for can’t be bought, but that doesn’t stop us from trying. What we absolutely cannot have is for these perogies to be exactly like the perogies that our Babas made for us.
That is not how we eat these Legion perogies that are really pedaheh that are not like our Babas. We fry them in a pan, or nuke them in the microwave. We stand over the sink after work because we are so hungry we would eat anything but we want these. Or, we eat them in front of the TV because we are lonely, catching them with a fork as they
slide around the buttery plate in our lap. Not everyone buys perogies from the Legion. Some people that never had Babas buy Cheemo brand perogies in open freezers from the grocery store. They think they are enjoying perogies but they are not. We cannot explain this to them and we don’t bother. Let them be. Others hate perogies. They say that they are bland or mushy. We don’t judge them. It’s only because they have never experienced the magic of watching a Baba in the kitchen. Her hair is pulled back from her round face. Her cheeks are rosy from the steam of the pot. Her sing-song voice tells you important and unimportant things while her strong hands hold on to the ends of a rolling pin. She knows exactly how hard to roll the dough until it is the right thickness. It is never too sticky or tough. Spoons, like shovels, stand up in the pot of potatoes and cheese. She knows precisely how much to put in the centre of the disc of dough: “A teaspoon, or so.” Then it’s fold and pinch, and turn and pinch. Once sealed, they wait
on a tea towel dusted with flour, these crescents of white and pale yellow. Our child hands want to help. Baba lets us help. Showing us with a “here, like this.” Pressing her hands over ours so that we can feel what’s right. Without a Baba, it’s easy to forget. We don’t stand in the line for very long. We are glad it moves quickly; we have places to go. Our cars are parked on a busy street. We hope we have shoved enough quarters into the meter. We buy our dozen, or two. Feel the weight of them through the handles of our bags. A lady lets her toddler carry them with outstretched arms. For now we are satisfied. It is not the beginning. It is not the end. We are in the middle. There is still some hope. Our eyes have adjusted to the light in the basement so that when we climb the stairs we need to grab the railing for balance because the sun peeking through from above makes it so that we cannot see.
The Walleye
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Derelicte 11 - Black Pirates Pub
Photo by Sarah McPherson
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Nancy Freeborn
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The Walleye
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