May 2020 by The Walleye Magazine

FILM FREE ARTS Vol. 11 No. 5 MUSIC MAY FOOD 2020 CULTURE thewalleye.ca

The View from the Front Line

A Community Responds

CURRY UP NOW INDIAN KITCHEN 36

SMALL SCALE INGENUITY 52

PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE 68

THE WILD RIDE CONTINUES 104

COMMUNITY FUND

Who is your Neighbourhood Hero?

At Tbaytel, we believe in being a good neighbour. As a local company, part of being a good neighbour is investing in a vision of a better and brighter community for all of us. The Tbaytel for Good Community Fund campaign is one of the ways we work to bring that vision to life. Each year, through our two Community Fund campaigns, we look to people and organizations in our neighbourhood to submit project ideas for funding consideration—projects that have a positive impact on individuals, families, schools and communities across Northern Ontario, and could make an even bigger difference with Tbaytel’s support behind them. We award grants to two successful projects in each of the three available funding streams—$500, $1,500 and $5,000— for a total of $14,000 per campaign.

Let’s spread a little inspiration around the neighbourhood! Do you have a Neighbourhood Hero or a For Good Story to share?

We were set to begin accepting entries for the Community Fund spring campaign this month, but were forced to change our plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This time has not been easy for any of us, and with many individuals and families facing financial hardships and food insecurity, we knew that we had to find a way to give back.

Simply tag us in a social post or story, nominate someone special and share with us how they are your personal #NeighbourhoodHero.

Though our approach will be different, we still want the Community Fund campaign to support the people doing good work in our communities. People across Northern Ontario are performing small acts of kindness to say thank you to essential service workers, to support their neighbours, or simply to make others smile amid the anxiety of these uncertain times, and we want to recognize and reward them for it.

They could receive a $100 gift card to a locally owned restaurant!

From April 27th to May 31st, Tbaytel will be giving away $20,000 in gift certificates to locally owned restaurants to show our appreciation for our neighbours’ continued dedication to community building, as well as support the local economy and our small businesses when they need it most. We’re asking you to nominate your friends, family, coworkers and neighbours by sharing the work they’re doing for our community on social media. Each week will have a theme in order to highlight all of the different ways people are coming together to support each other.

@tbaytel #NeighbourhoodHero 2

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When their work matches the theme, tag Tbaytel in a post showcasing their efforts on Facebook or Instagram, and we will choose up to 40 winners per week to receive a $100 virtual gift card to a locally owned restaurant. In addition to the social media campaign, on April 27th, Tbaytel announced a $5,000 donation to the Regional Food Distribution Association (RFDA). The RFDA secures and distributes food to community organizations that provide for people in need across Northern Ontario, and we want to support their continued efforts to meet the expected increase in demand for their services due to COVID-19. We have also partnered with the Thunder Bay District Social Services Administration Board (TBDSSAB) to deliver devices, data and voice plans to keep some of our most vulnerable community members connected at this critical time. WiFi is also being provided for five of the organization’s housing complexes, to bring Tbaytel’s support of TBDSSAB to over $27,000. We don’t yet know whether we’ll be able to move forward as planned with the Community Fund fall campaign, but we hope that this spring campaign will serve as a reminder that although we can’t be together physically, we can still stay connected through positive action. Thank you, Northern Ontario, for everything you do for your communities. We are incredibly proud to be part of this neighbourhood. For more information on how to nominate a Neighbourhood Hero or share a For Good Story visit tbaytelforgood.net.

We’re in it together The Walleye

Contents

walleye the

FEATURES

Thunder Bay’s arts & culture alternative

Editor-in-chief Darren McChristie

member of parliament

Editor Adrian Lysenko adrian@thewalleye.ca Assistant Editor Rebekah Skochinski Senior Editor Tiffany Jarva Copy Editors Amy Jones, Bonnie Schiedel

Marketing & Sales Specialist Kaitlin Trevisan kaitlin@thewalleye.ca

From the Front Line ■ 12 Amanda Lofts ■ 13 Laura Toms ■ 14 Laura Turner ■ 15 Amina Abu-Bakare ■ 16 Mike Luce ■ 17 Andy Parr ■ 18 Kayla Huneau ■ 19 Mike Siska ■ 20 Kyle Stamler ■ 22 Fiona Duncan ■ 23 Rick Kerly ■ 24 BY THE NUMBERS Stepping Up ■ 26 Behind the Masks ■ 30 We Got This

Art Directors Steve Coghill, R.G.D., Dave Koski, R.G.D. production@thewalleye.ca

Take-Out Menu ■ 46 Developing Seed Security ■ 47 Embracing Local Food ■ 48 Vegetable Trials for Northwestern Ontario ■ 49 First Garden Tips for Black Thumbs

FILM&THEATRE

The Walleye is a free monthly publication distributed on racks throughout Thunder Bay and region.

THE ARTS

■ 52 Small Scale Ingenuity ■ 56 FROM THUNDER BAY ART GALLERY’S COLLECTION ■ 58 Lakehead University Juried Exhibition

■ 62 Gone Fly Fishin’ CITYSCENE

■ 66 Still Here For You

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

and Transformation in Film

OUTDOOR

■ 94 John Prine ■ 96 Pieces of Canadian

Music History ■ 97 Save Us a Spot Near the Stage ■ 100 Listen Close ■ 103 Visual Past ■ 104 The Wild Ride Continues

■ 108 OFF THE WALL REVIEWS ARCHITECTURE

■ 110 McKellar Hospital HEALTH

■ 112 Thunder Bay Community

Helping Front-Line Workers

■ 113 LU RADIO'S

■ 50 Isolation, Resilience,

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

MUSIC

■ 32 THE GRINNING BELLY ■ 33 DRINK OF THE MONTH ■ 34 BREW IT YOURSELF ■ 36 Curry Up Now Indian Kitchen ■ 39 SUPERIOR SIP ■ 41 The Walleye's Pandemic

Ad Designers Dave Koski, Miranda van den Berg

Reproduction of any article, photograph or artwork without written permission is strictly forbidden. Views expressed herein are those of the author exclusively.

Damien Gilbert ■ 80 50 Years of Thunder Bay ■ 82 The Power of Sisu ■ 83 THIS IS THUNDER BAY ■ 84 Shuttered Inn ■ 86 Connectivity in Northwestern Ontario ■ 88 Supporting Local Vendors Online ■ 89 When the Stage Goes Dark ■ 90 Naken Soaps ■ 92 Cloud Lake Literary

FOOD

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

■ 68 People Helping People ■ 73 Set Phasers to Chill ■ 76 STUFF WE LIKE ■ 78 Eye to Eye: With

■ 11 CoverStory: The View

MONTHLY TOP 20 GREEN

■ 114 An Invitation to Deeply Connect and Immerse While Self–Isolating ■ 115 Depaving Paradise

THE WALL

■ 116 When the Shit Hits the Fan,

Try a Little Tenderness

■ 118 HOROSCOPES ■ 119 THE BEAT ■ 120 THE EYE

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

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E-mail: info@thewalleye.ca

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From Our Instagram feed

United and Resilient

ince writing my last editor’s letter, life has changed dramatically. Most of the world is under some form of lockdown, the economy is heading towards a recession, our international borders are closed to non-essential travel, and social distancing has become the new norm. To help flatten the curve, I’ve been fortunate enough to be working from home, but for many people in Thunder Bay this isn’t an option. My wife, Krista, is a midwife and has been delivering babies since the lockdown started. On top of this, she’s pregnant and due at the end of this month. She and the other essential workers are my heroes, as their perseverance helps keep our community running. Our May issue is dedicated to Thunder Bay’s front-line workers who are putting themselves and their families at risk to deliver essential services. From a registered nurse working in long-term care to a housekeeping attendant at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, we share their views from the front line. Also in our cover story, Bonnie Schiedel highlights

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how individuals, businesses, and organizations are finding innovative and collaborative ways to respond to the pandemic, Kim Latimer tells about local efforts to make personal protective equipment, and photographer Ashley Kibzey shares images of hope and optimism captured throughout the city. Keeping with this theme, Justin Allec talks to music venue owners and musicians about how the pandemic is affecting them, Tiffany Jarva Zooms with Thunder Bay– Superior North MP and federal Minister of Health Patty Hajdu, and film columnist Michael Sobota provides his picks for movies that inspire resilience, perseverance, and transformation. During these past few months, I often wonder how I’ll explain what life was like during the pandemic to our little coronial when they’re older. If the stories in our May issue are of any indication, it proves that even at a time when we’re practicing social distancing, we’re still united.

In Error

LY. N O ERY V I L DE R O P U K . E C I L P B A DE IL I A S V B A NG CUR I C N FINA

Alan and Harry’s names were reversed on the photos on page 62 of our April issue.

Featured Contributors Andrea Lysenko With her love for canning and knitting, Andrea describes herself as “38 going on 88.” She’s also a passionate beekeeper, gardener, foodie, and loves her dogs. Specializing in podcasts, Andrea started contributing reviews to The Walleye in April 2019 after being continually harassed by her brother (and our editor), Adrian. As someone who has been listening to a variety of different programs for many years, she believes having an escape these days from the daily madness and connecting with others via different podcasts is incredibly helpful and important. Check out Andrea’s review of Gastropod on page 109.

On the Cover Kyle Stamler, paramedic, Superior North Emergency Medical Services, wearing the personal protective equipment required for calls involving suspected cases of COVID-19 Photo by Darren McChristie

call, facebook message or shop online! 710 BALMORAL STREET

FRESHAIREXPERIENCE.CA

-Adrian Lysenko

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TheTOPFive

Social Distancing Edition

1 Hands-on Science

Trust the science! Science North has been providing science experiences to Northwestern Ontario through schools, festivals, and summer science camps. And now, they’ve rallied together to film a series of science videos to entertain and educate students by bringing their “Bluecoats” to you. The idea is to demonstrate science concepts using very simple activities that people can try at home using common household items. They are now collaborating with their main location in Sudbury to ensure there is new daily content. The first wave of videos include lessons on kitchen chemistry and how to make a homemade popsicle harmonica, sparkly crystal creations, and slime! Great for the kids, and for those who just want to feel like a kid again.

You may never get the true recognition or credit that you deserve, but know that what you’re doing is nothing short of heroic.

youtube.com/user/sciencenorth

Virtual Pub

2 Quiz Night

Have you heard? Red Lion Smokehouse’s quiz nights are going virtual, which means that you can play and stay in the comfort of your own home! Here’s how it breaks down: on the first and third Wednesday nights in May at 8 pm you can join in for 8–10 rounds. Each quiz is a mix of question types including picture rounds, word puzzles, and trivia. The host, Ian Grant, will inject a welcome comedic event to the hosting and his assistant Caitlin also gets in on the action by reading out comments and questions from participants. We hear it gets a little bit rowdy! Challenge your friends and families from other households to take part. Check Red Lion Smokehouse’s Facebook page for all the details. It’s free, and it’s fun! facebook.com/redlionsmokehouse

4 Mocc Walk

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3 Take-out Tuesdays We’ve all been cooking a lot more than usual, and we could really use a break from the kitchen! Take a break and take out by supporting a local business— whether you can swing it once a week, or once a month, let’s make Take-out Tuesdays take off! Treat yourself to a coffee, snack, lunch, or dinner at one of your favourite spots. Miss your latte from Calico Coffeehouse? Can’t go one more day without spring rolls from Thai Kitchen? Beer, pizza, pasta—we’ve made a list of what’s open so that all you have to do is click through to find what you’re craving. See who is doing phone or online orders, who has curbside pick-up, and who delivers. Pssst, the first Tuesday of the month is May 5. thewalleye.ca/whats-open-in-thunder-bay

5 Hump Day History

Get active, get fit, and have fun! The Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA) is challenging the community to a #MoccWalk. Join this free walking challenge and help to increase awareness about diabetes and support physical activity among Indigenous women and their families across Ontario. Walking not your thing? That’s okay—any exercise will do, like gardening, raking, jumping rope, or your current favourite online workout. You don’t even have to exercise standing up, as long as you’re engaging your body in movement. Be creative! Participants can view the participant leaderboard, upload photos, and be entered to win weekly challenges and prizes that include gift cards and fitness watches. It’s open to all ages, and runs May 1 until June 30. Register online.

Have a hankering for some history? Don’t know what to do on Hump Day? Us too! Every Wednesday throughout May, the Thunder Bay Museum will be bringing you live broadcasts from local historians as well as a look at the museum’s collection. Join curator Michael deJong on May 6 for “Hump Day History: A Night at the Museum.” This will be a behindthe-scenes tour that will help you get over that mid-week hurdle by learning a bit about our region’s past. These free and live and interactive webinars are brought to you on behalf of the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society and Lakehead University. Check out their website for more information and to find the webinar links. See you online!

onwa.ca

thunderbaymuseum.com/webinars

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CoverStory

The View from the Front Line A Community Responds

“We make good things

ince COVID-19 came into the picture, the focus for our community has changed. As businesses, as families, and as individuals, we’ve all had to make sacrifices and adjustments. From taking on new roles as teachers, cooks, caretakers, and makers, to shifting demands and challenges for existing workers now on the front lines, every aspect of our lives have been affected by the pandemic, which has challenged us emotionally, mentally, physically, and financially. So to provide a bit of hope, perspective, and inspiration, we’ve highlighted some people and organizations who have stepped up to help. Thank you for all you’ve done and continue to do.

happen for students” Darren McChristie

You belong here 10

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CoverStory

Laura Toms

Registered Nurse, Pioneer Ridge Long-Term Care Home Story by Susan Goldberg, Photo by Darren McChristie

Amanda Lofts Community Support Worker, Shelter House Thunder Bay

Story by Matt Prokopchuk, Photo by Darren McChristie

manda Lofts’ job helping some of the most vulnerable people in Thunder Bay during the COVID-19 pandemic means she hasn’t seen her 11-yearold daughter in over a month. Lofts is a community support worker at Shelter House, providing a safe environment for those who are homeless. She also helps clients with everything from basic needs, like food and shelter, to emotional support, advocacy, and guiding them to additional resources. When she learned in March that she would be an essential worker during a public health emergency, Lofts, who

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is a single mother, asked her parents to take her daughter into their home full-time amid the risk that Lofts could be exposed to COVID-19 at work. “This [was] my first Easter that I spent away from her and that was different, for sure,” she says. “It kind of feels like my life’s on hold a little bit, even though I’m still working.” Lofts says her daughter is handling the situation well, although the two do miss seeing each other daily and in person. “It’s definitely not a normal life for her.” Lofts’ own life is hardly normal these days, either. According to

Shelter House’s Facebook page, the shelter has made numerous changes in response to the province’s state of emergency, including encouraging its clients to stay on-site during the day and practice social distancing, limiting outside access to the building—the shelter’s lunch and dinner services are now take-out only, for example—and regularly screening for symptoms. Staff also have extra protection to wear and duties to perform. “We have a visor we wear now, and masks, for the full eight hours of our shift,” Lofts says. “It’s a lot of extra work in general … we all have extra cleaning.” She adds, “People’s anxiety levels are up.” Still, knowing she’s helping people who are far less fortunate keeps her motivated. “Our clients still need somebody too,” she says. “I mean my daughter is good—she’s safe, she’s at my parents’ house— but, you know, if we shut down tomorrow, where would all those

people go? At the end of the day, it is worth it. I feel like I’m doing the community a service by continuing to work.” Lofts says she wants everyone to think of those workers whose jobs don’t allow them to stay home. Some of her colleagues, who live with family, have to worry about extra precautions when they get home, she says, like bagging their clothes and immediately showering. “It’s a lot scarier for front-line workers who have families to go home to.” She also wants everyone to take social distancing and other orders and suggestions from public health officials seriously. Outside of work, Lofts says, she’s only rarely going out for essentials. “There’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” she says. “We just need everybody to stay home so that this can be all over soon and everything can kind of go back to normal.”

t the end of an eight-hour shift, all Laura Toms wants to do is go home and wrap her arms around her kids, kiss the tops of their heads. But she can’t. That’s because Toms, a registered nurse, has to protect the health of not only the four members of her immediate family, but also the 150 members of her “work family”: the elderly and often frail residents of Thunder Bay’s Pioneer Ridge long-term care facility. “They are, essentially, our family, and we’re concerned about keeping them safe and not wanting any of them to get sick,” she says. “So, all our staff are isolating as much as we can from our own, immediate family members. My husband and kids are definitely spending more time away.” COVID-19 has substantially changed Tom’s working environment. All the staff at Pioneer Ridge line up six feet apart at the beginning of each shift to confirm they don’t have any symptoms. “We have our temperatures taken and we’re given our masks for the day.” Residents are assessed twice daily. “We are taking temperatures and monitoring for respiratory symptoms especially, but any symptoms out of the norm,” explains Toms, who’s been an RN for 14 years. “If someone complains of headache, you’re monitoring them much more closely than you would have before.” Getting used to working in a mask, says Toms, has been difficult. “They’re pretty restrictive.” And, she points out, they can confuse some of the people she cares for. “It’s difficult especially for someone with

dementia to understand why you have that thing on your face, and why you look so different.” To slow the spread of the virus, visitors are no longer permitted at the facility. That’s also hard on residents used to regular contact with friends, children, and grandchildren. Instead, they’re relying on window visits and FaceTime chats. The City has put out a call to community members, asking people to send handwritten cards or emails to residents, as well as writing and drawings from school-age children. The program, says Toms, has made a difference: “You’ll see a resident carrying around a card for the rest of the day, just beaming over it. It makes me feel like going above and beyond to make people feel safe and happy.” All these efforts have so far helped to keep COVID-19 out of Pioneer Ridge—and that, for Toms, makes the challenge worthwhile. “Our biggest fear is an outbreak like those we’ve seen in other longterm care homes, where they’re left in terrible situations.” She’s “extremely impressed and overwhelmed” by how staff have come together to enhance the lives of residents. Messages of support for front-line workers, she says, also make a difference: “It makes you feel really valued in what you’re doing.” Would you like to be a penpal to a senior in a long-term care home? For more information about the city’s Letters to Residents and Caring Cards programs, visit thunderbay.ca/en/city-services/pioneer-ridge.aspx

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CoverStory

Laura Turner

Housekeeping Attendant, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre Story by Adrian Lysenko, Photo by Darren McChristie

hen Laura Turner first heard that she and her team would be working on the COVID-19 dedicated care unit, the housekeeping attendant admits she was scared of the unknown. “Sure you worry. I have a daughter at home, she’s 10,” Turner says. “It was really nerve-wracking when you’re not knowing what to expect at first.” On April 13, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre converted its 3A surgical wing into the new COVID-19 unit. “We had five days off because we did an extra shift, so we had a long weekend and it was more of the unknown because when we left they were starting to put the floor into play—organizing, putting up the walls, the donning rooms, doffing rooms [where workers put on or remove their protective equipment], and all that stuff,” she says. “So for me, most of all it was not knowing. Because we had to make a routine as to what we’re going to do in a day because it wasn’t the same as what we had done before.” But Turner says her fears were quelled because of how quickly and effectively everything came into place establishing the unit. “We know what is coming our way and we know that we’re protected when it is coming,” she says. “You know you’re on the COVID floor. So you know that chances are you’re either getting a presumptive [patient] or you’re getting a positive [patient]… so it makes it less scary when you know.”

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Amina Abu-Bakare

Volunteer Coordinator, Isthmus Thunder Bay Story by Amy Sellors, Photo by Darren McChristie

For her daily routine, Turner and her team change into their clean scrubs and head onto the unit with their personal protective equipment, which they wear all day (only taking it off for breaks). The floor is divided into cold and hot zones, with presumptive cases in the cold

zone and positive in the hot zone. She and her team are then able to carry out their responsibilities of daily cleaning, laundry pulling, garbage removal, and making sure the environment is clean. Turner, who has been working at the hospital for over 20 years and on

the same floor for the last 10, says that her partner and team are what keeps her motivated. “Everybody has each other’s backs,” she says. “I want to do what I can to make sure everything is done well and I can do what I can to keep everyone safe.”

veryone deserves to have food in their belly. But with the closure of schools and implementation of social distancing due to COVID-19, feeding hungry children has become more challenging. Amina Abu-Bakare is the volunteer coordinator for Isthmus Thunder Bay, the local chapter of this necessary organization that provides take-home packages of food to children in need. Usually, kids get the packages at school on Fridays. “We are responsible for elementary school kids who otherwise would not have food during school time,” she says. “A lot of our kids come to school to get their meals.” Since COVID-19, she has had to change her approach to make sure meals are reaching children in need. “When this happened, I knew that [many] kids wouldn’t be having

any meals during the week, so we tried to come up with a way to feed them,” says Abu-Bakare. She rallied her team and arranged to distribute meals at the schools. They socially distanced in parking lots, waiting for the meals to be picked up, but no one was there to receive them. “We found out later that one of the reasons why the families didn’t turn up was because they didn't have transportation, because the school buses were not running,” she says. The good news is, Thunder Bay pulls together in a crisis. Half-Way Motors provided a van, and EMS also pitched in. Together they have distributed meals to 400 children from 13 schools. Then came a call from Roots to Harvest. “They were trying to put something together and asked if I would be willing to come on board,” says Abu-Bakare.

By collaborating with Roots to Harvest, Isthmus can help even more families. “I don’t know if the families we’re feeding are my regular families but right now, to be honest, it doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that the kids are getting the food,” she says. The process of receiving food is anonymous for the recipients. AbuBakare and her volunteers deliver meals to locations that families can access by walking. “I got a call from a mother of three the other day asking where she could get food,” she says. “I know the need is out there. We’re praying that we’re getting to a lot of them because it’s not easy for a mother to call and say ‘I need help.’” If you’re wondering how you can help, the answer is to donate. “Donations would help a lot,” she

says. “We usually stop in June, because schools are closed. If this goes on all summer, I have to see if we can continue or if someone will step up and give us the funds to continue. They still need food, so I don't know what will happen. If the kids are not getting their food, it’s really heartbreaking.” It takes a village, they say, and Abu-Bakare is grateful to the village of volunteers who are donating, preparing food, and delivering meals. While the work has caused her many a sleepless night, what keeps her going is the fact that she is helping. Donations to Isthmus Thunder Bay can be made at isthmus.ca and information about programs and locations can be found on their Facebook page facebook.com/ isthmusthunderbay

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CoverStory

Andy Parr

Conventional Transit Operator, City of Thunder Bay Story by Adrian Lysenko, Photo by Darren McChristie

Mike Luce

Letter Carrier, Canada Post Story by Matt Prokopchuk, Photo by Darren McChristie

mergency measures in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic mean Mike Luce is doing his job a little differently these days. But the Canada Post letter carrier says he feels fortunate to be working at a job he enjoys during these “extraordinary times.” Luce has been delivering mail in Thunder Bay for about five years now. It’s a job he says he loves because it affords him the opportunity to stay active as part of his daily routine. While the ongoing public health emergency hasn’t changed that aspect of his work, Luce says things are different behind the

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scenes. New procedures are also in place so that carriers no longer have any face-to-face contact with customers at the door—although, he says, that can be difficult, depending on who’s at home. “I’ve heard from some co-workers that they’ve had people on their route that aren’t observing physical distancing and they’ll greet [the carrier] at the door,” Luce says. “That’s a no-no because we’re supposed to just put [the mail] directly right into the mail slot and have no personal contact.” During more normal times, Luce would begin his day around 10 am at

the local Canada Post facility, sorting mail for an hour or two before heading out on his route in the Red River Road and Hill Street area on the city’s north side, and returning to the depot by early evening. Now, Luce says Canada Post has further broken up and staggered carriers’ shifts, allowing for fewer employees to be in the sorting facility at any given time. That means he now starts—and ends—his shift about 45 minutes later. “That way, instead of there being eight other letter carriers down my aisle that I’m sorting my mail in, there’s only three,” he says. “So there’s half as many people and twice as much space between us.” Carriers are also equipped with sanitizing supplies for personal use and for their vehicles. As for physical distancing with customers, Luce says deliveries that normally would require a signature are now scanned ahead of time by the carrier and

left in the mailbox, out of view, or pushed fully through the mail slot. For other deliveries that require proof of age, customers now have to pick them up from a Canada Post outlet. Carriers also can no longer take mail marked “return to sender” back to the depot, as they would do before, he says. While out on his route, Luce says he stays aware of physical distancing, especially when he encounters others who are out for a walk. Overall, he says he’s pleased with how Canada Post has responded to the emergency, adding that he’s staying positive and optimistic throughout the whole situation. “I really like my job,” he says. “There’s this saying that, to find happiness in life, one way to do that is to find a job that you’d wake up to do anyway, even if you weren’t getting paid.”

n the last couple of months, Andy Parr’s job as a conventional transit operator for the City of Thunder Bay has changed quite a bit. “We’re just more careful of what we do,” he says. “We don’t really come in contact with people as much as we used to on a day-to-day basis like handing out transfers.” At the beginning of April, the City announced changes to its transit services to protect the health and safety of bus operators and riders, including temporarily not collecting fares or paper transfers, and reducing transit services. “Two months ago people would get on and hand us a transfer, a punch pass, or a student card, and they’d be in a few inches of us. There was a lot more customer service,” he says. “Now with everything, I think it’s been the last four weeks, where we’re using the rear-door and we don’t have much contact with people anymore. They don’t get on in the front. It’s all free service.” Parr, who has been an operator for 22 years, says he has noticed a difference when driving his route during his 5:30 am to 2:30 pm shift. “It’s a lot quieter than it usually is. Less traffic, less stressful,” he says. “I find people are aware of what’s going on and are adhering to the rules we’ve implemented, which I think have worked out very well and have kept us safe.” He does stress that people only use transit if it’s essential, for example workplaces, medical appointments, and grocery shopping. “We’re the only means that a lot of

people have, so it’s a customer service thing that we have to be aware of and we still have to be professional and do our jobs,” he says. As to what keeps Parr motivated during this time, the transit

operator remains humble. “It’s what I get paid to do and I came into this job with my eyes open,” he says. “A situation like this is not necessarily what we’ve been trained for but it’s what it is and we do the best job

we can as a group of drivers. It’s our way of keeping society going and doing our part for our country and for Thunder Bay.”

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CoverStory

Kayla Huneau

Mike Siska

Deli Worker, Westfort Foods

Mental Health Worker, Canadian Mental Health Association, Thunder Bay Branch

Story by Michelle McChristie, Photo by Darren McChristie

fter hearing news of the provincial state of emergency and that her job was considered essential, Kayla Huneau was nervous about working in Westfort Foods’ deli, especially because the department was busy despite management limiting the number of customers at any given time. “There were long lines...it was nerve-wracking until we figured it out,” Huneau says. Westfort Foods earned praise on their Facebook page on March 20 for taking steps to promote social distancing, like installing a red line on the floor to keep adequate space between cashiers and waiting customers, and providing hand sanitizer in various locations around the store. “We’ve been working hard to adapt as a team,” says Huneau. “The managers and owners have been really good; myself and a lot of my coworkers feel safer because of the precautions they’ve taken.” Like many businesses delivering essential services, Westfort Foods is short-staffed because not everyone is comfortable working during a pandemic. Despite her initial fears and anxieties, Huneau, who is a first-year chemical engineering student at Lakehead University, has picked up extra shifts in the deli and meat room, where she works as a wrapper. “I don’t have any underlying health conditions, so I don’t mind...a lot of my coworkers would do the same for me.” Huneau’s work routine has some extra steps these days. Before each shift, she and other employees signin and complete a short questionnaire that serves as a health screening—employees confirm whether they have any symptoms and are

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Story by Amy Sellors, Photo by Darren McChristie

fit to work. Then she changes her clothes, puts her street clothes in her locker, washes her hands, punches in, heads to the deli or meat room, washes her hands again, and puts on a pair of gloves. “I usually wear a mask, especially if I am working on the floor,” she says. One of the biggest changes in her routine is washing her hands and changing gloves between customers and keeping her distance from customers and coworkers. At

the end of her shift, she washes her hands, changes her clothes, heads to her car, sanitizes her hands, and then wipes down the surfaces she’s touched in her car. At home, she leaves her shoes outside, puts her clothes in the washing machine, and takes a shower. Surprisingly, this new and seemingly tedious routine is not what comes to mind when asked what has impacted her the most. “I just want to get out of the house. I’ve

gone from being a very social person to only seeing my immediate family. I didn’t get to see my friends before they left,” she says, referring to her Lakehead University classmates who headed home when classes were moved online. When social distancing is a thing of the past, Huneau says, “the first thing I will probably want to do would be hug my best friend or grandparents who I haven’t seen in two months.”

he Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) in Thunder Bay helps people in a multitude of ways with programs that engage members. From member-driven recovery-focused day programs to skill-building groups and transitional employment programs, the CMHA impacts many lives. Mental health worker Mike Siska is “afraid to think what would happen if we were deemed non-essential.” Essential however, does not mean the CMHA functions as it used to; changes have been made to accommodate social distancing to protect clients and staff. They’re “trying to provide a service in a safe way.” On March 17, 2020 all CMHA Thunder Bay service sites were closed to the public. But while the building is closed, the workers keep working. “Since we’ve been closed to the public, we spend the day reaching out to our clients. Part of our pandemic plan was to identify people as low, medium, or high risk. We start with higher risks, like the people with not much family connection or living on their own. We connect with them to make sure their needs are being met—that they’re doing okay. From there, we stretch out to as many clients as we can connect with,” says Siska. Typically, the CMHA provides a meal every day for clients. For many, it’s their primary meal. Many of CMHA’s most vulnerable clients don’t have access to groceries, and with the closure happening midmonth, many were left un-prepared. Workers now visit these clients at

(L-R) Mike Siska and his co-worker Preston Mikulasik least once a week to deliver food. “The response we get from our clients when we’re delivering a meal or talking on the phone is that they still just can’t believe that there’s a connection,” Siska says. “Our primary objective is to maintain some sense of a connection with people.” With the fear and anxiety people are feeling, Siska says that the service they are offering is now, more than ever, essential. “It’s really helped focus what we do—what I do. Being able to help and hopefully be a part of making somebody’s life

much more comfortable.” Adapting to social distancing is hard for all of us. Most of us have strong support systems, and it’s important to recognize that many people don’t. Some clients don’t understand that their worker can no longer drive them to an appointment, and they can’t access the building that made them feel safe. “You have to adapt,” says Siska. “I’m going on 31 years… we have to be willing to adapt to whatever happens. This is unprecedented. I’m so proud to be with the people I’m

with and that everyone is so willing to just drop everything and do what needs to be done.” CMHA has a strong online and social media presence with helpful resources for existing clients and anyone experiencing mild to moderate anxiety, stress, and other mental health challenges associated with COVID-19 or life’s other issues. To learn more about CMHA Thunder Bay, visit thunderbay. cmha.ca or their Facebook page facebook.com/cmha.tbay.

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got into this job because we really want to help the public. We want to ease pain and suffering. We want to provide comfort. We believe in health care. Knowing that this is affecting so many people is driving us to up our game. We want to be here to support people and keep them healthy.” According to Stamler, “The real heroes are the people who follow all the health measures. What would help us out the most is if everyone would continue to follow the guidelines that have been put out.”

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Kyle Stamler

Paramedic, Superior North Emergency Medical Services

Testing for COVID-19

Story and Photos by Darren McChristie

rom the public’s perspective, Kyle Stamler's job as a paramedic may look very similar to what they have always done on a day-to-day basis—save people’s lives. It’s only when there is a call that includes a possible or a confirmed COVID-19 infection that the public might notice a difference, as they don the personal protective equipment required to keep them safe: full gowns, gloves, shields, and N95 masks. Behind the scenes however, the differences are more obvious in the constant fight to keep the virus contained. “Ambulances are being thoroughly decontaminated for any potential or confirmed exposure to COVID. A team of six work long hours decontaminating ambulances using virucides and wiping down hard and soft surfaces front to back, as well as decontaminating equipment.” The dispatch centre is using a screening tool with 911 callers to determine if their symptoms line up with COVID-19. If they do, paramedics get a heads up so they can put

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on the appropriate protective gear. Stamler says their logistics department has done a great job contacting suppliers to locate equipment in Canada and the United States. “We have storage of supplies for a number of weeks out ahead. We are in a decent position to handle this for the foreseeable future.” Stamler explains they aren’t stressed on the job. “It doesn’t really hit us until when we leave work. It’s on the way home when your mind starts to wander. ‘Did I wash my hands enough? Did I decontaminate that certain spot?’ Because now you are heading home to your family.” He said to minimize the risk to family, some coworkers are sleeping in camper trailers in their driveway to limit the exposure. Others have taken refuge in local hotels that have provided lower rates to first responders. Some have moved their family members to live with someone else. “To be honest, the feeling among paramedics is one of concern,” he says. “Any time it's something where

A division called Community Paramedicine is responsible for COVID-19 testing in the community. Thunder Bay EMS has partnered with the Thunder Bay District Health Unit to perform nasal swabs. EMS does some of the drivethrough testing and they will be going into long-term care homes and nursing homes to test all of the staff as well as a number of the residents. (L-R) Paramedics Kyle Stamler and Matt Raynak wearing protective equipment used for servicing suspected COVID-19 cases you can’t see the threat, like a virus, it's extra concerning. We know the virus can defeat personal protective equipment. We know that time of exposure in a confined space is one of the highest ways of getting sick with COVID. We spend a considerable amount of time with patients in the ambulance in a confined space, so we are at a higher risk.” Stamler feels the community support and he says it's helping

them stay motivated. “We have so much community support from the public. We see them waving at us as we drive down the street. We see the signs people put on their lawns thanking first responders. It seriously means so much. Local businesses have dropped off individually packaged meals. The support from the public has been huge.” “As paramedics, we all have a big desire to help,” he says. “Most of us

Nasal swabs take a few minutes to perform. According to paramedics, “It’s a little uncomfortable. No one ever seems to love getting a nasal swab.” Once completed, the swabs are packaged up into vials and dropped off at a local lab to be sent for confirmation to Winnipeg or Toronto. It takes between two and five days to get the results.

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Rick Kerley

District Chief, Thunder Bay Fire Rescue Story and Photo by Darren McChristie

“W

Fiona Duncan

Constable, Anishinabek Police Services, Fort William First Nation Story by Matt Prokopchuk, Photo by Darren McChristie

hen asked what the public can do to help first responders during the current COVID-19 public health emergency, Const. Fiona Duncan has a simple, straightforward answer: “Stay home.” Duncan is an officer with the Anishinabek Police Services (APS) detachment in Fort William First Nation. The Indigenous police force provides service to 16 First Nations in Ontario, four of which are in the northwest. She was hired by APS in a civilian role in 2010 and became an officer two years ago. “It’s very simple—stay home,” Duncan says. “You’re eliminating some of the risk of the people

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that we’re dealing with contacting COVID-19 and, in essence, keeping us a little bit more safe, as well as the community.” A central part of Duncan’s and her colleagues’ job involves being visible around the community, she says, whether that be during the course of regular police work, like calls for service, routine patrols, running RIDE programs and conducting traffic stops, or extra outreach, such as visiting in-community kindergarten and youth centre programs and attending events. The closures of schools and community centres and the cancellation of public programming means losing some of that face time, even though

officers “still have our eyes out in the community consistently.” Officers now wear extra protective equipment when they’re sent to calls, Duncan says, including masks, glasses, and gloves; additionally, dispatchers will, if possible, conduct some COVID-19 screening over the phone when police receive a call for service. “It’s just a matter of being prepared to go into a situation where you might not know who these people have had contact with or who’s inside whatever it may be, if it’s a residence,” she says. “There’s a lot of unknowns that we have to prepare for.” Duncan adds, however, that it’s part of the job and there’s always an element of risk to any call. “We signed up for this.” During the pandemic, Duncan says APS in Fort William are also assisting, when asked, with the First Nation’s security checkpoints. As part of its efforts to protect the community against the spread of COVID-19, Fort William’s chief and

council voted in April to close off access to the First Nation’s territory to non-residents, only permitting entry and exit for those working at essential businesses in the community. Police assistance includes enforcing the no-trespass order that’s in place, along with other regulations limiting the size of gatherings. Duncan says she recently stopped a motorist and ticketed him after he allegedly went through a checkpoint without permission and tried to continue on into the community. She says officers have also spoken with and warned some residents about having gatherings of larger than five people. Overall, though, Duncan says police are ultimately there to ensure the community feels—and stays— safe. “I think the level of stress is going up,” she says of how people are coping with the prolonged shutdown due to the novel coronavirus. “Everyone’s fearful right? We want to try to placate that a little bit.”

e’re in a very fluid situation,” says Rick Kerley when describing the changes in his Thunder Bay Fire Rescue’s approach to responding to emergencies in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kerley is the district chief and works out of the North Central Fire Station on Water Street. He says each shift begins with staff re-educating themselves in new developments, new protocols, and changing tactics. “This becomes an ongoing conversation on how best to adapt to the wide variety of incidents that we respond to, followed by practical training. It’s a busy process,” he says. As part of their enhanced personal protective equipment protocols and procedures, when they go to calls where someone has suspected COVID-19 symptoms, staff maintain two metres (six feet) of distance for their initial assessment, when possible, and wear additional personal protective equipment, such as gowns and face shields. Kerley says that the pandemic has definitely complicated the fire department’s response to emergencies. “We continue to react and respond without hesitation; however, situational awareness is a key mental component in all first responders’ work and, in the pandemic, this has become even more important.” Teamwork is also imperative, and often involves cooperation between the fire department, police, and paramedics. “Acknowledging that each agency has been adapting to the new reality with constantly evolving protocols and procedures

can be challenging, but all agencies seem to acknowledge this, and we come together as a team. It’s not business as usual, but it’s all hands on deck.” As the pandemic was sweeping across Europe, Kerley says the mental, personal, and professional preparation began for local first responders. “I think anybody who

has access to media knew the storm was coming. First responders want to have their boots on the ground these days. This is what we signed up for—to serve our community and neighbours.” Kerley is quick to express appreciation for others and says the community at large has been very supportive and cooperative in

observing the new reality of social distancing. “I think what helps motivate me is observing the dedication and selflessness of our front line healthcare workers in the hospital and elsewhere. These are my heroes. Their efforts compel us to do what we can.”

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BY THE NUMBERS

Stepping Up By Bonnie Schiedel

ow individuals, businesses, and organizations in Thunder Bay and surrounding areas are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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400+

100

Number of weekly food packages distributed to families and seniors by Roots to Harvest and Isthmus Thunder Bay1

Litres of hand sanitizer Lovely Body will be able to produce a week

18,000 Number of ventilators that workers at Bombardier will help to build for Ontario hospitals3

120,000– 375,000 Number of litres of hand sanitizer (for commercial operators) that Hearst’s Rheault Distillery can produce daily

350–400

Number of take-home lunches prepared by Dew Drop Inn every day

300

Number of jars of healing balm (to soothe irritation from masks and hand-washing) donated by Bare Organics to Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre staff

Number of patients that can be housed in the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre’s dedicated COVID-19 unit5

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150

Number of paper bag lunches distributed daily, Monday to Thursday, by Boys and Girls Clubs of Thunder Bay

1,152 170

Number of food boxes that will be delivered to three regional First Nations communities over the next two months, via Northwestern Ontario Women’s Centre

$229,000

Percentage increase in home internet use, mostly in video streaming services, since midMarch, according to Tbaytel

http://www.rootstoharvest.org/donations.html?fbclid=IwAR1pzyXv3TUF5ppPH5RfyN0ZZtNT1u2WY_PGEuf9GMU9sgQzDD6-4Vwgqa4 2https://uwaytbay.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Community-Fund-Media-Release-April-7-2020.pdf 3https://www.cbc.ca/ news/canada/thunder-bay/thunder-bay-bombardier-ventilators-1.5534314

Number of extra-large heartshaped pizzas donated to families in need via Eat Local Pizza’s “pay-it-forward” program to date. A further 500 front-line workers were fed by Eat Local Pizza between April 17–23

Number of city hotel and motel rooms available via Thunder Bay District Social Services Administration Board for people who need to self-isolate but do not have homes available4

15 1

500+

Amount donated to the Thunder Bay COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund to date2

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/thunder-bay-dssab-covid-19-1.5538192?fbclid=IwAR0QYwfwFJn0GCXJz1dbFbSRoKHsMDWjTPOrVu0MbyCcIAVN5d-Qkna00_I 5https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/hospital-opens-dedicated-covid-19-unit-2250938?fbclid=IwAR2Pt9XZCTPSb4cWdnI1HpYxJIY4pWyLzjtevbay-wD01s2LwzkyMgMRemA 4

Percentage increase in phone calls since mid-March, according to Tbaytel

$207,891

Funding distributed by Thunder Bay COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund (a collaboration between United Way Thunder Bay and Thunder Bay Community Foundation) to date to local agencies and organizations

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Leah Oberle

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Dr. DaveWood

Cloth masks made by Crown and Birch's team of volunteers

Emergency Department staff at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

Behind the Masks

Hundreds Join the Local Mask-Making Effort By Kim Latimer

ocal sewers, 3D printers, engineers, designers, and makers are organizing into local, niche mask-making groups, all working to increase the supply in northern Ontario. All are volunteering their time, with most working long hours from the safety of their own homes, studios, and private workshops. Cloth Mask-Making Effort So far, hundreds have joined the cloth mask-making effort—like Celine Wood, owner of interior design studio Crown and Birch. The doors of Wood’s business have been closed for weeks, but she’s as busy as ever coordinating 100 volunteers who have stepped up to make cloth masks in Thunder Bay. They’ve already made 1,000 masks and aim to make 10,000. Wood says making masks just seemed like a logical, essential thing to do. Wood is married to an emergency room physician who is on the front line, personally facing a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE). “I used to make curtains, so I had a lot of sewing machines and a cutting table. I sold it to The Creative,

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so that’s where I am right now, in the basement here providing fabric and cutting it,” Wood says. “We have several volunteer leads, and my employees and all sorts of great people have volunteered to help.” Since she put out calls on social media, she’s been contacted by people across the city who want to help, including parents, entrepreneurs, teachers, grandmothers, quilters, designers, homemakers, seamstresses, and small business owners. She has also recruited non-sewers, including volunteer drivers, cutters, helpers, and donors who ensure the mask-making continues. “We are still very happy to take on new volunteers because although we have 100 people, many need breaks, some need to divert their attention elsewhere at times, and we still want to get more people onboard so we can expand into making surgical gowns, caps, and washable bags for scrubs,” she says. “We’re just trying to fill the critical and immediate gaps where they are needed.” Susan Bishop is a volunteer who has already made over 100

cloth masks and is aiming to donate a total of 200. Her business, Pneumaticity, a creative studio, salon and yoga studio, closed its doors at the end of March. Bishop has always had a creative flair, designing and making clothes among many other textile pieces. She has been sewing since she was a child, a skill she learned from her grandmother. “I’m trying to be grateful for this time, rather than let the fear creep in,” she says. “I reached out to this group [Crown and Birch] and told them I want to make masks and I had fabric and leftover pieces I was able to use. Celine sent the pattern over and I started doing them. You get into a little groove making them and I like to see how many I can

make in an hour.” The masks Bishop has made have already gone to staff in the emergency department, the cancer centre, and to correctional services. The cloth masks are being used in these departments in order to save more N95 medical masks for front-line health-care workers. “People were really grateful for them. I feel like I’m contributing in some way,” Bishop says. “I posted a photo of Rosie the Riveter and me with my mask on while I was sewing, which I thought was kind of funny. But I do feel like one of these women who is getting to do something for the cause.” It is a common feeling among the sewing community. Debbie Matthews, a retired health care

(L-R) Michelle Boyes and Lynn Villeneuve putting together mask kits worker and grandmother of four, is also making masks. She said she was inspired to help when her daughter-in-law, a local nurse practitioner, reached out to her and explained the need. “After working in the health-care field for over 35 years, I felt a need to help out somehow with making masks. I’ve been sewing since I was in my 20s,” said Matthews. “We all have to help out in any way we can to keep our essential workers safe.” Anne Broersma, a local entrepreneur, hair stylist, and owner of

Sjoholm Design, joined the effort too. Like Bishop and Wood, she also had to close the doors of her business in March. She is also a recreational sewer who makes some of her own clothes. “When I saw the ‘help wanted’ post on Crown and Birch’s Instagram page, I knew this was for me,” she says. “As a hairstylist who cannot work right now, I enjoy sewing and I knew this was something I could contribute to.” She reached out to the Crown and Birch group and has since received a non-contact delivery of sewing

Parts for face shields made on a 3D printer

Types of masks Medical masks (surgical, procedure, medical) are in short supply across the province and should be reserved only for health-care providers to use and distribute. Even with donations, medical grade masks continue to be in short supply across the north. Medical face shields have a transparent window or visor supported in front of the face to protect the eyes and face. They are typically medical grade and used only by health-care providers. Non-medical masks, including cloth, paint, dust, and DIY masks, are suitable for everyone else. In some cases, cloth is worn over N95 masks in health-care settings to prolong the use of a single N95 mask, prompting local makers to sew them for health-care workers too.

Bundles of wire for mask making kits (for over the nose)

Crown Birch Making" and replace with "Hair elastics for mask making kits (for securing mask around ears)

Leah Oberle

Protective masks are in high demand to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. While the great debate over the effectiveness of mask wearing and face covering continues, evidence from public health suggests that masks help protect others from you if there is a chance you may be carrying the virus or may be pre-symptomatic. On April 6, 2020, Dr. Teresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer stated that wearing a non-medical mask may help prevent the transmission of the virus.

Leah Oberle

What you need to know about masks

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SPRING LEAF & YARD WASTE COLLECTION

(L-R) Anne Broersma, Debbie Matthews, and Kellie Leishman are sewing cloth masks as part of Crown and Birch's huge team of volunteers materials at her doorstep, providing all the materials required to make the masks. She has volunteered to make 40 masks for the community and had already made 40 prior to receiving the kit. She started in early April using her own materials and donating them to friends, family, and neighbours. “If you can’t sew, there are still opportunities to volunteer and help,” says Broersma. “They need fabric cutters and drivers to make contactless deliveries.” She says she enjoys chatting to friends online while she cuts, irons, and sews. The Face Shield-Making Effort Another group in Thunder Bay is working with 3D printers from Lakehead University and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine to produce face shields. The group encourages anyone with access to 3D printers to join the effort or consider lending them. Alex Bilyk is a PhD candidate in Natural Resources Management at Lakehead. He is working out of his home using the 3D printer that Goldcorp donated to Lakehead’s Centre for the Application of Resources Information Systems (CARIS). Bilyk is working day and night to create face shields for health care workers in the area, including his wife, who is a nurse in the emergency room at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. So far, he’s averaging 20 face shields a day, along with mask straps that act as ear protectors. Bilyk is working with Michael Poling, assistant professor of clinical

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sciences at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and Kevin Carlson, a digital forensic analyst for the Ontario Provincial Police. Together they are consulting through a Facebook group called covidtbay. ca. Poling is making face shields and mask clips, and so far he’s created more than 150 masks. He is averaging 75 face shields a day with his 3D printer. Carlson said he decided to help out when he heard there was a need for PPE. He knew this was something he could do while working from home. He is currently making around 30 basic face shields a day, and hopes to ramp up production with a third 3D printer. Mohammad Darzaid has also joined the face shield-making effort. As a fourth-year mechanical engineering student at Lakehead and student assistant in the Chancellor Paterson Library’s Makerspace for the last two years, he’s using the university’s two 3D printers to create up to 40 face shields a day in the Centre for Advanced Studies in Engineering and Sciences (CASES) building. Alyson MacKay, manager in Lakehead’s Ingenuity business incubator space (also in the CASES building) and Taylor Gynane, development officer, are printing up to 20 face shields a day. The face shield-making group is urging the community not be fearful. Instead, Poling’s advice is to consider ways you can help.” Mask Ear Protector Accessory Even those who weave, knit and crochet are getting involved in making helpful mask accessories. Jessie

Plaskett, a local photographer who makes and sells crochet work, found a pattern for ear protectors needed for long hours of mask-wearing. The small but significant innovation is in demand by health-care workers. “My younger sister works in CT at the hospital and I asked her if she thought they would be helpful. She tried them out and so did a few of her co-workers and they loved them, so I am making more,” Plaskett says, who is donating the ear protectors to health-care workers who request them. She posted the pattern on a Facebook group she hosts called Thunder Bay (and surrounding area) Crochet hoping others will help make them too. The Unsung Mask-Making Heroes These volunteers are only a few of the hundreds of local people stepping up to help. They are the unsung heroes of this effort who are contributing what they can, working in their homes. It’s an effort that is uniting the community and may have a lasting impact. “I hope at the end of this people will see how many have put their free time into this; some are the same people who could potentially lose their businesses,” says Bishop. “I hope our industries, our hospitals, our universities, will see the value in sourcing locally.” For Carlson, it all boils down to the human instinct to unite and contribute. “Fear can often be a good thing … it drives people to come together in times of crisis,” he says. “I think we are seeing that happen now.”

Donate to the face shield-making effort The face shield-making group is looking for donations to purchase supplies, such as acetone sheets and plastic rolls of filament used in the 3D printer. To donate, email northernontarioppeforhcp@ gmail.com or visit https:// tinyurl.com/so3hspy or covidtbay.ca.

Get involved in the cloth mask-making effort Visit Crown and Birch https:// crownandbirch.com/blogs/ covid19/pop-up-factory or email info@crownandbirch. com to learn more about their mask-making effort Ungalli is making masks with options to purchase masks that you can donate to frontline health-care workers at: https://ungalli.com/blogs/news/ know-someone-in-need-of-adonated-mask-we-want-tohear-from-you-1 Sewcanshe.com has a free online pattern for cloth masks A Facebook page called Masks for Thunder Bay Healthcare Workers https://www.facebook. com/Masks-for-Thunder-BayHealthcare-Workers-PublicPage-102421981429324/ is another central place for people who wish to donate skills or materials

takes place between: TUESDAY, MAY 19 and FRIDAY, MAY 29 Use Kraft (paper) bags only, available at many grocery and hardware stores to collect leaves and organic garden waste, and place at the curb on your regular recycling day. No limit on leaf and yard waste. Bag/bundle must not weigh more than 18 kg (40 lbs.) No grass clippings please.

SOLID WASTE & RECYCLING SERVICES

thunderbay.ca/leafandyard

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPRING LEAF & YARD WASTE CURBSIDE COLLECTION CONTACT INFRASTRUCTURE & OPERATIONS DISPATCH AT 625-2195 The Walleye

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We Got This

Local Photographer Captures Moments of Optimism and Support Story by Adrian Lysenko, Photos by Maria Maria Photography

uring the COVID-19 pandemic, Ashley Kibzey felt drawn to photograph things that seemed unnatural. The owner of Maria Maria Photography captured these moments by driving around and taking photos from her car window, or out during her walks when she would stumble upon houses displaying messages of support and optimism. “It was the only outlet that helped me process this whole crazy thing,” says Kibzey. “I thought about how my grandchildren will hear about this and how we overcame it and wanted to have a piece of the history.”

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The photographer also wanted to connect people in the community and brighten their day with uplifting messages and photos, especially because she says social media seems to be flooded with fear. “I also felt I had to draw attention to how amazing our small businesses in the city are,” she says. “In the midst of all of this devastation they are dedicated to bringing people comfort and joy and we need to see them and help them through this.” To see more photos, find @mariamariaphoto on Instagram.

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Food

Here are some shrimp marinades to try. Whiz the ingredients in a food processor, grind in a mortar and pestle, or whisk, throw them into a zip-top bag or glass/stainless bowl, and let the shrimp marinate in the fridge for a few hours. Skewer if using, or preheat your barbecue wok as you preheat the grill. Save some of the marinade for brushing on the shrimp while they’re cooking, but don’t pour unused marinade over cooked shrimp—you may be in for some tummy troubles later. These recipes serve about six, using two pounds of peeled, de-veined shrimp, but are easily adjusted. Serve with cooked pasta tossed with olive oil, atop fresh bread, or beside a fresh salad, and you’ve got an excellent start to a meal. Consider posting your photos, so your friends can drool/be inspired, too!

THE GRINNING BELLY

Shrimply the Best

Classic Grilled

Garlic and Herb

By Chef Rachel Globensky

½ c olive oil

1½ tsp kosher salt (less if using table salt)

o, we’ve been socially distancing for quite a while now, and I’m getting used to the new normal of isolation restrictions (and non-restrictions of sweatpants!). Until mid-April, I was busy finishing up my first year of grad school and trying to finish the meals I’d prepared to help with the hectic pace of the past few months. Now that I’ve written my last exam (see ya later, biostatistics), I can do less desk work and more of the fun stuff I’ve been pining for: unhurried family activities, longer dog walk adventures, and preparing fantastic food. Drooling over my social media feeds, I wish I could 3D print my foodie friends’ photos of their charcuterie boards, fresh bread, and microgreen salads they’ve been showing off the past four weeks. And, ever-thankful that the weather is getting nicer, I’m ecstatic that barbecue season is upon us. Grilled shrimp is quick, easy, and if cooked correctly, tastes like a million bucks. If you can find Canadian shrimp, they’re worth the extra few dollars—they taste like the sea. If you can’t find any Canadian

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crustaceans, don’t fret. Any large shrimp (pardon the oxymoron) will work just fine. A few tips for grilling shrimp (a broiler works in a pinch, if you don’t have a grill handy): • Choose large shrimp, as maximum grilling time allows for maximum caramelization, which is where the maximum flavour comes from! Look for size 16-20, ideally. • Use skewers (soak the wooden ones first!) or a hole-y BBQ wok to keep your shrimp under control and out of the hot coals below. • Stick around while they’re grilling—shrimp don’t take long to cook and can quickly morph into bits of chewy rubber if overcooked. High, direct heat is wonderous for grilling shrimp, but it only takes a couple of minutes on each side to properly cook through. When cooked, the shrimp will just have turned pink and will still be pliable (instead of tightly curled into a circle).

¼ c chopped fresh parsley 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice

½ tsp lemon zest 3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp hot pepper sauce

3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 Tbsp tomato paste or sauce

1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano leaves

2 tsp dried oregano (1 Tbsp fresh) 2 tsp dried basil (1 Tbsp fresh) 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground black pepper

Margarita 6 Tbsp olive oil 6 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro ¼ c fresh lime juice (2-3 limes)

¼ c olive oil ½ lemon, juiced ½ tsp red pepper flakes Pinch cayenne pepper

Thai with a Kick

Food

DRINK OF THE MONTH

STILL HERE FOR YOU! 1 Our doors are closed to the public, but we have provided a convenient drop box

Same valued service, just not in-person

Take advantage of new filing deadlines, June 1st for personal and June 15th for self-employed

Quarantina Cocktail Kit El Tres

Story by Rebekah Skochinski, Photo by Darren McChristie Remember when May seemed like such a long ways away? Keep your spirits up and experience a little taste of El Tres with a take home cocktail. They’ve assembled a Quarantina Cocktail Kit that includes their mouthwatering margarita mix, lime, and salt. All you need to do is add ice, your favourite tequila, Cointreau, and then give it all a really good shake and pour. Liquor cabinet empty? No problem— they’re offering that, too. The kit makes enough for eight drinks, so you might want to order something from their food menu to help sop up the goodness, like queso and chips, a taco kit, or enchiladas. A menu is posted weekly and if you place your order by Friday night you can pick up the next day or get delivery. A Saturday night in is where it’s at. Check out their new online store at eltres.ca. Sip, sip, hooray!

El Tres 269 Red River Road 344-3443

We are Northwestern Ontario’s largest local accounting firm and provide a full range of taxation advisory and compliance services. Not only can we simplify this time of year for you personally, we are also tax experts for your family-owned and owner-managed businesses.

Our website is available to you at any time, should you have inquiries about our full range of services. For a quick peek, click here: www.lcpsca.com

3 Tbsp light-tasting oil (avocado, canola) 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice

4 tsp (or more) tequila

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

½ tsp cayenne pepper

3–4 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp salt

2 Tbsp brown sugar 4 tsp (or more) green curry paste 2 tsp fish sauce

info@lcpsca.com 1070 LITHIUM DRIVE THUNDER BAY ON P7B 6G3 phone: (807) 623-0600 | fax: (807) 623-0400

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Food

Homebound Homebrewing

BREW IT YOURSELF

We are still here for you and now under one roof.

Never a Better Time to Pick Up the Hobby By Josh Armstrong, PhD, Certified Beer Judge

ow that we are living in an unexpected lockdown, many of us are struggling to find new ways to pass the time. If you are thinking about picking up a fun, new hobby, may I suggest homebrewing? Not only will you learn about beer, beer styles, and the brewing process in all of its scientific glory, but you’ll be able to get creative in the kitchen by playing with new flavours and ingredients. Not to mention you’ll also be able to skip heading out and braving the crowds of people purchasing their favourite commercial brews. There are two main ways to make beer at home: extract brewing and all-grain brewing. Extract brewing involves the use of concentrated malt extract and is the easiest way to get started brewing at home. You can go online to any one of the dozens of homebrew outlets in Canada and purchase a malt extract recipe kit along with any of the basic brewing equipment that you might need for making it. All-grain brewing is the traditional method of making beer and is the approach that professional breweries use. The all-grain brewing process involves crushing malted grains and then soaking this mix in hot water. This step, called mashing, converts starches into sugars. There are many different ways to do all-grain brewing and I won’t be able to cover all the details here. I started out using a 10-gallon insulated drink cooler as

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a mash tun where I would soak the grains for about an hour. Mashing can also be done inside a kettle using a bag—hence the name of this technique, “brew-in-a-bag.” You can even purchase automated brewing systems, electric brewing systems, and all sorts of other fun brewing gadgets to aid in this process. Whether you want to go with an extract or all-grain, the process that you chose will dictate your equipment needs. The best approach when starting brewing is to either do some research or brew with a buddy with some homebrewing experience. Since we are all social distancing at this moment in time, you’ll have to go with the former, but there are plenty of resources online or in books that can assist your learning process. Explore and find what works best for your learning style. After creating wort (through the mashing step or by mixing the extract with water), you then move into the boiling stage of the brewing process. In this step you raise the temperature of the liquid to a rolling boil for about 60–90 minutes. Here is where sterilization occurs, a number of chemical reactions take place, and you typically add some hops. Hops are the flower of the hop plant Humulus lupulus. They can be purchased as whole, dried flowers or in pellets and are used to provide bitterness, flavouring, and stability to your beer. There are many different

Visit us and shop online at portobellohome.com or virtually in the store and set up an appointment for a personalized shopping walk through.

varieties of hops, each with their own properties. Just learning about hops and the flavours they can produce can be a fun way to pass the time. Once you have completed the boil, the next step in the process is fermentation. When fermenting anything, it’s important that everything that the wort is going to touch (tubing, fermenting vessels, siphons, etc.) must be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. The preferred sanitizer of choice for most homebrewers is Star San by Five Star because it is both effective and easy to use. Don’t fear the foam! After transferring the wort into your fermenter, it’s time to oxygenate and pitch some yeast. There are many different strains of yeast you can use to transform the wort into beer. Each yeast strain has different flavour characteristics and varying temperature ranges that they prefer. If you aren’t following a recipe, do some research and determine what yeast sounds best to you and the beer you wish to make. Fermentation can take days to weeks depending on the yeast strain you use. And that’s the brewing process in a nutshell. I’ve left out many details, all of which can be learned through the many great books and websites out there. See the sidebar for some resources I have enjoyed. Why not take this time to dive deep into the art and science of making beer? Cheers!

Homebrewing Resources

271 Bay St Thunder Bay (807) 472-1197

visit us online portobellohome.com and hyggeloft.ca

@portobello_home_tbay @hygge_loft

Books How to Brew: Everything You Need to Know to Brew Beer Right the First Time by John Palmer Mastering Homebrew: The Complete Guide to Brewing Delicious Beer by Randy Mosher

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Online shops for ingredients and equipment Ontario Beer Kegs Toronto Brewing

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Brewing TV (older videos with Chip, Jake, and Dawson)

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Brad Smith

Magazines Brew Your Own (BYO) Craft Beer & Brewing

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Food

Takeout Daily 4-8pm PLUS View Our New CONTACTLESS PASTA PICK-UP MENU

Curry Up Now Indian Kitchen

Pickup Tues-Sat, 1-6pm

ORDER HERE! | snpcatering.com

Lip-Smacking Indian Food By Sue Pretty

urry Up Now Indian Kitchen is an offshoot of Goodlife Foods Co., started by Rakhi Ahluwalia. The Goodlife Foods Co. menu features a fusion of Indian, Mexican, and other global flavours, but it left some customers longing for more traditional Indian fare. With Goodlife Foods Co.’s already vast menu, Ahluwalia wanted to open a separate Indian restaurant, but that would have taken some time and investment. As an interim solution, they came up with the idea of Curry Up Now, a take-out-only Indian restaurant from the same location as Goodlife Foods Co. Curry Up Now Indian Kitchen’s menu is extremely creative, featuring a snack menu, Indian street wraps, feast platters, and more. Their snack menu, or “Street Kitchen,” is inspired by street hawkers, roadside cafes, and railway stations in India. The robust flavours of these lip-smacking Indian street foods served tapas-style are known worldwide. The naanwich is a handheld sammy with spicy smashed potato filling, sautéed veggies,

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mozza, and pico (fresh, chopped salad, typically with a vinegar-based dressing) served with raita and chutney, and the deconstructed samosa is an inside-out phenom loaded with chana masala and pico kachumber, and topped with fresh cilantro. In the mood for more traditional fare? The Curry Up Now menu also features favourites like butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, and paneer. The butter chicken and basmati rice are on point. The chicken tikka was a showstopper—golden chicken pieces swimming in an incredible aromatic curry sauce, to be scooped up with tasty naan. The mango lassi was creamy and smooth, and the dessert! Gulab jamun, a cardamom-scented, deep-fried bite, was just as good as the rasgulla, a fresh cheese sphere coated in a sugar syrup. Curry Up Now Indian Kitchen is open every day of the week. Call 3454745 for take-out or delivery.

Even more stories online at

thewalleye.ca

701 Memorial Ave Unit 4 345-4745

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Near and Dear Beer

122 W. Frederica St (807) 475-4755

By Jeannie Dubois, Certified Pommelier and Sommelier

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Food

he heady days of May have arrived here in the lee of the Sleeping Giant, and while the sun will still shine on solo pursuits such as barbequing, hammock napping, and bicycling, they will all be improved when we can do them with a little company. Fortunately, even though friends and family have to keep their social distance, sudsy distance isn’t in effect and we can still enjoy our beloved local beer while sunny spring unfolds.

SUPERIOR SIP

20% OFF

regular priced merchandise on our website with code: SPRING20 FREE LOCAL DELIVERY + FREE SHIPPING in Canada on orders over $100 New to the Thunder Bay beer scene is the long-anticipated One Time Brew Co., who will start banging out one-off batches this month as well as fermenting the city’s first hard seltzer! Look for their retail and taproom to open when the “new” normal is a thing of the past—welcome, One Time!

time a s a w r e ev e r e h t f I it. for rapport, this is

Current Offerings: B-Side Problems Double IPA Shake and Bake New England IPA

As a credit union with a long standing history in Thunder Bay, we’re doing all we can to help our members in this unusual time. Financial decisions come in all shapes and sizes and being able to make the right ones is really important to your future financial health. Perhaps you have questions about your investments or whether you should access your retirement savings to help ends meet, or should you borrow rather than tap into your savings or line of credit? Whatever it is, it all starts with a conversation, so please get in touch and let us know how we can assist you. Let’s get through this together by staying apart.

Average Joes Kolsch Hard Bargain Mango Dream Hard Seltzer

Current Services: Pre-order one of the 1,160 cans from each brew at onetimebrew.co to be released this month. Free delivery on online orders of over $40, or choose contactless pickup at the brewery

At Dawson Trail Craft Brewery, George, Jon, and Luc keep on keepin’ on brewing up their tasty beer, and with the recent addition of a canning line, some of their core brand is now available in sexy single serving can format. Gentleman, we salute you!

Meanwhile at Sleeping Giant Brewing Co., our long-running local beer institute and pillar, all the good men and women continue to make a myriad of brews including the juicy Hazy IPA (slated for LCBO sales) and rye or bourbon barrel aged Baltic Porter (the first offering from the Barrel House!). Ladies and gentlemen, we salute you!

Current Offerings:

Current Services:

Current Offerings:

Northern Logger Golden Ale

Contactless same-day home delivery every day with orders of $40 or more by 3 pm within city limits (shop online)

Border Run Cream Ale Running Stone Red Ale Bae’s Haze American IPA Oater Limits Oatmeal Stout Hello City Ordinary Bitter Professor Plum Sour Ale The Imposter Fruit Beer Belgian Tripel

Current Services:

rapportcu.ca 1 38Walleye_May_2020_Half_Page_Horz_REV3_Apr24.indd The Walleye

James Street 405 James Street South (807) 626 5666

Campus Hill 1072 Oliver Road, Unit 2 (807) 346 2810

Mr. Canoehead Hoppy Red Ale 360 Pale Ale Beaver Duck APA Hoppet IPA Amber Lager White Out Hazy Ale One City Pilsner Stouty McStoutFace Foreign Extra

Online store with same-day delivery if ordered before noon

Elevensies Mocha Stout

Cans for sale at local licensees with takeout (ask when placing restaurant orders)

Brutylicious Brut IPA

Brewery pick-up (check online for availability) Kakabeka Falls 43 Clergue Street (807) 475 4276

Skull Rock Oatmeal Stout

Armoury Scottish Ale Love & Happiness Imperial Stout Barrel Aged Baltic Porter

Cans for sale with take-away at local licensees (ask when placing restaurant orders) Retail grab-n-go and brewery contactless pick-up (check online for availability) Cinco De Mayo Party-In-A-Box home delivery is happening on May 5 in partnership with El Tres. Tickets are available online at sleepinggiantbrewing.ca Weekly home delivery events are also taking place. Check out SGBC on Instagram or Facebook (including past event videos like beer and cheese and beer and hot sauce pairings) Take good care, Thunder Bay.

TOLL-FREE: 1-888-516-6664

2020-04-24 1:28 PM

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The Walleye's Pandemic Take-Out Menu Treat yourself, you deserve it. All Photos Submitted

ith the closure of many restaurants and entertainment venues, there isn’t a lot of room for spontaneity in our pandemicised (sure, it’s a word!) lives. Fortunately, local restaurateurs and their teams have adapted to social distancing requirements and are working their tails off to provide enticing take-out options. Here are some suggestions from a dozen local restaurants and caterers. We salute all those involved in the restaurant industry—thank you for continuing to share your culinary talents (and your photos)

Food

BBQ Platter ► The Place: Red Lion Smokehouse 623-1888 redlionsmokehouse.ca Hours: Sunday to Thursday 2 pm to 8 pm, Friday and Saturday 2 pm to 9 pm The Price: $50 Feeds: 2-4 The Lowdown: A variation of the BBQ platter from their dine-in menu that features a selection of BBQ items (1/2 BBQ chicken, pulled pork, beef brisket) and is served with green salad, coleslaw, grilled cornbread chips, and aioli. How to order: Order by phone for pick-up or via Skip the Dishes or Uber Eats for delivery.

Taco Kit ◄

Basil Pesto and Goat Cheese Ravioli w/ Garlic Cream Sauce ▲ The Place: Salt & Pepper Catering 251-3883 snpcatering.com Hours: Monday to Saturday 9 am to 6 pm The Price: $15 Feeds: 1 The Lowdown: Tender ravioli stuffed with ricotta cheese, spinach and tossed with pesto, garlic cream sauce and crumbled goat cheese. How to order: Order by phone for pick-up, curbside delivery, or via Skip the Dishes or Uber Eats for delivery.

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The Place: El Tres 344-3443 eltres.ca Hours: Saturdays The Price: $36.99 Feeds: 3-4 The Lowdown: Taco kits with everything you need to feed 3-4 people. Different kinds available. Comes with fresh corn tortillas, salsas, and toppings. How to order: Order by website for pick-up or home delivery.

Pizza ◄ The Place: Paulucci's Wayland Bar & Grill 577-5863 Hours: Monday to Friday 10:30 am to 7:30 pm, Saturday 11 am to 6 pm The Price: $19 Feeds: 4 The Lowdown: Whether it’s Meat Lovers, Canadian, Hawaiian, or Deluxe, choose your favourite homemade pizza or build your own with many toppings to choose from. How to order: Order by phone for pick-up.

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Food

Perogie Pizza ◄ The Place: Eat Local Pizza 767-0000 Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 11 am to 8 pm The Price: $29.99 Feeds: 4 The Lowdown: Market sauce base, local perogies, local bacon, extra old gouda, caramelized onion, mozzarella, plus two sour cream dips. How to order: Order via phone, website, and Facebook for pick-up, home delivery, curbside delivery or via Skip the Dishes or Uber Eats for delivery.

Home Meal Replacements ►

Rotating Hot Meals ► The Place: Pinetree Catering 621-4330 pinetreecatering.com

Nashville Fried Chicken Sandwich + Buffalo Chicken Poutine ▲ The Place: The Sal 629-2541 Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 12 am to 8 pm The Price: $29.99 Feeds: 1 The Lowdown: A crispy chicken sandwich with a twist on the classic poutine. How to order: order by phone for pick-up, home delivery, or via Uber Eats

The Place: The Blue Door Bistro 623-5001 thebluedoorbistro.com Hours: Monday to Friday 8 am to 2 pm The Price: $15 Feeds: 1 The Lowdown: Over 10 entree choices plus soups and dessert available.

Hours: Wednesday to Sunday The Price: $100 Feeds: up to 6 The Lowdown: Complete family dinner with bread, salad, veggies, potatoes/rice, a protein, and dessert. How to order: Order by phone, email, or via website for pick-up or home delivery.

Fettuccini A la Giorg ► The Place: Giorg Cucina e Barra 623-8052 giorg.ca Hours: Thursdays The Price: $32 Feeds: 1 The Lowdown: Chicken, European Meats' bacon, leeks, and garlic in a white wine cream sauce with fresh fettuccine noodles. How to order: Order by website for pick-up or home delivery.

How to order: Order by phone for pick-up or home delivery.

Korean Fried Cauliflower ► The Place: Daytona’s Kitchen + Creative Catering 622-2169 daytonas.ca Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 11 am to 8 pm The Price: $13.25 Feeds: 1 The Lowdown: Crispy fried cauliflower tossed in Korean BBQ sauce, served with poblano lime mayo. How to order: Order by phone for pick-up or home delivery.

Cupid Burger ► The Place: Barbecupid 344-4227 barbecupid.com Hours: Monday to Friday 11 am to 7 pm, Saturday 3 to 7 pm The Price: $14 Feeds: 1 The Lowdown: Ground brisket burger topped with house cured and smoked bacon, smoked onion BBQ sauce, cheddar, crispy onions, lettuce, tomato, and pickle served with your choice of side. How to order: Order by phone for pick-up or via Skip the Dishes for delivery.

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Prosciutto Arugula Pizza

▲

The Place: Nook 285-7775 Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 4 to 8 pm The Price: 17 Feeds: 2 The Lowdown: The perfect blend of light pizza crust, fresh tomato sauce, healthy greens, and traditional prosciutto from Pingue Prosciutto in Niagara Falls. How to order: Order by website for pick-up, home delivery, or via Uber Eats for delivery.

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A letter from our CEO Eric Zakrewski

The COVID -19 pandemic has impacted communities globally. Today’s “norm” is very different from what it was just over a month ago. Many local businesses and industries have had to adapt quickly to stay open and continue serving customers and our community. Many people in our community rely on local businesses for income, food for their families, parts for their vehicles, supplies for their next project or adventure and that perfect birthday gift for grandma. The local business community is a very signiﬁcant part of our economy; they contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to our local economy through tourism and business operations every year. Without them, Thunder Bay would not be the vibrant and contemporary City it is today.

We’re here for you

In order to stay open during a state of emergency, many businesses have had to change their operations and marketing practices and use every tool available to stay open. I’ve ordered take out from as many local establishments as I am able each week and have been touched to see mothers and fathers behind counters helping today’s younger entrepreneurs and owners. I’ve never seen so many people doing locally produced online ﬁtness programs to stay healthy when gyms were forced to close. Today, almost all transactions are conducted online, at a distance, by phone and with many employees working from home in isolation. For businesses without an online platform or an alternative way of delivering goods or services, staying open would’ve been nearly impossible. The local business community has demonstrated courage, creativity and resiliency…adapting wherever possible, exceedingly well. Established e-commerce sites have become a hub for local products and produce to be delivered to consumers. Local crafters, retailors, and clothing producers changed their business models to produce cloth facemasks and support an entirely different customer, our frontline workers. An entire industrial assembly line has been converted to produce medical ventilators that are crucial to the survival of COVID patients, while others partnered up to produce and sell hand sanitizer. The adaptability and resiliency shown by our local business community during this uncertain time has been nothing less than remarkable. There are still uncertain times ahead and it is important be reminded of the vital contributions our local business, hospitality and industry sectors provide our community.

gotothunderbay.ca develop@thunderbay.ca

I offer a heartfelt thank you to all of our local front line workers who are continuing to show up and put themselves and their families at risk for the health and wellbeing of our entire community. Your hard work and dedication has not gone unnoticed and will ultimately help us all get back to business, healthy.

LOCAL 807.625.3960

TOLL FREE 1.800.668.9360

It makes me proud to serve and be a part of such a hardworking, resilient, and unmistakably unique community. The CEDC remains open and we are committed to assisting the business community with connecting to supports and can help guide those looking to adapt their businesses to opportunities our new reality may present. As restrictions are lifted and we emerge from isolation, please remember our local businesses and attractions need your patronage more than ever to re-hire staff and re-build their operations. We are all in this together; by supporting local, you are supporting the future prosperity of Thunder Bay. Be safe and stay well.

tempfile_10932930 2 44 The Walleye

2020-04-23 2:29 PM

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Food

Developing Seed Security

Supporting Farmers and Gardeners Growing and Adapting Seeds in Northern Ontario By Evalisa McIllfaterick, Owner and Operator of Root Cellar Gardens

here does your seed come from? Unless you are a seed saver, frequent seed exchanges, or can find locally grown seed, chances are the seeds you buy come from just a handful of regions around the world. Today, most seed companies are retailers—they buy seeds from the same sources and then sell them to growers with their own labels. This winter, a partnership between Roots to Harvest and the Sustainable Food Systems Lab at Lakehead University came together to think about seeds: the places seeds come from, how they have an incredible ability to adapt to their environment, and about the

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future of seeds in relation to climate change and food security in northern Ontario. More importantly, we asked how to better support farmers and gardeners growing and adapting seeds in northern Ontario. Inspired by the wonder of seeds, challenging growing conditions in northern Ontario, and ongoing efforts to improve food security, we checked in with farmers, homesteaders, and seed savers who have been successfully growing food in the region for several decades. We asked them about the food they grow, the challenges they face, and if/how these have changed over the time. We also asked gardeners and seed enthusiasts similar questions

Embracing Local Food at seed swaps in Thunder Bay, Gillies, and online. It was lovely to have a chance (and excuse) to chat about gardening and seeds with nearly 100 people during the cold winter months. These exchanges revealed that a large majority of folks were concerned about the impact of the climate crisis. Specifically, they pointed to increasing unpredictability, shifting growing seasons, and extreme weather as challenges they already face and expect to increase. On the other hand, a majority of people also saw climate change as bringing potential opportunities for northern Ontario food growers—opportunities such as a longer growing season and the ability to grow a larger diversity of crops. Overall, there was a recognition that seeds matter, and that all growers need varieties that can thrive reliably in our short season, as well as be adapted to local climate and soils. It seems that farmers and gardeners would like to fill their

climate resilience tool boxes by learning about what we can expect from the climate crisis in Northwestern Ontario and developing their skills in garden management, pest and disease identification, seed saving, and building soils. They would also like to build resilience by coming together to share knowledge, learn, and engage in advocacy. What a powerfully beautiful collective project this could be. And so, as winter turns to spring and summer and we return to the fields and gardens we will keep learning and talking to each other. Over the coming growing season, we plan to conduct a series of vegetable variety trials, host some workshops on seed saving and ecological growing, and continue to build partnerships and collaborations. We are also eager to have the chance to explore more about the history of farming and gardening in our area and the relationship between seeds and Indigenous and settler communities, and, of course, to save some seeds!

Superior Seasons Food Market’s Online Market By Karen Kerk and Julia Prinselaar

s the last several weeks have shown, sometimes it takes a pandemic to embrace local food. Fortunately for us, an online farmers’ market was already serving Thunder Bay residents long before COVID-19 began to cripple global supply chains. Superior Seasons, operated by Belluz Farms since 2012, has a fully operational online sales platform that was able to quickly scale up to add dozens of new vendors and their products, allowing for convenient purchases and contactless pick up. “We’ve seen explosive growth in the online market since March,” says Kevin Belluz. “Local producers have really come on board to help meet the growing demand for local products, and the support from the community has been incredible.” The online market has proven to be an equally important lifeline for

local growers and producers, who are matching demand with devotion. It seems that in times of crisis, the lens focuses on how vital local food systems really are, and how critical it can be to receive support from consumers. “Although these are trying and uncertain times, the Superior Seasons platform has really shown the strength and dedication of the local agricultural community to come together to continue providing high-quality, local products to the Thunder Bay community,” says Mike Visser of My Pride Farms. Ordering online is simple. Shop early for the best selection. Superior Seasons offers delivery and pick up options twice weekly, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. For more information, visit superiorseasons.ca.

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Food

First Garden Tips for Black Thumbs By Pam Tallon, Owner, Growing North

Vegetable Trials for Northwestern Ontario

Seeding Agroecology, Growth, and Change By Janna Van Blyderveen

groecology focuses on the science, practices, and politics of sustainable agriculture and gives communities the opportunity to secure their own food futures. Thunder Bay’s northern geography means a short growing season with long days during the summer months. This, along with its distance from other major population centres, demands we address food access and support locally produced and harvested food. While growing in Thunder Bay has its challenges, they can be overcome through the power of farmer-led vegetable trials and seed saving programs. By embracing agroecology, we can develop alternatives to commercial seeds and support local farmers. In 2019, a collective action taken by Roots to Harvest, the Bauta Family Initiative on Canadian Seed Security, the Sustainable Food Systems Lab at

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Lakehead University, the Superior Seed Producers, and the Lakehead University Agriculture Research Station (LUARS) supported vegetable trials in the region. The trials grown at the Lillie Street Urban Garden, Root Cellar Gardens, and at LUARS were selected for the traits best suited to local growing conditions and palates. In 2019, we grew red carrots, orange storage carrots, and bell pepper varieties as part of the Canadian Organic Vegetable Crop Improvement (CANOVI) Variety Trials Network, a nationwide farmer-led research project. From the data collected, seed producers have been able to identify varieties with valuable characteristics including disease resistance, drought tolerance, flavour profile, nutrition, uniform germination, marketability, and many other characteristics. Consumer favourites were

determined with the help of a public tasting event held at the Thunder Bay Country Market. The trials also helped growers determine site selection, soil health, and variety qualities/characteristics that had been overlooked in the past. In 2020, farmers will trial spinach, rutabaga, radicchio, and new carrot varieties. Farmer-led research puts knowledge into the hands of the grower and provides an opportunity for small scale experimentation while minimizing monetary loss. Local seed producers can determine crop varieties that adapt to their needs and particular growing conditions. Locally adapted seed is essential for maintaining biodiversity and establishing a resilient food system. Globally, there has been a 75% loss of diversity in agriculture and only 10% of remaining varieties are commercially available to farmers. However, successful local adapted

seeds ensure that as the climate shifts there will be reliable seed for northern farmers. Chemical intensive agriculture has led to land degradation and a decrease in biodiversity. For generations, farmers, researchers, and communities have supported the natural systems of soil building, predator and prey relations, and flora and fauna diversity and have adopted them into agricultural practices. This creates a mutually beneficial ecosystem rather than a monoculture environment. Diversified seeds and vegetable crop genetics controlled by farmers produces food and crops best suited for their needs, as well as disease resistance through diversity. Adopting agroecology can ease the burden on farmers and communities in securing a viable and resilient food system.

ou say you have a black thumb? Maybe you’ve tried gardening before with little success or are a very successful house plant killer. Yet, you longingly stare out your window wishing you could have fresh veggies to harvest. You can! With a bit of pre-planning, setting small early goals, and a dose of realistic expectations, your black thumb will look a bit greener. Plants need the right amount of light, the right soil, some water, and they do not like to be crowded or dealing with pests. How are you going to help that happen? •

•

Use raised beds (a garden where you don’t plant directly into the ground, but rather into soil that's enclosed in a wood or stone frame). You will have control over the soil and be miles ahead of the weeds compared to digging up lawn. You can build your own or buy a kit. Start small, with one raised bed. The easier you can manage the garden, the easier it will be to keep up with weeds and watering, and to spot troubles quickly. Choose plants you like to eat and that grow in your area. Bonus points for easy, fast-growing veggies like

spinach, lettuces, peas, and beans. •

Have a watering plan. Is the hose or rain barrel close? Walking a long distance, carrying water, is a lot of work. Water deeply as needed. Try to soak the roots. Any plants in pots or containers will need to be watered more regularly as they can’t soak up water from the ground.

•

Use a good quality triple mix (topsoil, manure and, peat moss) to fill your raised bed. One cannot stress enough how important good quality soil is. Poor soil equals poor veggies.

•

Find a mentor. Thunder Bay has a very active helpful group on Facebook (Thunder Bay Gardening and Ag Community). Everything becomes easier when you have someone to help you along the way, answering questions and giving advice.

•

Always remember: some years you will have a bumper crop and some years those same crops will just die. This is okay. Enjoy the rest of your garden and try again next year.

In the end, have fun! None of us started knowing it all, and we all learn something new each time.

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

Isolation, Resilience, and Transformation in Film By Michael Sobota

Happiness is only real when shared. - Christopher McCandless/ Alexander Supertramp (Emile Hirsch) in Into The Wild

ost of us have been experiencing some form of isolation because of COVID-19 for several months. The movies often use isolation as an effective plot device. Most often it is forced isolation like prison, kidnapping, abandonment, natural disaster, or being buried alive. Sometimes it is chosen. In the movies, isolation brings out the best and worst of human traits. The best are resilience, perseverance and, in the few very good ones, a sort of transformation. Here are four very good ones.

Caring CaringCareers Careers Start StartHere Here Caring Careers future-focused Enjoy a future-focused Start Here

career in healthcare with

career in healthcare with Enjoy a future-focused St. Joseph’s Joseph's Carewith Group. St. Care Group. career in healthcare St. Care Group. ForJoseph's moreinformation information, For more For more information, visit careers.sjcg.net visit careers.sjcg.net visit careers.sjcg.net

For more information on St. Joseph’s Care Group, visit www.sjcg.net

Into The Wild (2007) Life of Pi (2012)

All Is Lost (2013)

The Martian (2015)

Sean Penn, known primarily as an actor, has directed an astonishing 15 films. Mostly unknown, they are scattered across his career. When John Krakauer published Into The Wild in 1996, Penn immediately purchased the film rights. It took him a decade to get the story on screen. Penn wrote the screenplay based on Krakauer’s book, which tells the true story of Christopher McCandless who, upon graduating from an American university at 23, left his family and vanished. Deeply wounded by a troubled family past, he struck out on his own to answer life’s big questions. En route, partly to cover his tracks, McCandless adopted a new identity: Alexander Supertramp. His journey took him into the American west and then the far wilderness of Alaska, where, alone for more than 100 days, he eventually died in a long-abandoned bus. Penn skilfully crafts his narrative from the diaries and notes the now-iconic loner McCandless left behind, as well as interviews with colourful individuals he encountered on his journey to Alaska. The film is hauntingly beautiful, in part due to director of photography Eric Gautier’s extraordinary cinematography, but equally as well for the great ensemble cast Penn assembled, with a break-out performance from Emile Hirsch as McCandless.

J.C. Chandor, working from his own script, directs a 75-year-old Robert Redford in a survival-at-sea story. It is a directing and acting accomplishment that the phrase tour de force might have been invented for. Redford’s character is a seasoned yachtsman. He is sailing in the middle of the Indian ocean when, in an accidental crash with an abandoned shipping container, he finds himself with a crippled yacht and eventually a solo lifeboat. From the title, we know where the story is going, but Chandor’s script and Redford’s performance dig deeply into the tough stuff—how to be resilient in an increasingly hopeless situation. Drawing on inner strengths he only discovers in this process, Redford gives us the most transformative performance of his career.

Every successful director, either independently grown or Hollywoodseasoned, eventually turns their eyes toward space. Ridley Scott dared to give us a real space story, dystopian only in the sense that it hasn’t happened yet (but is being planned as you read this), and carefully crafted to be believable (everything that occurs in the plot was researched and vetted against the best space science known at the time). Set a couple of years in the future, when the U.S. has established a “base camp” on Mars, this is a story about Mark Watney (Matt Damon) who gets lost in a Mars sandstorm and abandoned when his colleagues skip the planet for the safety of their orbiting spaceship. His team believes he’s dead and heads back home to earth. Alone, he has to figure out how to survive for what he thinks will be four years before they can send a rescue ship to get him. The core of this beautiful film is how he does this. Early on, Watney tells us, “I’m going to have to science the shit out of this!” He does. We know he will be rescued, some two and a half hours later. It’s all about the journey, eh? This is a rare Hollywood blockbuster that deeply engages.

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Ang Lee, working from a script based on Canadian Yann Martel’s novel of the same name, gives us the story of an Indian boy, Pi, who is abandoned during a shipwreck and finds himself stranded somewhere in the Pacific Ocean in a lifeboat. With him on that boat are a zebra, an orangutan—and Richard Parker, a wild tiger. The core of this visually splendid movie is about Pi and Richard Parker and how they listen and learn to live next to each other. Their world out in the ocean is cinematically surreal. Martel bookends his story in the real world of a writer, presumably Martel himself, interviewing an older, surviving Pi, now a professor at a university. It is those book-ended sections of the novel—and the movie—that are most revealing of transformation.

And six more stories about isolation that become transformative on the big screen: The Black Stallion (1979), Never Cry Wolf (1983), The Cure (1995), Cast Away (2000), Elysium (2013), and Room (2015).

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Susan Mattison, maker of 1:12 scale miniatures, peaking through the storefront of Blue Door Books

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Mattison considers herself a mediocre knitter at full scale, “but in miniature I look like a pro!” She uses the same knitting techniques and admits there is a bit of a learning curve to scale knitting down so small. One of her goals is to have official artisan status in miniature knitting with the International Guild of Miniature Artisans (IGMA), which she joined in 2018. “Becoming an IGMA artisan requires an adjudication process, so I need to add more unique knitting patterns to my repertoire and hone my skills more before I would attempt to apply,” she says. Last year, Mattison attended the Ontario Miniature Gathering that attracted approximately 75 participants from across Canada. “Many of the participants have been making miniatures for 20+ years...a surprising amount of people are working in 1:24 (quarter scale), which is half the size of what I make!” The artists showcased everything from men’s suits and women’s shoes to faux stained glass and wicker furniture. Like any artist, Mattison has experienced some failures along the way and is not shy about sharing them with her Instagram followers. Her first dollhouse was basically a scaled-down home improvement project with problems that would rival one of Chip and Joanna’s projects on HGTV’s Fixer Upper. The drywall compound she used to fill gaps in the walls cracked a few weeks after she applied a fresh coat of paint, so she consulted someone with construction experience and will scale down their advice for her second attempt. “Thankfully, that was only the ground floor,” she says. We look forward to seeing the finished house, complete with a box of persians on the kitchen counter and a portrait of the Sleeping Giant over the couch. Check out Nasus Miniatures on Instagram @nasus_miniatures and on Etsy.

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usan Mattinson’s relationship with miniatures was love at first sight. Two years ago, she was wandering through a Michaels craft store when the miniature items in the diorama section caught her attention. “When I got home, I searched ‘dollhouse miniatures’ online and found so many incredible miniature artists on Etsy, Pinterest, and Instagram,” she says. “I fell in love with the hobby instantly!” Mattinson creates 1:12 scale miniatures—a popular scale for collectable dollhouses. The ratio means that 12 units on the original is represented by one unit on the model (for imperial thinkers, this means one foot is represented by one inch). Her first project was a bookstore room box. “I purchased the box itself as a kit, but I had to create the rest,” she says. The picture of Blue Door Books on her Instagram page shows a bookstore with herringbone flooring (made from coffee stir sticks), tiny art hung on the walls, functioning light fixtures, furniture, bookshelves with books, and a magazine stand complete with replicas of popular magazines. It looks amazing and one can only imagine the patience involved in assembling or creating each item with such precision. Mattison is modest and says, “It’s technically not completed. I still need to finish the rest of the books for the shelves.” Mattison works in a variety of mediums, such as thread (knitting) and polymer clay—her knitted purses and replica box of Persian Man persians are perfect, not to mention adorable. Recently, she has been experimenting with polymer clay and making a wide range of miniature food, such as croissant and cinnamon bun earrings—a different take on the pandemic baking that is dominating Instagram. “What some people might not realize is that a lot of the colour shading of clay food is done with soft pastels,” she explains.

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THUNDER BAY BLUES SOCIETY IBC FUNDRAISER

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Stay Home, Stay Safe, Thunder Bay These are difficult days. The way through this is by each of us doing our part. I am asking you to stay home and stay safe. This is so important. We can get through this if we follow that advice, however, it will take distance and time. We have benefited from being removed from large urban centres, but we are not immune. The virus is in Thunder Bay, and the person with the greatest ability to impact this pandemic is YOU. Not the Mayor or emergency responders – it’s you. The person best able to protect your family, friends, and neighbours is you. City Council has approved relief for those residents and business financially impacted by COVID-19.

The City has changed the way we are operating to keep you and our workers safe while continuing to deliver the essential services you rely on. Thank you for adapting to these changes in a quickly evolving environment.

in nursing homes and communal living settings, charitable organizations, grocery and convenience stores, pharmacies and many others delivering essential services.

The federal government has invoked the Quarantine Act, which speaks to the seriousness of the situation.

The measures being taken in our city now, by you, will help save lives. This virus will not discriminate. Everyone may be at risk. Please consider that in each decision you make.

To keep our community safe, it is strongly recommended that all individuals returning from outside of Northwestern Ontario selfisolate for 14 days regardless of whether or not they have symptoms.

Stay home. Make outings for essential trips only. When you are out keep a physical distance of two meters from others, and wash your hands frequently. And stay home if you are sick.

On behalf of City Council, I would like to thank those who are working on the frontlines, especially our healthcare workers. Thank you to our paramedics, police officers, firefighters, those working

I know this is difficult, but we are a resilient community. Stay well Thunder Bay.

Financial Relief During COVID-19 City Council has approved relief for those financially impacted by COVID-19.

Property Tax Deadline Deferred to July 8 • Your May 6, tax installment is now due July 8. • Customers set-up with pre-authorized payment (PAP) on due date will see their installment come out July 8. • Customers with monthly PAP will see no change to scheduled withdrawals unless a change is requested. • Effective April – June, if your PAP or cheque is returned the City will waive the non-sufficient funds charge. • To change your PAP, email taxandwater@thunderbay.ca or call 625-2255.

Additional 90 Days to Pay Water Bill • If you are unable to pay your April 14, May 15, or June 15, water bill, you now have an additional 90 days to pay without penalty or late fees. • Customers set-up with PAPs (monthly or on due date) will see no change to scheduled payments unless a change is requested. • Effective April – June, if your PAP or cheque is returned the City will waive the non-sufficient funds charge.

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• To change your PAP, email taxandwater@thunderbay.ca or call 625-2255.

Fees for Re-Issuing Marriage Licenses & Commissioning Services Waived for 3 Months

Application Deadline for Tax & Water Credit Programs Extended to Sept. 1

Business Permits & License Fees Waived for 3 Months

• The application deadline for the property tax and water credit programs for lowincome seniors, low-income persons with disabilities, and low-income persons has been extended to Sept. 1. • Learn more at www.thunderbay.ca/rebates

Arrears & Collections Postponed until Sept. 30 • Collection work will stop until Sept. 30. Residents will not receive arrears notices or collection calls.

Invoice Payment Period Extended to 90 Days • City invoices issued in April, May, and June, will be due in 90 days compared to the usual 30-day payment terms. • These include invoices for childcare services, facility rentals, and monthly lease payments.

• All 2020 business license renewals, including taxi licenses, will not be charged for three months.

Key Changes to City Services Here’s a summary of key changes, in keeping with the Provincial Emergency Declaration.

Temporary Closures City playgrounds and park amenities including off-leash dog parks, benches, community gardens, sports fields or courts, beaches and picnic areas. Most City facilities including City Hall and all recreational facilities.

Temporary Reductions All Council meetings will be virtual and held as required. Only essential City services are being offered in-person, by appointment only. Visit www.thunderbay.ca/A-Z. Thunder Bay Transit Service reduced as of April 5, with adjustments to hours and frequencies. View the Transit Schedule at www.thunderbay.ca/transit. Animal Services reduced to emergency operations with no pet adoptions, no volunteering, and claim of lost pets by appointment only, call 684-2156. Fire prevention and inspection services are reduced to fire safety concerns only. Recreation program sessions scheduled to start March 30 - April 30, are cancelled. Credits are being applied to all accounts. To request a refund instead of a credit, call 625-2227 or 684-3323, or email communityservices@thunderbay.ca.

• Businesses will have an extra three months to pay the license renewal fee.

Sign Permit Fees Reduced by 25% for 1 Year New Community, Youth, and Cultural Funding Program Emergency Fund • An emergency fund will assist organizations that are existing recipients of the City’s Community, Youth, and Cultural Funding program. These organizations will be directly contacted with program details in the coming weeks.

Long-Term Care & Senior’s Services No Visitors Allowed at Pioneer Ridge or Jasper Place Pioneer Ridge Long-Term Care & Senior Services and Jasper Place Support Services are not allowing any visitors to the facility. Arrangements can be made for FaceTime or window visits by calling Pioneer Ridge at 684-3956 or Jasper Place at 684-2928. Send a card or become a penpal to a senior. Learn more at www.thunderbay.ca/PioneerRidge. Meals on Wheels Continues to Operate Meals will continue to be delivered using a contactless delivery method. For more information call 625-3667 or visit www.thunderbay.ca/mealsonwheels. Income Tax Program Cancelled The 55 Plus Income Tax program is cancelled with appointments to be rescheduled once the 55 Plus Centre opens again. The deadline to file taxes has been extended to June 1.

Waste & Recycling • Collection continues as usual. • Vehicle traffic at landfill limited to 10 vehicles at any time.

• Bag tags for a third item can be purchased by calling 625-2266, or at the landfill site. • For safety, all garbage must be bagged in the cans. • Wipes belong in the trash never in the toilet! Only flush toilet paper down the drain.

Free On-Street Parking & Ticket Payment Period Extended On street parking at metered spaces is free for a maximum of two hours until May 31, to facilitate easy pick-up and delivery at local businesses. For parking tickets received March 16 – May 29, payment can be delayed without penalty. Tickets can be paid over the phone by credit card, by mail, or in drop boxes at parkades. Call 625-2370.

City Hiring Continues for Essential Services The Corporation continues to recruit for essential positions during this time, such as personal support workers in longterm care. View active job postings at www.thunderbay.ca/jobs.

• Normal business hours at the landfill and recycling depots.

More Information on COVID-19 www.thunderbay.ca/coronavirus - Latest City news, financial relief, and A-Z Service Directory during COVID-19. www.ontario.ca/coronavirus - Ontario’s Ministry of Health reports on the status of cases in Ontario each morning at 10:30 am. www.TBDHU.COM/coronavirus - The Health Unit links to credible sources of information for both the public and local health care providers.

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TheArts

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Artist: Ruth Cuthand Title: Somethings You Just Have to Shoot Your Way Out Of Date: 1986 Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 132 x 172.7 cm

uth Cuthand was born in 1954 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Meeting artist Gerald Tailfeathers at age eight made her decide that she, too, wanted to be an artist. As she tells it, her first artist materials included “the orange paper that was discarded in the processing of the Polaroid chest x-rays that we were subjected to annually as students

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in routine tuberculosis screenings.” The 18-inch square papers had been gathered and given to her father for use in Sunday school. Cuthand’s work was included in Eight From the Prairies, an exhibition at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery in 1987, curated by Carol Podedworny. At that time, she was focused on the image of a ghost dance shirt. “Through a natural evolution, the shirt has become a dress. Seen as a garment for one’s soul rather than for one’s body, Cuthand’s shirts/dresses take on a variety of roles, some of a personal nature and others being either emotively inspired or politically defined.” “Somethings You Just Have

to Shoot Your Way Out Of” was one of the shirts/dresses included in this exhibition and was acquired by the gallery for the permanent collection shortly afterwards. In a later series, Cuthand used beads and quillwork to explore colonization and trade in the form of viruses. The Trading Series consisted of 12 microscopic images of viruses introduced by Europeans, as well as one disease that was taken back to Europe. The images include influenza, measles, bubonic plague, smallpox, typhus, cholera, scarlet fever, diphtheria, chicken pox, yellow fever, and whooping cough. The disease that was transported back was

syphilis. The results are both beautiful and haunting. Cuthand has recently beaded the coronavirus in the same style. Follow her on Instagram to see the results. This year, Ruth Cuthand’s significant career in the arts—including her work as an artist, mentor, teacher, and activist—was acknowledged when she was named one of the winners of the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts. As noted in her nomination: “Her influence, mentorship, and support of many artists, past and present, have been an important component in the building of an infrastructure for contemporary Indigenous art in Canada.”

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TheArts

Time Flies, Faith Cordeiro

Lakehead University Juried Exhibition Visual Arts Students Showcase Work at the AG

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

Erika Niva

Early spring is usually the time for visual arts students to showcase their work at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. But the 2020 Lakehead University Juried Exhibition was only open for a week before the art gallery, like most public spaces, closed temporarily in response to COVID-19. The opening reception for the Juried Exhibition—typically the gallery’s largest opening, drawing more than 400 people eager to

Embraced and Adored, Marzana Bates celebrate the achievements of students—was also cancelled. “I feel really bad because it’s the culminating event for all the students in the program and it’s their chance to share their work with friends, family, and the community,” says Kristy Holmes, associate professor, Department of Visual Arts at Lakehead University. “It’s the one chance the community gets to see the work of the students.”

This year’s exhibition featured 54 works by 39 students. Submissions to this juried exhibition were open to any Lakehead University student enrolled in a visual arts program. Students could submit up to four works of art in any medium. “It’s a really interesting show this year,” says Holmes, who has been involved with the exhibition for more than 10 years. “It’s a thoughtful show; many students draw a lot

of their ideas from personal experience.” Included works tackle big issues such as current events, gender identity, and the environment. For example, a work by Katie Untinen incorporates four fire-ravaged doors, addressing her experience with the forest fires that devastated Fort McMurray in 2016. Exceptional work is acknowledged through a range of awards and recipients are selected by award

Afterhours, Eva McMahon

Poppy’s Trap, Bethany Potter

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Coral, Brynn Monteith

The House Across the Street, Hali-Anne Vogel

Feed Me 1, Nathan Cross presenters or by the exhibition jurors. Artists Gayle Buzzi, Katie Lemieux, and Leanna Marshall were this year’s jurors. Poppy’s Trap by Bethany Potter received three Lakehead university Visual Arts Awards, the most of any works in the 2020 exhibition. The Thunder Bay Art Gallery Award was presented to Brynn Monteith for her work of six sculptural mugs titled Coral. “The gallery’s 40-year,

1987, Gerald Kelly

Be Water My Friend, Hanyu Zhang

Dependent and Greedy, Hanna Marion

long-standing partnership with Lakehead University is one of our most fulfilling. Playing a part in sharing the exceptional work of the visual arts students with the entire community is an honour,” says Sharon Godwin, director of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. For more information, visit theag.ca.

Deflated, Julia Mills

Does It Matter, Nathan Cross

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From Soap to Sanitizer, Lovely Body Does It All Lovely Body Products has expanded a lot from its humble household beginnings over the past eight years. Sarah Johnston, the lovely shop owner, went from producing small batches of soap in her home to now making hand sanitizer! At the beginning of the pandemic, Sarah made the difficult decision to close her store doors to the public. Even though Lovely Body is in the grey area of essential services, she wanted to keep her staff safe. It was a tough decision, as so many people were stocking up on soap, shampoo, conditioners, and self-care items; they were also asking for hand sanitizer. What made everything even more difficult was that Sarah was in the process of travelling home from the United States and knew she was going to be in self-isolation for two weeks. Over this time, she updated the Lovely Body online shop, and while she

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and her husband Paul finished up their self-isolation, their friends from Rose N Cranz Roasting Co. sold Lovely Body items online and delivered to local customers (thank you Jesse and Jamie!). Six months ago, when Sarah was planning her spring release, hand sanitizer was most likely not even on her mind. Developing spring scents and summer releases were what she was thinking about. However, the world changed and her focus shifted. With spring soaps already cured and wrapped, Sarah looked to other ways she could help. She knew that with her knowledge and production space Lovely Body could do more—it would just take time and work. An opportunity to help arose as soon as the federal government opened up the Health Canada applications for any business to assist with Canadian production of items, otherwise known as reshoring. Lovely Body was in

As a law firm centered in the Waterfront BIA, White Macgillivray Lester LLP is a committed part of the downtown business community, and we appreciate all that our fellow members are doing, both by way of creatively providing services in businesses where that is appropriate, and by shuttering of operations in those where it is not. It is obviously a difficult time for most of us. With the declaration of a state of emergency, and directives from all levels of government, as a law firm we have had to consider if—and how—we can best operate, without jeopardizing the safety of our people and others.

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the perfect position to make hand sanitizer, and they were one of the first local companies to apply. Making hand sanitizer— something that is not so kind to your skin—is not something Sarah would normally make, yet she knew she needed to help. She has a strong foundation in the Health Canada application process, as making soaps, lotions, and bath products requires a lot of applications and reporting. Many might not know that in Canada, producing anything used on your body requires approval from Health Canada. Hand sanitizer is no different, except that it is considered a drug and gaining approval to be a producer takes more paperwork, time, and math (the alcohol percentage is important). Once Sarah’s application was in with Health Canada, a response was almost immediate. “When can you start production?” and “How quickly can you get it out?” were

some of the questions asked. It took a few weeks to start producing hand sanitizer, partly to do with Sarah’s ability to get supplies. All of the supplies required to produce hand sanitizers became quite difficult to source. Suppliers were not only running out of ingredients, but finding the bottles and coordinating shipments was proving to be difficult. Now, Sarah has everything in her shop and she’s working on production. We are proud to share that Lovely Body has committed to first provide community outreach persons—the front-line workers outside of the healthcare system— with a supply of hand sanitizer. Once they have established sufficient supply, the public will be able to purchase Lovely Body hand sanitizer online through the lovelybody.ca online shop in unscented and lightly scented options.

As always, Sarah has some best-use tips:

• Hand sanitizer is meant to stay wet for 30 seconds as you rub your hands vigorously together (like you are washing them), allowing the rubbing alcohol base to evaporate. It is that reaction that makes sure it works most effectively.

• The best line of defence is still to wash your hands with soap (preferably from Lovely Body) for at least 20 seconds, and not to touch your face. Shop Lovely Body Products online at lovelybody.ca

While we have been deemed an essential service by the provincial government, we have, since mid-March, moved to working remotely. What this looks like is that each of our approximately 20-person strong workforce is working from home, with very limited exceptions. We are stressing/practicing social distancing and other recommended measures aimed at defeating the spread of the virus. We are utilizing alternative arrangements to “meet” with our clients. At the same time, we are necessarily “manning the phones” and receiving mail, to ensure that our clients who need to contact us are able to do so, that communication with third parties is being preserved, and ultimately, that our clients’ needs are being met. Fortunately, much of our work product can be achieved remotely/online. Some aspects of our work are necessarily delayed. For example, initially, the courts of Ontario were essentially closed to all but the most urgent matters, such that we were not able to undertake various court proceedings in progressing our clients’ claims. The courts have been working

diligently to establish alternative methods of holding various proceedings, for example online or by teleconference and are opening up to more and more proceedings. As you may imagine, there are serious issues arising with respect to security, evidence-giving, etc. Similarly, for a firm that deals primarily with personal injury claims, it has been difficult to arrange necessary medical assessments of, and for our clients. Again, alternative measures to accomplish these ends are evolving on a weekly basis. Firms operating in other areas of the law will of course have additional challenges, including completing real estate and commercial transactions and meeting with clients to execute wills. In the meantime, other aspects of our work are able to progress. We are trying to keep our staff safe and engaged, while encouraging as much productivity as possible. To date, owing largely to the buy-in from our committed staff, we have fortunately not been required to lay off any staff. However, the true economic impacts to businesses such as ours will not be known for some time. We are very sensitive to being a part of the solution, and recognize that the resolution of this pandemic relies very much on everyone doing their part. We are also extremely grateful to the front-line workers who continue daily to provide essential services, and want to do our part in making their jobs easier, and the harm to which they are exposed, as short-lived as possible. We are very much looking forward to seeing the end of this pandemic as we now experience it, and moving forward to a resumption of activity and commerce by all of our neighbours in our downtown core.

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Outdoor

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ith the world in COVID19 disarray, nothing soothes my soul more than time spent fly fishing. I picked up fly fishing as a teenager, and I fell in love with it. Fly fishing is an art, a sport, and a form of therapy. It evokes an inner peace, and is a great way to relax the mind. How, you may ask? I like to believe that fly fishing creates inner peace due to the fact you must focus on the casting and presentation of the fly, more so than conventional fishing. It involves timing, precision, concentration, and finessing of the fly to hopefully provoke a fish to strike. And, as with anything you want to master, it also involves dedication and focus. When I focus on my casting, reading the water, and anticipating a fish to strike my fly, I really can’t think about anything else. Where to Fish? There are some excellent rivers that flow in the city limits that provide good fishing in spring, summer, and fall for trout, walleye, salmon, perch, and pike.

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Here are a few spots to check out: • Kaministiquia River has public access at Mission Island launch and the Mountdale launch • In the Current River, from the Cascades Conservation area through Boulevard Lake to Fisherman's Park, anglers can find walleye, pike, perch, trout, bass, and pink salmon • Prince Arthur’s Landing/Marina Park gives the opportunity to catch walleye, pike, and perch • Neebing River offers rainbow trout, with possible other species • McIntyre River is a very popular inner-city fishing spot for rainbows Reading the Water The key to reading the water is to anticipate any potential location that the fish will use as a surprise attack on its prey. My personal favourite is a half-submerged fallen tree or a log, a boathouse, or a dock— basically anything that offers coverage. Try fishing the shadows. The drop-off of rocky points and large underwater rocks are also classic

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Sponsored Content structures to seek. If fly fishing a river, toss a fly right near the current that breaks next to still water. Techniques - A Quick Lesson on Line Retrieval You don't need to make long casts—20- to 30-foot casts are plenty. Often the fish are closer than you think. Start your cast short and then lengthen. Once you've cast your fly, you'll start to strip the line in at a multitude of speeds—shorter strips to longer strips, even some short burst strips to really make the fly move. Allow it to rest motionless, then let it sink, begin to animate, and retrieve it again. Twitch and pause it. What you are doing is animating the fly to look like what it’s mimicking (minnow, frog, etc). By using a multitude of different speeds along with pauses, you are enhancing the opportunity of a strike. Experiment these speeds to see what works. The best way to set the hook for boney-mouthed species, such as pike, walleye, and bass, is with the strip-strike: simply keep your rod low when you see or feel the take, then react quickly with your rod tip still low and pointing at the fly, pull the line tight, and then lift your rod (keeping line tension in your hand). This sets the hook. The fish will “run,” taking up line slack. You will keep your rod tip up and a slight tension on the line with your non-casting hand, then get the fish “on the reel.” Once that is accomplished, you’re on the way to landing your fish. Get the net ready, and bring in your fish on the reel like you would on a gear rod! For trout, simply lift the rod to set the hook, keeping tension in the line, and follow the same steps. Quick Tips: • Use hooks with no barbs! Not only is this healthy for the catch and release of your fish, it’s also a safety factor! Hooks come out easily with no barb, so pinch the barb down for easy removal from fish. Barbless hooks are also easier to remove if you accidentally stick yourself—especially important when you’re fishing with young anglers. Aside from safety, using barbless

•

hooks also teaches children that live release is essential for a healthy future of fish population. Try to land your fish as quickly as possible, and don’t play it to exhaustion. This is particularly important when fishing in periods of warmer water temperatures. A shorter fight time increases the chances of survival of released fish. A fish angled to exhaustion is more vulnerable to predators such as birds of prey and other fish. Excessive handling can cause physical damage to fish. Be gentle. Wet your hands prior to touching the fish, and make sure they are free of sunblock, etc. If using a net, it should be a soft, rubber-coated net. Avoid “banking” your fish. Do you know how long you can keep a fish out of water? Hold your own breath and that will be about the same amount of time. When you need to breathe, that fish must be returned to the water.

Redd’s Simplified Gear Guide for Bass, Pike, Walleye, and Trout Rod: 7-weight, 4-piece, 9-foot fly rod, medium to fast action Reel: Smooth drag fly reel matching the rod weight Line: Weighted forward, floating line that matches the rod weight (i.e., for a 7-weight rod, you will need 7-weight line) Leader: 7½-inch tapered leader ending with about 6 inches of 12-pound test wire bite tippet

Other Essentials Forceps, nippers, pliers, hook sharpener, rubber-coated net, ball cap, and polarized sunglasses (ball cap and sunglasses protect face from hooks) Waders (with belt) and rubber vibram-soled wading boots with studs, rain jacket, lumbar pack/ backpack, water canteen, snack Dress in drab colours (greys, greens, browns) as bright clothing spook fish. If the underside of your ball cap is a bright white, take a black permanent marker and colour it in

Must-have flies for local fish: Wooly Bugger, Tequeely, Egg-sucking Leech, Conehead Zonker, Topwater Popper, Clouser Minnow, Muddler Minnow, Pink Worm, Elk Hair Caddis, Parachute Adams Knot: A simple rapala knot will do Tip: Consistent stable weather creates good fishing

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Our Response to COVID-19 How Local Realtors are Helping Buyers and Sellers By the Thunder Bay Real Estate Board Real estate services are designated an essential service during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Thunder Bay real estate brokers and salespeople are working hard to make sure people who need to buy or sell property during the pandemic get quality service while minimizing health risks. “It’s not meant to be business as usual, but it means we can assist people who had offers in place before the pandemic started and need to close those offers, as well as people who sold their home before this crisis began and now need to find a place to live,” says Andrew Lawrence, president of the Thunder Bay Real Estate Board (TBREB). Local real estate companies are committed to helping buyers and sellers in a safe and structured way. And, they’re looking ahead to next steps and future trends. Minimizing contact Offers, negotiations and signatures can all be done electronically, which decreases the need for in-person meetings, and all open houses have been cancelled. When an in-person meeting is necessary—for example, a client would like to tour a house—there are a number of strict procedures in place, says Lawrence. Only two potential buyers (who already live in the same household) can accompany a salesperson to a seller’s home. Both the sellers and the potential buyers must sign a document affirming they have not travelled recently, have not been in contact with anyone who has travelled recently and are not feeling any symptoms of ill health. Sellers leave interior doors open and lights on so surfaces are not touched, and the salesperson and potential buyers stay at least six feet apart and wear gloves, as well as masks if possible. Putting technology to work Going forward, technology is going to play an increasing role in real estate, notes Lawrence. “You’re going to see a lot more virtual tours,” he says, adding that 360-degree, panoramic video and images allow buyers to see a home from every angle. Video walk-throughs, where a salesperson uses a phone to do a live tour of a home, with the potential buyers watching and asking questions, are also likely to increase in popularity. Virtual open houses, streamed on a platform like Facebook, are coming in the near future too, he says. These approaches, combined with a trend to pre-qualifying buyers, mean that there’s a better chance of finding the right fit, with fewer people actually entering the home for sale. Overall, the industry remains optimistic. “Our vision, and the vision of most experts, is that there is going to be a bit of a pent-up demand for real estate by the summer,” says Lawrence. TBREB will be ready to meet that demand.

64 The Walleye

How’s the local real estate market? March 2019 figures for Thunder Bay, which are the most recent figures available from the Canadian Real Estate Association, show a 15.7% decline in the number of homes sold, and a 15.2% decline in the number of listings. “These numbers are saying it’s not a buyer’s market or a seller’s market; it’s a very balanced market,” says Lawrence. He says that currently, multiple offers are not uncommon, and that homes are holding their value. “We’re not seeing any indication of the market being hurt. This is a stall, and it’s a forced stall because people are doing the right thing and staying at home.”

from the

The Thunder Bay Real Estate Board would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to our local frontline workers! To our dedicated health care providers, first responders and volunteers, thank you for your selfless service to our community. We would also like to thank the essential customer service representatives, store clerks and goods transporters for making sure we have access to necessary supplies and keeping our fridges and cupboards stocked. We would also like to say a big thank you to the residents of Thunder Bay who continue doing their part to “Flatten the Curve” and stay home with their families. Together we can stop the spread.

www.thunderbay-mls.on.ca

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Still Here For You Thunder Bay Public Library Offers Access to Collections, Services, and Programming

By Joanna Aegard and Jesse Roberts, Thunder Bay Public Library

small but mighty group of your Thunder Bay Public Library staff are working from home to provide as much access to collections, services, and programming as possible during this time when the library buildings are closed. If you have any materials signed out, please keep them until further notice. As we stopped charging overdue fines earlier this year, there will be no penalty. Non-resident memberships have been extended. You can place holds through the online catalogue, and as soon as we are open again we’ll be working hard to get those materials to you. The Wi-Fi is on at our four locations, so if you need a connection feel free to

66 The Walleye

sit on the steps, pull up in your car, or balance on your bike and use it— but please remember to practice physical distancing. Our Virtual Collection, including eBooks, streaming music, language learning, eMagazines, and more, has been well used in the past month. Start at tbpl.ca/onlinestuff to see what we have to offer online. You’ll need your library card number and PIN to log in. If you have lost your card, forgot your PIN, or have never had a card, email us at comments@tbpl.ca and we’ll be happy to help you. We have been buying more copies of popular eBooks, and welcome your suggestions for new titles. In addition to the basic

collection of TumbleBook interactive eBooks for kids, you can now access TumbleMath, TeenBookCloud, AudioBookCloud, and RomanceBookCloud. You can find links to these collections at tbpl.ca/onlinestuff. Ancestry Library Edition, the largest online genealogy resource, is now available from home. Usually you need to come to one of the branches to access it. There is also a new resource page on our website on which we have shared links to free activities and events. These include colouring pages, concerts, digital escape rooms, storytimes with authors, and more. Check it out at tbpl.ca/online-activities. Before we closed completely, staff began work on a major project to streamline our collections to make them more relevant to community needs. Look for new shelving, improved displays, and creative uses of our spaces when we open again. Behind the scenes work is forging ahead with the book we’re writing on the history of TBPL, tentatively slated for completion this year. Chatting with local schools is helping

us to brainstorm how to support the e-learning work now in place. Staff training is being developed and planned as well. Data is being gathered to calculate the 2019 Return on Investment (ROI) which illustrates the value of your public library. In 2018, the ROI for every dollar invested in your Library was $6.70! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @tbaypl to learn the latest about other collections and services—for instance, we’ve partnered up with other library systems to stream online programming like storytimes. We have also started Mystery Mondays, a new feature on our social media to highlight photos and images from our local history collection that we don’t know too much about. Comment or contact us if you know anything that could help identify the people, places, or activities shown. The best way to reach us at this time is by emailing comments@tbpl. ca and we’ll do our best to get back to you as soon as we can. We are looking forward to reopening the libraries, and serving you again in person! In the meantime please explore your library online, and stay safe.

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Helping You Celebrate Mother's Day At Home also we can all do small things to make it easier on others who are more vulnerable or who need more help. I was thinking of my own crescent and how I check on my older neighbours, share cornstarch or other things. If each person did small things for others, then we are truly in this together as opposed to the opposite, each on our own.” Helping out in the community is a cause that is close to Calderon’s heart. “My family immigrated to Thunder Bay as political refugees sponsored by a local church,” she says. “The city has a giant heart and means the world to me.” For more information, check out the Facebook page at facebook.com/ groups/497335604277060/

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bright spot during this pandemic is the kindness it has brought out in people. With these unprecedented times comes uncertainty, and one of the first questions people have been asking is “how can I help?” Thankfully, Ola Luczak Calderon has developed a Facebook group to answer that very question. “I started the Facebook group after seeing a CTV news piece on a Facebook group of the same name in Toronto. I thought it was a great idea to inspire the community to come together, fill in gaps and help each other and our neighbours during the pandemic,”

68 The Walleye

says Calderon. The group is a great source of information for those looking to find out how they can help, what kind of help is being offered in the community, and where to go if they need help with something. There is a Google document on the Facebook page where individuals and businesses can enter their information and the type of help they are offering, and people in need of help can obtain their contact information to reach out. Also, people requiring assistance can post their requests on the “I need help” tab for people to contact them. “We’re all in this together,” says Calderon. “At home. Isolated. But

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We are living in extraordinary and unsettling times. During this Covid 19 pandemic, Thunder Bay has shown the country that it’s made of the right stuff. Let’s continue to be smart, safe and healthy. In every crisis heroes emerge, the Covid-19 pandemic is no different. The frontline workers and those who support them -- the PSWs, grocery workers, EMS paramedics, police, firefighters, transit and truck drivers, nurses and doctors, pharmacists and health care workers in every field (from Pioneer Ridge to The Regional) -- deserve our gratitude. During this time of clear and present danger they have responded with professionalism and honour well beyond the call of duty. As in any crisis of this scale, I am all too painfully aware of the challenges we face: heartbreak, fear, uncertainty, and even anger. It is precisely at these times that we need to show our humanity: our compassion, our understanding and our kindness. We are fighting Covid 19 not only for our health, but for our economic survival and our way of life;- from the single parent, laid off from work, trying desperately to provide some sense of normalcy to their two children who have been forced to learn at home, to the many employees and small businesses such as restaurants, local farms and specialty stores that are being severely impacted. But there is hope. Bombardier has announced a new contract for ventilating masks. Many businesses and employees are pivoting to deliver more takeaway orders. People are surviving their Covid 19 ordeals. So, it all comes down to people. As our Health Unit points out, our mental health is just as important as our physical health. Our spirits, enriched by understanding, compassion, and caring for our neighbours and our community, will strengthen our resolve and vigilance. Now is not the time to let down our guard. We cannot. The stakes are too high. Armed by science, and fueled by hope we can and must persevere. United, we will prevail.

Andrew Foulds

City Councillor, City of Thunder Bay Current River Ward

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Westfort Nostalgia and Now More than a Neighbourhood Story by Kristina Hall, Photos by Westfort Productions

Nostalgia is hitting us hard right now, for simple times with friends and family and for the small things we took for granted. With warmer weather approaching, that nostalgia stretches back into childhood. We long for the days of running barefoot, jumping in the pool, and racing around the block on bikes with all the kids in the neighbourhood—in my neighbourhood, Westfort. I grew up in the heart of Westfort, one block away and around the corner from The Westfort and the Brown Street Station. We lived one back alley away from the Brown Street fire hall, and I can still hear the muffled sounds of the PA system echoing through the lane. We were close enough to Village Market and Westfort Foods for my mom to send me running to get milk minutes before dinner was on the table. As far as I saw it, the Brown/Frederica Street area was the whole world. What else did you need? The Royal Bank on the corner was where I opened my first account and proudly carried around my bank book. We got ice cream from Dairy Works after dinner and on rare occasions, a greasy brown bag of fries from Coney that we all stuck our hands in walking across the Brown Street bridge to go look at the old Fort William grain elevator and the Kam River. I spent many rainy days pining over books at Mary J. L. Black Library and even more at Heath Pool on hot days, where walking past the older

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kids was always a nerve-wracking ordeal. As a tween I’d meet a friend for dinner at the Salsbury Grill and think we were the height of mature sophistication, or grab pizza from Golden Bakery with a side of peach juice or hot chocolate from Robin’s Donuts. The Westfort Street Fair marked the end of summer and beginning of backto-school grind. The live music, mini doughnuts, shopping, and seeing thousands of people fill the street was always something to look forward to. It was, and still is the most uniting event in the community. As an adult, I still have the same love for Westfort, but see it with new eyes. I’m seeing the rejuvenation of an historic part of Thunder Bay. With this rejuvenation comes facelifts of old buildings and reinventions of old establishments. The Salsbury Grill is now The Sal, which maintained the same simple menu and fan favourites, but with a refreshing renovation. A classic, The Barber Shop, has a lineup before they open, and now serve beer with your buzz cut. We are seeing new, modern businesses move in, like Kozar Engineering in the old Royal Bank building and Westfort Productions in the old Tom Thumb building, who both clearly have a strong dedication and love for the community—just ask them! We have newbie Toke House bringing a new vibe and the classics, like J.B. Evans, Swartz Fine Fashions, Coney Island, Fresco’s Deli, and Rollason Flowers,

which have been holding down the Fort for many, many years. We’re even seeing new life come to the famous street fair, with new entertainment and new vendors. The 80s and 90s kids who loved it are now bringing their own families back to share the simple joys of seeing the streets filled with people, to grab something to eat, or to take a ride on the Shriners train. Westfort comes alive and we relish in sharing what we have to offer with people from our neighbourhood and beyond… some even come as far as Port Arthur (gasp)! It’s nice to take a stroll down memory lane and remember the simpler times, but looking back also gives us something to look forward to. We are finding the important things that we

love and reminding ourselves to find them here, now. I’ve come to know the Westfort community and the people pretty well. When you know Westfort, you recognize the sense of community and pride people have in their neighbourhood. You know why people never leave Westfort—because they don’t need to. Everything you need is within a couple blocks. Westfort is a special neighbourhood that people feel deeply loyal to. It’s full of history and character, and now it’s full of youth and a forward-thinking vision to enhance that history and celebrate it. Westfort isn’t just our home and our neighbourhood, it’s all-encompassing. It’s comfort, it’s home and it’s belonging. It’s a feeling.

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iven the heightened potential for stress these days— whether it’s safely navigating the grocery store, working a shift at the hospital, or being at home with offspring for weeks on end—it’s a great time to look at some cannabis strains that emphasize tranquility and relaxation.

We all have our normal strategies to deal with anxiety to some extent, but, to state the obvious, these are not normal times. Anxiety puts pressure on our mental health, but it can also influence physical health and our relationships with others. Though paranoia is a side-effect of cannabis over-consumption,

particularly in higher-THC strains, many strains have the ability to relieve anxiety. Broadly, high-THC strains can provide relaxation in low doses, while high-CBD strains seem to decrease anxiety overall. The effectiveness of both of these cannabinoids for sedation is tempered by terpenes like myrcene,

b-caryophyllene, and limonene—the same chemical makeup that makes lemongrass and citrus so effective for aromatherapy. So, here are a few picks to help you relax. As always, go slow and start low, especially if you’re new to today’s cannabis. Be safe, stay healthy, and if you can, chill out.

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If you’re shopping locally, this strain from Tokyo Smoke is a good choice. It’ll give you more energy than Balance while still providing a mellow experience and plenty of body euphoria. A good option for daytime if you’re (once again) going for that walk around the ‘hood. The taste is… a bit strange, almost fishy if you’re vaping, so maybe stick to burning or cooking it.

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Stuff We Like

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For Mother’s Day By Rebekah Skochinski

f absence makes the heart grow fonder, then we have never been more fond of our loved ones—moms especially. And with Mother’s Day fast approaching, we’ve been counting the many blessings that our mothers have given us, like comfort, support, and encouragement. So let your fingers do the walking and show some love to your mom and local shops, too. Here’s Stuff We Like for Mother’s Day.

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jbevans.ca 475-4755 Once upon a time, we would have been chided for lounging around in our pyjamas past noon, but this is a brave new world we live in. Pamper your mom by giving a little love with this Give Love PJ set from P.J. Salvage. Made of cotton modal jersey, they have a wonderfully soft feel and each set includes an eye mask à la Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Enter SPRING20 online to save 20% off.

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finnport.com 345-2641 Spoil Mom by allowing her to sleep in and then serving her breakfast in bed on this stunning Sagaform tray. Constructed of high-quality oak in a classic Scandinavian minimalist style, it conveniently folds down for storage when not in use. Whether your culinary skills are limited to preparing cereal in a bowl and pouring a cup of coffee, or you’re comfortable whipping up Finn pancakes and latte art, Mom will appreciate the effort. It really is the thought that counts!

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Teapot

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thekitchennook.com 345-7179 Something that sparks joy! Designed in the United Kingdom by David Birch, this pretty polka dot London Pottery stoneware teapot is perfect for the mom who takes her tea seriously, but not herself. It features a carefully positioned elongated spout that will pour easily without any drips and a ceramic filter to prevent debris from making its way into her cup. A better brew and it will look pretty on the counter, too.

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Jewelry

perfectfitlingerie.ca 346-9099 Your mom will think of you every time she wears this handcrafted Lizzy James piece. The classic four-strand convertible wrap bracelet in silver and leather is modern, sophisticated, and timeless. This twoin-one style can be worn either as a bracelet or as a necklace and features silver plating and a filigree clasp. Check with the store for a myriad of other tasteful options from this line.

hyggeloft.ca 472-1197 We’re used to Mom being the one doling out sage wisdom and advice but we could all use some help in finding balance these days. Author and creator of the interior design blog My Scandinavian Home, Niki Brantmark, has written a book based on lagom, which loosely translates to “not too much and not too little—just right.” With beautiful illustrations, proverbs, and some recipes, this is a gem of a book that Mom will appreciate now and treasure for years to come.

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mbb-greenhouse. myshopify.com/p assword 474-3235 As the saying goes, where flowers bloom, so does hope. And hope springs eternal! My Blooming Business Greenhouse, located in the picturesque Slate River Valley, is open for the season on May 5th (online orders), with a plethora of plants to choose from, like this beautiful magenta bicoloured pericallis, which are also available in blue bicolour. An annual that can be grown indoors or outdoors, in full sun to part shade, it’s also deerresistant.

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$5 regular pot/$7 purple pot

thunderbaycountrymarket.com Oh to be in Paris in the springtime! You and Mom might not be able to traverse the French Riviera together but you can make sure she experiences a taste of France on her special day with an assorted box of macarons. Each box includes the flavours of salted caramel, lemon, strawberry, pistachio, chocolate orange, and vanilla. Order this exact set via the market’s online store or contact this vendor directly for custom orders. Magnifique!

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EYE TO EYE

With Damien Gilbert By Darren McChristie Your Logo Here

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wner/operator of Epica Pictures and social media personality, Damien Gilbert (aka Terry Turn Around) met us in our Zoom Room to talk about carb cycling, Tiger King, and his most prized possession. On how he got his start in the film industry: Little things. I worked with this crew that would come to Thunder Bay from Toronto. They assumed I was “just” from Thunder Bay and didn’t have any background, treated me like a PA [production assistant]. I got along well with the sound guy and we kind of hit it off. A year later, he called me up out of the blue to ask if I wanted to work on an LCBO documentary on the wines of California. On how he’s found success: I see opportunities. Networking—when I was starting out, I always tried to work with any crew that came in from out of town, I didn’t care what position it was, I

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just wanted to make those contacts. On the food he’s been eating: Timer beeps. Sorry that’s my timer, telling me it's time to eat again. I was going to compete in a physique competition in Thunder Bay. I was about ten weeks into a very strict diet and training regiment. I got into a routine and was locked in. I’m still doing the diet. It’s kind of crazy. I have never eaten so much. I thought I ate a lot before. Basically, I’m eating over 250 grams of protein a day—it’s called carb cycling. On a low-carb day, I make my protein pancakes, and then I’ll eat two chicken breasts and six ounces of rice, and greens at every meal. Then I have my protein pudding. It’s like five or six meals a day, every two to three hours. On what he’s craving: I’m really craving pizza, which I would like to crush right now. On how he’s coping: I’m still training. I bought some things to do home workouts: a pull

up bar, weights, and elastic [resistance] bands. On what he’s binge watching: The only subscription I had before this happened was Sportsnet, so that I could watch the Edmonton Oilers because that’s my team. I’ve been watching a lot of old reruns of Stanley Cup finals. I’ve done all the Jason Bourne and CIA-type movies. Obviously, I did Tiger King which was crazy. It's pretty bizarre how something like that can just blow up. And then this guy, who craved the fame, can’t even live it because he’s stuck behind bars. It's ironic. A lot of YouTube. You go down the tunnel of YouTube and you end up watching Tetris championships, which I didn’t know was a thing. On his most prized possession: As a kid, I was a huge Canucks fan. My dad bought me a [Pavel] Bure rookie card when I was nine or ten; I didn’t know who he was at the time. I fell in love with the card

and I fell in love with the player. It was my thing. I started with cards, like most kids in Canada. But, as I got older, I found this whole other hobby collecting jerseys and hockey sticks. I felt like a kid again trying to chase these other items. It’s not cheap, it’s kind of crazy. I always wanted a game-used stick, one that I would see in cards and magazines. So I started looking in all these different groups on Facebook, and everything led to one collector who basically had, like, everything. I noticed he had four of the sticks I wanted. I contacted him many times and he wouldn’t sell one, so I finally gave up. Then, one day, he contacted me out of the blue and said, “I’m ready to let it go, what’s your best offer?” On what he’ll do when he has freedom: Get together with friends. We like having a handful of friends over, cooking a good meal, and enjoying the night.

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Steve Collins at 1980 Olympics Lake Placid 1980, 5,373 kilometres and 143 days into his cross-country run, cancer that had spread to Fox’s lungs forced him to stop just east of Thunder Bay. Not only is Fox’s courage and determination memorialized here by a monument and the naming of a section of the TransCanada Highway, the spirit behind this Canadian hero’s endeavour lives on through the annual Terry Fox Runs held across

Steve Collins Lahti jump

event captured the heart of our city with approximately 5,000 community members volunteering and working alongside the host society. They put in countless hours throughout the course of planning and during the Games, ensuring its success. Improvements and upgrades to numerous recreational and sporting facilities throughout the city are directly attached to the

Official 1981 Canada Games Merchandise

Courtesy of the Northwest Ontario Sports Hall of Fame

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the globe. Just one year later, the City of Thunder Bay garnered national attention once again, this time as the host city for the 1981 Canada Summer Games, the first Ontario community awarded a Jeux Canada Games. From August 9 to 22, 1,500 athletes from across the country competed in 17 different sports in venues across the community. The

Photo courtesy of the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame

he 1980s began with a display of courage, dedication, and athleticism that to this day impacts and inspires not only our city and nation, but worldwide. Forty years ago, on April 12, 1980, 21-year-old Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope began in St. John’s, Newfoundland. His goal: to raise awareness of cancer and funds for cancer research. On September 1,

Al Hackner (Skip), Rick Lang (3rd), Bob Nicol (2nd), and Bruce Kennedy’s (Lead) win at 1982 Air Canada Silver Broom gave Northwestern Ontario its first victory at World level curling. Al “The Iceman” Hackner’s famous curling shot took place during the 1985 Brier, delivering what became known as the “Hackner Double,” one of the greatest curling shots ever made. Victory at that Brier led to the 1985 World Championships in Glasgow, where he claimed his second World title defeating Sweden alongside Rick Lang (3rd), Ian Tetley (2nd), and Pat Perroud (Lead).

Terry Fox

Courtesy of the Northwest Ontario Sports Hall of Fame

By Laurie Abthorpe, Heritage Researcher, City of Thunder Bay

The Thunder Bay Twins claimed four of five of their Allan Cups (1983–84, 1984– 85, 1987–88, 1988–89).

Cyclist Curt Harnett won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Thunder Bay Flyers (Junior Hockey) claimed one of their two Centennial Cups (1988–89). Heather Houston (Skip), Lorraine Lang (3rd), Diane Adams (2nd), Tracy Kennedy (Lead) and Gloria Taylor (alternate) became Canadian curling champions at the 1988 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, returning to win again as Team Canada in 1989. At the World championship level the rink claimed silver in 1988 and gold in 1989.

Courtesy of the Northwest Ontario Sports Hall of Fame

The 1980s - a Decade of Sport and Courage

Additional Sports Achievements during the 1980s:

Canada Games Sports Complex construction

Thunder Bay was the host city for the 1988 Skate Canada International, where Canadian athletes shone on the podium. Kurt Browning took gold in men’s, Isabelle Brasseur and Lloyd Eisler took gold in pairs, while Melanie Cole and Michael Farrington took bronze in ice dancing.

Courtesy of the Northwest Ontario Sports Hall of Fame

Photo courtesy of the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame

50 Years of Thunder Bay

legacy of the 1981 Summer Games. The centrepiece of the Games’ built legacy was the construction of the Canada Games Complex. Designed to accommodate aquatic sports, the venue included a 77-metre Olympic standard pool and a diving pool with diving stands at four different heights. The Complex, built to serve long term as a community recreational facility, featured additional amenities such as a therapeutic pool, a fitness area, racquetball courts and a child care centre. Throughout the 1980s, Steve Collins, a member of Fort William First Nation, rose to become one of Canada’s finest ski-jumpers. Training at Big Thunder National Training Centre prepared Collins for initial successes at the national level before he began competing on the world stage in the 1979–1980 season. In March 1980, 15-year-old Collins’ jump of 124 metres broke the hill record at Lahti, Finland, thereby winning him the World Cup’s 90-metre event. The following December he set a world record here in Thunder Bay for the longest 90-metre jump, with a remarkable 128.5 metres. After being named the top under-20 Canadian male athlete, Collins was also nominated for the 1980 Lou Marsh Trophy, which is awarded to Canada’s outstanding athlete of the year, as determined by Canadian sports journalists. However, Terry Fox, through his Marathon of Hope, was the recipient of the trophy that year. Collins continued placing in the top 20 at multiple World Cup events throughout the 1980s and represented Canada at all three Winter Olympic Games held that decade: 1980 (Lake Placid), 1984 (Sarajevo), and 1988 (Calgary). Steve Collins’ outstanding career in skijump is commemorated in both the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame. These are just three highlights of sporting achievements, courage, and determination that inspire memories of the 1980s shared in and around the Thunder Bay community. There are certainly many more.

Photos Courtesy of the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame from the BC Sports Hall of Fame Collection

CityScene

Visit thunderbay.ca/OneCityFiftyYears for more information about the 50th anniversary of the amalgamation of Port Arthur and Fort William.

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CityScene

This is Thunder Bay

This month we asked The Walleye readers what they have rediscovered during this time of social isolation.

Interviews by Nancy Saunders, Photos submitted by readers

Q&A

The Power of Sisu 7 Questions with Patty Hajdu

Story By Tiffany Jarva, Photo by Alex Tétreault

t the height of the pandemic, The Walleye had the chance to talk to Patty Hajdu, our Thunder Bay–Superior North MP and the nation’s health minister. We spoke about how her experiences at both the Thunder Bay District Health Unit and Shelter House helped her to navigate COVID-19, how it felt like an inevitable terrifying tsunami wave approaching the country in the early days, and how her sisu necklace helped her when really tough decisions had to be made. The Walleye: How has your background working in the community of Thunder Bay helped you prepare for the COVID-19 pandemic? Patty Hajdu: I spent nine years at the Thunder Bay District Public Health Unit, where I learned what an epidemiologist is, which I always thought was a neat and challenging job, like you’re trying to solve a mystery. TW: Like a detective? PH: Yes, like a detective. During that time, I also learned about contact tracing and how epidemics are almost rhythmic, part of a cycle. And when I was the ED [executive director] at Shelter House, I learned a lot about some of the more practical stuff like the importance of PPE [personal protective equipment],

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and how expensive the equipment can be—like the blue nitrile gloves— and trying our best to deal with possible infectious diseases working with some of our most vulnerable communities. So, when people comment on my confidence during this pandemic, it’s not like it was a totally unfamiliar world for me. I was able to combine the real-life, hands-on piece from Shelter House with the theory from the health unit. TW: What has been the biggest challenge for you personally? PH: Knowing it was coming. It was like watching a tsunami after that first wave in Europe. I could see it getting bigger, this growing horror, and getting closer to Canada and I knew there would be much anxiety, loss, and death. I knew we would have to make some really difficult decisions. That was really hard, making decisions that we knew would cause pain and hurt Canadians in order to protect overall health and wellness. TW: What has been the biggest reward? PH: I’ve never worked so closely with colleagues and civil servants to try to fix a problem SO fast. I think COVID-19 broke down the historical hierarchical barrier between the minister and civil service. I feel like

some of the formalities were dated and, to be frank, felt silly and bizarre to me. I know I’m a regular person and working so closely together has been very collegial and very rewarding. I love the authenticity of it. TW: How do you think the pandemic will change us? Or will it? PH: I think this will change us all. This is a global pandemic. It’s another “hinge moment” in history, like World War II. We will see it as before and after the pandemic. I think the digitality of health care delivery is a huge breakthrough. Knowing that we must do more to make nursing care conditions better is a start. I think it’s time to fix it instead of just conducting research. This is an opportunity to make things better. I do worry that we will be living with the COVID19 fear for a long while, and people will no longer want to hug or shake hands. That said, I’m more of an anthropologist, which is about observing, not predicting, our species. I’ve seen people stepping up time and time again and the overall spirit of goodwill. I think it’s a reminder of the innate goodness in people. TW: Any messages you want to pass on to Northwestern Ontario communities moving forward? PH: We need to stick together. We need to protect each other’s

health. Northwestern Ontario is in a tough spot to deal with a surge in cases because we have smaller regional hospitals and resources are precious. Individuals can do what seems like small acts, like washing hands and staying home, that can have very large and meaningful outcomes. I want everyone to know that I’m with them even if I’m not physically there. As an MP, my staff is still working full time. I know things seem bleak but I’m starting to see a small light at the end of the tunnel, and we will get through this. TW: Tell us about your “sisu” necklace. PH: Every now and again when things get tough, I wear it for courage. I understand that “sisu” is a Finnish word that can mean a mix of different things including courage, grit, inner strength, and determination. I often wear it as a private message to myself and I have worn it a lot through COVID-19, partly for myself and partly to help transmit a message that we need to have courage together as Canadians. Feeling overwhelmed by COVID19? Check out the recently launched Wellness Together Canada mental health and substance use website. Visit ca.portal.gs for more info.

Jennifer: Bread. Pasta. A wardrobe I would not generally choose to be seen in public wearing. Visualize that! And I have also rediscovered my love of wearing toques all the time.

Jodi: All the amazing trails and green spaces tucked all over Current River! It’s great to get out and explore your neighbourhood.

Karen: Bike riding—post hip replacement!

Maddy: Sudoku for my breaks from working at home. And cleaning... I rediscovered the back of a lot of cupboards that I haven’t seen since 2016.

Thea: Eating, playing, having quiet time, pictures, TV. I put seeds in containers with dirt. That’s all I’ve been doing.

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Shuttered Inn More Than a Photography Club By Savanah Tillberg

ike many other businesses, when the official State of Emergency was declared in Ontario on March 17, Shine Photo Studio, a local photography company owned by Nancy Tillberg, closed its doors. In addition to being a professional photographer, Tillberg is also a public speaker and author, and holds a certificate in web design. In her newfound spare time, she wanted to find a way to continue to engage with the community, raise their spirits, and encourage people to participate in their local economy all while maintaining physical distancing to help protect the overall health of the community. Soon after her business closed its physical doors, Shuttered Inn was born. Shuttered Inn is a photography club developed by Tillberg and sponsored by Shine Photo along with several other local businesses. “The club will meet virtually twice per week and aims to educate non-photographers as well as current shutterbugs while connecting them with local businesses that can help them.” The club will offer mini-courses and workshops on using your camera or cell phone to create and edit more beautiful images of everything from kids to gardens. In a time where everyone is at home and possibly looking to learn new skills or improve on old ones, Shuttered Inn hopes to provide the community with an accessible way to expand their photography knowledge while also giving

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them more opportunities to support local businesses. Card-carrying members of this club will receive bonus discounts from a number of participating local businesses. “The courses that members will have access to are divided into segments suitable for beginner, intermediate, and advanced shutterbugs,” explains Tillberg. “There is information regarding set up, lighting, and editing, as well as candid photography. I want to provide people with real life tips and tricks to help everyday photographers, including those using a camera phone, who want to set up their own portfolio or who want to spruce up their Instagram feed.” She adds, “There are plenty of challenges to keep you shooting in and around the house, and once the world is healthy hopefully people can take their skills to enjoy the beauty of the community in a new way.” “The goals of this club are to entertain, educate, and connect,” Tillberg says, adding that she wants to emphasize the connection aspect of this club. “It was very important for me to find a way to tie this club back into the community by partnering with local businesses, and giving people more incentive to engage with the local economy. Especially now with all of the uncertainty.” To learn more about the Shuttered Inn Photography Club or to become a member, visit the club’s website shutteredinn.com .

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By Rachel Rizzuto, Research Manager, Northern Policy Institute

s the music from your Spotify account playing in the background without any connection issues? Are you able to hold a Zoom meeting and maintain a steady connection? Is the meme your co-worker sent loading quickly? Unfortunately, this is not the case for everyone. According to the Canada Radiotelevision and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), most Canadian households and businesses ought to have access to a minimum of 50/10 mbps by 2021—50 mbps download and 10 mbps upload. In 2018, there

were a total of 35,931 dwellings in Northwestern Ontario without 50/10 mbps. To put this data into scale, 35,931 roughly translates to the combined population of Kenora, Dryden, Fort Frances, and Sioux Lookout. Breaking this data down further, Figure 1 below shows that of those 35,931 dwellings without 50/10, only 35.6% relied on total fixed wireless only. Fixed wireless internet uses cellphone networks and the average price per mbps is high compared to other types of connections.

Figure 1: Total Dwellings without 50/10 mbps Internet, Northwestern Ontario

Indeed, having adequate internet accessibility (both in terms of speed as well as available connections) plays a key role in our ability to work effectively from home. Occupations such as educators make up 4.5% of the Thunder Bay district employed workforce. Individuals in these occupations utilize tools like Brightspace/D2L and Blackboard, which are platforms used by teachers and students for online learning. For us at Northern Policy Institute, digital connectivity while we all work from home aids us in accessing online resources such as Statistics Canada. It also is important for our month-end movie watching event via Netflix Party. Just because we’re physical distancing doesn’t mean we should be social distancing! Of course, not everyone can work from home. Taking a look at the top 10 occupations based on three-digit national occupational classification (NOC) codes for the

BIGLAKEPASTA.COM Thunder Bay district, there are various occupations that are unable to be performed at home. Retail salespersons, cleaners, nurses, and food counter attendants are just some examples from this top 10 list. However, the internet still plays an important role in these types of occupations. For example, local restaurants such as Red Lion Smokehouse, Rebel Salad, and Curry Up Now Indian Kitchen utilize online ordering systems and/ or phone apps. As well, some health occupations provide telemedicine services. Overall, it’s clear that COVID19 has created interruptions in both the personal and professional lives of residents here in Thunder Bay and elsewhere. It’s shown that accessible and adequate digital connectivity is a must for those who work from home. But it’s also shown that even for those who can’t work from home, the internet still plays a role in how businesses and organizations can operate.

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2020-04-23 5:51 AM

Source: Cartovista & CRTC. 2018. “Fixed Internet Access and Transport Maps.” https://crtc.gc.ca/cartovista/fixedbroadbandandtransport_en/. Author’s calculations.

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Supporting Local Vendors Online

Thunder Bay Country Market’s Online Store By Sarah Kerton roughly 100 vendors, with approximately 70 of those being active throughout the year. For many of these vendors, 75–80% of their income comes from market sales, and closing could have a large financial impact. “We were very conscious of providing some sort of income stream. The market also still has to pay wages and rent,” says Annet Maurer, market manager. Many of the vendors are participating, although a few have paused their businesses. There are some that don’t lend themselves well to the online store, but they are working through the challenges and everyone is learning together. The current plan is to keep the online store open in some capacity once the market reopens. There may be people who would prefer not to come back right away, as well as those who prefer to shop online. Maurer hopes the COVID-19 experience has shown the importance of strong local food systems, and has reinforced it to people who never paid attention before. “I hope that out of this will come even more local food investments. In the meantime, we’ve all got to figure out our new way of doing things.” For more information, visit thunderbaycountrymarket.com.

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When the Stage Goes Dark Thunder Bay Performing Arts Groups Grapple with COVID-19 By Matt Prokopchuk

fficials with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra and Magnus Theatre say they’re confident the show will go on, but uncertainty over how long the COVID-19 shutdown will last makes it impossible to set definite plans. The two professional performing arts organizations have cancelled the rest of the performances in their 2019–2020 seasons this spring due to the pandemic; both have also delayed publicly releasing their 2020– 2021 calendars. The symphony plans to run a full season, starting in the fall, which will include some scuttled performances from this past year, says music director Paul Haas. However, starting on time in October will depend on what rules around public gatherings are in place. “It’s important to carry on as if the whole thing is going to happen,” Haas

says, adding that the symphony is prepared to shuffle the schedule around, should they be forced to start later. “To a certain extent it’s going to be rolling with the punches because there’s no controlling the timing or the severity or the duration [of the pandemic].” That could mean moving performances to next spring, later in the season. Magnus Theatre is still planning to run its summer production of Back in ‘59 in July, artistic director Thom Currie says, but “we can’t guarantee that.” He adds that he’s also preparing to be flexible with his 2020-2021 calendar, which would normally start in September. “I spend my time right now kind of looking at next season, what it’s going to look like, how it’s going to work,” he says, adding that one possibility could be to move the musical that typically kicks off the new

season from the fall to the following spring “when people are a little more comfortable in coming back.” Magnus’s cancelled shows from this spring won’t be added to the upcoming season, Currie says. This year’s cancellations have meant financial losses—TBSO general manager Gerald McEachern says it’s in the six figures for his organization, while Currie says Magnus is looking at a number approaching that. Ticket sales and fundraising make up close to 70% of

both organizations’ gross operating revenue, and the rest comes from government sources. The uncertainty over next season’s schedules also means there’s little new subscription revenue coming in, according to both McEachern and Currie. “You can’t sell somebody a mystery,” Currie says. However, both organizations say many patrons have donated back their tickets for cancelled shows, offsetting some losses.

Thom Currie, Magnus Theatre's artistic director

Ian Brown

once- or twice-weekly trip to the Thunder Bay Country Market has become a part of the social fabric of life for many people in Thunder Bay. COVID-19 has changed all that, with the last market day having happened in March. Since then the market has been working hard to adapt to the new reality. At first, the market addressed COVID-19 fears with mandatory handwashing, closing upstairs, implementing one-way traffic, and cutting out half the dining. Next they cut out dining completely, with just retail sales. But, with some of the vendors choosing not to come, coupled with some of the market’s most committed attendees being in the high-risk age category, the board came to the difficult decision that it was the best interest of everyone to close down the physical presence and go online. The market was closed for one week while adapting their system, and then opened for online orders with pick-up only during regular market hours. Purchasers sign up for 15 minute time slots, with pickup at either front or back door. The response has been very positive, and has also attracted clientele who don’t usually shop at the market. During peak season, the market has

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Naken Soaps By Wendy Wright

andace Bostrom started out making soaps as a hobby and a gift-giving enterprise for family, friends, and festivities. At the urging of her sister, she began to sell the luscious leftovers at different events and markets around the city. That was 13 years ago. Three years ago, Bostrom started bringing her concoctions to Thunder Bay Country Market for the broader public to enjoy. Bostrom first started with olive oil soaps, which was something she had always wanted to try. That led to producing soaps of different varieties including clay soaps. She found that she had a knack for exploring different recipes for different skin conditions—her line now features, for example, eczema soap, sensitive skin soap, and the one that started it all, the olive oil soap, which is also available as a soap-on-a-rope. The products are beautiful, as is the simple packaging. Bostrom’s background as a visual artist shows through in the colours and forms. Soaps are not the only beautiful product brought to you by Naken. Shampoo and conditioner bars are

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a favourite. Bostrom’s line has expanded over the years to include a burn salve, arthritis cream, assorted creams, rice face milk, bug spray, and room sprays, as well as all-natural, gentle, helpful solutions. Of course, pure pleasure is just as good a reason. At Naken Soaps your ideas and perhaps ailments mean something to Bostrom. She will listen and try out new ideas from customers to see if it is something that could fit her business. Some items have already come to her in that way. While the market is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bostrom is spending time coming up with new ideas for her business. “It’s difficult during this time but I’m trying to persevere through,” she says. “I will be featuring different contests on my Instagram and Facebook accounts, for one thing.” Keep checking those accounts for information on purchasing online. You may even win a great prize! You can reach Candace Bostrom at Naken Soaps directly at nakensoaps@gmail.com or find Naken Soaps on Facebook or Instagram for more information.

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Cloud Lake Literary

Inspiring and Encouraging Writers and Artists Story by Michelle McChristie, Photo by Shannon Lepere Photography

Jodene Wylie, founder and editor-in-chief of Cloud Lake Literary

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fter years of discussions, the five-member team behind Canada’s newest literary magazine has taken the leap to launch the magazine with the goal of publishing literary and artistic work and sharing it throughout Canada. The name of the magazine is inspired by the lake located in Blake Township. “Many years ago, Cloud Lake jolted my own inspiration for stories and wonder; I hope that both the lake and our magazine continue to inspire and encourage all writers and artists as they share their work with the world,” says founder and editor-in-chief, Jodene Wylie. Wylie, who is well-known in the local literary scene through her involvement with the Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop, has assembled a team of volunteers that includes Meagan Stockwell (literary submissions editor), Ignacio Santander-Alfonso (visual arts editor and graphic design), Kaylie Seed (website content editor), and Doug Diaczuk (layout and design coordinator). Wylie says each team member is contributing specific knowledge and experience and has been working diligently to produce the magazine and website. “We are each, foremost, writers, readers, and artists ourselves creating this space for other creatives. We have predominantly worked and/or volunteered in the fields of writing, journalism, literacy, and visual arts for many years. We are well-educated and in varying capacities have had our own literary work and visual art published.” Last month, Cloud Lake Literary put the call out for submissions for their inaugural issue, which

will be published in digital format and available for free in September 2020. “Our hope for the first issue is to publish approximately a dozen submissions of literary work and three or four visual art submissions,” says Wylie. “We hope to have contributions that span the Canadian landscape and are diverse in their storytelling, their voice, and their vision. We strongly encourage those locally to submit their work so that we may show Canada the skill and talent that we have here.” Wylie recognizes that the process of submitting work can be “a bit nerve-wracking” for the first time. “Before you submit, take your time, review and edit, have a qualified peer read your work and offer you constructive feedback, and when you're ready to share your story, poem or visual art—be brave.” Cloud Lake Literary is accepting submissions in the categories of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and children’s literature (up to and including young adult stories). In addition to writing, they welcome visual art submissions including images of pottery, metalwork, mixed media, sculptures, etc. Submissions will be accepted until June 30. For details visit cloudlakeliterary.ca or email contact@cloudlakeliterary.ca.

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heard a crowd shower so much love and affection on a performer. I recognized people from all across the region as well: Atikokan, Geraldton, Red Lake, Nipigon, and Marathon were all representing. If his voice was weaker, or he looked a bit frail, Prine’s skill as a performer was undiminished. If anything, he seemed to be more engaged in his art than ever. It was a wondrous thing to behold and a glorious night. A couple years ago, a friend who really loves roots music sent me a link to a new song from John Prine. It was called “When I Get to Heaven.” The tune was so full of joy and Prine’s sardonic wit that it was impossible not to be charmed by it. He sang about family that had died, vices he had given up (in heaven, he wanted ‘a cigarette that’s nine miles long’), and how he was going to "shake God's hand, for all the blessings one man could stand.” As a last song on an album that turned out to be his final one, Prine could not have left on a brighter note. May his song always be sung.

BURNING TO THE SKY

John Prine

The Voice of the Common People Story by Gord Ellis, Photo by Rett Rogers

ohn Prine was the voice of the common man. His songs spoke to those who lived regular lives, raised families, lost love, faced adversity, got sick, and got old. His ability to find beauty in the most mundane things was obvious from his very first self-titled album. Prine’s songwriting started early and seemed fully formed from day one. Many of his most poignant songs were written when he was in his teens and early 20s. Prine was also a cancer survivor and had overcome other health issues, so when he passed away on April 7, 2020 from COVID-19, it seemed an especially cruel and unfair end. He was at a late career peak, and his last album The Tree of Forgiveness (released in 2018) was a critical and commercial success,

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bringing Prine new fans and helping him play some of the biggest shows of his career. But, as Prine would have likely been quick to note, life isn’t fair. My first brush with John Prine and his music took place in the mid-1980s in Toronto. My knowledge of Prine was minimal back then, but I had heard “Sam Stone,” “Hello in There,” and “Dear Abby.” And since I was a rabid, slightly obsessive Dylan fan, I’d read of the Bard’s love for Prine’s songwriting. That was enough for me. The show I saw at Ontario Place was a classic. Prine was solo, just him and a couple guitars. He laughed a lot, told stories, and had the capacity crowd sitting in the palm of his hand. For a guy who didn’t really have hit songs, he sure seemed to have a large fan

base. The audience hung on his every word. From that time on, I started seeking out more Prine songs, and even learned a few on acoustic. Prine’s songs were deceptively simple, often just three or four chords. Yet once you played them—and especially sang them—you quickly grew to appreciate how much artistry was at work. These were not songs that relied on vocal histrionics or flashy accompaniment. What they did demand was empathy, humour, and a deep love of the mystery called life. Play “Lake Marie,” “Sound of the Speed of Loneliness,” or “Paradise,” and you soon learn just how much is going on in your typical John Prine song. I saw John Prine for the second—and last time—back in 2001. He was playing at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, a few years after he had survived his brush with cancer. The disease had cost him part of his jaw, and affected both his features and his voice. Yet Prine seemed overjoyed to be playing in Thunder Bay, and rarely have I

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fans and provide those who love their music with information on how they can support them,” he says. As for the future of Algoma House, the organizers are looking forward to the time when they can reopen their doors to both the bands and the public, but understand that day could still be in the distant future. “In the meantime, we've been busy researching grants and gear while brainstorming new ways to

Music

make our concert series even better,” Kirvan says. “We're also going to use this time off to start a new segment within Algoma House that we call ‘Yellow Couch Conversations.’ It will be an interview-style series where fans can learn all about Algoma House, and the bands who visit us.” For more information, visit algomahouse.ca or youtube.com/channel/ UC3lYQqs5Fzz49IdNS-yTnoQ

Lads of the Lake Femur fall tour 2019

Pieces of Canadian Music History Algoma House Releases Concert Videos Story by Adrian Lysenko, Photos by Chad Kirvan

hose of us who are yearning for a concert experience these days are in luck. The organizers behind Algoma House are re-editing and releasing videos of the venue’s house concerts for everyone to enjoy. “Sharing the videos is always important because in a small way, it feels like we're collecting and distributing tiny pieces of Canadian music history,” says Chad Kirvan, who started Algoma House. “Of course, given our current quarantine circumstances, it seems more important than ever to share the videos we've created with the public.” The videos feature performances by local artists including Don’t You(,) Mean People?, Lads of the Lake, Cold Lake Sun, as well as touring acts Annie Sumi, Boots & The Hoots, Two Crows for Comfort, and many others. “So many people need a distraction in this time of crisis. I think we can all agree that providing some sort of entertainment is a great way to help people get through the mundanity of staying inside all day,” Kirvan says. “It also seems important to mention that some people are really getting sick or are dealing with the loss of a loved one and for them,

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music and art could be the one thing that brings them happiness in their time of darkness.” While the organizers are proud of how Algoma House’s live feeds looked and sounded, they point out that compression and other limitations of streaming platforms had on the videos. “Re-editing each individual camera and audio track allows us to get the best possible look and sound for each video… we then work with the artists to find out which songs we want to re-release to the public,” Kirvan says. “It seems like a lot of extra work but at the end of the day, the re-edited videos look and sound better. Plus, they are easier to post on our YouTube channel and website, which in turn makes it easier for our fans to rewatch and share them.” Because it’s the season with the most music festivals, cheapest accommodation, and safest roads, the summer is usually the best time to make a living for most Canadian musicians. But with COVID-19 pandemic, Kirvan points out that many artists have already started cancelling their summer tours. “I know it doesn't seem like much but sharing the videos is at least a small way to help artists keep in contact with their

Boots & The Hoots

Gary Paulucci, owner of The Wayland Bar & Grill in Westfort

Save Us a Spot Near the Stage

Local Venues and Bands Respond to the Pandemic By Justin Allec

Chad Kirvan, organizer Algoma House

Two Crows for Comfort

oors are locked. Windows are dark except for the taped-up print-outs that tell the same story: stay home, stay safe, and we’ll see you when it’s over. Shows, events, and concerts are all cancelled, or so naively rescheduled they might as well be on another planet. “It’s sad; at this point I’m just cancelling events a month at a time,” Dane Newbold, owner of The Foundry, tells me. As one of Port Arthur’s music hotspots, The Foundry featured some kind of event nearly every night, but everything—open mics, quiz nights, tours, local acts, DJs—is cancelled. The venue shut their doors just before St. Patrick’s Day in anticipation of the social distancing guidelines, which means that Newbold, along with The Foundry’s nearly 40 employees, are safe at home and just waiting to see what happens next.

I walk by places like The Foundry every day. It’s depressing, it’s scary, and it simply feels wrong that on a Friday afternoon these streets should be deserted. It’s nearly the same story everywhere. I spoke with Gary Paulucci of The Wayland Bar & Grill in Westfort, which is still open—barely. “I’ve laid off about 24 employees,” he says. “At this point, we’re just doing take-out through the restaurant, me and three others.” The Wayland, like most businesses, is forcefully adapting to the situation, but Paulucci is saddened by the reality. “We had a jam night that we established a few years ago that was doing well, plus free live music every Friday and Saturday,” he says. “It’s awful, really, because live music really boosted us up. It’s good for the soul, y’know?” The federal government is trying to help the

service industry through the Canada Emergency Response Benefit extensions and rent relief programs along with coalitions like savehospitality. ca, and both Paulucci and Newbold hope it will be enough when they are allowed to (gradually) re-open. To bands active in our very busy local scene, the pandemic means a reassessment of what’s possible within social distancing guidelines. “We were trying to finish our second album—we have about eight songs written. We had a small tour planned for the fall, but that’s been cancelled,” Jake Laakkonen of Femur tells me. Brad King of Alienatör is in a similar situation—a cancelled tour, working on their second album— and though we probably won’t lose any local bands due to financial reasons, King reports just how difficult it is to make music right now. “There’s no real ‘jam space’ software…I haven’t seen my other band mates in about a month. You can write stuff, send each other audio files, but it’s frustrating… I can be working on a

song, but I won’t know if it works at all until the band does their contributions.” He’s heard some people say that some great music will be produced during this period of self-isolation, but King’s looking forward to some normalcy to produce Alienatör’s next batch of songs. Laakkonen concurs, though he feels he’s lucky as his roommate is also Femur’s drummer, which makes their writing process easier. Albums may be completed unconventionally, but nobody is going to play to a packed, sweating crowd for a very long time. As gloomy as the situation is right now, though, musicians and operators are looking ahead. People will be eager to get out, to celebrate, and return to life lived amongst others—regardless of how long that takes. One silver lining to this situation is that we aren’t likely to take our local venues and bands for granted anymore, and people will make the effort to get out. Whenever that day comes, save us a spot near the stage.

One of the city's music hotspots, The Foundry has been closed since mid-March

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Vacation Plans Cancelled?

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By Stephanie Reid, Tourism Thunder Bay It’s been weeks since most of us have left our homes on any regular basis and it will be weeks—maybe months—until things are back to normal. Many people have already cancelled their summer vacation plans and many more are considering pulling the plug on their scheduled trips, so the team at Tourism Thunder Bay put together a five-step plan to a staycation to fill the void—a Thunder Bay-cation!

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The best staycations have the same features as most great vacations: new experiences, good food and drink, a handful of luxuries, and the chance to fill our social media feeds with photos of our adventures. So with that in mind, choose your own adventure and enjoy your Thunder Bay-cation. And as always, stay home whenever possible and follow current social distancing guidelines whenever you’re out

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The first step is to choose your fellow adventurers for a hike. Go alone to regroup and refresh, or with a few of the people you share your home with (remember gatherings of more than five people are prohibited and you must follow all current physical distancing rules).

Looking to break free from home confinement? Head outdoors. Thunder Bay is fortunate to be home to over 100 city parks and almost 100 km of multi-use trails, as well as bike and shared lanes for you to enjoy. Try hiking at Centennial Park, mountain biking at Shuniah Mines, or taking a walk on a paved multi-use trail you’ve never explored before. Or make the day unique by visiting a part of the city you don’t typically spend time in. Trying to break your own personal social distancing record? There’s indoor adventures too! Grab the tent and do some basement camping, try an at-home spa day, or check out all the virtual tours and DIY experiences on the Visit Thunder Bay from Home website at visitthunderbay.com/visittbayfromhome.

The success of a vacation is often measured by the food. Thankfully, the culinary scene in your staycation destination is top-notch. The majority of local restaurants are still open for either take-out or delivery—often both—so take this time to try a restaurant you’ve never tried before. It’s these new experiences that will make your Thunder Baycation feel even more like you’re exploring a new city.

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Listen Close

Local Sounds for Your Quarantine Playlist By Justin Allec

explore your Virtual Library - open 24/7

he venues might be closed, but it’s not like the music died. As usual, our local acts are more than pulling their weight, and deserve some attention amongst all the online concerts and vast streaming libraries. Here’s a selection of recent local releases that can help keep you entertained, and remind you of what awaits when the restrictions are lifted. Look for them on the usual platforms, or throw them some dollars on Bandcamp if they make you dance.

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Shatterhorn – EP Five tracks of howling-at-the-moon, burn-down-the-bayou sludge magic. Shatterhorn conjures their songs up through pure witchy psychedelia pushed by the ever-present lunking, rattling stomp of the drums. Add in some grimy vocals, a few twists in the songs and solos, and you got a banger of an EP. shatterhorn.bandcamp.com/album/ shatterhorn-ep

Escapist Self-titled Call it an instrumental escape, because these five songs are interested in taking you away. Math rock on the more mild-mannered side, Escapist songs feature a kind of effortlessly complex construction. Everyone is busy but it’s balanced and directed to move the songs forward, which just rock. Alternately, Don Caballero worship, to which I say: yessss. escapisttbay.bandcamp.com/releases

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Oozing Sockets The Fixer Like an Overflowing The Prowl Stream of Piss The Fixer are all about being dark, sexy, and loud. The Fixer feels somewhat and Shit Sickeningly silly goregrind that’s 18 songs in 10 minutes about all manner of, um, unmentionable bodily engagements. The latest project from Mike Hochins of VHS invokes Dismember’s classic album in title and in guitar tone, all with the goal of throwing around goregrind’s trappings of blasting drums, murderous riffs, and burping vocals. Fun, but fetid.

retro, if you can even consider the taboo goth aesthetics of the 1990s as retro, but the band’s approach to their music is modern as they synthesize aspects of goth metal, industrial, hard rock, and metalcore into decadent anthems. Be warned, these four songs come wrapped in polished leather and a seductive smile. facebook.com/TheFixerBand

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Visual Past (L to R): Trevor Honke, Marlon Lergarde, Jacob Goodman, and Andrew Pettenuzzo

Visual Past

Thunder Bay Band Talks New Single By Neil Burke

s we find ourselves cooped up in our homes and having binge watched all of Netflix, one thing that can still entertain us is music. And with Thunder Bay’s own rock band Visual Past, we even have some new tunes to listen to. The band was formed in 2015 by guitarist Jacob Goodman and drummer Trevor Honke. The two were later joined by guitarist/vocalist Andrew Pettenuzzo and bassist

Marlon Lergarde. The band originally started as a classic rock and roll band but has progressed into more of an ambient/prog rock band. The name Visual Past was “a placeholder name that we never bothered to change,” according to Honke. Honke says each member has different inspirations, ranging from Pink Floyd to Megadeth, and Led Zeppelin and Dream Theater. The band's newest single, “Lucid” which

is now available on both Spotify and Apple Music, was recorded and produced at Blueprint Studios with Jean-Paul De Roover and mastered at Transparent Mastering with Jon Tornblom. “It was an amazing time and we love the end product,” Honke says. The song has solid production values and a newer rock feel, but with an old-school sound. It is loaded with drums, bass, and guitars, and they mesh together well. Besides releasing the single, Honke says that the band is now “waiting to record an album with current songs and new material that we’re continuously writing.” In the past, the band has played regular shows at both Black Pirates Pub and the Apollo, and they also hope to

continue this in the future. When asked what advice he could give to any artist or band hoping to start up, Honke says, “Play the music you want to play and find people with similar interests.” He also adds that challenges of being a working musician include “cancellations, [requiring] patience when practicing a challenging song, and the occasional breaking of gear” but that you should “never shy away from a challenge, because through hard work and dedication anything can be achieved.” For more information, visit facebook.com/visualpastband.

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Sunday wilde Earns Independent Music Awards Nomination By Ken Wright

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▼Sunday wilde recording the IMA-nominated album in December 2018; she was the only Canadian and the only woman to be nominated

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ocal blues musician Sunday wilde added a major entry to her growing list of accolades with the announcement on April 9 from New York City that her latest release, Sunday wilde & the 1 eyed jacks, received a nomination for the Best Blues Album in the 18th annual Independent Music Awards (IMA). Having received the email in the middle of what she describes as “a worldwide forced hibernation,” her reaction to the news was a little more subdued than it may have been under other circumstances. “I basically screamed alone in my house and then opened up a can of tuna from Italy, hesitantly, to celebrate, then contacted the people

involved in the album via Facebook. All the guys, with one exception are from Thunder Bay." The album, her 8th of largely original songs, captures with both authority and sensitivity such emotionally charged subjects as love, heartbreak, and addiction. A self-taught musician, wilde’s gritty vocals, barrel-house keyboards, and take-charge attitude lend her style a singular sound that builds upon and does justice to influences like Bessie Smith, Ruth Brown, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald. Thunder Bay audiences have been fortunate to be able to enjoy her engaging live performances. She represented the Thunder Bay Blues Society at the 36th annual International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee this past January, and her CD with the 1 Eyed Jacks was a candidate in the Best Self-Produced Album category. “Show Me Mercy,” one of the songs from her latest album, was also nominated as a semi-finalist for the International Songwriting Competition in blues. Recognized as the planet's most diverse music awards, the Independent Music Awards celebrate exceptional artistic achievement with a focus on creativity and innovation rather than marketing success. The selection of the nominees by industry representatives and fans from thousands of submissions from 73 countries on six continents speaks highly of wilde’s musical talents. Previously, she was the IMA winner of the Voter's Choice Award for Best Blues Song in 2011 and 2014. This current IMA nomination attests to wilde’s evolving exploration and interpretation of the blues genre and the fact that, on an artistic level, she defines everything that makes indie music authentic. Sunday wilde’s music can be heard online at sundaywilde. com. For more information on the awards, visit independentmusicawards.com.

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Thunder Bay & Area Food Strategy Covid-19 Statement April 9, 2010 2020 - The COVID-19 crisis has affected us all in our homes, communities and places of work - but the impact has been different for each of us. The directive for physical isolation and to stay inside can be a welcome opportunity to slow down and spend quality time with loved ones, but for many, it has brought immense economic, social and emotional challenges. As a network that is focused on the health and well-being of all people involved in our regional food system, the Thunder Bay and Area Food Strategy (TBAFS) is committed to addressing immediate food related needs along with the underlying concerns about food security, food supply and long-term sustainability. We are also committed to supporting Indigenous peoples’ access to their land and waterways to access food and medicines, and the autonomy to protect their communities. A swift, reflective and respectful response to the current crisis will help to ensure we can identify and fill existing gaps while contributing to a more equitable and sustainable food system for all.

The Covid-19 crisis has exposed the lack of resilience in our local food system because of our dependence on imports from outside our community. The “just-enough, just-in-time” food system and long supply chains dominated by large corporations are fragile at the best of times. The COVID-19 global pandemic may lead to additional supply shortages, higher food prices, and a widening gap between those with economic means and those living in poverty. People that are most vulnerable are experiencing more significant impacts. For example, low-wage workers are losing their jobs, people’s time and energy are

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being stretched to take care of children and other dependents, public spaces that offer critical warm places are limiting access, while food banks, meal programs and other city services are closing or reducing availability. The emotional strain is causing additional pressures. Personal safety for those in abusive relationships and in precarious circumstances is severely undermined. While many of us yearn for a “return to normality”, for too many in our community, normal was already at a crisis point. Never has the importance of an equitable and resilient food system been so apparent. During this unprecedented and difficult moment, many individuals and groups from the public, private, nonprofit and charitable sectors have stepped up to the challenge. We recognize governments at all levels that have implemented economic response plans that include financial support for individuals and families, those facing unemployment, students and seniors, businesses, and Indigenous peoples. We also commend the healthcare professionals and frontline workers that are taking great risk to ensure the health of the broader population. However, the well documented structural changes that are needed in the current food system and in our society seem even more difficult to attain now. The core purpose of the TBAFS remains to continue to provide a solid vision and framework for the creation of an equitable food system, especially in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The TBAFS has been tracking and supporting the work of our members to address both short-term and long-term solutions. Our collaborative work will

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be especially critical when we need to rebuild lost social and financial infrastructure post-pandemic. We need to continue to work together, now more than ever, in a spirit of collaboration and respect. It is vital that we consider those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and support the most vulnerable. We call on all sectors across the food system in the Thunder Bay area to support our communities’ immediate needs in ways that ensure our food systems are more equitable and sustainable today, and into the future.

We call on Municipal Governments to: • Advocate for regional food system solutions as critical services - e.g. urban agriculture, farmers markets, etc.; • Support innovative local food distribution platforms and systems; • Consider how all new emergency measures and policies impact food systems; and, • Continue to fund social services and community work to ensure a strong social safety net.

We call on social service providers to: • Ensure all users of emergency food services are treated with respect and dignity (for example, that recipients do not face degrading reporting requirements);

Written and Signed by the Executive Committee of the Thunder Bay and Area Food Strategy

• Work in solidarity with other partners to ensure cross-sectoral coordination of services and responses, especially in a time when services are limited; • Continue providing much needed emergency food services, while advocating for longer-term equity and justice (e.g., poverty alleviation, publicly funded social services, a more resilient food system); and, • Operate according to health and safety guidelines, as outlined by the Thunder Bay District Health Unit, to protect employees, volunteers, service users, and the community. We call on Businesses to: • Provide support, compassion, and accommodations when workers are sick or taking care of family members; • Ensure relevant government supports provided are redistributed among workers; • Support products from local food producers, harvesters and processors, as much as possible; and, • Operate according to health and safety guidelines, as outlined by the Thunder Bay District Health Unit to protect employees and the community.

The Thunder Bay and Area Food Strategy provides a coordinated approach to achieving food security in Thunder Bay and the surrounding area through the implementation of pertinent research, planning, policy, and program development. With over 40 organizational and institutional members representing farmers, institutions, government, food security organizations and more, we are conveners and activators who implement the priorities of the Thunder Bay Food Charter to cook up a healthy, sustainable, and equitable food system. We also work closely with the Indigenous Food Circle, a coalition of Indigenous-led and Indigenous-serving organizations committed to food sovereignty and self-determination. For more information: www.tbfoodstrategy.com Check us out on Facebook @tbfoodstrategy Follow us on Twitter @tbayfood Follow us on Instagram @tbayfood

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Gigaton

Solo

Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam has never ranked too high in my list of favourite bands, but they are undoubtedly fused within my musical foundations, as they are for a lot of people my age. Keeping that in mind, their latest work Gigaton, while not totally nostalgic, feels like a return to the nest a bit. The first tracks released, “Dance of the Clairvoyants” and “Superblood Wolfmoon,” sound more like other bands than standard Pearl Jam, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that much of the rest of the album is right in line with what I would expect from Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder, and Cameron. My love for Talking Heads has me loving the sounds of “Dance of the Clairvoyants,” but other tracks that stand out for me are “Seven O’Clock,” “Comes Then Goes,” and “River Cross.” The album reflects all that is Pearl Jam while giving us fresh sounds, so it should appeal to old and new fans, and is great music to chill you out during these crazy times. I would say Gigaton is an album that brings me back to my youth while keeping me rooted here in the present. - Jamie Varga

Gordon Lightfoot He’s still recording at 81. Canadian music icon Gordon Lightfoot’s new album Solo is his first release of new music in 16 years. It’s actually a collection of 10 songs that he had written about 20 years ago but had never recorded for an album. Most are ballads and have that familiar Lightfoot feel. The album is called Solo for a reason—it’s simply Lightfoot and his guitar. There’s little production here, which gives the album a live-off-the-floor feel. It’s not polished or filled out with strings or a back-up band. Much has changed, including Lightfoot’s voice since he released his first album in 1966. It no longer has that richness and confidence it once had—it sounds thinner, and at times strained. It’s these qualities, however, that give this album its uniqueness. It’s Lightfoot, warts and all. - Gerald Graham

Naked Garden

Aporia

Sufjan Stevens There seems to be a consistent duality in the output of Sufjan Stevens: one side is the singer/songwriter of the most cheerfully bleak kind, and the other is the instrumental and electronica side. I am more partial to the former, but this album is of the latter variety. Aporia presents itself as a series of 21 brief soundscapes, with the longest being a quick three minutes and 35 seconds. Don’t take this the wrong way, but Aporia is a great background for journaling, meditation, or a long walk—a most suitable soundtrack for self-isolation. While most of the tracks are soothing and easy to listen to, the one that made the biggest impression on me was “Backhanded Cloud.” It’s arguably the darkest track on the album, and seemingly heavily influenced by Penderecki’s “Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima” with wailing, sirenlike sounds, descending into chaos and then silence. - Steph Skavinski

Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real Naked Garden is the sixth studio album from Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, described by the band as “something of an epilogue” to their 2019 release, Turn Off The News (Build A Garden). The tracks were recorded at the same session— ten are previously unreleased and five are new versions of songs that originally appeared on News. Naked Garden has an unpolished, reflective, and laid-back vibe that meanders between styles, like drawn-out southern rock jams and rolling waltzes. Highlights include the seven-minute opener, “Entirely Different Stars,” in which Nelson dreams of life on a healthy and pristine planet that is not ruled by greed and fear, and the bluesy “Speak The Truth” which is punctuated by Tato Melgar’s funky congas. Willie’s fans will appreciate “The Way You Say Goodbye,” a lovely waltz that could have been written for him and is a perfect example of the vocal family resemblance and father and son’s honest approach to songwriting. - Michelle McChristie

Once Were Brothers Daniel Roher

Through interviews and archival footage, the new documentary Once Were Brothers chronicles The Band’s various ups and downs, mainly through the perspective of guitarist and vocalist Robbie Robertson. This is understandable given that Robertson is only one of two living members—the other being keyboardist, accordionist, and saxophonist Garth Hudson, who, other than archival footage, isn’t interviewed. The film does feature new interviews with Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, and Ronnie Hawkins as well as archival interviews with some original members. Although Once Were Brothers starts off more like a biography on Robertson, it picks up once the musician recounts how he met the group’s vocalist and drummer Levon Helm. For fans of The Band and that era of music, the documentary is a great companion piece to films The Last Waltz and Don’t Look Back, as it provides a unique perspective on the history of The Band—even if it’s mainly through one member.

Gastropod

The Seed of Compassion

Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley

John Elizabeth Stintzi

Are insect guts the secret to the most delicious kimchi? How about the reasons why cockles are disappearing—or for that matter, what the heck is a cockle? These questions and many more are all answered in a delightful and informative podcast called Gastropod. It’s well-researched with a twist of science, and Graber and Twilley entertain, but more importantly educate the listener about the incredible history behind food. They even cover some of the “touchier” topics like plant-based versus animal-based diets or what CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) is doing to our food chain. Often featuring expert guests sharing their knowledge, Gastropod brings a new perspective to and appreciation for what we eat everyday. After only a few episodes I can promise you that grocery shopping will never be the same again!

Junebat is a book of free verse poetry, with an underlying narrative and connected themes concerning the author’s struggles to understand their gender identity. It’s presented in the context of metamorphosis, beginning with their life before, the change itself, and their life afterward. One poem directly compares this process to a caterpillar changing into a moth––a metaphor that feels particularly fitting, especially when clearly expressing the idea that the “they” from before is the same as the “they” from after, but that the important change rather involves the ideas of self they possessed. Stintzi’s writing is exceptional. It’s gentle, understated, and incredibly thoughtful and honest throughout the collection. What comes across is a visceral, relatable sense of the depression and isolation they went through, effectively exploring internal and external barriers that prevent us from both seeing the truth and from living it comfortably and happily once we find it. Junebat comes highly recommended.

- Andrea Lysenko

- Adrian Lysenko

Dalai Lama

The Seed of Compassion, the first-ever book for children written by the Dalai Lama, was just published and could not have come at a more opportune time. In it, he shares the empowering message that we are all part of a shared experience and that it is within each of us to feel empathy for others, to feel compassion, and to be kind. His words are enhanced with the gentle tones of the illustrations by Vietnamese artist Bao Luu as he shares his personal story of himself as a young boy who grows in understanding and compassion during his journey to become a monk and spiritual leader. It was written for children aged 4–8 but I would recommend it for all. This title is available on cloudLibrary, a free eBook sharing resource on the library's website. - Angela Meady

- Alexander Kosoris

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The Walleye 109

Architecture

McKellar Hospital

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Later, to accommodate expansion, the section of John Street that the hospital sat on was closed to make room for the hospital’s expansion to Archibald Street. When McKellar Hospital opened in 1903, it featured 35 beds and a staff of six doctors. In the 101 years that McKellar General Hospital served Fort William and Thunder Bay, the hospital underwent numerous changes to accommodate various health challenges and Fort William’s growing population. In 1906, a temporary edifice that could house an additional 44 patients was constructed at the rear of the hospital (alongside Vickers Street) in response to the typhoid epidemic hitting Fort William. Expansions in 1908, 1910, 1911, and 1920 continued the growth of the hospital. McKellar General Hospital also played an extremely important role in Fort William’s effort to combat the 1918 flu pandemic. Throughout the late 1940s, a new five-storey, 163-bed addition was constructed to face

John McKellar

Thunder Bay Public Library

cKellar General Hospital, originally named John McKellar Memorial Hospital, served as the foundation of Fort William’s health care system from 1903 to 1970. After the amalgamation of Fort William and Port Arthur into Thunder Bay in 1970, McKellar General Hospital and Port Arthur General Hospital continued to faithfully serve the City of Thunder Bay until the opening of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre in 2004. John McKellar, the hospital’s namesake, was a local mining giant and Fort William’s first mayor. After McKellar’s death in 1900, his family donated the land for a hospital to the town of Fort William. In handwriting the deed, McKellar’s two brothers, Donald and Peter, along with W.A. Matheson, donated the land “bounded by John and Vickers Streets on the East and by Arthur and Ridgeway on the North and South… one of the most valuable blocks of land in the town.”

Thunder Bay Archives 2015-16-23

By Nicholas Duplessis

1906 typhoid epidemic and the 1918 influenza pandemic. As we currently grip with the realities of COVID-19, a health crisis unprecedented in our lifetime, we can look to the history and heritage of buildings such as the McKellar General Hospital as examples of community coming together during uncertain times. Nicholas Duplessis is a member of the Heritage Advisory Committee, which advises City Council on the conservation of heritage buildings, sites, and resources, and their integration into development. For more information on the city’s heritage resources, visit thunderbay.ca/ heritage.

Credit: Thunder Bay Archives 2017-04-001

Ridgeway Street, and in 1959, a new nurses’ residence named Paterson Hall was built. Additions throughout the late 1960s and 1970s continued to grow the hospital; in the same period, the old nurses’ residence and the original McKellar General Hospital building were removed to accommodate increased parking. McKellar General Hospital closed in 2004 and its patients were transferred to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Sections of McKellar General Hospital were removed to allow for commercial development. The remaining portions of the building were remodeled for use as office space, and prominently, McKellar Place, a senior living facility. McKellar General Hospital was always more than a hospital to the community of Fort William and later, Thunder Bay. The hospital served as a point of pride as the focal point of the community’s many efforts to respond to health crises over the past 100 years, including the

McKellar Hospital circa 1906

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Health

Thunder Bay Community Helping Front-Line Workers By Vanessa Masters, Health Promotion and Communications Planner, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

OVID-19 might raise anxieties, but it won’t diminish Thunder Bay’s giant heart. Since the pandemic began to impact our city, many front-line workers now feel anxiety before going into work. Fortunately, staff at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre can see signs of the community’s support. Sometimes a smiling face and some words of encouragement can help hospital staff get through the day. When Chris McNaughton, manager of 1A Medical/Oncology, saw a sign someone had placed to thank front-line staff, it immediately brought a smile to his face. And it gave him the idea to spread this happiness. McNaughton shared his story with his family and his kids wanted

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to do their part. “It was a win-win situation for me. We got to show frontline staff our appreciation and it kept the kids purposefully busy for a few hours,” he says. McNaughton and his family put the signs out the next day and were able to see all the smiling staff waving at them. Patients and their families feel the effects of hospital visitor restrictions due to COVID-19. When loved ones can’t be near, virtual visiting is the next best thing. But not every patient has the required technology. To help those patients and their families stay connected, Michael and Suzanne Comuzzi donated 40 iPads, split between Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Care Group. Michael explains, “After reading a conversation on Facebook,

I learned how important it is for patients to feel connected to their loved ones. We wanted to help. After collaborating with the IT department, we knew that this initiative could help so many patients and families feel less isolated.” Through Lakehead Motors and Superior Hyundai, Michael and Suzanne also donated to other organizations including the Regional Food Distribution Association (RFDA) and the Salvation Army. The Comuzzis and other like-minded, generous people lessen the burden of the COVID19 pandemic. Numerous local food businesses and restaurants have responded to donate refreshments to hospital staff. Two of the first donors were Wilma Mol and Jody Bernst. As the owner of Slate River Dairy, Mol wanted to donate some of her local yogurt, full of prebiotics, for staff to enjoy. She worked closely with the Flavours Cafeteria staff to make free parfaits available as a mid-afternoon snack, as a way of thanking the hospital staff for everything they are doing during this difficult time. Bernst, CEO of GridLink, purchased 60 lunches

from Daytona’s Restaurant for the hard-working lab staff. “I am glad the hospital staff are there to help us all through this challenging time,” Bernst says. “As an organization that responds to emergency situations, we found ourselves very inspired by, and thankful for, the courage and personal sacrifice the staff at the hospital has demonstrated in protecting our community from this pandemic.” These gestures make a positive difference. Giving back to the community benefits donors, too. Spending time or money to help others provides a sense of connection and greater belonging. It can reduce stress, bring you closer to your community, and give you a greater sense of purpose. The people of Thunder Bay continue to prove how our small community comes together in a time of need. Our hospital is grateful. Thank you to those thinking of us at this time. To contribute to our hospital’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, please contact Tanya Niederer at niederet@tbh.net.

LU RADIO’S MONTHLY TOP May Show Spotlight

Melancholia Hosted by Matthew Manten Wednesdays from 9 – 11 pm The goal of Melancholia is to share my perspective on a legendary melancholic artist, usually rock or folk—think Conor Oberst or Daniel Johnston. While the first hour of the show explores the discography of the featured artist, the second hour is dedicated to Canadian musicians whose music is similar to, or inspired by, the featured artist. COVID-19 has introduced a new challenge: programmers must record new shows from home. Despite this, hours of new content are being produced each week, perhaps with a new sense of individualism, as each programmer uses unique equipment and is creating in their own space. Tune in!

Song of the moment: “Fall Apart” Ellis Born Again (2020)

Top 20 1

Jean-Paul De Roover Loss Self-Released

Destroyer* Have We Met Merge

Andy Shauf* The Neon Skyline Arts & Crafts

Wolf Parade* Thin Mind Royal Mountain

U.S. Girls* Heavy Light Royal Mountain

Beauts* Dalliance LHM

Tame Impala The Slow Rush Universal

King Krule Man Alive! True Panther

No Museums* Moths Self-Released

Music

10 Family Video* Forever Changes Overnight Coax

16 Loving* If I Am Only My Thoughts Last Gang

Cyborg* Evasion Self-Released

17 Forever* Close to the Flame Cascine

Mick Jenkins The Circus EP Cinematic Music Group

18 of Montreal UR FUN Polyvinyl

19 Bombay Bicycle Club Everything Else Has Gone Wrong Arts & Crafts 20 Soccer Mommy Color Theory Loma Vista

Electronic 1

Caribou* Suddenly Merge

MOON APPLE* Myth Maker ~ Dream Destroyer Self-Released

Test Card* Music For The Towers Sound in Silence

Elephant Skeletons* Sleep Self-Released

Quarantinas* Quarantinas Planet Euphorique

11 Brandon Wolfe Scott* Burden On Your Shoulders Dine Alone 12 Sam Weber* Everything Comes True Sonic Unyon

CILU 102.7fm’s Monthly Charts for this issue reflect airplay for the month ending March 31, 2020. Check out our weekly charts online at luradio.ca and tune in to the Top 20 Countdown, Mondays from 7 - 9 am. Keep it locked on 102.7fm - online streaming at luradio.ca

Nestor Wynrush* Roxbury & Wooden Legs Peanuts & Corn

Chelsea Stewart* Chelsea Stewart Self-Released

Antibalas Fu Chronicles Daptone

Zal Sissokho* Kora Flamenca Analekta

Mighty Mystics* Beat Down Babylon Self-Released

London Afrobeat Collective Humans Self-Released

Jazz 1

The Redline Trio* Redline Trio Self-Released

Denzel Curry x Kenny Beats Unlocked Loma Vista 2

Gord & Olivier Clements Quintet* Passages Self-Released

14 Penny Diving* Big Inhale Self-Released

15 TR/ST* The Destroyer - 2 Grouch/House Arrest

The Shuffle Demons* Crazy Time Stubby

Jeff Parker Suite for Max Brown International Anthem/ Nonesuch

Atmosphere Whenever Rhymesayers

Peter Hum* Ordinary Heroes Self-Released

Loud 1

Beauts* Dalliance LHM

Deadlights* No Hope For The Lost Self-Released

Konvent Puritan Masochism Napalm

Anti-Flag 20/20 Vision Spinefarm

Anvil* Legal At Last AFM

International

Hip Hop

13 Gil Scott-Heron & Makaya McCraven We’re New Again : A Reimagining by Makaya McCraven XL

Folk•Roots•Blues 1

William Prince* Reliever Six Shooter

Sean Burns & Lost Country* A Bakersfield Half-Dozen Stringbreakin’

100 mile house* Love And Leave You Fallen Tree

Sarah Jane Scouten* Confessions Light Organ

Ian Kelly* Long Story Short Sunset Hill

* Indicates Canadian Content

The Walleye 113 5

Green

An Invitation to Deeply Connect and Immerse While Self– Isolating

By Sue Hamel, Executive Director, EcoSuperior

here may be an opportunity in this crisis, if we are privileged enough to have our basic needs met, and it’s both free and off-line. It’s the gift of time to rethink—and even reinvent—our ways of being in the world and with each other. It could perhaps even be transformative. On the other side of COVID-19, humanity could emerge more united, with greater compassion and a deeper sense of belonging and connection to each other and our places. As we distance ourselves from other humans, there is an abundance of other species we can give our attention (and proximity) to that may, in fact, be longing for it. The plant world alone represents more than 99.5% of the biomass of the planet, making animals (humans included) merely a trace 0.1–0.5% amongst all living things. There are many other beings to connect with

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besides those primates you are missing. You may be thinking that plants aren’t as animate as your good friends. However, in the last several decades, science has been showing that plants, in fact, are endowed with feeling, weave complex social relations, and can communicate amongst themselves and with animals. Stefano Mancuso, a plant physiologist, is a leading researcher in the relatively young and still somewhat controversial field of plant intelligence. In his book, Brilliant Green, he claims (with good science) that plants have sight, smell, hearing, and even taste and touch (often capable of using much, or all, of their bodies). This research makes the words of John O’Donohue, an Irish poet, seem not so far-fetched: “When you think of the place you live, or you think of your own favourite

place—is it not possible that that place could have a huge affection for you?” And, besides important companionship, the list of health benefits of being in natural surroundings are plentiful, and include stress reduction, lowered blood sugar, increased capacity to pay attention, decreased pain perception, and better immunity—all needed now more than ever. So, while respecting all health and safety measures, I encourage you to find moments to slow down and attune to the pleasures of the present moment with the natural world (even if it’s just that tree outside your door). Entertain the possibility of connecting with the living landscape and waterscape nearest you, and allow yourself to

receive companionship, a sense of belonging, and all the benefits to your well-being—and theirs. Plants clearly provide us more than food, oxygen, medicine, and décor. Immerse yourself. Together, we’ll all continue to wish for worldwide wellness for all species and ecosystems.

Depaving Paradise

Green

From Bland-scape to a Living Landscape By William Vander Ploeg and Sue Hamel

epave a parking lot and put up paradise? It’s possible and it’s happening! Depave Paradise is an exciting new program that EcoSuperior adopted in 2019 to reduce the risk of flooding and damage to infrastructure. Depave Paradise events create greenspace in an otherwise paved area. Stormwater management has been at the forefront of environmental concerns for governments, institutions, municipalities, and business owners alike. It refers to managing precipitation (water and snow) to ensure it is safely absorbed back into the ground through natural greenspaces. As the climate continues to change, cities face the challenge of both the rise and frequency of extreme weather events, leading to flooding with potentially devastating consequences. Furthermore, stormwater is often contaminated from sediment, salt, hydrocarbons, and garbage, which is discharged into receiving waterways. The wildlife that lives in these water bodies often face adverse conditions due to contamination from stormwater. Increasing urban development, which currently means more pavement and buildings, further compounds this problem as these hard surfaces replace beneficial green spaces that allow stormwater to be filtered. The good news is there are changes we can make that are beneficial for our infrastructure, wildlife, and most importantly, our water. By depaving an area, we allow water to naturally soak back into

the ground, filtering it and replenishing groundwater below. Depave Paradise events use manual labour to remove an existing hard surface and replace it with beneficial native plants and vegetation. Depave events bring communities together to support the common goal of promoting community greening and natural infiltration. In 2019, EcoSuperior teamed up with three local community partners that had an underutilized space they wanted to see transformed. Throughout 2019, EcoSuperior partnered with Claude Garton Public School, Lakehead University, and TD Bank on Memorial Avenue. These sites saw spaces transformed into a rain garden, an outdoor classroom, and a greenspace with a no-mow seed mix and flower beds. In 2019, with the help of 174 volunteers, we were able to remove 454 square metres of paved surfaces, plant 297 plants, and divert 1,354 cubic meters of water from sewer systems and local lakes and streams. It’s amazing to see the community come together to support such a great initiative. When we can get outside and feel more free to explore again, we encourage you to visit these Depave sites, learn more about stormwater management, and to consider more ways to contribute to healthier water for both us, and other species who call this area home. If you have an idea for a Depave Site in 2020 or know of someone who may be interested in partnering contact ecosuperior.org.

The Walleye 115

TheWall

2020/21 Concert Series

Kakebeka Falls, Ontario

(807) 476-0940

S E P 26 / 20

Whitehorse

O C T 31 / 20

Blackie & the Rodeo Kings

N O V 28 / 20

Good Lovelies

J A N 16 / 21

DRFTR & Katey Gatta

F E B 13/ 21

David Francey

M A R 27/ 21

Andrew Collins Trio

A P R 17/ 21

Avery Raquel

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Story and Photo by Betty Carpick

umanity is navigating multiple trajectories for a world radically altered by the COVID-19 pandemic and climate crisis threats. Our capacity to respond, recover, and to plan for a more resilient society hinges on expanding on our core qualities: compassion, kindness, and empathy. We’re witnessing how a catastrophe of unimaginable scope is bringing out the best—and the worst—in people. While all of our daily routines and lives have been increasingly altered, the impact on people with preexisting vulnerabilities is particularly stark. For visible minorities, Indigenous people, people with disabilities, the elderly, the very young, the poor, the incarcerated, the medically and socially marginalized, and others, the effects are devastating. Paramount is the urgency in averting humanitarian, economic, security, and political consequences in fragile countries and global systems. When this is compounded by

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the bombastic approaches of some of the world’s most prominent leaders, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and emotional. How we interact with humankind and our desire to make contributions as a global community is reflected in personal and communal levels every day. While it may not be easy, by cultivating and practicing compassion, kindness, and empathy—regardless of differences and commonalities of race, religion, language, traditions, gender, and socio-economics—we can demonstrate our capacity as humans to find solutions to problems. The Dalai Lama says, “We must also remember that nobody is free of suffering, and extend our hands to others who lack homes, resources, or family to protect them. This crisis shows us that we are not separate from one another—even when we are living apart. Therefore, we all have a responsibility to exercise compassion and help.”

There are many compassionate or constructive acts that we can each do to show that we care for one another and the planet. •

Be compassionate, kind, and empathetic to yourself

•

Take care of your family, friends, and colleagues

•

Adhere to the recommended safety precautions such as staying at home, washing your hands, physical distancing, disinfecting, etc.

•

Be patient with and encouraging to others throughout the day

•

Make eye contact, share a smile, and give genuine compliments to strangers or loved ones

•

Consider how you use words and language in person and online so that no one is stigmatized

•

Support others in meaningful and practical ways by sharing, swapping, bartering, and paying it forward

•

Reach out to the most vulnerable by giving through time, energy, and, if you’re able, money

•

Understand, respect and value the labour of care by all workers, but particularly front-line workers, essential workers, and land and water stewards

•

Use creativity and humour to feed your spirit

•

Open up to the possibilities of progressive transformation

Compassion, kindness, and empathy shape our individual and collective imprints on the planet. No act is too simple and no moment is too small to bring comfort and healing. By choosing what feels right for us and how we want to contribute, we can find intrinsic joy in the meaning of life, a sense of worth and purpose, and, perhaps, a strengthening of hope for today and future generations.

Need someone to talk to? Our counsellors are here to help. We’ve adapted our Walk-In Counselling Clinic with Talk-In Counselling now available 5 days a week. FREE and QUICK-ACCESS single session counselling: MondAy

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tbaycounselling.com | childrenscentre.ca

The Walleye 117

Horoscopes

TheBeat

By Sunny Disposish

Aries This feisty first sign of the zodiac often thinks the rules don’t apply to them, but guess what Ram— they do! Please play it safe because, oddly enough, there are a whole bunch of people who care about you. Now is not to be the time to be frugal, either (and by frugal I mean cheap). Treat yo’self! You don’t always have to save for a rainy day— live in the now! Investing in yourself is sometimes the best decision you will ever make. Lace up and get outdoors… solo.

Taurus Happy birthday month, Bulls! You may be feeling a little blue as things are a little different right now, and you may not get to your favourite resto to celebrate. Your friends and family are sure to think outside of the box, however, and you may be delighted with what they come up with! Celebrating at home with some great take-out (I’m looking at you, Red Lion Smokehouse) may just be what the doctor ordered. As for your sweet tooth, same deal. Relax and enjoy the party. It may be the best one ever!

Gemini I know it’s tough at work right now, Gemini. You got this. If anything, you are a trooper and you are serving a wonderful example to others. When you get low (which isn’t often, but let’s face it—you do) you aim to bring others up, which is a very admirable quality you Twins possess. And, it’s also your birthday month for those late May babies. You know what to do! The LCBO is still open, so get in line and charm those other spirit-goers with your cheerful chatter (while minding your distance) and bring the light to those around you.

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Cancer Time to put some thought into a gift for your favourite mother, Cancer! Yes, Ma’s special day is coming up fast (even if you don’t have a clue what day it is, trust me on this one). Boot up that computer and have a look at some online shopping—there are lots of great items and vendors to choose from. Why not start with Thunder Bay Country Market for some fresh deliciousness, and then Lovely Body for all her go-to scents? You’ll be thought of as her #1 child from here on in!

Leo Proud Leos may be having a bit of a hard time laying low at home. They enjoy being surrounded by an adoring populace, and even though the dogs love you immensely, sometimes it’s the human contact you’re wishing for. You’re adjusting better than you thought, though, Lion, and your sunny outlook is keeping you afloat. Just when the mind begins to wander, another “honey-do” list is handed to you and off you go like the good egg you are. Keep your spirits up by planning your next vacation, and you’ll be back in Paradise City before you know it.

Virgo Victoria Day is approaching! If you know a person named Victoria, or enjoy a long weekend in May, things are looking up for your Virgoan self. You are methodical, detail-oriented, and a planner, so if an outing is in the stars for you, there is every reason it will be arranged with the utmost health and safety in mind. Good for you! There may be some pushback regarding your plans due to the full moon on the 7th, but your practical self will win over any negative energy. Stay safe!

Libra Nobody said life was easy, especially right now, Libra, but your charming sensibilities are keeping your cosy household afloat! Let’s not overlook the fact that magical things are happening chez vous, especially in the kitchen. You are churning out dishes and delicacies like there’s no tomorrow. The folks under your roof are delighted you are cooking up a storm—even at 2 am! Keep on strengthening your already strong culinary skills and you will be in the good books for a long, long time. Now, out for a walk you go!

Scorpio Yep, you’re feeling a little restless right now, Scorp, and there’s no denying it. It’s hard to meet new people when you can’t, um, go anywhere. It’s difficult not to share your dynamic and magnetic self with the world, but with a little creativity and innovation (and a Zoom account) you may be able to connect with others in a unique way. If you are finding yourself encountering a great obstacle while at work, know that others are behind you with their support. The new moon clears a path for you on the 22nd.

Sagittarius You are all over the map right now, Archer, and it’s okay to admit you are having a hard time. You feel conflicted. You love it at home, yet your family drives you nuts. You’re on your clean eating plan, but then you’re eating all the El Tres guac and chips because—well, instability in the world. Just don’t be so hard on yourself, and take it one day at a time. Ask for help if you need to. You’ll be back to your sunny self in no time. Limit your social media intake. A wonderful work pal opens the door to some inspiring podcasts. Listen to your heart’s content—you’ll feel better for it!

Capricorn You’re one of those folks who thinks 2020 can shove it, but trust me on this: you’ll be doing some deep thinking, and those shifts in the universe will see you coming out the other side a better person for it. You might think all those people in your house that you’re stuck with are up to no good, but they are planning a Mother’s Day surprise that will be unlike any other. Sometimes cleaning the yard is better than any gift! Look ahead to summer and think shiny thoughts. Why not have a “name that boat” contest for your nameless vessel?

Aquarius You have been a rock for your family and friends during this time, Water-Bearer! Your independence of thought and action combined with your scientific mind makes you a lovable and interesting friend. You solve problems with solutions that other people can’t even fathom! Continue taking the time to enjoy the great outdoors and expand your mind. The moon is in your sign mid-month, and you make it your mission to immerse yourself in nature and enjoy your green thumb. Your daily solo walks are your treasured time. Keep up the great work!

Pisces You’ve been brooding a little, my fishy friend, but that’s to be expected. Catch up on your reading or doing those chores around the house you never really had time for before. I know you miss your family that live under other roofs, and that’s okay. Modern technology really comes in handy, especially when you take the time to use it! The furry vulpine that has been coming around is a spirit guide that is protecting you. Seek solace in Mother Nature. Keep the faith— there are sunny skies ahead!

today i marched By John-Marcel Forget I marched in red for those no longer here For those women who have to live in fear From my head to my feet I walked tall for those I’ll never meet For those with no more time to pray Who have lost on another day I marched in red to keep the memory Of those lost to us in history I use my hands to do what’s right To stand in solidarity, to join the fight For all those who have been taken I pray our world to waken I marched in red for their lives had meaning It should never have ended with their leaving Their lives had meaning for they were someone A life of love, where now there is none Our actions and our words become prayer Towards words and actions that are not fair I marched in red for I once was lost But I’ll stand and fight, no matter the cost I’ll march with my people this time around With all of my being I do it proud I am thankful I still have the words to say It is for you my lost loves that I will pray I marched in red for those things greater than me For those members of my unknown family Whatever is your identity Remember, you belong you great and magical entity Together we can make that change Turn to love what is now rage To step out of our crushing cage To write our own story and turn that page Together in unity we can be strong Come together and sing our own song I marched in red for you and me For we all come from the same great mother, Don’t you see…

Untitled, digital illustration, boy Roland

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TheEye

Recreated Masterpieces Inspired by the Getty Challenge By Hammarskjold High School Drama Students

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n late March, the Getty Museum in California challenged people via social media to recreate a work of art with objects (and people) in their homes. Students from Hammarskjold High School embraced the challenge with gusto and the drama department shared their recreations via Instagram and Facebook. Here’s a small sample that proves that adversity can be an opportunity for creativity.

WHERE PAUSE AND PATIENCE ARE IN OUR NATURE

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