November 2020 by The Walleye Magazine

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

Paul Shaffer, From FWCI to NYC Sounds of the City Volume IX

LIFE’S TWISTS AND TURNS 22

NARRATIVES THROUGH WIGWAS 44

CHANGING WITH THE TIMES 68

A NEW MUSICAL MUSE 83

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Contents

walle eye the

■ 7 TheTOPFive

Thunder Bay’s arts & culture alternative

FEATURES

Editor-in-chief Darren McChristie

■ 9

Marketing & Sales Specialists Kaitlin Trevisan kaitlin@thewalleye.ca

CoverStory: Sounds of the City ■ 10 Chatting with Paul Shaffer ■ 12 The Shortstops ■ 12 Anna Torontow ■ 13 Razz Jazz Trio ■ 13 Danny Johnson Trio ■ 14 The Roosters ■ 14 Dr. Buck & The Bluesbangers ■ 15 A New Road for Robin Ranger ■ 16 The Busker Who’s Seen The World

Alaina Linklater alaina@thewalleye.ca

FOOD

Interim Editor Matt Prokopchuk matt@thewalleye.ca Assistant Editor Rebekah Skochinski Senior Editor Tiffany Jarva Copy Editors Amy Jones, Bonnie Schiedel

Photographers Patrick Chondon, Kevin Dempsey, Damien Gilbert, Aelin Foster, Chad Kirvan, Dave Koski, Kay Lee, Shannon Lepere, Marty Mascarin, Darren McChristie, Sarah McPherson, Laura Paxton, Keegan Richard

■ 31 THE SECOND MOST

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.

THE ARTS

■ 36 Honouring the Past ■ 38 War and Peace ■ 41 FROM THUNDER BAY ART

OUTDOOR

■ 46 It’s Sending Season

Superior Outdoors Inc. 242 - 1100 Memorial Avenue Thunder Bay, ON P7B 4A3

PLEASURABLE THING WE DO IN THE DARK. A COLUMN ABOUT MOVIES ■ 32 Bringing It To Life ■ 35 The Show Must Go on at Paramount Live

GALLERY’S COLLECTION ■ 42 Northern Originals ■ 44 Narratives Through Wigwas

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.

its Doors

FILM&THEATRE

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

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

■ 18 THE GRINNING BELLY ■ 19 DRINK OF THE MONTH ■ 21 BREW IT YOURSELF ■ 22 Life’s Twists and Turns ■ 24 SUPERIOR SIP ■ 26 Eating Sustainably ■ 28 Land of Spices Opens

CITYSCENE

■ 48 WALL SPACE: Heartbeat Hot Sauce Co. ■ 50 Lest We Forget ■ 52 EYE TO EYE: With Rodney Brown ■ 55 THIS IS THUNDER BAY ■ 56 Order Up

■ 59 A Spot by the Water ■ 60 Going Virtual ■ 61 Raffling It Off ■ 62 GO LOCAL THUNDER BAY

COUNTRY MARKET ■ 64 STUFF WE LIKE ■ 66 Growing Online ■ 68 Changing With the Times ■ 70 Salonki Salon Provides a Sense of Home ■ 72 End of an Era ■ 75 CANNABIS CORNER ■ 76 Lest We Forget Thunder Bay’s Service ■ 78 From an Ironclad Memory

MUSIC

■ 80 Letter Kite Sessions ■ 83 A New Musical Muse ■ 85 COVID Closure ■ 86 BURNING TO THE SKY ■ 88 Where There’s a Will, There’s A Way ■ 90 Daniel Parker

■ 92 OFF THE WALL REVIEWS ARCHITECTURE

■ 94 Waverley Park Cenotaph ■ 96 Tbaytel NOVEMBER

EVENTS GUIDE

■ 97 LU RADIO'S

MONTHLY TOP 20 HEALTH

■ 98 From Vision to Reality GREEN

■ 100 Radon Detectors on Loan ■ 101 Finding Solutions to the P

lastic Problem

THE WALL

■ 102 Sunlight, Exercise, Deep Breathing, and Positive Thoughts

■ 104 HOROSCOPES ■ 105 THE BEAT ■ 106 THE EYE

Telephone (807) 344-3366 Fax (807) 623-5122 E-mail: info@thewalleye.ca

TheWalleye.ca

102

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From Our Instagram feed

Local Legends

took the above photo at last year’s Blues Fest here in Thunder Bay. It was my second time seeing Amanda Marshall (I also caught her awesome performance in 2017) and once again, she did not disappoint. It was looking through some of those photos when it really hit me how many simply amazing times I’ve had watching a live show, and how weirdly different things are largely without that option. Our November issues typically celebrate the local music scene and the musicians that hail from the Thunder Bay area, and this year is no exception—despite the performing landscape looking very different. Bonnie Schiedel scored an interview with Paul Shaffer and has a feature on his days playing here before he launched his hugely successful career. Also in our cover story, Kris Ketonen tells us what Robin Ranger is planning for his next releases, and Michael Charlebois speaks with a stalwart of the music scene in our region, Arden Bruyere. We also highlight six local acts you should check out when the stages light up again. Elsewhere in our November issue, Susan Goldberg has the

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story of award-winning artist Mary McPherson and how she turned to her family tree for the inspiration for a piece she created for the Royal Canadian Mint, Nicholas Duplessis traces the history of Remembrance Day in the Lakehead, and, with the weather getting cooler and cooler, drink columnist and sommelier Jeannie Dubois shares her picks for a perfect red wine to help welcome in winter. Also, in keeping with our music theme, Dean Burke speaks with Arley Cox about her new album. November is also time to remind everyone that this is the last month for people to vote for their favourite local people, places, and things in our annual Best of Thunder Bay Readers’ Survey. So if you haven’t done so already, please go online and vote. Even though music stages remain largely unused as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, musicians all over the city continue to hone their craft, adapt to the current times we’re in, and prepare for a return to live shows. We hope this issue shares those stories. - Matt Prokopchuk

Featured Contributor Nicholas Duplessis Nicholas Duplessis currently works as the community impact manager for the United Way of Thunder Bay. He holds a Masters of Arts in history from Lakehead University, writing his thesis on the post-Second World War labour movement. He volunteers for the Thunder Bay Literacy Group and the Thunder Bay Historical Museum, serves on the city’s Heritage Advisory Committee, and coaches minor hockey. In his spare time, he enjoys playing hockey, reading, fishing, and spending time outdoors. Check out Nicholas’ feature on the local history of Remembrance Day on page 50.

On the Cover Paul Shaffer performs with The World's Most Dangerous Band at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium in 2016. Photo by James Mirabelli

Human Resource, Labour&& Labour EmploymentLawyers Lawyers Employment It’s What WhatWe WeDo. Do. It’s Do ItItWell. Well. And We We Do relationsand andemployment employment Labour relations law are extremely complex. That’s because people are complex.

HERE WE GROW AGAIN! McLeod Liz McLeod

Liz provides providescounsel counseland andadvocacy advocacyinin Liz Erin Hansen human resource resourcematters, matters, workplace and human

collective agreement administration and collective agreement administration and OA is proud to introduce our newest Associate Lawyer Erin Hansen. Erin is a graduate negotiations, andharassment harassment and of negotiations, and and the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law, where she discriminationclaims. claims. discrimination graduated with First Class Standing and a ranking overall in her class. Erin orsecond Employment Issues? Labourofor Employment Issues? is the recipient of a number of prestigious in touch touch with Liz more Get in with Liz forformore scholarships and was selected as information aninformation academic onon howmodel she can can assist youor oryour yourorganization. organization. how assist you role to be a Dean’s Fellow.

Call 344-LABR 344-LABR or Call visit our our website website oneillassociates.ca oneillassociates.ca visit The Walleye

7 1 0 BAL MORAL S TREE T

F RE SHAIR.LOCA L LY.C O M

where ever you find yourself, be ready with our winter collection a portion of all clothing sales in november is donated to isthmus thunder Bay

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TheTOPFive

Spread the Warmth Winter Coat Drive

Now until December 20 Gear Up for Outdoors

It gets very cold in northern Ontario! To better brave the weather and to help those in need, Gear Up for Outdoors is holding their 14th annual coat drive and is accepting your donations for gently used winter coats. Help spread the warmth! All donations must be clean and dropped off in a clear plastic bag (one item per bag) in the donation bin at the store location at 894 Alloy Place. There’s a weekly pick-up from Gear Up’s warehouse by the Shelter House S.O.S. van, who will distribute the sorted items to members of our community. Make sure to pop inside to enter yourself in a draw to win one of five gift cards for The Keg. For more information, call the store or visit their website. gear-up.com

Northern Originals Art Auction

November 2–8 Online

Looking to add a one-of-akind art piece to your home? You can do that and support the arts at the same time with the Thunder Bay Art Gallery’s annual art auction. It’s online this year, so get your virtual paddles ready! This fundraising event will feature 34 works of art generously donated by 32 talented artists from Northwestern Ontario. Items up for bid are available in a variety of different mediums like pottery, prints, paintings, photography, and sculptures and feature work by Michel Dumont, Sam Shahsahabi, Lois Nuttall, and Gayle Buzzi. Bidding starts at 8 pm and all proceeds will directly support the gallery’s exhibition and education programming. If you would like to see the works in person, they are on display until the auction ends on November 8. theag.ca/art-auction

TBSO’s Chamber

4 Concert Series November 5, 6, 19, & 20 Hilldale Lutheran Church

The live orchestral music continues! Join our very own TBSO for a series of concerts including The Soldier’s Tale—an exciting theatrical program that follows the 1918 tale of a soldier who must battle for love and art and features the music of Stravinsky. Then there’s Sextet on the Beach, with the music of Amy Beach and her hauntingly beautiful variations for flute and strings. Next is Baroken Strings, which will see Bach’s Orchestral Suite No.2, Corelli’s Concerto Grosso in D Major, and Warlock’s Capriol Suite; and Wonderful Winds that will showcase Mozart’s Serenade in C minor and Krommer’s Partita in F. There is limited seating to 50 spots per concert and the events are selling out fast! Tickets can be purchased online and by phone. facebook.com/SGFMS

Weekly Wednesday Trivia Nights

November 4, 11, 18, & 25

The Foundry

Are you feeling smart? Do you like trivia? Do you want something to do on Hump Day? The Foundry is rolling through November with their super popular trivia nights and you’re invited! The topics include Seinfeld, 90s music, The Office, and Brooklyn NineNine. Choose your night, and then call ahead to book your spot. Seating is available for parties of two, four, or five, as well as some seating at the bar. Game time is 8 pm and the restaurant will be serving up fun food-themed menu items on the night of to keep you fuelled and firing on all cylinders. Plus, there will be cool prize giveaways from Sleeping Giant Brewing Co., Hooligan Fuel Hot Sauce, and The Foundry itself. Let the games begin! 285-3188

Virtual Holiday Craft Revival

November 22–December 6 Online

Come one, come all! The Holiday Craft Revival is one of our favourite events of the season that brings the creative and local business community together. This year the event will be completely online and will include a shopping portal that opens on November 22 and closes on December 6. Over 150 talented vendors from the Northwestern Ontario region will be involved in this virtual shopping event. Choose from jewelry, pottery, paintings, clothing, home décor, beauty products and more. Please note that some vendors will have shipping options at checkout and for others there will be two parcel pick-up dates (November 29 and December 13; location TBA). For a full list of participating vendors, and the latest information, visit their website. thecraftrevivaltbay.com

The Walleye

CoverStory

Sounds of the City The music scene in Thunder Bay has always been an exciting mix of talent and styles, coupled with exceptional storytelling, and sometimes, just a really great groove. Like homegrown Coleman Hell sings, “There must be something in the water.” He knows, and so does the legendary Paul Shaffer, who was born in Fort William before catapulting himself to an amazing career. We’ve been trying to hook an interview with him since our first music issue! We also catch up with local blues and jazz musicians to see what they’ve been up to during the pandemic, despite fewer live performance opportunities. They are staying connected, creative, and are hopeful that eventually, the show will go on. And that’s music to our ears.

Keegan Richard

-Rebekah Skochinski

The Walleye

James Mirabelli

CoverStory

From left to right: Felicia Collins, Sid McGinnis, Will Lee, Paul Shaffer at The World’s Most Dangerous Band’s 2016 Thunder Bay performance

Chatting with Paul Shaffer A Music Icon Talks About His Roots in Thunder Bay By Bonnie Schiedel

aul Shaffer is one of music’s cool guys. He’s played with pretty much every legend you can think of and has racked up a

mightily impressive, decades-long musical CV. So when we were planning our annual music issue, of course we had to include Thunder

Courtesy of CBS

In addition to being musical director for national and international fundraisers over the years, Shaffer has appeared in fundraising concerts for Thunder Bay’s Northern Cancer Research Foundation, Magnus Theatre, Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, and Lakehead University

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Bay’s homegrown hero. One of Shaffer’s earliest memories is sitting under his family’s grand piano, listening to his mom Shirley play Chopin and Gershwin. “My mother made sure that I got started on lessons: ‘that kid is gonna play the piano if it’s the last thing I do,’ was her attitude,” says Shaffer in an October phone interview with The Walleye. So he began his formal musical training by biking over to lessons with Mrs. Hardy on Catherine Street, and the occasional recital at the Shaarey Shomayim synagogue on Grey Street. The first time he heard rock and roll on the radio, he knew music was going to be important in his life. “I sure remember a R&B song called “A Hundred Pounds of Clay” by Gene McDaniels; hearing that on the radio and it reaching me somehow,” he says. “I wanted to figure out how to play that song on the piano and I did, then that started me on trying to figure out how to play songs by ear from the radio. And I’m still basically doing that.” More than 50 years later, Shaffer easily rattles off the call signs for three local radio stations in the 1950s and 60s: “CKPR, CJLX, and CFPA: Serving the Lakehead.” In his early high school years he discovered he could tune in to American radio stations at night, thanks to some quirk of physics. “I

could hear WLS Chicago after dark, and that was like a lifeline to what was happening in the U.S.A. And then I found a station from Little Rock, Arkansas that played all soul music and rhythm and blues after midnight. I was tired in a lot of those geography classes at FWCI.” He realized that rather than music-lesson Mozart, he could play a topof-the-charts hit like the surf-rock “Pipeline” by The Chantays at school assemblies—much to the delight of his classmates. It was at Fort William Collegiate Institute he met fellow musician Ricky Lazar, who was a drummer in a band called The Fugitives (band leader Bobby Anuik was on vocals and guitar, Ian Rosser on guitar). For the next five years, The Fugitives played covers at high school dances all over town on Friday nights and at the Gardens on Saturday nights. “They would put the plywood down on the ice and put up a stage and we’d have a dance,” Shaffer says. “There wasn’t exactly a coat check facility going on at the Gardens, so kids would just keep their coats on, often ski jackets…it’s kind of hard to be cool when you’re bundled up for winter.” And it was as a teenager in the audience watching The Guess Who lift the roof (in the days before they wrote their own material) that Shaffer realized his love for cover

Courtesy of CBS

CoverStory

Paul Shaffer (front, centre) with The World’s Most Dangerous Band have four musicians in his band, and Shaffer knew that fit right in with his early musical collaboration with The Fugitives. “I knew what the bass should do, I knew what the drums should do. I knew how to arrange for a rhythm section of a four-piece band: piano, bass, drums, guitar. It was perfect for me.” For 33 years, Shaffer was the bandleader and musical director who bantered with Letterman and rocked the house four nights a week with The World’s Most Dangerous Band. When the show wrapped in 2015, Shaffer moved on to some new projects, including being the incognito Skeleton on The Masked Singer, doing a cameo on Schitt’s Creek, playing and recording with The World’s Most Dangerous Band, doing mini-residencies at Caesar’s Palace in Vegas, composing for My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, and putting together the musical arrangements for large orchestral shows (he was scheduled to play with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra before those plans were derailed by COVID-19). In 2019, Shaffer took his turn in the host’s chair with Paul Shaffer Plus One on SiriusXM and AXS TV. He says he always wanted to do a show where he and a musician could get in a studio with a piano and guitars, and talk and play music

as it came up in the conversation. “I got to do nine episodes with a lot of really great people like Smokey Robinson—I don’t mind telling you, that may have been my very favourite of all of them—[and] greats like Sammy Hagar, Joe Walsh, Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top, Martin Short, who is not exactly a rock and roller, but he did it as well. And I’m very proud of those shows.” He hopes to continue with the satellite radio version when pandemic restrictions loosen up. Through it all, Shaffer has been

having a blast. “If performers aren’t having fun, how can you expect the audience to have fun?” he asks. Certainly, of course, there are times when you’ve got the flu or heartburn, you have to power through and be professional, he says. “However, most of the time, it is just truly a blessing to get to do it: to play with other people, the experience of what that is like is out of this world. I don’t take it for granted, I haven’t soured on it…Every time I get to play with a musician is really good.”

Paul Shaffer sits at a piano in this 2016 publicity shot

Sandrine Lee

songs. As he writes in his book We’ll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives, “…to cover is to pay tribute to the original artists who gave your psyche a deeper shade of soul. To cover them is to love them.” After getting his sociology degree at the University of Toronto in 1971 (thesis topic: the subculture of avant garde musicians) Shaffer’s dad Bernie gave him a year to make a go of it in music before enrolling in law school and returning home to practice with him in Thunder Bay. Just before the cut-off date, Shaffer landed the music directorship of a Toronto production of Godspell, with Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, and Martin Short, with whom he became lifelong friends. Other stellar gigs followed in the 1970s and 80s in Toronto, New York, and LA, including being musical director for The Blues Brothers and a long stint in the house band at Saturday Night Live (where Shaffer made TV history as the first person to say “fuckin’” on live TV—it slipped out during a medieval skit where he was supposed to be saying “floggin’”), as well as playing a promoter in This is Spinal Tap and co-writing the disco hit “It’s Raining Men.” When David Letterman’s team called to ask him to be the music director when Late Night started up in 1982, they said he could only

The Walleye

CoverStory

What’s your style/genre? We mostly play blues/blues rock, but we also play a little bit of funk, and a little bit of reggae as well. Who’s in the band? Nathan McChristie on drums, Jaiden Holmstrom on bass, Ashton Henderson on keys, and Quayson Akaadom on guitar and vocals. How long have you been around? Nathan and Quayson were jamming together for roughly three years before The Shortstops formed. It wasn’t until early February 2019 that all four of us decided to be in a band together, so we haven’t been around for very long. Favourite song you cover? Our favourite song to cover would have to be “How Blue Can You Get” by B.B. King. The amount of energy we all put

into this tune definitely makes it our favourite. Best song you’ve written? Quayson is the main songwriter of the band, and we have collectively agreed that “Columbian Blues” is the best song he has written. (Go stream on all streaming platforms!) If you could collaborate with any musician/band, living or dead, who would it be and why? Quayson: B.B. King. It’d be so much fun to just have a soulful, bluesy jam with the king of blues. Ashton: Muddy Waters and Otis Spann. Muddy because his sound helped define the blues genre, and Otis because his blues piano playing has to be one of my favourites. Jaiden: Queen, solely to hear Freddie Mercury’s vocals in person. Nathan: Herbie Hancock. Need I explain? What would be your dream gig? Honestly, it’d be really fun to play at the Red Rock Folk Festival, but, playing anywhere is great, because it’s what we love to do. What’s new? There’s nothing all too new going on. COVID-19 hitting kind of threw a wrench in our plans, and really limited how much we were able to jam, as we all had to quarantine. But, we are getting back to jamming at least once or twice a week, and hope to be back to playing shows in no time. What’s the best thing about being part of the TBay music scene? The best thing about the music scene here in Thunder Bay would have to be the diversity of sounds. You have metal bands, blues bands, jazz bands, rock bands, DJs, rappers, and more, and they all have a scene here in Thunder Bay. Also, the youth music community here is amazing, and there are a lot of people in the older generations who help us youngsters out. How can people contact you? Email: theshortstopsband@gmail.com or text (807) 252-9525 or (807) 707-9726.

with Sinatra in a small, smoky club somewhere that smells like leather and whiskey, and everyone’s dressed in the finest fashions of the era. I think that was my scene in a past life. But I have to say, I’m feeling pretty spoiled as it is, working with Mood Indigo. We have such synergy. What would be your dream gig? Other than a weekly residence at a sexy 60s Rat Pack-style jazz night (I’m thinking that King Ghidrah would be the perfect venue for that!), I’d love to be the guest vocalist for Jeff Goldblum and his Mildred Snitzer Orchestra in a L.A. jazz bar. I’m in love with Jeff Goldblum (and California). What’s new? Nothing and EVERYTHING! I think it’s safe to say that all performing artists are reeling with the ramifications of this little pandemic we’re living through. Most days it feels like I’ve lost a limb from

the lack of performing. The good news is, it’s forced me to explore my craft even further by honing my skills and work on some really exciting new recording and virtual projects with my fabulous friends in Mood Indigo, which I am now officially a member of! Stay tuned! What’s the best thing about being part of the TBay music scene? I adore the scene here. It’s been nothing but welcoming of me. I have been extremely fortunate to play with some of the best musicians in town at the best venues in town (The Foundry and Dolce especially have been exceptionally supportive). It has truly helped me grow as an artist. How can people contact you? @ annatorontowjazz on Instagram, annatorontow@gmail.com, or at @ MoodIndigoTbay on Facebook and Instagram.

From left to right: Ashton Henderson, Jaiden Holmstrom, Quayson Akaadom, Nathan McChristie

The Shortstops

Patrick Chondon/Chondon Photography

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Anna Torontow

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What’s your style/genre? I’m an oldtimey jazz crooner. I love all those old standards that sound so familiar and warm and romantic, like Christmas. How long have you been around? I have been performing for two years in Thunder Bay, but over 20 in (and out of) the business. I started my career in Ottawa and Toronto as an acoustic indie singer and then found my footing in the jazz scene. Favourite song you cover? I truly love all the songs I sing (I have to or they won’t come out right) but my all-time favourite is “Stormy Weather.” It’s a tragic torch song that’s almost 100

The Walleye

years old. I’ve sung it dozens of times but it gets me every time. I usually put it at the end of a set because it’s so emotional for me. And I don’t really know why. It’s just so enduring and such a testament to timeless songwriting. Best song you’ve written? I don’t fancy myself much of a songwriter. I was very lucky in my early days to work with a fantastic songwriter who wrote just for me. Now I rely on old favourites, which is common in the jazz genre. They all mean a lot to me. I live and breathe the songs I sing. I spend a lot of time with each and every one, doing a thorough study of them and really finding my connection to the piece. If you could collaborate with any musician/band, living or dead, who would it be and why? I’d like to take a time machine to the late 50s and sing

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Razz Jazz Trio

From left to right: Sean Gormely, Jimmy Krawczuk, Rob Hole

but with the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing right now, live performing is not looking too promising for any band or artist in the music industry as a whole. One positive thing we do get to do is woodshed [practise], which gives us an opportunity to master our instrument. What’s the best thing about being part of the TBay music scene? As in any city there are a core group of musicians who do a lot of the professional session work; we are a close knit bunch of guys who look out for one another and make playing jazz and big band gigs fun. How can people contact you? By phone at (807) 251-9208 or email jimmy.krawczuk@gmail.com.

Danny Johnson Trio

What’s your style/genre? Piano trio playing improvisational jazz. Who's in the band? Danny Johnson on piano, Dan Zadkovich on double bass, and Chris Plater on drums. How long have you been around? This present incarnation of the jazz trio had only played a couple of gigs before the coronavirus hit us, so we are looking forward to playing together again when things open up in the future. The last version of the trio, which featured Jim Differ on drums, had played together for close to 20 years. Sadly, Jim passed away from pancreatic cancer recently so we had to press Chris into service. Chris is an amazing rock drummer who has played hundreds of rock gigs with me. Fortunately, he was willing to study and work on his jazz drumming and has been a joy to play with as well.

We’ve also played with former TBSO principal percussionist Jean-François Breton a number of times, but he has recently decided to change careers and now is a full-time firefighter here in the city. Favourite song you cover? I enjoy the challenge of navigating the harmonic structure of jazz standards that have a lot of interesting chord changes; pieces like “Stella by Starlight,” “Round Midnight,” or “All the Things You Are.” Best song you’ve written? People who know me as an artist know that I wear many different hats, and my favourite creative outlet is as a singer/ songwriter in the rock vein. I wrote a song a couple of years ago called “Land” that I’m the most proud of. I love the way words are put together and I think that lyrically this is the deepest I’ve gone. I do write jazz

tunes as well, and when I played with Bob Newhart many years ago, I gave him a copy of a jazz instrumental song I wrote called “Remember Me,” which he loved. I hinted that he could use it for the theme song if he ever did another TV show, but nothing ever came of it. If you could collaborate with any musician/band, living or dead, who would it be and why? In terms of jazz, I would love to have accompanied Billie Holiday or played with Miles Davis or John Coltrane. When I practice, I sometimes play along with recordings, so I guess in a way, I have played with these three greats. What would be your dream gig? I’ve played a few jazz gigs in New York (including the legendary Town Hall) but I would love to play at the Village Vanguard in Greenwich Village. I’ve had the opportunity to hear many incredible musicians there as an audience member, but one day I’d love to be on that famous stage with its backdrop of red velvet curtains. What’s new? I’ve recently upgraded my computer OS, recording software, and bought a new high-end interface for my recording studio. So I’ve been getting inside and learning all of the sophisticated options and sound recording possibilities of these tools during these gig-less COVID times. Within the last month I’ve been doing some smaller solo gigs as things have opened up a bit, and musically directed the recent outdoor Patsy Cline show for Magnus in Waverley Park. Also, I just finished recording members of the TBSO for a special Halloween video they have produced. What’s the best thing about being part of the Thunder Bay music scene? Besides being able to share the stage with my fantastic

musical friends as we perform, I’ve been deeply humbled by all of the wonderful people in this community who have supported us through the years by hiring us for events and shows. I have a lot of great memories with hopefully more to come! How can people contact you? I’m the only Danny Johnson in the phone book (for those that still use that method) or you can get hold of me at dannyj@ tbaytel.net. Danny Johnson

Greg Malo

What’s your style/genre? Razz Jazz Trio mainly plays in the jazz idiom. Because we are a trio we don’t necessarily play just straight-ahead jazz; we take any genre of music— whether it’s rock, blues, R&B, etc.—and play it as an instrumental, which gives the band a whole different dynamic. Who's in the band? The guys in Razz Jazz Trio include: Sean Gormely on piano, Rob Hole playing stand-up bass and electric bass guitar, and Jimmy Krawczuk on drums. How long have you been around? Myself [Jimmy], Sean, and Rob have been playing in the Thunder Bay music scene for almost three decades, playing together as a trio and also backing up other artists. Favourite song you cover? That’s a hard one, because our song list is so extensive and too big to even get into. But if I have to pick an artist we cover I would have to say Sting. Sean loves to play anything by Sting or The Police. Best song you’ve written? We haven’t written any original material yet, but our compositions have an originality to them being played in an instrumental context. If you could collaborate with any musician/band, living or dead, who would it be and why? Herbie Hancock is a legend we would all love to collaborate with. He has played with almost every great jazz musician that has ever lived. He’s such a prolific songwriter. We play many of his compositions live, and he is a very gracious person. What would be your dream gig? That’s a loaded question. There are so many artists, but playing with Sting would be a dream gig for all of us collectively. What’s new? I won’t get into politics

CoverStory

The Walleye

CoverStory

From left to right: Mike Carson, Mike Schan, Calum Robertson, Gary Hare

The Roosters

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What’s your style/genre? Rock, roots, rhythm & blues. Who's in the band? Calum Robertson (guitar/vocals), Gary Hare (keyboards/ harmonica/vocals), Mike Schan (drums), and Mike Carson (bass/vocals).

How long have you been around? 15 years. Favourite song you cover? “I’m Tired” by Savoy Brown. It is a great song with even better dynamics and the band seems to gel together on it pretty easily. Best song you’ve written? “Spanish Leonard.” It’s a trippy, edgy little blues tune that was written many years ago and is still fun to play.

Dr. Buck & The Bluesbangers 

From left to right: Ray Bukovy, Kevin Bukovy, Joe Levanto

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If you could collaborate with any musician/band, living or dead, who would it be and why? Michael Jackson, because our dance moves are terrible. What would be your dream gig? Any gig—COVID sucks! What’s new? The band was lucky enough to contribute a song and video to the 2020 AmberJam album produced this past summer, and we

also played on some tracks for Arley Cox’s latest album Letter Kite Sessions. What’s the best thing about being part of the TBay music scene? Working with the very dedicated venue and sound people. Cool individuals all around! How can people contact you? The Roosters on Facebook.

What’s your style/genre? Blues rock/ classic rock. Who's in the band? Ray Bukovy, Kevin Bukovy, and Joe Levanto. How long have you been around? 12 years. Favourite song you cover? “Black Magic Woman” by Santana. Best song you’ve written? “Blues Heart Attack,” which was written by Kevin and Ray Bukovy. If you could collaborate with any musician/band, living or dead, who would it be and why? Eric Clapton. A true-blue rock guitar icon and legend, he has performed with all of the world's greatest bands and musicians. He truly has his own unique style, and is not only a great guitar player, but also a fantastic songwriter. Eric Clapton has been the recipient of 18 Grammy Awards and has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best selling musicians of all time. What would be your dream gig? The key word here is "dream." Opening for Eric Clapton at Royal Albert Hall. If you are going to dream, why not dream big? What’s new? After having our keyboard player retire three years ago and move to the west coast,

which was a big loss, we decided to continue our musical odyssey as a trio. This, of course, presented new challenges. Our keyboard player is not only a great musician, but also a great vocalist, so we had to bridge that gap and change the style and direction of our music to a more classic blues/rock style. In spite of COVID, we continue to rehearse and take on the challenges of learning new songs to keep our music fresh and non-repetitive. We feel this is a key to keeping audiences engaged. As individual musicians, we are also becoming better for our efforts. We are looking forward to our first COVID-related gig at the Port Arthur Legion on November 7, as we have an array of new material to present. What’s the best thing about being part of the TBay music scene? We find people genuinely enjoy listening to live local music. The Thunder Bay Musicians Union, the Thunder Bay Blues Society, and the Thunder Bay Blues Festival all play a critical role in presenting local musical talent to the general public. How can people contact you? Ray Bukovy (807) 684-1820 or (807) 624-7134. Email is bluesboss99@ gmail.com.

Iain Green

CoverStory

From left to right: Robin Ranger, Mario Potestio, Iain Green, Dino Pepe

Local Musician Changes It Up, Preps New Album By Kris Ketonen

he next time Robin Ranger takes the stage, things will likely sound a bit different. The musician from Fort William First Nation, along with his band, are fresh off the recording of a new album. And it was during that process that Ranger, best known for his contemporary smooth jazz sound, took his first steps down a new musical road—one that involves a whole new sound and approach to music. “Huge epiphany, to be honest,” Ranger says. “It’ll still have the tenderness, softness, the approach… most importantly the mood. But it won’t be constrained by rhythm.” This epiphany is the result of a few things, Ranger says; one of those things is his as-yet-unnamed band, which also includes Iain Green, Dino Pepe, and Mario Potestio. “It’s not just me anymore,” Ranger says. “This whole thing has

been about Robin Ranger, and hiring sidemen to take into the studio. This [new] approach is very much more about a group.” But there’s more going on here, Ranger explains. “I would like to let go of some of these rhythmic constraints that I have on the guitar, and really pursue them as an upright bass player,” he says. “So, a big switch to the upright bass has happened.” This all came to a head over the summer, as the band recorded tracks for its latest album, live off the floor. “We were more curious to know what it was going to sound like going in,” Ranger says. “And because it was a live experience, it truly is a musical record. It’s not like an audio product where you can build it track-to-track. In this case, we hit ‘record’ and we all play and it is what it is.” “Once it was accomplished, and once it was finished, I instantly

he says that new offering will sound much, much different than the music he’s released in the past. “This new approach makes perfect sense in so many ways,” Ranger says. “In this epiphany I feel like I’m having … because of the group itself, there’s a freedom to let go and explore into new areas.” “It’s about the relationships,” Ranger continues. “That’s what I’ve learned over the past number of months— that it’s not just about hiring sidemen, it truly is about developing musical relationships.”

Keegan Richard

A New Road for Robin Ranger

knew where it was going,” he continues. “The record itself seemed like the closing to an entire approach of music, it was the final approach. And now, I’m stepping off in completely different directions.” The new album, titled Somewhere Just Over Here, won’t see a full-on release, Ranger says, although he does plan to make the recordings available online before Christmas. Rather, Ranger says he and the band will be using the recordings as a jumping-off point for another new, full-length album, which he aims to have ready by spring. Additionally,

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CoverStory

The Busker Who’s Seen The World Arden Bruyere and 50-Plus Years of Performance

Story by Michael Charlebois, Photos by Keegan Richard

f you’ve been out—especially in a pre-COVID Thunder Bay— enjoying many of the wonderful festivals that feature live music, then you’ve probably heard the booming voice of local busker and multi-talented musician Arden Bruyere, or listened to the skillful way he plays the guitar, or experienced the joyful nature of his

character in between songs. A tried-and-true musician in every sense, many locals—perhaps without knowing—get the chance to hear more than half a century of experience through each song. Bruyere has been everywhere and done everything, but he started busking at one of the most famous spots in the country: Yonge-Dundas

Square in Toronto. “I was visiting my friend at the time. He told me we needed to go see the buskers. I said ‘what the hell are buskers?’” It only took a few minutes from a few acts for Bruyere to scoff and tell his friend that he could be a busker, but make it classy. The very next day, he was strumming his guitar on Yonge Street, donning a sweater, pinstripe dress pants, and a derby hat. “It was just when loonies came out…so it started raining loonies,” Bruyere says. Thus started the career of Bruyere: The Busker. His love and enthusiasm for music, however, came long before his busking days. By the time he was in grade

7, Bruyere had a young band who was hired to play during the grade 8 dance. “We couldn’t believe they asked us, because we only knew three songs,” he says. Inspired by the stage and spectacle, Bruyere hit the road after high school in 1977 to tour western Canada, and spent most of the 1980s playing in the United States. He’s played everything from hard rock at casinos in Nevada to southern blues in the heart of Memphis. Despite the mileage, Bruyere says he’s had his best days playing here in Thunder Bay, opening for famous acts while working as a stage head at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium.

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CoverStory

Whether he is opening for highway rider Tom Cochrane or the queen of country music Loretta Lynn, Bruyere has felt right at home in the presence of these iconic musicians. His most memorable moment on stage at the Auditorium, however, came from the strangest of pairings. Ninety minutes before metalheads filled the venue to see Zakk Wylde of Black Label Society, Bruyere was called in to do a solo open with just an acoustic guitar. “I had no idea what to play,” Bruyere says. “I told them, ‘campfire rules: if you know the song you gotta sing it.’” That’s when a woman sitting front row screamed at Bruyere to play the famous hippie hit “Puff the

Magic Dragon.” “I said ‘OK, campfire rules,’” he recalls. “So I’m at a Zakk Wylde concert playing ‘Puff the Magic Dragon,’ thinking I was going to get stuff thrown at me. By the second chorus, everyone was standing up singing along with me.” Due to the pandemic, Bruyere’s live appearances have been reduced, although you can still catch him playing at the Thunder Bay Country Market at the CLE grounds. He also provides music for the Kitchitwa Kateri Anamewgamik Church on Sundays. “My mother instilled in me that I got a gift…and she told me if I’m singing six days a week in the bar for the devil, I better sing one day for the Lord.”

www.tbpl.ca/onlinecalendar For all library programs! The Walleye

Food

Chocolate Mug Cake just for you!

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour 3 Tbsp sugar 2½ Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Whisk dry ingredients together with a fork in a medium (at least 300 mL size) microwavesafe mug.

1 pinch baking soda 2 Tbsp mayonnaise (not light, and not Miracle Whip) 3 Tbsp milk or cream ½ tsp vanilla extract

THE GRINNING BELLY

It’s Mugnificent

Add in wet ingredients, and mix very well with a fork, getting the floury stuff at the edges and breaking apart any clumps you see.

1 Tbsp chocolate chips, peanut butter, or Nutella

Drop on top or stir into mixture.

1 Tbsp water

Pour over batter and microwave on high 1 minute. Check, and continue with 10 seconds at a time until just cooked through. Wait a couple of minutes for it to cool down, then top with ice cream, caramel, more Nutella, or anything else you’d like!

By Chef Rachel Globensky

ovember isn’t my favourite time of year to begin with, but a COVID-quietened November makes for some really dreary late fall days. Maybe, like me, you’re over all of the bread-baking of the spring and can’t wrap your head around holiday treat-making yet. And maybe, like me, you’re craving something homemade and sweet, but don’t re-e-e-e-eally need an entire pan of chocolate cake kicking around. Enter the mug cake: a single serving of joy, taking just a few minutes to stir together and cook; you’ll barely have time to brew fresh coffee to enjoy alongside it. I’m not usually a proponent

of microwave cooking, but for fresh cake in five minutes flat, I’ll allow it. There are a million recipes online, and we’ve tried many at our house. Here are two of our favourites: a chocolate version, because, well, chocolate, and one called sticky toffee pudding that, while it’s not quite like the real thing, is a pretty great five-minute stand-in. Try using a wide-mouth mug rather than one that’s tall and narrow to ensure even cooking in the microwave, and keep in mind that each microwave cooks differently than the next, so you may have to experiment with the timing. Start with a minute, and add on 10 seconds at a time.

Sticky Toffee Pudding Mug Cake for one

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour 1 Tbsp lightly packed brown sugar ¼ tsp baking powder 1 pinch salt 1 Tbsp softened butter

Add in with a fork and mix until crumbly.

2 Tbsp milk or cream

Pour in milk or cream, making sure to grab all the floury bits from the bottom edges of the mug, and stirring until relatively smooth.

3 Tbsp maple syrup 1 Tbsp water

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Whisk dry ingredients together with a fork in a medium (at least 300 mL size) microwave-safe mug.

Mix syrup and water together in a small bowl. Pour over pudding batter. Microwave one minute, or until cooked through, 10 seconds at a time. The top will look a little wet, because of the topping, but should still be firm when you poke at it. Wait a couple of minutes for it to cool down before you eat it!

Food

THE CRAFT REVIVAL

VIRTUAL: HOLIDAY 2020

DRINK OF THE MONTH

Lethbridge Herald, Lethbridge, Alberta, CA Mar 31, 1954, Page 43 https://newspaperarchive.com/browse/ca/ab/lethbridge/lethbridge-hera

ld/1954/mar-31-p-43/

The Spiced Orange Red Lion Smokehouse

Story by Rebekah Skochinski, Photo by Chondon Photography

N VIRTUAL EVENT: NOV 22 – DEC 6 Shop 120+ vendors online through our Craft Revival directory and snag all of your items at once from one of our Parcel Pick Up dates – complete with hot chocolate and gift wrapping by donation. PARCEL PICK-UP AT EATONS:

NOV 29TH or DEC 13TH — 25 1 R E D R I V E R R O A D

ovember can be fickle. Sometimes there’s rain, sometimes there’s sleet, and sometimes there’s snow. It’s also a month that has a rep for bringing on the doldrums. If you need your spirits lifted (and let’s face it, who couldn’t use some extra comfort and cheer) then this spirited and spiced drink from Red Lion is arriving right on time. Let’s liberate before we hibernate! The Spiced Orange features Rose N Crantz Roasting Co.’s smooth and full-bodied signature house blend. To that, they add Spicebox Canadian Spiced Whisky for its notes of vanilla and apple pie spices, triple sec for a delightful punch of bitter orangeness, and then it's topped with a lush bourbon cream. It comes served in a stubby glass rimmed with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom then garnished with a slice of orange. But how does it taste you ask? It tastes like a dream. A warm and delicious dream.

Red Lion Smokehouse 16 Cumberland Street South 286-0045

thecraftrevivaltbay.com

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Welcome to the SUVW Family

Atlas Tiguan

Downtown Volkswagen

Your Peace of mind advocates.

Visit us online for up-to-date information and our office hours. Our advisors are able to serve you over the phone and by email. We are greatful to be in the position to continue serving you through this uncertain time. 102-90 Tungsten Street P: 807.345.6369

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After Hours Claims P: 1.844.762.2287

TF: 1.866.418.3672 info@standardinsurance.ca

standardinsurance.ca

Food

BREW IT YOURSELF

Session Beer Low to No ABV Brews

By Josh Armstrong, PhD, Certified Beer Judge

hile there is a time and a place for 7% ABV (Alcohol By Volume) milkshake IPAs and 9% dessert stouts, sometimes you may want to dial back the flavour additions, lower your alcohol intake, and just enjoy sharing some easy-drinking beer with friends and family. For

occasions like this where you might have more than one glass of beer (what the English might call a “session”), brewers make what is widely known now as “session beer.” Session beer isn’t a particular style of beer. The term simply applies to any beer that is lower in alcohol (typically 5% ABV or less) and high in drinkability. This broad category has gained in popularity over the past few years as more and more people are choosing to enjoy drinking a few beers while simultaneously limiting either their alcohol or calorie intake (most calories in beer come from alcohol). There are many different beer styles that could be considered within the session beer category, including German pilsners, English bitters, Belgian table beers, Irish dry stouts, and many more. Each beer drinking culture tends to have its own versions of session beers. You may have even seen a newer American take at the LCBO, Session IPAs. This is simply the ever-so-popular American IPA beer

style made it with less alcohol. In addition to session beer, there are a growing number of craftmade, no-alcohol or alcohol-free beers available on the market. These are often referred to as “near beer” and provide an opportunity for people who do not want to consume any alcohol a chance to still partake in drinking beer-like beverages. Most of the process of making non-alcoholic beer is similar to making standard beer. However, additional steps like controlled heating, vacuum distilling, or reverse osmosis are used to remove the alcohol. I recently tried a few different brands and Le BockAle stood out as to me with an IPA, stout, and sour beer that tasted just like what you’d expect from the styles, but without the alcohol. For me, the key to a good session beer is the drinkability, or what beer writer Michael Jackson called “moreish.” Beer that is “moreish” is highly refreshing, and leaves you wanting another sip. Brewing a well-balanced beer as such is

easier said than done. It is always a challenge to find the perfect ratio between a crisp bitterness from the hops and the right amount of sweetness from the malts, especially while keeping the beer at or below 5% ABV. If you want to homebrew a session beer at home, here are a few tips: • Mash at a slightly higher temperature than you normally do. This will provide more body and ensure that some sweetness remains in your final product • Keep bitterness low and learn about the BU:GU Ratio (bitterness ratio) as outlined by Ray Daniels in Designing Great Beers • Use low cohumulone bittering hops known for crisp bitterness (Magnum, Simcoe, Warrior, noble hops) • Use low-attenuating yeast so that your brew doesn’t come out overly dry and thin (WLP002, WYEAST 1968)

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Food

Life’s Twists and Turns

A Taste of Mexico Right Here at Home Review by Sue Pretty

Sue Pretty

Keegan Richard

Sue Pretty

 Tortilla Twist's beef taco

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 Tortilla Twist's taquitos

ust wait until you check out the newest addition to the Thunder Bay gastro scene—Tortilla Twist, a take-out joint opened by Nick and Amy Sicoli. “We are a young married couple with a passion for the north and great food,” says Amy. “We love to watch the cooking channels to come up with new and exciting dinner ideas to make for ourselves and to entertain friends and family.” “We decided to take it one step further with Tortilla Twist,” Amy continues. “The idea was to take traditional Mexican dishes and add that home comfort feeling with our taco flavors.” The concept itself is muy bueno. There are eight different taco flavours ranging from chicken to pork to fish, with your choice of type of tortilla (corn or flour) as well as the level of saucy spice. This is delightful enough on its own; however, the option is there to “twist” your taco and take it to the next level, whether it be on loaded fries, loaded nachos, twisted into a burrito, or on a salad—the choice is yours. Every dish is personalized to your taste. On my plate was the lime chicken taco, and mi amigo enjoyed the Tex-Mex taco. We also tried the taquitos, which were deepfried morsels of flavour, filled with cheese and jalapeño. But it was the

street corn that stole the show—it was perfectly charred and spiced, and we enjoyed it with both cotija sauce (cotija being an aged Mexican cheese made from cow’s milk) as well as avocado crema. “Our corn tortillas, nachos, and sauces are all made in-house with fresh local meats and vegetables and imported spices and chillies,” Amy says. Of course, the pandemic has put a damper on things. “We started preparations in the New Year while COVID-19 was spreading in the world, and had to put a threemonth hold on things,” Amy says. “When the curve seemed to flatten in June, we decided that if done safely, a new restaurant opening up in these times might help put some positivity into the local business world.” “It’s our goal to provide great food to Thunder Bay while providing employment [opportunities] and with enough support to give back to local business and charity in need during these trying times,” she adds. Sounds like a great reason to make this a regular stop in your routine. Muchas gracias, Tortilla Twist! Tortilla Twist is located at 1101 Victoria Avenue East and is open daily at 11 am to 8 pm for take-out (closed Sundays). You can call 5778226 and they’re now on Uber Eats.

LOOK FABULOUS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!!

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Food

SUPERIOR SIP

Blend In Before Winter By Jeannie Dubois, Certified Pommelier and Sommelier

Traditional Bordeaux Blend

(blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Carmenere varieties) Château Argadens Bordeaux Supérieur Bordeaux, France 13% ABV

$16.45

Contemporary Traditional Meritage Southern (includes two of Cabernet Rhone Blend Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Gros Verdot, Malbec, Carmenere, St. Macaire varieties) Hidden Bench Terroir Caché 2016 Ontario, Canada 13.5% ABV

$44.95

for 750ml

LCBO Vintages No. 681643

LCBO Vintages No. 505610

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(blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsault varieties) Famille Perrin Réserve Côtes Du Rhône Rhone, France 13% ABV

$16.95 for 750ml LCBO Vintages No. 363457

Contemporary GSM (blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre varieties) Forgeron Cellars Blacksmith Rouge GSM 2017 Washington, USA 14.3% ABV

$28.95 for 750ml

LCBO Vintages No. 15816

s the season changes from the dappled gold tones of autumn to the dusky indigo shades of winter up on our beautiful bay, it’s natural that our tastes change as well from craving cooler concoctions to wanting something warmer to ward against the new crisp weather. Look no further than rich and robust red wine blends to fit the bill for a cup of something cosy in our winter prelude. Besides being pleasing to a diverse array of palates, they pair very well with a wide variety of hearty dishes as well. As no two vintages (harvest years) ripen the same, likewise no two varieties (grape types) are equal in taste—hence the age-old tradition of blending grape varieties to produce the best finished wine from year to year. Honed over centuries in the most notable wine regions in Europe, New World wine producers have followed in their footsteps to create blends that best reflect both the grapes and the region. It is one of the greatest, yet most rewarding, challenges of winemakers to take the grapes they have, determine their strengths, and blend them together in the most advantageous proportions. Less meticulous baker and slightly more mad scientist, winemakers work (and taste) diligently to create their blends every year; too little acidity and it will be flabby, too much tannin and it will be too bitter, too little fruit and it will be too austere, too much alcohol and it will be too hot. It’s a tough job but somebody has to do it. Enjoy the best each winemaker (and grape variety) has to offer and try a bold red blend this winter!

New Menu Now Available

Introducing our New Executive Chef, Alexander Gut “I was inspired to create seasonal sustainable menus centered around the abundance of local products available in Thunder Bay.”

Open Monday - Friday 10 - 5:30 PM and Saturday 10 - 5 PM 16 Court St S - perfectfitlingerie.ca 807.346.9099

NEW WINTER HOURS – 5 - 10 PM FOR DINNER ONLY.

Phone: 807-285-9317

LEST WE FORGET

LET US REMEMBER ALL WHO SERVED AND SACRIFICED FOR CANADA.

Marcus Powlowski

Member of Parliament Thunder Bay-Rainy River

marcus.powlowski@parl.gc.ca

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Food

Eating Sustainably What Makes a Sustainable Diet and Food System?

Darren McChristie

By Ivan Ho, Public Health Nutritionist, Thunder Bay District Health Unit

e are living at a time where the actions of humans have the greatest impact on the world. The current food system, or the process for acquiring and interacting with food, is a glaring example as it is contributing to environmental degradation and climate change. Humanity is responsible for 30% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and uses 70% of the world’s fresh water supplies. Moreover, 60% of the world’s fish stocks are fully fished, with more than 30% being over-fished. This puts strain on the planet’s resources. Unfortunately, it gets worse. Despite producing an over-abundance of food, human health continues to suffer, with global rates of poor nutrition and chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and cancer rising every year. This evidence suggests there needs to be change to move towards a more sustainable and health-promoting food system. One proposed solution is known as a Sustainable Diet and Food System. In brief, it’s creating a food system that provides adequate nutrition and access to food for everyone. It also considers the economic, social, and environmental impacts so that future generations are not compromised.

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recipes , and eat “root to stem” and “nose to tail.” That means finding ways to use food portions that are usually discarded, for example, broccoli stems or beet greens. Think of garnishes, side dishes, salads, sauces, smoothies, soups, or stews, and as snacks.

•

Ensuring that natural resources are used purposefully and not abused—for example, better conserving of the world’s oceans and fisheries, and protecting and sustaining food diversity. In addition, it’s crucial to find ways to enforce these recommendations.

Broader changes to society and the food system will require more effort and collaboration due to the number of sectors involved in the food system. Some potential strategies for broader change that have been highlighted include:

•

Encouraging and supporting the food industry to find ways to reduce food waste and loss. Approximately 230 kilograms of food per person, per year is lost within the food industry, for example, during processing.

•

Creating a sustainable diet and food system will require time and ongoing commitment. However, based on current evidence, it’s important to take immediate action to ensure the health of the planet and future generations.

Achieving this requires change, both for the individual and for the global community. Individually, people can start with small changes in the household that you can apply to daily life, such as: •

•

Consuming a more plant-based diet that contains a variety of fruit, vegetables, nuts, and legumes, and avoiding highly processed foods that contain high amounts of saturated fat, added sugar, and salt. This is similar to the recommendations in Canada’s Food Guide (2019). You can also choose seasonal produce to reduce the need to use unnecessary resources, for example transporting non-seasonal foods long distances. Reducing unnecessary household food waste or loss. Currently in Canada, 170 kilograms (worth $1,776) of food is wasted or lost per person annually in our homes. “Best before” dates can be used to determine the quality of food, but they don’t necessarily represent food safety. Learn to use your senses to see if your food is spoiled. It’s also important to store food properly and safely, to plan ahead and choose low-waste

•

Supporting agriculture to produce nutritious foods that are sustainable. Currently, the global food system overproduces tremendous volumes of value crops (i.e. soy and corn) for their profitability. But many of these crops are now used for animal feeds and other industrial uses rather than for human consumption. Finding solutions to use fewer resources to produce enough of the right foods for health to support a growing population. It is estimated that there will be an increase of 30% from the current global population of 7.8 billion people to 10 billion by 2050.

For more information on what changes needs to happen, please visit: https://eatforum.org/eat-lancet-commission/eat-lancet-commission-summary-report/

Thank you to our vendors and community for your continued support

Call us at

807-630-4716

or email dan@wolfheadcoffee.com

Like Santa and his sleigh, coffee and Christmas are a perfect pair. Check out our great range of Christmas gift baskets. Corporate orders welcome.

Local swag available

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email, facebook or phone to order The Walleye

Food

Land of Spices features specially imported products have researched an extensive number of quality products and discovered the best prices. Their new store, Land of Spices, finally brings together frozen foods, pantry favourites, fresh items, and snack foods to Thunder Bay. After their grand opening on October 3, these excited new business owners are happy to greet customers daily from 9 am until 10 pm. The store at 311 Victoria Ave East is designed to create a gathering place for everyone. Bonda and Bhataria

are willing to share cooking tips, delicious recipe ideas, and education about their inventory to best create memorable meals for any customer's home. This young couple says they are eager to expand their services and recognize the potential to grow their business to best meet the needs and diversity of our community. Every visitor to the store is encouraged to offer feedback, ideas, and their own dreams for this emerging business.

Deepak Bonda and Heena Bhataria

Land of Spices Opens its Doors International Grads Start Specialty Grocery Store

Story by Marcia Arpin, Photos by Ryan Hill

eepak Bonda and Heena Bhataria independently came to Canada to attend Confederation College. As students, they adapted to our climate and countless other barriers and in time, they each learned to love this city—and just before graduation, each other. Although they never anticipated meeting or staying in Thunder Bay, the past six years have created a different destiny for this newlywed couple. The experience of being an international student coming to our city can be difficult for reasons beyond our climate. Favourite foods and ingredients are often hard or

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impossible to find locally. Many students have developed a network to purchase desired items from out of town. Often, having these items shipped to Thunder Bay inflates the prices, which would strain any student’s budget. Embracing their ability to take risks and seize adventure, Bonda and Bhataria started daydreaming about a local specialty grocery store. Their store would include products from all regions of India. These daydreams were encouraged by others who recognized the necessity of their idea for our city, and transformed into building blocks to make their dream a reality. For the past two years, they

Our location is closed due to Covid-19. Please visit our website www.noahc.org for an online visit. 905 Victoria Ave. E. Thunder Bay, ON 807-63-3522 www.noahc.org noahc@tbaytel.net

Teas locally crafted to embody the properties of the healing crystal contained in each specialty blend.

STORE HOURS

MONDAY-SATURDAY 10-5

SHOP ONLINE AT JBEVANS.CA FOLLOW US ON:

- HOME MEAL REPLACEMENT PLAN -

Delivery To Your Door!

Spend more time with your family and less time in the kitchen!

Over 10 Entrée Choices + Soups/Dessert available! *Limited time oﬀer, feel free to ask about our menu! Lemon Rosemary Chicken Quarter

Turkey Pot Pie

with Roasted Potatos & Carrots

with Mashed Potatoes & Carrots

Traditional Meatloaf/BBQ Gravy

Spaghetti & 6 Meatballs

with Mashed Potatoes & Green Beans

Roast Beef Dinner/Gravy with Mashed Potatoes &Peas

with Tomato Sauce

Rainbow Moonstone Hoping, wishing and manifesting. Add a squeeze of lemon to this magical blue infusion and watch it turn violet.

$12 each or 2 for $22

Available online at gratitudegemoils.com 807-472-7250 | info@gratitudegemoils.com

Alpaca Scarves & Blankets

+Many More

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Thinking of buying or selling?

THUNDER BAY

NorWest Community Health Centres Centres de santé communautaire NorWest

Community health at the touch of a button

MESSAGE OR CALL US TODAY!

The Walk-In Clinic is now operating as a Call-in Clinic.

Give us a call:

(807) 622-8235 You will be scheduled into the virtual waiting room and a nurse will return your call for assessment.

HOURS OF OPERATION: NorWest CHC - Logo Text Revised

Monday - Thursday: 8:30 AM - 6 PM Friday: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM Saturday & Sunday: 10 AM - 3 PM

RAAM services will remain open for scheduled appointments only and will be offering phone and virtual visits. Path 525 remains open: Monday - Saturday: 10 AM - 6 PM C. 807.632.3635

C. 807.620.9057

SARAHKERTON.COM

CHRISHOULE.COM

www.norwestchc.org

Harm reduction supplies will still be available at the door - our screeners will be handing them out.

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Take in the views of Lake Superior while enjoying a coffee and dessert all year round.

FilmTheatre

Iconic Soundtracks By Michael Sobota

“So tell me, are you as good in bed as you are on the dance floor?” - Connie (Fran Drescher) to Tony Manero (John Travolta) in Saturday Night Fever

usic has been a part of movies even before they had sound. Early movie palaces screening silent movies often had giant Wurlitzer organs to accompany the melodramatic action playing out on the screens. Smaller theatres had pianos. Music enhanced and deepened the audience’s engagement with movies. Today, music is added to films in mainly two ways. An original score will be composed just for that film; alternatively, existing music ranging from classical orchestral pieces to current pop songs will be inserted or merged with the narrative story. The purpose remains the same. Here are four examples of movie music marvels.

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) Director Mike Nichols brought together Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Sandy Dennis, and George Segal and guided them to some of the finest performances ever to appear on screen. The story, in a screenplay by Ernest Lehman based on Edward Albee’s original play, takes place on one evening of alcohol-drenched “fun and games.” What could music add to this searing, verbal slugfest? Atmosphere. Underscore. Weight. Composer Alex North adds nuance and subtlety to the raw drama and in the closing, quiet moments, it is shattering. Re-watching the film for this review was a harrowing experience, heightened by North’s great score.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

Director Stanley Kubrick and coscriptwriter Arthur C. Clarke didn’t know what they were doing when they began building the film that eventually became 2001. Shooting began without a completed script and, crucially, without an ending. They were attempting to tell the entire history of man, from our primitive existence as apes into the future of space travel and, eventually, the birth of a star child. Enroute, Kubrick commissioned a score from composer Alex North. Then, he ditched that score and reshot what would become some of the grandest sequences ever put on film choreographed to Richard Strauss’s “Thus Spake Zarathustra,” Johann Strauss’s “The Blue Danube,” Aram Khachaturian’s Gayane Ballet music and a trio of György Ligeti’s eerier choral pieces. The movie would simply not have achieved what it does without this music.

Few movies capture the culture of an era the way Saturday Night Fever does. Director John Badham accomplished this by marrying the pop disco hits of the Bee Gees (brothers Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb) to a sharply focused, contemporary script. The film is not a musical. No one sings in it. But the Bee Gees music provides the visceral connection for Tony Manero (a very young John Travolta) to break out of his dull day job as a clerk in a Brooklyn paint store into the glamour of the uptown dance clubs. This is an adult story, R-rated and full of expletives, sex, and a suicide. Yet it rises to a whole other level by the earnest, well-cast ensemble and the driving disco beat of that music.

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

Star Wars The franchise began with Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) and continues through all eight (so far) of the subsequent feature Star Wars movies. The first movie–Episode IV–remains my favourite. In it, George Lucas created imaginary characters and worlds that would go on to become part of the greatest film franchise ever. He did this with the assistance of the mighty John Williams, arguably one of the greatest movie composers ever. In a career that spans six decades, Williams composed other memorable movie music, including the scores for Valley of the Dolls (yes!), The Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Saving Private Ryan and the Indiana Jones and Superman franchises. But it is Star Wars that he will be forever attached to. Who can think of those films without hearing that triumphant brass and percussion fanfare? I am also fond of that crazy bar band of kooks in the Mos Eisley spaceport.

There are hundreds if not thousands of great film scores. Here are six more, and their music composers, for your listening pleasure: Psycho (1960 – Bernard Herrmann), Doctor Zhivago (1965 – Maurice Jarre), Excalibur (1981 – Trevor Jones rearranging Wagner), Blade Runner (1982 – Vangelis), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999 – Gabriel Yared), and Whiplash (2014 – Justin Hurwitz).

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FilmTheatre

Bringing It To Life

Local Animator Releases Dystopian Series

By Sara Sadeghi Aval

Tommy Doughty

“I

don’t know a lot about politics, but there’s something I know about a hermit kingdom.” This is how Tommy Doughty describes the creation of the dystopian world that birthed his new animated sci-fi series Ascentrium. Set in a futuristic post-human world, Ascentrium is a story of planets in conflict and the inner battles of good and evil. It currently has nine episodes available for watching on the Animatrium Studios YouTube channel. Doughty, who is a local writer, has been animating short movies and school projects since the age of 10. He jokes that his career is a product of his “hopefully healthy obsession with cartoons as a child.” When he began writing his novella by the same name, he knew it would become an animated series. When asked which medium of expression felt more satisfying as a final product, Doughty explains that although writing will remain his passion, watching his work come to life on

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screen and gathering feedback from his audience is his motivation for his animation work. Why did he choose dystopia, and why does he believe it will resonate with his audience? Doughty says, “Dystopia is not original, but there is a reason so many movies and books are about it. It is a distant reality for people that at times feels near. The planets in Ascentrium are isolated and suspicious of each other. At a time like this in our world I can’t help but see the parallels between it and our real-world countries.” The series features a theme where characters have to discern whether the voices they are hearing are good or evil. This dichotomy seems to be prevalent throughout the story, as religion and faith make appearances. “‘Ascentrium’ literally would mean ‘ascending to the atrium,’” Doughty states, referring to the term he coined. “I tried to think about how these characters would behave or do their best in order to reach this higher place, this atrium as it were. The idea that individual perspective can greatly change your understanding of good or evil is interesting to me. Along with the concept that, if you require help, you might need to accept the evil shadows. Some beliefs must be let go in order to help one another. People most often meet this with refusal.” The animation itself is both beautifully drawn and captivating.

The darkness and light, the colours used on screen, and the narration create an intimate atmosphere for the viewer as they travel in space with the characters. Each episode takes a few weeks of full-time work to animate, not including the original artwork; the results on screen

are well worth the wait. There is currently one episode left for release but rest assured Doughty is already working on other projects to bring to the screen. You can see Doughty’s work on YouTube at his Animatrium Studio channel.

Doughty’s sci-fi series Ascentrium is set in a dystopian future

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FilmTheatre

The Show Must Go on at Paramount Live

Local Youth Theatre Organization Adapts to Pandemic By Pat Forrest

he COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the performing arts, just as it has challenged all arts sectors. The adage that “the show must go on” has managers of performing arts institutions stepping out of their comfort zones and scrambling to adapt. Candi and Lawrence Badanai of Thunder Bay’s Paramount Live are no exceptions. Paramount Live provides cultural enrichment for our community’s youth through the provision of theatrical experiences. It holds classes in which students learn the fundamentals of performing arts, and produces productions that engage students and allow them to develop their theatrical talents as well as social, emotional, and academic skills. It is also known for its theatrical productions that are open to the public. Paramount Live closed its doors on March 15th of this year, just as it was set to open its season with its senior production of Grease. Since then, the Badanais and their team have been working with an often-changing set of rules to put in place measures that will allow their students to finish their year. That includes smaller program class sizes, masks, and social distancing, as well as implementing other Thunder

 The cast from Paramount Live’s production of Grease Bay District Health Unit guidelines. “We told our kids that the closure was only an intermission and we meant it,” says Candi. “We are all in this together and we believe that our families who have supported us over our 10 years should not have to be out of pocket for a program not completed.” As one can imagine, re-opening a children’s theatre during a pandemic is a massive and stressful undertaking. But Paramount Live has persevered and, as a result, the youth are back treading the boards. Starting with Freaky Friday in mid-September, classes have since rolled out for Crazy for You, Snow White, Grease, as well as kids’ productions of Frozen and Annie. “These are most certainly not normal times, but we’ve been able to ensure that our creative kids have a safe space and a family-friendly environment in which to develop their theatre skills,” says Lawrence. “The safety of the students has always been and will be our top priority.” The masks and the distancing haven’t dampened the performers’ spirits. “Behind those masks the kids are smiling and having fun and that’s what it’s all about,” says Candi. “It’s amazing how everyone has adapted to the new normal.”

 The theatre babies cast of Snow White  Freaky Friday cast

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TheArts

the Ojibway language in radio communications during the war. But at the same time, his siblings at home were being put into residential schools, where they weren’t allowed to speak Ojibway. So, there’s an interesting parallel there.” Along the same lines, McPherson notes, “My uncle Rudolph fought for Canada, but as a Status Indian, he didn’t have the right to vote. And if he had survived and come home—as his brothers did later— he wouldn’t have been able to sit in a barroom with his fellow veterans. My dad clearly remembers barrooms with signs outside that said ‘No Indians Allowed.’” McPherson, who is of mixed Ojibway and Irish descent and a member of the Couchiching First Nation, used a photograph of her uncle as the model for the Ojibway soldier, armed with a Bren gun, on her coin. “I feel like my Uncle Rudolph knew that there was a lot of oppression going on in his own family and community by the Canadian state. But despite that, he fought for humanity, so that Canadians could live a relatively free life. That’s something I really carry with me. And I wanted to communicate his story in my coin design, because it’s not something I see

A portrait of Mary McPherson's parents done by Mary, titled The Thinkers.

Honouring the Past Northwestern Ontario Artist Turns to Family for Inspiration By Susan Goldberg

n 2019, award-winning artist Mary McPherson was approached by the Royal Canadian Mint to design a coin commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Scheldt. She turned to her own family tree for inspiration. McPherson’s uncle, Rifleman Rudolph McPherson, served as an artillery spotter with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles during World War II. The Battle of the Scheldt was fought in Belgium and the Netherlands in the fall of 1944

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and ultimately secured a crucial supply line for the Allied liberation of Europe. More than 75,000 Canadians served in the battle, and more than 6,300 were killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. Rudolph was killed in action the week before the battle began, explains his niece, but “if he had lived, he likely would have contributed to it.” McPherson, 23, had grown up hearing stories about her uncle’s service. “He was tasked with using

being talked about a whole lot in the Canadian sphere.” This is the second coin that McPherson has designed for the Mint. In 2018, she was selected to create a coin face honouring the 250th anniversary of the birth of Tecumseh, the Shawnee war hero who sided with the British and led hundreds of Indigenous warriors against the Americans in the war of 1812. McPherson grew up in Thunder Bay and received an honours degree in fine arts from Lakehead University. She’s currently studying law at the University of Ottawa, with a focus on Indigenous law. Ultimately, she hopes to find a path that combines her considerable artistic talent with her legal training. “By the end of my undergrad,” she says, “I was creating a lot of artwork that explored how Canadian law has had an impact on my family, my community, even my own identity as a Status Indian. I mean, so much of our lives revolve around this identity, and what is it? It’s a legal fiction created by Canadian law. So, I felt I needed to go to law school in order to better understand the legal system and how it operates so that I can better understand what I was expressing in my art.”

Mary McPherson designed this coin for the Royal Canadian Mint in 2019, inspired by her uncle, Rifleman Rudolph McPherson

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War and Peace

Local Warhammer Champ and Teacher Finds Solace Through Popular Game Story and photos by Leah Morningstar

Thunder Bay’s Kyle Kauppi is a champion Warhammer player

hen Kyle Kauppi was 13 years old, he visited a friend who had a basement full of miniature hand-painted game figures. It was a moment of inspiration: “I don’t know what I’m looking at but it’s awesome. And I want in,” he says. What Kauppi was looking at was a huge collection of Warhammer miniatures. To put it simply, Warhammer is a futuristic fantasy-themed tabletop game that uses miniature figures (space marines, elves, alien races, and androids), and simulates the strategy and battle of opposing armies or teams. In the Warhammer universe, there are three main ways a player can participate. The first is through the stories and the books. A Warhammer fan might want to read all the stories and strategy books and follow the gaming news without actually joining an in-person or online game. The second is

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the collecting and painting of miniatures. Many people just love collecting the game pieces and either purchase them already painted or do the artwork themselves. The third component is the actual game itself. Players can band together online or gather in person. There are little groups of gamers all over the world and often these groups gather together at conventions, where the numbers of players can measure in the hundreds. There have even been Warhammer gatherings in Las Vegas with up to 1,000 participants. Kauppi participates in all three components of Warhammer. He’s been playing the game since he was 13 and that led to reading books and studying the strategies and history, which then led to figure collecting and painting. Kauppi and his wife Scotia are both involved in Warhammer and spend many cosy fall and winter evenings together,

 Kauppi also paints the intricate game pieces  Warhammer uses miniature figures and simulates wars between opposing armies

painting amazing characters and creatures for their personal collections; occasionally taking on commission work as well. Kauppi is also the leader of the local monthly competitive games. He guides young and inexperienced players through the Warhammer universe and helps with strategy. He cares so much about guiding and helping and is known as one of the best players and teachers in the country. When he’s not teaching, he’s winning. He’s won many national tournaments and even placed in international competitions. Despite that success, Kauppi remains incredibly humble. “Warhammer isn’t really a mainstream game, but it’s been slowly growing in popularity for almost 40 years,” he says. “And it’s pretty awesome watching it all grow and being a part of it.” Many years ago, Kauppi was struggling. He readily says that he had a “big old nasty drug problem.” Aside from admitting there is a problem, figuring out how to solve it can be extremely challenging. Kauppi knew he enjoyed playing

Warhammer and wondered if he’d be able to channel that enjoyment into long-term sobriety. And it’s been working. The dedication and focus and creativity has helped Kauppi become mentally strong and healthy. “Becoming obsessed with Warhammer was like replacing one addiction with another, but Warhammer doesn’t damage my health or hurt my relationships,” he says. Each gamer has a story about how and why they started playing. What this game and other similar ones do for people is almost revolutionary. Imagine feeling alone or out of place and discovering a community who will embrace you and mentor you and cheer you on, whether you’re just reading, painting, or playing. To some, this game is life. To Kauppi, this game represents creativity, community involvement, family togetherness, and sobriety. A peaceful evening at the Kauppi household entails children laughing, dogs barking, cats meowing, dinner cooking, and the perfect green paint.

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Untitled #579 By Meaghan Eley, Registrar, Thunder Bay Art Gallery

Artist: Alex Janvier Title: Untitled #579 Date: 1963 Medium: Watercolour on paper Dimensions: 37 x 44 cm

lmost 30 years ago, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery organized a mid-career retrospective of Alex Janvier’s work, guest curated by Lee-Ann Martin. The Art of Alex Janvier: His First Thirty Years, 1960–1990 showcased 62 paintings by the artist, including Untitled #579. The exhibition

went on to be seen by audiences across the country at the Woodland Cultural Centre, Canadian Museum of History, the Edmonton Art Gallery, Mendel Art Gallery, and the Glenbow Museum. That exhibition now marks a mid-point in Janvier’s long and varied career as an artist, educator, government consultant, and political activist. The permanent collection houses 11 paintings by Alex Janvier, with Untitled #579 being the earliest, created just three years after the artist graduated from the Southern Alberta

FROM THE THUNDER BAY ART GALLERY’S COLLECTION

Institute of Technology and Art (now Alberta University of the Arts). Janvier’s distinctive style is already evident in this early work. In 2016, the National Gallery of Canada collected over 150 of Janvier’s “unique paintings, with their vivid colours and calligraphic lines” for another retrospective, Alex Janvier: Modern Indigenous Master. In that exhibition, it was noted that while “exploring the geocultural landscape of Janvier’s northern Alberta home, his works on paper, canvas and linen reference Indigenous culture and

history, including his own experience of the effects of colonization and residential schools, within a personal aesthetic that is universal in its appeal.” Janvier has said “There is something to paint any moment, night and day. My paintings are just about who I am, where I’ve been, what I’ve seen.” Janvier’s drive has led him to create thousands of paintings, with very little sign of slowing down. At the age of 85, Alex Janvier continues to draw and paint at his home in Cold Lake, Alberta.

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TheArts

Northern Originals Thunder Bay Art Gallery Fundraiser Goes Online

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

T  Gayle Buzzi’s Coon1

 Sam Shahsahabi’s One Way Fish

he Thunder Bay Art Gallery’s annual art auction is going online this year. The Northern Originals Art Auction features 34 works by 32 artists from Northwestern Ontario. Bidding for this year’s auction will begin online at 8 am on November 2 and end at 8 pm on November 9. For those who want to see the works in person, all the works are currently on display at the gallery until the auction ends. This year’s event was originally planned for the spring, but due to COVID-19 the auction was delayed and changed to an online event. The art auction is one of the gallery’s most popular fundraising events of the year, and all proceeds directly support the gallery’s exhibition and education programming. This year’s art auction features works of art in a variety of different mediums including paintings, photographs, prints, sculptures, and pottery from artists from across Northwestern Ontario. The works for this one-of-a-kind fundraiser are generously donated by the artists, and the gallery cannot thank each of these outstanding artists enough for their support. “The last few years I’ve seen the amazing art work submitted for the Thunder Bay Art Gallery’s annual auction, and it was my sincere hope to be asked to be invited to donate

 Lois Nuttall’s A Beautiful Change of Perspective

 Michel Dumont’s Forget Me Not Tea Tray

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a mosaic,” says Michel Dumont, one of the artists who donated his work, Forget Me Not Tea Tray. “It puts me in such wonderful company of the finest artists that Northwestern Ontario has produced. It’s gratifying to note that my growth as an artist has been appreciated both here and abroad.” “As someone who grew up in Thunder Bay, I was always at the summer art camps and participated in numerous shows throughout my undergraduate degree. The art gallery gives artists an opportunity to show their work to the community on a professional level. I want that to continue.” says Gayle Buzzi, whose glass sculpture Coon1 is up for auction. The Thunder Bay Art Gallery has been hosting the annual art auction for more than 20 years. It continues to be a great event for patrons of the arts to find interesting and exceptional works of art to bring home. The auction is a great way to support our region’s artists by proudly investing in an original piece of art, and this year from the comfort of your own home. The Thunder Bay Art Gallery strives to continue to offer unique exhibitions and educational programs to ensure no person goes without access to the arts in our community. For more information, visit theag. ca/art-auction.

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Pelletier stands with the largest piece of birchbark she harvested on her own

Fort William First Nation artist Helen Pelletier

Narratives Through Wigwas

The Heartfelt Work of Helen Pelletier Story by Betty Carpick, Photos by Patrick Chondon

elen Pelletier’s relationship with the forests and waters of Fort William First Nation is intertwined with the legacy of the early people of Kitchigami (Lake Superior), the guardians of the natural world. Ojibway originates from the word “o-jibi-weg”—the people who make pictographs. The symbols in pictographs and birchbark scrolls were how knowledge was passed on between generations. Pelletier has a deep respect for all that is provided seasonally by the sacred territory of Anemki Wajiw (Thunder Mountain). The many ways she expresses herself with natural materials give voice to old concepts while leveraging new possibilities.

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Pelletier is continually learning through identifying, collecting, preparing, designing, shaping, and finishing. Wigwas (birchbark) for baskets and jewelry is carefully harvested in the spring or early summer when the sap is running. Winter birchbark for etched work is collected when the sap is down. Strong and flexible black spruce roots for lashing are gathered in the spring and summer. “I’m having so much fun,” says Pelletier. “I’m so in love. Birchbark is healing and it’s always been that way for me.” Pelletier’s work connects her with Ojibway teachings and the Indigenous ethic of generosity,

reciprocity, and redistribution. With a quiet humility, she communicates the continuation of the ways her family and community have used knowledge, traditions, and skills to adapt and thrive as Anishinabek Gitchi Gami (the people of Lake Superior). Pelletier’s interest in the white birch began at Fort William Historical Park where she cleaned spruce roots and sewed panels for wigwams under the guidance of Anne Magiskan. Around 2018, Pelletier began making meticulously crafted birchbark baby carriers and transitioned to birchbark baskets, earrings, barrettes, medallions, eagle feather cases, and moose calls. Her passion led her to decorative experiments using quillwork with porcupine quills, tanned moose, and deer hide, and an etching technique where the cambium layer of the bark is scraped away to reveal

the contrasting under layer. “I like to do things in a good way,“ she enthuses. “I use the old-school designs I’ve observed on baskets and canoes in ways that get people excited.” Encouraged to participate in the May 2020 Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto—an intersection of art, craft, and fashion—by beadworker Jean Marshall, Pelletier began freshly exploring birchbark etchings. She transferred the ancient teachings of forgiveness and peace represented by Ode’min (heart berry and strawberry) to hoodies and t-shirts. With the event rescheduled to online for November 26–29 and time afforded by the pandemic, Pelletier also made mugs and face masks. “I’m so grateful for the relationship I’m building with Wigwas,” she says, “Look at my hands! They tell the stories of my journey.”

Pelletier makes many things from birchbark, including meticulously crafted baby carriers, baskets, earrings, and eagle feather cases

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Outdoor

It’s Sending Season Climbing the Sandstone Cliffs Near Pass Lake Story and photos by Jesse Milani

icture this: you are 20 metres up a rock face, your fingers are cramping up, your forearms are pumped, and you feel like you are seconds from falling. Frantically, you search for anything to hold onto—any little pinch or crack that you can use to balance yourself and help you finish this climb. The thought crosses your mind: “If I take a fall from here, this is going to be a massive whipper” (climber lingo for a hard fall). Eventually you find it. It’s a tiny little hand crimp that you can just get enough of your fingertips onto to grip. You use this newly discovered saviour of a hold to help you get to the top of the route. You yell, “clipping!” down to your belayer and clip into the anchor on the wall. You hear some cheers from your fellow climbers on the ground. Eventually you remember to breathe and that the whole experience is supposed to be fun. Welcome to rock climbing. Northern Ontario is home to

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a very rare sandstone rock climbing area near the town of Pass Lake, just east of Thunder Bay. Being the only established sandstone rock climbing area in Ontario, this area is a frequent hotspot for climbers. In terms of rock quality, sandstone offers a climber greater friction and interesting holds that are not found on the much more common granite walls found throughout our region. The mixture of unique holds, superior grip, and accessibility makes the Pass Lake climbing area a fan favourite. As autumn approaches, climbers begin to use the term “sending season.” Lower autumn temperatures help prevent a climber from sweating, and the lack of moisture allows for greater friction between the climber’s skin and the rock. After a full summer of climbing, autumn becomes the final push for climbers to send some of their projects that have yet to be conquered. For most people, rock climbing seems like an outrageous sport in

 The view overlooking Pass Lake  The Pass Lake area is home to a rare sandstone rock climbing spot

Outdoor

Learning safe techniques can eliminate some risks associated with rock climbing

which to get involved. The walls are high, and the risks can be intimidating. But when it comes to extreme sports, remembering the difference between actual risk and perceived risk is important. The risk that comes with rock climbing is one that can be managed. Learning safe

techniques can eliminate some risks and mitigate potential dangers that come with climbing. To answer the common question “why on Earth would you want to rock climb, surely you can find something else to do?” I simply smile and reply, “why not just send it.”

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CityScene

WALL SPACE

Al Bourbouhakis stands in the company’s new office area. He says they are grateful for the overwhelming support from the community and how it was important to continue operations in Thunder Bay. “It felt like the right thing to do.”

Heartbeat Hot Sauce Co. Growing Space

Story by Tiffany Jarva, Photos by Kay Lee

his past August, Heartbeat Hot Sauce Co. moved into its new digs, the renovated 20,000-square-foot warehouse space that used to house North American Lumber on the city’s south side. Coowner Al Bourbouhakis says it was exciting to move into a place that was essentially a blank canvas. “This was all the space we needed, which meant we had to really think about how to set it up in an ideal world. So why not shoot for the moon?” The new space includes an office area, staff lounge and kitchen, a state-of-the-art “clean room” for food prep, and warehouse space for storage and shipping. The company has grown exponentially from

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its first days, initiated as a hobby between Bourbouhakis and his wife Nancy Shaw, also a co-owner of Tomlin restaurant. “The first batch of sauce Nancy and I cooked was just for fun and we loved it,” says Bourbouhakis. “I saved a jar from that first batch in 2014, and it’s still in my fridge. Every now and again I taste it to see how things have changed. It still tastes great.” Bourbouhakis says that right from the beginning there was an energy behind the company that kept growing and pushing them to new levels. He initially had a five-year plan in place: continuing to work part-time as a chef and part-time running Heartbeat. However, within 10 months he had to scrap that plan and start running Heartbeat as a fulltime job. “There was this momentum that grabbed a hold of what we were doing. Now we’re making it for the world,” laughs Bourbouhakis. “I shake my head daily. If you asked me two years ago if we would be operating full-time with 17 employees I would have said ‘no way.’”

Approximately 20,000 bottles of Heartbeat Hot Sauce are shipped worldwide every week. The company produces six different hot sauces, with one (Scorpion) not available in Canada because it was exclusively created for the show Hot Ones—a popular YouTube show featuring celebrities testing their hot sauce limits. “We identify as a local Canadian company, but one that serves worldwide needs.”

Bourbouhakis says it was important to create a state-of-theart “clean room.” The 2,400-square-foot food prep space has medical-grade filters with HVAC ventilation. “It’s a sophisticated, big white box that is technologically advanced,” he explains. “Why only meet the standards if we can exceed them?”

CityScene

Hot peppers ferment between 30 and 45 days, depending on type of pepper, in 100-kilogram barrels. “Sounds crazy but we already have to forecast and plan what will be harvested next year for 2022 and we’re thinking we’ll need about 50,000 pounds of hot peppers.” On a weekly basis they go through about 1,500 to 2,000 pounds of onions, 4,000 pounds of bell peppers, 50 to 60 litres of lime juice, and about 800 litres of vinegar. A vintage-looking Skee-Ball table anchors the lounge area. It was given to Bourbouhakis as a wedding gift from Nancy because it gave him, a self-proclaimed non-dancer, something to do instead of dancing at their wedding.

A remote-control truck in the office sometimes delivers invoices and takes the garbage out (check out videos on Heartbeat’s Instagram feed!) “We definitely try to have fun when we can. We are very busy so taking a minute or two to have some fun like this is important.”

A lounge and kitchen offer an opportunity for staff to relax and make themselves at home. “We wanted to make a space that is comfortable, having come from a space that was cramped,” explains Bourbouhakis. “The quality of our product is number one and a close number two is making sure our workforce is happy and sustained. We strive to create a thoughtful business and we genuinely hope that our staff will stay and grow with us.” Bourbouhakis encourages staff to use the kitchen to prepare meals, or hang out after dinner in the lounge and watch TV, movies, or sporting events. He also plans on inviting other chefs from the community to cook with him in the kitchen. A mini-fridge full of “some of our favourite hot sauce products” provides inspiration.

Skids of product are being prepared for shipping to Alabama, Texas, and Nevada. In addition to shipping across the United States and Canada, Heartbeat has distributors in places like the Netherlands, the U.K., and currently they are in talks with a company in Latvia. “Our distributor in Quebec has 800 retailers alone,” Bourbouhakis says, adding that it’s getting tough to keep track of the thousands of retailers that carry their sauces.

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CityScene raise funds and build a monument to the war at Fort William’s city hall. Fort William initially had a grand vision for a larger memorial park, but concerns over the cost of the project led the city to accept the monument proposed by the Fort William Patriotic Society. Unveiled on October 21, 1921, the Fort William Cenotaph today stands in front of Thunder Bay City Hall. Originally known as Armistice Day until 1931, Remembrance Day increased in scope as Canadians began to recognize the contributions made during World War II and the Korean War. Today, most consider Remembrance Day an opportunity to honour any past or present military veteran who has dedicated themselves to our country. Most Remembrance Day proceedings will include marching and parades, military salutes, speakers, and the recitation of prayer and poetry, and a moment of silence. Remembering those who have

Lest We Forget A History of Remembrance in the Lakehead

Story by Nicholas Duplessis, Photo by Laurie Abthorpe

he Lakehead, present-day Thunder Bay and area, made tangible contributions to the World War I effort. Over 6,000 individuals from Northwestern Ontario enlisted, the majority of whom lived in the Lakehead. Local enlistees belonged to numerous overseas units and individuals on the domestic front mobilized to contribute to the war effort. While it is of utmost importance to remember the sacrifices made by men and women throughout the decades over numerous conflicts, we should also consider how our communities have historically commemorated their efforts. After the conclusion of World War I, the first local community to commemorate their veterans was Fort William First Nation, who memorialized local veterans by placing a wooden cross at the lookout area on Anemki Wajiw (also known as Mount McKay). Today, an inscription on the cross memorializes community members “who

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fell in the Great War,” and notes that five medals were bestowed on local soldiers. In both Port Arthur and Fort William, women took the lead in organizing the early commemoration efforts. As outlined in the recent monograph, Thunder Bay and the First World War, 1914-1919, “It is probably fair to say that, without the determination of women’s groups… it is unlikely that the war memorials would ever have been built in either city.” In Port Arthur, the Women’s Canadian Club served as the driving force for the establishment of a memorial in Waverley Park. After organizing the process and raising the majority of the funds, the Port Arthur Cenotaph was unveiled on September 15th, 1925. The City of Port Arthur also named Memorial Avenue, the road connecting Port Arthur and Fort William, in honour of local veterans. Meanwhile, the Fort William Patriotic Society, another women’s group, offered to

served in Canada’s armed forces is only one aspect of Remembrance Day. We must also strive to better understand the conflicts we are remembering. A recent example is the World War I Centennial celebrations hosted throughout Thunder Bay. In particular, the World War One Thunder Bay Centennial Project offers individuals the opportunity to critically engage with our past, and provide an outlet for remembrance. Other events, including the centennial celebration of the Battle of Vimy Ridge at the Waverley Park Cenotaph and the release of the film Where the Poppies Grow: The Lakehead at War, have provided avenues outside of Remembrance Day in which we can critically reflect on how and why we remember. Nicholas Duplessis has a Masters of Arts in history from Lakehead University and sits on the board of directors for the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society.

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CityScene

EYE TO EYE

With Rodney Brown As told to Matt Prokopchuk, Photo by Kay Lee

Rodney Brown stands on his newly-built deck, cordless drill in hand

odney Brown has been a fixture in Thunder Bay’s music scene for decades. Part of the first wave of Canadian folk musicians, which included names like Bruce Cockburn and Stan Rogers, Brown shared stages and festival billings with them and many others. He’s also played in numerous bands and recorded 11 albums, including three children’s records. Now, he’s been recognized by Folk Music Ontario, being nominated for the organization’s Estelle Klein Award, which honours those who have made “significant contributions to Ontario’s folk music community.” Brown joined us over Zoom to talk about the recognition, declining a card game invitation from Murray McLauchlan, and his interest in home renovations. On being recognized by Ontario’s folk music community: It’s one of those things where I just feel really honoured to receive this kind of recognition [across] the province. To be recognized like that is pretty awesome and it makes me think “hmm, you know, maybe I have done a lot of work

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throughout my career that is community-based and can be considered folk music.” So, I think they recognize all the work that I’ve done with local labour groups and, like I say, the community work that I’ve done in schools with children. And also my main thing, which is being a singer-songwriter. I’m just happy to be in that group that’s been nominated for this award. It’s just wonderful. On starting his career and playing festivals alongside Canada’s folk music giants: I was just in awe … at the Winnipeg Folk Festival I was in an elevator with Murray McLauchlan and Loudon Wainwright III, who unfortunately had just been booed off the stage for one of his songs that was a little controversial [laughs]. Murray McLauchlan invited me for a card game, which unfortunately I never got to—I’m not a great card player—but to be around these people was just amazing. And I think it was an eye opener too, for younger musicians—I know it was for me—to go to a festival and just realize how much talent there is.

You start to think that you’re pretty good, you do well in your hometown, but when you play your first festival and there’s thousands of people there and you get to meet just so many great musicians. It’s a little humbling but at the same time, it started my touring career, led me to play other festivals across Canada, led to more albums. It can lead you into some very interesting gigs later on. On what keeps him busy and occupied outside of music: I do quite a bit of building and rebuilding and maintenance and repair. We have an old house on the hill here—one of the oldest houses; it was built in 1890—and when we first started living here, we had lots of leaks in the basement and up above, and I just did a new walkway and a couple of decks. And so, yeah, I’m not a carpenter, but I do some carpentry. I’m not a plumber or an electrician but I do a bit of that too [laughs]. It’s work that I enjoy too, but it’s not my natural talent; my talent has always been playing the guitar and singing songs. And I’ve had to learn and struggle and am

still learning and struggling, but trying to do a good job with the music and with my renovations. I could build a deck and nobody claps afterwards but I might get some nice comments here and there [laughs]. I also enjoy spending time with my family, especially my granddaughter Rosalie. On the most interesting place work has taken him: I would say Witney, England. I actually got a gig in the U.K. when I was doing my Big Lonely album. I was doing research on Fort William’s namesake, William McGillivray, and there was an organization there that was very interested in the songs and the history, so I went there and played and went into the school. On what his favourite outdoor activity is: Canoeing. On what food he’s most craving: My wife is a really good cook. She is retired and she makes me awesome suppers and her curries are really, really good—chicken or beef vegetable curries. That’s what I like.

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CityScene

This is Thunder Bay Interviews by Nancy Saunders, Photos by Kay Lee This month we asked The Walleye readers if Thunder Bay needs a sign at the waterfront as a 50th anniversary legacy project.

April (left, pictured with Josée): I like the idea of a monument. I would question where they put it though, since it’s about the amalgamation. I’d like to see it more where the old sign used to be, in Fort William. I’m wondering if there wouldn’t be a more appropriate spot than at the marina for it. I know it’s a beautiful area but because it’s for the amalgamation … I like the idea but I would question having it here.

Jackie: I think it would be wonderful. I think that tourists, when they come… I know in other cities they take pictures with them. I think it would add something to the marina.

Laverne: No. We have enough stuff here, we’ve got enough monuments. Why have another one to distort the view? I think it would clutter it up.

Sandra: I think we should have something original for our own community and not just choose something that other communities have done. So the proposed plan, I don’t necessarily agree with. I think we should do something Thunder Bay original.

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CityScene

Order Up

The Growth of the Local Restaurant Scene in the 2010s Story by Matt Prokopchuk, Photos by Chad Kirvan

hunder Bay has seen considerable growth in the local restaurant scene over the past decade, and one long-time chef says that means more options for people looking to dine out. Craig Vieira is the general manager and head chef at Caribou Restaurant + Wine Bar. He’s been in the kitchen at Caribou for 21 years,

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following short stints at several other restaurants in the city. Vieira says a general increased interest in food among many people has also found its way into the local culinary scene. “Things like the Food Channel and Pinterest [make it] really accessible,” he says. “I don’t want to say everyone’s a little bit of a foodie but I think more than ever

people are aware that there’s just more than steak and potatoes offered in town.” Dozens of locally owned eateries catering to a wide variety of tastes have set up shop all over Thunder Bay since 2010; while the downtown north core and surrounding area has undoubtedly become a hot spot, the south core, Westfort, and other parts of town have also seen new restaurants and pubs open their doors. The rise in international students studying in Thunder Bay has also brought more diversity to the culinary scene, Vieira says. “With the more independent places definitely offering a more diverse menu, [they’re] showcasing that, yeah, you can have

a great steak and potato dish, but there’s so much more out there.” It appears people are taking notice—and not only in Thunder Bay. City tourism manager Paul Pepe says the local food scene is becoming a bigger part of how Thunder Bay markets itself. “Every visitor eats,” he says. “Having a defined culinary identity—which Thunder Bay has developed quite nicely—and a very positive reputation for good local culinary experiences, makes the city a little bit easier to market. It elevates our reputation as a destination to have that cultural element being so strong and being so local and so supportive.” Having many good places to eat

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can also encourage people visiting from out of town to stay longer, either coming in earlier or staying an extra day or so to sample what’s available, Pepe says—to say nothing of appealing to the growing numbers of “culinary tourists.” Overall, Vieira says the local culinary scene has a vibrancy about it,

pointing to the fact that several new places have even opened up during the ongoing pandemic. “I wouldn’t say it’s an easy go of things, but I don’t think it’s scared too many people off either,” he says. “There’s definitely public support out there.”

Craig Vieira, General Manager and Head Chef at Caribou Restaurant + Wine Bar

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“My teachers are focused

on my success” You belong here 58

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CityScene

A Spot by the Water Local Entrepreneur Brings New Life to CN Train Station Story and photos by Matt Prokopchuk

hen Cory Allan was looking to move his business from its Memorial Avenue location, the historic CN train station building at the waterfront was one of several spaces he was scouting. But when he learned the site was available and would fit his needs, he jumped at the opportunity. “It’s a beautiful…heritage building that I just felt was iconic for Thunder Bay,” the owner of Kühl Interiors says, adding that it’s a “perfect location” for local retail. “I think that most waterfronts in most communities have retail shops and boutique shops that are locally owned that just create a place and point of interest for people.” Allan reopened Kühl Interiors (formerly Kühl Lighting) in the station in August, as well as the adjoining Windy Shores Café. It’s effectively the first business to operate in the building since the Breakwater Taphouse closed in 2016. The station building itself is owned by the City of Thunder

Bay, but is leased long-term by the Winnipeg-based ReSolve Group, who has also been behind the development at the waterfront. That company is responsible for identifying and securing businesses to sublease the units in the station

building, with the provision that those businesses are consistent with a tourism destination. The city gives final approval to those agreements. Allan says the unit he occupies at the south end of the main floor had had a modern-enough renovation that was large enough and configured properly to house his lighting and home décor business. The café addition was something he says he included to move with modern trends in retail, with more shops offering a place for customers to purchase coffees, teas, and baked goods while on site, like Starbucks

being in Chapters and Indigo stores. He also notes that several cafés and small eateries have operated in the CN building in the past. So far, Allan says it’s been “phenomenal” moving down to the waterfront and hopes that other merchants will soon join him. “There’s so much opportunity down here. I’m hoping now that we’re in the space, we’ll have other local businesses hopefully move in next to us and create kind of a unique shopping pocket in the downtown core [in addition] to what’s on the other side of Water Street.”

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Stefania Etreni

Peter David Wragg

CityScene

Painter and mixed media artist Stefania Etreni’s hand-painted resin necklaces

Going Virtual

Artisans Northwest Moves Annual Sale Online By Matt Prokopchuk

long-running arts and crafts sale in Thunder Bay will look quite a bit different this year as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced Artisans Northwest to retool their annual event.

Susan Wright-Cassan’s Tembo

The Annual Art and Fine Craft Show is typically held in November at the Valhalla Inn, but this year, with restrictions on the number of people that can gather in an indoor space, the sale is going virtual, says Cindy Cockell, the advertising chair for Artisans Northwest. That will effectively mean that the expected 25 to 30 artists who are selected for this year’s sale will have their social media pages linked from Artisans Northwest’s Facebook page and website. Each individual vendor will be responsible for setting up their own payment and delivery methods. “We’re telling people that, even if it’s a wicked snowstorm outside–like has happened in some years–you can still shop from the comfort of your home,” Cockell says.

The pandemic and the subsequent changing of plans thwarted what organizers hoped would be a big special event to mark the sale’s 45th year. Cockell says up to 90

artists, ranging from clothiers and quilters to sculptors, painters, and potters typically set up booths at the Valhalla for the sale. This year, it was going to be tied into Thunder Bay’s 50th birthday, but Cockell says, with a scaled-down event being necessary, they backed off on those plans. “Logistically, we just couldn’t make it happen in person this year,” she says. The craft sale usually sees thousands of people attend. “We want to do it right,” Cockell continues, speaking to why organizers aren’t doing a full-on celebration for their 45th. We had great plans for this year but we decided we wanted to do it [a big celebration] in person, so we’re hoping for next year.” The virtual Annual Art and Fine Craft Show is being held November 21 and 22, with the virtual booths open from 10 am until 4 pm. For more information, you can go to artisansnorthwest.ca or check out Artisans Northwest on Facebook @ ArtisansNorthwestsince1975.

Acrylic painter Jennifer Caie’s Iridescent

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Peter David Wragg

Marilyn Boyle

Acrylic painter Marilyn Boyle’s piece Summer Skies

CityScene

The 1969 Chevrolet Camaro being raffled off by the Thunder Bay Museum

Raffling It Off

Thunder Bay Museum Looks to Classic Car Buffs to Raise Funds By Matt Prokopchuk

fficials with the Thunder Bay Museum say despite some hiccups along the way, a major fundraising effort is on track. The museum holds classic car raffles roughly every two years, which can bring in as much as 10% of the organization’s operating budget, says Scott Bradley, the museum’s executive director. The current raffle will be drawn in May 2021 for a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro. Tickets went on sale in March of this year, with the planned draw date in July. The COVID-19 pandemic quickly changed those plans. “We were in a situation with everything locked down that we were fairly certain we were not going to be able to sell all 15,000 tickets

by July,” Bradley says. “Because we already committed and had our lottery license…we were in one of two positions: either refund all the tickets and cancel the raffle for this year, or find some way to extend the raffle.” Local lottery officials allowed the extension, Bradley says, which means the museum has a much longer time to sell the tickets, and, consequently, can raise more money. “It was a show car for a long time, very pristine condition,” Bradley says. “[It’s] only had a couple of owners.” The museum has raffled off a number of cars for similar fundraisers before, Bradley says, adding that they usually look to acquire a vehicle for around $40,000, which still allows them to make enough money on the raffle. “We’re

looking for people that are interested in classic cars and classic muscle cars,” he says of who the museum looks to attract with the raffle, although he says they may look into expanding it to include trucks in the future. In early October, Bradley says they had sold around 3,500 of the 15,000 tickets.

For more information on the draw, you can visit thunderbaymuseum.com/community-programming and follow the links from the Special Events & Activities tab. Tickets can be purchased at the museum or through a number of partnered businesses. The draw is scheduled to take place at Fat Guys Auto Parts on May 1, 2021 at 4 pm.

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CityScene

GO LOCAL THUNDER BAY COUNTRY MARKET

Sean Murray, co-owner of Nor’Wester Maple Company

Nor’Wester Maple Company Story by Sarah Kerton, Photos by Keegan Richard

or’Wester Maple Company has been at the Thunder Bay Country Market since forming their business in 2017. And things are about to get sweeter, with new products and a move from seasonal attendance to being a permanent year-round vendor. The company is a collaboration between five members: Sean Murray, Cale Leeson, Abe Zettek, David Bates, and Aaron Keffer. All avid outdoorspeople, they love to hike, fish, hunt, and canoe, and making maple syrup became a hobby as a natural extension of that lifestyle. “After our first season

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making maple syrup over a long open fire with Salvation Army canning pots, we were hooked and our business was formed,” says Murray. Their sap is collected from their maple stand near Cloud Lake in the Municipality of Neebing, and they create syrup, maple candies, and granulated maple sugar from the proceeds. They aim to produce between 1,000 and 1,400 litres of finished syrup per year, depending on the yield. “All of us are extremely conservation- minded and throughout the years we have worked tirelessly to protect our maple forest and many others in the region from

forestry operations,” Murray says. “Running our business demonstrates that there is both conservation and financial benefit to keeping [Northwestern Ontario] maple trees healthy and alive.” The sense of community among customers and vendors is the owners’ favourite part about being at the market. “I love chatting to people about how we make our product and love listening to their stories,” Murray says. “Stories of how customers used to make syrup as kids or how their grandparents used to make it on the family farm down south always makes our day.” Making maple syrup is a very community-based activity. “Every spring, families, friends, neighbours, strangers, youth groups, etc. come together to put in the hard work it takes to make maple syrup in little pockets of maple trees all throughout the Nor’Wester escarpment,” he continues.

Due to their success (which they quickly chalk up in part to the volunteerism of countless family and friends who have supported them along the way), they have recently launched Canada West Maple Products to help meet demand for high quality maple syrup in Northwestern Ontario and Western Canada. “This new company is based in Thunder Bay and is a collective of other northern Ontario maple producers,” Murray says. “We have vetted the very best producers in the north to deliver larger sizes of maple syrup to our customers.” He adds that since some of the syrup is not made locally and they believe in supporting local, 5% of the gross sales from Canada West Maple Products from the market for a year will be donated to Roots to Harvest. You can buy the local Nor’Wester syrup and the new Canada West syrup at the same booth on the main floor of the country market.

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CityScene Cocktail Shaker

Stuff We Like

The Kitchen Nook

For Jazzy Nights (At Home) By Amy Jones

OVID-19 has been hard on music lovers, and jazz fans are no exception. It could be you had to cancel your plans to travel to Montreal for the jazz festival, or maybe you’re just really missing your weekly date night at The Foundry’s Jazzy Thursday Nights. But there are upsides to recreating your favourite jazz club in your living room—number one being the proximity to your bed at the end of the night. Here’s Stuff We Like for Jazzy Nights (At Home).

Local Jazz Album Various

There are so many great local jazz artists in the region that we couldn’t pick just one. Robin Ranger has a new album dropping soon (check out our feature in this issue!) or you could pick up a classic from Sunday wilde or Glenn Jennings. Northern jazz is the best jazz, we say!

168 Algoma Street South There’s a reason James Bond wanted his martini “shaken, not stirred”—shaking gives a cocktail texture, aerates it, helps to chill it, and, well, it just looks cool. Shake up your own jazzy martini in style with this cocktail shaker from The Kitchen Nook.

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803 Memorial Avenue You want ambiance? We’ve got your ambiance. This Amantii electric fireplace from Bob’s Woodburners & Fireplaces not only keeps you warm on those cold November nights, but it features 13 different colours of surround backlighting—one for every album in your Charlie Parker box set.

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Arie Chair

271 Bay Street You can’t enjoy jazz sitting on an IKEA couch—don’t blame us, we don’t make the rules. But why would you want to, when you can plant your butt in one of these gorgeous EQ3 Arie chairs from Portobello Home? It’s comfortable, it’s customizable, and it spins— just like your head when Ella starts to scat.

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Fedora

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J.B. Evans

122 Frederica Street West Look, we know that fedoras have gotten a bit of a bad rap over the years—we all remember that cheesy guy in our undergrad poetry workshop who wouldn’t stop talking about “the muse.” But did you know that the fedora was originally designed to be a woman’s hat? We say it’s time to reclaim that fedora, ladies, starting with this straw Morris fedora from J.B. Evans. It’s fun, it’s jazzy, and it won’t conveniently “forget” its wallet when you go out for a drink with it.

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Rega Planar 2 Turntable The Power Centre

707 Memorial Avenue True music fans know: you can’t beat the warm, rich sound of jazz on vinyl. And with a state-of-the-art tonearm, a float glass platter with improved accuracy, and a sexy high-gloss acrylic plinth, this Rega Planar 2 turntable really is the next best thing to hearing it live.

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64 The Walleye

How to Listen to Jazz

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CityScene

advice on caring for the live plants it sells, like watering and changing light needs throughout the year. With winter fast approaching, there will be fewer plants available and the focus will be on hardy ones that are easier for “new plant parents.” The owners are excited to see what the future holds—perhaps a brick-and-mortar shop in the downtown core. Learning every day and

Growing Online

Local Online Home Decor, Jewelry, Shop Launches Ahead of Schedule By Wendy Wright

new online shop has popped up locally for Thunder Bay to add to their local shopping options. Stacey Victor and Jessica Lepinsky have opened Alder & Ivy as an exclusively online shop based out of Lappe. The shop offers an array of items from handcrafted jewelry, home, and lifestyle goods to live plants, with or without their own terrarium. The idea came about from Victor and Lepinsky’s own personal interests and passions, and the desire to share those with others. Initially the plan was to open in 2021, however “there was so much excitement, we officially opened our online shop in September 2020,” says Victor. The two entrepreneurs collaborated after multiple conversations regarding their individual tastes and what they gravitated

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towards. Both realized they share a common interest in all things natural, environmentally friendly, and handmade. Victor has had her own handmade candle business for four years, and Lepinsky propagates the plants. Handmade soaps are coming soon from McChristie’s, and the jewelry is made just for Alder & Ivy by Northern Grace. There is also a growing stock of local and international items. “When we are choosing items, we look for items we love and always do our best to select items that are sustainable and environmentally friendly,” Victor says. When perusing their website, you can see the time and thoughtfulness that has gone into curating this lovely collection. Each piece is beautifully presented and the descriptions are helpful. The business also provides

having many new products launching keeps them busy. “We strongly believe the way you spend your money positively affects the people who make and sell your products. Every purchase truly matters to us and we are so grateful,” Victor says. To learn more, visit alderandivy. ca or find them on Instagram @alder. ivyco and Facebook @alderandivy.

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Kozar Engineering offers a number of engineering services, primarily to commercial and industrial clients

New banners hang on the streets of Westfort

Changing With the Times

decided it was time to adapt the committee. Westfort has been my community my whole life, from working in this store to now running it,” Andrew says. “Our neighbours have become my good friends. If a client needs a barber for the wedding I am suiting them for, I send them down the street to The Barber Shop. And vice versa. It becomes personalized customer service, which equals repeat business. This is how we drive these new businesses and customers.”

And sure enough, the banners aren’t the only new additions to the streets. Westfort has seen at least three new businesses open up since the COVID-19 pandemic began: a new location of Stella WaxBar, a new coffee shop called The Alchemist, and Norteños Taqueria, a Mexican restaurant. Both Moros were adamant that the few buildings still remaining for lease in the area would greatly benefit from occupation. Jack says that the business life in Westfort needs to operate at a

Westfort Village Association Rebrands as New Businesses Thrive Story by Sara Sadeghi Aval, Photos by Keegan Richard

f you drive down Frederica Street these days, you will see new banners overhead. On that same street is J.B. Evans, a clothing and footwear shop that has operated locally in Thunder Bay since 1912. Andrew Moro and his father Jack

own the store; Moro’s father sat on the Westfort business committee for over 30 years, and now Andrew has taken the torch, along with other new, younger members. “We were seeing new faces [and] new businesses open up, and we Westfort Foods has been a staple business in the neighbourhood for over 20 years

68 The Walleye

CityScene

J.B. Evans has been family-owned and operated since 1912 occur in 2021. The Westfort Village Association is also releasing merchandise consisting of hats, hoodies, and patches with their new logo. Despite the economic impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Westfort business community has successfully managed to both maintain and grow its members. For more information, you can visit the Westfort Village Association on Facebook @ WestfortVillageAssociation

 Stella WaxBar is one of the newer businesses in Westfort  The Sal is a very popular restaurant on Frederica Street

Sara Sadeghi Aval

“well-oiled speed,” adding that beautification to buildings, landscaping, and new signage all contribute to attracting clientele. The committee has already instituted changes to encourage growth, including extending their annual street fair that takes place in August from a one-day to a two-day event. And there will be a Christmas festival, which will include more vendors and include a larger geographical area than the community has seen before. Both of these events will

Andrew Moro, Westfort business owner and member of the Westfort Village Association

The Westfort Village Association is planning a number of events for 2021 as part of its rebranding

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CityScene

Salonki opened its doors on Algoma Street in February 2020

Salonki Salon Provides a Sense of Home Multicultural Salon Goes Beyond Traditional Offerings

Story by Nancy Saunders, Photos by Kay Lee

essie McLure and Shannon Skinner are co-owners of Salonki Salon & Ethnic Beauty Supply, a multicultural salon that proudly celebrates both owners’ cultural backgrounds of Finnish and Carribean, respectively. The two met 10 years ago while attending hair school in Thunder Bay, McLure’s hometown. Skinner was born on the island of Saint Lucia and grew up doing her younger sisters’ and her cousins’ hair. “I guess culturally being the eldest in my family I was responsible for learning different styles such as braiding, weaving, relaxers, cornrows ... but I actually just truly loved making my sister and cousins feel beautiful,” she says. The name Salonki comes from the Finnish word for salon, referring

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to the room in a home where people gather. McLure says, “The English definition for salonki is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine the taste and increase the knowledge of the participants through conversation.” Salonki is one of Thunder Bay’s newest salons, located at 210 Algoma Street South, across the street from The Growing Season and around the corner from the Finnish Labour Temple. McLure’s Finnish grandmother, Gertie Pykari, imparted to McLure a sense of Finnish pride and sisu. “The name was a perfect fit for the area, and it just sounds cool,” she says. Skinner says that many clients are embracing Salonki’s services

Customers are asked to mark on the map where they have come from. It showcases the variety and diversity of Salonki's clientele and helps people feel welcome

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Shannon Skinner and Jessie McLure, co-owners of Salonki

because in the past they would travel to Toronto or Winnipeg to find a stylist who knew how to work with Afro and other ethnic hair styles. All said, that would translate into upwards of $300 per haircut. “Shannon has had people cry in her chair because they’re able to have their hair done by someone who knows how to do it,” says McLure. Multiple passions and interests and a love for connecting and learning from others led Skinner to take social work in university. However, she says “the hair gods had me in their grasp and wouldn't let go. Even through university I still did all my friends’ and family’s hair. I already worked at a beauty supply store since I was 17 and I had the passion and natural skill for hair styling and colouring, but needed to learn the science behind it all. Now I have been a licensed professional hair artist for over eight years and proudly own my own hair studio.” The two women came together to open Salonki in February 2020. “We are proud to be able to offer a wide range of services at our salon and the partnership makes for a great complement of our individual strengths,” McLure says.

McLure uses an open and educational approach to hair styling to put her clients at ease. Both women are passionate about connecting with people from all walks of life, providing a safe and inclusive space that offers “a sense of comfort, acceptance, warmth, love, and community,” according to their website. Skinner works with the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association and provides free haircuts to the women’s shelter every Sunday in December. Salonki plans to put together packages, including a complimentary haircut, for people and families who are new to the community to help them start their new lives in Thunder Bay. “I want to change within the Afro and LGBTQ community those negative experiences we’ve had in salons; I want my clients to feel free to express themselves fully,” says Skinner. “I want to use my skills and art that I have been blessed with to help my clients look in the mirror and feel like their best self … I always felt that when my hair was done up I could take on the world, and I still feel this way today.”

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CityScene

The Finnish Labour Temple, October 2020

End of an Era

The Historic Finlandia Hall in Black and White Intro by Matt Prokopchuk, photos by Darren McChristie

he 110-year-old Finlandia Hall has a new owner and it appears big changes are coming to the historical building. The site has received national and international attention, and has long been celebrated as the centre of Finnish culture in Thunder Bay, but new ownership reportedly intends to redevelop much of the building. The Finlandia Association, the building’s

former owners, voted in May to liquidate so it could settle over $1 million in debt after missing one payment of less than $2,000 to RBC because the hall and the Hoito Restaurant, which is housed within, were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s a look at some of our favourite memories—and a few mementos—from this iconic building.

 Tiina Flank performs at the Walleye Shag, September 2015 Bay Street Bastards. The last live music performance in the Finn Hall, February 29th, 2020

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CityScene

 Bay Street Bastards, February 29th, 2020

 October 2020

 Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, March 2014

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Voting is open for The Walleye's 9th Annual

Go online and vote for your favourites at thewalleye.ca/bestoftbay2020

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CityScene

Crafting for Cannabis

A Look at Northern Heights Co. Story by Justin Allec, photos by Nate Church

CANNABIS CORNER

The Cedar. A pipe inspired by the northern forests

eruse your local head shop and you’ll find pipes, bongs, and bubblers that come in all shapes and sizes, with a thousand variations on the basic pipe made from materials like glass, stone, wood, and even (yuck) steel. Northern Heights Co. is a local pottery company that manufactures ceramic smoking ware, and their pieces are the very definition of ‘functional art.’ Drawing inspiration from the wilderness surrounding Thunder Bay, owners Nate Church and Gayle Buzzi have created unique product lines that reflect the aesthetics of the north. The Little Dipper pipe I’ve been test-driving recently is a case in point: it has a generous bowl drilled with three draw holes, it fits well in the hand, and the cosmic “Galaxy Glaze” finish is practically bulletproof. Add in

The Coral

the ability to run Northern Heights’ pipes through the dishwasher and you’re probably looking at your next everyday piece. “We had come up with the idea [for Northern Heights Co.] around January, but then it kinda went where a lot of good ideas go,” Buzzi says about starting the business. “But then COVID happened, and I lost my job.” When the couple found themselves isolated, it seemed like a good idea to explore alternative options for income. Buzzi adds that “with legalization, it’s probably the only time in our lives that an entire new industry will open up.” With a strong business background, Church had operated an online lighting store that was also unfortunately shuttered, but with Buzzi recently graduating from the University of Manitoba with

The Autumn Leaf. It's part of a line up of leaf styles, which also includes The Summer Leaf and The Spring Leaf her Master of Fine Arts, the couple decided to forge ahead with their idea. Though Buzzi has training to work with both ceramics and glass, she decided to focus on pottery as the chosen material for Northern Heights because it was easier to start up under quarantine conditions. Given that I wasn’t familiar with ceramic pipes, Buzzi explained the process of slip casting. After sketching and playing with clay, she first makes a maquette, or a small preliminary model. A negative mould is then built around the maquette to provide a consistent shape. Liquid clay is then pressed into the mould and allowed to partially dry; this step allows the clay to take shape, but it also produces the hollow drawing channel that’s necessary for a pipe to function. After a bit

of touching up with brushes and a Dremel tool, the moulded shape is fired in the kiln for 12 hours. Church is clear about the appeal of their pipes: “They’re locally crafted, we’re able to oversee the whole process, and we can easily respond to customer’s needs.” Strong sales through local retailer Kia Ora Kannabis support the online store, and Church is looking beyond Thunder Bay as well—he’s recently made connections with retailers in Winnipeg and the Niagara region. Buzzi also keeps pushing what’s artistically possible with new glazes and two new designs that will be released soon. Beautifully crafted and incredibly durable, Northern Heights Co. pipes are a testament to northern inspiration.

The Borealis with a Blue Lagoon glaze

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CityScene

Lest We Forget Thunder Bay’s Service By Raven Wheesk, Economist, Northern Policy Institute

or the month of November, we wear poppies to acknowledge and remember the sacrifices made by the members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) for over a century. In recognition of these service members, we will take a look at veteran representation in Thunder Bay, compared to the rest of the province and country. Veterans Affairs Canada publishes estimates of the number of veterans across Canada by Veterans Affairs offices. Using regional estimates of veteran totals matched to population numbers, we can calculate the number of veterans per capita for Thunder Bay compared to Canada, Ontario, and other provinces and regions. Since the private sector competes for workers that the CAF hires, the unemployment rate is also included to give an idea of the strength of regional labour markets. Based on the graphic, we see that Thunder Bay has 0.6 veterans per 100 people, which is twice the Ontario average of 0.29. It is also nearly double the national average of 0.35. The only area with higher veterans per capita is Atlantic Canada: Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. Nova Scotia has the highest rate, at 1.59% of the population, while the rest of the Atlantic provinces

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have a combined rate of 0.99%. Thunder Bay has a long history of participating in Canada’s overseas engagements. Thunder Bay’s Primary Reserve infantry unit, The Lake Superior Scottish Regiment, traces its roots to 1905. Additionally, two battalions were raised from Thunder Bay and the surrounding area during World War I—the 52nd (New Ontario), and 141st (Rainy River District). The Lake Superior Scottish would go on to see intense fighting in France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany during World War II. Most recently, elements of the regiment saw action in Afghanistan. The Canadian Armed Forces can offer job security and competitive pay—privates earn between $2,985 to $4,382 per month, while the average monthly earnings in Canada are $4,400. For those living in Canada’s strongest labour markets—Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia— there are more private sector alternatives that compete with the military for hiring. Abundant employment alternatives could explain why fewer Canadians in such areas joined the CAF, for example. For Thunder Bay and Atlantic Canada, this is not always the case. Higher unemployment rates are indicative of the relatively weak labour markets, where pay is less

competitive and there are fewer private sector employment opportunities. For such areas, a career in the military could provide stability. It is no secret that recruitment increases in economic downturns—for example, enrollment exceeded expectations in 2009–2010, in the aftermath of the Great Financial Crisis. Weak regional labour markets seem likely to have a similar effect. It should not be such a surprise then, that Thunder Bay, with an unemployment rate persistently above the provincial rate, has a veterans-per-capita rate that is twice the provincial average. Careers in the Canadian Armed

Forces can involve tremendous personal risk and high stress levels. For the well-being of active members and veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces, support services should be widespread and easily accessible. These are some local, provincial, and national resources that can be accessed by those in need, including Veterans Affairs, Legion Ontario, the Thunder Bay Counselling Centre, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, the Thunder Bay Military Family Resource Centre, the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health, and the Canadian Mental Health Association.

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From an Ironclad Memory

They Also Served: A Spitfire Pilot’s Memoir By Kat Lyzun

new book published by the Northwestern Ontario Aviation Heritage Centre, They Also Served by W.R. “Bill” McRae, chronicles the experience of a young Spitfire pilot from Port Arthur during World War II. In his memoir, McRae explains how he cultivated a lifelong love of aviation from the first time he saw an aircraft float over his home and land at the harbour’s seaplane base. In the late 1930s, he was a young, mild-mannered explosives salesman whose dreams of being a pilot had been put aside to provide for

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his mother and sister following the death of his father. The outbreak of World War II, however, offered him a life-changing opportunity. In the book, he explains how he enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force, trained in western Canada, and endured a perilous journey overseas. After a stint in England and Scotland, McRae found himself stationed on an unexpected assignment in West Africa. He later returned to the U.K. and France, where he contributed to some of the most decisive events of the war. When it was over, he settled

into civilian life but kept his passion for flying. “It was the biggest part of his life, always,” says his daughter Wendy Vistorino. In the 1970s, McRae began meticulously recording his experiences based on his logbook and ironclad memory, adding details until just before his passing in 2011. He captured the wartime activities in which he was involved and the planes he flew with rich imagery and humour, and often shared his memories with other veterans and aviation enthusiasts. “His war stories and flying tales were accurate and detailed, which earned his acceptance among the historians, archivists, veteran airmen, and history buffs [of] the Canadian Aviation History Society,” says his son Ian. McRae’s children knew their father had been working on his decades-long project, but it was after

he passed that they realized what a unique historical document they had. They approached members of the Northwestern Ontario Aviation Heritage Centre, who were thrilled with the manuscript. Through a collaborative effort, the book was published just after what would have been McRae’s 100th birthday. “This memoir represents an exceptional look into his world at that time,” says Rod Spicer, a member of the aviation heritage centre. “The clarity of the writing, the depth of his remembrances, the names, the places, his reflections on the good and the tragic times and events, all with the aid of his log books and recollections make for a truly engaging read from cover to cover.” Copies of the book are available for $30 through the Northwestern Ontario Aviation Heritage Centre at noahc@tbaytel.net or 623-3522.

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Music

Letter Kite Sessions Arley Cox Talks New Live Album

boy Roland

Story by Neil Burke, photos by Alison Gigliotti

s we continue towards the end of 2020 and COVID-19 refuses to relent, Thunder Bay blues singer-songwriter Arley Cox brings us some musical comfort with a new live album, Letter Kite Sessions. After releasing her debut album, Parts of Me, Cox’s mind began turning more and more, and at the end of 2017 she began writing songs for what would become Letter Kite Sessions. “The process for the album was really organic,” Cox says. “I never had a solid idea of what to do with the music; I just knew I had

80 The Walleye

to write it and move it onto paper. I would write three or four songs together and slowly work the story and words over top. I have never written like that before. It was really freeing. I allowed the music and lyrics to roll out as it wanted to.” The album itself was recorded live at The Foundry. The recording process, Cox says, was both the scariest and most exhilarating experience. It was scary, she says, because when recording live you have nothing to hide behind. There is no cutting and pasting—it’s raw and untouched. “Playing live is wild because as soon as the record button gets pressed, it’s go time,” she says. “What you are going to hear on the album is full untouched songs played from front to back, just like going to see a live band.” The songs were then mixed at Transparent Mastering in Hamilton. Cox says the experience was “pretty incredible, because I had some amazing people backing me up, which made me feel safe and steady.” The Roosters were her band

on the record, featuring Gary Hare on keys, Mike Carson on bass, Mike Schan on drums, and Calum Neil Robertson on guitar. Cox adds that “The Foundry was outrageously supportive,” and they welcomed the project with open arms. As for what’s next, the singer-songwriter says that “my future plans really see me leaning heavily into my creativity. COVID caused me to close the doors on my private music teaching practice.” She adds that “I’m hoping to be able to offer

private lessons again very soon.” Cox also says that album number three is almost fully written and ready to go. “I love creating music. It’s my life’s work. I refuse to be precious with it, meaning I want to allow it to move through me by continuing to walk the path of recording and making albums.” Letter Kite Sessions can be purchased from Cox’s website at arleycox.com and is also available at Fresh Air Experience.

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Music

A New Musical Muse Thunder Bay-Born The Trews Keyboardist Busy with Current Fantasy Story by Jamie Varga, Photo by Lisa McIntosh

oing way back to 1992 or 1993, I remember one of the first times I saw a live performance by people I knew that was worthy of praise. It was the Hillcrest High School talent show, and Jeff Heisholt was rockin’ out the Flying V guitar along with some other talented friends. I remember them covering “Creep” by Radiohead, but given the time that has passed, as Heisholt brought to my attention recently, I could be blurring several musical

scenes together in this tale. Moving on from that illustrious stage atop High Street, Heisholt’s musical career started to take off with the Burt Neilson Band, and continued with many other acts along the way. He’s had a regular spot behind the keys with The Trews for a long while now. When speaking with Heisholt, I couldn’t help but mention how terrible times have been for everyone— especially for the people like him

having “made it” in the way that they were successfully playing music for a living only to have COVID-19 take it out from under them in the blink of an eye. But this is where Heisholt’s new solo project, Current Fantasy, comes in. He says it has become so important as everything locked down. “All my shows went away, and I had all these synthesizers sitting around,” he says. “It started with something to do. Something to keep busy with. I started streaming and it became a daily thing.” Current Fantasy is also Heisholt’s artistic alter ego. It involves him standing in front of a massive, Frankenstein-looking set of keys, wires, and modular synthesizers, letting the creative flow of consciousness take hold. Performing live up until March under his new

moniker, Heisholt has since taken the show online and is expanding his on-air radio presence as well. After accepting an offer to broadcast on the HAWK 101.5 FM in Hamilton, Current Fantasy has gone on to broadcast shows on Guelph’s CFRU 93.3FM, and our own CILU 102.7FM every Wednesday at 11pm. I can’t help but think that Heisholt has somehow ”made it” again by being positively distracted doing something he loves in these difficult times. “I’m trying to saturate the market with my music and hopefully see where that takes me,” he says. You can also find Current Fantasy at his website currentfantasy.com, and on social media; he’s also releasing recordings, playing at drive-ins, and broadcasting five live streams a week. #RIGHTdeadly

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Music

COVID Closure

Insurance, Pandemic Restrictions Paint Uncertain Future for Black Pirates Pub By Matt Prokopchuk

he owner of a popular northside Thunder Bay venue for live music and other shows says losing his insurance coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic has meant his doors have not opened in months, and even if he is able to do so, live music won’t be returning to his stage any time soon. Like all restaurant, bar, and

pub owners in the province, Onur Altinbilek, the owner of Black Pirates Pub, closed his doors to the public in March. However, as other establishments began to allow people back in when Ontario moved to Stage 3 in July, Altinbilek’s insurance company wouldn’t renew his policy when his expiring term was up the same month. Despite making

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no insurance claims and having a clean record since opening the bar in 2008, he says, he’s not having any success finding another company to insure him either—locally or otherwise. “Without insurance, I just can’t open,” he says. “I just can’t put the onus, the responsibility on everything else… I can’t risk the well-being of my family and everything else.” To help pay the bills, Altinbilek used his own money and ran a pair of merchandise drives, selling shirts, hoodies, and other apparel with the pub’s branding on them; those efforts, he says, were very successful. “The support was really amazing,” he says, adding that he’s planning another one prior to Christmas, which will likely include children’s clothing and “stuff that would be good $20 stocking stuffers.” Even if he solves the insurance problem and reopens under Stage 3 guidelines—to say nothing of any, at the time of this October writing, potential further restrictions due to the pandemic’s second wave— Altinbilek says he still will not be booking live music right away. He estimates that Black Pirates has run well over 1,000 shows since opening 12 years ago, but now’s not the right time to do even stripped-down concerts and events. “There’s literally

a no-dancing law,” he says. “I just don’t see live music being a safe option.” Plus, he adds, there’s something about the atmosphere of a bar show that’s impossible to replicate in current times. “We want to be in the thick of it,” he says. “I also don’t want to be the guy at one o’clock in the morning at a bar trying to tell 50 people they’ve got to sit down,” he adds, laughing. “If I can get insured tomorrow, I’m going to open next week,” he adds. “But I’m not going to do the same things I was doing right off the hop; we’re going to have to see how it goes.” Altinbilek says that may mean changing the bar’s focus in the short term, adding that, unless there’s “a full green light” to return to pre-pandemic life “I’m not planning a whole hell of a lot when it comes to booking live shows.” But before planning what a pandemic-era Black Pirates will look like, Altinbilek has to secure insurance and get the doors open. When asked how long his business can survive if he can’t open any time soon, Altinbilek says, “That’s the million-dollar question,” adding that he’s hoping there will at least be relief on the insurance front on the horizon. “Something’s got to give.”

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Music

he past decade has been a very busy one for Bruce Springsteen. The American singer/songwriter released several studio albums, including Wrecking Ball in 2012, High Hopes in 2014, and Western Stars in 2019. All three albums were quite different, with last year's being one of the most unusual and laidback in the artist’s discography. Overall, the recent studio albums were well received: High Hopes was Springsteen's 11th number one album, tying him with The Beatles and Jay-Z for the most ever chart-toppers. Not a bad run for an artist who was touted as the “new Dylan” in 1972. Yet for Springsteen, much of this last decade was spent looking back. In 2010, he released The Promise, an archival box set built around the songs and unused tracks that would become the epic and muchloved Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978). That was followed in 2015 by The Ties That Bind, a deep dive into

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the many dozens of recordings that would be whittled down to become The River (1980). Following the release of The Ties That Bind box set, Springsteen hit the road with the E Street Band for the better part of a year, playing the whole of The River in concert, as well as some of the deep tracks that had been unearthed. The tour was a smash. However, the two standout moments of the decade for Springsteen were not albums or tours. In September 2016, Springsteen released his autobiography, Born to Run. The book became an instant bestseller. In the book, Springsteen revealed his inner workings, including his complicated relationship with his father, the death of two beloved band members (Clarence Clemons in particular), his failed first marriage, and his long battle with depression. The storytelling was instantly recognizable as Springsteen's but showed a very human and vulnerable side, rarely revealed by an artist of his stature.

By Gord Ellis

Two years later, buoyed in part by the success of his book, Springsteen put his life to music—his music— and staged Springsteen on Broadway. Although many balked at the prospect of a Broadway show based around Springsteen (not to mention the ticket prices being asked), it was an artistic triumph. Few who saw the show were not moved by it. Springsteen’s ability to connect with people and draw them in is unparalleled. His songwriting and musical skill with piano and guitar is also front and centre. It was not a greatest hits show. Springsteen used several lesser-known songs, including the achingly poignant “The Gift,” to convey the importance of his family and upbringing. If you have not seen the filmed performance of Springsteen on Broadway, you should take the time. It is magnificent. Now in 2020, perhaps the weirdest and most discomforting year in modern memory, Bruce Springsteen is back. On his dedicated SiriusXM

channel, The Boss has begun a semi-regular program called From My Home To Yours. He shares his thoughts on the pandemic, modern love, and Donald Trump. The show is both entertaining and comforting. But the really huge Springsteen news this year is that a studio album of original songs with the E Street Band has been released. Called Letter to You, the album was made with the band last November at the singer’s studio at his home in rural New Jersey. The album was entirely recorded live in five days, and nothing was held back. Springsteen’s albums post-Born in the U.S.A. (1984) have often played down the wall of sound his band can generate. That restraint is not in play here. The band is a force, and the songwriting muscular. Both the songs “Letter to You” and “Ghosts” are looking back at a friendship and the singer’s musical history respectively, but rarely has he sounded so in-the-moment. The E Street Band sounds incredible. Although a full-scale E Street tour had been planned to kick off this fall to support the album, that seems unlikely anytime soon. It’s a real shame because this album rocks and deserves to be performed around the stadiums of the world. At 71, Bruce Springsteen seems in no hurry to stop. And for that we should be thankful.

Danny Clinch

BURNING TO THE SKY

Bruce Springsteen: Looking Back and Ahead

We’re investing in our communities — and you can, too. Support local businesses, strengthen our economy, and let’s bring our communities closer together.

MNP.ca

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Music

Where There’s a Will, There’s A Way Symphony Finds Ways to Keep the Music Going

Kevin Dempsey

Story by Ayano Hodouchi Dempsey

 RBC resident conductor Maria Fuller  Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra music director Paul Haas

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“B

eing stuck at home, unable to physically be present for this season, is one of biggest challenges I’ve faced during my career, both emotionally and logistically,” says Paul Haas, music director of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. The TBSO kicked off Season 59.5 (instead of 60, as it was supposed to be) on October 8, performing a series of chamber music concerts at Hilldale Lutheran Church without Haas. “I want to be there, and yet it’s just not in the cards right now,” the American conductor says. “That said, I’ve never been prouder of this orchestra. Through the musicians’ resiliency, ingenuity, and openness during the programming process, they’ve given us the ability to reach the hearts and minds of our community when they need us the most.” From the onset of the pandemic, everyone at the orchestra, from the board to the musicians, have been in high gear, trying to figure out ways to keep the music going, Haas says. Developing the program for the chamber series, announced for the months of October and November, was a musician-led effort. It was quite the logistical puzzle, complicated by the fact that almost a third of the orchestra’s members live outside of Thunder Bay. Musicians’ living

arrangements are reflected in the programming—members of the same household perform together in the chamber ensembles where possible, to minimize mixing too many people during rehearsals and performances. “It’s exciting for us, because usually we don’t get to decide [what we play,]” says violinist Michelle Zapf-Bélanger. The new normal is bittersweet, says RBC resident conductor Maria Fuller. “Not being able to play with as many musicians as we usually would, the magic of being together as a whole is missing. On the other hand, the music we can play is tremendous and it’s nice to get a chance to dive into this music. We will take any opportunity to perform.” The TBSO has been busy on the digital front as well. For Halloween, they released a video of a steampunk version of Gounod’s “Funeral March of a Marionette,” filmed at the Ontario Power Generation station on Mission Island. With constantly changing COVID-related restrictions, the TBSO has had to get creative, and currently, creative means online. There are more virtual concerts coming, says executive director Ryleigh Dupuis. “We just want to create and provide as much content as we can right now.”

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Music

Daniel Parker Cellist, TBSO

Story by Kris Ketonen, Photo by Erielle Bakkum Born: Ottawa Instrument: Cello Age you started to study music: 4 How long have you been with TBSO: In his first season What’s on your personal playlist: Dutch cellist Anner Bylsma Cellist Daniel Parker is feeling right at home with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, despite joining the organization in the midst of a global pandemic. “It’s been great,” Parker says. “It’s nice to meet all these musicians in a setting I’m more comfortable in.” That setting, he adds, is playing chamber music. “Understanding how they play individually, and meeting them all and rehearsing together in a more intimate setting is really nice.” And intimate is the operative word for the TBSO this season. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the orchestra is offering a series of chamber concerts, with the goal of slowly

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growing the scope of the performances as the season goes on. “The audience has been amazing,” Parker says. “You can only have 50 people there, but they don’t make it feel empty at all. There have been great audiences, and I don’t feel like we’re sacrificing anything there, really.” Parker brings a wealth of experience on the cello to the TBSO, having started studying the instrument at a very young age. “My mom is a violin teacher,” he says. “There’s a lot of violin in the house. I’m the oldest kid, so my dad wanted to have a little bit of a change of pace, so I took to the cello and I really liked it.” He studied cello in Ottawa, and then in Boston, before returning to Ottawa where he worked as a freelancer prior to joining the TBSO. “I love how vocal [the cello] is,” Parker says. “It shares the range of a human voice.” “It’s a very flexible instrument, and I love that.”

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OfftheWall

REVIEWS

The Reckless One

This Was Then

Matt Mays

Wow! That was the first word that came to my mind after listening to Megan Nadin’s album This Was Then. This is a solid piece of work for the Thunder Bay singersongwriter and here’s why. Nadin’s vocals are simply top-notch and she sings with confidence and poise, with echoes of icons like Amy Winehouse and Adele in her performance. Aside from her vocal strengths, she is also a gifted songwriter. Nadin writes from her heart and from personal experiences. The music on the album is pop with layers of soul, jazz, and rap that gives it its own unique sound. The production and mix make this album sparkle—her voice is always on top and the piano, orchestra, percussion, and backup vocals all add amazing dimensions to the sound. Favourite songs include the powerful ballad “Beautiful Thing” and the soulful, uptempo tune “Watermarks.” This Was Then has all the musical ingredients needed to give Megan Nadin a great start.

Matt Mays has been a Canadian songwriter dignitary for a while now, but I have come to gain an expanded respect for him because of his most recent works. His latest release, Dog City, first came together when he stepped away from the corona-verse for a bit, essentially let the music flow out of him, and then put it on Bandcamp “on a whim” in May of this year, without anyone else having heard it. He then polished up the tracks, and released a remastered version at the end of September. So, at the time of writing this, the album is somehow dated and new at the same time. Dog City is, as Mays says, “13 songs written through the eyes of a rescue dog,” and represents a wide range of music. Stretching from the epic “Talking to the Sky” to the subdued cover of “I Wanna Be Your Dog” by The Stooges, it is one of my favourite releases so far since the COVID pandemic began. I highly recommend Dog City for anyone, but especially for those that may be feeling the additional weight of the times we are facing and need a pick-me-up.

Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar With her stunningly emotive voice and unflappable conviction that blues, gospel, and R&B were always destined to appear on the same page of sheet music, Toronto-based Samantha Martin proves the time-tested adage that anything that resonates in music is worth hearing again. Prancing horns and testifying vocal harmonies from Delta Sugar underpin Martin’s incisive lyrics and ear-candy melodies as this multiple Maple Blues Award and Juno Award-nominated band makes another quantum quality leap on the 12-track The Reckless One. “Better to Have Never” soars on gospel-feathered wings, while “Love Is All Around” sweats with James Brown swagger. “Don’t Have To Be” is rhythm at its danceable best and “All That I Am” is the album’s penultimate soul ballad. This is great ensemble playing that could be straight out of the Stax Records vault. - Ken Wright

Megan Nadin

- Gerald Graham

Dog City

- Jamie Varga

Gore From Beyond the Stars VHS

A horror franchise’s sojourn into the cosmos could signal irrelevance and exhausted tropes, like Leprechaun 4: In Space, or it could be an offering of overarching terror, such as Event Horizon. Local metal trio VHS are here to bridge the light years between the two with their by-now-familiar version of sloppy, slashing death metal. The usual trepidation surrounding sequels is appropriate, as this is the band’s fifth full-length in as many years, to say nothing of the numerous splits and singles populating VHS’ Bandcamp page. However, Mike Hochins and his merry band of miscreants have a dependable standard of quality when it comes to their music. Equal measures of death, thrash, and a half-dozen other metal genres are mixed liberally with humorous soundbites as odious tributes to the “best” of sci-fi cinema. As expected, the album morphs depending on which movie is being referenced, from the hair-metal-fuelled “Earth Girls Are Easy” to the striding doom of “Space Jam.” The variety of these 14 tracks zooming by in 25 minutes is easy to enjoy, so when this album drops in December, pick it up from their Bandcamp and prepare to blast off. - Justin Allec

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Silver Ladders

Mary Lattimore For two years now, Mary Lattimore’s Hundreds of Days (2018), has been a close musical companion of mine, which means that I went into my first listen of Silver Ladders with high hopes. While it delivers the overwhelmingly emotional songwriting that I’ve grown to love from Lattimore, Silver Ladders takes on a darker, more foreboding quality than its predecessor. On the nearly 11-minute opus “Til A Mermaid Drags You Under,” Lattimore’s twinkling harp spasms and grasps for its usual reassuring quality, only to have echoey guitars and doomful bass overwhelm each attempt. Silver Ladders also sees Lattimore stray from her usual harp-centric soundscape on tracks like “Chop on the Climbout,” which opens with a warm bed of synths, whereupon twittering harps dance and scatter. By sharing the spotlight with synths and guitars, Lattimore’s harp becomes an accent to a richer foundation. Despite all its evolutions in tone and production, Silver Ladders remains true to the quintessential Mary Lattimore soundscape. - Melanie Larson

Rage

FoundMyFitness Bob Woodward Dr. Rhonda Patrick

Having a sauna four times a week may not make you immortal, but doing so, paired with some of Patrick’s health and science-based suggestions, will definitely improve your overall wellness and positively change your life. FoundMyFitness is a podcast dedicated to providing a deeper understanding of biology by breaking down the technical literature into simple, bite-sized pieces. With an unwavering and candid approach, Patrick talks breast milk, nutrition, gut flora, mental health, and so much more. Jam-packed with reliable information, the episodes encourage integrative thinking and before you know it, you’re on a personal health quest. In a world largely filled with manipulated and biased information, Patrick quickly diffuses the nonsense and will help you make the most informed decisions for your overall health. FoundMyFitness makes you reconsider that can of pop and, more importantly, gets you excited about chowing down on a big ol’ bowl of broccoli sprouts. - Andrea Lysenko

In a follow-up to his 2018 book Fear: Trump in the White House, Bob Woodward presents an intimate, behind-the-scenes account of the United States presidency in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to 17 on-the-record interviews with Donald Trump between December 2019 and July 2020, Woodward conducted hundreds of hours of interviews with firsthand participants and witnesses to the events and decisions pivotal to the country’s governance. Needless to say, the book is a page-turner, even for a Canadian who does not closely follow American politics nor Trump’s Twitter account. While Trump is candid at times, there is no penetrating his narcissism—his ability to take credit for others’ accomplishments and exaggerate his own is as staggering as his ruthless treatment of former members of his upper echelon. Here is a president who has dictated foreign policy via Twitter and undermined his senior staff and advisors in the process, leading the country down a path akin to Alice in Wonderland (Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, advises that the book is one of four texts someone in a quest to understand Trump needs to adsorb; he paraphrased the Cheshire Cat: “If you don’t know where you’re going, any path will get you there.”) It remains to be seen whether this month’s election will lead the U.S. to a sequel like Through the Looking-Glass, but in any case, Woodward’s book provides thought-provoking—and at times, alarming—insight into Trump’s thought process and view of the role of the president.

Bad Singer: The Surprising Science of Tone Deafness and How We Hear Music Tim Falconer

Tim Falconer loves music and admits to being a “bad singer.” He embarked on a journey through the worlds of music and medical science to first confirm that he truly was bad, and then to find out if there was hope to get re-trained and improve. Unfortunately, he turned out to be one of the 2.5% of the population that has amusia— he is scientifically tone-deaf. Fortunately, he is a great writer and investigator who takes us through his personal odyssey to learn what that means, and what there is to know about this phenomenon. This is an informative and highly entertaining book leading to better understanding of why some can sing arias on stage and others should only sing their hearts out in the shower. - Angela Meady

- Michelle McChristie

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Laurie Abthorpe

Architecture

The Women’s Canadian Club of Port Arthur raised the necessary $8,000 (approx. $121,000 today) for the cenotaph

ollowing World War I, communities across Canada sought to establish lasting memorials as a way to honour the countless soldiers lost to the conflict. In Port Arthur, the first mentions of a World War I memorial came about at the park board meeting held November 16, 1918, just five days after the armistice agreement ending the war was effected. These early discussions led to the formation of a Soldier’s Memorial Committee. The favoured site for the memorial was Waverley Park due to its central location and restful atmosphere. But necessary

renovations to Waverley Park halted any immediate work towards a memorial, while financing the project became another challenge. On August 14, 1924 the Port Arthur Parks Board received a letter from the Women’s Canadian Club of Port Arthur seeking permission to assume the role of raising funds for the project. With founding principles that included fostering “a patriotic Canadian sentiment,” this club was well-suited to take on the task. Upon the parks board’s grateful acceptance of their offer, the women established a cenotaph fund and organized a fundraising drive

 The cenotaph in Waverley Park was erected in 1925. It was originally designed to honour those who died in WWI  The inscriptions now commemorate both the men and women lost, including those in WWII and the Korean War

By Laurie Abthorpe

94 The Walleye

Laurie Abthorpe

Waverley Park Cenotaph

Laurie Abthorpe Thunder Bay Museum

commemorate both the men and women lost, including those in World War II and the Korean War. The cenotaph at Waverley Park remains an important ongoing site of tribute for our community, particularly through the annual Remembrance Day services held there. Laurie Abthorpe is the heritage researcher for the Heritage Advisory Committee, which advises City Council on the conservation of heritage buildings, sites, and resources, and their integration into development. For more information on the city’s heritage resources, visit www. thunderbay.ca/en/city-hall/heritage-in-thunder-bay.aspx.

 Undated photo of Waverley Park and cenotaph  1939 photo of the cenotaph for the Royal Visit that year

Thunder Bay Museum

under the leadership of Mrs. Hugh Raney. Community support for the project was generous and the doorto-door canvas so successful that the $8,000 (approx. $121,000 today) needed was quickly raised. On June 4, 1925 the McCallum Granite Company of Kingston, Ontario placed the final section of the shaft of marble for the cenotaph in Waverley Park. Elevated upon three steps, the graceful cut stone monument features limited carving with its detailing focus mainly at the top of the structure. The original inscription on the monument’s north and south faces read, “Erected in commemoration of the men of this city who died on the field of honour in the Great War, that Canada might maintain her heritage of freedom, 1914–1918.” A secondary inscription on the side of the monument recognizes the monument’s founding with the words, “Erected by the people of the city through the Women’s Canadian Club.” The cenotaph was officially unveiled a few months later on September 15, 1925 during the 13th annual convention of the Association of Canadian Clubs, which was held in Port Arthur that year. With over 5,000 in attendance, including city officials, convention delegates, members of the Great War Veterans’ Association, Women’s Auxiliary to the War Veterans, Daughters of the Empire, Sea Cadets, and school children, the cenotaph was unveiled with the unfurling of the huge Union Jack, which covered the entire structure. The honour of unveiling was given to John Woodside, who lost three sons to the Great War. That day over 1,000 bouquets and wreaths were laid. The sentiments of Mayor Crooks shared at the cenotaph’s unveiling correctly foretold what continues to ring true today: the importance and solemnity of the occasion, the valour of the Canadian soldier, people gathering to pay tribute to the fallen, and “the history of whom in records and in documents of value, will be told again and again in song and story.” The original inscriptions honouring the fallen have since been modernized in order to

Architecture

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NovemberEventsGuide November 2, 7:30–9:30 am

Smile Behind the Mask: Building Customer Loyalty

Prince Arthur Waterfront Hotel or online You can join this free, informative, three-part customer service workshop. Guests can register to attend in-person (maximum 20 participants) or online. This introductory session will cover the basics of customer service during COVID-19.

www.entrepreneurcentre.ca

November 2–8

Northern Originals Art Auction Virtual

You can find that perfect piece for your home and support the arts at the same time with the Thunder Bay Art Gallery’s annual art auction. See this month’s Art section for more info.

theag.ca/art-auction

November 2, 16, & 30, 6–8 pm

Nameless Collective Workshop Virtual

Join Nameless Collective as they feature artists and their crafts in this workshop series. Among the themes covered in this series are releasing perfectionism, the inner critic, and meditation. Check out Eventbrite for tickets.

namelessco.ca

November 3, 5:30 pm

Trail Run Under The Lights Kamview Nordic Centre

Come out for a run under the stars at Kamview Nordic Centre on November 3. This event is familyand kid-friendly. Presented in partnership with Fresh Air Thunder Bay.

November 4, 11, 18 & 25, 8 pm

Weekly Wednesday Trivia Nights The Foundry

The Foundry is rolling through November with their trivia nights. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

285-3188

November 5, 6, 19, & 20, 6:30 & 8:30 pm

TBSO’s Chamber Concert Series

Hilldale Lutheran Church The TBSO’s Season 59.5 continues with its chamber concert series beginning this month on November 5. They will be offering two one-hour shows a night (one at 6:30 pm and another at 8:30 pm). Seating is limited to 50 spots. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

tbso.ca

November 7, 14, 21, 28, 11 am–3 pm

LWC Pop-Up Market The Alchemist Coffee Bar Join the Loud Women Collective at The Alchemist Coffee Bar (directly across from Westfort Foods) from 11-3 every Saturday in November for a pop-up market supporting and empowering local crafters and creators. All social distancing rules will be in place.

@loudwomencollective on Facebook

November 15, 10 am – 4 pm

The Holiday Market

November 21, 6 pm–10 pm

Morgan’s School’s 40th Anniversary Reunion Ceilidh Moose Hall

All former and current dancers, dance families, and friends of Morgan’s School of Highland Dancing are invited to a 40th Anniversary Reunion Ceilidh. Come out and enjoy performances by Morgan’s School of Highland Dancing, interactive Scottish Country Dancing, prizes, a cash bar and more.

November 30

Doors Open 2020

Virtual

November 30 is the final day to enjoy the virtual collection of online experiences incorporating video, photography, archival images, web exhibits and more, that bring to life meaningful places and stories alike as Thunder Bay celebrates “One City. Fifty Years.” Many of this year’s sites remind us of our community’s progress while also reflecting upon our past.

@MorgansSchool on Facebook

doorsopenontario.on.ca/en/ thunder-bay

November 21, 9 pm

Until December 6

Red Lion Smokehouse

Virtual

Music Bingo

Music Bingo combines your favourite tunes with bingo. Each player receives a card with a mix of song titles and artists. Instead of calling out numbers, the DJ plays the music. Singing along is recommended. Bring your friends, grab a beer, and get ready to win some prizes. B.Y.O.D. (Bring Your Own Dabber—although they will be for sale if yours dried up).

redlionsmokehouse.ca

November 28, 11 am

Holiday Craft Market at the Moose Moose Hall Come out to the Moose Hall for a holiday craft sale. The sale will feature 60 tables full of great shopping to help you find that perfect gift ahead of the holiday season.

@Jennie’s Events on Facebook

The Craft Revival Happy shoppers will be missed on the streets for this year’s upcoming Craft Revival, but instead, this year’s winter event goes virtual. Craft Revival helps to support local artisans by giving them an opportunity to sell their wares. Family-friendly. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

thecraftrevivaltbay.com

Until December 17

After School Art Escapes Gallery 33 Gallery 33’s After School Art Escapes program invites children ages 6–16 to join. Each student will get the time and challenge they need to become more creative and enjoy the projects. All supplies included unless otherwise notified. There will be a maximum of six kids per class.

gallery.33.thunderbay@gmail. com

Until December 20

14th Annual Gear Up Coat Drive Gear Up For Outdoors The 14th annual Winter Coat drive has been changed up a bit this year. When dropping off donations, please place each coat in a clear plastic bag with the gender and size written on it. Donation bins are located outside on the right-hand side of the store for the coats to be placed in. Monetary donations are also being accepted on behalf of Shelter House inside the store. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

www.gear-up.com

Until December 31

Wabooz/Rabbit Thunder Bay Art Gallery Waabooz/Rabbit takes a deeper look at the rabbit, and how it has been seen, spoken of, used, and reproduced through art and craft. All of the rabbits in this exhibition have received some kind of human attention.

theag.ca

Until January 3

Maud Lewis

Thunder Bay Art Gallery See the work of beloved folk artist, Maud Lewis (1903–1970), who captured the hearts of many with her dazzling depictions of rural Nova Scotia. Her paintings describe a way of life in the Maritimes that was rapidly changing. Her works are thus both documentary and deeply nostalgic.

theag.ca

The Da Vinci Centre You can come by the Holiday Market for this perfect way to shop for all your treats and holiday needs while supporting 50 local businesses.

EVENTS GUIDE KEY

General Food Art Sports Music

davincicentre.com

@KamviewNordicCentre on Facebook

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Visit the Tbaytel Store 959 Fort William Road (Thunder Centre) Or call (807) 684-2069 - Option 5 tbaytel.net/repairs

96 The Walleye

LU RADIO’S MONTHLY TOP November Show Spotlight:

1 Idles Ultra Mono Partisan

16 Hum Inlet Polyvinyl

9 L.A. Witch Play With Fire Suicide Squeeze

17 Colter Wall* Western Swing & Waltzes and Other Punchy Songs Thirty Tigers

Hosted by Conor Chandler and Justin Jonsson Wednesdays at 9 pm Conor and Justin started The Roundup aiming to showcase the best in classic, underground, and alternative country music. It’s since expanded into a grab bag touching on folk, indie rock, blues, roots, and bluegrass—all while keeping true to the spirit of the great hillbilly art form. They’ve got all the best new artists you haven’t heard yet, plus stories and songs of the pioneers who paved the way. Sick of hearing that same Luke Bryan song for the 20th time today on your usual country station? Tune in to The Roundup on CILU 102.7 FM, Wednesday nights at 9 pm! Song of the Moment: Kurt Vile & John Prine – “How Lucky”

2 Bright Eyes Down In The Weeds, Where The World Once Was Dead Oceans 3 Osees Protean Threat Castle Face 4 Lunar Gateway Temporal Silent Bell 5 Dog Day* Present Fundog

Check out our weekly charts online at luradio.ca and tune in to the Top 20 Countdown Mondays from 7-9am. Keep it locked on 102.7 FM—online streaming at luradio.ca.

8 Deftones Ohms Warner

10 Mastodon Medium Rarities Reprise

The Roundup

Music

18 The Flaming Lips American Head Warner 19 The Beths Jump Rope Gazers Carpark

11 The Pack A.D.* Live! Vol.1 Fontana North

20 Holy Wave Interloper Reverberation Appreciation Society

13 July Talk* Pray For It Sleepless

6 Fleet Foxes Shore Dead Oceans 7 Nobro* Sick Hustle Dine Alone

15 Gum Country* Somewhere Kingfisher Bluez

26 Yellow Days A Day In A Yellow Beat RCA 27 William Chernoff* Aim To Stay Self-Released 28 Frankie And The Witch Fingers Monsters Eating People Eating Greenway 29 PUP* This Place Sucks Ass (EP) Rise

12 Crack Cloud* Pain Olympics Self-Released

14 Knifey Sleepwalker Culvert Music

25 Run The Jewels RTJ4 Jewel Runners

21 Matt Mays* Dog City Sonic

30 Kurt Vile Speed Sounds Lovely Matador

22 Death Wheelers* Divine Filth Riding Easy Records 23 Peach Kelli Pop* Lucky Star Laurel Records 24 Cartwrights* Cartwrights Self-Released * Indicates Canadian Content

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Health

From Vision to Reality

Dr. Hazem Elmansy (left) and Dr. Walid Shahrour (right)

Urology Care is Making Advances in Thunder Bay

By Caitlund Davidson, Health Promotion and Communications Planner, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre

very day, men experience urologic or sexual health concerns. Whether it’s prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, or kidney stones, these topics can often be difficult to talk about. For those who don’t feel comfortable talking to friends and family about men’s health, your health-care provider or a urologist is there to help. Fortunately, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre has an exceptional team of urologists that are ready to provide the best possible care. It started in 2016 when Dr. Walid Shahrour, a urologist specializing in reconstructive surgery, had a vision to make Thunder Bay an internationally known centre of excellence for urology by providing local and leading-edge care to individuals across the region. He has since teamed up with Dr. Hazem Elmansy and Dr. Ahmed Kotb (of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and Superior Urology Clinic) to make that vision a reality. Over the past few years, these

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physicians have achieved significant accomplishments that have brought recognition to the urology program. For example: •

Dr. Shahrour pioneered a procedure to improve the quality of life for prostate cancer survivors. The procedure keeps urine flowing normally by preventing urethral blockages that can cause kidney problems and infection.

•

Dr. Elmansy is the only surgeon in Ontario who performs holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) surgery for an enlarged prostate.

•

Dr. Kotb has operated on hundreds of patients with bladder cancer and renal tumors, as well as many testicular and penile malignancies.

International fellows from all over the world are eager to come and learn from our skilled and dedicated urologists as they continue to make advancements and grow the urology program. “You need to believe you are worthy and show people that what

you’re working on is important so they can get behind you and support you,” says Dr. Shahrour. “It took some convincing and a lot of hard work, but we are now seeing a remarkable difference in the urology department at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre and it means we can offer our patients techniques that weren’t available even a few short years ago.” Recently, thanks to the physicians’ vision, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation, and the support of our generous community, patients in Northwestern Ontario now have access to two new pieces of equipment for kidney stone surgery. The first device is the Lumenis MOSES laser system, the most advanced system for kidney stone removal. It reduces the risk of stone fragments getting lost and allows for a faster, safer, and less invasive surgery. The second new piece of equipment is the ShockPulse-SE that uses ultrasonic waves along with mechanical action to break up kidney stones that are too large to be treated using

the laser system. With the addition of new equipment, along with expertise and passion, these experienced urologists continue to work hard to innovate and bring the latest and greatest care to our community. While aiming to bring their vision to life, these urologists are careful to keep patients at the forefront of their work. “Our goal is to enhance patient care through innovative research and surgical techniques,” says Dr. Elmansy. “Our patients deserve access to the highest quality care.” November is Men’s Health Awareness Month and is a great opportunity to educate and inspire the men in your life to talk to their health care provider to learn more about their risk for being diagnosed with certain urologic conditions, as well as ways to take an active role in managing their health. You can help to advance urology care in Northwestern Ontario by donating online at healthsciencesfoundation.ca/Urology or by calling 345-4673 and directing your gift to the Urology Fund.

A P P LY N O

CHANGE YOUR LIFE THROUGH LEARNING (807) 475-6110 | 1-800-465-5493 (toll free) recruitment@confederationcollege.ca

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Green

Radon Detectors on Loan

Why You Should Test Your Home Today By Julia Prinselaar, EcoSuperior Environmental Programs

t’s the time of year when we come to face the inevitable: Frozen puddles, morning frost, and the turning back of clocks for daylight saving time. The onset of winter is also timely for another seasonal routine—to test your home for radon. Radon is a colourless, odourless, invisible radioactive gas that seeps up through the ground as uranium breaks down in soil. It is common around the world and generally doesn’t pose a risk in the outdoor environment, where it can disperse into fresh air. But when radon gas enters homes through cracks and openings, it can be hazardous to human health over a prolonged period of time. Second only to cigarette smoke, radon gas exposure is a leading cause of lung cancer in Canadians. A study conducted by the Thunder Bay District Health Unit in 2014–15 showed that on average, 16% of homes tested in Thunder Bay displayed high radon levels. Radon is

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measured in Becquerels per cubic meter (Bq/m3). Health Canada recommends that homes should not exceed 200 Bq/m3, although other health authorities have set more proactive guidelines. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's guideline is 150 Bq/m3, and the World Health Organization's guideline is 100 Bq/m3. Radon levels can vary from home to home, even in the same neighbourhood, and so the only way to know the radon levels in your home is to test. The main testing methods use short-term and long-term detectors. A new loan program at libraries in Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario is making short-term radon detectors available to patrons at no cost. Both shortterm digital radon detectors and long-term radon detectors measure the level of radon gas in your home. The main difference is, of course, is the length of the testing period. Most residents want to learn

about their radon levels before they invest in purchasing a longterm radon test kit, which offers the most accurate measurement of radon levels because they test over a longer period of time. But before you do that, short-term detectors offer results in just a few weeks. If your radon levels are concerning, we recommend following up with a long-term detector, especially when it comes to making decisions about fixing your home to reduce radon levels. •

Digital radon detectors are currently available on loan at the following locations:

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Thunder Bay Public Libraries

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Oliver Paipoonge Public Libraries

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Nipigon Public Library

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Red Rock Public Library

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Dorion Public Library

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Marathon Public Library

More libraries are being added this fall. If your location isn’t listed

here, please ask your librarian to contact caroline@ecosuperior.org to inquire about participating. November is Radon Action Month, a great time to start testing your home for radon. In the colder months, windows and doors are closed more often and air flow is reduced, offering a better idea of your potential exposure to radon gas levels this time of year. Remember, the only way to know the radon levels in your own home is to test. For more information, visit www. ecosuperior.org/radon

Green

Finding Solutions to the Plastic Problem Plastic Waste Collecting Device Installed in Lake Superior By Savanah Tillberg

s a part of the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup initiative, in mid-September a Seabin was installed in Lake Superior at the Thunder Bay Marina. A Seabin is a device that collects garbage in the lake by pumping water through itself and trapping any debris that is pulled in. The Seabin can collect floating debris, macro and micro plastics, and with an additional filter can collect microfibres. The Seabin also has pads that are able to absorb petroleum-based surface oils and detergents. Every 24 hours, a marina attendant checks the device and removes the bag. The weight of the collected materials is recorded and then those materials are disposed of properly. Summer Stevenson, the sustainability coordinator for EarthCare

Thunder Bay, says that Thunder Bay was invited to participate in the project earlier in the summer and that the project is run in collaboration with the Council of the Great Lakes Region, Pollution Probe, the University of Toronto Trash Team, Boating Ontario, and PortsToronto. “The project began in 2019 at the Toronto Outer Harbour Marina where the University of Toronto Trash Team installed two Seabins and began collecting data,” Stevenson says. “They have captured an incredible amount of plastic from those two units in Toronto’s harbour.” Stevenson adds that, based on the information collected from

the Toronto Seabins, they felt that the devices would be a great way to target all of Ontario’s Great Lakes. “With our location at the top of Lake Superior and the information from the shoreline cleanups, the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup initiative thought that Thunder Bay was well-positioned to start collecting plastics,” says Stevenson. When the Seabin is removed, which will occur before the lake freezes, the City of Thunder Bay will be sending their collected data to Toronto as well as a sample of the collected waste for a waste characterization. All of the data will then be uploaded to greatlakesplasticcleanup.org.

The project will run for five years and Stevenson says that “the hope is that this project can help influence future policy development for waste management strategies for Thunder Bay.” Stevenson adds that “if we can identify some of the common sources of the waste we collect, then we can start looking at things like garbage bin placement, access to garbage bins, number of disposal sites, and then decide if we need to implement any campaigns based on our findings.” For more information about the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup initiative, visit greatlakesplasticcleanup.org.

The Seabin was installed at the Thunder Bay Marina earlier this year. It collects garbage and pollution in and on the water

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TheWall

Sunlight, Exercise, Deep Breathing, and Positive Thoughts Surviving a COVID Winter

By Linda Kelly, MSW, RSW; CEO, Kelly Mental Health

ost of us are doing our best using masks, respecting each other, being extra patient in the checkout line,

and taking our time to carefully plan what used to be easy. But now we’re faced with changing weather and the onset of winter. Some of us

love the holidays, gorgeous scenery, and soft snow blanketing the trees. But for the rest of us, it’s “hey, seasonal depression! Meet my regular depression, and my new COVID depression.” Many changes are happening before our eyes every day, and there’s a lot of grief for us to process with all the things we have lost. It’s unavoidable. So here’s my advice, as a mental health specialist, to all of us on surviving a COVID winter. A well-functioning body leads to a calm mind. If your physical body is cared for, it’s easier to handle everything else. Make a habit of exposing some skin to the sun by taking lunch outdoors. Somewhere in between the dark of morning and evening, there is the most energizing sunlight that creates positive hormonal changes in our bodies and invites a sense of peace. Exercise comes next. If you enjoy intense cardio or lifting weights, keep at it. For the rest of us, the simple act of walking each day at whatever pace you please is a tangible way of being kind to your body. Can’t walk? Anything you can do that allows you to increase your strength and flexibility, move around, and get some fresh air will provide a real benefit. Deep breathing is the cornerstone of anxiety management. If you are taking longer, slower, smoother breaths and relaxing your belly and shoulders, then your feelings of aggravation, stress, sadness, and anger will decrease, allowing you to take on a more balanced perspective.

Take a look at common cognitive distortions and see if those thoughts make a regular appearance in your day. If you have to cancel an outing, is it a catastrophe? Or is it a better decision for you? Are you telling yourself that the bad stuff will last forever or that nobody cares? Thinking in absolutes only makes things more difficult. Remember, everything is temporary. And thinking about these as temporary losses is kinder to yourself and everyone around you than seeing them as permanent, life-altering losses. Finally, relax your expectations of yourself and others. The impact of the pandemic has been called a collective trauma because it has changed our worldview. It’s going to take time to process everything that has happened, and even more time to get used to the extra planning that will go into being around people indoors during the holidays or partaking in traditional activities. Processing requires a lot of energy, and it’s common to feel more quickly burnt out. It’s normal and expected. Take care of yourself, use realistic thoughts, sleep when you’re tired, eat when you’re hungry, and notice and appreciate the peaceful moments.

Driveway snow removal starting at $65 Roof snow removal starting at $85 Monthly contracts available 6 month Winter contract Available

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807-620-1587 - WILL, OWNER & OPERATOR JEWETTBILL2@GMAIL.COM