October 2023 by The Walleye Magazine

FILM FREE ARTS Vol. 14 No. 10 MUSIC OCTOBER FOOD 2023 CULTURE thewalleye.ca

Timeless Textiles 13 Artists Up Close Terror in the Bay

Wake the Giant 2023

Get Your Punks Cookin’

! iss n 63 M o n’t eas Do ’s S view O e BS Pr

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Contents Editor-in-chief Darren McChristie Interim Editor Matt Prokopchuk Senior Editor Tiffany Jarva Copy Editors Amy Jones, Bonnie Schiedel Editorial Assistants Emily Turner, Sidney Ulakovic Marketing & Sales Manager Alaina Linklater alaina@thewalleye.ca Photographers Jack Barten Anna Buske Kevin Dempsey Damien Gilbert Ryan Hill Chad Kirvan Dave Koski Shannon Lepere Marty Mascarin Darren McChristie Sarah McPherson Lois Nuttall Laura Paxton Emily Turner Sidney Ulakovic Art Directors Steve Coghill, R.G.D. Dave Koski, R.G.D. production@thewalleye.ca Ad Designers Dave Koski Georgia Thomas The Walleye is a free monthly publication distributed on racks throughout Thunder Bay and region. Reproduction of any article, photograph or artwork without written permission is strictly forbidden. Views expressed herein are those of the author exclusively. Copyright © 2023 by Superior Outdoors Inc. All Rights Reserved. Editorial and Advertising: Submissions must be accompanied by a selfaddressed, stamped envelope. Superior Outdoors cannot be held responsible for unsolicited material. Superior Outdoors Inc. 242 - 1100 Memorial Avenue Thunder Bay, ON P7B 4A3 Telephone (807) 344-3366 Fax (807) 623-5122 E-mail: info@thewalleye.ca

TheWalleye.ca Where can I find The Walleye? thewalleye.ca/wherecan-i-find-the-walleye/ Ad Deadline for our November Issue October 12th

15 80 76

Combat

Death After Death

I Kill The Bird Quietly

78 18 40 100

Greener Closets for People and the Planet

FEATURES 9 Timeless Textiles 10 A Continuing Journey 11 Knot with Lindsay 12 Beyond Beading 13 The Smell of Hide, the Remembering of Tradition 14 Defying Convention 15 The Queen of the French Knot 16 Getting Tactile with Textile Artists 20 Threads of Time 22 Radical Stitch FOOD 24 THE GRINNING BELLY 25 DRINK OF THE MONTH 26 OFF THE MENU 28 Food for the Mood 30 SUPERIOR SIP

TheTOPFive

Something Called Caffenol

FILM&THEATRE 32 THE SECOND MOST PLEASURABLE THING WE DO IN THE DARK. A COLUMN ABOUT MOVIES 34 North of Superior Film Association Fall Lineup 36 Terror in the Bay 39 CONFESSIONS OF A DRAG DEALER THE ARTS 40 Something Called Caffenol 43 FROM THUNDER BAY ART GALLERY’S COLLECTION 45 Celebrating Expressions from Youth 46 A THOUSAND WORDS 48 Every Painting Has a Story OUTDOOR 50 Sunshine, Sweat, and Smiles

CITYSCENE 52 Wild Ice 53 Haunting on the Water 54 WALL SPACE: Lovely Body 56 STUFF WE LIKE 58 GO LOCAL THUNDER BAY COUNTRY MARKET 59 Thunderbird Wildlife Rescue

61 62 63 64 66 68 69 70

Inclusion, Leadership, Cooperation I Kill The Bird Quietly SECOND CHANCES EYE TO EYE: With Matthew Hills THIS IS THUNDER BAY Get Your Punks Cookin’ CANNABIS CORNER BRIDGING THE PAST

MUSIC 72 Manifesting Music 73 Come for the Massacre, Stay for the Metal 74 Wake the Giant 2023 76 Death After Death 78 BURNING TO THE SKY 80 Combat 81 Season 63 82 Singing the Blues 84 TBSO PROFILE 86 Surrounded by Buzzards 88

OFF THE WALL REVIEWS

ARCHITECTURE 90 Paulucci's Wayland Bar & Grill 92 94 95

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

TATTOOED YOU 97 A Halloween Collection GREEN 99 Thunder Bay’s Emergency Food Plan 100 Greener Closets for People and the Planet 103 LET'S GET GROWING HEALTH 104 Let’s Make Lactation and Work, Work THE WALL 106 The Meta Narrative and the Better Story to Come 108 OCTOBER HOROSCOPES 109 THE BEAT 110 THE EYE

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From Our Instagram Feed

In Error

Fibres of Our Being

rt and crafts made from various fabrics and other natural and artificial textiles and materials have been around since humans started working with them. Today’s contemporary art world is rife with artists creating amazing works, whether using traditional methods that date back hundreds or thousands of years, or working with newer art forms and reimagining those traditions. Our cover story this October focuses on the undeniable talent in the Thunder Bay area, as we feature 13 local artists who work in media as diverse as embroidery, quilting, leatherwork, weaving, beadwork, and many others. Speaking of beading, in our cover story, Nancy Saunders gets a closer look at an impressive new exhibit coming to the Thunder Bay Art Gallery starting this month, and we learn more about the venerable Thunder Bay Weavers and Spinners Guild, who have been active in the community for decades. Keeping in line with our cover story focus, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery’s Penelope Smart brings us a feature on

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a beautiful star quilt that the gallery has in their collection, while the Thunder Bay Public Library’s Kristal Vanderleest reviews The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns, a great resource for new or experienced knitters, which you can find at the library. Elsewhere in our October issue, Jason Wellwood interviews Thunder Bay music legend Tommy Horricks, who is turning 80 this month and throwing a bash at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, Pat Forrest has the story of how The Outsiders' takeout business has expanded and partnered with a local pub, and Taylor Onski speaks with the head of the North of Superior Film Association about the lineup for their upcoming season that cinemagoers are sure to enjoy. So, as we continue headlong into fall, we hope this issue both informs and entertains you, as we celebrate the vast array of talent in our city and region—and shine a light on what these creative minds are doing with the most timeless of materials. -Matt Prokopchuk

On page 41 of our September issue, Marc Doucette’s name was misspelled. On page 94 of our August issue, the group Minuscule was misspelled in the photo caption and, in the story itself, Rita Visser’s album Northern Daydream was also misspelled.

Featured Contributor Justin Allec

Justin Allec has been writing for The Walleye for almost a decade. He covers the city’s heavy music scene and anchors the monthly Cannabis Corner column, along with whatever else needs words. A long-time resident of Thunder Bay, Justin loves living in Current River with his wife and their four children and taking advantage of all that wilderness. When not writing for The Walleye, Justin writes horror stories that have been published in a variety of magazines and anthologies. See this month’s Cannabis Corner on page 69, and his review of Annihilation Text’s new album Black Gate Infernum on page 88.

On the Cover Beadwork by Jean Marshall Photo by Darren McChristie

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“I am here to help

my students succeed”

You belong here 6

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Raitt: Just Like 1 Bonnie That… October 2

Marina Chavez/Slipstream

Thunder Bay Community Auditorium

Music, Arts, and Botanicals at the Conservatory

Grammy Award-winner Bonnie Raitt is bringing her Just Like That… tour to the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium on October 2. Following the release of her 21st(!!) album Just Like That… and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Raitt is having a big moment in the North American music scene. This will be Raitt’s first headlining Canadian tour since 2017, and she is joined by Canadian singer-songwriter Royal Wood. Just Like That… promises to fuse blues, rock, country, and folk music for a night of dancing and fun. The show starts at 8 pm and tickets are $88.50 each, available through Ticketmaster via the TBCA website (note: prices are subject to change through Ticketmaster). tbca.com

3 TBSO Opening Night:

Music for a Celebration

October 13

Thunder Bay Community Auditorium

October 12

Centennial Botanical Conservatory

Emily Turner

Music and arts and plants— oh my! Experience the Centennial Botanical Conservatory as never before on October 12 at Music, Arts, and Botanicals at the Conservatory. During this special event, the Thunder Bay Community Band will be showcasing live miniperformances, while local visual artists create real-time works of art inspired by the nature around them. Music, Arts, and Botanicals at the Conservatory is part of Thunder Bay’s Culture Days, a Canada-wide celebration of the diversity of arts and culture within our country. The event is free to attend and will run from 11 am–2 pm. thunderbay.ca/culturedays

4 Meet My Sister

Music is in the air for the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra! TBSO’s Opening Night: Music for a Celebration will feature Cosette Justo Valdés, a Cuban-born musician and conductor, leading TBSO’s own Thomas Cosbey on violin. Cosbey will be performing Samuel Barber’s violin concerto, a lyrical, fast-paced, challenging piece that is sure to wow audiences. Alongside Barber’s violin concerto will be works by Alexina Louie, Jessie Montgomery, Honegger, and Poulenc. Overall, the concert promises to include lively music that will have you reminiscing on summer nights past. The show starts at 7:30 pm and tickets are $61 each, available through the TBSO or TBCA websites (note: prices are subject to change through Ticketmaster). tbso.ca

5 The Hunger October 28

Enjoy the last few weeks of summer at Magnus Theatre’s Outdoor Stage performance of Meet My Sister. Written by playwright Bonnie Green, Meet My Sister tells the story of two opposite sisters trying to move their mother into a longterm care home, Pleasant Poplars. Hilarious and heartfelt, this show will have you both laughing and crying the whole way through. Meet My Sister will run until October 21, with a pay-what-you-want performance on October 1. Evening shows start at 7:30 pm, with Sunday afternoon matinees at 2:30 pm. Regular tickets are $35 each and can be purchased through Magnus Theatre’s website. magnustheatre.com

If it’s Halloween in Thunder Bay, then it must be The Hunger! This year marks the 16th edition of The Hunger, Thunder Bay’s downtown-wide Halloween festival extravaganza. With nine venues, 60 performance acts, 42 live bands and DJs, and over 250 musicians and performers, the magnitude of this night cannot be overstated. A $20 cover fee (available at the door of all participating venues) will provide you with access to all nine venues starting at 9 pm, and there are thousands of dollars in costume prizes to be won. Presented by Definitely Superior Art Gallery, this annual celebration is an important fundraiser that keeps the gallery running year-round. See you there, ghouls and goblins. definitelysuperior.com

Magnus Theatre Outdoor Stage

InCompass Photography

Until October 21

Downtown Waterfront District

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Timeless Textiles 13 Artists Up Close

Emily Turner

extile art is beautifully inviting and imaginative, with colours and textures that draw you in. Not that long ago, the names of the makers and artisans were frequently lost to history, often because of their class, race, or gender, but today we’re fortunate enough to know the work and legacy of contemporary textile artists. We’re even more fortunate to have such a talented array of these artists right here in the Thunder Bay area. In this issue of The Walleye, we celebrate our area’s many forms of textile art—cool, classic, and everything in between! - Bonnie Schiedel

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A Continuing Journey Tuija Hansen and Her Work with Regional Plant Dyes

Emily Turner

By Emily Turner

Tuija Hansen

 Wool coming out of a dye bath

 Hansen working at the Icelandic Textile Center

 Hansen at the digital weaving loom known as the TC2

Emily Turner

 Wool soaking in a mordant bath

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uija Hansen could be described as a lifelong student. Even after a lifetime of working with textiles, she is constantly exploring different products and materials to develop her craft. Her career as a textile artist who specializes in regional plant dyes has brought her all around the world to learn from different artists and professionals, and she is not planning on slowing down any time soon. Hansen entered the realm of textile art as a young child, sewing outfits together for her dolls with the help of her grandmothers. By the time she was ready for post-secondary education, fine art seemed like a natural fit. She attended the Kootenay Studio Arts at Selkirk College in Nelson, B.C. for fibre and textile design, where she “learned everything there was to learn at the time about fibre art in Canada,” she says. Years after completing her formal education, she’s been continuing her learning journey. “I am always looking for professional development opportunities that can expand what I know,” Hansen says. She has been spending this fall in different courses across the United States: attending the North House Folk School in Grand Marias to learn how to build a loom, travelling to a Swedish weaving school in Massachusetts to learn their methods, and soon heading to Trout Lake, Wash., to learn more about mushroom dyeing. In the past year, she has been working with a digital loom, a new, innovative take on traditional weaving. “The loom operates like a regular

loom in that you still wind the warp the same way; you still thread the pedals […] and you weave with your hands,” she explains. “The difference is the warp strings lift and lower in a pattern based on the image that I create in Photoshop.” The digital loom allows her to combine the knowledge of computer art and fabric design she developed in school with what she has recently learned about digital jacquard weaving. Her work with this loom has demonstrated how traditional weaving methods have been adapted to fit into our digital world. Once the weather gets colder and she has prepared her dyes from recently foraged and grown plants, she will spend some time sampling everything using tiny wool skeins. She will then return to her fibre studio (which she is currently renovating) to weave, sew, and embroider. She looks forward to weaving with all the new colours she has uncovered this season. “I love [weaving wall hangings]. I love the process. It’s so nice to see all the colours together, and to give each weaving its own theme by focusing on the different regions where the colours come from,” she says. Each woven piece she creates reflects her travels to different regions and the work she has done there, effectively serving as documentation of her growth and development as an artist. See some of Hansen’s work at tuijahansenfibredesign. ca, and stay tuned for her next local exhibition.

Lindsay Lamers

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Patrick Chondon

 One of Lamers's larger wall hangings, a huge accomplishment for her as she was refining her craft

Knot with Lindsay Lindsay Lamers's Modern Macrame

 Macrame artist Lindsay Lamers

By Sidney Ulakovic from the area now called the Middle East—long before it was popularized in North America, most recently again during the COVID-19-related lockdowns. Lamers specializes in stylish handcrafted pieces for the modern home ranging from various functional objects such as coasters, keychains, and plant hangers to elaborate wall hangings she fashions on a driftwood base. Lamers’s wall hangings vary in size, but her largest pieces can take up to nine hours to complete. Lamers’s work is produced using different knotting techniques, hence her business name, Knot with Lindsay. Her pieces are made with macrame cotton cord, a material that’s forgiving and relatively easy to work with in comparison to jute, which was widely used for macrame in the 70s. Lamers starts with a design in mind and then gets to work knotting the material and strategically layering to create dimension and interest in a piece. Once the piece is constructed, a lot of time is spent taking a step back to trim as necessary to

ensure symmetry. Lamers gets a lot of inspiration from her peers and the work they’re doing, but mostly looks back to her own work to see how her next pieces may develop. “I might say ‘Oh, I really liked the way I added one of those knots into it,’ so then I’m going to do that kind of design again, but I might add something different to it in the future, or do it in a different colour scheme,” says Lamers. Most of all, Lamers enjoys connecting with others who enjoy macrame when she attends local markets, especially the older generation who can see and appreciate, through her work, how much the craft has evolved. To see more of Lamers’s work, find her on Instagram @knotwithlindsay. Lamers will also post her upcoming fall markets on Instagram, so stay tuned for updates.

Lindsay Lamers

t’s always a joy to experience something you’re passionate about taking on a life of its own. For local teacher Lindsay Lamers, this meant seeing her hobby of macrame turn into her own business. Like many people, Lamers started learning the foundations of macrame during the lockdown in the summer of 2020. While browsing through YouTube, Lamers stumbled upon a tutorial for a macrame rainbow made to decorate a car’s rear view mirror. “[The] first time I ever did it, I failed,” Lamers admits. “But then I persevered, and I ended up finding appropriate macrame materials—macrame cord is what we call it—and started making the rainbow. [It] worked out and then I thought, ‘I could do this.’” There’s a tendency to dismiss macrame as kitsch due to its association with a surge of popularity in the 1970s; however macrame dates back hundreds, if not thousands, of years. It’s an art form linked to many different cultures—particularly those

 While Lamers tends to work in a neutral palate, she does enjoy playing with colour; this design is called Lola in striking mustard yellow

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Beyond Beading

CoverStory

Shannon Gustafson on Reconnecting Through Beadwork Story and photos by Sidney Ulakovic

F  Artist Shannon Gustafson in her home studio

 Some of Gustfason’s ribbon skirts on display in her studio  Regalia pieces made by Gustafson and her family, the largest of which is titled Niizho Gaabo

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 Gashkibidaagan, a bandolier bag beaded by Gustafson; traditionally, bandolier bags were symbols of stature used to carry valuables  Gustafson’s detailed work on Gashkibidaagan

rom pow wow grounds across North America to Ontario’s art galleries, Shannon Gustafson’s work has connected with so many people. Although she has been creating for most of her life, she has been working full time as an artist for almost a decade. From her home studio on Fort William First Nation, Gustafson, her husband Ryan, and daughters Justine and Jade make a variety of traditional Indigenous textile art, including tikinagans, split toe moccasins, and ribbon skirts with her own prints. Most of Gustafson’s focus, however, lies in Ojibwe florals and beadwork, for which she has become renowned. She specializes in colourful, intricate beadwork, with some pieces taking as long as a month to complete. Gustafson has been creating since she was 10 years old. As a girl, she recalls being inspired by her love for pow wow and began sewing her own garments so she could participate. From there, she continued to challenge her abilities, and found that her passion lay in beadwork. Gustafson enjoyed making elaborate pow wow regalia in traditional geometric designs, and eventually, her work became highly sought after. “[The regalia] had a lot of flashy embellishments and Swarovski crystals and things like that— really flashy stuff,” Gustafson says. In 2015, Gustafson faced the unexpected passing of her son, and explains that as she learned to live again, she found her outlook on life and creativity had profoundly changed. “I started to think about my legacy,” Gustafson says. “And so basically what I

did was I just reinvented myself as a beader.” This meant starting from scratch. Gustafson phased out the flashy regalia she had become known for and opted for vintage beads, transitioning her focus to floral designs upon speaking with Elders and learning that florals were specific to Ojibwe culture. Her work became highly intentional in its design, incorporating traditional teachings through representation. She spent countless hours studying the history of traditional beadwork so she could not only perfect her craft, but carry on these traditions. “It became about identity,” says Gustafson. “[My work] is about reconnecting with the land; it’s reconnecting with ceremonies; it’s reconnecting with the teachings.” As Gustafson explored reconnection through beading, the importance of sharing the perspective she gained became evident. “For me, as an artist and being Ojibwe, our tribe is huge and it spans a really vast geographical area. And so I think about the history, even of this area, and how there’s not a lot of documented history of this type of work from this area,” she says. With her art, Gustafson works to revitalize art forms traditional to her culture, and in this way, her art becomes its own language of preservation—a language she shares not only with her family each time they gather to bead, but with each person who encounters her art along the way. To see more of Gustafson and her family’s work, visit rsgustafson.com.

The Smell of Hide, the Remembering of Tradition

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Jean Marshall’s Hide-Tanning Journey Story by Sarah McPherson, Photos by Morningstar Derosier

ide camps provide key spaces of inclusivity in many Indigenous communities. Jean Marshall, an artist and aspiring hidetanner, says that these experiences are a huge part of what she loves about the work. “We always have a fire going, there’s always food, we’re always visiting and laughing. […] Sometimes I forget that I’m even working there, because it’s all the inbetween that is really the magic to the work.” Marshall’s hide-tanning journey jump-started in 2019 at the Urban Moose Hide Tanning Residency hosted by the Dene Nahjo Collective at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Led by knowledge keepers Melaw Nakehk’o, Mandee McDonald, Tania Larsson, as well as mentors Lucy Ann Yakeleya and Judy Lafferty, the residency marked a crucial step in Marshall’s journey. Having left behind the stability of her nineto-five position in pursuit of land-based learning, Marshall put her trust in practices that have existed in her family for generations. “I’ve always wanted to learn how to tan hide. When I smell hides that are smoked traditionally, they bring back memories from my childhood.” Tanning hide is no small feat—it takes many hands and a lot of time. “You have to make a huge commitment to it,” she says. “I like to say I’m an aspiring hide-tanner, because I’m still learning a lot and being guided by people who really

know what they’re doing—it’s a lifelong journey.” Marshall also expresses gratitude for the animals whose hides she works on. “I primarily work with moose,” she says. “You can’t really help but think about its life and how it has given so much to us for what we do as artists.” While Marshall recognizes that there is a gap in historical sharing of this knowledge, she is adamant that these traditions never went away. “It brings the community together; it brings out all the stories. The nostalgia, the smell of the hides, the ‘oh, that reminds me of,’ and then we go into story time. […] It doesn’t feel like it was ever lost.” There are many who have contributed to not only Marshall’s continued learning, but also to the sharing of that knowledge with younger people: hunters who bring hides to work on, Elders such as Andrew Mandamin and Cathy McGuire, knowledge keepers such as Audrey Deroy and Kanina Terry, and other aspiring hide-tanners such as Shelby Gagnon, Cher Chapman, and Mary Magiskan. As she prepares more hides for her own artwork, Marshall remains hopeful that in sharing her learning process with younger people, the knowledge will carry on in new generations from a much earlier age.

 Artist Jean Marshall

 Tools of the trade

See Jean Marshall’s work on Instagram @marshall.childforever.

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Defying Convention

CoverStory

Michel Dumont’s Wearable Art Embraces the Ephemeral By Kat Lyzun

Keegan Richard

Courtesy of Michel Dumont

 A selection of Michel Dumont’s wearable art, including pieces in his Dodem collection that will be shown during the Indigenous Fashion Arts Festival in Toronto; the bright red piece, Gaagosh, was shown last year

Sidney Ulakovic

 A crystal dress that Dumont will be recreating for the 2024 Indigenous Fashion Arts Festival

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 Dumont’s River of Pride on an upcycled tuxedo jacket, which was painted in black light reflective acrylic paint

 Dumont is also well known for his use of various textiles to create installations

ichel Dumont admits that 10 years ago, he couldn’t have imagined his creations sharing a stage with the top Indigenous designers in the country. But next May, that’s exactly where he will be: showing his collection of wearable art, Dodem, during the Indigenous Fashion Arts (IFA) Festival at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Dumont is a self-described queer, two-spirit, and disabled Indigenous artist. He made his first appearance at an IFA show in 2022, where he stunned the crowd with unique pieces worn by unconventional models. One of the most poignant moments was when one of his models, a wheelchair user, came down the stage to thunderous applause in his Fireweed design. It earned him a mention in Vogue, but more importantly, it provided validation of his wearable artwork and the opportunity to help others feel seen. “For any artist, to have people connect emotionally with their art, that’s the dream,” he says. “To feel counted amongst my peers, I mean wow—I’m just so happy to be invited to the party, that people want to work with me.” Dumont consciously works with nontoxic materials like cellophane and packing tape to create everything from wigs to dresses to pieces like his outsized, fiery Gaagosh cape, created in honour of murdered and missing Indigenous women. He is multiple-chemical sensitive, so using materials with low toxicity allows him to work without experiencing severe headaches. The challenge is that, unlike traditional textiles, these materials have a shorter shelf life, and are “ephemeral,” Dumont says, but he deconstructs and re-constructs his pieces as needed. His work has been shown in Toronto, Montreal, Paris, and Helsinki,

and he’s recently procured gallery representation with the Paul Petro Contemporary Art gallery on Queen Street West. He has a mask on display at the Textile Museum of Canada, and recently won a Craft Award, which celebrates the best craft and design work in the country. Dumont says he didn’t always have confidence in his work, but he loved making costumes from a young age, inspired by the creations of his mom and aunt. Halloween was always his jam, and his work has long been supported by Definitely Superior Art Gallery. But it wasn’t always easy for him to put himself out there. “Queer, disabled, Indigenous: those intersections, when I was younger, I was told not to tell people about them and that I’d be marginalized,” he says. “I had opportunities, but I had that inner saboteur for a long time saying, ‘you’re not good enough.’ Then in my 40s, I started to pick it back up, thinking what do I have to lose? I’m going to do my own thing. I’m going to show other people how much fun I’m having.” The silver lining of the pandemic was that he found the motivation to branch out with his art, exploring new mediums and connecting with galleries online. He’s been exploring a theme he calls River of Pride, which he has painted on two fabulous upcycled tuxedo jackets. “I’m going to have fun,” he says. “And that’s basically been how my career has been for the last eight years. If other people like it, great. But I’m making myself happy.” Check out Michel Dumont on Instagram @madbear67, on Facebook at facebook. com/madbear34, and TikTok @ micheldumont3.

CoverStory

The Queen of the French Knot Mary Jane MacDonald's Textural Embroidery

Chad Kirvan  Artist Mary Jane MacDonald

Spring Garden; a macro view of a flowered landscape in spring

Mina Keykhaei

always makes me smile to pull out my sweatshirt and be reminded of the different things I have done.” She is also excited about some new pieces that combine her love of embroidered clothes and moss embroidery style. “I recently completed a dress covered in French knots mimicking moss growing up the edges and along the seams of the dress.” Once her Master’s thesis— looking at textile waste management processes and how successful textile diversion practices in large cities can be replicated in rural municipalities instead of being shipped overseas—is complete, MacDonald hopes to bring what she’s learned back home. “I hope to come back to Thunder Bay and host some embroidery and mending workshops and get other people excited about using embroidery to look after their clothes and create special items they will want to keep forever.” For now, MacDonald is working on an upcoming exhibition, and large cuff bracelets made with offcuts of industrial felt that also use embroidery as well as beadwork. It is easy to see that with MacDonald’s eye for design and a desire to promote sustainable fashion, there is no limit to what can be done with imagination, ingenuity, a needle, and some thread.

Mina Keykhaei

oes embroidery fall into the realm of art or craft? According to artist Mary Jane MacDonald, it can be a bit of both. Although she was first inspired by her aunt’s beautiful landscape embroidery, it wasn’t until grad school that MacDonald gained a deeper appreciation for textiles. “Art conservation is as much about an understanding of science as it is of art, so being able to approach the study of textiles from both a creative and scientific perspective was really special and definitely gave me a deeper appreciation for the process.” MacDonald is in her final year of a Master’s in Fashion Studies in Toronto, where her classmates jokingly refer to her as “the Queen of the French Knot”—a stitch that she incorporates into nearly every piece she does. “I love the textural quality of it, and you can change the size of it by adding an extra loop so you can get a nice varied texture from using the same stitch,” she says. Out of all the many pieces of art she’s created over the years, the piece that might be the most special to her is a sweatshirt. “If I’m doing a new design on my digital machine, I do it on my sweatshirt first to make sure it works, or I’ll try out hand stitches and techniques,” she says. “So now it’s covered in all kinds of designs and it

Mina Chad Keykhaei Kirvan

By Rebekah Skochinski

 Leeming Island, Stony Lake; part of a project MacDonald did for her Masters program exploring grief and healing through embroidery  A beaded cuff bracelet which was hand-beaded and embroidered on a piece of off-cut industrial felt upcycled from another project

Mina Keykhaei

See more of MacDonald’s work on Instagram @maryjane_livingstone, on Facebook at facebook.com/maryjanelivingstoneart, and at maryjanelivingstonestudio.com.

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 Earrings made of smoked hide and dried fish skin, with beading

Shelby Gagnon

Getting Tactile with Textile Artists

Shelby Gagnon

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 Preparing fish skin

 Hideworker Shelby Gagnon

Morgan Tsetta

Shelby Gagnon Animal Hideworking By Emily Turner

Wendy Currie

The Wilderness quilt, pieced by Karen Kimball with a pattern from Art Gallery Fabrics and quilted by Wendy Currie with a pantograph called Bayside by Hermione Agee

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helby Gagnon’s art can be seen all around Thunder Bay, from murals on buildings to art on certain city buses. But cement and metal are only two of the mediums this young Indigenous artist works on. When they are not involved with community art installations, or facilitating art workshops and programs, Gagnon is engaged with the complex process of hide tanning and creating art out of the processed leather. “We live in this world which can be so overwhelming at times; there is just so much going on in day-to-day life, but when I go to the land, when I’m harvesting, or scraping a hide, everything seems so simple and easy,” Gagnon says. Creating art out of moose, caribou, or deer hide cannot be done without first engaging in the complex

process of preparing the material. Gagnon has worked with knowledge keepers at hide camps in Thunder Bay, Barrie, and Yellowknife to learn and develop their skills, deepening their connection to land and community along the way. In addition to mammal hide, Gagnon has also learned how to work with fish skin. With the completed hides, in their smoked and unsmoked forms, Gagnon creates wearable art such as earrings and moccasins, often incorporating the fish skins with the leather. Currently, they are working with raw hide to create canvas, which they plan to paint. These pieces will be on display at the Co. Lab Gallery & Arts Centre next year. See more of Gagnon’s work on Instagram @rootveggii.

CoverStory

 Pohjolainen’s kitten Merino hiding behind her electric spinning wheel with a project on it Handspun, hand-dyed merino/ cashmere/nylon yarn, which was later knit into a sweater  Spinner and fabric artist Natalie Pohjolainen in the sweater knitted from her yarn (with horse Missy)

 Weaver Leona McEwan

Weaving

Story by Tiffany Jarva, Photos by Leona McEwan

Spinning

Story by Matt Prokopchuk, Photos by Natalie Pohjolainen

 When Leona McEwan started weaving again after retirement, Feathers and Fur was the first piece she created, measuring about 14” x 60” and integrating natural fibres with repurposed materials like feathers and fur

Leona McEwan

Natalie Pohjolainen or veteran spinner Natalie Pohjolainen, it was a visit to an Ottawa-area yarn shop she frequented nearly 20 years ago that got her hooked on the idea of making her own yarn. “I used to go in and I used to drool all over the silk, thinking ‘oh, I’d love to buy some silk to make something,’” she says. “But it was so expensive.” A quick price check revealed that raw silk fibres from the same store were roughly one quarter of the cost—and she asked the shop owner to teach her how to spin. That knowledge, she says, started her “rabbit hole dive” into all types of fibre arts. Spinning is arguably one of the oldest techniques as it’s the process of taking various raw fibres of material, such as wool, cotton, silk, flax, and countless others and twisting them to make yarn; it’s effectively the foundation upon which many other

 McEwan’s latest piece, The Canadian Shield is hand-woven, integrating all-natural fibres, bamboo discs linked together using buckskin to represent strength, and hand-dyed fringe representing deep roots

textile arts are built. Before learning how to spin, Pohjolainen says she was a crocheter, but after learning how to spin, her repertoire expanded greatly. Pohjolainen recently moved to Thunder Bay and is a member of the Thunder Bay Weavers and Spinners Guild, where she’s not only its vice president, but the guild’s spinning instructor—a role she relishes. “I really actually love it,” she says. “Most of the students I’ve had have gone on to [be] like ‘okay, now I’m a spinner; I need to get a spinning wheel and I need to learn how to do this better and more.’” You can see what Pohjolainen and the Thunder Bay Weavers and Spinners Guild are up to at the guild’s Facebook page, and on Instagram @weavers. spinners.tbay

ibre artist Leona McEwan completed her first wall hanging on a bicycle wheel when she was in high school. “I’ll weave on anything,” she laughs. Then life happened: McEwan became a teacher, a mother, and a school administrator, and she didn’t return to the art form until she retired about six years ago. “I started questioning: who am I? I got the loom from up in the rafters and started weaving again,” says McEwan. “I love being able to tell a story, to move someone, through my weaving.” McEwan weaves using a loom and integrates needle, wet, and Nuno felting techniques. She took a felting course at the North House Folk School in Grand Marais, but otherwise is mostly selftaught. McEwan’s artwork, with names like Fuchsia Falls, Lasso the Moon, Silver Birch, and Gezellig (Dutch for “cosy”), are inspired by a wide range of things including the raw beauty of Northwestern Ontario, paintings by other artists like Van Gogh, and the

stories and memories of people who commission her to create one-of-a-kind pieces. “And sometimes you just let the yarn inspire you,” she explains. Some of McEwan’s wall hangings are almost six feet in length while other pieces are much smaller, like her jewelry line, ornaments, book covers, and pillowcases. McEwan tries to incorporate natural materials whenever possible, such as roots and driftwood for the headers, wooden buttons, feathers, fur, clay discs, and locally spun and dyed natural fibres by artists like Jen Huhta. “It’s so much fun,” smiles McEwan. “Especially if you like texture and three-dimensional, tactile pieces. It is a very expressive type of art form.” Find McEwan’s business, Bee Weave Creations, at bee-weavecreations.square.site and her fibre art on Instagram and Facebook @beeweavecreations.

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Lucille Atlookan

CoverStory

 Weaver and dyer Abbi Buckley

 Beader Lucille Atlookan

Story by Emily Turner, Photos by Luke Giroux

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Shayne Ehman

Lucille Atlookan

Weaving and Eco-Dyeing

 Beaded earrings

 Dancing Flowers

Abbi Buckley ny child from Dorion, Ont., is likely to develop an acute appreciation for the natural world. For Abbi Buckley, an emerging artist in the local community of textile artists, her childhood in the Dorion bush is one of her greatest inspirations as an artist who works with natural fibres. Buckley attended the fine arts program at the Alberta University of the Arts in Calgary, where she was first introduced to weaving, quilting, and eco-dyeing. Her return to Dorion after the pandemic started came at a precious point in her artistic journey. “I was still trying to figure out what my artistic expression was, and where it came from,” she says. “I knew it had something to do with nature, but being in the city […] made it hard to connect with that.” Away from the

Lucille Atlookan

 RA Hands

Beadwork city, once again surrounded by the natural world and equipped with new knowledge about the art of textile creation and eco-dyeing, she began fine-tuning her skills. While she has created art pieces such as baskets, blankets, and cocoons with natural materials such as usnea lichen, red willow, and mulched leaves, she has also woven and sewn together garments like jackets and sweaters from recycled cotton and wool. When she isn’t weaving, she is exploring with plant dyes and cyanotype. Catch Abbi Buckley at her upcoming workshop at Willow Springs Creative Centre on October 15. For more information, visit abbibuckley.com.

By Bonnie Schiedel

“I

didn’t feel connected to the land for a long time. I felt like I didn’t know who I was as an Indigenous person until I spoke to an Elder and she said that, you know, your art is your connection to the land,” says Lucille Atlookan, an artist from Eabametoong First Nation, who lives in Thunder Bay. She learned beading about 10 years ago from her friend Matilda Suganaqueb, when she asked Suganaqueb to make her a lanyard and Suganaqueb offered to teach her instead. Atlookan went on to hone her beading skills through her work at Neechee Studio, an Indigenous youth art collective she co-founded with Suganaqueb. In addition to lanyards beaded around a length of paracord (her

favourite), Atlookan makes other small beaded pieces like earrings and medallions for sale and for gifts, drawing inspiration from nature and from her friends. Today, Atlookan teaches beading herself, showing workshop participants how to choose thread and tiny colourful beads, and to sew a design on a stiff stabilizer fabric that is then backed with leather or vinyl. Beading definitely has a bit of a learning curve for beginners. “I do tell them that, if you’re a first-time beader it takes practice,” she says. “Practice makes you ‘good-er.’” To see more of Lucille Atlookan’s work, visit facebook. com/Loochio or @invisible_nish on Instagram.

 The Hunter: a buck etched on birchbark, using porcupine quills for the trees

 The backpack features black spruce root, a cedar rim, and straps made from moose hide

Wendy Currie

Patrick Chondon

 The map and nautical star etchings on this birchbark backpack are inspired by Loch Lomond Lake behind Anemki Wajiw—“my dad’s hunting grounds,” says Pelletier

Wendy Currie

Patrick Chondon

CoverStory

 Quilt, pieced by Wendy Currie using the pattern Delight by Zen Chic and custom quilted by Wendy Currie

 Quilt, pieced by Wendy Currie using the pattern Long Time Gone by Jen Kingwell and quilted by Wendy Currie using the pattern Swirls by Quilters Apothecary

 Table runner, pieced by Manon Després using the pattern Those Trees by Zen Chic and quilted by Wendy Currie with her own freehand design

By Tiffany Jarva

rtist Helen Pelletier creates beautifully etched pieces made from winter wiigwas (birchbark). “I can only harvest at a certain time of year, for a week or two,” explains Pelletier, who harvests birchbark with love and respect close to where she lives on the traditional territory of Fort William First Nation. “It took 20 years before harvesting on my own,” Pelletier adds. “I had to build relationships with community, knowledge keepers, and the land. I had to build a relationship with the birchbark tree—learn its cycle.” On average, it takes Pelletier a couple of weeks to create a piece— from gathering bark, cleaning the roots, drawing, making the pattern, and researching based on community and family know-how to calculating how to effectively shape the piece. Her work includes baskets, pictures, objects, and wearable art like skirts, hats, and backpacks. Years ago, while working with a mentor, Pelletier learned to sew panels, harvest birchbark, and gather black spruce roots. “I was instantly attracted and connected to birchbark,” she says.

While learning, she realized that the original materials that would have been used in the past before settler colonialism weren’t available anymore. “It triggered a loss of identity and I felt displacement from the land as an Anishinaabe person,” says Pelletier. “People are no longer making birchbark canoes, homes, and baskets.” Pelletier started to focus on rebuilding her connection to land and identity. “It ignited my fire to keep learning,” she says. In 2016, Pelletier learned to etch birchbark, and she has been harvesting on her own since 2018, continuing to learn from the knowledge of her family, friends, and mentors. “It takes a community to do the art I do,” she says. You can find Helen Pelletier’s work on Instagram @ helendawnp. Her first solo exhibit Wiigwas Manidoog Descendants was featured at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery this past June to September. Her wearable art was also part of the Indigenous Fashion Arts Festival marketplace in 2020.

Wendy Currie

Wiigwas (Birchbark)

Willow Fiddler

Helen Pelletier

Wendy Currie

Patrick Chondon

 Artist Helen Pelletier with her two nieces, Brooke and Saige

 The Cupcake quilt, pieced by Karen Kimball and quilted by Wendy Currie using a pantograph called Tickle Too by Benay Derr

 Quilter Wendy Currie

Wendy Currie Quilting

By Bonnie Schiedel

olour and community are Wendy Currie’s quilting passions. “I've always loved the colour and shape and just the whole art of it. To be able to integrate [that] with my love of sewing—it just all came together,” she says. In addition to making her own quilts, Currie also has a business where she uses a longarm quilting machine—essentially a specialized sewing machine and frame that can accommodate large quilt sizes—to make a finished quilt. She guides the longarm machine to create the allover stitching (using a design called a pantograph) that sews together the layers of a quilt: the quilt top that a local quilter has pieced, the inner batting, and the fabric backing. Currie also mentors other quilters,

as she was once mentored herself by the Thunder Bay Quilters Guild as a young quilter in the late 1980s. “I was really fortunate to be embraced by a lot of longtime quilters. Mentorship in a quilt guild is amazing, and it’s how I got started with serious quilting,” she says. Since first heading to Zellers to buy supplies to make a crib quilt as a mom-to-be, Currie has completed hundreds of her own quilts, which she displays and gifts to family members. “I like to try new things and be challenged with different designs and patterns.” You can see more of Wendy Currie’s and other quilters’ work on Instagram @wendysquilting and wendys-quilting.ca.

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Threads of Time

CoverStory

Thunder Bay Weavers and Spinners Guild Promoting the Fibre Arts By Matt Prokopchuk

Sidney Ulakovic

“I  Lorene Shymko, treasurer of the Thunder Bay Weavers and Spinners Guild, sits at a loom in the guild’s Jumbo Gardens Community Centre studio

Sidney Ulakovic

 A display at the guild’s booth at the Thunder Bay Country Market

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Sidney Ulakovic

Emily Turner

 Looms at the guild’s demonstration space at this year’s Hymers Fair

t’s important to respect what materials are out there at the source,” Lorene Shymko says about the Thunder Bay Weavers and Spinners Guild’s role in keeping knowledge of the fibre arts alive. Shymko is the current guild treasurer, and has been a member for about five years now, although she’s been working with textiles for much longer—particularly beadwork, which she says she was mentored in by the late Elder Freda McDonald at Fort William Historical Park. Shymko says her mother, a passionate spinner and weaver, had been a member of the guild for over 40 years, so she joined in order to be able to benefit from that knowledge. “My mom is aging and I wanted to learn these skills while she had the chance to still pass them on to me,” Shymko says. The Weavers and Spinners Guild can trace its roots back to the 1960s, when a group of six local weavers started working together. Roughly 20 years later, they joined with some spinners to further share their collective knowledge. The group was formalized as the Thunder Bay Weavers and Spinners Guild in the

2000s—today, it’s a nonprofit, charitable organization that includes virtually all fibre arts, provides instruction and mentoring, as well as access to equipment and other resources, and makes yearly donations to local clubs and community groups. They also do many community demonstrations, whether at local fairs and other public events, or by invitation, Shymko says. The main goal is to promote and keep alive knowledge of these historical skills. “One of our main focuses through our constitution is education and exposure of the fibre arts,” she says. “So we do a lot of outreach.” The guild also has a permanent booth at the Thunder Bay Country Market. “That gives us an opportunity, along with our Facebook page […] to get people involved with taking classes with us,” Shymko says. “This is one more thing [where] we’re going back to basics,” says Colleen Tardif, a 15-year member of the guild and its current market coordinator. “I’m going to spin my yarn, I’m going to dye it, I’m going to weave some material, I’m going to turn that material into something—these are

Emily Turner

CoverStory

 Looms at the guild’s demonstration space at this year’s Hymers Fair

over the existing rec centre from the city, the guild would also be willing to remain as tenants. Regardless of where they end up, the members of the Weavers and Spinners Guild are passionate about their craft, and helping others understand the value of keeping these types of skills relevant—including promoting fabric reuse and upcycling, as well as a general sense of accomplishment. “I help out a lot with our felting workshops, and in quite a few of our workshops we create threedimensional animals,” Shymko says. “And to see the looks on the faces of the people when they’re finished after six hours that they created something—in this world of so much doom and gloom, to see such happiness and creativity and positivity […] I think is so important.” To learn more about the Thunder Bay Weavers and Spinners Guild, and to stay up to date with them, search Thunder Bay Weavers & Spinners Guild on Facebook.

Sidney Ulakovic

great skills for people.” The guild operates out of the Jumbo Gardens Community Centre, where they hold studio time (generally every second Thursday), where people can come to work in their basement space and use their equipment, as well as drop off donations. They also host weekly drop-in sessions on Mondays, when anyone can come by to work on a project in a communal space, or to seek advice, mentorship, or to access the guild’s library and other resources. (A $2 fee for non-guild members applies for these sessions.) Where the group will continue to operate, however, is up in the air. The Jumbo Gardens Community Centre, their home for the past roughly 20 years, is tentatively slated for closure at the end of 2023, due to a round of cost-cutting measures by City Hall earlier this year. The group needs about 900 square feet in an accessible space, Shymko says, and, while she says they’ve been very active in trying to find a new location, as of early September, nothing had been finalized. She adds that, should another business or organization essentially take

 Threads on a loom

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Don Hall/Courtesy of the MacKenzie Art Gallery

CoverStory

 Installation view, Radical Stitch, MacKenzie Art Gallery

 Nico Williams, Aaniin, 2002, glass beads - collection of the artist

Radical Stitch

Thunder Bay Art Gallery to Host ‘Momentous’ Exhibition

adical Stitch is a groundbreaking exhibition showcasing the significance of contemporary Indigenous beading in North America. The exhibition features the work of beaders from Canada and the United States and brings attention to a practice and tradition that creates, conveys, and transfor ms history, emotion, and resistance. Curated by Sherry FarrellRacette, Michelle LaVallee, and Cathy Mattes, Radical Stitch was conceived of during the pandemic and was first presented at the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina. In addition to the

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beaded works of 30 artists, the travelling exhibition features opportunities to extend one’s experience through interactive, community-based resources and programming. “I'm really excited that [Radical Stitch] is going to Thunder Bay because I feel it’s such a receptive audience. It's so right that the exhibition is going there—it’s such a centre for many things,” says FarrellRacette. “The Thunder Bay Art Gallery has been a leader in promoting and including Indigenous artists, especially artists from the region, for so long. They have such a strong history of that,” she continues. “I'm so excited for what [the

Don Hall/Courtesy of the MacKenzie Art Gallery

By Nancy Saunders

aren't aware of the cultural oppression that happened in Canada, where ceremonies were outlawed, where people could be arrested for going to ceremony. And that extended to really basic things like dancing [and] appearing in public in traditional clothing,” FarrellRacette says, adding that, particularly in western Canada, making special clothing was actively discouraged. “Just the fact that these things are still done, that people still remember the skills […] you know, sewing can be a really radical act. […] Continuing to practice, continuing to create is a form of resistance,” she says. Farrell-Racette describes some of the works as “heartbreaking”—born out of oppression, loss, tragedy, trauma; a desire to honour others, to process pain, and to address mental health. “When you look at the exhibition, a lot of it is about love. […] Radical love is the way that people process grief, the way they express care. [...] We're using [beading] to do different kinds of things, to express political messages, to respond to social conditions,” Farrell-Racette says. “Then we also have stuff that's super funny because, you know, people are also hilarious—people do really fun things and have a lot of fun with beading.” “One of the other things that’s really exciting about the exhibition is featuring the sort of grassroots artists who are kind of outside the art scene,” Farrell-Racette continues. “There is everything from something that would make you cry, to something that you would just want to wear.”

 Ruth Cuthand, Brain Scan Series; glass beads, thread, backing; Mackenzie Art Gallery, 2022; Indigenous Art Collection, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada  Jean Marshall, Gitigan | Garden, bandolier bag, 2015, glass beads, ribbon, metal jingles, wool cloth, ric rac - Indigenous Art Collection, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, MacKenzie Art Gallery, 2022

Don Hall/Courtesy of the MacKenzie Art Gallery

art gallery] is going to do with it. […] They're so tuned in to all the nuances because they work with community all the time.” Thunder Bay Art Gallery curator Penelope Smart is eager to share Radical Stitch with the community. “This is a momentous exhibition. It will take up the entire gallery and it’s up for six months—that’s how big it is,” she says. “The talent represented by the artists and curators is extraordinary. This is the first time works by several high-profile bead artists from the U.S. will be on view in Thunder Bay, with local artists right there with them.” Local artist Jean Marshall is well known for her work with beads, quills, and textiles, and is among the artists featured in Radical Stitch. “[Marshall] was one of the three artists who we commissioned artwork from. She is doing such amazing work as part of a whole movement to reclaim traditional media, and in sustainable food- and land-based knowledge,” says Farrell-Racette. Farrell-Racette explains that through Radical Stitch, she and her co-curators wanted to both celebrate bead artists, and also provide the broader Canadian public a glimpse of what many people don’t often see. “A lot of beadwork happens on the pow wow circuit where the outfits are just more amazing every year. We really wanted to say, ‘This is what we see. This is an art world that we see and experience,’” she says. They also wanted to highlight beadwork as an artform. “Beadwork has been really relegated to a craft for many years,” Farrell-Racette continues, noting that in recent years, Indigenous beaded works including couture, jewelry, and footwear have been featured in fashion shows, galleries, and Vogue magazine. The name Radical Stitch conveys a few important aspects of the exhibition. “I think probably most Canadians

Don Hall/Courtesy of the MacKenzie Art Gallery

CoverStory

Radical Stitch opens at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery on October 13 and runs until March 2024. For more information, visit theag.ca.

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Food

All the Fall Things

THE G GRINNIN Y L L E B

By Chef Rachel Bayes

y friend Kristen described March as the prime rib (i.e., the best bit) of winter; I think early October is the prime rib of fall (before the heavy, sideways rains of late October turn it into the spray cheese of fall). By this time of the year in Northwestern Ontario, we are fully into sweater weather, reading under cosy blankets, and enjoying sunny cool-crisp days. In the early part of the month, many brightly coloured poplar leaves are still stubbornly clinging to branches, and the tamaracks are afire along roadsides. If you are a tree nerd like I am, and seasonal leaf colours are your jam, check out the Ontario Fall Colours Progression Report on To Do Ontario online—you can keep updated on the region’s percentage of leaf fall and predominant colours. Though winter is in the mail, I hope you can savour October. With any luck, the busyness of

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September’s back-to-school, back-from-summer-holidays, process-the-garden-veggies fervour has waned a little, and you can take a pause to appreciate the view (and smell!) of this transitional month. This recipe for roasted Brats and veggies has all the very best flavours of fall (and none of the spray cheese). If you’ve been scarred by over-boiled Brussels sprouts in the past, please give roasted sprouts a try—you’ll be in for a heavenly world of nutty sweetness. Roasting any veggie brings big flavour and low fuss with all the caramelized goodness, but Brussels sprouts done in the oven? Chef’s kiss. Because sheet pan dinners are easy to toss together and throw in the oven, and have a super quick clean-up factor, they’re the perfect item to prep for dinner. Who knows, maybe you’ll even have time to jump back into your book while you’re waiting.

Bratwurst and Brussels Sprouts Sheet Pan Dinner serves 4

4 Bratwurst sausages 1 bottle dark lager beer (like Holsten Maibock or Hofbrau Dunkel)* 2 garlic cloves, crushed *you can use beef stock if beer isn’t an option

Pierce the sausages with a fork, and place in a saucepan. Pour in beer and enough water to cover Brats. Stir in minced garlic and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and cook about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

¼ c apple cider vinegar 3 Tbsp mustard 2 Tbsp brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 425⁰F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Spray the baking sheet with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine vinegar, mustard, and brown sugar. Mix to combine and stir until the brown sugar dissolves.

1 onion, cut into large-ish pieces 2½ c Brussels sprouts, cut in half (trim stem and remove outer leaves) ½ lb small white or red potatoes, cut into quarters

Leave the peels on the potatoes and apples, and cut everything so it’s approximately the same size. Add it all to a large bowl, pour the mustard mixture over, and toss to coat. Transfer veggies (and apples) to the baking sheet, and nestle Brats in.

1½ c carrots, cut into coins 2 apples, cut into quarters ½ tsp caraway seeds** salt and black pepper to season **you can also sub in fennel, cumin, anise, or dill seeds in for caraway

Season with the caraway seeds and salt and black pepper. Cook for 40–50 minutes, tossing once halfway through the cooking time (and flipping the Brats), or until the vegetables are browned and tender.

Look Who’s Playing On Paul’s Street!

Food

OF DRINK H T MON

The Gummy Thicc The Industry Social House

Review by Jeannie Dubois, Photo by Jack Barten

he unassuming exterior of The Industry Social House has a speakeasy-esque quality to it, as once you cross the threshold, you are instantly transported to a very chill, very hip, very modern space. With a spicy backlit bar, a floor that boasts clean lines, mellow light, and atmospheric music, and a tastefully curated food menu, it’s easy to settle in for a little or long while. Enter the brilliant bar manager Brad, with a background in biochemistry, and the bar menu hits the next level. The

Gummy Thicc, poured out in a sugar-rimmed coupe glass and garnished with a fuzzy peach, is a hypnotic, hazy, rose-gold swirl. The delicious and tactile combination of white rum, peach schnapps, fresh lemon juice, and in-house peach syrup (which he reduces from grilled white peaches) makes it easy to enjoy the last vestiges of summer in a glass with authentic stone fruit flavour—very keen!

The Industry Social House 782 Macdonell Street 807-620-0196

Dates To Add To Your Calendar: OCT 19

Tommy Horricks OCT 22

The Vampire Circus

OCT 29

Simply Spice NOV 2

Lord Of The Dance

ORDER TICKETS AT WWW.TBCA.COM OR WWW.TICKETMASTER.CA OR IN-PERSON AT 1 PAUL SHAFFER DRIVE WEDNESDAYS FROM 12:30PM - 5:30 PM

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Food

Thai Kitchen

E OFF TH U N E M

Review and photo by Jack Barten

hunder Bay loves Thai Kitchen. Go to any book club or spin class, or ask any person on the street, and they will tell you the same. This month, the city’s devotion to the grey and red building on Cumberland may reach an all new level with the pad kee mao. Translating directly to “drunkard’s stir fry,” this dish started out as Thai street food, gaining popularity among

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those leaving bars and in need of a late night snack—hence the name. With chicken, red and green peppers, sliced onion, cherry tomatoes, chillies, and garlic, there really is something for everyone in this dish. Then there are the broad rice noodles that make up the foundation—a style of noodle that adds a bit of extra bite and ties together the rest of

the ingredients. Adding a bit of extra flavour to the dish is the sublime mix of oyster sauce, Thai seasoning sauce, and sweetened soy sauce (the sweeter, molasses-like sibling of the more popular standard soy sauce). The sweetened soy sauce does a fantastic job of cutting the spice just enough so the dish can be enjoyed with your friends who love spice, as well as with your

friends who don’t. The dish also includes cucumber and fresh Thai basil on the side. The cucumber is a little oasis in your journey, cleansing your palate and adding freshness that keeps you wanting more of the stir fry. The fresh Thai basil similarly adds a fresh herbal taste to the dish, elevating the spicy-sweet flavours. Everything in this dish makes perfect sense—the

textures and flavours all work together in a way that your brain never questions. The pad kee mao deserves to be in your Thai Kitchen order rotation, be it late night or late afternoon. Thai Kitchen 11 Cumberland Street South 807-345-1707

80 S. Court St., Thunder Bay sales@auto-onecars.com www.auto-onecars.com

PHONE: 807-344-2644 TOLL FREE: 1-888-568-9716

OPEN Mon-Fri 8am-6pm Sat 9am-2pm

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Don’t Stress! Get Your Vehicle Ready for the Cooler Temps at our Local Shop. Our Full Automotive Service Centre Offers: • • • • • • • • • • •

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Food

Food for the Mood

The Outsiders are Back in Business Story by Pat Forrest, Photos by Kay Lee

T  Margherita Flatbread

 Buttermilk Chicken Fingers  Deep-fried Cheesecake

 Classic Canadian Burger

he Outsiders Thunder Bay are back, once again offering their “fingerlicking food for the midnight mood,” to quote their motto. Things have changed a lot for the group of former international students, who stayed in Thunder Bay and ran a late-night takeout restaurant out of a ghost kitchen. As operator Abu Hena Mostofa Kamal says, though, it’s a big difference, but it’s all good. The Outsiders started up in Thunder Bay in October 2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Kamal and his friends Souvik Mukherjee and Mohammad Bin Alam decided to fill a gap in the city’s culinary experiences. “There were very limited options for late night dining, and we decided to change that,” says Kamal. The business quickly became a hit, and the friends were nearly run off their feet keeping up with demand. But then the kitchen they were renting for the evenings was forced to shut down due to the pandemic, and they had to shutter operations When The Social first opened on Dawson Road (in the former Melizana Mediterranean Restaurant space), Kamal had talked to owner Theresa Stewart about partnering, but the timing wasn’t right. As time went on, Mukherjee and Bin Alam moved on to other things, but for Kamal, the dream stayed alive. Finally, in August 2023, he joined forces with Stewart and released The Outsiders’ latest menu, marking the first time The Outsiders has had the opportunity to serve food in the

daytime. And what a menu it is, also geared to satisfy those late-night hunger pangs. The burgers include the Juicy Lucy, with caramelized onions, pickles, cheddar cheese, and garlic aioli; the Outsider, with its jalapeños, hot sauce, crispy onion, and Monterey Jack cheese; the Social, replete with bacon, Monterey Jack, special seasoning, hot sauce, and Dijon mustard, and topped with Lay’s potato chips; and the Bacon Almighty, featuring candied bacon, garlic aioli, and Swiss cheese. There are also classic, loaded, and Buffalo chicken nachos, a wide range of appetizers, flatbreads, wings, and sharing platters, sandwiches, and classic and upgraded sides. One of the biggest changes to the new menu is the 20-hour braised brisket, which has been their biggest crowd-pleaser. Plus, for those with a sweet tooth, there are deep-fried mini cheesecakes. You can dine in or enjoy take-out through Skip the Dishes. Because The Social has a bar, patrons must be 19 years of age or older. Business is booming and Kamal says he’s once again enjoying the fast pace of it all. “Thunder Bay’s support has always blown me away and it’s so exciting to be adding our food to the city’s dining scene,” he says. To contact The Outsiders, call 807-3577300 or email them at theoutsiderstbay @yahoo.com.

“There were very limited options for late night dining, and we decided to change that.” 28

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Food R SUPERIO SIP

Gracious Glasses

Tasteful Wine For Thanksgiving Time By Jeannie Dubois, Pommelier and Sommelier

Sunshine salad: This moulded salad (so retro!) has been with us for decades and is simply lemon gelatin set with grated carrots and crushed pineapple. Best with: Onaya Brut Cava (Spain) $16.95 for 750 ml

t can be easy to be grateful at this time of the year. The charm of the season is fully upon us up here in our lovely northern enclave with the last sighs of the warm, summer wind ruffling the gold and russet leaves on the deciduous trees, and the chrysanthemums bobbing their colourful copper and magenta heads on porches, despite the coming frost.

Schwartzies potatoes:

This potato casserole famously shows up at family meals and is a blend of hashbrowns, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and mushroom soup. Best with: Flat Rock Twisted White (Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay – Canada) $15.95 for 750 ml

Where you Make the Steak Great! 30

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Routines have been reinstated and regulation has been restored, just in time for Thanksgiving—a time for coming together with family and friends. It can also be a time for rich family traditions that bring together the people we love year after year. Quite frankly, in our house there can often be a somewhat National Lampoon-ish

Turkey with gravy and sage/ thyme stuffing:

The crackling smell of a turkey in the oven and the simple herbs in the stuffing make me nostalgic for my grandma. Best with: Belle Glos Oeil de Perdrix Pinot Noir Blanc Rosé (USA) $27.95 for 750 ml But if you need a red (I understand!): Meiomi Red Blend (Syrah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot – USA) $24.95 for 750 ml

quality to the holiday (I, for one, roasted my first turkey upside-down with the wrong end stuffed!) However, it also has all the hallmarks of a charming gathering of community, where we do a gratitude circle, each stating what we’re thankful for, and the authenticity of those moments often bring tears to my eyes. Regardless of the unique

traditions in your home and the distinctive dishes that mark this holiday for you, I want to say I’m grateful for you readers, and have parsed my personal favourites for wine pairings for your gathering that reflect some of my family favourites, but hopefully land with some of yours as well. Happy Thanksgiving Thunder Bay!

Tofurky and wild rice:

Turducken and roasted sweet potato:

Schmaltzy turkey and challah:

If your family tradition involves more kugel and latkes, the wines usually land on the sweet, red style, but are classic and timeless. Best with: Mogen David Concord KP (USA – Kosher) $11.45 for 750 ml

Book Your Reservation: lot88steakhousethunderbay.com 807.767.3897 || 45 Court St. S

Plant-based birds pair with plant-based wines, and there are a plethora of certified ones out there that your family can enjoy. Best with: White – Adobe Reserva Sauvignon Blanc (Chile – Organic/Vegan) $15.95 for 750 ml Red – Vida Orgánica Malbec (Argentina – Organic/Vegan) $14.95 for 750 ml

A big bird needs a big wine so if your family is going for the triple threat get a three grape throwdown to pair with it. Best with: Turkey Flat Butchers Block Red Blend (Grenache, Shiraz, Mataro – Australia) $24.95 for 750 ml

NOVEMBER 1 – 30, 2023

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FilmTheatre

Movies Set in Autumn By Michael Sobota

THE ST ND MOLE O C E S B A R PLEASUG WE THIN HE DO IN TK DAR

A COLUMN ABOUT MOVIES

Dad, I may not be the best, but I come to believe I got it in me to be somebody in this world. And it’s not because I’m so different from you either, it’s because I’m the same. I mean, I can be just as hard headed and just as tough. I only hope I can be as good a man as you are.

- Homer (Jake Gyllenhaal) to his dad (Chris Cooper) explaining why he will not follow his dad working in the coal mines, in October Sky.

ctober is the middle of autumn. Summer has finished, but lingers. Winter teases us with frosty nights and maybe an early snow. But in the movies, October is full of golden light, reflective moods, football, and my favourite holiday: Thanksgiving. Here are four of the best movies set in autumn.

You’ve Got Mail (1998)

Nora Ephron remakes the classic romantic comedy, The Shop Around The Corner (1940), from a script she adapted with Miklós László and Delia Ephron. In this iteration, Kathleen (Meg Ryan) owns a struggling independent bookstore and Joe (Tom Hanks) heads a chain of national bookstores that is attempting to put her out of business. This is a classic enemies-to-friends-to-lovers story (and although this is an updated version, you will have to ignore the clunky 1998-style computers). One of the joys of the movie is the cinematography by John Lindley, who truly captures the beauty of autumn in New York in all its splendid colours. The script is savvy without stooping to sentimentality and the entire cast is a joy to watch.

October Sky (1999)

Working from a script he co-wrote with Homer H. Hickam Jr. and Lewis Colick adapted from Hickam Jr.’s original memoir, director Joe Johnston brings us a coming-ofage story from the heart of the coal fields in West Virginia. In October 1957, Russia sent the first satellite, Sputnik, into orbit, changing the way we look at the sky and fueling the imagination of young Homer Hickam (Jake Gyllenhaal, only 17 at the time of making this film) and his school buddies Quentin (Chris Owen), O’Dell (Chad Lindberg) and Roy (William Lee Scott). They begin to experiment with amateur rocket building. Hickam’s dad (Chris Cooper in a well-rounded, tough love performance) thinks this is nonsense and wants his son to follow him into “honourable work” in the coal mines. This smart script and stellar ensemble cast make the story both entertaining and genuinely moving. This is oldfashioned filmmaking at its best without a pounding soundtrack or distracting CGI.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

David O. Russell directed his own script centred on two characters with mental illnesses and their families. Pat (Bradley Cooper) has just been released from an eightmonth court-mandated treatment in a mental health facility. He is officially diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He meets and becomes entangled with Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence in her first Oscar-winning performance), who also has her own mental challenges. Pat’s dad (Robert De Niro) makes a living as a bookie, betting primarily on NFL football games, and that anchors the film mostly in autumn. We see Cooper and Lawrence jogging the streets in Philadelphia, wrapped in warm fall gear, zapping each other with razor-sharp dialogue. Russell’s script is a beautifully layered platform that lets us see the real daily life of bipolar individuals. It is hilarious and sad, frenzied and angry, and full of a whole lot of love without sentimentality. The movie, made for just $21 million, went on to become a worldwide box office hit, earning $236.4 million and pushing Lawrence and Cooper onto the A-list.

Free Birds (2013)

Director Jimmy Hayward gives us a quirky, animated Thanksgiving story wherein two turkeys, Jake (voiced by Woody Harrelson) and Reggie (voiced by Owen Wilson), travel back in time to “the original Thanksgiving” in 1621. Their goal is to take turkey off of the traditional Thanksgiving menu, making themselves and all their feathered brethren free birds once again. The story is clunky and some of the dialogue is lame but the animation is stellar from this new animation company, Reel FX Studios. The ensemble of voice actors, which includes Amy Poehler, George Takei, Dan Fogler, Colm Meaney, and Danny Carey, raises the bar when the dialogue is cheeky or cliché. The animation is bright and colourful and the editing is fast paced. This can be a fun movie to enjoy after stuffing yourself at your own Thanksgiving dinner, whatever has been served at your table.

And here are six more October or autumn-tinged movies for your post-Thanksgiving consideration: When Harry Met Sally (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Rushmore (1998), Remember the Titans (2000), Autumn in New York (2000) and Knives Out (2019).

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FilmTheatre

 Catherine Clinch as Cáit in The Quiet Girl

 Niels Arestrup as Zahia Ziouani's mentor Sergiu Celibidache and Oulaya Amamra as Zahia in Divertimento

North of Superior Film Association Fall Lineup Themes of Family, Love, and Growing Up Light Up the Silver Screen By Taylor Onski

W  Kathy Bates as Eileen, and Dame Maggie Smith as Lily in The Miracle Club

Marty Mascarin

 NOSFA’s opening night last year, September 2022

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ith a keen eye for new stories, the North of Superior Film Association (NOSFA) presents domestic and international films to Thunder Bay audiences—ones that may not necessarily show up in the usual Silver City lineup. For the 2023 fall season, NOSFA president Marty Mascarin and the rest of the organization chose five original stories from around the world guaranteed to make audiences laugh, cry, and feel hope. After opening the season on September 27 with Past Lives, a South Korean film that spans the course of 24 years, NOSFA moves into October with The Miracle Club, starring screen legends Maggie Smith, Kathy Bates, and Laura Linney. Set in 1967 in the outskirts of Dublin, the film follows Lily (Smith) and Eileen (Bates) who win a trip to Lourdes, France, where they are met by their former friend Chrissie (Linney) who’s returned to bury her mother. While on their adventure, these three women expand their wings and reflect on their roots. Next up is The Quiet Girl, an Irish coming-of-age story told in both English and Irish, in which nine-year-old Cáit (Catherine Clinch) is sent away to live with distant relatives over the summer as her neglectful parents want one less child to deal with. The film was nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards. “I think The Quiet Girl may be our fall cornerstone film,” says Mascarin. “The director shoots some scenes from a

child's perspective where the child sees something but doesn't have any context to quite understand what is going on. It’s left to the audience to figure out what's happening in her temporary home.” From Ireland, we go to the Canadian wilderness and North of Normal. Loosely based on the memoir by Cea Sunrise Person, audiences follow Person’s life (Person is portrayed by actress Amanda Fix in the movie) as it unfolds, from being raised by her hippie family to finding who she is in a world larger than her own. Finally, Divertimento tells the true story of Zahia and Fettouma Ziouani, 17-year-old twin sisters who dream of becoming a maestro and famous cellist, respectively. Zahia and Fettouma are portrayed by actresses Oulaya Amamra and Lina El Arabi, respectively. While both have big dreams, they face even bigger challenges of being Egyptian working-class women within the classical music sphere. But spoiler alert: Zahia Ziouani is now a worldrenowned conductor and pioneer for equality within the classical music industry. “It’s a different original story that obviously you don’t come across every day,” says Mascarin. Films screen every second Wednesday starting October 11, at 6:30 and 8:30 pm. For more information, visit nosfa.org or find them on Facebook.

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FilmTheatre

Ryan Kwanten in The Portrait, directed by Simon Ross

Terror in the Bay

Film Festival Brings Horror Back to Thunder Bay’s North Core By Kris Ketonen

f you’re looking for a preHalloween scare, Terror in the Bay has you covered. The annual horror film festival returns to the Maple Tops Paramount Theatre on Court Street this month, with about 50 terrifying films from around the world slated for the big screen. “We are a tight-knit group of filmmakers, and genre film lovers,” says festival director Chris Borgo. “Each year we try our best to create a grand festival experience for every

attendee, and are not afraid to make necessary changes and/or tweaks to our event.” “I believe people see the passion and dedication put into creating this festival each year, and the love we all share for horror films,” he continues. “I think this is the main reason our festival has reached its seventh year and continues to grow.” This year, the films include features and shorts, as well as music videos and trailers from around the world, Borgo says. “Submissions

have averaged around the same number from year to year,” he says. “We did see a slight decrease throughout the pandemic, however this past year, submissions picked up once again.” “We also received a record amount of Canadian genre films this year,” Borgo adds. “In terms of reputation, it would be fair to say we are well-respected by filmmakers and the genre community from across the world.” The Canadian submissions were

so strong, in fact, that the festival is dedicating one night to screening only Canadian films this year. Crowds, too, have been getting larger over the years, Borgo says. “We are excited to say that crowd numbers have increased slightly each year, with the biggest increase coming last year,” he says. “Approximately 500 people attended our festival last year, and we expect even a greater number this year.” In addition to the

screenings, the festival will also feature vendors and the popular Blood Red Carpet photo shoot; prizes will also be awarded to the attendees with the best costumes. This year’s Terror in the Bay Film Festival runs from October 18–21. Tickets are available at terrorinthebay7.eventbrite. ca. For more information, visit terrorinthebay.com.

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Halloween Drag The Stuff of Legend

FilmTheatre SSIONS CONFE RAG OF A D R DEALE

Story by Jimmy Wiggins, Photo by InCompass Photography

fter a very successful Pride month, the TBay Drag queens and kings will be kicking it up a notch later this month, and the motto of “go big or go home” has never felt more right. It’s one weekend, two shows, two different venues, and arguably the best theme of all time—Halloween! On October 20 and 21 we’ll be taking over Red Lion Smokehouse and Black Pirates Pub for a drag Halloween weekend the likes of which Thunder Bay has never seen before. Ooky Spooky 3 will be the double feature Halloween drag show to end all Halloween drag shows. “I am very excited for the two shows,” says drag king Ivan Love. “They’ll each bring a different crowd and each will be a different type of experience.” Both nights will feature your favourite TBay drag queens and kings, along with some special guests doing what they do best, but each show will have a very different vibe. “A Red Lion show is seated, and a more contemporary and interactive presentation of drag. It’s fabulous for audience members who don’t want to be on their feet all night, or prefer to party with dinner and cocktails shared with friends they can still chat with,” explains drag host Mz. Molly Poppinz. “Black Pirates Pub on the other hand— that’s the Wiggins drag family headquarters, and on Halloween we bring the freak show! That show is going to be darker, grittier, more immersive, and much, much louder.” If you’re looking for a fun and theatrical night out where you can sit with friends, share appetizers and signature drag cocktails, win prizes, and enjoy a drag show where the performers come right to your table, Red Lion is your spot. “I

love the intimacy at Red Lion shows,” says drag queen Miss Take. “I can walk around the room and create a moment with anyone rather than just the front row.” If you want a late night, high-energy nightclub show full of blood, guts, and mayhem, Black Pirates Pub is where you need to be. “The crowd at BPP gets really rowdy, especially during Halloween,” says drag queen Amber Ail. “Almost nothing is off the table and we’re free to let our freak flag fly high. The vibe is much more ‘horror Halloween’ than ‘spooky Halloween,’ and depending on the performance, you should be wary of the splash zone around the catwalk.” Regardless of which show you choose, you’re going to see these queens and kings pull out something new. “My favourite part about Halloween is being able to try something different, outside of what I normally would do for a drag show,” says drag queen Shaela Vie. “Most people see me as funny, campy, and being a bit silly on stage, but this year I’m planning to be much more scary and sultry.” With two Halloween shows this year, we’ve got something for everyone and, no matter which show you choose, you’ll leave entertained and wanting more. “Our Halloween shows are the stuff of legend,” adds Mz. Molly Poppinz. “Whether you prefer one vibe to the other, or want to experience everything drag has to offer, we’ve got exactly what you need.” Catch Ooky Spooky 3 Halloween Drag Show at Red Lion Smokehouse Oct 20 and Black Pirates Pub Oct 21. Follow @wigginsproductions, @tbaydrag and @tbshows.

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TheArts

 Photographer Chris Bond in his photo titled SELF TWO; all of Bond's work displayed here is 35 mm, caffenol processed film scans

Something Called Caffenol

Local Analog Photographer Chris Bond Debuts Work

 SELF ONE

Story by Sidney Ulakovic, Photos by Chris Bond

 NIMBOSTRATUS?

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 WAYFINDER

s the summer wrapped up, things were just getting started for local photographer Chris Bond. On August 25, Bond debuted his work with an exhibition at Co.Lab Gallery & Arts Centre titled Something Called Caffenol. From August 25 to September 8, Co. Lab hosted Bond’s black and white film photos that captured a range of subjects all shot in Thunder Bay and framed through his lens in a way that captures nostalgia and the present day. Bond has been interested in taking photos since he was a child and fondly recalls his first Fujifilm digital camera. “It would have been the ones that were shockproof and waterproof. You could put them in the pool and that was the big draw,” Bond laughs. Experimenting with that camera sparked an interest in photography that Bond would return to when he started university and picked up his dad’s Canon AE-1. “It was pretty interesting,” Bond recalls of getting the hang of working with film. “I remember being in a business lecture. I didn’t want to pay attention so I had my notes in front of me but I was actually just on my phone looking at the effects of shutter speed, aperture, and film ISO.” Once all that research on how to shoot on film was done, Bond was tasked with figuring out how to develop the photos. “And that’s when I landed on that thing called

caffenol,” says Bond. Caffenol, that strange word in the title of Bond’s exhibit, is a DIY film developer widely used by home photographers to process their film. In its most basic form, caffenol consists of Vitamin C powder, washing soda, and instant coffee, but Bond has made some additions and adjustments to his recipe over the years. Bond explains the developing process requires immense precision in terms of light, measurements, temperature, and recipe—factors that all vary depending on what kind of film he uses. In turn, developing is an ongoing process of fine tuning. In a time where you can print digital photos instantly, that may seem counterproductive. However, Bond finds that developing is a rewarding part of his work. ”I always liked to experiment with stuff. So I guess this to me was a way of kind of scratching that itch,” says Bond. And his exploratory nature is not limited to the development process. In terms of subject matter, Bond is open to anything that allows him an opportunity to play with framing, perspective, and light. As for Bond’s future photographic experiments, he looks forward to beginning to shoot moving pictures on film. For photo, video, and developing inquiries, Bond can be contacted via email cbondta@gmail.com.

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Theatre

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September 28 to October 21, 2023

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“I always liked to experiment with stuff. So I guess this to me was a way of kind of scratching that itch.”

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River Street Cafe Open! Cash ONLY Event October Sunday 10am - 4pm 29th This is a board of Directors Fundraising Event.

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Admission: Adults: $3 Under 10: FREE

Star Quilt

HE FROM T BAY R E D THUN LLERY’S ART GA TION E COLL C

TheArts

By Penelope Smart, Curator, Thunder Bay Art Gallery Artist: Jeannette Eshkawkogan Title: Star Quilt Date: 1978 Medium: Cotton, batting, thread Size: 88 3/16” × 86 7/16” Collection of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, From Our Hands collection, gift of the Ontario Government, 1985 tar quilts are special. More than special, even. Across many Indigenous cultures in North America, including Anishinaabe people, the star quilt is a highly regarded gift; to receive one is the highest honour. For more than 200 years (and counting), star quilts of infinite colours and varying designs can mark important moments such as birth, graduation, marriage, and death. This quilt was made by quiltmaker and leatherworker Jeanette Eshkawkogan (b. 1942) from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory in Ontario. This quilt gives us a wonderful sense of her talent and skill. The central design of an eight-sided star in browns, beiges, and yellows creates an understated and mesmerizing starburst effect. Like all artists, Eshkawkogan has her own

signature style. Her meticulous stitching of diamond-shaped fabric swatches creates a harmony of neutral tones. Origins of star quilts are connected to traditional beliefs, materials, and lifeways of the Lakota people of the Great Plains. During the 1800s, as the buffalo herds were hunted to near-extinction during colonial campaigns to subdue and remove Indigenous people from their land, the star quilt was adapted from traditional buffalo skin robes. In this period, Indigenous women were taught quilting skills from missionary wives and in early missionary schools, which introduced western fabrics and sewing patterns. Over time, the star quilt, with its design related to the importance of the Morning Star, the last star visible just before dawn, became an artform with an enduring, ever-evolving history of its own. -With contributions from Caitlyn Bird, Curatorial Assistant, Thunder Bay Art Gallery

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TheArts

 The April 2023 opening of Neechee Studio’s curated art show Oh My Creator!; their new zine has the same theme

Celebrating Expressions from Youth Neechee Studio Creates Second Zine in Honour of 10th Anniversary Story by Roxann Shapwaykeesic, Photos by Willow Fiddler

ucille Atlookan, an Eabametoong First Nation member and founder of Neechee Studio, first created a zine with 30 submissions when the studio opened 10 years ago. In celebration of a decade of hosting art-inspired workshops for youth, they are now in the process of releasing another one. “We decided to do a contest so we can promote the artists; we want to give them a chance to show their art,” says Atlookan, who also

provides an honourarium to those who submitted their work. An open call for submissions was held for two months over the summer and the theme was the same as their 10-year celebration exhibition at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery: Oh My Creator! Submissions were open to Indigenous youth aged 14 to 29. “They could submit anything from drawings, paintings, and beadwork to wearable art, digital works, poetry and stories,” says Atlookan. A zine is a self-published

mini-magazine of raw, unedited, and uncensored artwork. With a grant from the Ontario Arts Council, they are planning to publish at least 100 copies. While the zine is in production, its creators estimate it will include at least 26 pages of submissions from the committee and from youth who have taken part in Neechee Studio workshops over the years. Once published, the mini-magazine will be submitted to local libraries to help promote the program. Zines will also be sold

as a fundraiser to help pay for the cost of hosting workshops, and for the opportunity to go to the October ImagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in Toronto. The next Neechee Studio workshop planned in October will see participants harvest willow sticks to make dreamcatchers. "I'm hoping that we'll do traditional dreamcatchers so that we can talk about cultural appropriation and appreciation,” Atlookan says. “We're gonna harvest

willow sticks, [and] have an Indigenous artist to do the workshop." The zine is scheduled to be distributed in early October. To view the zine, visit Neechee Studio at Definitely Superior Art Gallery on Cumberland Street, or visit their Facebook group at facebook.com/groups/ neecheestudio.

Courtesy of Neechee Studio

 An image of two pages in Neechee Studios’ new zine

The Walleye

TheArts SAND A THOURDS WO

Photographer Jamie Ruggles Captures Joy and Enthusiasm in Candid Portraits Story by Bonnie Schiedel, Photos by Jamie Ruggles

 Behind the scenes with the Snowbirds  Participants at the Festival of Colours

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or decades, Jamie Ruggles took photos of wildlife on trips to Yellowstone National Park, Alaska and the Arctic, and in the areas surrounding his water-access home near Falcon Lake on the Ontario-Manitoba border. In 1992, he even had a double-page spread of Canada geese in a snowstorm published in National Geographic. When he moved back to his hometown of Thunder Bay in 2015, though, his focus shifted to wildlife of a different sort: TBayers and visitors attending concerts, festivals, and other events. “After 30 years of photographing wildlife [in one area] you know all your little haunts. It’s not easy to reestablish that in a place that you’re not used to; to know where the fox is going to be or where the wolves cross a certain river,” he explains. “I still like to take pictures, so I go to events.” A scroll through his social media accounts shows how vividly Ruggles captures expressions and emotions in candid portraits: performers as they busk, dance, or sing their hearts out; the delight of concert-goers; intent equestrians, stilt-walkers, and bingo callers at Hymers Fall Fair; costumed interpreters in character at Fort William Historical Park. Recently Ruggles got an impromptu behind-the-scenes look at the Canadian Forces Snowbirds during their visit to the city. On his way to the air show, he stopped at the airport. “I figured they’d be doing maintenance [on the planes]

P. Blahut

Snippets in Time

Photographer Jamie Ruggles

and that’s all part and parcel of the whole scene,” he says. “That part is just as important as the guys flying and doing all the fancy maneuvers.” He snapped a few pictures from the gates and then asked the communications officer if he could take some other pictures. “Three days later I was still shooting,” he says. “Those are the best ones—that work out when it’s not expected.” Ruggles has been immersed in photography for 50 years and counting. He worked at Lovelady and Sons Camera Shop in Port Arthur for a time, as well as a local photography studio. “I had a lot of good mentors that helped me through. It started out with my uncle [Bob Ruggles] and some other world-class photographers from Thunder Bay,” he says. “They were big influences in my life.” While Ruggles worked for a heavy construction dealer and owned a construction company for much of his professional life, photography remained an enduring passion over the years. “I love capturing the little moments or snippets in time,” he says. “I spend a lot of time looking through the viewfinder for that kind of moment. You have to have a lot of patience for it, for sure.” To see more of Jamie Ruggles’s work, search for Jamie Ruggles – Photographer on Facebook or visit @bubbrug on Instagram.

TheArts Tech Specs

Camera: Nikon D810 Lenses: Nikon 70200mm f2.8 zoom, Nikon Nikkor 200–400mm f4 zoom, Nikkor 35-70mm f2.8 zoom, Nikkor 20mm f 2.8 wide angle  Dancers, Chaban Ukrainian Dance Group

 Cast, The Entirely Untrue Tales of Sherwood Forest play, Confederation CollegeForest play, Confederation College

 Festival of India

 Farmer, Fort William Historical Park

 Musician, 2023 Buskers Festival

 Dancer, 2023 Thunder Bay Folklore Festival

October 14

November 4

Sultans of STRing: Walking through the Fire

Steven PaGe Trio

Fall concerts all Tickets $40 at sleepinggiant.ca The Walleye

TheArts

Watercolour painting of a small Lac des Mille Lacs island

Painting of Prairie River Mouth Provincial Park

Every Painting Has a Story The Artwork of Steve Emms

Story by Amy Sellors, Photos by Steve Emms

hen you look at Steve Emms’s paintings, you see the beauty of the outdoors and nature pushing through. “There are certain scenes that strike me as remarkable,” says Emms. “It can be just a bunch of rocks with a single flower growing out of it, things that are struggling to survive. That inspires me. It’s the little things that people pass by.

You look at it and wonder how that mushroom, or that little plant is even surviving there? How did it get there? Little things that in the big scheme of things, matter.” Nature and the outdoors are a big part of Emms’s life. For over 30 years, he worked as a conservation officer, and before that, a fish and wildlife technician. His paintings reflect the nature he loves, but they

Watercolour painting of a male brook trout with its fall spawning colours

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also tell a story. Recently, he’s been painting the fish of Lake Superior, and it isn’t only the beauty of their scales he marvels at. “It intrigues me, the dynamics of the fish population there, how much it’s changed since the First Peoples were here.” Emms goes on to explain that originally, there were only two native species— lake trout and brook trout—and that all the rest of the salmon

and trout that are in the lake were introduced later. “So many people don’t realize this,” he says. “And because of the size of Superior, the trout have evolved into four morphotypes. It’s amazing, the dynamics and how it’s changing.” The introduction of the parasitic and invasive sea lampreys also drastically changed the ecosystem—at one time almost wiping out the lake trout and the brook trout, as did over-harvesting, he adds. “They all had an effect,” he says. “They got the sea lampreys under control and the lake and brook trout

Painting of a lake trout

populations are bouncing back up. And moving forward, the jurisdictions around Superior will only stock the lake with native species. The paintings of the fish are about what it means to the changes of the lake.” People around the world are captivated by these paintings. “The fall spawning colours of the brook trout make it one of the most beautiful freshwater fish in the world,” he says. “The white against the black and the red and orange. It’s striking. It really is.” Emms spends as much time as he can out on Lake Superior. He has

ARTHUR ST. MEDICAL HEALTH CENTRE NOW OFFERS: STORAGE UNITS Multiple sized storage units climate controlled BOARD ROOM RENTALS 700, 1100 and 4400 sq ft board rooms fully equipped and WIFI READY. Catering available, Weddings, Showers, Conventions, Trade show, Markets, Celebration of life Available 24/7 after hours functions as well OFFICE SPACES FOR LEASE - BUILT TO SIZE 23,000 sq feet available Multiple floors Spectacular Views New High Impact LED Exterior Lighting Up to 23,000 sq ft available Built to suit Professional or Medical tenants welcome Retail or multi use markets Painting of a brown trout, a very adaptive European species

painted his whole life, but became more serious about it 10 to 15 years ago. He paints for himself, and for his well-being. “It’s calming; it’s satisfaction,” he says. “I usually paint first thing in the morning. It’s just very relaxing.” He paints in watercolours and acrylics, and he usually has three or four paintings on the go at a time. Working on several pieces at once helps him to pace himself. Emms paints from photographs he’s taken of something remarkable that has caught his eye. In his lightfilled loft studio, he adds layers and shadowing, interpreting the image through his own perspective so that the painting is not a literal rendering of the photo, but rather how Emms sees it. “It’s nice to have a photograph, but a painting isn’t like a photograph,” he says. “It’s an original—you own it and it means something to you. It’s an interpretation. Each stone and branch are painted individually. If I painted it again, it wouldn’t be the same.”

Emms is often asked to do commissions. It’s a delicate matter, as he’s taking someone else’s meaningful image and adding his interpretation. “When I do commissioned artwork, people send me a couple of photos. I tell them it won’t look exactly like that because it’s my interpretation of the picture,” he says. “I take some liberties. Even when I do a landscape or pile of rocks, it’s an interpretation.” The internet has been extremely helpful in helping Emms connect with his audience. People can purchase cards and prints or inquire about owning the originals—at least the ones his wife will allow him to part with. Accompanying each painting or photo is a story of why the image is remarkable. Connecting with Emms’s artwork means not only seeing the what, but also the why.

WE OFFER: Plenty of parking Security on site Updated Security camera system On-site maintenance team On site Building Manager Close to the Airport and Hospital On the transit route

Close to all restaurants, retail, City Hall and Court House, and major city attractions. For all inquiries and bookings contact: BRIAN PHILLIPS 807-632-1566 brianphillips2007@icloud.com

1265 EAST ARTHUR STREET SUITE 102, THUNDER BAY ONTARIO

Visit steveemms.com to see more.

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Cheryl Ann Nisula

Michelle McChristie

Outdoor

 Top finishers in the 2023 Mucho Grande, 117-km ride

 Kris Nisula and Mike Grzelewski (top finishers in the 2022 117-km ride)

Sunshine, Sweat, and Smiles Thunder Bay Cycling Club’s Thunder Grinder Gravel Fondo By Michelle McChristie

Stéphane Audet

“T

 (L-R) Volunteers Claire and Jill Myburgh, Caitlin Guarasci, and Sophie Verescak

 Michelle McChristie, Kyle Tilson, and Juanita Dempsey enjoying a mid-race shooter (relax, Karen – it was just maple syrup)

Dan Fiorito

Michelle McChristie

 Suzanne Goodmurphy-Jones finishing the Less Grande, 49-km ride

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he sun is shining, life is good—we’re on bikes.” Overhearing Cristine Sillen say these words to a fellow cyclist made me smile. I had just biked 49 kilometres and needed to change into dry clothes to fight off the chill of a mid-September afternoon. Other riders who completed much longer distances were also filing into the parking lot of Belluz Farms, hosts of the Thunder Bay Cycling Club’s (TBCC) annual Thunder Grinder Gravel Fondo. I know what you’re thinking: “What’s a grinder? And, what the heck is a fondo?” A gravel grinder is a race or ride that involves riding on a variety of surfaces. The Thunder Grinder traverses asphalt (mostly the chipseal rural variety) and gravel roads. A fondo is a long-distance ride for cyclists of all abilities with a fun atmosphere, food and drink stations, and SAG (support and gear) support. Six years ago, the TBCC

added their first official gravel event to their calendar in response to an increasing number of club members participating in gravel events in northern Minnesota. The races, organized by Duluth’s Heck of the North Productions, continue to attract hundreds of riders. “The spring Grand du Nord and fall Heck of the North are two of the biggest events on most Thunder Bay gravel riding enthusiast’s calendars,” says Stéphane Audet, president of the TBCC. With one event under their belts, in 2018, a TBCC sub-committee developed the concept for the Thunder Grinder. “Our main plan was to rip off everything that Jeremy Kershaw [Heck of the North Productions] was doing to make his events so epic and popular. He’s been an active supporter of our races over the years,” says Audet. Over the past five years, Audet says the event has evolved while staying the

Michelle McChristie

Outdoor

 Jeremy McBride finishing the Grande 77-km ride

Stéphane Audet

one breaking the wind. Before we knew it, we were at the Rollin’ Thunder rest stop—a rest stop unlike any that I’ve seen. I’m used to running races that offer water and maybe Gatorade, but Dan Fiorito was serving up shots of maple syrup, doughnuts, bananas, chocolate, candy, water, and Caesars! Right then and there I proclaimed that my new goal is to be the kind of person that can slam back Clamato juice in the middle of a bike ride. But, not today—I’ll stick with maple syrup. Back at Belluz Farms, riders enjoyed fresh sweet corn, pita wraps, chocolatey desserts, and beer (with and without alcohol) while chatting about the ride (where was the tailwind?). Audet thanked the sponsors and volunteers—without whose support these events would not be possible—and then moved on to draw prizes noting there was a “good prize-to-rider ratio.” Everybody left smiling. So how does a wanna-be grinder get in the groove? Audet suggests trying the TBCC’s group ride programs that accommodate all riders and ability levels. “These rides are non-competitive and allow riders to improve their group riding skills in a friendly inclusive environment.” For more information, visit tbaycc.ca or find them on Instagram or Facebook.

 Riders on Wamsley Road, part of the Mucho Grande 117-km ride

 Fred Bauer and Juanita Dempsey, still smiling after 49 kilometres

Michelle McChristie

 Grande riders departing from Belluz Farms

Michelle McChristie

same. “During the pandemic, we had to scale back on the post-event gatherings; however, we are now able to provide a catered meal and social event. We maintain our commitment to providing a true NWO gravel ride experience for three distances: Mucho Grande (117 km), Grande (77 km), and Less Grande (49 km).” All routes start and end at Belluz Farms and wind through the scenic back roads of Neebing. This grinder rookie settled on the “Less Grande” distance, which was hilly (nothing too long or steep), and totally doable (for a person comfortable on a bike for a couple of hours). I met up with a friendly crew at the start—they were discussing the pre-ride instructions to “ride neutral to the fire hall.” I found it reassuring that I wasn’t the only one who didn’t know that neutral means no racing. I was totally okay with the neutral start, as someone who rarely warms up (isn’t that what the first 10 kilometres are for?). For the most part, the gravel roads were smooth, although some sections were a little soft because of recent rain. I settled into a nice rhythm challenged by fellow rider, Juanita Dempsey. I had a hard time figuring out where to ride to avoid getting bits of gravel in my face—two abreast worked on quiet backroads, but in the end I accepted it was part of the grind and totally fair since I wasn’t the

The Walleye

s anyone who has ever read a picture book to the kid in their life knows, the way the words flow can play a huge part in the enjoyment of the book. So it’s perhaps fitting that Thunder Bay author Jean Pendziwol’s new children’s book, Skating Wild on an Inland Sea, got its start as an audio piece, commissioned by Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre in winter 2020/21. “They had created an installation that was encompassing life in northern Ontario. They contacted me and asked if I could make an audio installation that they would put near their skating rink,” says Pendziwol. “I really wanted to bring my experience of wild ice skating, and the magnificence and the magnitude of Lake Superior to people who may not know it and have never experienced being out on this massive body of water, especially in winter.” Just a few weeks before, Pendziwol had skated on the vast expanses of smooth, snow-free ice that had formed, quite unusually, at Amethyst Harbour and Sturgeon Bay. When the installation was finished, Pendziwol approached her publisher, Groundwood Books, to see if they would be interested in her adapting the text to a picture book format. “The original piece was a poem that looked at capturing the sounds and the experience, and I just added a bit more of a narrative thread with the children getting up and moving through their morning, listening to the sounds of the lake, and the sound of the wind, and then going outside and actually skating on the lake,” she says. Montreal illustrator Todd Stewart travelled to Thunder Bay the following winter, where he skated on inland rinks and snowshoed on Mink Mountain

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trails. “He just had this incredible ability to capture the essence of what Northwestern Ontario is,” says Pendziwol. “When you look at the illustrations, there’s no question that this is the shoreline of Lake Superior around Thunder Bay and Neebing, the mountains and the water and the feeling that you get of the snow and the silence of the woods. It’s just so well done.” The book has already received an award from the U.S.-based Junior Library Guild, and has been picked up by other publishers for translation. “Publishers in other parts of the world want to find out about what life is like on the North Shore of Lake Superior in the winter as much as we’re interested in reading stories about other parts of the world,” she says. “It’s important that we write about and share our stories.” Upcoming local events include a Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop reading and panel discussion on November 7, where Pendziwol, Stewart, illustrator Olivia Amoah, and graphic novelist (and The Walleye editor) Adrian Lysenko will chat about the art of visual storytelling and the cocreative process of text and illustration; as well, there will be a book launch combined with a display of Stewart’s screen-print images at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery on November 10. Skating Wild on an Inland Sea can be purchased at Entershine Bookshop. For more details on events related to the book, follow @JeanE.Pendziwol on Facebook and @jpendzi on Instagram.

Todd Stewart/Groundwood Books

By Bonnie Schiedel

Todd Stewart/Groundwood Books

Jean Pendziwol’s New Book Conveys the Magic of Skating on Lake Superior

Todd Stewart/Groundwood Books

Wild Ice

Ryan Pendziwol

CityScene

“Mad Cap has taken residency on the ship and continues to relive his shipwreck from 1901.”

Haunting on the Water

Presenting the Second Annual Haunted Harbour Fundraiser Story by Marcia Arpin, Photo by Paul Ruebsam

very spooky fundraiser is coming to Thunder B a y ’s n o r t h - s i d e waterfront this season. Back by popular demand, Haunted Harbour has returned to Thunder Bay. In this spinechilling event, members of Rob MacLeod's Capitol Players present a terrifying history lesson on the shipwrecks at the bottom of Lake Superior as they take guests on a tour of the ship the Alexander Henry, which is under siege and

seemingly haunted. Find out why our community is known as the graveyard of the Great Lakes. After all, sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction. Jackie Knough, executive director of Our Kids Count, offers this description of the eerie evening. “Mad Cap has taken residency on the ship and continues to relive his shipwreck from 1901. He now lingers grotesquely around the boat reciting obscure poetry,” she says. “Also aboard is Cookie,

the beautiful chef who likes her men with a little bit of extra flesh.” If you dare, come meet these creepy tour guides on the Alexander Henry, and eat, drink, and get scared. The event, presented by Jones Insurance, has been developed especially for guests ages 14 and up. All proceeds are in support of the Transportation Museum of Thunder Bay and Our Kids Count. Tours will run September 29, 30, and October 12–14 and

19–21, every 15 minutes with eight people per group. Tickets are available on the Our Kids Count website. Before booking your ticket, please review the rules and guidelines and safety considerations. New this year, the Haunted Harbour will also feature family days on October 4 and 7, with a Monster Mash Bash. Families are encouraged to arrive in costume and participate in several games and craft activities, provided by

community partners Nanabijou Child Care Centre and All the DAZE Productions. From face painting to monster bowling, a dance party to crafting projects, there is something for all ages. Adults and children aged five and up will be invited for a guided tour of the Alexander Henry ship. It’s free to attend for children aged five and under. For more information, visit facebook.com/ ourkidscountthunderbay.

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CityScene

Lovely Body’s space includes storage for a myriad of products. The most popular items year-round are shampoo and conditioner, lip balms, and deodorant. Bath bombs and soap are popular seasonal items.

Lovely Body

WALL SPACE

Manufacturing Safe and Feel-good Bath and Beauty Products Story by Tiffany Jarva, Photos by Jack Barten

t ’s t h e b e g i n n i n g o f September and Lovely Body owner Sarah Johnston is already gearing up for the holiday season. “Next week we start making 2,400 bars of soap a week, and 2,000 bath bombs,” says

The bath bomb press is a specialized piece of equipment for making bath products more efficiently. Johnston acquired it about three years ago to help increase production. In the early days, she used to make bath bombs using two molds and pressing them together by hand.

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Lovely Body’s Sarah Johnston explains that the name of her business is a callback to her family, inspired by her mom’s English side, where it was common to say things like, “Hello, love,” or “How are you doing, love?”

Johnston. It’s been quite the journey from starting off the “old-fashioned” way out of her kitchen in May 2012, where Johnston started experimenting using natural, good-for-you ingredients, distributing the resulting bath

products to friends and family. A registered nurse by trade, Johnston began making soap when she was on sick leave. “I went down something of a rabbit hole researching ingredients and thought I could make my own

Mica powder is used to drizzle on top of bath bombs and add colour to some soaps, and is sometimes used in lip balms. “It’s shimmery and catches the light,” says Johnston.

CityScene

Johnston “tunes” a soap cutter, created by an orthopedic surgeon from California. The cutter uses guitar strings as wires to cut through soap. They make correct or incorrect sounds, need to be tightened, and replaced just like guitar strings. Johnston says the soap business is often about trying to use and/or modify what already exists in a commercial kitchen, or in this case, a music shop. “We use what is available to us and make it work,” she says.

products that are safer and feel good,” she says. After much research, development, and positive feedback, Johnston started selling her Lovely Body products on Etsy, where she quickly became the number one Canadian bath and beauty

seller and one of the top 100 sellers worldwide. When she opened her first retail store, decided she couldn’t keep doing nursing as well, and turned her energies entirely to growing Lovely Body. In 2016, she moved to a retail

Many ingredients used are food-grade. Currently on site, there are 1,000 pounds of baking soda, 2,000 pounds of citric acid, a 400-litre jug of olive oil, and more. Johnston is dedicated to making sure they go above and beyond meeting Health Canada’s checks and balances. “You could really hurt someone if you don’t do it right.”

space that was twice as big as her first one. In 2021, she expanded further, acquiring the space next door. Today, Johnston spends four days a week manufacturing her wide range of bath and beauty products in a 3,000-square-foot

After bath bombs are mixed—ingredients include baking soda, citric acid (because it doesn’t react until you add water), and a colourant (which is oil and water-soluble to avoid rings in bathtubs)—and pressed, they dry for three days and then are shrink-wrapped in biodegradable film.

space adjacent to her 1,000square-foot retail storefront in Thunder Bay’s Waterfront District. After the COVID restrictions, when sales were completely online, Johnston appreciates being able to be more social and work out of a

retail space that is open to the public. “This is such a physical business. People want to touch and feel, see, and smell things, and sometimes just hang out. I love that.”

Johnston adheres stickers to lip gloss packages.“From start to finish, it takes about a year to formulate a new product, including testing and adjusting,” she says.

The Walleye

CityScene

Stuff We Like For National Hair Day By Kelsey Raynard

Apparently October 1 is National Hair Day. While relatively unknown and perhaps inconsequential for some, this day of significance does bring reflection on the universality of hair. I mean, most of us have got it. At the same time, the great diversity of colours, textures, styles, and norms of hair around the world are an expression of vastly different cultures and fashions. Whether it’s on your head, your face, or your body, taking care of your hair should be a priority for all of us. Here is Stuff We Like for National Hair Day.

1 Dry Shampoo Lovely Body 266 Red River Road Folks with long hair know the struggle: sometimes your hair just isn’t looking its best, but it isn’t wash day quite yet. Enter Lovely Body’s dry shampoo—gentle, lightly scented, and formulated with natural ingredients like kaolin clay and tapioca starch, this product is the perfect way to freshen up your hair in between washes. Safe for all hair types and colours (even chemically treated hair), this is sure to become a new staple in your hair routine.

$22

African Essence Braid Sheen Spray 2

Salonki Hair Salon & Ethnic Beauty Supply 210 Algoma Street South Salonki Salon & Ethnic Beauty Supply has been a local trailblazer in multicultural hair styling and beauty products since their inception. Their African Essence Braid Sheen Spray is a must for braided hairstyles; with a blend of natural conditioners, shine additives, and itch-reducing agents, this spray is guaranteed to give you a neat, tight braid with great shine. If you’re in need of some braids or dreads, co-owner of Salonki Shannon Skinner is a master of her craft.

$8.99

3 Patagonia Cap Fresh Air 710 Balmoral Street Bad hair days are another universal experience that unites us all. When you just want to cover up your bedhead, try Patagonia’s six-panel ball cap available at Fresh Air. This hat is not only practical, but sustainable too. The panels are made from 100% organic cotton canvas and the brim is made of fully traceable NetPlus 100% recycled fishing nets. Comfortable, fashionable, and ethically made— what else could you ask for?

$49 8

4 Claw Clip J.B. Evans Fashions & Footwear 122 Frederica Street West Claw clips are very trendy at the moment, and for good reason. Style your hair in a number of versatile updos with a French cutout claw clip by Chelsea King, available at J.B. Evans. Made in France, these hair clips are manufactured using a specialized bio-acetate consisting of 70% renewable wood fibre, and are both hypoallergenic and built to last. Add this stylish, minimalistic, and elegant accessory to your wardrobe ASAP.

$24.99

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5 Handmade Scrunchies SASS Scrunchies sassscrunchies.com Looking for a soft, stylish, and sassy accessory? (Try saying that five times fast). Look no further. SASS Scrunchies creates high-quality, handmade scrunchies that are sewn right here in Thunder Bay. Available in small, medium, and large sizes and in more colours than you can count, you are sure to find a scrunchie that matches your unique style and aesthetic.

$5–13

6 Shampoo Bars Stella WaxBar 274 Algoma Street S/110 Frederica Street West Goodbye plastic bottles and hello shampoo bars! These locally made shampoo bars leave no plastic bottle taking up space in a landfill, and are sold with minimal packaging. Even better, they are made with mild, hair-safe surfactants, skin-loving oils, and a detangling agent to keep your hair feeling and looking beautiful. Available in three lovely scents, these small but mighty bars can outlast over two bottles of your regular commercial shampoo.

7 Beard Oil The Barber Shop 114 Frederica Street East Our hair deserves to be taken care of, including the hair on our face! For all the bearded folks out there, try incorporating Edwin Jagger’s conditioning beard oil into your post-shaving routine. With just a few drops, this product will condition and soften your facial hair, leaving it smooth and fragrant. Bonus: if you stop in at The Barber Shop for a shave, you can enjoy a cold beer while you’re there. Talk about self-care!

$19.99

8 Hair Cut Evoke Salon & Spa 37 Cumberland Street South Treat yourself to one of a number of luxurious hair services from Evoke Salon & Spa. Whether you’re looking for a trendy haircut, a new colour, a fresh style, or just a few hours to relax and be pampered, Evoke Salon & Spa can meet all of your hair needs. With a new location in the downtown waterfront district, Evoke’s stylists are ready to help you have your best hair day yet.

$Various

Season Four - October 17th - December 12th

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CityScene

 Cribbage game boards featuring area lakes

 Framed piece featuring One Island Lake

Stakd Birch The Art of Bathymetry

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

Story by Matt Prokopchuk, Photos by Sidney Ulakovic

 Ornaments made by Randall's wife, Kristin

The Walleye

hen the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Brian Randall used the opportunity to build a whole new business for himself. Randall is the owner of Stakd Birch, a studio that creates art featuring geographically, topographically, and bathymetrically (essentially underwater topography) accurate maps laid out on multiple layers of baltic birch wood; the maps are primarily of Northwestern Ontario’s numerous lakes, and much of the work is customized to order. Randall, whose professional background is in geographic information systems and cartography, says he left his job during the pandemic to care for his young children, and started his home-based business at that time. “It kind of made sense to marry the two things that I like: woodworking and mapmaking,” he says. “I started the business to focus on mapmaking; we bought an industrial-sized laser, like a $25,000 laser, which was a huge risk at the time.” That risk, however, has appeared to have paid off. Randall says that he’s been very busy for the almost three years Stakd Birch has been operating. Moving to the market recently has only helped in that regard. “We’re doing something that’s so heavily

community involved, it felt right to be in the community,” he says. To make his art pieces, Randall first lays out the map, including the lake depths or topographical features, in specialized GIS software, which is then transferred to another program that his laser uses. From there, using the laser, he cuts out each layer of wood (typically seven to 10 of them), paints them by hand, and glues them back together, essentially stacking them. From there, he uses locally sourced wood to frame the finished piece. Stakd Birch also makes ornaments (Randall’s wife Kristin handles that part of the business), as well as cribbage game boards featuring local lakes. Randall says he’s seen connections with his customers through his art, and its focus on our bodies of water, as people will often request he design pieces based on lakes they’re familiar with. “These lakes that people are on, they’ve been on them for generations and they love them,” he says. “It’s a part of their family, and to make something that people really love […] is a really cool feeling.” Check out Stakd Birch on Facebook at facebook. com/stakdbirch.

CityScene

Thunderbird Wildlife Rescue

Local Wildlife Custodian Jenn Salo Looks to Expand Story by Sidney Ulakovic, Photos by Emily Turner

he former Chippewa Park Zoo looks to be getting a fresh start thanks to local wildlife custodian Jenn Salo. Salo is the owner and operator of Thunderbird Wildlife Rescue, which aims to eventually operate out of the Chippewa Park location to rehabilitate local wildlife. Salo got the keys to the property in November of last year, and has since been working to establish breeding populations of chickens, ducks, and rabbits as a means to provide food for birds of prey, as well as maintaining a flock of Guinea fowl to provide security, since these vocal birds will be sure to alert to the presence of anything unusual. Salo is a licensed falconer, an experience she likens to having horses, given the required dedication to

training and understanding the animal before you can work with them successfully. “I spent two years under the guidance of my mentor and sponsor,” Salo says of her falconry apprenticeship.“But this is also where my foray into wildlife rehabilitation happened, because my sponsor also happened to have his wildlife custodian [credentials],” she says. “And so he was able to take me on as a student, not only in falconry, but in the wildlife rehab aspect of birds.” Since becoming a wildlife custodian, Salo has been rehabilitating birds of prey in her backyard. “I’ve had over 40 eagles through my backyard,” Salo says. While she’s been able to achieve a lot from that limited space, Salo is looking to increase her impact with the new location.

 Jenn Salo, owner and operator of Thunderbird Wildlife Rescue, with her owl Koko

 These Guinea fowl are the protectors of Thunderbird Wildlife Rescue

Salo has been able to do some seasonal seagull population management work with her captive-bred hawk, but there is a need for funding to allow Salo to expand the rescue to accommodate more species. “The public response has been incredible,” Salo says. “If it wasn’t for the support of the public, I would’ve given up so many times.” With the help of public donations, Salo envisions a big future for the rescue. ”Our

goal is to become a natural education centre,” Salo says. “I want it to be a centre where you can come and learn about our local wildlife.” Once Thunderbird is up and running and has established itself, Salo hopes to eventually get other community groups involved in the project, believing the rescue has the potential to be beneficial for not only the animals it will take in, but the community at large. ”There’s never-ending possibilities.”

To contribute to Salo’s cause, donate to Thunderbird Wildlife Rescue through canadahelps.org. Thunderbird also has some fundraisers planned this fall. Find them on Facebook at facebook.com/ thunderbirdraptorrescue for updates.

 Chickens at the rescue

The Walleye

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CityScene

 Service Battalion Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps celebrate 2023 graduates at the Branch 5 Legion

Inclusion, Leadership, Cooperation Thunder Bay to Host Annual Cadets Week By Sidney Ulakovic spotlight our local cadets. Recognition of Cadets Week in Thunder Bay will start early on October 6 with a flag raising ceremony at city hall. A proclamation reading will be delivered by Mayor Ken Boshcoff and in attendance will be dignitaries from the cadet leagues, local cadet sponsors, legions, members of provincial parliament, and our local cadet corps and squadrons. The official start of Cadets Week will kick off on October 7 with a brunch at Royal Canadian Legion Branch

5 for the cadets, dignitaries, and visitors. Throughout the week, there will be a number of other activities to highlight Thunder Bay’s cadets, including a display at Intercity Shopping Centre to demonstrate some of the training activities the cadets are involved in weekly. Cadets Week celebrations will conclude on October 14 at HMCS Griffon with a sunset ceremony. Cadets programming has a long history in Thunder Bay, including decades of community involvement.

to all who have participated to not only develop their practical and life skills, but build lasting camaraderie, which they look forward to celebrating this October. While the festivities will occur here in Thunder Bay, all communities are encouraged to participate in Ontario Cadets Week. To learn more about Cadets Canada, visit canada.ca and search for cadets.

 The Thunder Bay Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron attends the Battle of Britain Commemorative Service

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ast fall, the Province of Ontario designated the first week of October as Ontario Cadets Week, providing a province-wide opportunity to highlight the cadets and people who support and deliver their programs, as corps and squadrons begin their training in the fall. The inaugural celebration was hosted in Toronto at Queen’s Park, and this October, Thunder Bay will be the host community. From October 7 to 13, various activities will take place to

Ontario Cadets Week will recognize and celebrate our cadets and all that this programming does to make an impact in the lives of young people. “Cadets training itself is all about inclusion, leadership, and cooperation,” says John Walas, a member of the Thunder Bay Cadets Week organizing committee. “These are really important aspects because what that does is it instills confidence, which is really important for young people.” Cadets programs have provided opportunities

The Walleye

CityScene

Writer Sam Convey enjoying a coffee at a local café, one of her favourite things to do in her spare time

The cover of Convey’s new book, with art by Lex Bohémier (he/they), known as @oatmilklady on Instagram

I Kill The Bird Quietly

Sam Convey to Release New Poetry this October Story and photo by Sidney Ulakovic

lot can change in just a year—multiply that by four and you’re looking at something new entirely. For local writer Sam Convey, those four years included obtaining a university degree, a subsequent college diploma, and pursuing full-time work, all amidst a global pandemic. As the world seemed to settle (as much as it possibly could) and finding she’d arrived at a new destination in life, it seemed an appropriate time to take another stab at drafting her next book. Convey’s third selfpublished poetry collection I Kill The Bird Quietly is set for release at the end of the month, four years after her last publication in 2019. Convey’s passion for writing seems to have been written in the stars. “There’s something about writing that’s always kind of drawn me to it. I had

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a tarot card reading when I was seven years old and the guy was like ‘You’re going to be a writer,’ [...] I always look back to that,” she says. And a writer she is. Convey built an audience with her first two publications, Bloom (which has since been phased out of print) and Until I Feel Like My Own Mother. These collections were distinguished by the inclusion of Convey’s artwork to complement the comingof-age writing centred around the turbulence of personal growth and navigating love as a young adult. This time around, Convey has made the decision to omit the artwork and dedicate her focus to the writing. “I think today we have the most versatility when it comes to writing. It’s not so structured anymore,” she says of contemporary poetry.

Anyone familiar with Convey’s work knows that she likes to experiment with form, with pages transitioning from free verse to haiku to narrative poetry to prose, and back again. “I don’t like to restrict myself to one style because then you get stuck there and things can get a bit repetitive,” she says, adding with a laugh, “I like to make it a bit messy.” Convey’s tendency to take stylistic liberties is not to say that she isn’t meticulous about the arrangement of her work. However, this attention to detail was something she was able to fine tune in the years following the release of her last collection. “When I was younger, I wasn’t focusing so much on other people’s poetry. It was kind of just like ‘What’s going to come out of me?’ Convey says. “Over the course of the pandemic, I got

really into actually reading [poetry]—reading old stuff, new stuff, modern stuff, queer poetry—and that really had an impact on me.” Although Convey now writes from a wider range of influences and greater understanding of ways she can manipulate form, I Kill The Bird Quietly, like much of Convey’s previous work, explores and unpacks inner turmoil. “It tells a story about living with unbearable stress,” she says. Amongst this narrative, there are still moments of relief and wonder, and Convey’s hope is ultimately for her readers to find pieces that resonate with them. “It’s a weird world out there. The poetry itself, the art itself, for me has always been kind of the light at the end of the tunnel.”

“I think today we have the most versatility when it comes to writing. It’s not so structured anymore.”

I Kill The Bird Quietly will be available on Amazon starting on October 28, and at Entershine Bookshop this November. Follow Convey on Instagram @sunsandroses. poetry for updates.

CityScene

D SECONES C N A H C

Raiding Your Big Sister’s Closet By Kelsey Raynard

f the many universal sibling struggles, my favourite has to be the theft of each other’s clothing. If you never heard “Mom, they’re wearing my sweater again!” being yelled from the top of the staircase, I admire the harmony of your family. Enter Your Big Sister’s Closet, a double-entendre online space where you can safely raid your big sister’s closet for secondhand, size-inclusive clothing. Run by Colleen Johnston and Sherrie-Lee Petrie, Your Big Sister’s Closet started after a closet cleanout led Johnston to reflect on the lack of curated plus-size clothing in the second-hand online market. After connecting on Instagram, Johnston and Petrie decided to join forces to create the two-person operation that is Your Big Sister’s Closet. “‘Your big sister’s closet’ is definitely a play on words,” Johnston explains. “We carry sizes large to 6X, and a combination of higherend clothes and vintage, as well as good condition fast fashion brands.” While Thunder Bay is home to many second-hand sellers, both online and in-person, Johnston and Petrie felt there was still a gap in the market that needed to be filled. “I don’t find thrifting to be a particularly size-inclusive place,” Johnston says. “A lot of resellers don’t focus on size inclusivity and I’m sure there are a lot of reasons for that. I think in part that might be because there are limited plussize options in the fashion world, and many of those options are fast

fashion that don’t stand up to the wear and tear of time. I think another part could be that people hold on to clothes longer because finding fashionable plus-size clothing is more of a challenge.” Now, Johnston and Petrie are sharing their closets with all of us. For thrifters who are hunting for more size-inclusive pieces at in-person thrift stores, Johnston does have some advice. “Look in all the sections. Things are often miscategorized and also gender means very little,” she says. “Wear what you want; who cares if you found it in the men’s section or women’s section? Also, make sure to try all sorts of things on. Size 18 in one brand might be a 22 in another, and some vintage pieces will fit differently.” This month, Johnston and Petrie are showcasing a cute outfit that can take you from work through to the evening. First up, we have a tentree black felt hat for $10. Next, we have a Simply Be V-neck black bodysuit, a versatile staple that can fit into any wardrobe (size 24 for $10). Lastly, we have a vintage cargo midi skirt to complete the look (size 20 for $10). Follow @yourbigsistertbay to check out their collection of second-hand plus-size clothing and keep up to date on future in-person events.

Artisan Cheese Boxes Coming Soon! Charcuterie • Sandwiches • Desserts

View Full Selection at snpcatering.com @saltpeppertbay The Walleye

CityScene

Thunder Bay Art Gallery executive director Matthew Hills at the waterfront site where the new gallery will be built; Hills started in his new role in September

With Matthew Hills

EYE EYE TO

As told to Matt Prokopchuk, Photo by Lois Nuttall

he Thunder Bay Art Gallery has a new person in charge, and it comes during a very transformative period for the institution as it readies its move to the new waterfront location. The gallery has announced Matthew Hills as its new executive director succeeding Sharon Godwin. Hills, who has an art history and curatorial background, comes to the Lakehead after serving in various positions in visual arts organizations in southern Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and, most recently, Newfoundland. Hill spoke with The Walleye about his early priorities, what he enjoys away from work, and his most treasured possessions. The Walleye: What are your priorities as you step into your new role here? Matthew Hills: I’m coming

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from outside of the community, so really my priority as I start this new role is one of assuming a posture of listening and learning. I’m coming into the community following on experience across the country, so I want to be sure that I understand what’s important in Thunder Bay and our region and the ways the gallery relates to our community, particularly at such a crucial moment in the gallery’s history. So that’s really where I’m at right now, just really trying to listen and learn and understand the specificities of Thunder Bay and the Thunder Bay Art Gallery in our community. TW: Your background is in art history and curatorial studies. How did you get interested in that line of work? MH: My father was a Sunday painter [hobbyist artist],

my grandmother loved to paint as well, and I was doing my undergrad and had done a minor in art and I was just at a point in my life—to be honest, my father passed away, and I was just reflecting on why it was such a critical juncture in my life. I was kind of going through the process of mourning, and I was really thinking and reflecting on what I wanted to do with my life professionally. I just decided that I wanted to work in a field that I was passionate about or was dynamic and stimulated me in every sense, and in a vocation or a field that I thought was making society better, was contributing to the community. And for me, art galleries are institutions that do that. And to be honest, I just have a deep respect and reverence for what artists do in our society and the notion

of helping and working with artists on an ongoing basis was really, really exciting for me. TW: What keeps you occupied when you’re not working? MH: I have four children 12 and under, so that’s what keeps me primarily occupied [laughs]. They are very into sports, soccer and basketball in particular. We love downhill skiing. Western Newfoundland has Marble Mountain and I’m really excited to get into the skiing scene here. I think culture in general—I love film and TV and theatre and other culture components, so my focus is really trying to understand the community and being in the community, attending things and understanding how best to support and be a part of that. TW: What was the last thing you binge watched?

MH: Usually binge-watching is [something] my partner and I [do] once the kids have gone to sleep. We’ve watched a couple things: Winning Time, which is a series on the LA Lakers dynasty. I love it because of the aesthetics and the way that the television show was executed in relation to the source material and the time and era—it’s just beautifully, beautifully done and really effective. My children are super into Star Wars, so that comes up for us, any of the new episodes. My wife quite loves real estate and we’ve been binging this show called Escape to the Chateau [laughs], which is on CBC Gem, and it’s about a couple who buy a French chateau and renovate it. TW: What’s your most treasured possession? MH: I think because of my vocation—etymologically, curator is “to care for” and it comes out of caring for objects—I definitely have treasured things; it’s kind of in my nature. Some of the things that were given to me by my parents—my mom and father would often, on weekends, drag us out antique hunting. At the time, I hated it—as a child I hated it, thought it was silly. But now one of my most treasured things is an antique dresser my father and mother had bought for me when I was a child and it’s something I’ve handed down. My son now uses [it]. One of the ways we’ve tried to [maintain] continuity for our family as we’ve relocated from Edmonton to Newfoundland and now Thunder Bay is we track heights at every major event, so holidays or birthdays, and any time we’ve moved, I’ve copied or transferred over those heights onto one (for lack of a better term) measuring stick that we use as a consistent point of reference across all of our homes. I just went through the process of doing that in our new home, so that’s one that jumps out to me. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. To hear more, find the expanded interview on our Eye To Eye podcast on Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, and more.

TRICK OR TREAT

Saturday Oct 28

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The Walleye

CityScene

This is Thunder Bay Interviews and photos by Leah Morningstar

This month we asked The Walleye readers: What was your favourite Halloween costume? David: I’m 93 and I don’t know if you’ll believe this, but when I was a kid, nobody went door-to-door for candy. By the time my younger brothers and sisters had started trick-or-treating, I had already moved out of the house. I do remember dressing up as a ghost as a kid though, but mostly I remember the chocolate.

Greg: I was a Ghostbuster. It was a cardboard box with shoulder straps, an old vacuum hose and attachments connected to a shoebox or Kleenex box for the plasma gun. The box on my back doubled as my candy bag. My mom killed it with a handdrawn Ghostbusters logo on my green coveralls. Keltie: My favourite was Hermione Granger from Harry Potter! Molly: Little Red Riding Hood!

Heather: I’m Princess Leia right now, but as a kid, my favourite Halloween costume was a dinosaur when I was six. Keira: I’m a Ghostbuster today, but my favourite costume when I was younger was a Pokémon trainer.

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Andrew: I had a great Hordak costume! He’s a villain from the He-Man and She-Ra universe.

Paul: As a kid, I used to like dressing up as a “tramp” for Halloween.

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CityScene

Get Your Punks Cookin’

 Author and co-illustrator Margot Freitag

A Recipe for Adventure in the Kitchen Story by Kim Latimer, Photos by Connor Remus

“W

e need to taste, touch, feel, and play with our ingredients,” says Margot Freitag, Thunder Bay author of Plant-Powered Punks, a new, local, children's plantbased cookbook. It’s an idea she’s been nurturing since her children were young, but as a busy parent she kept it in her back pocket until the time felt right. Freitag found that time during COVID. “I made the commitment [and put pen to paper] in 2019,” she says. Why “punks”? Well, that’s just an endearing term she overheard a father use to refer to his kids, “and it stuck.” The book includes 28 healthy recipes that are intended for children to work through with their parents. The whole point is to get kids preparing whole foods. It also aims to help kids learn some basics, navigate recipes, and find their way around the kitchen while spending time together with their families. The hope is that

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they’ll use the book to “create memories,” Freitag says, while planting a seed of inspiration. “Really, I wanted children to have a book that they’d love to look through, that they’d love to hold on to, and that they would feel inspired when they looked at the pictures and saw the other children preparing food,” says Freitag. “We're not trying to turn children into vegans. That's not the goal. The goal is to inspire children to eat more fruits and vegetables, and more natural foods—and to realize that these foods are the tastiest foods when they're done correctly,” she explains. “There isn't a processed food out there that can replace or be more wonderful than real, whole foods. I think if we can get kids actually making their food, they’ll see how delicious it can be,” she adds. PlantPowered Punks is a collection of her own family’s tried and taste-tested recipes. “My favourites are the simplest recipes; I love the fruit salad

and the smoothie. There’s a tofu scramble that’s easy and delicious,” she says. “We were choosing the recipes we love.” The book is organized using leaf symbols, rating the recipes by level of difficulty—one leaf meaning a kid can handle most of it on their own, and three leaves indicates that the parent should help from start to finish. With a background in education and health, she noticed when kids’ “energy levels would dip when they ate processed foods,” she says. And, Freitag adds, there’s more to the equation. “I think we make an effort to keep kids active with sports, but a lot of these activities conflict with the dinner hour,” she says. “Often, we give up healthy meals to get our children to sports—and I do think sports are critical, I just wonder if there’s just a better way? We need to get our kids interested in healthier whole foods and preparing their own food.” The images in the book of

“punks” (local kids) making the recipes were all taken in her kitchen, and she noticed there was a lot of adventure and food sampling along the way. The children were empowered to try new things. “One little girl told us how much she enjoyed making the energy balls,” Freitag says, and she prepared them for herself as a snack for an upcoming flight. If you can get beyond the messy kitchen, the book offers a reason to pause, as it’s the little healthy choices, tips, and tricks that somehow make their way into everyday, busy family life. And if we’re lucky,

they get tweaked to appeal to children’s tastes and might just even become the latest addition to your list of family favourites. So parents of picky eaters, there’s hope. Plant-Powered Punks may be another tool in the chaotic parenting toolbox if we want to get a little crafty (and quietly healthy). But shhh, don’t tell the punks. Visit plantpoweredpunks. com for more information and to find out where to buy the book.

CityScene BIS CANNAER N R CO

Rolled Up and Ready to Go

The New Pre-Rolls By Justin Allec

o say that I wasn’t impressed with prerolls when they first came out would be an understatement; I hated what was on the market initially. My forays into this realm of the cannabis industry was tainted by the uniformly

poor construction of prerolls: they either clogged and smoldered out or canoed like crazy, either way making me pull the pre-roll apart and stuff the cannabis into a reliable pipe. Frustrated with these machine-packed conical joints, I left pre-rolls

alone for a long time. Recently, however, I had a friend share one with me, and I was impressed. The whole construction was different, using a more appropriate cigarette-style shape (a “straight roll”) and a proper filter instead of paper cones,

and it burned beautifully— uniformly slow. Enjoyable and easy, this new style of pre-roll prompted me to see what had evolved. As usual, time in The Walleye’s fish tank—our product-testing laboratory—led me to some new favourites.

Good Supply Pineapple Express Pre-Roll

Redecan Redees Cold Creek Kush Pre-Roll

Community Bird Watchers Blunts

Bonfire Inferno Infused Pre-Roll

Reliable and true, Good Supply’s prerolled Pineapple Express offering is a bit of a classic in the same way that rock radio works: it’s known and it’s available, so eh, why not? The strain is famous for potency and its fruity taste is a modern classic. The onegram joint is your typical cone and still doesn’t burn nicely, but the halfgram version works reasonably well.

Well, this opened my eyes! Using a straight-roll construction, these choice pre-rolls from Redecan are now in rotation. Cold Creek Kush has always been one of my preferred strains, so having this dank, earthy cannabis in such a convenient package feels like a gift. Easy burning, easy handling, and packed in moderate quantities, a pack of Redees is a great option if you’re going camping for the weekend.

Not going to lie, blunts were never on my Ontario Cannabis Store bingo card, but here we are. A blunt is the same as a joint, except the casing is a cigar wrap instead of a rolling paper. With a heavier, tobacco-adjacent taste, these blunts were a nice (though really potent) surprise. They still use a conical construction, but the wrap keeps the cannabis burning evenly. Sharing is required for these bad boys.

And finally, we come to the end point of pre-rolls and the THC arms race with the same product. Using similar construction as the bargain offering from Good Supply but with actual quality materials and construction, these infused one-gram joints from Bonfire are not to be trifled with. Adding an unreal level of potency thanks to a generous sprinkling of THCA isolate, and hands-on quality construction, Bonfire is a company that’s new to me but will easily stay on my radar.

(THC 18.00–24.00%, CBD 0.00–1.00%, Hybrid) Size: 1 x 1g $8.65 or 14 x 0.5g @ $39.95 ($5.71/g)

(THC 18.00–24.00%, CBD 0.00–3.00%, Sativa) Size: 10 x 0.4g @ $22.95 ($5.74/g)

(THC 22.00–28.00%, CBD 0.00–2.00%, Indica) Size: 10 x 0.7g @ $49.95 ($7.14/g)

(THC 40.00–48.00%, CBD 0.00–1.00%, Sativa) Size: 2 x 1g @ $30.95 ($15.47/g)

The Walleye

CityScene

G BRIDGINST THE PA

The Family Life and Volunteer Team Lead By Kris Ketonen

rom overseeing Fort William Historical Park’s interpretive and overnight food programs and its craft program to representing women at the organization, Family Life and volunteer team lead Paula Sulston’s days are busy ones. “I moved to Thunder Bay about two years ago and I found out about the Fort,” Sulston says. “The entire thing has to do a lot with acting, but that's what I originally went to school for. And then I went to school for tourism and then conservation sciences, so it seemed like the perfect fit.” Sulston actually joined the Fort last year in another capacity, and then “found out about the Family Life role that is more representative of women and cooking, and that's something I'm just very passionate about,” she says. “So when the job opened up, I was thrilled.” Sulston’s responsibilities include making sure the interpretive food program is running smoothly. “We try to focus on ingredients that we can use from our fully working farm,” she says. “We focus on Scottish dishes as well as some voyageur dishes. We’ll make corn and grease some days. We also, at least three times a week, bake historic bread in our bread ovens.” The job also gives Sulston the opportunity to teach, including food courses called History on the Menu and Cooking Through Chemistry. “I love not only getting people involved

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with food, but also connecting things that people already understand with history, food-wise,” she says. The major difference between the food eaten at the Fort during its heyday and modern-day cuisine really comes down to cooking methods, Sulston says. “Today, we've got so many different types of technology that we use, but there was still a lot of technology in the 1800s,” she says. “We talk about cast iron pots that we use daily, we have spits that we also use, and we use those modernly as well, but you very rarely see them. It's funny because the cuisine is semi-similar, it's just it took so much more time and effort to cook things.” Sulston’s goals include building up the programs she oversees. “I'm trying to build up the interpretive food program even bigger than it is now,” she says. “One of the really interesting parts of my job is, specific recipes weren't written down, so I have to extrapolate a lot from what was being cooked in Montreal, what was available in Canada.”

FUND HIGHLIGHT R.K. Dewar Medical Research Fund This year, the R.K. Dewar Medical Research Fund will be accepting grant applications that aim to support projects and/or research initiatives that contribute to a deeper understanding of mental health, reduce stigma, and improve the well-being of individuals and communities. The Thunder Bay Community Foundation is accepting grant applications for a variety of Funds until October 15, 2023.

2022 Recipient of the R.K. Dewar Medical Research Grant, Lakehead University, accepted by Dr. Andrew Dean from Pat Meredith

For more information, visit

Nurture your Passion. Build our Community. Create a Legacy.

tbcf.org

Join the new age of mining by starting your journey at Confederation College For more information, visit: confederationcollege.ca/mining

A P P LY N O

Supported by:

recruitment@confederationcollege.ca 807-475-6656

The Walleye

Music

 Horricks (top row on the right) with Donny B and the Bonnevilles in the 1960s

Manifesting Music Sitting Down with the Ageless Tommy Horricks By Jason Wellwood

 Tommy Horricks with The Sensational Hot Rods performing at Festa Italiana  Horricks performing with his son, Jess

The Walleye

 Tommy “Milestone” Horricks

ommy Horricks’s first live performance was singing a Gene Autry song in a church at age six. “Everyone clapped for me, and I was so happy that I clapped too. When I realized I wasn’t supposed to clap, I was embarrassed,” he says. “It was traumatizing and resulted in serious stage fright for years.” It took almost 74 years and a desire to help people to turn Horricks on to learning about hypnosis and trying the theories on himself. "Now I don’t get nervous before a show, I just really need to go to the bathroom!” It’s stories like this that endear Tommy “Milestone” Horricks to audiences, and illustrate that he’s just the guy next door. That’s not to say Horricks hasn’t had his brushes with fame, performing and touring all over Canada, the U.S., and the Middle East entertaining thousands, but it came at a cost. “I thought I was doing what I was supposed to. I was working seven days a week and earning money to provide a life for my family, like my father did,” he says. “What my [now ex-] wife wanted was

for me to be home and share responsibility. So she left.” Horricks says this was when he let his “empire” (he chuckles at the word) crumble. He had to build it all up again, and that’s exactly what he did. “Fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” he says. “I have learned to manifest happiness instead and I have been pretty successful so far.” From the early days in Donny B and the Bonnevilles to The Sensational Hot Rods and his own tribute to the music of Neil Diamond, Horricks has also manifested happiness in audiences around the world. “You need to take them on a journey, to help them forget what has been bothering them all week, and feel all of the emotions. That’s a real show.” Horricks will be bringing that show, including many of his stories, to the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium for his 80th birthday party on October 19. Many of Horricks’s friends and family will open the show to help make a proper celebration. Tickets are on sale now at tbca.com.

Come for the Massacre, Stay for the Metal

Music

Pansophic Looking to Restore the Feeling of 80s Thrash

Story by Michael Charlebois, Photos by Alyssa Kusik

young and exciting thrash metal band is looking to make a name for itself with two albums already out, and live performances at Black Pirates Pub to show for it. Pansophic, made up of four musicians not too far out of high school, is looking to restore the energy, technicality, and feeling of 1980s thrash metal. “It’s essentially a synonym for omniscient,” says lead vocalist and guitarist Cameron Demianiuk, speaking on the band’s name. “Literally translated is all-knowing or all-wise. It’s something that’s both above and within you.” The young band has its roots in a childhood family tie: Cameron Demaniuk’s and Nathaniel Turcotte’s mothers are best friends, and they followed suit as children. “He’s kind of like my cousin,” Demaniuk says. The two got involved in music together around the same time and developed a shared interest in metal. Nicholas Michieli and Ethan Quan, the remaining two members of the band, joined later. Demaniuk says the band was sitting on recorded material before the pandemic, and with some free time afforded to them, decided to release the music and start the band. He says the local reception and streaming stats from the region have taken him by surprise. “I think there’s more people [locally] who really like metal

 Pansophic: Cameron Demianiuk, Ethan Quan, Nick Michieli, Nathaniel Turcotte

more than they realize,” Demaniuk says. The band has a number of influences, but Demaniuk says Metallica is his favourite group, and, not coincidentally, the band that they take the most influence from. “I think that’s the ultimate inspiration behind the music,” he says.

Demaniuk and his bandmates are students of metal though, and he cites many other acts like Megadeth, Exodus, and Anthrax as influences. He adds that, although thrash is not for everyone, it’s the artistry and intention within their music that he hopes will delight existing thrash fans, and convert new

ones to the genre. “My number one draw is the passion and energy behind it, [and] the depth of the music,” he says. “It has something to say; it connects to a human being struggling in a world around them.”

Pansophic’s second studio album, The 2023 Massacre, is available on streaming platforms, including Bandcamp at pansophic. bandcamp.com.

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Music

Wake the Giant 2023

Coming Together as a Community Story and photos by Emily Turner

hunder Bay has a lot of great things, but our community is undoubtedly what makes our city so special. This fact was so obvious this year at Wake the Giant, which will go down as one of the best events I have ever attended in my lifetime. The day was a beautiful representation of the talent, diversity, and compassion that is present in this city, and I feel extremely fortunate to have had the chance to attend. When I arrived to see the Thunder Spirit drum group, the jingle dancers from Dennis

Franklin Cromarty High School were starting a circle dance in the field in front of the stage. Individuals of all ages joined in, smiling and laughing as they tried to keep up with the students. The tone of the event was set: it was a chance to support Indigenous youth, and bask in the beauty of our community and city while we were at it. The energy was s t re n g t h e n e d w i t h t h e incredible performance by Sara Kae and her band, which had everyone shaking their hips a little bit. The talent of every single performer

 CBC editorial assistant and DFC graduate Derek Monias with Sara Kae  Ruby Waters's bassist Leena Rodriguez

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 Mattmac, a music producer and recording artist from Garden Hill First Nation

Music there—Sagatay, Mattmac, Ruby Waters, X Ambassadors, Dean Lewis, and deadmau5—was simply inspiring. The different sounds and styles of music worked together impressively well and helped make the event enjoyable for everyone. There were also bouncy castles, art stations, interactive educational exhibits, a craft market, and plenty of food from local vendors to enjoy. Even without the music, this was an awesome place to spend the day. A leading highlight in my day was when nine-year-old Phoebe Marchese came up to ask me if I knew where she could find Dean Lewis—she was his biggest fan in the audience. Why? Because his popular song “How Do I Say Goodbye” reminded her of her grandma. The number of kids who were present for the headliner shows—and clearly

ecstatic about being there— was heartwarming. There was something so special about seeing the DFC students being supported by so many community organizations and individuals. The nearly insurmountable hardships that Indigenous youth face when they leave their homes for high school in Thunder Bay are difficult to imagine, and it was wonderful to see 6,200 people from our community join the movement to make our city a more inclusive place. Well done to everyone who helped make the day so special— especially to the teachers at DFC, as their devotion to their roles as educators and efforts to be champions for their students make this entire event possible. I look forward to this wonderful event happening for many years to come.  Jingle dancers after their performance with the X Ambassadors

 Kimberly Mason of the Mason Hoop Dancing Sisters

 Students enjoying the day's festivities before the X Ambassadors took to the stage

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Music

Death After Death

Annihilation Text Returns with New Album Story by Jason Wellwood, Photo by Steve Hoier

he return of Thunder Bay “death metal” band Annihilation Text in 2022 was surprising to many in the local scene. The band opened for many of the heavier touring artists coming through town in the mid-2000s, put out a fantastic quick-and-dirty EP in 2007 called Defamation Manifesto, but by 2009, the band had ended. After a few years of dealing with health issues, main songwriter, guitarist, and graphics master Steve Hoier called it a day and sold his gear. But by 2020, the bug bit again and his health issues were under control enough for Hoier to start experimenting with recording. “I’ve always been a creative,” says Hoier. “Whether it was websites, graphics, music […] I’ve always loved creating. The ability to be able to record the music I write myself gives me another outlet and I’m constantly learning and improving.” He recruited original Annihilation Text vocalist Cory Gauthier and second guitarist Lee Arnone to create the 2022 album The Order. Before that was released, Hoier had written new music and, about a

year later, the EP Black Gate Infernum arrived. Now, further adding to his creative resume, Hoier is producing a video for the song “Whom Shall Slither” from the EP, which will be available in early October. “When life gets in the way and people aren’t able to get things finished as quickly as I would like, I move on and start working on other things,” Hoier says. “In fact, before this EP was done, I had already written and recorded two new songs.” The new songs are apparently more grooveoriented and will also be available soon. He plans to release new music every two to three months. “When you’re doing this all independently, why wait?” he says. At this point, as much as Hoier may want to play live again, Annihilation Text is a recording project only. “It would take a lot of reworking, and finding some new members to pull it off live,” he says. Will they ever perform live? Never say never. You can find all of Annihilation Text’s releases at annihilationtext. bandcamp.com.

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Music

Album artwork for Robbie Robertson’s self-titled solo debut album

G BURNINE H T TO SKY

The Incredible Legacy of Robbie Robertson Story by Gord Ellis, Photo by Luis Sinco

here are many classic moments in The Last Waltz: Van Morrison’s scissor kicks, Neil Young’s loose and chemically altered “Helpless,” and the camera slowly panning down to Bob Dylan’s face. However, what stays with me about The Band’s iconic concert movie from 1976 is how large and in charge Robbie Robertson is. He was never the voice of The Band—that was left to Levon Helm, Richard Manuel, and Rick Danko—but Robertson wrote the songs and stories

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that those band members inhabited. He was the man. And what strikes me every time I see The Last Waltz is how much he is running the show, and the joy Robertson has playing that music. With the band. When Eric Clapton is supposed to do his main guitar solo, his strap slips off. Without missing a beat, Robertson steps in and plays one of those spiky, acerbic, and exciting solos he squeezed out effortlessly. Clapton knows he has missed his moment and Robertson

just smiles and carries on as if nothing has happened. I thought of that moment, and many other things, when I heard about Robbie Robertson’s death on August 9 at the age of 80. It felt like something big had gone. His songbook includes many of the greatest songs of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Those songs include “The Weight,” “Up on Cripple Creek,” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” “Life is a Carnival,” and “Ophelia,” to name just a few. My favourite Roberston song is “It Makes No

Difference,” a ballad sung by The Band bassist Rick Danko with so much heart and soul it chokes me up. That song also includes my favourite Robertson line “stampeding cattle, they rattle the walls.” Robbie Robertson may not have been as famous as his contemporaries Dylan and Clapton, but it’s quite possible neither artist would have achieved what they did without him. Robertson played guitar with the Hawks and cut his teeth with Ronnie Hawkins. In 1965, Bob Dylan toured the world with the Hawks after he went electric. Robertson’s bracing electric guitar set a fire under an already howling and high Dylan, and every folkie in the world was left appalled. Dylan and The Band would have an interlocked career through the 70s. Clapton left Cream, and the free-form guitar he was famous for, after hearing The Band’s legendary album Music from Big Pink. Clapton’s whole career would go down a different—and extremely successful—road thanks largely to the influence of Robbie Robertson. What has been very clear in the past decade or so is that Robbie Robertson and The Band did more than just influence many generations of rockers and country artists. Robertson and company basically created the form of music now commonly called

Americana. Pulling from blues, folk, country, ragtime, bluegrass, and gospel, Americana is now the home genre of everyone from Lucinda Williams to Old Crow Medicine Show to Jason Isbell. Yet it was Robbie Robertson and The Band who inadvertently constructed Americana. They were a band that couldn’t be defined. It wasn’t rock, or folk, or country. Closer to Broadway than jazz. And it was Robbie Robertson who wrote the songs that fit into this square peg. Robertson recreated himself as a solo artist in the 80s, and only then did he begin to flirt with more traditional pop and rock. While that music was less groundbreaking than what he did with The Band, it still resonated. Listen to “Broken Arrow” or “Showdown at Big Sky,” and you can hear the brilliant songwriter still in full force. We also got to hear Robertson’s own voice front-and-centre for the first time. It was deep, soulful, and resonant. There is so much more to say about Robbie Robertson, including his long and fruitful relationship with Martin Scorsese, or how he championed Indigenous artists and embraced his own Mohawk roots. But that will have to be saved for another time. For now, let’s remember and honour the great Canadian artist that Robbie Robertson was.

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Vaccines are an important layer of protection against COVID-19 and flu.

These respiratory diseases can have serious side effects, including pneumonia, hospitalization, and even death. Vaccines are now available for those at higher risk of serious outcomes from COVID-19 and the flu, including anyone: • Over the age of 65 • Immunocompromised • Pregnant • Or belonging to any of the other groups listed at TBDHU.com/COVIDvaccines or ThunderBayflu.ca Questions? Reach out to your local branch office or call our Thunder Bay office at 807-625-5900 and press 4.

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Music

Combat

Ryan McCulloch Releases Third Studio Album By Jack Barten

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here's something about an entire album's worth of music made by a single person that resonates with people. The writing, recording, and playing of multiple instruments is something most of us cannot wrap our heads around. Then there is Ryan McCulloch, with his third studio album Combat. Combat is the third project McCulloch has made doing every aspect entirely on his own, and this time it is bigger and better than ever. “I wanted to make something I really wanted to hear,'' he says. McCulloch started by pulling inspiration from his favourite albums, deciding to make a power-pop menagerie with thematic concepts and operatic elements. On the subject of how one structures a project of this scope, he says that “with my last album I would write as I recorded the songs, but with this album, I wrote every song ahead of time and then recorded them to create a more cohesive album narratively.” McCulloch would always start with the drums, making the rhythm section the centerpiece of the album, instrumentally. He then layered each aspect of the tracks piece

by piece, sometimes including six guitar tracks to accomplish the big wall of sound he sought. Vocals were all recorded in a closet using old winter coats as a makeshift soundbooth, contributing to the rawness of the themes present in the music. Narratively, the album loosely follows the character of Prairie Rose, reflecting the story of a person from a small town obtaining what they perceive as the American dream, and all the things they lose to become who they want to be. The album focuses on themes like identity and the ways we can abandon one version of ourselves to chase that perceived success. These themes all come to a head on the album’s closing track “Love and Rockets.” Split into two parts, the track fully dissects the themes of success and the price of fame. “Finishing this album felt like the end of an era; making the record gave me such a strong sense of identity,” McCulloch says. “And it will be interesting to see how that reflects in music to come.” Combat is available on all streaming platforms now.

Music

The TBSO performing at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium during their 2022-23 season

Season 63

Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra Set for New Performances Story by Matt Prokopchuk, Photos by Kay Lee

he musicians of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, as well as a large roster of special guests, are set to return to a number of stages around Thunder Bay as the TBSO’s 63rd official season gets underway this month. “We really wanted to speak to the community and to represent local as much as we could,” says Ryleigh Dupuis, the

orchestra’s executive director and general manager. “We’re in a really unique position— we have 30-plus professional, well-trained, highly skilled […] musicians who live and work here, and that gives us an opportunity to work with local groups and really enable them to bring their performance to a higher level.” One of those shows will be

a collaboration with Badanai Theatre Co., in March 2024 for a performance of the Dolly Parton musical 9 to 5. Similarly, Dupuis says, the TBSO will also be doing performances with local musicians like ShyAnne Hovorka, Rodney Brown, Spencer Hari, and Flamenco Caravan. “We really tried to focus on what makes us uniquely local and how we can showcase that,” Dupuis says. In addition to these, a number of long-standing favourites on the calendar return, such as the orchestra’s performance of Handel’s Messiah and the Holiday Pops show in December, as well as

Noondaagotoon!, the TBSO’s annual collaboration with, and showcase of, local Indigenous musicians and performers. That show closes out the season in May. The season’s opening night is October 13, featuring the orchestra’s concertmaster, violinist Thomas Cosbey as the soloist on Barber’s Violin Concerto, along with works by Alexina Louie, Jessie Montgomery, Honegger, and Poulenc. The orchestra will be led by guest conductor Cosette Justo Valdés, who was born and grew up in Cuba, but now serves as the resident conductor of the Edmonton

Symphony Orchestra, and has conducted orchestras all over Canada and the U.S. “The show itself is called Music for a Celebration, which is the title of one of the pieces that we’re playing,” Dupuis says. “And I think that’s really […] the tone that we’re trying to set for the season—that sort of celebratory, let’s-havesome-fun-with-[it] music. [Let’s] bring people back into the Auditorium and play some really great pieces for folks.” For more information and tickets, visit tbso.ca.

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Peter Wragg

Linda Cunningham

Music

Shawn Holt

The Bustle

Toronzo Cannon

Singing the Blues

Thunder Bay Blues Society's Inaugural Blues Shakedown By Ken Wright

apper dresser, stinging guitar leads, and ohso-soulful vocals—it’s Toronzo Cannon’s obvious attributes as a performer that immediately grab you. But it’s his storytelling that stays with you. “It’s not about the solos,” Cannon insists. “It’s about the songs.” The Chicago native will be headlining the Thunder Bay Blues Society’s first annual Blues Shakedown at the Da Vinci Centre on October 21. Armed with an eye for detail and an innate curiosity, Cannon is surrounded by inspiration

for songs as a veteran bus driver for the Chicago Transit Authority. The position affords him a unique perspective on the Windy City’s urban street scene. “People get used to everyday life, so it’s easy to miss the things around them,” says Cannon. “I write about those things. I know the problems of Chicago, the hardships.” A musical late-bloomer, Cannon didn’t pick up the guitar until he was 22, performing at open-jam sessions and then as a sideman before venturing out as a band leader.

The multi-award-nominated, world-touring artist is well established as one of the most compelling blues musicians to emerge from Chicago in years. Cannon’s message is simple but emphatic. “I have a voice now,” he says. “And I feel it’s my duty to tell the world that Chicago blues is still alive.” Sean Holt & the Teardrops will share the stage with Cannon. A second-generation Chicago bluesman, Holt began his career at 17, hauling equipment, running sound, and performing alongside his

legendary father, Magic Slim. He formed his own outfit, Lil’ Slim and The Back-Alley Blues Band, moving back to front the Teardrops following his father’s death. Critics responded with Blues Music Awards for new artist debut and new artist debut album for Daddy Told Me. Under Holt’s direction, the Teardrops continue to play the high-energy, hard-driving sound for which the band is so justly famous.

The Bustle, comprised of Sami Chong (guitar), Jen Swistun-Wolski (bass and vocals), and Jenny McPhail (drums), will open the evening with their crowd-pleasing musical talents and boundless enthusiasm. In January 2024, as “Highway 61 to Memphis” winners, The Bustle will head to Memphis, Tenn., where they will represent the TBBS at the Blues Foundation’s 39th annual International Blues Challenge.

For more information, go to thunderbaybluessociety.ca.

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Music

Paul Rodermond

TBSO E PROFIL

Story by Kris Ketonen, Photo by Leif Norman Birthplace: Calgary, Alberta Instrument: Piano Age you started to study music: Around seven or eight How long have you been with TBSO: This is his first season What’s on your personal playlist: Bill Frisell, Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos collection

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t didn’t take long for the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra’s Paul Rodermond to discover that the piano was the instrument for him. “My folks wanted me to learn an instrument because they were not musical at all,” says Rodermond, who joined the TBSO on principal keyboard this season. “But the whole extended family is, so they thought I should have a go at it.” He decided on piano simply because it’s a good choice for a first instrument. “Little children can play it

pretty easily, and I liked it, so it stuck,” he says. “I just naturally enjoyed it. My parents didn't force me to practise or anything. I was in a musical neighbourhood in Calgary, I think. So it was something to do in the winter.” Rodermond would go on to earn his undergrad in Newfoundland, and his master’s degree at the University of Manitoba. Then a friend forwarded the TBSO job posting. “I wasn’t looking,” he admits. “Most orchestras in Canada don’t have a full-time

keyboard player, so Thunder Bay is pretty unique for that. Usually, if you need a pianist in a city, you’ll just get them for the concerts. But also, I think it’s because of the repertoire, and the fact that I’m playing rehearsals for the chorus, the symphony chorus, there’s enough of a need for a pianist here that they’re able to make it a core position.” And while this will be Rodermond’s first full season with the TBSO, he’s performed with the symphony before. “I played two concerts with TBSO

in the spring,” he says. “So that was my introduction, I was there for a couple of weeks. I loved it. Thunder Bay is a beautiful part of the country.” And, he adds that he appreciates the opportunities available in the city the size of Thunder Bay. “Finding a place where you can both work in the arts, make a living in that way, but also be so close to nature is very rare, because usually it’s big cities that have those opportunities.”

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Music

Surrounded by Buzzards Bastards and the Buzzards Live at Black Pirates Story and photos by Jack Barten

 Asjia Papineau and Dan Rae of Ottawa’s Bastards and the Buzzards performing at Black Pirates Pub in September

 Thunder Bay’s Loughlin opening for Bastards and the Buzzards

“T

hursday at Black Pirates Pub” is a phrase I am sure many of you dear readers can relate to. For years, the quintessential venue has been the cornerstone of weekday entertainment in a sea of quiet, ever-so-cold evenings. For this reason, when I was asked to write a story on Ottawa-based band Bastards and the Buzzards, I was practically waiting outside for days, due to both anticipation and accidentally arriving two hours early. The evening began when the opening band Loughlin took the stage. One of Thunder Bay’s own, Loughlin is a Celtic folk group headed by Connor Loughlin. With tales of love, loss, and everything else we can all relate to, Loughlin weaved captivating narratives that guided the listener the entire way through, using the ensemble band to its full advantage. Composed of a bassist, percussionist, fiddler, and an Irish bouzouki player, the band completely filled the pub with swirling melodies, all tied together with Loughlin’s vocals. With a set that had everything from covers to gut-wrenching originals, there really was something for everyone, priming everyone for the imported Bastards and the Buzzards.

Hailing from the very capital itself, Bastards and the Buzzards are a folk-based punk band composed of husband and wife Dan Rae and Asjia Papineau. With Papineau on the fiddle and Rae providing the drums, guitar, and vocals, Bastards and the Buzzards do with two people what many cannot do with a small army. The entire room came to a halt when the duo started playing; with Papineau's show-stopping fiddle and Rae’s wonderfully unique, bassy voice, every song presented something new, building energy bit by bit. Once again, one really cannot emphasize enough that this is a two-person band. When listening to Bastards and the Buzzards play, one could be forgiven for mistaking them for a four-piece. With their bombastic drums, fast-paced guitar and fiddle, and perfect timing, it seemed as if a curtain would rise, revealing the full ensemble. As the set went on, my amazement turned to admiration, with each song getting more and more love from the audience, and never providing one moment of rest. Rae’s guitar and Papineau's fiddle trucked along like a steam engine, winning over the often shy weekday night Thunder Bay crowd. Indeed, we all work Friday morning. But even with this in mind, the next time I have the opportunity to see Loughlin or Bastards and the Buzzards again, one can be sure I’ll be waiting outside Black Pirates early on Thursday, and going into work late on Friday.

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OfftheWall

The Returner

Allison Russell

Canadian singer-songwriter, poet, activist, and multi-instrumentalist Allison Russell has released her sophomore solo album, The Returner. A clear extension of her first album Outside Child, The Returner continues to grapple with the complexities of survival, catharsis, reclamation, and life—all of which is reflected in the complexity of the music itself. The album is genrebending and hard to categorize, as Russell fuses elements of gospel and soul music, infectious disco beats, multi-instrumental folk sounds, and poetic, mythological lyrics (some even in French). On title track “The Returner,” Russell provides a slow and soulful affirmation: “I am worthy/ of all the goodness and the love that the world’s gonna give to me.” Later in the album, Russell reflects on the role music has played in her ability to heal from childhood trauma and abuse: “I used to dream, but now I write/I wield my words like spindles bright/To weave a world where every child is safe and loved.” Ultimately, the juxtaposition between her difficult lyrics and themes against her upbeat and optimistic music tells a story of renewal, rebirth, and redemption—a story you’ll be happy to get lost in. -Kelsey Raynard

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Reviews

Reasons Why

Black Gate Infernum

Turned to Gold

Ariel Posen refers to himself as a roots artist, but it’s hard to put this album in a singular category. One song has a mellow, toe-tapping, rainy day pop vibe, the next, upbeat blues rock, and then a country-tinged ballad. In someone else’s hands, Reasons Why might feel a little too all over the map. Posen, however, manages to stitch all of these songs about loneliness, relationships, mental health, and time, into a warm and cohesive quilt. Like a quilt, there is something new that was always there, waiting to be discovered in every song. From the lyrics of “Choose” quietly coming into focus on listen five or the guitar sound of “Broken But I’m Fine” cutting through on listen three, Reasons Why continually surprises, and is an incredibly relatable and warm album. It’s perfect fall weather listening that you’ll want to come back to year-round.

Coming in hot on the heels of last year’s The Order, Annihilation Text has returned with Black Gate Infernum, a six-track offering to the dark gods. Like previous efforts under the Annihilation Text moniker, this album is a direct neural link to the metal madness of main brain Steve Hoier. And I’m guessing he’s pretty tired at this point, as Black Gate pummels and pounds through any resistance. The easiest touchpoint would be Steve Tucker-era Morbid Angel, but Annihilation Text feels a bit lighter than that band—with the zany samples and speedy sections, dare I say that Annihilation Text is more fun? Why not? Hoier has really managed to zero in on a sound that combines heft with grace, the weight of sludge carried within a race car driven by a leadfooted demon. Which is to say that as heavy as the songs get, as unrelenting as the drums are, as bizarrely dissonant the guitar tones become, Hoier keeps your head banging at an impressive clip. In the world of metal, no evil deed goes unpunished, which makes Black Gate Infernum another win.

Country-folk artist Sarah Jane Scouten lays bare the ups and downs of being a rolling stone on her third album Turned to Gold. The album’s landscape is dotted with quintessential country imagery—whiskey, horses, pickup trucks, and miles of highway—and is fleshed out by Scouten’s vintage sound and folk influence. Turned to Gold is certainly a nod to another era, but Scouten’s perspective on time, longing, and freedom bring this record into the present day. The album teeters back and forth from reflective and bittersweet to bright and carefree, while Scouten’s attention to detail in the poetry of her lyrics maintains cohesion in the quality of the project as a whole. Scouten isn’t afraid to lose control on Turned to Gold, which complements the album’s soundscape; twangy guitar, piano, and harmonica make for a rich, full sound that ties listeners back to the title. Gold shows up in a couple places explicitly, but Scouten manages to tonally mimic that feeling at golden hour—that time between being left with regret for the things that were missed in a day, and hope for what may come tomorrow. Next time you find yourself going where the wind blows, make Turned to Gold the soundtrack to your journey.

Ariel Posen

-Jason Wellwood

Annihilation Text

-Justin Allec

Sarah Jane Scouten

-Sidney Ulakovic

Playing Robots into Heaven James Blake

James Blake started out in the U.K. electronic scene nearly 15 years ago, and has since blossomed into a globally recognized artist. Often collaborating with acts such as Travis Scott and Beyoncé, Blake has become a mainstream mainstay, but for his sixth studio album, Playing Robots into Heaven, a lack of features and a return to his roots is the theme. While his last album hinted strongly at appeals to more mainstream sensibilities, Blake revisits ambient beats and glitchy creative ideas that fuelled his breakthrough. His lead single, “Big Hammer,” is a wonky trap instrumental laced with a Ragga Twins sample, and no vocals from Blake whatsoever. Blake says the album’s narrative arc is based around the drugged experience of a rave, and the ambience relies much more on experiential production touches than Blake’s vocal range. The feeling of rebirth, a revisit to a favourite rave club, and a return to form mark one of 2023’s most experimental records from a mainstream artist. -Michael Charlebois

This Past Weekend Theo Von

A knee-slapping, belly-hurting, can’t-stop-laughing kind of podcast that I just can’t get enough of. With a completely unique style of improvisation, Theo Von allows his inner genius and exceptional comedic style to shine as he effortlessly glides through every episode. Often using humour as medicine, This Past Weekend strongly advocates for the importance of mental health and Von often shares his personal struggles, as well as victories, creating a special type of bond with his listeners. There have also been countless times where the podcast has raised money or awareness for an individual in need, such as getting a longtime follower a new set of lungs because his cystic fibrosis was becoming unmanageable. The variety of guests is vast, ranging from coroners to comedians, but whether the subject is silly or serious, one thing is for certain—you’ll always feel uplifted after tuning in. -Andrea Lysenko

How to Stay Productive When the World is Ending Reductress

From the writers of Reductress, the only women’s satirical magazine in publication, this collection of essays and “inspirational” graphics will make you laugh out loud in recognition. It also might possibly help you stay sane as you navigate your life while facing existential dread, climate catastrophe, a clown-show in the political world, and the promise of new and better bugs to bring us new and better pandemics. Written as a parody of the ubiquitous and not-veryhelpful typical self-help book, it is a lance to the boil that is life in the 2020s. Bonus bits: “Boomer Dad’s productivity advice” and “A history of burn-out through the ages.” -Angela Meady

The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns Ann Budd

As the days get progressively shorter and cooler, Thunder Bay residents will find themselves spending more of their leisure time indoors. This is the perfect time to pick up a new hobby, and why not combine pleasure with practicality by learning how to knit? Ann Budd’s book, The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns, is the perfect resource for both new and experienced knitters, as it is extremely accommodating in terms of sizes (babies to adults) and gauges (the number of stitches in one inch of fabric, which is determined by your needle and yarn size). This means Budd’s book adds the extra benefit of being economical, as you can use what supplies you have on hand— something rarely found in most knitting patterns. Not sure if knitting is your hobby? Continue your frugality by checking out one of Thunder Bay Public Library’s knitting needle kits! Each kit contains 13 needles, in sizes ranging from 2.5 mm to 10 mm, and different lengths of cable to suit your project's needs. TBPL is truly a one stop “shop” for new hobbies. -Kristal Vanderleest

The Walleye

Darren McChristie

Architecture

Jennifer Bonazzo

 Paulucci's Wayland Bar & Grill today

 The original hotel register book given to current owner Gary Paulucci by Brian and Gladys Berringer, descendants of the Bernardi family; provided for photography by Gary Paulucci

Paulucci's Wayland Bar & Grill By Jennifer Bonazzo

Darren McChristie

f you reside in the City of Thunder Bay, no doubt you’ve heard the name the Wayland Hotel, or the Wayland Bar and Grill. But do you know the real history of how those businesses came to be? Even more interestingly, did you know the building itself is rumored to be haunted? Come closer, dear reader, and listen to the tale. Most good stories begin with a legend; this one is that the original Wayland owner, Baretta Bernardi, moved his existing house and grocery store to its current location at 1019 Gore Street West using two teams of horses, while his family was still inside. The first mention of the store at that Westfort location was in the 1927 Henderson’s Directory. Bernardi’s reason for relocating was his desire to add a hotel to the store and butcher shop he operated. Expansion started in 1939 and was completed

The Walleye

in late summer of 1940, but when it was done, Bernardi was told that having only 15 rooms did not enable him to apply for a hotel license. Not to be put off, the businessman added what was known as the “tower,” and, with another six rooms, The Wayland Hotel was open for business. The building was solid, with an all-brick façade and stone lintels below the windows. The most interesting architectural element was two stepped gables on the south side. Over the years, the exterior has changed very little aside from grey brick mounted on the first floor and a new coat of paint. On the inside, however, new owners have brought other changes. The Bernardi family sold the business in 1966, and it went through two more owners until Gary Paulucci purchased it in 2008. Now known as Paulucci’s Wayland Bar & Grill, it is a place where

Paulucci's Wayland Bar & Grill/Facebook

Jennifer Bonazzo is a member of the Heritage Advisory Committee, which advises city council on the conservation of heritage buildings, sites, and resources, and their integration into development. For more information on the city’s heritage resources, visit www.thunderbay.ca/ en/city-hall/heritage-inthunder-bay.aspx.

Paulucci's Wayland Bar & Grill/Facebook

Architecture

one is in the washroom, or the sound of bottles clinking from an empty beer case. When asked about it, Paulucci and his staff merely nod and say they all have stories they can share. For a building nearing a century old, perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that spirits would linger. What do you think? Dare you go and seek out the truth yourself this All Hallows Eve?

Paulucci's Wayland Bar & Grill/Facebook

people can enjoy good food and live music and a staple in Westfort entertainment. When speaking with Paulucci, pride in both his business and the history of the Wayland is evident. An article and photo about the history of the Wayland graces the wall and he respects items from the past. A hardcover hotel register, gold lettering now faded, lists the guests from the 1940s to the 1960s. Notations in the back state the European and American rates, as people from all over the world stayed in the hotel. With so many guests coming and going throughout the years, could this perhaps explain the haunting, with some peoples’ essence remaining behind? Both Paulucci and his staff have all heard strange sounds in the building that they have no explanation for. This includes doors shutting by themselves, keys rattling, pounding noises, the sound of a toilet flushing when no

The Walleye

OctoberEventsGuide October 1, 10 am

Creekside & Trevisanutto’s Fall Artisan Market Creekside Nursery & Garden Centre

Creekside and Trevisanutto’s annual fall market returns. This year’s market will have over 90 local artisans, food vendors, and more.

creekside.ca

October 1, 11 am

Sunday Brunch

Red Lion Smokehouse Red Lion Smokehouse will be poaching eggs and mixing beer-y cocktails until 2 pm. Call to book and secure your spot.

807-286-0045

October 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, 31, 9 am

Pierogi Days

Polish Combatants Branch No. 1 Head over to the Polish Combatants Branch No. 1 every Monday and Tuesday to buy perogies, cabbage rolls, vegan beet soup, and more. Pre-order, e-transfer.

807-345-1861

October 3–5, 10–12, 17–19, 24–26, 4:30 pm

After School Art Escapes Gallery 33

An after-school art program for students aged 5–17. Classes are once a week and separated by age group. Students will do a variety of projects from drawing, painting, and crafting. Fee for new students is $430 and for returning students is $395. facebook.com/gallery33.tbay

October 4, 2 pm

Babies & Brews

Red Lion Smokehouse Connect with other new moms and dads at Red Lion Smokehouse. Bring your little one and hang out with other new parents. Nursing is welcomed and both washrooms include changing facilities.

807-286-0045

October 4, 11, 18, 25, 7 pm

Name That Tune Sleeping Giant Brewing Co.

Get ready to put your music knowledge to the test every Wednesday night in Sleeping Giant’s taproom for Name That Tune. Compete to identify the catchiest tunes across all genres, and win great prizes and bragging rights as the ultimate music maestro of Thunder Bay!

facebook.com/ SleepingGiantBrewingCo

October 4, 7:30 pm

Cribbage Night

Red Lion Smokehouse Every Wednesday this fall, Red Lion Smokehouse is hosting drop-in cribbage at the pub. Come on your own or bring your best cribbageplaying pal to enjoy a Hoppy Hour discount on a bar snack (with the purchase of a large draught).

807-286-0045

October 4, 11, 18, & 25, 7:30 pm

Trivia Night The Foundry

October 4, 5, 7, 11, 12, 14, 18, 19, 21, 25, 26, 28

Northern Nature Trading Mary J.L. Black Library

Northern Nature Trading is a special kind of swap shop. Bring in items you’ve found in nature and trade them for things in their collection. Start times vary by date; please check online to confirm.

nnt@tbpl.ca

October 6, 8 pm

Sober Dance

Oliver Road Community Centre Enjoy an evening of feelgood songs from across the decades that’ll be sure to get you dancing. This is an 18+ event and tickets are $7.50 per person and can be paid via e-transfer to beautifulemma2012 @gmail.com.

807-767-8318

October 6, 6 pm

Witches Walk

Prince Arthur Hotel Community Centre The second annual Witches Walk, in support of Community Living Thunder Bay, will start at the Prince Arthur Hotel, where you will get your map before exploring the participating merchants in the waterfront district. When you’re done exploring, head back to the Prince Arthur for an evening of dancing, drinks, and entertainment. Tickets $25, available through Eventbrite. @gmail.com.

cltb.ca

Weekly trivia nights continue at The Foundry. There is a new topic each week, and there are fun, local prizes to be won. Registration starts at 7:30 pm, games start at 8 pm.

facebook.com/foundrytbay

Investing in the future of healthcare Learn more at tbaytel.net/NOSM

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The The Walleye Walleye

EVENTS GUIDE KEY General Art Food Sports Music Theatre Until October 7

35th Annual Regional Juried Exhibition, Canadian Contemporary 15, Hito Steyerl Film Definitely Superior Art Gallery

DefSup presents three new shows. The 35th Annual Regional Juried Exhibition, co-presented by Vox Popular Media Arts, features contemporary art by 45+ diverse regional artists, related to the theme of “Elucidate.” Canadian Contemporary 15 exhibition features 15 groundbreaking, influential visual art works by internationally critically acclaimed Canadian artists from the collection of Dr. Chaudhuri. Hito Steyerl’s How Not To Be Seen_A Fucking Didactic Educational. MOV File is an immersive contemporary 15-minute art film investigating the troubling effects of digital media and new technology. The gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday, noon–6 pm. Admission by donation, all ages, accessible.

definitelysuperior.com

October 7, 11 am

Gunflint Scramble Bearskin Lodge, Grand Marais, Minn.

Take a day trip across the border to participate in the first annual Gunflint Scramble, a 20-mile mountain bike race on Minnesota’s famed Gunflint Trail. Beautiful scenery, punishing climbs, and a friendly atmosphere await you. Register online.

gunflintscramble.com

October 7, 20, 28 8 pm

Ghost Walk Waverley Park

Join Lucky Paranormal on a paranormal ghost walk that blends local history, ghost stories, and our own paranormal encounters. With access to state-of-the-art paranormal equipment, you’ll have the chance to become a paranormal investigator. Tickets are $25 and available online.

luckyparanormal.com/ events

October 11 & 25, 6:30 pm & 8:30 pm

North of Superior Film Association SilverCity Thunder Bay Cinemas

The North of Superior Film Association continues its 2023–24 season with showings of The Miracle Club and The Quiet Girl. Films screen every second Wednesday at 6:30 and 8:30 pm. See this month’s Film and Theatre section for more info.

nosfa.org

October 7, 8:30 pm

October 12, 11 am

Atmos

Centennial Conservatory

Thunder Bay’s best comics perform completely improvised material based on randomly selected topics pulled from a hat. All audience members will be given the opportunity to write down topics when they arrive and dictate where the show will go. Tickets $10 and available online.

Experience the Centennial Botanical Conservatory immersed in live music and visual art and take advantage of the opportunity to see the new state-of-the-art growing houses with behind-thescenes-tours. Free to attend. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

807-625-2357

campfirecomedy.ca

October 12, 6 pm

Off The Cuff Comedy

October 7–13

Cadets Week Around town

Early October has been designated Cadets Week in Ontario, and this year, Thunder Bay is hosting the second annual festivities. See this month’s City Scene for more info.

canada.ca

Music, Arts, and Botanicals

Queer Coffee Nights Carlito’s Cafe

Join Thunder Pride for this month’s Queer Coffee Night at Carlito’s Cafe on Simpson Street.

facebook.com/ ThunderPride

October 12–14, 19–21

October 14, 21, 11 am

Until October 15

Until October 21

Alexander Henry Museum Ship

Toy Sense Library

Various Locations

Magnus Theatre

Haunted Harbour Join members of Rob MacLeod’s Capitol Players on a tour of the museum ship Alexander Henry. Proceeds go to support Our Kids Count. See this month’s City Scene section for more info.

facebook.com/ ourkidscountthunderbay

October 13

Radical Stitch

Thunder Bay Art Gallery Come enjoy a landmark exhibition that brings muchneeded critical attention to the breadth and impact of contemporary Indigenous beading, featuring works by artists from across North America, including Northwestern Ontario. Running until March 2024. See this month’s Cover Story for more info.

theag.ca

October 13, 1 pm

Bone Pickers Market

215 Red River Road Get in the Halloween spirit at the first annual Bone Pickers Market by Boreal Museum and Quirky Company. Come dressed in your costume for some bone-chilling fun at this Halloween-themed market.

facebook.com/ borealmuseum

October 13, 21, 30, 7–10 pm

Explore the Museum After Dark

Experienced paranormal investigators guide you through the historic Thunder Bay Museum, where you will learn about the history of the area, ghost stories, and paranormal experiences. Hosted by Lucky Paranormal. Tickets $35, available online.

luckyparanormal.com/ events

October 14, 8 am

Autumn Vendor Market

Heritage Building, CLE

Brio Play Days

Step into a world of creativity and exploration where your children can immerse themselves in the magic of Brio toys. The day will include plenty of immersive play, craft activities, and toy demonstrations.

Culture Days 2023

facebook.con/toysensetb

For three weeks, local groups, businesses, organizations, and individuals will be hosting a series of free (or pay-what-you-can) activities, performances, and demonstrations. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

October 14, noon

thunderbay.ca

EcoArt Day

Baggage Building Art Centre Come to the waterfront for an afternoon of collaborative art-making on themes of climate justice, sustainability, and working together for a greener future. Visit a variety of artist-led workshop stations at this free all-ages event.

culturedays.ca/en/events

October 14, 7 pm

The Macgillivray Pipe Band Scotch Tasting Slovak Legion

Whisky aficionados, mark your calendars for the return of The Macgillivray Pipe Band Scotch Tasting. There will be trivia (with prizes), a cash bar, and light refreshments. Tickets for non-tasters are $30; $80 for tasters. Tickets available online.

facebook.com/ themacgillivraypipeband

October 15, 1 pm

Book Launch: Making Up the Gods by Marion Agnew Entershine Bookshop

Join Entershine Bookshop, in partnership with the Laughing Fox Writers, for the launch of local author Marion Agnew’s debut novel Making Up the Gods. Author reading and Q&A session. Books will be available for purchase and/or signing. Financial assistance from The Canada Council for the Arts through The Writers’ Union of Canada.

807-343-9109

October 16, 19, 6–9 pm

Spirits in the Library

Brodie Resource Library Lucky Paranormal will host an immersive event with their paranormal experts and library staff as your guides, leading you through the historic Brodie Resource Library. Here, you’ll delve into the area’s intriguing history, ghostly tales, and firsthand accounts of mysterious phenomena. Tickets $35 and available online.

luckyparanormal.com/ events

October 18 – 21, 6:30 pm

Terror in the Bay Film Festival Paramount Theatre

Immerse yourself in the world of horror cinema, surrounded by fellow fans and industry professionals. Screenings of different horror films from around the world, from feature films to music videos. See this month’s Film and Theatre section for more info.

terrorinthebay.com

October 20, 21

Ooky Spooky 3: Halloween Drag Show Red Lion Smokehouse and Black Pirates Pub

Check out two nights of ooky, spooky, kooky, and creepy drag as TBay’s best scream queens and killer kings rise from the grave for the ultimate Halloween Spooktacular, October 20 at Red Lion Smokehouse, October 21 at Black Pirates Pub. See this month’s Film and Theatre section for more info

Meet My Sister Magnus Theatre’s 2023–24 season kicks off with the comedy Meet My Sister, a funny and touching homecoming story that features two sisters who are stranded on the porch of their family home by their mother. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

magnustheatre.com

October 21, 8 am

VendorFest Not Quite Halloween Market Heritage Building, CLE Community Centre

CVendorFest will host over 60 local vendors from artists to crafters to woodworkers to bakers and more. Hot Diggety Dog will be on site so you can enjoy lunch while you shop. Free admission.

nayome11@gmail.com

October 21, noon

Spooky Season Market Marina Park

Shop Local TBay invites you to come celebrate an early Halloween in support of Our Kids Count. Come dressed in costume to be entered in a draw. This event will feature carnival games, a bouncy castle, food trucks, and vendors.

facebook.com/ shoplocaltbay

October 21 & 22, noon

Autumn Fest Psychic Fair Airlane Hotel

The Mystic Veil Psychics will be hosting a psychic fair which will include card and tea leaf readings. All readings are $60.

facebook.com/ mysticveilpsychics

October 24, 7:30 pm

Thunder Bay Museum Lecture Series

The Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society is hosting a free public lecture series. This October, you can attend Beverly Soloway’s lecture “The Fur Traders’ Table: A ‘Bill of Fare’ from 18th Century Rupert’s Land.” This lecture will also be recorded and broadcast live on Zoom. Pre-registration is available online.

thunderbaymuseum.com/ events

October 22, 7:30 pm

The Vampire Circus

Thunder Bay Community Auditorium Heralded as a mix of circus cabaret and theatre, The Vampire Circus is a cuttingedge production guaranteed to amaze the senses. Enjoy a phenomenal night of live entertainment, based on the multidisciplinary skills of international performers showcasing theatre, dance, and gymnastics. Tickets available online.

tbca.com

October 27, 6 pm

The Eras: Swiftie Night Lakeside Studio

Dress in your best “Eras” outfit and create special projects for your favourite Taylor Swift era. While enjoying Taylor’s set-list for The Eras Tour, each participant will make a piece of their own pottery from scratch and a jewelry project of their choosing. Tickets $65 and include both projects, and one drink from the special event drinks menu.

lakesidepotterystudio.com/ workshops

October 28, 9 pm–2 am

The Hunger 16 Various Locations

If it’s Halloween, it must be The Hunger! Enter the 16th edition of the largest, wildest music and performance spectacle you’ll ever experience in one night! This DefSup fundraiser is a massive, downtown-wide Halloween festival event, and one cover price of $20 gets you into all nine venues: The Foundry, Black Pirates Pub, The Sovereign Room, Norteños Cantina (new), Paramount Theatre (two levels), Red Lion Smokehouse, Atmos, and Port Arthur Legion Branch 5. Featuring 58 performance acts, including 42 bands/DJs, fabulous specialty performers, and thousands in Halloween costume contest prizes at all locations. 19+/ID required. Pay at any of the nine doors at the event (cash only), and receive multi-pass wristband, and schedule program (also pre-posted).

definitelysuperior.com

October 29, 8 pm

Arts & Craft Beer: Pumpkin Carving Red Lion Smokehouse

Head chef John Murray will be leading a pumpkin carving class. Tickets are $25 (available through Eventbrite) and include a pint of local craft beer or a small wine and a pumpkin to carve. Friendly reminder that the kitchen will be closed for this event, so come early if you plan on grabbing a bite to eat first.

807-286-0045 October 31, 2 pm

Dagwoods Slightly Batty Halloween Dagwoods Bakery and Deli

A nine-hole tournament designed to give you a fun day out of the office and a chance for some great networking. Lunch, cocktail reception, dinner, and golf with a cart included.

facebook.com/ dagwoodsbakery

@wigginsproductions

Shop Local TBay invites you to their annual autumn market. This year’s market will feature over 70 vendors. Admission is free.

facebook.com/ shoplocaltbay

The The Walleye Walleye

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OctoberMusicGuide OCT 1

Open Mic Night Norteños Cantina

7:30 pm / No Cover / 19+

Open Jam

Branch 5 Legion 8 pm / No Cover / AA

Kaonashi w/ Street Justice + VHS Black Pirates Pub 8 pm / $15 / 19+

Blood Red Moon

Open Mic Night

Open Jam

9 pm / $5 / 19+

7 pm / No Cover / AA

8 pm / No Cover / AA

Norteños Cantina

Rocktober (Night 1) ft V3nom + DJ Syren Black Pirates Pub 9 pm / $10 / 19+

No Mana Atmos

9:30 pm / $20-30 / 19+

Karaoke The Social

OCT 2

Bonnie Raitt

Thunder Bay Community Auditorium 7:30 pm / $75+ / AA

Open Mic Night Howl at the Moon

8 pm / No Cover / 19+

9:30 pm / No Cover / 19+

The Well Hungarians The Foundry

10 pm • $5 • 19+

OCT 7

Oktoberfest ft. Quest

Branch 5 Legion

OCT 3

Karaoke

The Foundry 10 pm / No Cover / 19+

OCT 4

Margaritaville Acoustic Night Norteños Cantina

6:30 pm / No Cover / 19+

Danny Johnson’s Piano Bar Shooter’s Tavern

8 pm / No Cover / 19+

OCT 5

5 pm / $20-$25 / 19+

Karaoke

The Westfort Proz 7 pm / No Cover / 19+

Karaoke

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

Rocktober (Night 2) ft V3nom + DJ Syren Black Pirates Pub 9 pm / $10 / 19+

Wax Philosophic Norteños Cantina 9 pm / $5 / 19+

Karaoke

Branch 5 Legion

The Social

7 pm / No Cover / 19+

9:30 pm / No Cover / 19+

Saturday Night Remix ft DJ Mo

Open Mic Night

Lakehead Beer Company 7 pm / No Cover / AA

NV Music Hall

10 pm / $10 / 19+

Celtic Night ft TBay Trad

OCT 8

7:30 pm / No Cover / 19+

Norteños Cantina

Red Lion Smokehouse

Karaoke with Jesse Horricks

Polish Hall Branch #1 8 pm / No Cover / 19+

Karaoke

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

Open Decks Atmos

8 pm / No Cover / 19+

Karaoke

Norteños Cantina 9 pm / No Cover / 19+

OCT 6

Jazz & Old Fashioned Fridays with Mood Indigo Anchor & Ore

6 pm • No Cover • AA

An Evening with Daylin James Da Vinci Centre

6:30 pm / $30-50 / AA

Punks ‘n’ Pancakes Cinema 5 Skatepark 7:30 pm / $15-20 / AA

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The The Walleye Walleye

Open Mic Night 7:30 pm / No Cover / 19+

Open Jam

Branch 5 Legion 8 pm / No Cover / AA

OCT 9

Open Mic Night Howl at the Moon

8 pm / No Cover / 19+

OCT 10

Karaoke

The Foundry 10 pm / No Cover / 19+

OCT 11

Margaritaville Acoustic Night Norteños Cantina

Lakehead Beer Company

Karaoke with Jesse Horricks

Polish Hall Branch #1 8 pm / No Cover / 19+

Karaoke

Howl at the Moon

Son Hound Album Fundraiser

Karaoke

OCT 16

9 pm / $10 / 19+

Open Decks

Howl at the Moon

The Social

Branch 5 Legion

Open Mic Night

Karaoke

8 pm / No Cover / 19+

9:30 pm / No Cover / 19+

OCT 17

Atmos

10 pm / No Cover / 19+

8 pm / No Cover / 19+

OCT 18

2 pm / $13–$25 / AA

Open Decks Karaoke

Norteños Cantina 9 pm / No Cover / 19+

OCT 13

Jazz & Old Fashioned Fridays with Mood Indigo Anchor & Ore

6 pm • No Cover • AA

TBSO Masterworks: Opening Night, Music for a Celebration Thunder Bay Community Auditorium 7:30 pm / $50+ / AA

Afro-Latin Red & Black Party (RFDA Fundraiser) The Industry

9 pm / $5+ / 19+

Killer’s Friday the 13th Horror Show Black Pirates Pub 9 pm / $10 / 19+

Karaoke The Social

9:30 pm / No Cover / 19+

OCT 14

Karaoke

The Westfort Proz 7 pm / No Cover / 19+

SGFMS Presents: Sultans of String

Bora Laskin Auditorium (LU Campus) 8 pm / $40+ / AA

Karaoke

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

Cartwrights w/ Reckless Abandon + more Black Pirates Pub 9 pm / $10 / 19+

Latin Dance Night Norteños Cantina 9 pm / $5 / 19+

Karaoke The Social

Karaoke

The Foundry

Margaritaville Acoustic Night Norteños Cantina

6:30 pm / No Cover / 19+

Robbie G & Brandon Hart Atmos

7 pm / $25–$50 / 19+

Danny Johnson’s Piano Bar Shooter’s Tavern

8 pm / No Cover / 19+

OCT 19

Karaoke

Branch 5 Legion 7 pm / No Cover / 19+

Open Mic Night

Lakehead Beer Company 7 pm / No Cover / AA

Tommy Horricks

Branch 5 Legion 6 pm • No Cover • AA

OCT 15

Open Mic Night Norteños Cantina

7:30 pm / No Cover / 19+

Karaoke

Norteños Cantina 9 pm / No Cover / 19+

OCT 27

Jazz & Old Fashioned Fridays with Mood Indigo Anchor & Ore

6 pm / No Cover / AA

Karaoke

Heavy Metal Halloween Bash

8 pm / No Cover / 19+

9 pm / $10 / 19+

7 pm / No Cover / 19+

Howl at the Moon

The Honest Heart Collective Rock Revival Norteños Cantina 9 pm / $5 / 19+

Karaoke The Social

9:30 pm / No Cover / 19+

Blues Shakedown Da Vinci Centre

9:30 pm / $50–$65 / 19+

Saturday Night Remix ft DJ Mo NV Music Hall

Black Pirates Pub

V3nom

Norteños Cantina 9 pm / $5 / 19+

Karaoke The Social

9:30 pm / No Cover / 19

OCT 28

Karaoke

The Westfort Proz 7 pm / No Cover / 19+

TBSO Pops: Time Warp, The Music of Rocky Horror Thunder Bay Community Auditorium

Karaoke

7:30 pm / No Cover / 19+

8 pm / No Cover / 19+

Branch 5 Legion

The Social

Red Lion Smokehouse 7:30 pm / No Cover / 19+

Karaoke

Howl at the Moon

OCT 22

Norteños Cantina

Howl at the Moon

Karaoke

8 pm / No Cover / AA

9:30 pm / No Cover / 19+

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Music

LU RADIO’S MONTHLY TOP 1 Jessy Lanza*

8 Boy Golden*

Hyperdub

Six Shooter

Love Hallucination

For Jimmy

9 Osees

Intercepted Message

In the Red

17 Bully

Lucky For You

Sub Pop

18 The Armed

Perfect Saviors

Sargent House

10 Beverly

Salt

The Drip

Self-Released

24 JayWood*

Grow On EP

Royal Mountain/ Captured Tracks

26 Various*

11 Turnstile &

3 Half Moon Run

23 Rubim de Toledo*

Self-Released

Transgressive

Real Kind/Arts & Crafts

Keep it locked on 102.7 FM, online streaming at luradio.ca.

Pearl

The Ones Ahead

I’d Be Lying If I Said I Didn’t Care

* indicates Canadian artist. Chart ranking reflects airplay for the week ending Tuesday, September 12th, 2023.

25 Bobby Bazini*

Glenn-Copeland*

2 Hannah Georgas*

Music

CILU 102.7 FM - Thunder Bay

We Are Time Mix Vol. 1

BADBADNOTGOOD*

We Are Time

New Heart Designs EP

Roadrunner

12 La Sécurité* Stay Safe!

Mothland

BMG

4 Mother Tongues*

19 ANOHNI and the Johnsons

My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross

Secretly Canadian

Love In a Vicious Way

20 Ora Cogan*

Wavy Haze

Formless

5 Haviah Mighty*

Self-Released

27 Slow Leaves*

Mighty Gang Inc.

21 Sargeant X

Birthday Cake

Crying Crystals

Comrade*

6 TEKE::TEKE* Hagata

Kill Rock Stars

7 Islands*

And That’s Why Dolphins Lost Their Legs

Self-Released

13 YOCTO*

Zepta Supernova

Duprince

14 Slowdive

everything is alive

Dead Oceans

15 Dizzy* Dizzy

Lo Fi Future

Mo Gravy

22 Rae Spoon

Not Dead Yet

Coax

Meantime

28 Computerwife Computerwife

Danger Collective

29 The Gertrudes*

Just to Please You

Outside Music

30 Shane Ghostkeeper* Songs For My People

Victory Pool

Royal Mountain

16 Tabi Yosha* True Colors

Bonsound

Courtesy earshot-online.com

The The Walleye Walleye

5 95

Advertising Feature

Better Together, Locally and Globally Hosting students can benefit families and build stronger communities in Thunder Bay

Since 2008, Harmony Homestay has been working with school districts to connect bright students from all around the world with warm, safe, and compassionate host families. Rather than live in a dorm or try to find housing on their own, an international student gets to live in a house with a local family while studying abroad. We know this makes for better outcomes for the student, as they get to learn a new language, discover a new culture, and gain life-long experiences. But what is surprising for the family, is how much they enjoy the experience too—learning from the student as much as they learn from you.

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A host family opens their home and heart to an international student coming from abroad. Host families are made up of all different backgrounds, including: • Single- or double -parent homes • Couples

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Students come from many different countries including Germany, Spain, Italy, Mexico, and Brazil for high school or university programs. They can come for as short as one week or stay multiple years.

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The first step is to fill out an application form at harmonyhomestay. com/host-families. Families are then contacted about potential student matches, and they can indicate if they think an opportunity is a good match for them. Next, they can

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expect a home visit from Harmony staff to meet in person. Once everything is approved, the family can then meet the student online before arrival to start getting to know each other. When a student arrives, they will need orientation to the home and the area.

Students get opportunities to participate in activities with their school and community programs. Harmony Homestay also provides opportunities for students and host families to connect with each other. Shared experiences bring people together so these activities are a great way to get to know others in your community. Through Harmony Homestay we’ve found that when we open our hearts and homes to others, we can learn so much more about ourselves and become stronger as a community, together. Scan the QR code here to start your application now!

TattooedYou

 Zaroski’s knuckle tattoos, including her Friday the 13th-inspired ink featuring Jason Voorhees’s face mask

A Halloween Collection

D TATTOOE YOU  Horror and Halloween aficionado Steph Zaroski

Story and photos by Leah Morningstar Tattoo by James Jameserson at Creation Body Piercing

or as far back as she can remember, Steph Zaroski has loved all things spooky and all things related to Halloween. She loves chilly fall weather, getting dressed up in costumes, pumpkin spice, and all the classic monsters like skeletons, ghosts, Frankenstein’s monster, and Dracula. Zaroski’s love of all things Halloween is only rivalled by her love of gore and horror movies. Zaroski remembers being very young, maybe five years old, when her aunt gave her a monster-themed colouring book. “It really made me curious about other ‘scary’ things,” she says. “And I definitely rented all the scary movies years before I should have.” There was a period of time in the 80s where a kid could pretty much rent anything they wanted, no parental permission needed. Zaroski remembers watching The Thing and Hellraiser around age seven, when she was way too young. But that didn’t deter her; she was hooked. Zaroski watched everything she could get her hands on. She was a fully formed horror buff by high school. It’s been about 20 years since high school now, and Zaroski’s favourite movie franchise was, and still is, the Friday the 13th series. “It’s just such

a classic,” she says. “And the Jason [Voorhees] character and his mask are iconic. The kills are great, the music is great, and it’s the quintessential campy horror movie.” As you can see from the pictures, Zaroski’s love of horror and Halloween are illustrated in an expansive tattoo collection. Her first tattoo at age 18 was a vampire face mask. It has since been covered up, and Zaroski’s ink collection has continued to grow. She added this little Jason face mask tattoo on her knuckle about a decade ago. She had it done at Creation Body Piercing by the artist James Jameserson. It’s one of her smallest bits of ink, but it’s important. It represents her love for Friday the 13th as well as the entire horror genre. The Jason-mask knuckle tat is a great starting point on the tour of Zaroski’s Halloween-themed ink. You can see the creature from the black lagoon, a burning candle on a skull, a simple black cat and pumpkin design, the Beetlejuice character, Pee Wee Herman’s bicycle, and much more. And while these few photos barely begin to scratch the surface, it’s quite likely that Zaroski will keep adding to the collection for years to come. Once a Halloween and horror fan, always a Halloween and horror fan.

Several of Zaroski’s other horror-themed tattoos

The Walleye

Thunder Bay’s Emergency Food Plan

Green

By Sarah Siska, Coordinator, Thunder Bay + Area Food Strategy

o you ever think about emergency food planning? For many, emergency food planning means stockpiling cans, bottles of water, and other non-perishables to feed their immediate family. But we can’t separate personal food access from the many relationships that bring food from the fields and watersheds to our tables. As shown in the Thunder Bay + Area Food Strategy’s (TBAFS) 2023 Community Food System Report Card, food travels an average of 3,500 kilometres to get to Thunder Bay. We have a robust group of local food providers and many avid gardeners, but if an emergency strikes, we are dependent on bringing food in from elsewhere. Our individual ability to ensure our households have food depends on the larger infrastructure

that gets food to us. Community food access requires a strong community. From the household to the national level, the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated how ill-prepared we were to address disruptions to community food access. While the

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federal government is working on a Canada-wide emergency food plan, committed local food organizations here in Thunder Bay began to think about this early in the pandemic. In 2020, TBAFS, in partnership with the city’s Community Safety & Well-Being Council, convened the Food Access Coalition, a network of service-providing agencies that came together to ensure people throughout the community had enough to eat. Building on this initiative, along with TBAFS research on the local emergency food response in relation to vulnerable populations, came the Emergency Food Plan (EFP), a public strategy complementing the City of Thunder Bay’s Municipal Emergency Plan. When activated, this plan brings together food banks, meal service providers, food distributors, and social service agencies to coordinate shipments of food to neighbourhood hubs and food banks for both food hampers and meal service. Our primary partners connect us to diverse communities in need, ensuring barrier-free food is available to everyone in times of crisis. Courtney Strutt, the TBAFS’s Emergency Food Plan Coordinator, noted that “the EFP is an important addition to our city’s emergency planning because it promotes collaboration and communication between key organizations that make up Thunder Bay’s all-the-time food access infrastructure, meaning that in an emergency, our community is better able to make sure anyone who needs food has dignified access.”

Having a plan in place is the first step, but there is still work to be done. While the EFP is meant to respond to food access challenges resulting from emergency events, it does not address ongoing food access issues. Many in our community, particularly vulnerable populations, have been experiencing very high rates of food insecurity for a long time. The EFP provides a framework for us to respond swiftly to emergencies, but addressing the ongoing crisis of chronic food insecurity requires continuous support to our regional food producers, food access organizations, and anti-poverty advocates. And if the EFP is activated, we will need more than just the primary partners to get involved. If you think that your organization should be connected to this work, please let us know. Individuals can also sign up for the TBAFS newsletter and become a network member to help build a more equitable and sustainable food system today and into the future. We will be officially launching the EFP in November 2023—stay tuned! Visit tbfoodstrategy.com/tag/ emergencyfood to access the background report: Learning from Emergency Food Response During COVID-19 in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Subscribe to the TBAFS newsletter and become a network member to stay up to date about the public launch of the EFP.

The Walleye

Green

Greener Closets for People and the Planet

Lewk

By Denise Smith, ReThinking Waste Coordinator, EcoSuperior

ith autumn in full swing, fall fashions have hit the racks and the online retailers. We might have a full closet already, but stylish and affordable clothes are just a tempting click away. Snapping up new trends these days may be quick and easy, but what does that mean for people and the planet? Fast fashion is cheaply made clothing that moves quickly from trend to trend. Before the 1990s, people purchased fewer clothes less often, and most were made in North America. Clothes were more expensive, but they were of higher quality and made to last. Since then, clothing has become less about necessity and more about consuming the latest styles. We now buy five times as much clothing and on average wear it less than a dozen times before discarding it. Fast fashion may be cheap, but it comes at a high price. To keep prices low, retailers outsource

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to garment factories located in developing countries, with lax environmental and labour laws that fail to protect the land, water, and workers. Clothing production contributes to 10% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. Toxic dyes and textile fibres dumped into waterways make the fast fashion industry one of the largest polluters of clean water globally. Each time we wash them, low-quality clothes shed plastic microfibres into our water, which is consumed by wildlife and ourselves. Fast fashion has resulted in clothes that have become so cheap they are nearly worthless. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in 2018 the world produced more than 17 million tons of textiles, while also dumping 11.3 million tons in landfills. We can break free of the fast fashion cycle. Shop sustainably and economically by thrifting, sharing, and swapping clothes. Extend the life of your wardrobe by learning

how to repair rips and replace buttons, or by bringing items to a tailor or cobbler. Attend repair workshops happening around town or watch online tutorials if you need help learning how to get started. When buying new, focus on well-made clothes and timeless designs that will last for years to come. If it’s within budget, purchasing from companies that are known for their environmental awareness and who use sustainable fabrics such as wool, organic hemp, cotton, and linen is a step in the right direction. Creating a sustainable and ethical wardrobe is made of small actions, and each step towards greening our closet builds us a healthy future for people and the planet.

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102WalleyeJuneMagazine9x11May9.indd The Walleye 1

2023-05-09 11:36 AM

Green

Spring Bulb P FAQs By Hedy Koski

lant your spring bulbs this month—come springtime, you’ll be glad that you did. Seeing those spring blossoms after such a long, snowy, cold winter is exciting. Tulips, daffodils, crocus, grape hyacinths, allium, and more are quite simple to plant and grow. Let’s go over some FAQs.

How deep do you plant spring bulbs?

First and foremost, follow the package recommendations. A general rule of thumb is three times the size of the bulb—an exact measurement is not crucial. Don’t forget to mix a little bonemeal in that hole.

How do you tell the top from the bottom?

Most bulbs have a pointy tip that indicates the top of the bulb, but if that is not evident and you are unsure, plant the bulb sideways, and it will find its way up.

What does naturalizing mean?

Naturalizing simply refers to planting the bulbs in a way that allows them to spread and multiply with a natural look (no perfect rows). Those bulbs can be left in the ground to multiply and come up and flower year after year with minimal maintenance.

How far apart do I plant the bulbs? • Daffodil:10 inches • Grape hyacinth and crocus: 3 inches • Tulip: 4 inches • Allium: 6 inches.

Planting in groups has a more visual impact than one here and one over there.

How can I prevent squirrels from digging them up?

This one is hard, they tend to dig them up because the soil is loose after planting. Here are a couple of tricks. When planting, try not to have any bulb scent or skins around where you planted, because this will surely tell the squirrels where the bulbs are. Place chicken wire over the planted area; those leaves will poke through or you can remove the wire in the spring if you wish.

Should I worry about frost when I see them emerging in the spring?

I wouldn’t worry at all— spring bulbs can handle frost and snowfall. Even if slight leaf damage occurs, the flowers will pop up soon unscathed.

After they bloom, what do I do?

Like many flowers, seeds form after they flower. It takes all the energy from the bulb to produce those seeds. For it to bloom next year, remove the tips where the seeds are forming so the bulb’s energy is not depleted. Don’t cut your leaves off when they are green. Those leaves feed that bulb through photosynthesis. Let them yellow and die before removing them—it just takes a light tug when the leaves are ready to be removed.

Are there any spring bulb flowers the deer won’t devour?

Unfortunately, deer will eat almost anything, especially in the spring when there is a limited food supply out there. But I have found alliums, daffodils, and grape hyacinths are untouched by the deer near me. Crocuses were nibbled on a bit, and most of the tulips were chewed to the ground. I have been experimenting with human hair wrapped around some of my tulips. I have to admit, they didn’t touch the tulips with hair on them, but I can’t 100% confirm this trick yet. It’s worth a try if you have deer in your yard (start saving hair from your hairbrush).

ET LET’S G G IN W O GR EDY WITH H

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Health

Tommy Milestone Horricks Proudly Presents

“In My 80’s Still Love The Ladies”

With Special Guests

The Sensational Hotrods!

Chris Krienke Olivia Korkola Pretty Ugly

Clay Breiland Andy Wolff Jess Horricks

Door Prize Diamond Ring courtesy of Marv Chony Jewellers Thunder Bay Community Auditorium Book Tickets: www.tbca.com or www.ticketmaster.ca Ticket Price subject to Ticketmaster Processing In Person: Wednesday 12:30 - 5pm

Let’s Make Lactation and Work, Work

By Lindsay Watt, Health Promotion Planner, Thunder Bay District Health Unit

appy National Breastfeeding Week! From October 1 to 7 of each year, Canada celebrates National Breastfeeding Week to raise awareness about the importance of promoting, supporting, and protecting breastfeeding. This year’s theme is breastfeeding and employment. Let’s make lactation and work, work! Please note that the terms breastmilk, breastfeed, and breastfeeding are also known as chestmilk, chestfeed, and chestfeeding, respectively, and can be used interchangeably. Did you know that the Public Health Agency of Canada, World Health Organization, and Thunder Bay District Health

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Unit recommend exclusively breastfeeding your baby from birth to six months old? Then to continue to provide human milk until the age of two or beyond with appropriate complementary feeding? More people are working while they are lactating. Under the Ontario Human Rights Commission, breastfeeding workers are protected from discrimination. This means that employers should accommodate their staff’s breastfeeding/chestfeeding needs, in a discrimination-free environment. There are several ways that lactating employees can be better supported in the workplace. For instance,

workplaces can have a dedicated breastfeeding room for employees. This can even happen if the workplace is smaller by adapting and sharing a first aid room. Basic features of this room should include, but are not limited to, comfortable seating, tables and counters, blinds, and a sink with cold and hot water features. Please note that bathrooms are not appropriate for individuals to use for their lactation needs. Workplaces can further accommodate breastfeeding/ chestfeeding by offering additional breaks, flex time, support working from home if possible, offer resources, and provide formal lactation policies to accommodate worker and

baby. If you or someone you know is planning on expressing milk or breastfeeding/ chestfeeding at work, we encourage workers to ask their employers about workplace policies, expectations, and reasonable accommodations. Supporting lactating workers isn’t just beneficial to the employees, it can also benefit the workplace. Such benefits may include lower rates of missing work due to a child being sick (babies who are provided human milk have a higher immunity, due to the milk containing white blood cells and antibodies that help fight and prevent infection), higher productivity due to loyalty and peace of mind, and increased

public relations. Breastfeeding/ chestfeeding is easier when everyone, especially employers, steps up and supports their employee’s lactation goals. Please visit ohrc.on.ca/ en/policy-preventingdiscriminationbecause-pregnancyand-breastfeeding for more breastfeeding/ chestfeeding rights in Ontario. For information on breastfeeding/ chestfeeding or lactation, please visit tbdhu.com/lactation or call 807-625-8827 to book a lactation appointment.

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TheWall

The Meta Narrative and the Better Story to Come Editorial and photo by Jon Thompson

e’re really on our own now. When Meta blocked news on Facebook in Canada this summer in response to the new Online News Act, the media companies that shaped our conversations were banished from the lawless plane that replaced them in the public square. The de-platforming treatment tech companies had previously reserved for conspiracists was applied to the mediums that have defined how we know what we think we know about what’s going on, for as long as anyone alive can remember. How concerned we once were about misinformation, radicalization, and disengagement suddenly feels very quaint. The bludgeoned media

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business model is struggling in exile, but we should seek solace in what we know for sure: storytelling is invincible. Every culture, everywhere, for all time, has defined itself through story. As writer Thomas King said in his 2003 Massey Lecture: “Stories are all we are.” Like many of our favourite quotes, context disintegrates with age. What King said next was “you have to be careful with the stories you tell. And you have to watch out for the stories that you are told.” Meta’s news ban won’t help Canadians do that, but it will help usher in the reckoning that’s coming for storytelling, itself. Facebook’s best days are behind us. The stories we’ve told and the stories we’ve been told became one story over the years while social media

influenced storytelling as much as newspapers, radio, or television did in their golden ages.That story is about each of us being entitled to a truth that’s grounded in self-interest. The medium’s message is manifesting one’s best self, for applause. It was bound to collide with edited and factchecked journalism because it’s inspired by the nemesis of news: public relations. Facebook’s ethic reflects its time. There are now 17 public relations officers in Canada for every journalist. It’s like one player staring down an entire football team. We could forgive the audience for not getting what game we’re playing anymore, never mind getting behind it. This spectre of public relations might kill the news industry, but public relations will

never win, because it can’t tell compelling stories. Compelling stories have flawed characters who encounter obstacles and their choices reveal honest, relatable moments that call for growth. Public relations promotes unimpeachable heroes. It needs its audience to believe the client’s private success is in everyone’s interest. The only way to do that without controversy is to obscure their true aims and what they actually do to achieve their goals. It’s fun to applaud success from the sidelines. Facebook got complicated as mistrust set in over not being privy to the process of powerful actors and acquaintances alike, along the scrolling parade route these platforms grotesquely call “feed.” Cynicism becoming fashionable was inevitable.

With journalism in retreat, our awareness of the disinformation threat hasn’t prompted another consensus model to trust. We can’t be careful with the stories we tell or watch out for the stories we’re told on our own, or by submitting to the passive role literally known as “followers.” This is cult mentality. It’s dark ages stuff. It’s unsustainable how we can’t talk about our time because our self-interested truths don’t add up to a respectfully agreeable shared reality. What we share is a paralyzing fear of change. Fear has made popular culture so dependent on romantic visions of the past that it’s juicing nostalgia through every pore, from endless cinematic reboots through modernized moral lenses, to historical fiction dominating literature prizes for explaining the present through reimagining yesteryear. Our attention is lingering on artists and musicians who defined bygone cultural moments. We’re clinging to the old stories, while agreeing that those stories no longer reflect the world we experience, or inspire us to make the changes we need. It’s the kind of pressure under which diamonds are formed. The better story will begin when we accept that we can’t stay where we are and we can’t go back. We’ll need to be honest about our process, because stories need trust. We’ll need to be brave, because stories need our perspectives. We’ll also need to be humble, because none of us has the whole story and context makes some stories matter more. We all know good stories don’t inspire hero worship or brand loyalty, they inspire the fleeting feeling that we aren’t alone in the world; that someone else witnesses what we suspect is real; that we’re always one puzzle piece short of seeing a new picture. Good stories bring out the best in us. Because story is what we are, together. We aren’t really on our own. We have each other, and better stories to come.

Advertising Feature

October Behind the Business Feature

Alex Hume, Metalsmith and Owner, North Star Silver

Meet Alex Hume, owner and metalsmith behind North Star Silver. Alex is a former forest technician who spent a decade working in remote northern landscapes from Ontario to B.C. Alex made the leap to entrepreneurship after giving birth to her second daughter Emily in 2018. She continues to hone her craft with dedication and passion and is grateful for the inspiration the North Shore provides in her practice as a jewelry artist. North Star Silver grew from a passion for the tactile craft of metalsmithing and a deep appreciation of the beauty of creation. Symbolism and tributes to the natural world infuse the jewelry designs, which are handcrafted from scratch using ancient techniques, working with recycled precious metals and sustainably sourced stones. A community of dedicated collectors who value ethically handcrafted jewelry has developed as the business has grown since 2020. Check out North Star Silver on Instagram @northstarsilver, and northstarsilverco.com.

Q & A with Alex

What drew you to entrepreneurship? I was drawn to entrepreneurship for the freedom and autonomy it provides, and the creativity it requires. With two small kids who I’m devoted to supporting, I wanted to carve out a living doing something I’m passionate about and that feeds my creativity and need for challenge, while also maintaining the ability to work around the needs of my

family. Entrepreneurship in the creative arts has been a great opportunity to do so. What inspired you to launch your business? I began North Star Silver during a big transition in my life. I had spent a decade working seasonally in forestry as a technician. We would pack up for 10 days in the bush with four days off in between shifts from April to November. I loved it but I couldn’t continue with it once my husband and I found out we were expecting a baby. For the first few years of being a mother, I dabbled in teaching and consulting within the natural resources sector while also exploring jewelry as a creative outlet. Over time, my jewelry started gaining traction online and at local markets, and I decided to take the leap and go all in. I’ve never looked back—I feel grateful every day to be able to do something I love. Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently when you were first starting out? A lesson I’m still learning is finding adequate support. For example, connecting with people who can offer skills that differ from your own to support your business goals is essential. It frees up your time and energy to focus on what you’re best at. The mental load with entrepreneurship can be a lot, so getting organized is also helpful—utilize planning tools, software, etc. to streamline and organize your goals, deliverables, bookkeeping records,

and so on. I have just begun doing these things recently and I would have started much earlier, knowing what I know now. It can be scary to make the financial investment in outsourcing and streamlining, but it’s worth it! What advice would you give to someone who Is trying to become an entrepreneur? Entrepreneurship isn’t for the faint of heart! A hearty dose of passion for the work you are pursuing is an absolutely necessary prerequisite. Get clear on who you are and what your core values are, and then build those elements into your business. This will help you remain motivated during the inevitable highs and lows and will also help your ideal community find you—what you are offering will resonate with them because it aligns with their own values. What are you working on now? I have a lot of exciting projects in the works! Some are still in the dream phase and others are being executed in real time. My main focus right now is creating one-ofa-kind jewelry pieces to offer as we head into the holiday season. I’ve also been working for a while now at bringing fine jewelry into my catalogue, honing my goldsmithing and stone-setting skills and developing relationships with miners and stonecutters who work with precious stones. I hope to launch a

dedicated line of ethically sourced, handcrafted, fine jewelry in 2024. Over the longer term, I’m working on acquiring lapidary equipment that will allow me to cut and polish my own stones in-house. This is in large part motivated by a desire to work with local amethyst in my jewelry designs. Thunder Bay amethyst tends to be paler with a lot of inclusions, while the traditional jewelry market tends to favour dark amethyst with little inclusions. Times are changing and these days more people value jewelry that focuses on sustainable, socially responsible sourcing and a small footprint from mine to market. I’m really excited to bring Thunder Bay amethyst to this shifting market. Is there anyone you would like to thank? I am so grateful to my wonderful husband Brendan! He has been so supportive in my goals to develop my business. We share a passion for creating a family culture of togetherness, acceptance, and compassion. Without that as my daily foundation, I wouldn’t have the peace of mind needed to focus on my work and my business goals, and to be creative. I’m also so grateful to the land—the North Shore is such an exceptionally beautiful place. There is no end to the inspiration that provides, which is fundamental to my work. The changing landscape brings so much beauty in every season.

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OctoberHoroscopes

Aries

(March 21– April 19) Your career is on an upward trajectory this month, Aries. Like a pumpkin vine reaching for the sun, your ambition will grow stronger. New opportunities for work will be ripe for the picking, so don't be afraid to take a leap of faith. Your financial situation is also looking promising, but remember to budget wisely. Those fall shopping sprees can add up! Enjoy the fall colours around the area with the famjam.

Taurus

(April 20–May 20) The full moon in your sign on the 28th brings in the energy of a whole pile of income streams coming your way. Like a fine wine, your skills have matured, and it’s time to savour the fruits of your labour. Collaborations and business ventures will be particularly successful this month. On the financial front, invest wisely; your intuition is your best guide. Be thankful this month—your blessings are many.

Gemini

(May 21–June 20) The veil between the worlds is thinning, and Twins may find themselves on the receiving end of some pretty special synchronicities. As Samhain approaches, you may feel a sense of unease and restlessness. You may find yourself drawn to the darker side of life, seeking answers to questions that have long been buried. But be warned, for the answers you seek may not be what you expect. The spirits are restless, and they may have a message for you. Listen carefully, for their whispers may hold the key to unlocking the secrets of your soul.

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By Sunny Disposish

Cancer

(June 21–July 22) As the full moon approaches at month’s end, you may feel a sense of anticipation and excitement building within you. Enjoy being surrounded by family and friends, whiling away the warmth and comfort of home. And what would Thanksgiving be without turkey and stuffing? You may find yourself drawn to the kitchen this month, experimenting with new recipes and flavours. Don’t be afraid to get creative, dear Crab. Your culinary skills are sure to impress. Remember to take time for yourself this month, too. As the days grow shorter and the nights grow longer, it’s important to nurture your body and soul.

Leo

(July 23– August 22) The spirits are restless, dear Leo. As the veil between the worlds grows thin, you may find yourself feeling more sensitive and intuitive than usual. You may sense a presence in the room, or catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of your eye. Don’t be afraid, for these are merely the ghosts and goblins of Halloween come to visit. Pay a visit to a local metaphysical shop and really tune in. Obtain a special journal and record all the thoughts, nudges, and whispers. You may be onto something.

Virgo

(August 23–

September 22) The autumnal equinox serves as a powerful reminder of the cyclical nature of life, Virgo. Take time to reflect

on your spiritual journey. Meditate under the rustling leaves, and allow the wisdom of the season to guide your inner growth. Consider exploring new spiritual practices or attending workshops to expand your horizons. Connect with your inner witch and dust off that old tarot deck. Even better, grab a pumpkin spice latte and indulge in a reading! You may be surprised at the results.

Libra

(September 23– October 22) Happy birthday month, Librans! As you indulge in the birthday/Thanksgiving feast, remember to keep a balance between indulgence and well-being. Enjoy the flavours of the season, including the spicy aromas that tantalize your senses. Engage in mindful eating and perhaps take a brisk walk to savour the crisp fall air and aid digestion. Nourish your body and soul in equal measure, just like a slice of apple pie that satisfies both your taste buds and heart. The new moon in the sign of the scales on the 14th might inspire you to finish a long overdue project.

Scorpio

(October 23– November 21) Halloween is the perfect time for Scorpios to fully embrace their mysterious and intense personalities. Your costume should embody your inner Scorpio spirit. Scorpios are known for their love of intimate gatherings. Host a Halloween party at your place, complete with eerie decorations, dim lighting, and a carefully curated playlist of spooky tunes. Create an atmosphere that makes your guests feel like

they've entered a haunted mansion. Alternatively, look into a spooky local walk or ghost tour for some extra goosebumps! Happy birthday to all the late October Scorpions.

Sagittarius

(November 22– December 21) Time to manifest only the best, Archers! Fall is in full swing, and so is the colour palette. Get up early and go for a drive and inhale that fresh crisp air. Time to plot out your goals for the last quarter, and really make those last 90 days count. Do you want easy street, or do you want to live your best life? Take chances, be brave, and celebrate the joy of goals coming to fruition (mostly with gelato). Downtime is a must as well. Stop for a tea break and enjoy the latest read with a furry friend in your lap. Life doesn’t get much better than that! Or does it? Giving thanks doesn’t happen only on Thanksgiving—make it a daily practice and watch your world change.

Capricorn

(December 22– January 19) Capricor ns may be skeptical, but they can appreciate the value of a well-done psychic reading or mediumship session. Seek out reputable psychics or mediums in your area and schedule a session to explore your own spirituality and gain insights. Goats appreciate structure and order, so design a sacred space in your home dedicated to your occult interests. Arrange your crystals, tarot cards, candles, and other mystical tools in an organized and aesthetically pleasing manner.

Aquarius

(January 20– February 18) This Thanksgiving, remember to communicate your dietary preferences or restrictions with the host to ensure you have satisfying options at the Thanksgiving gathering. Additionally, consider bringing a dish that aligns with your dietary choices to share with others, and introduce them to your unique and delicious creations. On the spooky side, Water-Bearers might wish to explore simple rituals or spells associated with the occult. One can find satisfaction in carefully following instructions and documenting results. Choose spells or rituals that align with your intentions and goals, whether it's for protection, manifestation, or inner growth.

Pisces

(February 19– March 20) The highlight of your month, Pisces, is the anticipation of Thanksgiving. As you prepare to welcome a special someone home, your heart brims with excitement and love. Your compassionate and nurturing nature shines as you create a cosy atmosphere filled with warmth, love, and comforting moments. Whether it's a partner, family member, or dear friend, cherish the bonds that make your heart sing. Remember to keep a sense of humour too, my Fish friends! When a family member carves the turkey and says “There’s the heart!” they are probably just kidding.

An Ode to Busy People Everywhere

TheBeat

By Emily Turner

I tried to find something to inspire me to rest. Some sort of reason, some grounds to reset; Something that could convince me life wouldn’t be incomplete If I just take a minute to rest my feet. But the grocery list is long, the toilet bowl Is gross. I have emails to answer, laundry to fold. The dirty dishes are growing mold. I was about to take a nap, then my friend asked me to meet… I wonder what they’d do, how long would it take to notice, Who would I let down, which building would burn, If I said I couldn’t be the DD, support system, or hostess, If I put my phone on airplane mode, and acted unconcerned? Surely nothing good. Disaster would certainly strike! I’m sure next week would just be worse anyway, If I dared to take a day, heaven forbid a night! I damn those who taught us that rest is for the weak,

We Are Very Busy People, digital illustration, boy Roland

Anyone who has told me I need an excuse to retreat. The endless errands make me yearn for times we weren’t supposed to leave. I have yet to be inspired. But I’ll keep saying it just isn’t the time. One of these days I’ll find the courage, eventually I’ll find that reason. I’ll find a chance to finish that book I’ve spent all damn year reading.

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TheEye

Local musician Sunday wilde performs at this year’s Summer in the Parking Lot series Photo by Jamie Ruggles

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

eat . more . pie.

Our hand pie shop at 119 May Street S., is open Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm. Or catch us at the Thunder Bay Country Market on Wednesdays More news & goodies: Pie.ology pie.ology_ from 3:30-6:30pm and Saturdays from 8:00am - 1:00pm.

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DEEPLY CONNECTED TO NATURE

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