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Happy Monday, Thunder Bay! In today’s issue: a rare grey fox family caught on camera, Port Arthur Stadium turns 75, a former Thunderwolf lands an NHL coaching job, and a bidding war over a northwestern gold mine — plus our very first Real Estate Snapshot and a full week of things to do. Let’s dig in.
📝 A quick correction: In Sunday’s issue, two stories — about a police-officer assault trial and a fundraiser for a Rainy River mining family — were older 2024 items that resurfaced in our sources, not current news. We’ve fixed the online version and we’re sorry for the mix-up. Keeping Harbour Beat fresh and accurate every morning matters to us, and we’ve tightened our date checks so it won’t happen again. Thanks for reading — and for keeping us on our toes.
In this Harbour Beat Issue…
🦊 A rare grey fox family caught on camera
⚾ Port Arthur Stadium turns 75 (fireworks Tuesday)
🏒 A former Thunderwolf joins the Canucks’ bench
⛏️ A bidding war over a northwestern gold mine
🏡 Real Estate Snapshot: where Thunder Bay’s market sits
Trivia: Which planet in our solar system rotates on its side, tilted at about 98°? (Answer at the bottom!)
Your week-ahead guide to Thunder Bay — here’s what’s worth getting out for over the next few days. 🎉
Monday, July 13
Steve Earle — 7:30 p.m. · 📍 Thunder Bay Community Auditorium · Folk-rock legend Steve Earle brings his “51 Years of Songs and Stories” tour to town · 📅 Add to Calendar
Tuesday, July 14
Port Arthur Stadium 75th + Border Cats vs. La Crosse — 6:35 p.m. · 📍 Port Arthur Stadium · A pre-game ceremony marks the ballpark’s 75th, then the Border Cats host the Loggers — fireworks to follow · 📅 Add to Calendar
K-Hunters: The Show — 6:30 p.m. · 📍 Thunder Bay Community Auditorium · A live music-and-dance stage show riffing on the K-pop Demon Hunters craze · 📅 Add to Calendar
Youth Cultural Festival — 7–9 p.m. · 📍 Bora Laskin Building, Lakehead University · A free evening of music, art and performance celebrating youth culture · 📅 Add to Calendar
Wednesday, July 15
Live on the Waterfront — 6–9 p.m. · 📍 Marina Park · The free Wednesday concert series returns with live bands, food trucks and vendors · 📅 Add to Calendar
Name That Tune Trivia — 7 p.m. · 📍 Sleeping Giant Brewing Co. · Music trivia with fresh themes every Wednesday — round up a team · 📅 Add to Calendar
Friday, July 17
Delusions After Dark (Comedy + Mentalism) — 8 p.m. (19+) · 📍 Campfire Comedy · A dark, funny night of comedy and mind-reading; doors at 7:30 · 📅 Add to Calendar
Tumblestone Festival Fundraiser — 9 p.m. ($10, 19+) · 📍 Black Pirates Pub · A live-music fundraiser for the Tumblestone festival · 📅 Add to Calendar
⚠️ HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT
Environment Canada has a heat warning up for Thunder Bay. Expect a high near 36°C with a humidex of 37 and a very high UV index of 9. Drink plenty of water, take breaks in the shade or air conditioning, never leave kids or pets in a parked car, and check on elderly neighbours and anyone without a way to cool down.
☀️ Monday, July 13 — Thunder Bay
36°C
Feels like 37 · Overnight low 21°C
Mainly sunny with local smoke · UV index 9 (very high) · Wind SW 20 km/h
A scorcher to start the week. Monday is mainly sunny but hazy, with local wildfire smoke drifting in and a high near 36°C (humidex 37). The UV index climbs to a very high 9, so sunscreen, a hat and water are must-haves, and the heat holds into the evening before easing to about 21°C overnight. Relief arrives midweek as highs settle back into the mid-20s. Full forecast at Environment Canada.
A rare grey fox family turns up on camera
A local wildlife photographer, Tyson Tremblay, spent weeks watching a mother grey fox and her four kits at a den outside the city — a sighting he calls a once-in-a-lifetime thrill. Grey foxes are rare across Canada, but retired biologist Ted Armstrong says Thunder Bay may now be home to more of them than anywhere else in the country. The Thunder Bay Field Naturalists’ Grey Fox Project is even asking residents to send in photos of any sightings.
Port Arthur Stadium turns 75
One of the last ballparks of its kind between Toronto and Winnipeg is hitting a big milestone. Port Arthur Stadium celebrates its 75th anniversary on Tuesday, July 14, with a pre-game ceremony before the Border Cats host the La Crosse Loggers — capped by a fireworks show. Opened in 1951, the old grandstand has hosted league championships, world junior baseball and even a Stanley Cup visit. “If these walls could talk,” says the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame’s Diane Imrie.
A former Thunderwolf joins the Canucks’ bench
Jordan Smith, who captained the Lakehead Thunderwolves and later coached the Thunder Bay North Stars, has been named an assistant coach with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks — hired by Canucks GM and fellow Thunder Bay product Ryan Johnson. Smith reached the NHL as a coach after a deflected puck cost him an eye and ended his playing career years ago — a full-circle moment for a familiar local hockey name.
A bidding war heats up over a northwestern gold mine
Two Australian miners are in a takeover fight over Vault Minerals, owner of the Sugar Zone gold mine about 30 km north of White River, where work is just restarting after a three-year pause. Genesis Minerals’ surprise cash-and-share bid has topped a planned merger with Regis Resources, whose board now has just days to counter. For the northwest, the tug-of-war is a sign of renewed interest in the region’s gold.
🏡 Harbour Beat Real Estate Snapshot
Brought to you by — this monthly spot is open for a local realtor].
Thunder Bay’s housing market is sending a split signal this spring: far fewer homes are changing hands, but prices are holding steady — and buyers are finally starting to get a little more to choose from.
By the numbers — single-detached homes, City of Thunder Bay (May 2026, newest released):
💵 Median price: $409,000 — up 2.3% from a year ago
🏠 Homes sold: 74 — down 37.8% year-over-year (the slowest May since 2020)
⏱️ Median days on market: 14 — homes are still selling in about two weeks
📦 Homes for sale: just under 500 — the most available since late last summer
What it means: Prices are steady and well-priced homes still move quickly, so sellers remain in a good spot. But with new listings climbing past 300 for the first time in nearly a year, buyers are seeing a bit more choice than they’ve had in a while. On either side of a move, timing and pricing still matter.
Source: Thunder Bay Real Estate Board (via CREA), May 2026 MLS® data. Informational market snapshot only — not financial advice.
Thinking of buying or selling? This monthly spot is open for a local realtor — just reply to this email to be featured here.
Meme of the Day
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What's faster than word of mouth? The Harbour Beat Spotlight! Keeps you updated on what's going on locally and connects businesses to our vibrant community.
Trivia answer: Uranus. Its axis is tipped nearly sideways — about 98° — so the planet essentially rolls around the Sun on its side. That extreme tilt gives each pole roughly 42 years of non-stop sunlight followed by 42 years of darkness. Scientists think a massive ancient collision knocked Uranus over onto its side.