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In this Harbour Beat Issue…
🚧 East End's Pacific Avenue overpass closes for the season
🏎️ A bigger Southcore Roar? Council weighs festival funding
🏙️ Downtown's Cumberland makeover means another detour
👮 Police gear up with body cameras and new tasers
🪶 Indigenous Community Feature: 60 years of the Friendship Centre
Trivia: What is the collective noun for a group of flamingos? (Answer at the bottom!)
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Your week ahead in and around Thunder Bay:
Tuesday, June 23
Tai Chi in the Park — 7 p.m. · Marina Park · free outdoor session
Wednesday, June 24
Mimi O'Bonsawin — Saint-Jean-Baptiste concert — 6 p.m. · McGillivray's Landing · Francophone celebration
Drag Bingo: Pride Edition! — 8 p.m. · Norteños Cantina
Thursday, June 25
Thunder Bay Poutine Feast — 11 a.m. · Marina Park · free, runs through the weekend
BAY Credit Union Spring Charity BBQ — 11 a.m.–2 p.m. · 142 Algoma St. S · supports St. Andrew's Dew Drop Inn
Summer in the Parking Lot — 6 p.m. · live music
Friday, June 26
Cinderella: The Musical — 7:30 p.m. · family theatre
Saturday, June 27
High Noon 24-Hour Trail Race & Relay — 8 a.m. · Kamview Nordic Centre · solo, relay & youth categories
Sunshine to kick off the week — Tuesday is mostly sunny, sliding into a mix of sun and cloud by late morning once any early fog patches burn off. Look for a high near 23°C with a high UV index of 7, so pack the sunscreen. Showers roll in overnight as the low dips to about 10°C, so enjoy the dry daytime while it lasts. Full details from Environment Canada.
East End's Pacific Avenue overpass closes for the season
The East End's main route over the rail yard shuts down June 29 for a major rehab — crews will rebuild the entire centre span and patch the deck, piers and barriers, with the closure expected to last until about November. Drivers will detour via the Main Street Bridge and Island Drive, but the East End underpass stays open for people on foot. (Heads up: another multi-month closure is planned for next spring and summer.)
A bigger Southcore Roar? Council weighs festival funding
Coun. Rajni Agarwal is asking the city for $40,000 from its accommodation-tax reserve to help the Fort William BIA cover security, barricades and cleanup for Southcore Roar — the free, two-day August long-weekend street party. Expect up to 100 classic and custom cars, 200 motorcycles, a kids zone, an Indigenous Learning Circle, a multicultural stage and live music spread from Leith Street to Victoria Avenue.
Downtown's Cumberland makeover means another detour
Park Avenue is now closed between Water and Cumberland as the $4.5-million downtown revitalization rolls on, with Cumberland shut between Park and Pearl (you can still reach the shops on foot). The work is expected to run into the fall, with later phases carrying construction up Cumberland toward Red River Road — and a final stretch slated for 2027.
Police gear up with body cameras and new tasers
Thunder Bay Police are bringing body-worn cameras and a new generation of tasers onto the force, and the Police Board got a closer look this week at how the technology will work on the front lines. Supporters say body cameras can boost transparency and accountability for officers and the public alike.
Indigenous Community Feature: 60 years of the Friendship Centre
June is National Indigenous History Month — a fitting moment to spotlight one of Thunder Bay's quiet anchors. The Thunder Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre (TBIFC) is one of the "original six" Friendship Centres in Ontario, founded back in 1964, and a founding member of the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres. Six decades on, it's still a welcoming hub for Indigenous families and anyone wanting to connect with culture and community.
The Centre runs life-journey programming for every age — from the Waabogonee EarlyON centre for little ones, to the Akwe:go and Wasa-Nabin programs for kids and youth, to Apatisiwin employment supports, Aboriginal Healthy Living, and a Cultural Resource Program that keeps language and traditions close. Summer's a great time to drop in.
Meme of the Day
What's faster than word of mouth? Harbour Beat! Keeps you updated on what is going on locally and connects businesses to our vibrant community.
Trivia answer: A flamboyance! A group of flamingos is called a "flamboyance" — a fittingly flashy name for those bright pink, long-legged birds.