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Happy Wednesday, Thunder Bay! Some relief today — the record heat finally breaks, though wildfire smoke still hangs in the air. In this issue: hundreds of evacuees from northern First Nations find refuge here, the city clamps down with a fire ban, a scam targets CLE Family Fair vendors, and free waterfront concerts kick off tonight. Take a breath — and check on your neighbours. 🌲
In this Harbour Beat Issue…
🔥 Wildfire evacuees find refuge in Thunder Bay
🚒 The city clamps down with a fire ban
⚠️ A scam is targeting CLE Family Fair vendors
🎶 Free waterfront concerts kick off tonight
Trivia: Earth has one sea with no coastline at all — no land touches it on any side. Which sea is it? (Answer at the bottom!)
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Your week-ahead guide to Thunder Bay — here’s what’s worth getting out for over the next few days. 🎉
Wednesday, July 15
Live on the Waterfront — 6–9 p.m. · 📍 Marina Park · The free Wednesday concert series opens its season with Joce Reyome, KT and the Rhythm Aces, and Thirsty Monks · 📅 Add to Calendar
Name That Tune Trivia — 7–9 p.m. · 📍 Sleeping Giant Brewing Co · Team up for music trivia with a fresh theme every Wednesday · 📅 Add to Calendar
Thursday, July 16
Open Mic Comedy at Campfire — 7–10 p.m. ($5, students free) · 📍 Campfire Comedy, 117 Cumberland St N · Watch or take the mic at this weekly open-mic comedy night · 📅 Add to Calendar
Friday, July 17
Tumblestone Festival Fundraiser — 9 p.m. ($10, 19+) · 📍 Black Pirates Pub · A live-music fundraiser for the Tumblestone festival · 📅 Add to Calendar
Saturday, July 18
Festival of India — 3–8 p.m. · 📍 Marina Park · Free food, dance, drama and kids’ activities at the annual Festival of India on the waterfront · 📅 Add to Calendar
Rockin’ Around the Coffee Shop Summer Market — 12–6 p.m. · 📍 Rose N Crantz Roasting Co, 905 Copper Cres. · A Christmas-in-July market with around 18 local makers and crafters · 📅 Add to Calendar
Sunday, July 19
Celtic Day — 10 a.m.–5 p.m. · 📍 Fort William Historical Park · Pipe and drum bands, Highland dancers, hands-on activities and great food · 📅 Add to Calendar
Festival of Colours — 3–7 p.m. · 📍 Marina Park · Colour throws, interactive dances and delicious food at this joyful waterfront celebration · 📅 Add to Calendar
⚠️ AIR QUALITY ADVISORY — WILDFIRE SMOKE
Environment Canada has a special air-quality statement up for Thunder Bay as wildfire smoke drifts through the region. Air quality and visibility can change hour to hour — limit strenuous outdoor activity, keep windows closed when smoke is heavy, and check on anyone with breathing issues, seniors and young children. The good news: the extreme heat is easing today.
⛅ Wednesday, July 15 — Thunder Bay
29°C
Overnight low 14°C
Sunny, then a mix of sun and cloud late afternoon · Lingering wildfire smoke · UV index 8 (very high) · Wind NW 20 km/h easing
The heat finally breaks. Wednesday brings a high near 29°C — several degrees cooler than the record-shattering stretch we just came through — with sunshine giving way to a mix of sun and cloud by late afternoon as a cooler, less humid airmass moves in. Northwest winds around 20 km/h will ease through the day. One catch: lingering wildfire smoke may keep air quality poor at times, so take it easy outdoors if you’re sensitive and check the latest advisories before heading out. Overnight lows settle back into the mid-teens. Full forecast at Environment Canada.
Wildfire evacuees find refuge in Thunder Bay
As wildfires rage across the northwest, hundreds of people from Armstrong, Whitesand, Collins and Lac des Mille Lacs First Nations have been ordered out — and many are landing in Thunder Bay. The Northwest fire region was tracking more than 120 active fires, dozens of them out of control, with smoke and extreme heat driving evacuation orders that began late Monday and stretched into Tuesday. The city and partner agencies are helping coordinate lodging and support for evacuees as the situation keeps shifting.
The city clamps down with a fire ban
With the wildland-fire hazard sitting at extreme, Thunder Bay has declared a fire ban — no open-air burning, and that includes backyard fire pits and campfires. Officials are asking everyone to hold off on anything that could spark a new fire while crews are stretched thin across the region. Check the city’s updates before you strike a match, and report any wildfire right away by calling 310-FIRE.
A scam is targeting CLE Family Fair vendors
Thunder Bay Police are warning of fraudsters impersonating the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition — and the Thunder Bay Country Market — ahead of the CLE’s August Family Fair. The scammers email would-be vendors (using an address like [email protected]) asking for application forms, personal and business details, and payment to reserve a booth. It’s not legitimate. Vendors should verify any request through official CLE channels before sending money or information.
Free waterfront concerts kick off tonight
Summer’s best free tradition is back. Live on the Waterfront returns to the Marina Park festival area tonight from 6–9 p.m., opening its eight-week run with headliner Joce Reyome, plus Thunder Bay’s own KT and the Rhythm Aces and Thirsty Monks. Bring a chair, grab a bite from the food trucks, and settle in by the lake — shows run every Wednesday through Aug. 26.
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Trivia answer: The Sargasso Sea. Tucked inside the North Atlantic, it’s the only sea on Earth with no land coastline — instead it’s bounded entirely by ocean currents, and it’s famous for the floating golden Sargassum seaweed that gives it its name.