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Good morning, Thunder Bay! The Canada Day crowds have cleared, but the long weekend is just getting rolling — with a hilltop pow wow, live music, comedy and weekend markets all on the way. It's a hot one out there, so grab something cold and dig into what's happening around the city.
In this Harbour Beat Issue…
🍲 Our Kids Count opens its new community food hub
🌲 Mills Block reopens with $700K in trail upgrades
🍁 Thousands celebrate Canada Day at the Fort
🏛️ City eyes the old LPH lands for housing
🍦 Local Business Spotlight: Merla Mae Ice Cream
Trivia: Which is the only sea on Earth with no land coastline? (Answer at the bottom!)
The Drink Everyone’s Reaching For This Spring 🍸✨
Spring doesn’t have to mean a packed schedule and another drink you regret tomorrow.
This season, I’m reaching for something different: Vesper by Pique.
Pique is known for blending ancient botanicals with modern science to create elevated wellness essentials. Vesper might be my favorite yet. It’s a non-alcoholic, adaptogenic aperitif that delivers the relaxed, social glow of a cocktail. Without alcohol or the next-day fog.
It’s what I pour when I want something special in my glass on a bright spring evening. Each sip feels celebratory and uplifting. Relaxed body. Clear mind. No haze. No sleep disruption.
Crafted with L-theanine, lemon balm, gentian root, damiana, and elderflower, Vesper is sparkling, tart, and beautifully herbaceous.
If you’re ready for a new kind of happy hour, try Vesper here. 🌿✨
Your week ahead in and around Thunder Bay — it's a big long weekend, so plan ahead. 🎉
Thursday, July 2
Summer in the Parking Lot Live Music Series — 5:30–9:30 p.m. · 📍 Superior Inn, 555 Arthur St W · Free-spirited outdoor live music with four bands to kick off the long weekend ($7 at the gate, kids 12 & under free). · 📅 Add to Calendar
Open Mic Comedy Thursdays — 7–10 p.m. · 📍 Campfire Comedy, 117 Cumberland St N · Watch or grab the mic at this weekly local comedy night ($5, students free). · 📅 Add to Calendar
Friday, July 3
The Wedding Singer — Immersive 80s Musical Dinner Theatre — 6:30–10:30 p.m. · 📍 Italian Cultural Centre, 132 Algoma St S · A chaotic, feel-good '80s musical dinner-theatre experience. · 📅 Add to Calendar
Friday Night Dance: Frankie T & The Nighthawks — 8–11 p.m. · 📍 The Clubroom (upstairs), Port Arthur Legion Br. 5, 229 Van Norman St · Live rock 'n' roll and dancing; $10 at the door, barrier-free lift available. · 📅 Add to Calendar
Canada Day Weekend at Thunder Bay KOA — Fri–Mon, all long weekend · 📍 162 Spruce River Rd, Shuniah · Fireworks, BBQ, pancakes and a kids' Bubblepalooza at the campground. · 📅 Add to Calendar
Saturday, July 4
FWFN Summer Pow Wow — 9 a.m.–9 p.m. (also Sunday to 5 p.m.) · 📍 Anemki Wajiw (Mount McKay), Fort William First Nation · Grand entries, drumming, dancing, regalia and food — everyone is welcome to this summer celebration. · 📅 Add to Calendar
Classic Days & Vintage Vendor Market — Sat & Sun, from noon · 📍 Oliver Paipoonge Heritage Park, 3190 Hwy 61 · Classic cars, antique engines, model trains and a vintage vendor market ($5, kids 12 & under free). · 📅 Add to Calendar
Shuniah Community Yard Sale — 9 a.m.–1 p.m. · 📍 800 Lakeshore Drive (the Pavilion), Shuniah · 35+ vendors, rain or shine, with a canteen on site. · 📅 Add to Calendar
It's a hot, bright stretch to start July — Environment Canada has a heat warning in effect for Thunder Bay. Thursday brings a mix of sun and cloud with a high of 30°C (humidex 33) and a UV index of 8 — very high. A west wind of 30 km/h, gusting to 50, kicks up in the morning before easing in the evening; overnight low around 15°C. Drink plenty of water, find shade, wear sunscreen, and check on older neighbours and pets. Full forecast at Environment Canada.
Our Kids Count opens its new community food hub
Our Kids Count hit a big milestone this week, celebrating both the grand opening of its new food-security hub and the completion of its $2.7-million Building Block campaign. The former Circle K at 745 Simpson St. now houses the charity's community kitchen and food programs — part of a whole city block reimagined for local families, who made roughly 15,000 visits to Our Kids Count programs last year.
Mills Block reopens with $700K in trail upgrades
One of the city's favourite hiking spots is getting a makeover. The Lakehead Region Conservation Authority has poured $700,000 into the Mills Block Conservation Area off John Street Road — a bigger parking lot, an accessible washroom, and a new accessible boardwalk and loop trail through the provincially significant wetland. The public “grand re-opening” runs July 9 from 3 to 7 p.m., with guided hikes, giveaways and a food truck.
Thousands celebrate Canada Day at the Fort
Thousands of red-and-white revellers packed Fort William Historical Park on Wednesday to mark Canada's 159th birthday with music, food, historical re-enactments and family fun along the Kaministiquia River. The Canadian Corps Voyageurs celebrated their 50th anniversary on site — and yes, even the fort's historic cows got dressed up for the occasion.
City eyes the old LPH lands for housing
The City of Thunder Bay is renewing its push to acquire the 144-acre former Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital site on Algoma Street from the province, hoping to demolish the old building and redevelop the land — potentially with a First Nations partner. Councillors say the property could hold a mix of housing and commercial space to help meet the city's big housing targets, and it now tops the intergovernmental affairs committee's list of advocacy priorities heading to council.
Local Business Spotlight 🍦
Featured Ice Cream Shop: Merla Mae
Few things say Thunder Bay summer like a soft-serve cone from Merla Mae. Thunder Bay's original drive-in and a Memorial Avenue institution since 1951, this locally owned and operated spot has been a warm-weather ritual for generations of families — the kind of place where the line out the door is half the fun.
Fan Favourites
Classic hand-dipped soft-serve cones, sundaes, milkshakes and banana splits
Drive-in eats too — including their classic burgers
“Radar & The Rockets” classic-car cruise nights — next one Sunday, July 19 (7–11 p.m.)
The Vibe
Nostalgic, friendly and unmistakably local — a simple summer treat that's been bringing Thunder Bay together for more than 70 years.
Location & Contact
📍 346 Memorial Ave., Thunder Bay
📞 (807) 344-7887
🌐 merlamae.ca
Hours
Open daily, 11 a.m.–11 p.m. (seasonal — spring through fall)
Final Scoop: Grab a cone and beat the heat — Merla Mae is summer in Thunder Bay. Visit Merla Mae →
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: The Sargasso Sea. In the North Atlantic, it's the only sea on Earth with no land borders at all — instead it's defined by four ocean currents that circle it, and it's famous for the floating golden sargassum seaweed that gives it its name.