In partnership with

📣 Sponsored by: this slot is open. Own a Thunder Bay business and want more of the city hearing about it? This line — and the Thursday Local Business Spotlight — are available. Hit reply, or start here →

Good morning, Thunder Bay — and welcome to issue one hundred and thirty-three. Cloudy this morning with a 40 percent chance of showers and a high of just 8°C. It's Thanksgiving Monday, so enjoy the long weekend's last day. In today's issue: Haunted Harbour returns for a fifth year and is nearly sold out; online voting opens Oct. 19, with kiosks around the city; and the last two pre-election forums move to the County Park library. Plus seven things to do between now and Friday.

Trivia: Canada's two-dollar coin, the "toonie", first hit pockets in which year — 1987, 1996, or 2004? (Answer at the bottom!)

Capital Is Flooding Into The Physical AI Revolution

AI is stepping out of the digital screen and entering the physical world. Robotics VC deal activity hit all-time highs in early 2026, with investments climbing toward sixteen billion dollars across more than four hundred and fifty deals. 

Driven by manufacturing labor shortages, aging workforces, and explosive tech breakthroughs from NVIDIA, Tesla, and a host of specialized component suppliers, automation is accelerating across factories and warehouses globally. 

Whether you are looking at AI compute, machine vision sensors, motion control actuators, or humanoid robotics, the infrastructure buildout is happening right now. Download our comprehensive guide to discover the top investable robotics sectors and market drivers.

Thunder Bay Events

From a Thanksgiving Monday dinner to the symphony's season opener, here's what's on between now and Friday. Haunted Harbour also runs Thursday through Saturday, but it is nearly sold out (see the story below).

Monday, October 12 (Thanksgiving)

  • OCT 12 · Dew Drop Inn Thanksgiving Dinner — 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. · 📍 Dew Drop Inn, 294 Red River Rd. · A traditional turkey dinner with all the fixings; the Dew Drop Inn expects 700 to 800 meals, its busiest day of the year. · 📅 Add to Calendar

Tuesday, October 13

  • OCT 13 · Tuesday Group Run — 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. · 📍 Boulevard Lake, Rita Street parking lot · A friendly 5k run or run/walk around the lake; all speeds and fitness levels welcome. · 📅 Add to Calendar

Wednesday, October 14

Thursday, October 15

Friday, October 16

Harbour Beat Weather

✅ NO WEATHER ALERTS IN EFFECT

Environment Canada has no alerts posted for Thunder Bay as of Saturday evening. Expect a cloudy Thanksgiving Monday with a 40 percent chance of showers, a sharp drop from Sunday's high of 23°C.

☁️ Monday, October 12 — Thunder Bay

8°C

Overnight low 4°C

Cloudy with a 40 percent chance of showers, and the chance of showers carries into tonight with a low near plus 4.

Tuesday is cloudy with a high of 10°C and a low of 5°C. Wednesday brings a mix of sun and cloud and the week's best day, reaching 14°C, with a low of 2°C. Thursday is cloudy with a high of 9°C, and Friday is a mix of sun and cloud with a 40 percent chance of showers and a high of 10°C. Forecast from Environment Canada.

Haunted Harbour returns for a fifth year, and it's nearly sold out

A foggy ship deck at dusk lit by lanterns

The Transportation Museum of Thunder Bay's haunted attraction aboard the Alexander Henry is back for a fifth year with a "Black Tide" theme, and it has grown beyond the ship, with a new maze and a darkened tunnel on the museum grounds. Visitors go through in groups of eight every 15 minutes, led by volunteers. Tickets are $25, with proceeds supporting the museum and Our Kids Count. It runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday for the next three weeks, ending the weekend before Halloween, and board chair Wally Peterson says it is "virtually sold out." If you were hoping to go, check with the Transportation Museum of Thunder Bay about any remaining dates before you head down.

————————————————————————————

Online voting opens Oct. 19, with kiosks around the city

Voting booths and a laptop kiosk in a public hall

The City of Thunder Bay says voters can cast a ballot in person or online in the Oct. 26 municipal election. Online voting opens at 10 a.m. on Oct. 19 and runs around the clock until the polls close a week later, according to election coordinator Crystal DePeuter. For people without a device at home, or who want help, the city is setting up voter kiosks at City Hall, Lakehead University, Confederation College, the Thunder Bay Country Market and Goods and Co. Voter information letters are arriving at households this week. If no letter arrives, that means you're not on the voters list; bring identification to City Hall to be added.

🗳️ Your call: online voting is open for a week. How are you planning to vote?

Your call: with online voting opening Oct. 19, how are you planning to vote on Oct. 26?

Thunder Bay voters can cast a ballot online, at a kiosk or in person. We'll share how the city voted on Saturday.

Login or Subscribe to participate

————————————————————————————

The last two pre-election forums move to the County Park library

Rows of chairs facing a podium in a library room

The Thunder Bay Public Library has moved its final two public election events out of the Waverley branch and into the County Park branch's large programming room at County Fair Mall. The at-large candidates' meet-and-greet is Oct. 14 and the mayoral candidates' forum is Oct. 15, both starting at 6 p.m. The library says the change follows strong turnout at its ward candidate panels in September and that the mall offers ample parking. If you had Waverley marked on your calendar, head to County Fair Mall instead on Wednesday and Thursday evening.

Meme of the Day

Brought to you by Harbour Beat

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.

A cartoon moose carrying a pumpkin pie

Sponsored

GotBackup — if your laptop died tonight, what would you lose? Back it up.

Trivia answer: 1996. The toonie arrived in February 1996, replacing the two-dollar bill, and its polar-bear design has stayed on the coin ever since.

Know someone in Thunder Bay who'd love this? Forward it to them — they can sign up free here.