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Good morning, Thunder Bay — and welcome to issue one hundred and thirty-seven. Cloudy with a high of 9°C, with showers likely this afternoon. It's Thursday, and Shuniah and Neebing open their phone-and-online voting tomorrow. In today's issue: a tornado is confirmed northeast of Cat Lake First Nation; Shuniah and Neebing start voting by phone and online; the Terror in the Bay horror film festival hits its 10th year; and mayoral candidates split on strong mayor powers. Plus today's Local Business Spotlight and eight things to do between now and Saturday.
In this Harbour Beat Issue…
Trivia: The Beatles' 1969 album Abbey Road is named after a street in which London district — St John's Wood, Soho, or Camden? (Answer at the bottom!)
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Thunder Bay Events
From the last mayoral forum at the County Park library to the symphony's season opener and a horror-film festival at the Paramount, here's what's on between now and Saturday.
Thursday, October 15
OCT 15 · Mayoral Candidates' Forum — 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. · 📍 County Park branch, Thunder Bay Public Library (County Fair Mall) · Hear the mayoral candidates respond to questions developed with community support; the last public forum before the Oct. 26 vote. · 📅 Add to Calendar
OCT 15 · The Ruby Celebration: Hospice Northwest's 40th Anniversary — 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., $100 · 📍 The Auditorium · Hors d'oeuvres, a signature Ruby cocktail, live music, guest speakers, an auction and a 50/50 draw to mark 40 years of hospice care. · 📅 Add to Calendar
OCT 15 · Open Mic Comedy Thursdays — doors 7 p.m., show 8 to 10 p.m., no cover · 📍 Campfire Comedy, 117 Cumberland St. N. · A weekly open mic that welcomes newcomers to the stage and the audience. · 📅 Add to Calendar
Friday, October 16
OCT 16 · Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra: Looking Forward, Looking Backward (Masterworks #1) — 7:30 p.m., tickets from $72 · 📍 The Auditorium, 1 Paul Shaffer Dr. · The season opens with Violet Archer's Poem for Orchestra, Fauré's Pelléas et Mélisande and Beethoven's Symphony No. 3. · 📅 Add to Calendar
OCT 16 · Terror in the Bay Film Festival — evening screenings through Sunday, Oct. 18 · 📍 The Paramount, 24 Court St. S. · The festival's 10th year, with more than 60 indie horror, thriller and mystery films over five nights. · 📅 Add to Calendar
Saturday, October 17
OCT 17 · Halloween Hoot — noon to 4 p.m., also Oct. 18, 24 and 25; $12 adults, $10 students, seniors and youth, free for ages 5 and under · 📍 Fort William Historical Park · Costumes encouraged: trick-or-treating, scarecrows, farm animals and themed games. · 📅 Add to Calendar
OCT 17 · 4th Annual NW Climate Gathering — 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., free; registration required · 📍 Lakehead University, 431 Ambrose St. · This year's gathering focuses on active transportation. · 📅 Add to Calendar
OCT 17 · Love & the Ghost of Wolf Pepper — Staged Play Reading — 7:30 to 10 p.m., $20 · 📍 St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, 207 Brodie St. S. · The world-premiere staged reading of a spooky comedy by local playwright Michael Lehto. · 📅 Add to Calendar
✅ NO WEATHER ALERTS IN EFFECT
Environment Canada has no alerts posted for Thunder Bay as of Wednesday evening. Thursday is cloudy with morning fog patches, then a 60 percent chance of showers in the afternoon.
🌧️ Thursday, October 15 — Thunder Bay
9°C
Overnight low 5°C
Cloudy, with a 30 percent chance of drizzle or showers that rises to 60 percent in the afternoon as the morning fog lifts. UV index 2, low. Tonight brings rain showers and flurries, with the wind turning north at 30 km/h and gusting to 70 before morning.
Friday is windy with a mix of sun and cloud, a 40 percent chance of showers, a high of 7°C and a clear night near minus 1°C. Saturday is sunny and 12°C, Sunday is sunny and 15°C, and Monday is sunny and 14°C. Forecast from Environment Canada.
A tornado touched down northeast of Cat Lake First Nation on Sept. 8, researchers confirm
The Northern Tornadoes Project has confirmed an EF1 tornado in an uninhabited area near Redpath Lake, northeast of Cat Lake First Nation. It left a damage track about 7.5 kilometres long and up to 150 metres wide, with estimated peak winds of 145 km/h. Nobody reported it at the time; researchers spotted the damage in satellite imagery. It is the second tornado confirmed in Northwestern Ontario this year, after an EF2 near Kenora on July 6, and the project has now confirmed a record 140 across Canada in 2026. The team expects to confirm more as it keeps reviewing this summer's satellite images, so the northwest's tally for the year may still grow.
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Shuniah and Neebing open phone-and-online voting on Friday
Voting in both neighbouring municipalities runs through Intelivote, by telephone or online, from Friday, Oct. 16 until 8 p.m. on Oct. 26. Shuniah opens at 8:30 a.m. and Neebing at 9 a.m., and Neebing has no traditional paper-ballot polling locations. Shuniah voters can also get help at the municipal office at 420 Leslie Ave. on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or by calling 807-683-4545. If you live in either municipality, find your voter information letter first: the PIN in it, plus your date of birth, is how you log in.
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Terror in the Bay, the horror film festival, turns 10 at the Paramount
The 10th annual Terror in the Bay film festival runs Oct. 14 to 18 at the Paramount Theatre, 24 Court St. S., with more than 60 indie horror films over five nights. CBC spoke with festival judge Ryan Mackett about the must-see picks. It wraps on Sunday, so if you want to catch a screening, the full schedule is on the festival's website.
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Mayoral candidates split on strong mayor powers
Several candidates for Thunder Bay mayor told TBT News they will refuse to use the provincial strong mayor powers if they are elected this fall, while others are split on the question. Online voting opens Oct. 19 and the election is Oct. 26, so where each candidate stands on these powers is worth knowing before you vote.
🗳️ Your call: several mayoral candidates say they would refuse Ontario's strong mayor powers. How should the next mayor handle them?
Several mayoral candidates say they would refuse to use Ontario's strong mayor powers. How should Thunder Bay's next mayor handle them?
Local Business Spotlight
Featured Bakery: The Persian Man
Overview
If you've grown up in Thunder Bay, you know the Persian: a sweet, pink-iced pastry that locals treat as a hometown original. According to a 2017 TVO story, it was created in the mid-1940s by Art Bennett of Bennett's Bakery, and The Persian Man is the coffee shop that carries the bakery's goods. Family lore says the name came from U.S. General John "Black Jack" Pershing, who supposedly visited while the dough was being made.
Highlights
The Persian itself, with icing that TVO reported gets its pink mostly from jam rather than added colouring
Butter tarts and other baking, according to customer reviews
A small coffee shop with a light lunch menu
A catering inquiry form on their website for larger orders
Ambiance & Experience
Think neighbourhood bakery counter rather than trendy café: quick, friendly and family-friendly, with parking on site.
Location & Contact
📍 899 Tungsten St. (The Persian Man on Central) and 400 Balmoral St.
📞 807-344-2931
Operating Hours
899 Tungsten St.: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
400 Balmoral St.: Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
As posted on their Instagram; call ahead to confirm, since hours can change.
Final Bite
Some towns have a signature dish; Thunder Bay has a pink-iced pastry. Visit The Persian Man →
Meme of the Day
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Trivia answer: St John's Wood. The Beatles named the album after the street where EMI's recording studio sits, and the cover photo shows the band crossing it.
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