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Good morning, Thunder Bay — and welcome to issue one hundred and thirty-nine. Sunny and windy with a high of 14°C. It's Saturday, and the Northwest Climate Gathering is on at Lakehead today. In today's issue: the Anishinabek Nation brings its economic forum to Thunder Bay, a northwest treatment centre adds 10 beds, Thunder Bay lands the 2028 national U18 curling championship, and a look at getting around without a car. Plus Scrollback, Ask Harbour Beat, and eight things to do between now and Wednesday.
In this Harbour Beat Issue…
Trivia: The World Wide Web was first proposed in 1989 by Tim Berners-Lee while he worked at which organization — CERN, MIT, or Bell Labs? (Answer at the bottom!)
Ask Harbour Beat: The Sleeping Giant is Thunder Bay's best-known landmark — how long is the hike to the Top of the Giant, and how high does it climb?
Answer: It's a 22.4-kilometre round trip in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, on the Sibley Peninsula, and the Top of the Giant lookout sits 229 metres above Lake Superior, according to Northern Ontario Travel. Give yourself a full day, and check conditions with the park before you go.
Got a Thunder Bay question? Hit reply. We answer one here every Saturday.
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Thunder Bay Events
From a Westfort bazaar to a haunted ship and the last night of a horror-film festival, here's what's on between now and Wednesday.
Saturday, October 17
OCT 17 · Gold Rush Bazaar — 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., free admission and parking · 📍 West Thunder Community Centre, 915 Edward St. · Baking, crafts, canning, a Dime Auction and pies in the Tea Room at a Westfort tradition hosted by St. Agnes Parish for more than 50 years. · 📅 Add to Calendar
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 · Haunted Harbour: The Black Tide — 7 to 11 p.m., recommended for ages 16+ · 📍 Alexander Henry, 2445 Sleeping Giant Pkwy. (Pool 6) · A haunted walk-through of the museum ship, with intense scares, in support of the Transportation Museum of Thunder Bay. · 📅 Add to Calendar
Sunday, October 18
OCT 18 · Terror in the Bay Film Festival: final day — closing-night screenings; check the schedule for times · 📍 The Paramount, 24 Court St. S. · The festival's 10th year wraps up with its last day of indie horror, thriller and mystery films. · 📅 Add to Calendar
OCT 18 · Illuminate: a day of wellness for women entrepreneurs — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. · 📍 Mink Mountain Resort, 240 Mink Mountain Dr., Neebing · A curated wellness retreat with gentle movement, reflection and connection. · 📅 Add to Calendar
Monday, October 19
OCT 19 · Online voting opens in Thunder Bay — 10 a.m. Oct. 19 to 8 p.m. Oct. 26; advance polls Oct. 19 at the Thunder Bay Conservatory and Oct. 21 at the Thunder Bay 55 Plus Centre, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. · 📍 Online · Your Voter Information Letter carries the instructions you need to log in. · 📅 Add to Calendar
Tuesday, October 20
OCT 20 · Tuesday Group Run — 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., all speeds welcome · 📍 Boulevard Lake, meet at the Rita Street parking lot · A friendly 5k run or run/walk around the lake. · 📅 Add to Calendar
Wednesday, October 21
OCT 21 · Westfort Prosvita Catch the Ace — draw at 7 p.m., $5 tickets sold at the bar through the week · 📍 Westfort Prosvita, 721 West Gore St. · A weekly progressive draw; you don't need to be there to win. · 📅 Add to Calendar
✅ NO WEATHER ALERTS IN EFFECT
Environment Canada has no alerts posted for Thunder Bay at the time of this update. Saturday is sunny but windy, and the clear skies carry through the night.
☀️ Saturday, October 17 — Thunder Bay
14°C
Overnight low 3°C
Sunny, with a west wind at 30 km/h gusting to 50 and a high of 14°C. UV index 3, moderate. Then a clear night with a low near 3°C.
Sunday is sunny and 18°C, Monday is sunny and 15°C with a clear night near minus 4°C, and Tuesday is sunny and 14°C. Wednesday brings a mix of sun and cloud and a 40 per cent chance of showers. Forecast from Environment Canada.
The Anishinabek Nation brings its economic forum to Thunder Bay
The Anishinabek Nation will host its fourth annual Economic Development Opportunities Forum at the Valhalla Hotel & Conference Centre in Thunder Bay on Oct. 21 and 22. This year's theme is Unlocking Our Potential: Infrastructure, Investment & Innovation, with a focus on Indigenous participation in major infrastructure projects, access to capital and investment, and innovation in First Nations economies. More than 200 delegates are expected for presentations, panels, workshops and networking across energy, mining, agriculture, tourism and revenue generation, and the opening keynote comes from Fort William First Nation Chief Michelle Solomon. The forum is aimed at delegates from First Nations, industry and government, so check with the Anishinabek Nation if you'd like to attend.
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A northwest treatment centre adds 10 beds
The Migisi Alcohol and Drug Treatment Centre at Wauzhushk Onigum Nation opened 10 new residential treatment beds on Tuesday, bringing the facility to 24. Lake of the Woods District Hospital, which partners with the centre, received $1.06 million through Ontario Health's Addictions Recovery Fund for the expansion. Executive director Julie Lessard says northwestern Ontario's drug supply has become more dangerous in recent years, and that culturally relevant treatment close to home matters to the Nishnawbe Aski Nation community members the centre serves. If you or someone you know in a NAN community is looking for residential treatment, that's 10 more spaces close to home; Health811 (dial 811) can help with finding services.
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Thunder Bay will host the 2028 national U18 curling championship
Curling Canada announced Thursday that the 2028 Canadian Under-18 Curling Championships will be held in Thunder Bay from April 2 to 8, 2028, at the Thunder Bay Tournament Centre. Host committee chair Andrew Sinclair expects 42 teams of four or five curlers plus a coach, and the parents and grandparents who follow them. Tourism manager Paul Pepe puts the economic impact at about $2 million and says events like this help fill hotel rooms at a time of year when there is room to spare. It's a year and a half away, so there is plenty of time to plan for a busy week of hotel and restaurant traffic.
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The Northwest Climate Gathering digs into getting around without a car
The fourth annual Northwest Climate Gathering is on today at the Outpost pub at Lakehead University, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year's theme is active transportation, with local bike shops and advocates leading conversations about improving how people in the region get around without a car, and how accessible that is. Organizer Heather Wright, a Lakehead student, says attendees should bring some enthusiasm and a few ideas to share. It's on now, so if getting around without a car is on your mind, you have until 3 p.m.
🗳️ Your call: what would do the most to help people get around Thunder Bay without a car?
Your call: what would do the most to help people get around Thunder Bay without a car?
Scrollback
Most readers want the clock changes gone, and early in-person voting is the top pick
Poll 1: Northwestern Ontario's central-time communities stop changing their clocks on Nov. 1. Should Thunder Bay do the same? (16 responses)
🥇 Yes, stay on daylight time year-round (later evenings): 8 votes (50%)
Yes, stay on standard time year-round (lighter mornings): 5 votes (31%)
No, keep changing the clocks twice a year: 2 votes (13%)
Other: 1 vote (6%)
Takeaway: Thirteen of 16 readers (81%) want to stop switching the clocks, split between daylight time for later evenings and standard time for lighter mornings. Only two wanted to keep the twice-a-year change. Thunder Bay is on Eastern time and isn't affected by the central-time communities' decision, so this was a what-if.
💬 What Readers Are Saying: One reader said the twice-a-year change no longer serves any purpose and is just a nuisance. Another said Thunder Bay should do whatever the province decides, since the city is economically linked to Toronto.
Poll 2: With online voting opening Oct. 19, how are you planning to vote on Oct. 26? (11 responses, collected Oct. 11, before voting opened)
🥇 At a voting kiosk or in person, ahead of election day: 5 votes (45%)
Online, from home or my phone: 3 votes (27%)
Haven't decided yet: 2 votes (18%)
In person on election day: 1 vote (9%)
Takeaway: Among the readers who voted, more planned to cast a ballot early, at a kiosk or in person, than online, and two hadn't decided. If you're one of them, the dates and advance-poll locations are in the Monday listing under Thunder Bay Events below. No written comments came in on this one.
Final Thoughts: These are small samples, 16 and 11 votes, so treat them as a temperature check rather than a verdict.
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.
Trivia answer: CERN. Tim Berners-Lee wrote his first proposal for the World Wide Web in March 1989 while working at CERN, the European particle-physics laboratory near Geneva.
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