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Good morning, Thunder Bay — and welcome to issue one hundred and forty-one. Sunny with a high of 14°C. It's Tuesday, and the Atikokan stop of a four-town health care tour happens this afternoon. In today's issue: Rainy River District wants to hear your health care stories, Dryden asks Ottawa not to fast-track the nuclear waste repository, and visits resume at St. Joseph's Hospital. Plus an Indigenous language feature, this week's podcast and eight things to do between now and Saturday.
In this Harbour Beat Issue…
Trivia: Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, rises in which country — Kenya, Tanzania, or Uganda? (Answer at the bottom!)
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Thunder Bay Events
From a small-business summit and a hockey-legend lunch to a magic show and a party band, here's what's on between now and Saturday.
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 · Small Business Solutions Summit — 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; $85 + HST for members, $105 + HST for non-members · 📍 The Superior Inn, 555 Arthur St. W. · A second-annual day of panels, a luncheon keynote, an Ask Me Anything session and exhibitors for small business owners. · 📅 Add to Calendar
OCT 21 · Take Me Home Dinner — 4 to 6:30 p.m., $20 dine-in, take-out or pay-it-forward · 📍 Dew Drop Inn, 292 Red River Rd. · St. Anthony's meat loaf with mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, a Bennett's Bakery roll and a slice of cheesecake or granny cake; pre-order online. · 📅 Add to Calendar
Thursday, October 22
OCT 22 · Lunch with Ray Bourque — noon to 2 p.m., tickets available now · 📍 The Auditorium, 1 Paul Shaffer Dr. · The hockey legend joins emcee Rod Black for a lunch event. · 📅 Add to Calendar
OCT 22 · Thursday Group Run — 6 to 7 p.m., all fitness levels and speeds welcome · 📍 Fresh Air, 710 Balmoral St. (meet inside the store) · A fun, friendly 5k with the Metre Eaters. · 📅 Add to Calendar
Friday, October 23
OCT 23 · Savio Joseph: Wonderstruck — 7 p.m., tickets from $58 · 📍 The Auditorium, 1 Paul Shaffer Dr. · A night of magic and illusion from the Brampton-born entertainer. · 📅 Add to Calendar
Saturday, October 24
OCT 24 · Halloween Hoot — noon to 4 p.m., also Oct. 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 24 · Dwayne Gretzky — 7:30 p.m., tickets from $69 · 📍 The Auditorium, 1 Paul Shaffer Dr. · A party band playing classic hits from the '70s, '80s and '90s. · 📅 Add to Calendar
✅ NO WEATHER ALERTS IN EFFECT
Environment Canada has no alerts posted for Thunder Bay at the time of this update. Tuesday is sunny and the clear skies carry through the night.
☀️ Tuesday, October 20 — Thunder Bay
14°C
Overnight low 3°C
Sunny, with a high of 14°C. Then a clear night with a low near 3°C.
Wednesday brings a mix of sun and cloud with a 40 per cent chance of showers and a high of 18°C, and Thursday is sunny and 14°C. Friday is a mix of sun and cloud with a 30 per cent chance of showers and a high of 15°C, and Saturday is a mix of sun and cloud and 15°C. Forecast from Environment Canada.
Rainy River District wants your health care story — Atikokan's open house is today
The Rainy River District Ontario Health Team is holding four open houses to hear about people's health care experiences, built around small-group activities and one-on-one conversations rather than formal presentations. The stops are Atikokan today (Oct. 20, 3 to 5 p.m., legion branch, 115 O'Brien St.), Fort Frances on Oct. 21 (6 to 8 p.m., Memorial Sports Centre, with activities moved to the library's Shaw Room for anyone who can't reach the upper floors), Emo on Oct. 22 (3 to 5 p.m., Emo Inn) and Rainy River on Oct. 24 (10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., recreation centre). A survey is also open until Nov. 20, online or by mail. You don't need to prepare anything to drop in, and the team encourages people who already filled out the survey to come share more in person.
🗳️ Your call: Health care is the topic of the week across the northwest. What would do the most to improve it?
Your call: what would do the most to improve health care in the northwest?
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Dryden asks Ottawa not to fast-track the nuclear waste repository
The City of Dryden says it isn't against the $26-billion deep geological repository planned near Ignace and Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation, but it wants its concerns addressed before any fast-tracked approval under the Building Canada Act. Mayor Jack Harrison says Dryden would be the closest regional service hub and should be treated as a critical partner. The city has hired Deloitte for an independent impact assessment of up to nearly $600,000 and wants the Nuclear Waste Management Organization to pay for it. The NWMO says Dryden asked to pause negotiations in June, that it respects that decision, and that the project still faces a federal impact assessment, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission licensing and Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation's own approval process. A public comment period on the possible national-interest designation is open until Oct. 26.
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Visits resume at St. Joseph's Hospital after a sprinkler system issue
Visitors were briefly paused at St. Joseph's Hospital on Saturday because of a sprinkler system issue, and St. Joseph's Care Group says access was restored that evening. The issue was dealt with at around 6 p.m. with help from Thunder Bay Fire Rescue, and the organization thanked firefighters and staff who kept caring for clients throughout. Visiting is open again, so there's no need to hold off on seeing a loved one there.
Indigenous Community Feature 🪶
First Nations Elders on the words that don't translate
In a short CBC video, reporter Terri Trembath visits First Nations language speakers and Elders who explain how much identity and context a single word can carry. Their words for people, plants and places hold things that are almost impossible to convey in English, and in translation, they say, something is lost: context, essence and even humour. The piece runs 4 minutes and 51 seconds and makes a quiet case for why keeping these languages alive matters.
Harbour Beat Connect 🎧
Build & Thrive Thunder Bay
Host: Robert Downing
Google Business Profile Meets Gemini: What Google's New AI Tools Mean for Local Businesses
This week's episode looks at how Google's new AI tools, Google Business Profile and Gemini, can help a local business get seen and win more customers. It's a quick listen, about nine and a half minutes, with practical ideas for Thunder Bay owners whether they're new to digital marketing or already deep in it.
In this episode:
What Google's new Business Profile and Gemini tools can do for local businesses
How to use them to boost your brand's visibility
Actionable tips for your digital marketing strategy
New episodes every Monday.
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Trivia answer: Tanzania. Kilimanjaro's Uhuru Peak stands about 5,895 metres above sea level, just south of the Kenyan border.
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