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Good morning, Thunder Bay — and welcome to issue one hundred and forty-six. A mix of sun and cloud, with a high of 10°C. It's Sunday, and election day is tomorrow: online voting closes at 8 p.m. Monday, and the City lists a polling place for each ward. In today's issue: how to vote, a Tbaytel outage that made it hard to reach 911 during a Shuniah house fire, the last fall leaf-and-yard pickup, and eight new police constables. Plus eight things to do through Thursday.
In this Harbour Beat Issue…
Trivia: How many bones does a typical adult human have — 106, 206, or 306? (Answer at the bottom!)
Why Overseas Producers Can't Undercut Atlas Salt, Even for Free
Cities are already running short on road salt, and winter hasn't even started. Some supply bids are going unanswered, prices have nearly doubled in parts of the market, and the backup plan is two weeks away by boat. Here's why Atlas Salt (TSXV: SALT | OTCQX: SALQF) can get salt to the people who need it most, faster and cheaper than anyone shipping from overseas:
• Three days by ship to Boston, not fourteen
• Shallow deposit that's cheaper and faster to mine
• Projected C$188M a year in free cash flow
• Export Development Canada interested in lending C$150M
• Early supply deal with top U.S. salt distributor
Thunder Bay Events
From a last Halloween Hoot day and a market in Shuniah to election day, a JUNO winner at Magnus, a country night and a Mediterranean guitarist, here's what's on through Thursday.
Sunday, October 25
OCT 25 · The Market — 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., free · 📍 Macgregor Rec Centre, 800 Lakeshore Dr., Shuniah · A food and vendor market. · 📅 Add to Calendar
OCT 25 · Halloween Hoot — noon to 4 p.m., final day; $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 25 · Flipper Flanagan's Flat Footed Four in concert — 2 to 4 p.m., $20 per person · 📍 Lakeview Presbyterian Church, 278 Camelot St. · Northern Ontario recording artists play a church concert; call 807-345-8823 for tickets. · 📅 Add to Calendar
Monday, October 26
OCT 26 · 2026 Municipal Election Day — 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; online voting also closes at 8 p.m. · 📍 Your ward's polling place, named on your Voter Information Letter · Questions? Call the voter help line at 807-622-VOTE (8683). · 📅 Add to Calendar
Tuesday, October 27
OCT 27 · Hawksley Workman Duo — 6:30 p.m., tickets $53.85 · 📍 Magnus Theatre, 10 Algoma St. S. · The JUNO Award-winning singer-songwriter brings an evening of theatrical glam and indie rock. · 📅 Add to Calendar
OCT 27 · Free public lecture: Chronicling McVicar Creek Through Art — 7:30 to 9 p.m., free · 📍 Thunder Bay Museum, 425 Donald St. E. · Betty Carpick presents "A Record of Time" in the museum's 2026–27 lecture series. · 📅 Add to Calendar
Wednesday, October 28
OCT 28 · Owen Riegling — 7:30 p.m. · 📍 Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, 1 Paul Shaffer Dr. · The country singer-songwriter and 2022 Boots & Hearts competition winner plays the Auditorium. · 📅 Add to Calendar
Thursday, October 29
OCT 29 · Pavlo — 7:30 p.m., tickets from $64 · 📍 Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, 1 Paul Shaffer Dr. · The award-winning instrumental Mediterranean guitarist and recording artist in concert. · 📅 Add to Calendar
✅ NO WEATHER ALERTS IN EFFECT
Environment Canada has no alerts posted for Thunder Bay at the time of this update. Sunday looks dry, with a mix of sun and cloud.
⛅ Sunday, October 25 — Thunder Bay
10°C
Overnight low −4°C
A mix of sun and cloud, with a high of 10°C. Clear overnight, with a low near −4°C.
Election day Monday is sunny with a high of 5°C. Tuesday is a mix of sun and cloud with a 30 per cent chance of showers and a high of 5°C, and Wednesday turns cloudy with a 60 per cent chance of showers and a high of 9°C. Forecast from Environment Canada.
Election Day is Monday: vote online until 8 p.m. or at your ward's polling place
Thunder Bay's municipal election wraps up Monday, Oct. 26. According to the City, online voting runs until 8 p.m. that day. Voters who prefer to go in person use the polling location named on their Voter Information Letter, and the City lists the two polling places for each of the seven wards on its How to Vote page; the City's events calendar shows election-day voting from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Questions go to the voter help line at 807-622-VOTE (8683) or [email protected]. Not sure where your ward's polling place is? Check your letter or call the help line before Monday.
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A Tbaytel outage made it hard to reach 911 during a Shuniah house fire
Shuniah Fire Chief Blair Arthur says the two people inside a home in the McKenzie Beach area got out safely when a fire broke out around 4 a.m. Friday, but they struggled to reach the fire department because of cell service problems through Tbaytel on Thursday and Friday. The home was declared a total loss, the cause is not yet known, and firefighters from Shuniah and Pass Lake were still working at the scene around 10:30 a.m. A Tbaytel notice posted Thursday said the company was seeing a service degradation across parts of its east and west regions, affecting regional cell and wireless internet service; the company had no comment as of Friday afternoon. If you rely on a cell phone, it's worth checking this weekend that you have a second way to call for help, such as a landline.
🗳️ Your call: If your cell service went down tonight, how would you reach 911?
If your cell service went down tonight, how would you reach 911?
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The final fall leaf and yard waste pickup runs Nov. 3 to 13
The City says its second and final fall Leaf & Yard Waste curbside collection will take place between Nov. 3 and 13, four weeks after the first. Only kraft paper bags are accepted, and each filled bag must weigh less than 18 kg (40 lb.); bundled branches and brush are also collected, with bundles under one metre (39 inches) long. Solid waste manager Jason Sherband says the second fall collection, which began in 2024, has meant much more material being collected and diverted from the landfill. That gives you about ten days to bag up the yard, and plastic bags won't be taken.
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Eight new constables join the Thunder Bay Police Service
Eight new constables took their oaths Thursday at the Thunder Bay Courthouse to join the Thunder Bay Police Service. Chief Darcy Fleury said the recruits bring a range of experience, including military service, social services and aviation, and that each has already shown the ability to do what is needed in the community. He said those skills will serve them well in a service focused on community involvement.
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: 206. A baby is born with around 300 bones, and many of them fuse as a child grows, leaving 206 in most adults.
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