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Good morning, Thunder Bay — and welcome to issue one hundred and fifty-two. Mainly cloudy with a high of 9°C. It's Friday, and the Ultimate Burger Battle kicks off this Sunday with restaurants from Thunder Bay to Kenora. In today's issue: what the Battle means for your lunch budget, a few days left to weigh in on the 2027 city budget, and where to park at the Auditorium while the lot is torn up. Plus tonight's SSSAA football games and your Halloween weekend things to do.
In this Harbour Beat Issue…
Trivia: The English word "sabotage" comes from the French word sabot, which is a type of what — wooden shoe, glove, or hat? (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 Friday-night live music and a Halloween karaoke night to a family art afternoon and the Pumpkin Parade at Hillcrest Park, here's what's on through Monday. Remember, clocks fall back an hour early Sunday morning.
Friday, October 30
OCT 30 · Mum's Pantry General Store — noon to 6 p.m., Thursday to Saturday · 📍 100 Simpson St. · A community-driven general store and mini artisan market celebrating local food and handmade goods. · 📅 Add to Calendar
OCT 30 · Friday live music at Bar Polonia — 8 to 11 p.m. · 📍 209 N. Cumberland St. · Weekly live music night at the Polish Combatants' hall; everyone is welcome. · 📅 Add to Calendar
Saturday, October 31
OCT 31 · Karaoke at The Proz — 8 p.m. · 📍 Westfort Prosvita, 721 West Gore St. · A Halloween-night karaoke session at The Proz. · 📅 Add to Calendar
Sunday, November 1
NOV 1 · Family Art Days — 1 to 4 p.m., free · 📍 Thunder Bay Art Gallery, 1080 Keewatin St. · Free all-ages activities to explore the exhibitions and get creative. · 📅 Add to Calendar
NOV 1 · Stepping Out For Foot Health — 2 to 4 p.m. · 📍 Intercity Shopping Centre, 1000 Fort William Rd. · St. Joseph's Foundation's awareness and fundraising walk to prevent diabetic foot complications. · 📅 Add to Calendar
NOV 1 · Pumpkin Parade — 3:30 to 8:30 p.m., free · 📍 Hillcrest Park · Drop off your carved pumpkin and see them all lit up for the evening; the pumpkins are composted afterwards. · 📅 Add to Calendar
Monday, November 2
NOV 2 · Chat With the Chief (check before you go — city listing also mentions Nov. 18) — 5 to 7:15 p.m., free · 📍 Waverley Resource Library, 285 Red River Rd. · A public meeting with the police chief; questions can be submitted beforehand. · 📅 Add to Calendar
✅ NO WEATHER ALERTS IN EFFECT
Environment Canada has no alerts posted for Thunder Bay at the time of this update. Friday stays mainly cloudy and a little breezy in the afternoon.
☁️ Friday, October 30 — Thunder Bay
9°C
Overnight low −3°C
Mainly cloudy, with the wind turning west at 20 km/h in the afternoon and a high of 9°C. The UV index is low at 2. Partly cloudy overnight with fog patches developing, a low of −3°C and a wind chill near −5.
Halloween Saturday is sunny with a high of 11°C, then cloudy periods and a 30 per cent chance of showers overnight with a low of 5°C. Sunday is cloudy with a 30 per cent chance of showers and a high of 14°C, and Monday is cloudy and 14°C. Forecast from Environment Canada.
The Ultimate Burger Battle kicks off Sunday, with $2 from every burger going to the United Way
The United Way of Thunder Bay revealed Thursday that the 2026 Ultimate Burger Battle starts Sunday, with restaurants in Thunder Bay, Nipigon, Manitouwadge, Kenora, Dryden and White River each selling a unique burger through November. This year's field was capped at about 40 entries so every burger can be scored properly, and last year's campaign raised more than $130,000. Ambassadors will sample and rank the burgers in the first half of November, narrowing the field to a final eight before a secret judge picks the winner, and anyone sampling can vote for a favourite too. Every battle burger you buy this month sends $2 to local programs, so lunch out can double as a donation.
🗳️ Your call: How many Ultimate Burger Battle burgers will you try this November?
How many Ultimate Burger Battle burgers will you try this November?
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The city's 2027 pre-budget survey closes Nov. 3
City residents have a few days left to tell city hall where their priorities lie. The five-question survey, on the City's Get Involved page, asks you to rank services by importance and whether you'd be comfortable reducing or changing funding for some services, or paying higher user fees or taxes to keep up with inflation. City treasurer Keri Greaves says the results go to departments as they prepare budget submissions. The draft capital and operating budgets are due out Jan. 15, 2027, with deliberations starting Jan. 25, and a second survey will follow the draft. The survey closes Tuesday, Nov. 3, so if you want a say in the first round, do it this weekend.
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The Auditorium's main parking lot stays closed while crews repave it
The main parking lot shared by the Auditorium and the indoor turf facility is unavailable while city crews expand and repave it before the end of the 2026 construction season. The City says you can park on Winnipeg Avenue near the Canada Games Complex, or in the Port Arthur Stadium and Port Arthur Arena lots nearby, and temporary accessible parking is on Paul Shaffer Drive across from the Auditorium's main entrance. Heading to a show or the turf this weekend? Leave extra time to find a spot and walk in.
🏈 THE WEEKEND SCOREBOARD
Last Friday's results (senior football, Fort William Stadium)
Hammarskjold 44, St. Patrick 10
St. Ignatius 48, Westgate 14
Tonight, Friday, Oct. 30 (tournament games, Fort William Stadium)
5 p.m. — Hammarskjold vs. Westgate
7 p.m. — St. Ignatius vs. St. Patrick
Full schedules and scores are on the SSSAA senior football schedule →
📸 Want your team featured? Reply with a team photo and a line about the game.
Meme of the Day
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Trivia answer: A wooden shoe. A sabot is a traditional wooden clog, and the French verb saboter first meant to walk noisily or work clumsily before "sabotage" came to mean deliberately wrecking something.
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