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Good morning, Thunder Bay — and welcome to issue one hundred and fifty-four. Cloudy with a high of 13°C and a 60 per cent chance of showers. It's Sunday, November 1, and clocks fell back an hour overnight, so we're on standard time. In today's issue: the health unit urges at-risk residents to get a free pneumococcal vaccine, police in Fort William First Nation warn of suspected drug poisonings, and three women join the city's Women's History Month web exhibit. Plus our Recipe of the Month, and things to do this week.
In this Harbour Beat Issue…
Trivia: A narwhal's famous "horn" is actually an elongated what — tooth, horn, or bone? (Answer at the bottom!)
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Thunder Bay Events
Here's what's on from today through Thursday. Clocks have fallen back, so every start time below is on standard time. (The City's calendar also lists a Chat With the Chief public meeting on Nov. 2, but the listing's own text says Nov. 18, so we've left it out until that's clear.)
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
Wednesday, November 4
NOV 4 · Westfort Prosvita Catch the Ace — draw at 7 p.m. · 📍 Westfort Prosvita, 721 West Gore St. · Weekly fundraising draw, $5 a ticket, and you don't need to be there to win. · 📅 Add to Calendar
Thursday, November 5
NOV 5 · John Muirhead and Nick Sherman — 6:30 p.m., tickets $42.12 to $47.40 · 📍 Royal Canadian Legion Branch 5, 229 Van Norman St. · An evening of storytelling and song from folk-rocker John Muirhead, with a performance by Nick Sherman. · 📅 Add to Calendar
✅ NO WEATHER ALERTS IN EFFECT
Environment Canada has no alerts posted for Thunder Bay at the time of this update. Sunday is cloudy with showers likely, and the morning fog clears near noon.
🌧️ Sunday, November 1 — Thunder Bay
13°C
Overnight low 8°C
Cloudy with a 60 per cent chance of showers. Fog patches dissipate near noon, and the UV index is low at 1. Tonight stays cloudy, with fog patches developing late in the evening and a low of 8°C.
Monday is cloudy with a 30 per cent chance of showers and a high of 14°C. Tuesday brings a 60 per cent chance of showers and a high of 11°C, and Wednesday is cloudy with a high of 9°C. Forecast from Environment Canada.
The health unit urges at-risk residents to get a free pneumococcal vaccine
The Thunder Bay District Health Unit said Friday that rates of invasive pneumococcal disease, a serious infection that can cause meningitis, bloodstream infections and pneumonia, are climbing across the region. Its own rates are more than five times the provincial average. The vaccine is free if you have no history of a previous pneumococcal shot and you are 65 or older, or 18 to 64 with a weakened immune system or a chronic condition. In the north, eligibility now also covers adults 18 to 64 who are without stable housing or who use substances regularly. If that sounds like you or someone you look after, ask your health-care provider or the health unit about booking it; it's available year-round and can be given alongside your fall vaccines.
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Police warn of suspected drug poisonings in Fort William First Nation
Anishinabek Police Services issued a warning Friday after two suspected drug poisonings in five days in Fort William First Nation. Police fear a more potent substance may be circulating, though the exact cause is not known. They ask anyone who uses drugs to use extra caution: buddy up, tell someone if you use alone, avoid mixing drugs, start low and go slow, and carry naloxone. Free naloxone kits are available, and if you ever see an overdose, call 9-1-1 even after giving naloxone; the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act protects people who call for help.
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Three women join the city's Women's History Month web exhibit
Each October the City of Thunder Bay adds new names to its Women's History Month web exhibit, and on Thursday it inducted Alice Bellavance, the CEO of Brain Injury Services of Northern Ontario; Nancy Perozzo, who has spent about 25 years documenting the city's grain industry with Friends of Grain Elevators; and the late Sanna Kannasto (1878-1968). City Archivist Christina Wakefield says the aim is to keep growing the exhibit for as long as possible. The exhibit is online, and Friends of Grain Elevators offers waterfront tours if you'd like to see that history up close.
🗳️ Your call: How should Thunder Bay keep honouring local women's history?
How should Thunder Bay keep honouring local women's history?
🥣 RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Roasted Squash & Wild Rice Soup
A cozy bowl for a damp November day: silky roasted squash blended smooth, then stirred through with nutty wild rice for a bit of chew. If you can find wild rice harvested in Northwestern Ontario, even better.
Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lb / 1 kg), peeled and cubed
1 tbsp olive oil, plus a little for the pan
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups (1 L) vegetable or chicken stock
3/4 cup cooked wild rice
1/2 cup (125 mL) cream or milk
Salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg
Toasted pumpkin seeds, to serve
Steps
Toss the squash with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 425°F (220°C) for 30 to 35 minutes, until tender and lightly browned.
In a large pot, soften the onion in a little oil for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic for another minute.
Add the roasted squash and the stock, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Blend until smooth, then return to the pot and stir in the cream, nutmeg and cooked wild rice. Heat through and taste for salt.
Ladle into bowls and top with toasted pumpkin seeds.
Tip: it keeps in the fridge for up to three days and tastes even better the next day.
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Trivia answer: A tooth. The narwhal's spiral "horn" is really an elongated upper left canine tooth that can grow to about three metres long.
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