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Good morning, Thunder Bay — and welcome to issue one hundred and sixteen. A mix of sun and cloud with a high of 16°C, clearing through the morning before cloud builds in the afternoon and a chance of showers moves in overnight — worth an umbrella just in case. In today's issue: a $2.3 million decontamination facility keeps Neebing's firefighters from carrying carcinogens home with them; a revised 400-unit apartment design for John and Junot draws a room full of concerns; police link two overnight break-ins 90 minutes apart; and Thunder Bay's first seniors "age in place" expo packs the CLE Heritage Building. Plus seven things to do between now and Saturday.
In this Harbour Beat Issue…
Trivia: Dr. Seuss's editor bet him he couldn't write an entertaining book using only a tiny handful of different words. How many unique words does "Green Eggs and Ham" actually use? (Answer at the bottom!)
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Thunder Bay Events
Thursday's a night at the theatre or the greenhouse, Friday leans into live music, and Saturday runs from an artisan fair out the Slate River valley to a night of gaming and a night of glamour.
Thursday, September 24
SEP 24 · Come From Away — curtain 7:30 p.m., $36 · 📍 Badanai Theatre · The Gander musical, directed by Candi Badanai. Third weekend of the run, Thursday through Saturday, with more dates to October 10. · 📅 Add to Calendar
SEP 24 · Plant BINGO at Creekside — 6 to 9 p.m., 19+ · 📍 Creekside Nursery & Garden Centre, 683 Woodcrest Rd. · Bingo where the prizes are tropical plants. Tickets include a welcome drink and 20 per cent off at the nursery, and $5 from each one goes to Our Kids Count. · 📅 Add to Calendar
Friday, September 25
SEP 25 · Bar Polonia Friday Live Music — 8 to 11 p.m., $10 · 📍 Polish Combatant's Association, 209 N. Cumberland St. · Weekly live music night in the Legion-style clubroom. · 📅 Add to Calendar
SEP 25 · The Cover Show XXXIV — 9 p.m. · 📍 Black Pirates Pub, 215 Red River Rd. · Wiggins Productions' 34th tribute night — local acts paying homage to Metallica, Olivia Rodrigo, Iron Maiden, Paramore and more. · 📅 Add to Calendar
Saturday, September 26
SEP 26 · Autumn Rendezvous artisan show — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., free · 📍 4485 Highway 61, out through the Slate River valley · Seventh year for this one: local artisans, live music from Jim and Chris of tbay TRAD, and a Welsh cream tea in the pines. · 📅 Add to Calendar
SEP 26 · Gaming Weekend at the Thunder Bay Museum — 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., museum admission · 📍 425 Donald St. E. · Second edition: two days of tabletop RPGs, Warhammer, miniature painting, card and board games. · 📅 Add to Calendar
SEP 26 · 2nd Annual Supreme Drag Sovereign of Pride Pageant — 5 to 10:30 p.m. · 📍 Prince Arthur Hotel, 17 Cumberland St. N. · Pink Mafia Productions and the Prince Arthur Hotel host the region's drag entertainers competing for the title. · 📅 Add to Calendar
✅ NO WEATHER ALERTS IN EFFECT
Environment Canada has nothing posted for Thunder Bay as of Wednesday evening. Thursday turns mostly sunny with increasing cloudiness through the afternoon — nothing severe, just a chance of showers overnight.
☁️ Thursday, September 24 — Thunder Bay
16°C
Overnight low 8°C
Mainly sunny, with increasing cloudiness through the afternoon and morning fog patches dissipating. Chance of showers changing to drizzle overnight. Light winds.
Thursday clears through the morning before cloud builds in the afternoon, with a high of 16°C and a chance of showers changing to drizzle overnight, down to a low of 8°C. Friday stays cloudy at a milder 19°C, Saturday holds at 18°C with cloud and a 30 percent chance of showers overnight, and Sunday turns more unsettled with a 60 percent chance of showers at 18°C. Monday stays cloudy at 18°C with showers likely overnight. Winds stay light through the stretch. Forecast from Environment Canada.
Neebing's new decontamination facility keeps toxic gear off firefighters' backs
A $2.3-million decontamination facility opened in Neebing on Sunday, giving volunteer firefighters a safe way to strip toxic contaminants off their gear, apparatus and themselves before heading back into service.
Public information officer Fawn Cheesman said modern fires burn plastics and synthetics that settle as carcinogens on bunker gear and equipment. Health Canada already puts firefighters at a 9 per cent higher risk of a cancer diagnosis than the general population, with cancer now the leading cause of on-duty death in the profession. Without in-house decontamination, gear often has to be shipped out for cleaning — sometimes leaving a volunteer without protective equipment for an extended stretch.
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A revised 400-unit apartment design for John and Junot draws a room full of concerns
An updated design for the proposed 400-unit apartment development at the corner of John Street and Junot Avenue is raising concerns for nearby residents, who pushed back on the revised plan this week.
The project has grown more contentious as its design has evolved, with neighbours questioning the scale of a complex considerably larger than most others recently proposed in the city.
🗳️ Your call: a 400-unit design for that corner has residents raising concerns. What's the right call?
A revised design for a 400-unit apartment building at John Street and Junot Avenue has nearby residents raising concerns. What's the right call?
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Police link two overnight break-ins 90 minutes apart
Thunder Bay police are investigating break-ins at a gas bar and a convenience store that happened within 90 minutes of each other overnight. Both owners believe the same person was involved in both incidents.
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Thunder Bay's first seniors "age in place" expo packs the CLE Heritage Building
Thunder Bay's first-ever Senior Living While at Home Expo brought local businesses and organizations together at the CLE Heritage Building Wednesday, all aimed at helping seniors stay safely and independently in their own homes.
Age Friendly Thunder Bay board chair Donna Nagy said the idea was simple: rather than seniors visiting a dozen different stores, bring the resources into one room. Vendors ranged from home modification and accessibility products to financial and real estate information for anyone eventually considering a move.
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: Just 50. Editor Bennett Cerf bet Dr. Seuss $50 that he couldn't write an entertaining book using only 50 different words — Seuss won the bet, and "Green Eggs and Ham" has gone on to sell tens of millions of copies since.
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