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Happy Thursday, Thunder Bay! A real break at last — cooler air is moving in and the smoke should finally start to thin. In today's issue: a freight train derails under an East End bridge, wildfire smoke shuts pools, beaches and the waterfront concert, a beloved corner store changes hands after 17 years, and the Border Cats' 75th-birthday game gets bumped by the haze. Plus your weekend events and a brand-new craft studio in the spotlight. 🌤️
In this Harbour Beat Issue…
🚆 A freight train derails under an East End bridge
🌫️ Smoke shuts pools, beaches and the waterfront concert
🏪 A beloved corner store changes hands after 17 years
⚾ Smoke bumps the Border Cats' 75th-birthday game
🎨 Local Business Spotlight: Lala's Craft Bowl
Trivia: How many hearts does an octopus have? (Answer at the bottom!)
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Your week-ahead guide to Thunder Bay — here's what's worth getting out for over the next few days. 🎉
Thursday, July 16
Dear Evan Hansen — 7:30 p.m. · 📍 Badanai Theatre · Badanai Theatre stages the Tony-winning musical about connection, grief and belonging — the final nights of its first run · 📅 Add to Calendar
Friday, July 17
Thunder Bay Chill vs FC Manitoba — evening · 📍 Chapples Park · The Chill close the Prairies Premier League regular season at home — and a win clinches the club's first-ever league title · 📅 Add to Calendar
Saturday, July 18
Festival of India — 3–8 p.m. (free) · 📍 Marina Park · A chariot parade, dance, drama, henna, kids' activities and a free feast at Thunder Bay's biggest cultural celebration · 📅 Add to Calendar
Lala's Craft Bowl Grand Opening — all weekend · 📍 105 May Street North · This week's featured business throws open its doors — drop in and make something (see the spotlight below) · 📅 Add to Calendar
Sunday, July 19
Celtic Day — 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (free) · 📍 Fort William Historical Park · Massed pipe and drum bands, Highland dancers, hands-on activities and great food · 📅 Add to Calendar
Festival of Colours — 3–7 p.m. · 📍 Marina Park · Colour throws, live music, dance and food at this joyful, family-friendly waterfront celebration · 📅 Add to Calendar
⚠️ AIR QUALITY — WILDFIRE SMOKE EASING
Wildfire smoke is expected to thin as cooler, cleaner air pushes in, but a special air-quality statement may still apply at times. Conditions can shift hour to hour — ease up on heavy outdoor exertion when smoke is thick, keep windows closed if it settles in, and check on anyone with breathing issues, seniors and young children.
⛅ Thursday, July 16 — Thunder Bay
26°C
Overnight low 12°C
Sunny start, increasing cloud in the afternoon · 30% chance of showers · Lingering smoke thinning · Cooler and less humid
A genuine break. Thursday brings a high near 26°C — a world away from the record-shattering heat earlier this week — with sunshine giving way to increasing cloud by afternoon and a 30% chance of showers. Cooler, less humid air keeps settling in, and the lingering wildfire smoke should keep thinning, though air quality may still dip at times, so sensitive groups should check the latest advisories before heading out. Overnight lows slip to around 12°C. Full forecast at Environment Canada.
A freight train derails under an East End bridge
Thunder Bay Fire Rescue was called out around 3 p.m. Tuesday after several CPKC freight cars left the tracks and made contact with the concrete underpass at the Pacific Avenue overpass in the city's East End. No one was hurt. The derailed cars were hauling intermodal containers of general freight — one spilled a load of bottled cranberry juice, and a refrigerated unit leaked a small amount of fuel that crews moved in to clean up. Railway officials have taken over the site to investigate and clear the wreck.
Smoke shuts pools, beaches and the waterfront concert
Thick wildfire smoke reshaped the week across Thunder Bay. With air quality rated very poor, the city closed all outdoor pools and beaches, shut several playgrounds and paused some youth programs, keeping Churchill and Volunteer pools open for indoor swims. Wednesday's Live on the Waterfront season opener at Marina Park was called off — though headliner Joce Reyome played a small acoustic set indoors at the Community Auditorium instead. Forecasters expect the haze to ease as cooler, cleaner air moves in.
A beloved corner store changes hands after 17 years
After 17 years behind the counter, Sharon Ambro and her daughter Heather are selling Alley's Corner Variety. Sharon only ever promised 10 years when the mother-daughter duo bought the neighbourhood shop — "she gave me an extra seven," Heather says, "and that was plenty." It wasn't an easy call, but they're ready: Sharon's looking forward to a month at camp, knee surgery in the fall, and maybe some travel. A new owner takes the keys as a familiar local fixture turns the page.
Smoke bumps the Border Cats' 75th-birthday game
The party will have to wait a beat. Wildfire smoke hanging over Port Arthur Stadium forced the last-minute cancellation of Tuesday's special Border Cats game marking the ballpark's 75th anniversary. The club and the visiting La Crosse Loggers made it up with a Wednesday doubleheader — two seven-inning games on one ticket — once the haze lifted enough to play ball.
Local Business Spotlight
Featured Studio: Lala's Craft Bowl
Crafting · Caring · Community — a pop-in-and-make-it space on May Street
Overview
Thunder Bay has a new gathering spot for makers of every age and skill level. Lala's Craft Bowl, Allanah's "pop-in-and-make-it" studio at the corner of May and Victoria, officially opens its doors this weekend after building a devoted following through pop-ups around the city. Her whole approach comes down to three words — crafting, caring, community — a judgment-free space where anyone can walk in, pick a project, and leave with something they made themselves.
💬 "It particularly makes me ecstatic to see people walk in saying, 'I can't even draw a stick figure,' and leave having created something and feeling so good about it." — Allanah, owner
What you can make
Pour painting, acrylic on canvas, and painting plaster or wood pieces
Crushed-glass & resin sun catchers, diamond art, and mosaic workshops (coming soon)
Decoden art — a bedazzled craft Allanah believes is new to Thunder Bay: cover a phone case, frame or hairpins in "icing" glue, then pile on buttons, beads and sparkles until it's all your own
Walk-in friendly for all ages — great for a solo afternoon, a group outing, or a party
Ambiance & Experience
Warm, welcoming and refreshingly pressure-free — a place to slow down, get a little messy, and surprise yourself. Allanah keeps seeing the same happy faces come back ("they just enjoy themselves so much"), and she's already dreaming up birthday parties and annual traditions — the kind of memories people return for years later.
Location & Contact
📍 105 May Street North, Unit 7 (corner of May & Victoria), Thunder Bay
📞 (807) 473-7706
📸 Facebook & Instagram @lalascraftbowl
Operating Hours
Grand opening the weekend of July 18–19, 2026. Workshops and pop-in sessions vary — check Facebook/Instagram @lalascraftbowl for the current schedule.
Final brushstroke
Whether you're a seasoned crafter or can't draw a stick figure, Lala's Craft Bowl is a judgment-free place to try something new and take home both a creation and a memory.
Meme of the Day
Brought to you by Harbour Beat
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: An octopus has three hearts. Two branchial hearts pump blood through the gills, while a third systemic heart circulates it to the rest of the body — and that systemic heart actually stops beating when the octopus swims, which is part of why they often prefer to crawl.