Along the Shore

Little Nova—a nine-month-old puppy—was lost in Hermantown on Dec. 28, 2021 during a snowstorm. Thankfully, she was reunited with all her girls on Dec. 30. | APRIL GUSTAFSON

By Casey Fitchett

It’s the nightmare of many pet owners: your beloved furry family member goes missing. In a time of unique desperation and uncertainty, groups like The Retrievers step in to work with individuals and families on what is likely one of the hardest days of their lives.

The Retrievers, an all-volunteer team based in Minnesota, has all of the tools to help reunite lost dogs and their owners. Their 60 volunteers aid in the capture of skittish dogs, consult on search and strategy, and provide lost dog education and prevention tips. The group facilitates cases hands-on within Minnesota and the edges of bordering states in addition to consulting by phone to help track down lost dogs nationwide. In 2020, they provided assistance on 798 cases in 32 different states.

Amy Addy, a case manager and lead safety coordinator for The Retrievers, has had a special place in her heart for rescue animals for as long as she can remember. In addition to her work educating the public on safe transport practices for rescues and giving guidance on lost dog cases, she also runs an organization called Missing Pets in the Northland.

A crucial aspect of her role is disseminating information on best practices for preventing pets from going missing. She emphasizes that when it comes to keeping the pet from escaping, leashes are the best way to do it.

“A lot of the dogs that go missing were off leash. We recommend a well-fitted harness or a Martingale collar because it doesn’t pop off their heads,” Addy explains. “Do not use a retractable leash. Along with the rope being a safety hazard, dogs that go missing with these leashes freak out because this plastic thing is chasing them down the street as they are running.”

During holidays or other times when there are people coming and going from your house, it can help to keep the dog in one particular room with the door closed when guests are coming and going. Frequent checks of your backyard for holes or gaps in and under fences can prevent a dog from squeezing himself through to the great unknown.

If owners do find themselves in the very unfortunate situation of having to search for their beloved pet, Addy stresses that driving around yelling their name should not be one of your first steps. While it may be your gut instinct, the dogs are in survival mode and will likely not recognize you as its owner. A more effective tactic is creating a scent trail using food and unwashed clothing belonging to their favorite human. These scent trails can be combined with a feeding station and a camera set up in one spot to trap them.

Signs and fliers are also instrumental in spreading the word and are the most effective method for bringing animals back home. The Retrievers also has a specific team that’s dedicated to just online awareness and posting digital fliers. “Bonded dogs,” or companions that the lost animal may know well, can also be useful in snapping the lost dog out of survival mode and luring them out of a hiding spot.

“They are more likely to come to another dog than they are to come to a human, especially if it can make them jealous. If you are lavishing the bonded dog with praise and excitement, it can make the other dog realize they want some of that,” Addy says. “Even if you spot the lost dog, do not make eye contact, because that will make them bolt.”

Reuniting owners with their pets is often made possible through identification; microchips and tags are the two most common recommended types. After you microchip your pet, have it registered through a registrar of your choice. Although there is usually a small fee to chip the animal, some of the registries are free. Don’t forget to update the information if your phone number or address changes. Tags can also be a quick and effective way to bring your furry loved one back home.

“Have a current identification tag with name, phone number, and address, not just the rabies tag. Get a stitched or embroidered collar—or just write your name with a Sharpie on the inside of the collar. Tags can rip off,” she explains.

A variety of Facebook groups like Cook County MN Pets: Lost, Found, Escaped also help connect owners of lost pets with community members who may be able to provide insight about when and where the animal was last seen in the area. Even if you personally don’t own a pet, joining these hyper-local groups can be the difference in whether an animal in your neighborhood is reunited safely with its owner.

For more information about The Retrievers and other helpful tips on lost pet prevention and education, tune into Addy’s monthly segment on WTIP or visit the organization’s website at: theretrievers.org.

By Peter Fergus-Moore

THUNDER BAY—Mr. Bojangles is a very lucky cat. And the slim grey tabby has a passionate New Zealander human to thank for it. Bojangles’ story began like that of many cats who find themselves in the safekeeping of Caring Hearts Cat Rescue and Sanctuary in Thunder Bay. He was homeless, one of some several hundred felines in the area who are deprived of, or never had, a household in which to live. While Caring Hearts arranges for the immediate medical and nutritional needs of the homeless critters, humans who foster or adopt the cats are a crucial component of their rescue and settling.

Enter people like Ruth and Richard Kamo, whose Canadian-born New Zealander granddaughter Tori Chapman-Kobot had a bee in her bonnet.

“Tori was staying with us while she went to Lakehead University,” Ruth remembers. “She really wanted a cat. To persuade us, she even put together a PowerPoint presentation for us on the pros and cons of having one in the house.”

“We wanted a cat ourselves, but not a permanent pet,” Richard adds. “We like to travel, so fostering became a compromise. Tori did the whole application process. They OK’d her, and us by extension.”

And so began the parade of some 20 fostered cats entering and leaving the Kamo household over the period of a year.

Fostering is a key link in the chain of events that lead hopefully to providing permanent homes for needy cats in the area. Once a homeless cat is captured or dropped off, it needs shelter, food and usually medical attention. This last includes detecting any diseases or conditions that need rectifying. Caring Hearts in Thunder Bay is fortunate to have the cooperation and facilities of Thunder Bay City Animal Control for this step. Without such facilities, the work of Caring Hearts would be all but impossible.

“We’re always looking for fosters,” says Caring Hearts’ co-adoption coordinator Amber Raine. “Some fosters even end up adopting.”

While adoption is not on the table for the Kamos, fostering has been a tremendously rewarding adventure.

“The first cats were very frightened,” Richard remembers. “There was a lot of hiding under the couch, but they started to come out after a couple of days.”

“Altogether, it was a great experience, even with some of the worst things that happen sometimes, like knocking things over or eating the houseplants,” he smiles. “They’re cats—curious!”

“Our most adventurous foster was Tiny, who came to us very pregnant,” Ruth says. “We had no idea when she would give birth, so we were surprised after about a month when we came home from going out, to find a kitten on the living room floor.”

Mother Tiny had rejected the kitten, which proved to have a deformity. The other five were nursing vigorously off the mother, and at this time, the scope of Caring Hearts’ foster support came to the fore.

“We had been a little concerned about the cost of fostering, but we didn’t have to worry,” Richard says. “Caring Hearts provides everything: food, litter, toys, vet services. For Tiny and the kittens, they even loaned us a playpen so we could control the movements of the pack.”

Eventually, granddaughter Tori moved on to employment in the Northwest Territories, but was memorialized in a way by the Kamos giving the kittens Kiwi (New Zealand) names like Pavlova, Taika (for renowned Maori filmmaker Taika Waititi), Gumboot, etc. Fosters like the Kamos often get to name their temporary charges. Though the Kamos will foster again in the foreseeable future, they have suspended that for a time as they will be renovating their condo unit.

Was it hard to give the fosters up for adoption?

“Not really,” Ruth says. “We knew that they were going to good homes.”

Of course, as sometimes happens, one of the Kiwi kittens was renamed after adoption. He is now Mr. Bojangles and lives with Ruth’s brother and sister-in-law two doors away, so he is able to visit any time the fosters want.

Arrowhead Animal Rescue does the work of finding or receiving stray or abandoned pets and seeking homes for them in Cook County. The need for both facilities and vet care, and potential fosters and adoptions, is much the same as in the Thunder Bay area. However, those people trying to make a difference for needy pets in Cook County are struggling.

“We are the only thing in Cook County working in animal rescue,” says Arrowhead’s Gay O’Donnell. “What we try to do is when somebody calls us (at Arrowhead), we go and pick up the animals, get them checked out by the vet, and look for foster homes, or adoptive homes for them. With COVID now, a lot has changed.”

Arrowhead also lacks a critical link in the adoptive chain.

To look northward across the border for comparison, those involved with animal rescue in the Thunder Bay area have facilities to place the rescued animals before they are fostered or adopted out. Thunder Bay District Humane Society and Thunder City Animal Control both offer temporary facilities where the animals brought in can be checked over by veterinarians, fed and sheltered, until new homes can be found. The Humane Society even has the benefit of a weekly vignette on the local tv station to advertise a pet needing adoption.

While veterinary services are available in Cook County, Arrowhead Animal Rescue lacks the equivalent temporary facility for the rescued animals to shelter before fostering or adoption takes place.

“We used to put them in the dog pound,” says O’Donnell. “But the city (Grand Marais) took it down. Now there’s nowhere for the animals to stay before we can find fosters. We were told to take them to Duluth.”

“It was a terrible building, anyway,” adds Dale Peterson, Arrowhead’s treasurer. “But at least we could keep them there for a time and have them looked after. But now without a place like that, we can’t just leave the animals with the vet—they don’t have enough room for them. That leaves our homes, but with COVID, we can’t just have strangers come over to check them out, either.”

While there might be signs of a replacement building on the horizon, it is fair to say that between the lack of a temporary facility to house the rescued animals, and the effects of COVID-19, the work of Arrowhead Animal Rescue is temporarily in limbo. However, the need for the work has taken no holiday.

“Someone recently reported two abandoned huskies, a female in heat and an intact male,” Peterson recalls. “Where do we put them?”

“There are pets that get loose and are found, and some people are still abandoning pets,” O’Donnell adds.

“Those people who are willing to foster mostly already have pets. Bringing a foster into the territory of another animal is risky,” says O’Donnell. “There’s nowhere that we can temporarily place them. I cringe when I get a phone call now.”

By Joe Shead

DULUTH—Valentine’s Day is supposed to take your breath away. It’s a storybook kind of day, filled with chocolates, dinner and romance with your soul mate. But unfortunately, some of us have disastrous Valentine’s Day memories. Maybe we were alone when everyone else was on a date. Maybe we spilled at the table and our face turned as blush as the wine. Or maybe the romantic evening we’d hoped for was a complete dud.

I was single on my most disastrous Valentine’s Day. I was looking for a little extra cash and responded to an ad to be a floral delivery driver just for the holiday. It was going to be a great gig! I’d make a bunch of people happy as I walked into their workplace with a pretty bouquet and at the end of the day, I’d have some cash in my pocket.

But when I showed up at the flower shop, I learned there were several other drivers as well. We were getting paid per delivery, so the more flowers we could take, the more money we could make. Well, unlike the other chumps, I had a pickup. So, I crammed armfuls of beautiful floral arrangements into the grimy bed of my truck. The flowers were nestled in between the bags of sand I keep back there in winter for extra traction and were plopped on top of spilled buckets of road salt, stray leaves from fall raking and probably still some deer hairs from last deer season.

An intelligent person would have planned a systematic route, grouping deliveries by region. My style was to grab the closest bouquet, get an address and go for it. I kind of felt stupid when I drove all the way to one end of town, went to the opposite end and then ended up nearly back where I made the first delivery, but like I said, intelligence isn’t my strong suit.

Of course, neither is direction. This was years ago, before I had a smartphone. I did have the foresight to bring along a local phonebook with a city map to find those streets I wasn’t familiar with, but a couple times I had to pull out my old antenna-style flip phone, call a friend and ask him to go on his computer for directions.

I have to admit, I did actually make a lot of people happy that day. I felt good every time I entered the building, asked for the unsuspecting recipient and then watched her smile and blush as her coworkers applauded. That part was actually pretty cool.

But none of them knew the hell those flowers had been through. Imagine trying to navigate without the luxury of turn-byturn directions being spoken to you by your car. It might be conceivable, then, that you might occasionally have to slam on the brakes as you look up from the map in your lap and see a stop sign. Or maybe, perhaps, you might take a corner a little too fast. All I know for sure is that several top-heavy vases tipped over. I’d find them literally rolling around on the truck bed, cached in dirt. So I’d just wipe off the vase with my sleeve. Sometimes a flower or two would be damaged, so I’d just pluck it out. You know, honestly, 11 roses look a lot like a dozen roses unless you’re really studying the contents. And if anyone would have questioned me, I’d have thrown my hands in the air and pleaded, “Hey, don’t blame the messenger!” But thankfully nobody did.

One particular vase had a plastic bag lining the inside that wrapped around the flowers. Of course, that spilled, so I poked a hole in the bag with my key, drained the water into a fast-food cup, then threw away the bag and poured the water back in the vase. Shh!

By the end of the day, I’d put on 100 miles (I was living out of town at the time) and made a whopping 100 bucks.

That night, after a lucky lady stopped swooning and the stars disappeared from her eyes, I imagined her looking lovingly at the bouquet her thoughtful husband had bought for her one last time before turning in for the night. In my mind’s eye, I can see her face droop from smiling to confusion as she studies the arrangement and asks quizzically, “Honey, is there … motor oil on the flowers you bought me?”

I just hope that during my stint as Cupid, all my arrows hit the heart and not anyone’s posterior region.

By Joe Shead

TWO HARBORS—You’ll see them standing out there, steadfast against the wind and braving sub-zero temperatures: a die-hard cadre of winter anglers, bent on bringing home fresh fish for dinner.

Winter is when coho salmon often hug the shore along Two Harbors, putting them within reach of these hardy anglers.

You’ll quickly recognize the regulars. They’re the ones carrying the 9- or 10-footlong rods, which catapult spoons and bobbers far out into Lake Superior. They’re also usually smart enough to wear ice cleats on their boots to provide traction on the treacherous, icy breakwall.

This game isn’t for everyone. Some of the best fishing occurs when the temperature dips below zero. Keeping rod tips free of ice is a problem, but it’s not too hard to pop them clear. The biggest consideration is the danger in fishing on the wall. If waves are crashing over the wall, it’s an obvious no go. But every time a wave breaks and recedes when the temperature is below freezing, it coats the concrete in a slick, icy coating. Some anglers bring sand to sprinkle on their spot for traction.

Landing a fish is another consideration. From the main walkway, there is a concrete ledge extending out several feet below. Most anglers get their fish to the ledge and then give it a swing, hoping the hooks don’t catch on the icy rim. This works for small fish like cohos and herring, but if you latch into something larger, you’re in trouble. The bottom ledge, being closer to the water, is more frequently inundated with water and is downright treacherous, as are the stairs down to it, which are often glazed with inches of ice. Venturing down to the lower area is extremely dangerous, but those who do wear cleats and tie a rope to the cable railing above to help them belay down. From the lower area, larger fish can be netted.

Cohos are the main draw in winter, but part of the fun is you never know what you’ll catch from the breakwall. Herring, lake trout, steelhead and even king salmon are caught by breakwall casters. “Loopers,” Kamloops-strain rainbow trout, were formerly caught with some regularity as well, but no longer, since the stocking program was discontinued.

Most anglers keep it simple with minimal equipment. A 9- or 10-foot rod and a spinning reel with 6- or 8-pound-test line is the go-to setup, but shorter rods will suffice. Anglers use slender, heavy spoons such as Luhr-Jenson Krocodiles or Acme Kastmasters. They wing them out there, let them sink a few seconds, then pump them back in to produce erratic action.

Sometimes bobber fishing is effective, especially if there’s a light chop to give the bait some action. A “looper” bobber works well. It’s heavily weighted, so you can really wing it out there. Rig it as a slip-bobber, with a bobber stop set at 6 feet. A small jig baited with a waxworm is usually the ticket for cohos and steelhead.

Fishing is fishing, and on any given day the action can be fast and furious or nonexistent. Cohos travel in schools, so when one angler hooks up, often, a nearby angler will too. After a few minutes of excitement, it often returns to unproductive casting. But that’s OK too. The lulls are a good time to catch up with other anglers. The regulars all know each other. They’ll catch each other up on what’s been biting, who has caught what and rib each other about the big ones that got away.

Fishing is best early in the morning and winter is usually a good time to fish, but you could hook something any time of day, any time of year. If you’re brave enough, give it a whirl.

By Elle Andra-Warner

THUNDER BAY—On the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021, residents of Thunder Bay were shocked to hear the news that the city’s 111-year-old historic landmark—the Finnish Labour Temple on Bay Street, which housed the world-famous Hoito Restaurant on the bottom floor—was on fire.

In 2015, the building had been designated a National Historic Site in Canada.

The first call to the fire department came in about 7 p.m. Early-response firefighters entered the building to fight the fire from inside, but the scene became too dangerous, forcing them outside.

Throughout the night, the fire crews, using aerial platform trucks, pumped large amounts of water into the upper levels where the fire appeared to have started. As a result, the lower levels, including the Hoito, were flooded. A drone with thermal imaging cameras was used to help locate the hot spots and assess the damage.

Built in 1909/1910, the Finnish Labour Temple became a centre for Finnish culture, heritage and political life. In the basement was the internationally-known Hoito Restaurant, first opened in 1918 and operated continuously until 2020. Its menu included items like Finn pancakes, viili, salted fish and its special beef stew named “majokka.”

The building had been purchased in fall 2020 by real-estate developer Brad McKinnon from Barrie, Ontario in a bankruptcy sale. Its previous owners, the Finlandia Association of Thunder Bay, had dissolved the organization and put the building up for sale in July 2020.

At the time of the December fire, renovations had begun to make it a mixed-use building with condos and re-opening of the Hoito Restaurant. Fire gutted the building but McKinnon has said he plans to clear the rubble and rebuild the Finnish Labour Temple.

There is a small bit of silver lining amidst the terrible news; after being in four feet of water, the iconic vintage Toledo Weight Scale that had stood for decades at the Hoito entrance was salvaged. It is being temporarily housed in the Bay/Algoma area at the Finnish Book Store/Kitchen Nook until the Hoito is reconstructed.

In an article by Leith Dunick in TBSource (January 23, 2022), McKinnon is quoted, “I think it’s really important that it stays in Bay and Algoma and I think it’s important that it stands here at the Finnish Bookstore as a symbol of resilience and the fact that we’re not giving up and are going to push forward. We want to give everybody an opportunity to get a picture, look at it and just as a reminder for the community to not give up hope. We will rebuild.”

A planned project in the works is a virtual wall where the public is invited to submit photos, testimonials and stories about the Hoito and Finnish Labour Temple. Later the postings will be compiled into a book by author Charles Wilkins, a former Thunder Bay resident who wrote the book, Breakfast at the Hoito.

The cause of the fire is currently listed as “undetermined.”

By Rae Poynter

GRAND MARAIS—For many years, Cook County dog owners brought their dogs to the Gunflint Horse Arena in Grand Marais to enjoy some time playing off-leash. Originally created for horses, the space had been adapted to be shared with dogs until November 2021, when the horse park closed to dogs. Go Dog North Shore, a Cook County nonprofit that promotes active human-dog relationships, has been the force behind the plans for a new dog park in Grand Marais. Currently in the process of fundraising, Go Dog North Shore hopes to build the new dog park this summer, and that the new park will help dogs and their humans enjoy more time outdoors together.

Cathy Quinn, board member and founder of Go Dog North Shore, said that sharing the horse arena had always been a temporary solution, but that the long-term plan was to create a space specifically for dogs to be off leash. Having an off-leash dog park is an asset for any community with dog owners: not only does running off leash give dogs the high-intensity exercise they need, but dog parks also allow dogs from single-pet households to get out and socialize with other dogs. And for an area like Cook County, many pet owners value having a safe space to let dogs play without the risk of interactions with wildlife.

Quinn said that although Go Dog North Shore had been waiting for the Sawtooth Bluff development to come to fruition, the need to find a new space for the dog park soon has proved to be an opportunity to create a space that will be more beneficial for dogs and dog owners than the previous dog park was. Earlier in 2021, Go Dog North Shore proposed to purchase a one-acre lot directly across 5th Ave W from the Gunflint Horse Arena. The proposal was approved by the Grand Marais City Council in May 2021, giving Go Dog North Shore the green light to start fundraising for the project.

“The plan is to keep the new dog park wooded, and it will be twice the size of the old one,” Quinn said. “We were glad to have access to the horse park, but it wasn’t very stimulating for dogs–it can create an intimidating environment for a dog to have too much open space with other dogs, where they’re just watching all of the other dogs coming and going. We also want people to be active with their dogs, and this way people will get out and walk around through the park with their dogs.”

The new dog park will be surrounded by a six-foot fence and will have a parking lot for six to eight cars. Altogether, the dog park could cost up to $65,000 to build. To achieve this goal, Go Dog North Shore began a fundraising campaign after the city council’s approval, and has so far raised over $45,000 in donations. Quinn said they recently received a $10,000 grant from the Lloyd K. Johnson Foundation, and are in the final push to meet their donation goal. Go Dog North Shore would like to see the project completed by the end of the summer.

In addition to building the new dog park, Go Dog North Shore continues to promote dog-friendly activities throughout the North Shore, including skijoring. For several years they have hosted Dog Days of Winter, an annual skijoring and sled dog derby race. While the event was on hold last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the plan is to resume in March. The event is held at Trail Center Lodge.

For more information about the Grand Marais Dog Park or Dog Days of Winter, visit: godognorthshore.org.