April 2022 by The Walleye Magazine

FILM FREE ARTS Vol. 13 No. 4 MUSIC APRIL FOOD 2022 CULTURE thewalleye.ca

The Green Issue Going Electric

Bringing the Bands Together

Thai Bay EYE TO EYE: With Ron Kanutski

Sprigs and Twigs Darren Foley ABBA Revisited

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14 Editor-in-chief Darren McChristie Editor Adrian Lysenko adrian@thewalleye.ca Assistant Editor Rebekah Skochinski Senior Editor Tiffany Jarva Copy Editors Amy Jones, Bonnie Schiedel Editorial Assistant Sara Sadeghi Aval Marketing & Sales Manager Meagan Griffin sales@thewalleye.ca Photographers Olivia Bosma Kevin Dempsey Damien Gilbert Chad Kirvan Dave Koski Shannon Lepere Marty Mascarin Darren McChristie Sarah McPherson Lois Nuttall Laura Paxton Art Directors Steve Coghill, R.G.D. Dave Koski, R.G.D. production@thewalleye.ca Ad Designers Dave Koski Miranda van den Berg The Walleye is a free monthly publication distributed on racks throughout Thunder Bay and region. Reproduction of any article, photograph or artwork without written permission is strictly forbidden. Views expressed herein are those of the author exclusively. Copyright © 2022 by Superior Outdoors Inc. All Rights Reserved. Editorial and Advertising: Submissions must be accompanied by a selfaddressed, stamped envelope. Superior Outdoors cannot be held responsible for unsolicited material. Superior Outdoors Inc. 242 - 1100 Memorial Avenue Thunder Bay, ON P7B 4A3 Telephone (807) 344-3366 Fax (807) 623-5122 E-mail: info@thewalleye.ca

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Contents 7

Seler Restaurant & Wine

56 28 70 The Freedom of Digital Art

FEATURES 9 The Green Issue Going Electric 10 Start Me Up 12 Plug-In Thunder Bay 14 Going the Distance 16 The Streets are Abuzz FOOD 18 THE GRINNING BELLY 19 DRINK OF THE MONTH 20 SUPERIOR SIP 21 Thai Bay 23 OFF THE MENU 24 Seler Restaurant & Wine

Bringing the Bands Together

TheTOPFive

Orange Wave Night

FILM&THEATRE 26 THE SECOND MOST PLEASURABLE THING WE DO IN THE DARK. A COLUMN ABOUT MOVIES 28 Head of the Lake 30 100% Authentic THE ARTS 33 FROM THUNDER BAY ART GALLERY’S COLLECTION 34 A THOUSAND WORDS 36 The Freedom of Digital Art 38 Zaagi Creations 40 DefSup Expressionism Gala 42 Facing Forward OUTDOOR 44 Ice Inspiration

Powering Up Northwestern Ontario

68 80

CITYSCENE 46 An Important and Urgent Topic 49 THE ENTHUSIASTS 50 Orange Wave Night 52 WALL SPACE: The Claude E. Garton Herbarium 55 CANNABIS CORNER 56 The Noisiness of Silence 58 Powering Up Northwestern Ontario 60 SECOND CHANCES 63 GO LOCAL Thunder Bay Country Market

65 66

Sprigs and Twigs THIS IS THUNDER BAY 67 Speak’s 68 EYE TO EYE: With Ron Kanutski 70 Stuff We Like 73 Orange Blooms in Thunder Bay MUSIC 74 Beats by the Bay 76 Carver Members Mark Release of New EP 77 Bringing the Bands Together 79 Darren Foley 80 ABBA Revisited 83 BURNING TO THE SKY 84 Avery Raquel 87 TBSO PROFILE: Eleanor Hopwood 88

OFF THE WALL REVIEWS

ARCHITECTURE 90 The Former Drew Street School Building 92

Tbaytel APRIL EVENTS GUIDE

LU RADIO'S MONTHLY TOP 30

TATTOOED YOU 96 Kirty CameronGielbert Sheds Her Old Skin GREEN 98 The Thunder Bay Field Naturalists 100 Recycling the Unconventional 101 Save Our Songbirds Foundation 102 Starry, Starry Nights 103 Making Grass Greener on Your Side HEALTH 104 Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy 107 Indigenous Food Sovereignty THE WALL 108 Engagement is the Antidote 110 HOROSCOPES 113 THE BEAT 114 THE EYE

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From Our Instagram Feed

All the Buzz Featured Contributor

Olivia Bosma

ather than being motivated by wanting to reduce their carbon footprint, many drivers are looking at going electric because of the rising price of gas. And I’ll admit, I’m one of them. Two major factors that have deterred me from purchasing an electric vehicle in the past have been cost and the lack of charging stations in Northwestern Ontario. But times are changing. With federal incentives (and hopefully some provincial rebates on the way) getting an EV could prove to be more affordable in the long run, and a recent announcement to create 92 new stations in the Thunder Bay area by this time next year helps quell concerns about keeping your vehicle charged. Developments like these that benefit consumers and the environment make me optimistic that we’ll see more EV drivers in Thunder Bay, and I just might be one of them. Every April we present our annual green issue to commemorate Earth Day, and this year we’re all about going electric. Matt Prokopchuk talks to members of the Electric Vehicle Association of Northern Ontario about making the switch from gasoline-powered

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rides, Lindsay Campell looks at the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission’s Plug-In Thunder Bay initiative, and Kelsey Raynard checks in on the city’s plans to get Thunder Bay’s transit fleet upgraded to electric buses. Plus, we test drive some e-bikes and break down the basics for those thinking about purchasing one. Keeping with our green theme, pommelier and sommelier Jeannie Dubois shares how breweries are doing their part for the environment by upcycling their spent grain, film columnist Michael Sobota delves into movies about electricity, and in Stuff We Like we showcase items made from other stuff. Also this month, Amy Sellors chats with Steven Page about his upcoming concert with the TBSO, we go Eye to Eye with comedian Ron Kanutski, and Zack Kruzins explores the ice formations near the Rossport Islands while sea kayaking. Especially with rising prices, being green isn’t always the most affordable option. But looking at the pages of our April issue, there's hope that steps are being made to do what’s best for the consumer as well as the environment. Sounds like a win-win to me. -Adrian Lysenko

With a passion for storytelling, Olivia has proven to be a great addition to The Walleye team since she began her placement through Confederation College’s Interactive Media Development program. Storytelling aside, she’s also passionate about videography, motion graphics, painting, drawing, and 3D animation. As a writer and photographer for the magazine, Olivia sees the opportunity as a dream come true, allowing her to hone new skills and meet amazing people that she gets to write about, bringing awareness to them and their businesses or interests. Check out Olivia’s stories on Avery Raquel on page 84, the Thunder Bay Weavers and Spinners Guild on page 63, the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists on page 98, and her review of Lights’ new album on page 88.

On the Cover Going Electric Photo by Chad Kirvan

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“My teacher believes that

I can do anything” You belong here 6

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Waterfront Waterfront District’s District’s

TheTopFive

1 Royal Canoe April 2

The Foundry

2 2

April 99 April

TBSO’s TBSO’s Noondaagotoon Noondaagotoon

Fort William William Historical Historical Park Park Fort

TBSO’s annual Noondaagotoon TBSO’s annual Noondaagotoon is back! Noondaagotoon is Ojibway is back! Noondaagotoon is Ojibway for “play it,” and play it they will! This for “play it,” and play it they will! This collaboration with the TBSO, Fort collaboration with the TBSO, Fort William First Nation, and Indigenous William First Nation, and Indigenous performers is an opportunity to performers is an opportunity to showcase the talent of Indigenous showcase the talent of Indigenous artists in a blending of cultural artists in a blending of cultural traditions. This year’s special guests traditions. This year’s special guests include Juno-nominated cellist include Juno-nominated cellist and composer Cris Derksen, the and composer Cris Derksen, the internationally acclaimed Thunder internationally acclaimed Thunder Mountain Singers, and singerMountain Singers, and singersongwriter and guitarist Lewis Chapman. Seats are limited and registration songwriter and guitarist Lewis Chapman. Seats are limited and registration is required. Additionally, for the safety of the musicians, guests, staff, is required. Additionally, for the safety of the musicians, guests, staff, and volunteers, proof of vaccination will be required in order to attend. and volunteers, proof of vaccination will be required in order to attend. Don’t miss this wonderful cultural exchange and evening of brilliant Don’t miss this wonderful cultural exchange and evening of brilliant entertainment. The show runs from 7–9 pm. entertainment. The show runs from 7–9 pm. tbso.ca

4 Fire in the Bay April 23 Atmos

Hooligan Hooligan Fuel Fuel Hot Hot Sauce Sauce is is bringing bringing some some fire fire to to the the Bay Bay in in an an event event that that involves involves wings, wings, beer, beer, hot hot sauce, sauce, aa dance dance party, party, and and aa drag drag show! show! There There will will be be two two sessions sessions during during the the day day on on April April 23 23 to to try try 10 10 wings wings and and two two beers beers per per session session ticket ticket (yes, (yes, you you can can buy buy more more than than one one session). session). Beer Beer will will be be provided provided by by One One Time Time Brewing Brewing Co., Co., Epic Epic Cones Cones will will be be serving serving ice ice cream cream and and some some fruit-based fruit-based hot hot sauces, sauces, and and there there will will be be music music by by The The Bay Bay Street Street Bastards Bastards and and other other local local acts. acts. Plus, Plus, there there will will be be aa hot hot pepper pepper eating eating challenge, challenge, lots lots of of prizes prizes to to be be won, won, and and merch merch up up for for grabs. grabs. Once Once the the day day sessions sessions are are done, done, the the doors doors will will open open for for aa dance dance party party and and drag drag show. show. Tickets Tickets are are available available on on Eventbrite. Eventbrite. @HooliganFuelHotSauce @HooliganFuelHotSauce on on Facebook Facebook

Tyler Sklazeski

Soak Soak up up some some spring spring vibes vibes at at The The Foundry! Foundry! On On the the first first Saturday Saturday in in April, April, enjoy enjoy live live music music from from the the innovative, innovative, experimental, experimental, and and adventurous adventurous quintet quintet from from the the ‘Peg, ‘Peg, Royal Royal Canoe. Canoe. Their Their musical musical journey journey has has taken taken them them around around the the world world from from Kyiv Kyiv to to California, California, and and now now here here to to the the 807. 807. Their Their records records have have received received critical critical acclaim acclaim at at the the Junos Junos and and the the Western Western Canadian Canadian Music Music Awards, Awards, and and they they are are currently currently on on tour tour to to support support their their 2021 2021 release, release, Sidelining. Sidelining. Their Their first first single, single, “Butterfalls,” “Butterfalls,” is is aa good good peek peek at at the the soul soul of of the the band’s band’s sound—a sound—a little little electronic, electronic, aa little little hip hip hop, hop, aa little little blues-y, blues-y, and and aa little little gospel, gospel, with with lyrics lyrics that that promise promise to to “heal “heal ya.” ya.” Opening Opening act act is is alt-indie alt-indie band band Living Living Hour, Hour, also also from from Winnipeg, Winnipeg, who who will will bring bring dreamy, dreamy, transient transient melodies melodies and and rhythms rhythms to to the the mix. mix. royalcanoe.com royalcanoe.com

3 Celtic Illusion

April 17 17 April

Thunder Bay Bay Community Community Auditorium Auditorium Thunder

Now is is your your chance chance to to witness witness the the magic magic of of Now Celtic Illusion. Illusion. Created Created by by Anthony Anthony Street, Street, who who Celtic is the the director, director, producer, producer, choreographer, choreographer, and and is lead dancer, dancer, the the show show has has been been performed performed lead to sell-out sell-out audiences audiences since since itit premiered premiered in in to 2011. Street’s Street’s background background is is very very similar similar to to 2011. Billy Elliot—living Elliot—living aa double double life life as as aa demolition demolition Billy worker by by day day and and aa lead lead dancer dancer by by night. night. worker Eventually, he fell in love with Riverdance, and Eventually, he fell in love with Riverdance, and with the the support support of of his his grandmother, grandmother, began began with secretly taking taking dance dance lessons. lessons. The The rest, rest, as as they they secretly say, is is history. history. Enjoy Enjoy electrifying electrifying Irish Irish dance dance say, choreography performed performed by by aa stellar stellar cast cast of of choreography internationally acclaimed acclaimed dancers dancers set set to to an an incredible incredible soundtrack soundtrack combined combined internationally with magical illusion. If it sounds like nothing you’ve ever seen before, with magical illusion. If it sounds like nothing you’ve ever seen before, you’re probably probably right! right! Tickets Tickets start start at at $59, $59, and and the the show show starts starts at at 77 pm. pm. you’re tbca.com tbca.com

5 The Craft Revival April 24 –May 1

Various In-Person Locations/Online It It has has been been aa loooooong loooooong winter winter and and we’re we’re ready ready for for spring, spring, and and the the spring spring edition edition of of the the Craft Craft Revival—because, Revival—because, let’s let’s face face it, it, we we could could all all use use aa little little glowglowup. up. There There will will be be two two options options for for shopping: shopping: an an in-person in-person event event on on April April 24 24 from from 10 10 am am to to 44 pm, pm, and and an an online online event event (that (that means means you you can can shop shop in in your your PJs) PJs) from from April April 25 25 to to May May 1. 1. Choose Choose from from jewelry jewelry makers makers like like Gold Gold Sparrow, Sparrow, for for classically classically feminine, feminine, goddess-inspired goddess-inspired designs, designs, to to 100% 100% pure pure Canadian Canadian beeswax beeswax candles candles from from Heron Heron House House Handmade, Handmade, macrame macrame creations creations from from Macramé Macramé + + Driftwood, Driftwood, and and countless countless other other vendors vendors including including food food items, items, pottery, pottery, beauty beauty products, products, and and so so much much more. more. You’re You’re sure sure to to find find something something special special to to brighten brighten your your day day (or (or someone someone else’s!). else’s!). For For more more information, information, follow follow on on Facebook Facebook or or Instagram. Instagram. craftrevival.ca craftrevival.ca

The TheWalleye Walleye

LE Y T S Y R E V RE O F S E D I TR A E LE R B G A L AI OF V S A N G N TO I C N FINA

7 1 0 BAL MORAL STRE ET 8

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FRES HA IREX P ER I EN C E.C A

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The Green Issue Going Electric

very April, in honour of Earth Day, we put together a green issue to illuminate the big and little ways our decisions will affect the future health of our planet. This year, we’re exploring going electric, which just so happens to have coincided with recent skyrocketing gas prices—something that should shock all of us into the reality of our reliance on fossil fuels. What can be done? What is being done? Read on to find out how you can get plugged in to the new wave. It’s electric. And it’s here. - Rebekah Skochinski

Members of the Electric Vehicle Association of Northern Ontario Photo by Aravinth Sundararaj

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Start Me Up

Northern Electric Vehicle Owners Share Their Love of the Ride Story by Matt Prokopchuk, Photos by Aravinth Sundararaj

number of electric vehicle (EV) owners in Thunder Bay say they’re thrilled with their decision to plug in and make the switch from gasolinepowered rides, with a relatively new group having formed to further educate people across northern Ontario how to do the same. Ken Shields, EV owner and one of the organizers of the Electric Vehicle Association of Northern Ontario (EVANO), says the group came together last summer largely through the efforts of Laura Mason, a Terrace Bay resident with concerns about climate change. “We find that [when] we park the

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vehicles anywhere, people are like ‘What’s that?’” Shields says. “There’s just so many questions, so we thought that we should form a group of [owners of] all manufacturers […] and get them out in one place and kind of share our experiences with driving electric vehicles.” Those efforts led to the group’s first electric car show last October, with about 25 vehicles on display and up to 300 people showing up for the roughly two-hour event. Shields says another one—this time indoors—is being planned for this year. These events are important, as Canadians will have to continue to

lear n about EVs, with the federal government announcing last year that only zero-emission new cars and light-duty trucks will be sold in the country starting in 2035. Shields says he appreciates that it can be a bit “daunting” for some to consider the switch in the north, with a still-developing network of charging infrastructure and questions over how the vehicles manage our winters (very well, it turns out). In fact, several EV-owning veterans say they’ve found no issues. “It’s just an amazing car,” says Erika Reboks, another EVANO organizer who has had her EV for just over

three years. She notes that having the opportunity to try driving one after her brother purchased his in 2014, along with the environmental benefits of using a non-gaspowered vehicle were among her reasons for the switch. Reboks and her family have taken their car from Thunder Bay to Kelowna for a twoweek “adventure” without a hitch—and she says that was before recent improvements to Canada’s cross-country charging network. “We didn’t know how far we would get,” she says. “Considering you’re driving in an EV and everyone thinks you can’t do it—everyone’s concerned about the range and how far you can go or

whatnot—that just kind of proves that you can do it.” Tom Cook, another owner, says he’s made multiple trips to Toronto and back with no issues. Owners cited a number of reasons for switching to electric, including environmental concerns, the high and rising cost of gas, that they’re relatively maintenance-free, and overall performance. For David Valente, he says that given his background in IT, the breadth of fascinating features was too big a temptation. “It’s just so much more fun to drive, I actually look forward to driving every day,” he says. “I love driving in the first place but it’s just

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Powering Up

A Look at Different Types of EV Chargers Of course, the main difference between how electric vehicles work and their gasoline-powered counterparts operate, is how you fuel them up. Unlike traditional vehicles, drivers substitute a variety of electric-producing options for the gas pump. Here’s a quick look at some of the most common methods. Firstly, there are three different charging levels (appropriately designated Levels 1, 2, and 3). According to ChargeHub, a mobile and web platform that helps EV drivers locate public charging stations across Canada and the United States, Level 1 chargers come with the vehicle, and are plugged with one end into any standard 120-volt outlet, and the other directly into the car. It can charge 200 kilometers in 20 hours.

Level 2 chargers are often sold separately and plug into a 240-volt outlet (think the type of outlet you plug your dryer into). They charge five to seven times faster than a Level 1 charger, depending on the electric car and the charger. Charging at home is done through a Level 1 or 2 system, although there are public ones as well. Level 3, or fast-charging stations are commonly and increasingly found in public areas and charge even faster. ChargeHub says they can charge 80% of 200 kilometres in roughly half an hour. Depending on your car, you will need to locate the right type of Level 3 charger—and some EVs can’t use them at all. And in some cases, like with Tesla, their public charging stations are proprietary, meaning only Tesla vehicles can use them. -Matt Prokopchuk

 EVANO member Kevin Miller

enjoyable—the comforts, the conveniences, the fact that it’s just more aware of what’s going on around you.” Valente points to the car effectively learning driving patterns and preheating the vehicle when he usually is set to leave work. Smartphone apps also track things like how much energy you’re using when charging your vehicle at home. And for those concerned about power, the owners say

 EVANO member Cody Trystruha

the vehicles don’t fall short there either, with Shields and Valente saying they can pull trailers with no problem. “It’s a lot of fun to drive,” Shields says. “It’s the sportiest fourwheeled vehicle I’ve ever owned.” To connect with EVANO, find them on Facebook and Instagram @norontarioev, or email at evano.connect@gmail.com

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one set near the Chancellor Paterson library and Ryan Building with another near the Advanced Technology and Academic Centre. The stations will be available as early as this summer to anyone who parks at the university. Hugh Briggs, director of the university’s physical plant, who oversees the operations, maintenance, and physical assets of the school, says that there has been a growing demand amongst faculty, staff and visitors on campus. The funding provided through Plug-In Thunder Bay, he adds, will help meet that need. “Sustainability has become increasingly

Plug-In Thunder Bay

Program to Help Fast-Track City’s Clean Energy Shift By Lindsay Campbell

he transition towards a greener economy is in motion, and within Thunder Bay the presence of electric car chargers is one sign of that. Forty-two stations throughout Port Arthur and Fort William have already been built and installed in recent months. But those toying with the thought of buying a Tesla might be further enticed to know the number of facilities will be growing. How much more? Residents can expect to see roughly 130 stations around the city by March 2023, according to Jamie L e e K o s t e c k i , p ro j e c t manager at the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission. The CEDC, an armslength development corporation funded by the city, received money from the federal government in October 2021 to distribute to organizations to help cover the costs associated with acquiring and assembling the clean infrastructure throughout Thunder Bay.

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Under a program overseen by CEDC called Plug-In Thunder Bay, a lump sum of $500,000 will offset 50 percent of expenses for 18 organizations to serve 36 locations across the city, Kostecki says. “For a lot of organizations and businesses, this infrastructure need was something that was already on the horizon,” she says, noting that CEDC staff surveyed the community prior to drafting a proposal for government funding. “What we’ve done here is really just ignited this shift towards the next appropriate infrastructure upgrades of the world.” Recent federal government statistics show that the transportation sector contributes to 27% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. Electric vehicles have been touted as an eco-friendly alternative to gas or diesel models because they do not emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. A number of studies, however, have

indicated a common barrier preventing consumers from going electric has been lack of supporting infrastructure, like charging stations. More stations will hopefully encourage residents who have been on the fence, Kostecki says. It may also facilitate The City of Thunder Bay’s NetZero Strategy and Canada’s goals as a country to reach net zero emissions by 2050. In March, the federal government tabled an emission reduction plan that would require that half of all new cars sold in this country be zero-emission vehicles by 2030. Local businesses and organizations were able to apply for Plug-In Thunder Bay funding as early as last fall upon CEDC’s announcement. Lakehead University is one participant that received notice in February that its application would be accepted. The school will have eight dual charging stations will be split between its main campus on Oliver Road:

important to Lakehead University’s core values,” he says, noting that the school implemented a sustainability plan in 2019 outlining its intention to use energy from clean and renewable energy sources. “With only a limited number of EV stations in our city, we were very pleased that the CEDC decided to invest in this kind of infrastructure by establishing this funding opportunity to our community.” Briggs adds that when it comes to acting on climate change, every effort helps. Those who wish to find out more information about Plug-In Thunder Bay can visit gotothunderbay.ca/plugin.

 North of Thunder Bay

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Charging Stations

7 9 12 13

10 11 14

17 16

1 Thunder Bay KOA Holiday 162 Spruce River Road Plug type: Wall, NEMA 14-50 Payment required: price unknown

4 Delta by Marriott Thunder Bay 2240 Sleeping Giant Parkway Plug type: Tesla Free parking and charging for guests

2 Petro-Canada 1063 Dawson Road Plug type: CCS/ SAE, CHAdeMO Payment required: $0.33/minute

5 Pinewood Ford 640 Memorial Avenue Plug type: J-1772 Free

3 Service Ontario 189 Red River Road Plug type: J-1772 Free parking and charging for employees

6 Sleeping Giant Brewing Co. 712 Macdonell Street Plug type: J-1772 Free for customers

7 Thunder Bay Mitsubishi 872 Copper Crescent Plug type: J-1772 Free

10 Half-Way Motors Nissan 940 Memorial Avenue Plug type: J-1772 Free

8 Ontario Power Generation 167 Burwood Road Plug type: J-1772 Payment required: $1.10/hour

11 Performance Kia 545 13th Avenue Plug type: J-1772 Free

9 Wayne Toyota 787 Central Avenue Plug type: J-1772 Free

12 Superior Hyundai 1142 Alloy Drive Plug type: J-1772 Payment required: $1.50/hour 13 Scotiabank 735 Hewitson Street

Plug type: J-1772, CHAdeMO, CCS/SAE Payment required: price unknown 14 Holiday Inn Express & Suites Thunder Bay 1041 Carrick Street Plug type: CHAdeMO, CCS/SAE Payment required: price unknown 15 Thunder Bay Supercharger 1221 Arthur Street West Plug type: Tesla fast supercharger 250 kW Payment required: price unknown

16 Valhalla Hotel & Conference Centre 1 Valhalla Inn Road Plug type: J-1772 Free 17 Shell (coming soon) 251 Arthur Street West Plug type: CHAdeMO, CCS/SAE Payment required: price unknown 18 Amsoil 240 Syndicate Avenue South Plug type: Tesla Payment required: price unknown

19 Fort William Historical Park 1550 King Road Plug type: NEMA 14-50, Wall Available during park hours and possibly overnight; check with the ticket desk. Payment required: price not yet decided 20 Best Western Plus Nor'wester Hotel 2080 Highway 61 Plug type: J-1772 Free for registered guests and possibly restaurant patrons; check with the front desk

 South of Thunder Bay 19

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Going the Distance

Bike: Cannondale Quick Neo SL 2 Motor: MAHLE ebikemotion X35 250W Max Assisted Speed: 32 km/h Battery: MAHLE ebikemotion X35 250Wh Price: $3400 The Quick Neo SL 2 is a light fitness e-bike perfect for getting a workout or just taking in the sights. Ideal spot to ride: City streets, especially the hills of Port Arthur if you require a bit of a boost to the top. Retailer: Fresh Air

E-Bikes Offer Alternative to Traditional Cycling By Adrian Lysenko

E Bike: Cannondale Treadwell Neo Remixte Motor: MAHLE ebikemotion X35 250W Max Assisted Speed: 32 km/h Battery: MAHLE ebikemotion X35 250Wh Price: $3400 The Treadwell Neo Remixte is a fun and comfortable ride ideal for neighbourhood cruising. Ideal spot to ride: Perfect for the crosstown trek on a lazy Sunday. Retailer: Fresh Air

Bike: Norco Scene VLT Motor: Shimano STEPS E6100 Max Assisted Speed: 32 km/h Battery: Shimano E8010 504Wh Price: $3899 The Norco Scene VLT is a perfect commuter for the city streets as it offers easy mounts, dismounts, and maneuverability. Ideal spot to ride: Chapples East trail and surrounding area. Retailer: Rollin' Thunder

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asy to ride, fast, and able to take you on long treks, e-bikes have been growing in popularity since being introduced to the market—so much so that, just like traditional bikes, there are now a variety of models for different types of riding. “When I first started working in a bike shop back in 2016 in southern Ontario, we had just one e-bike from a random brand that was in our rental fleet,” says Dylan Hachmer, special events coordinator with Fresh Air. “Now just about every single major bike manufacturer offers e-bike options. […] Lots of people who are starting to want to ride their bikes more often or through farther distances are looking to e-bikes as a great option for them.” The different classes of e-bikes are A, B, and C. Class A e-bikes are pedal-assist and have a max assist speed of 25 km/hr, where class B are controlled through either a throttle or through pedalassist (these bikes are capped at 25 km/hr as well). Class C are pedal-assist bikes that are capped at 32 km/hr. Like many e-bike retailers, Fresh Air typically sells class C with some class A. “The main difference between class A and C vs. B is the naturalistic bicycle feeling. When riding on a pedal-assist bike it still requires your power, how much you put in is what you get out, it's just amplified by the motor. Thus you're still getting the workout and the natural feeling of biking,” he says. “Throttled e-bikes are a lot easier to cheat your work out and just cruise around. There's nothing wrong with cruising around, it's just more of a motorbike feel than what

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one will remember from the first time they got out and rode out of sight of their parents.” The biggest advice Hachmer gives to someone looking to get an e-bike is to ensure that they are purchasing from a reputable brand. “We've all seen the news reports of house fires caused by low-quality batteries. With the COVID stock shortages there's a large stress in the world to get out as much product as possible, and you want to ensure that these bikes and batteries are still being held to proper quality standards.” He also says that more watts are not always necessarily better, and adds that different output torques and battery sizes will also affect the range of the bike. Hachmer also hopes to dispel the misconception of e-bikes. “[They’re] not just for our senior population as it has been thought in the past, but rather anyone who wants to get out and have a crazy amazing time while putting in less effort,” he says.

Bike: Norco Fluid VLT A2 Motor: Shimano STEPS EP8 Max Assisted Speed: 32 km/h Battery: 900Wh, 720Wh and 540Wh options Price: $6948 Tried and tested in the backwoods of British Columbia, the Norco Fluid VLT allows riders to go faster and further. Ideal spot to ride: The aptly named Adventure Trail going through Trowbridge Forest. Retailer: Rollin' Thunder

Bike: Kona 2022 El-Kahuna E-Bike Motor: Shimano STEPS E6100 Max Assisted Speed: 25 km/h Battery: Shimano 250W 60Nm mid-drive Price: $4299 Simple and practical, the El-Kahuna e-bike has the perfect amount of suspension making it good for various terrain. Ideal spot to ride: Loops around Boulevard Lake and touring up to Centennial Park. Retailer: 3Ride Bicycle Co.

Bike: Daymak EC1 Special Edition Motor: 250W Max Assisted Speed: 32 km/h Battery: 36V 8AH Lithium Ion Price: $2900 Weighing as much as a regular bike, the Daymak EC1 Special Edition is a sturdy and affordable option. Ideal spot to ride: Exploring roads near or beyond city limits. Retailer: Auto-One Car Care and Service Centre

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CoverStory

The Streets are Abuzz

Electric Buses Could be Rolling by the End of 2024 By Kelsey Raynard

he wheels on the bus go round and round, and Thunder Bay may finally see some of these wheels become electrified as the municipality pushes forward on their emission reduction promises. In May 2021, city councillors voted to accept a nearly $19 million funding agreement with the federal and provincial governments, which would help to upgrade—and electrify—the city’s transit fleet. While complete electrification is the goal, it is clear that this is no easy task; since the approval, the city has completed an Electrification Feasibility Study in order to examine the logistics needed for grid supply, charging

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infrastructure, mechanics and maintenance, tools, retraining requirements, fleet analysis, and replacements. Now, Thunder Bay is hoping to have its first electric buses in service by the end of 2024, says councillor Rebecca Johnson. “Unfortunately, you can’t get rid of all your gas and diesel all at once; as the need for replacement arises, that is when you start looking at bringing electric transit buses into the fleet,” she says. “It will take some time to go through this transition, but there is no question in my mind we are moving in that direction.” Ironically, this is not the first time the Lakehead has transitioned their public transportation

fleet. Between 1949 and 1972, residents of Fort William and Port Arthur rode trackless trolley buses, which were completely pollution-free and ran entirely on electricity generated in the area. Many of these “trackless trolleys” were even manufactured in the local Canadian Car and Foundry (or CanCar) manufacturing plant. Many residents and politicians alike are hoping for a full-circle return to this sustainable mode of transportation. Councillor Andrew Foulds, chair of Thunder Bay’s EarthCare Advisory Committee, says that these commitments serve a much greater purpose within Northwestern Ontario. “The city serves a crucial and critical leadership role both within the corporation and broadly within the community and region,” he explains. “If the city is investing in these facilities in the north, you create broader momentum and confidence.” In accordance with Thunder Bay’s sustainability plan, climate adaptation plan, and net zero plan, the municipality has plans even bigger than public transit; both Johnson and Foulds express that the city is looking at electrifying other municipal vehicles, such as pickup trucks, garbage trucks, and even the zamboni at Fort William Gardens. Some of these funding applications are already underway. Foulds emphasizes that the electrification of Thunder Bay’s transit fleet is one of many important steps the municipality will take to reduce their emissions. “When it comes to fighting this crisis, there is in fact no single silver bullet. When it comes to fighting climate change, it involves multifaceted approaches, whether it is reducing waste, minimizing plastic consumption, reducing fossil fuel consumption, biking more, or walking more,” he says. “We have to think differently and we have to think better. It doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice, necessarily, but we need to behave and act differently […] because the consequences of not doing it are significant. The stakes are high.”

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum

CoverStory

Between 1949 and 1972, residents of Fort William and Port Arthur rode trackless trolley buses, which were completely pollution-free and ran entirely on electricity generated in the area

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Food

Gochujang Lettuce Wraps

Makes 8-10 servings Sauce: 3 Tbsp gochujang paste 2 Tbsp soy sauce 1 Tbsp maple syrup

Whisk sauce ingredients together, and taste. You can add more syrup for sweetness or gochujang for spice. Set aside. (If you’ve made it too spicy, try stirring in some ketchup— the vinegar/sugar combo will help balance it out a bit.)

½ tsp toasted sesame oil Veggies: 8–10 butter or Boston bibb lettuce leaves, washed and dried 1 c julienned English cucumber 1 c julienned carrots 3 thinly sliced green onions Protein: 1 lb protein*: steak, chicken, pork, shrimp, or extra-firm tofu, sliced into bite-sized pieces Salt and pepper

Go-To Gochujang

THE NING IN R G E B LLY

By Chef Rachel Bayes

he backbone of many Korean dishes is gochujang, a sweet and spicy chili paste that adds a real depth of flavour and more than just a hintahinta spice—a little goes a long way! As with most spicy ingredients, you can always add more, but it’s hard to take it away once mixed in. Gochujang can be used similarly to miso (Japanese fermented soybean paste) in marinades, dipping sauces, or to kick up soups or stews. Like miso, thick and pasty gochujang is a bit tough to use straight up, so it’s usually mixed with a liquid of some

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sort to thin it out. And, like most prefab sauces, flavour can vary amongst brands, especially with heat and sweetness, so you may have to try a few before settling in on your favourite. Need a quick, 20-minute weekday meal that makes for fabulous lunch leftovers? This recipe for lettuce wraps is all about the sauce, and super easy to make with storebought gochujang and your choice of protein (meat or vegetarian), and your favourite fresh veggies. Add a bottle of this Korean gem to your next grocery list and spice up your kitchen life.

4 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp canola or peanut oil

Have the veggies ready to go before you start cooking the protein, so you have a smooth assembly line for your lettuce wraps. (You can use radishes, bean sprouts, peppers or avocados, inside, too. And, you can also try napa cabbage in place of the lettuce.)

Season the protein with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large wok or sauté pan over fairly high heat. Add meat or tofu and garlic, and sauté maybe 4–5 minutes (less for shrimp), until protein is browned and cooked through. Remove from heat, pour in half the sauce, and toss to coat. Keep warm. *ground beef, chicken, or pork can also work here or feel free to add in cooked rice or other grains, to make your meal heartier

Assembly: Place a good dollop of saucy meat or tofu on a lettuce leaf. Top with your choice of veggies, and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Drizzle on more sauce, and 맛있게 드세요 (enjoy your meal)!

Food

Tilted Iced Coffee

TAX ES

Tilted Turret Pinball Club Story by Rebekah Skochinski, Photo by Adrian Lysenko

W APRIL 30TH ISN’T A SCARY DATE AROUND HERE.

e don’t need to tell you that it’s been an exceptionally wintry winter—you’ve been right there with us, shovelling and skiing and snowshoeing and sulking (only a tiny bit). But guess what? Winter is officially over. So stuff that parka away, say sayonara to those Alberta clippers, and head somewhere fun! If you’ve already been, then you know that the Tilted Turret Pinball Club is a place where the magic happens—yeah, it’s pinball magic, but it’s magic all the same. We like their

DRINK OF THE MONTH

Tilted Ice Coffee that’s jazzed up with Baileys, spiced rum, and butter ripple schnapps for an old-school treat that’s pretty sweet. Not too heavy on the booze, it includes a generous topping of whipped cream with a drizzle of chocolate. Let the caffeine fuel your inner (or outer) pinball wizard for a game of Deadpool, Guardians of the Galaxy, or The Simpsons. Ay, caramba! Tilted Turret Pinball Club 135 Archibald Street North 285-1116

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Food

Breweries Go Green Upcycling Spent Grain

R SUPERIO SIP

By Jeannie Dubois, Certified Pommelier and Sommelier

he thermometer is on the rise in Thunder Bay, and any day now we can expect to see some lovely little crocus heads bravely making their way out from under that epic blanket of snow. Yes, spring is soon to arrive here in the land north of the great lake, embracing us with warm, sun-filled days that stretch towards summer and all the wild green things that grow this season. While there are a myriad of ways in which we all can contribute to that cycle of growth and continue to perpetuate a healthy and sustainable environment, for the brewing industry the best opportunity for upcycling and “going green” is with

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their spent grain. Up to 85% of a brewery’s by-product constitutes spent grain, which is simply grain that has been milled and mixed with hot water in the mash tun to extract all the starch. The resulting sweet liquid, known as wort, is then cast into kettle, and separated from the now “spent” grain to become the basis for the production of beer. Interestingly, although the grain is now “spent” for brewing, as all the sugar has been extracted, it is both fibre- and protein-rich, rendering it quite nutritious. At Dawson Trail Craft Brewery here in the city, a brew-heavy week can consist of anywhere from one to three brews in a

single day, done several times during the week. Each brew has a requisite grain bill of approximately 150 pounds of grain, which extrapolates to a possible tonne of spent grain being produced in a week. Enter Misty Creek Homestead, a local farm operation in Kakabeka Falls, which picks up the spent grain and then feeds it to their cattle and livestock for a healthy and repurposed meal. Why not enjoy the brew with Misty Creek Homestead beersticks, jerky, pepperettes, smokies, pepperoni or garlic ring produced from Dawson Trail spent grain-fed cattle? Try: Dawson Trail Craft Brewery – Goodnight Sweet Prinz – 4.8% ABV - $3.60 for

473 ml – available at the brewery At Henderson Brewing Co. in Toronto, besides having a portion of their spent grain sent to a food processing company, they also keep some on hand to send down the street to a nearby restaurant, which upcycles them into housemade breads and pizza doughs. Try: Henderson Brewing Co. – Figo – 5.5% ABV $3.80 for 473ml - available online B r i m s t o n e B re w i n g Company in Ridgeway gives new life to their spent grains by utilizing them in as many dishes as they can at their on-site taproom restaurant. Besides their signature spent

grain pretzel bites that they boil in beer, they employ them in pastas, and as panko for chicken wings or pork and seafood dishes. Try: Brimstone Brewing Company – Hail Mary Session Ale – 4.5% - $4.50 for 473 ml – available online Left Field Brewery in Toronto sends the majority of their spent grain to a compost site, where the rich nitrogen content makes a strong contribution. They also keep a small portion to send to a local pet food manufacturer, which produces healthy dog snacks. Try: Left Field Brewery – Five Tool Wheat – 4.2% ABV - $2.55 for 355 ml – available online

Food

Thai Bay

Authentic and Original Thai Cuisine Story by Marcia Arpin, Photos by Kevin Dempsey

ince 2016, the Golden Flower Asian Grocery Store has been stocking its shelves with items from China, Vietnam, Japan, Korea, and Thailand. This small store has a surprisingly large variety of items not available anywhere else in Thunder Bay. Although owner Paw Nay Htoo was hopeful to expand from her current location, the past two years of COVID closures made her pause and rethink. Instead, she struggled with how to stay open and keep her employees working. “Owning your own business is stressful and prices are rising. It was hard to predict what will happen. It felt like a roller coaster,” says Htoo. Despite all the changes and pivots, this entrepreneur set to work brainstorming, and ultimately cooking. What evolved from the past two years of dreaming is Thai Bay, located at 65 Court Street South, where Htoo uses products from her store in the kitchen downstairs to cook a menu of her family favourites. Htoo’s family is originally from Burma and she grew up in Thailand. In 2004, she and her husband decided to immigrate to Canada. With plenty of restaurant and business experience, Htoo opened the take-out restaurant in December 2021, offering “grab-andgo” foods made on site. She

and her staff are excited to serve what she says is the most authentic and original Thai food Thunder Bay has to offer. The menu has many mouth-watering selections. There is such a variety of dishes, in fact, you could eat from the menu four or five times a week without ever having the same thing twice. From soups, such as the creamy tom yum or the tom ka gai, to green and red curries, there are endless tastes to try. Htoo has filled each meal with her best ingredients and offers generous portions. Htoo suggests trying the basil stir fry or the cashew stir fried rice, as they have quickly become customer favourites. Htoo (whose name translates to “flower of gold”) loves to stay busy and welcome more customers to try her dishes. She is a wonderful host and loves to share her knowledge and her culture. She has a special connection with her customers, and Thai Bay is her latest way to nurture them and invite additional people to the store. She is grateful for her success and hopes this little space of specialty groceries and yummy food will never be a secret. Thai Bay 65 Court Street South 356-4582

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GOOD TIMES ARE SERVED

From big days, to Tuesdays, the Thunder Bay Keg is here to make any occasion a truly special one. For reservations, visit thekeg.com 735 Hewiston St. | 807.623.1960

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Certfied Pre-Owned.

Food

Chicken Parm Sandwich Story by Chiara Zussino, Photo by Lois Nuttall

s we approach the end of winter and spring plays hard to get, many people begin looking for signs that the snow and cold is almost over. Maybe for you, this sign is when you see all the snow melt off your window sill. For me, it’s when I notice restaurants gearing up for patio season and changing their menus to feature new dishes. Readers, meet the Madhouse Chicken Parm Sandwich. Although it has been newly added to the menu this month, according to co-owner

Jarret Schilke it has been a crowd pleaser and customer favourite in the past, and is making a comeback. It fits perfectly with the classic pub aesthetic and fare that Madhouse is well known for. The brainchild of kitchen manager Levi Raine, it consists of hand-breaded chicken covered with housemade marinara sauce with lots of garlic. Topped with a mozzarella and parmesan blend, it is then baked in the oven until the cheese is melted and the chicken is perfectly crispy. From here, the chicken is placed into

a Portuguese-style bun made fresh by Donato’s and topped with garlic aioli and chopped basil to bring in some colour and added flavour to the dish. “We have a great relationship with Donato’s Bakery, and the buns used for this sandwich are fresh from there every morning,” says Raine. “I always go there for a lot of our specials. It is nice to be able to help support other local businesses and having our supplier just a few blocks away is very convenient.” This sandwich is comforting enough to keep you warm when that freak

E OFF TH MENU

snowstorm occurs (I see you, May long weekend blizzard!), with the right amount of a fresh flavour from the basil to remind you that warmer weather is just around the corner. It is a perfect pick-me-up for lunch, and paired with sweet potato fries and Dawson Trail Power Blaster beer, you have a winning combination that hits the spot. The chicken parm sandwich will remain on the menu throughout the month of April and might come off afterwards, so don’t miss the chance to try it for yourself.

“It fits perfectly with the classic pub aesthetic and fare that Madhouse is well known for.” Madhouse 295 Bay Street 344-6600

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Food

Seler Restaurant & Wine New Seafood-Driven Restaurant Opens in Port Arthur By Susan Pretty

Adrian Lysenko

veryone loves a new restaurant, and Seler is sure to be a new favourite in no time. Picture a seafood-centric menu meeting a quaint French bistro and you’ve got Seler—it’s a winning combination. Located downtown in the home of the former Silver Birch restaurant, Seler boasts a warm dining space with views of the lake and a private room with a fireplace for a cosy ambiance. Chef Chris Barnes, who hails from Truro, Nova Scotia, was able to incorporate his love of seafood into the fare, yet still offer a little something for everyone. “It’s good to have options,” Barnes says. The tuna tartare came highly recommended, yet is plated so beautifully it

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(almost) seems a shame to dig in. Yellowfin tuna is topped with a crunchy guacamole-style mix with Dijon mustard and shallots, sprinkled with spicy confetti greens, and served with a side of corn crisp rounds. The result is so fresh tasting and delicious that a glass of crisp white wine would be the perfect accompaniment. It’s no surprise that Barnes took Judge’s Choice awards at Top Chef Thunder Bay in both 2016 and 2018. The Digby scallops are served in a cream corn succotash “almost like a chowder,” Barnes says. Topped with a peppered pork belly and bone marrow crumble, it’s clear why this is a favorite as well. The umami on this dish is off the charts, and the scallops

are done to melt-in-yourmouth perfection. Seafood lovers can also choose from salmon, blackened tuna, and lobster ravioli. Beef tenderloin, short ribs, and chicken supreme round out the menu. Customers can also plan on satisfying their sweet tooth with an evolving choice of desserts, such as espresso and Kahlúa cheesecake, or blood orange crème brûlée. Barnes and his team look forward to creating seasonal taste sensations as we move into spring and summer. For instance, he can’t wait to bring in some Pink Moon oysters, which he plans to top with a bit of caviar and some hot sauce “pearls,” which truly appear to be made by magic.

“Picture a seafood-centric menu meeting a quaint French bistro and you’ve got Seler.”

Seler Restaurant + Wine 28 Cumberland Street North 767-3537

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FilmTheatre

Films that Examine Electricity’s Powers By Michael Sobota

s we transition to a greener future, electricity will retain its importance. Moving away from fossil fuels and harnessing wind, solar, and tidal powers is all in the service of producing electricity for our advancing scientific

and technological world. Electricity will still connect us. The movies have always required electricity, from making them to projecting them. Stories ranging from “the spark of life” (Frankenstein) to “the spark of death”

(The Green Mile) demonstrated its power. Whether you watch them on a big SilverCity screen or stream them in your home, it is only possible because of electricity. Here are four movies that examine electricity’s powers.

THE T D MOS SECONURABLE PLEAS G WE THIN HE DO IN TK DAR A COLUMN ABOUT MOVIES

Aside from its bizarre social prejudices, and the fact that everything stank of shit, Victorian England was also a land of innovation and scientific discovery. Many of England’s finest minds were digging into the nature of electricity, to harness its power for practical use. But for the young Louis Wain, it was something else. -Voiceover narration near the opening of The Electrical Life of Louis Wain

Frankenstein (1931)

John L. Balderston adapted Mary Shelley’s original novel and Peggy Webling’s play into a masterful script. Filmed in black and white, the story retains all the power of Shelley’s original with James Whale directing Colin Clive (Dr. Frankenstein) and Boris Karloff (the monster). The creation scene, in Frankenstein’s lab, is one of the most dramatic captured on screen. A lifeless creature assembled from various dead corpses lies on a slab. Electricity is visually bouncing around from various electrodes in Frankenstein’s instruments. A storm is raging outside. The roof above the lab opens, thunder rolls and a giant bolt of lightning enters the space. After several moments, one of the fingers of the creature moves. Clive’s giddy, shrill shrieks of “It’s alive, it’s alive!” are thrilling.

The Prestige (2006)

Christopher Nolan, directing from a script co-written with his brother Jonathan, created an elaborate period costume drama with a near operatic cast. The central story is about two dueling magicians, played by Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman. Nolan adds Scarlett Johansson, Michael Caine, Rebecca Hall, Andy Serkis, Roger Rees, and Ricky Jay, all decked out in late-1800 Victorian finery. He even throws in David Bowie in one of his final appearances on the big screen as Nicholas Tesla, the master of electricity. The script is labyrinthian, ratcheting up drama, danger, and terror with each magical illusion. It’s a fun ride.

Into The Forest (2015)

Patricia Rozema directs her own script adapted from a novel by Jean Hegland. This is a dystopian story set slightly into the future. A dad (Callum Keith Rennie, in an emotionally moving performance) raises his two daughters in a near palatial home, hand-built in a forest. The movie was shot in Campbell River, BC, pretending to be the forests of North Carolina. When dad dies and a mysterious, continent-wide black-out occurs, the two teenage girls struggle to survive. Played by Elliot Page and Evan Rachel Wood, the sisters face food, water, and energy shortages, as well as sexual assault from a wandering intruder. It’s a gripping tale.

And here are six more screen stories that you may get a charge out of: Young Frankenstein (1974), Weird Science (1985), The Iron Giant (1999), The Green Mile (1999), The Current War (2017), and Tesla (2020).

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The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2021)

Will Sharpe directs a script cowritten with Simon Stephenson. This is another epic, Victorian-era costume movie, but it’s a dramedy. Louis Wain (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a little-known British eccentric fascinated by electricity. He marries, and when his parents die takes on the responsibilities for providing for a household of women (his wife and five sisters). His mental health deteriorates and he discovers painting—cats. He paints hundreds, perhaps thousands of cats. This earns him financial stability while pushing him deeper into mental anguish. Cumberbatch skillfully and carefully reveals this journey until, in the final scenes, we see him in “an institution.” The script is clumpy but the look and atmosphere of the film are marvelous, held strongly together by Cumberbatch’s performance.

Time to

into action, Thunder Bay!

Each year, thousands of community members volunteer their time to clean up Thunder Bay by picking up litter from local streets, parks, walking trails, and their own neighbourhoods. Register for the Spring Up to Clean Up campaign and do your part to keep Thunder Bay clean, green, and beautiful! R EG I STR A N TS R E C E IV E:

· Free clean-up gear · recognition for your efforts · chances to win great local prizes!

Registration opens April 1 for clean-ups throughout the month of May. Visit ecosuperior.org/springuptbay to register or to find out more! #springuptbay Funded by the City of Thunder Bay and delivered by Ecosuperior SOLID WASTE & RECYCLING SERVICES

Spring IS IN THE AIR

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J B E VA N S . CA The Walleye

FilmTheatre

Head of the Lake

Documentary Series Shines Light on Thunder Bay Stories By Kris Ketonen

 Daniel Marquez

 Ana P. Castillo

wo Thunder Bay film producers are looking to highlight local stories in a new documentary series. Ana P. Castillo and Daniel Marquez plan to release their six-part Head of the Lake web series in 2023. The two filmmakers—who were both born in Venezuela and met while attending Concordia University in Montreal—are currently in research mode, looking for suggestions about the stories and people to focus on. “We realized that there was not that much content about [the] Thunder Bay lifestyle that was easily accessed,” Castillo says. “It was hard for us to define what it was like to be in Thunder Bay, to live in Thunder Bay, to be a Thunder Bayer.” But, Castillo says, when she and her husband moved to Thunder Bay in 2019 (Marquez moved to the city last year) she noticed many positive things about life here, and she and Marquez decided to start work on Head of the Lake. Currently, the pair is planning to tell stories across a few categories: the arts, immigration, gastronomy, e n t re p re n e u r s h i p , a n d nature. The series, Marquez says, will focus on “anyone who exemplifies what living in Thunder Bay is—either

growing up in Thunder Bay or also [having] moved here or based here now— and are contributing to the community.” Castillo says the pair does have an idea of who they’d like to feature in the series, but it’s too early to provide details. One thing that is certain, however, is that Head of the Lake is quickly garnering support. Everyone Marquez and Castillo have contacted and spoken with so far is excited about the project. “The way that we are looking to approach this, it’s a very intimate perspective,” Castillo says. “That’s what I’d like people to feel when they see it: ‘You know what? I understand this person, I understand why they are there, and I think it’s really nice that they’re doing what they’re doing.’” Marquez says he hopes the series builds excitement about Thunder Bay. “I think it’s very inspiring,” he says of the city. “It makes me feel excited about doing things.” Marquez and Castillo plan to start filming later this year, and start releasing Head of the Lake episodes online in 2023. For more information, visit @headofthelake.doc on Instagram.

“We realized that there was not that much content about [the] Thunder Bay lifestyle that was easily accessed.” 28

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DEAR THUNDER BAY:

IN T HUNDER BAY, FIRST NATIONS STUDE N TS ARE MET WITH MAN Y CH AL L EN G ES , SIMPLY TO GET AN EDUCATI O N Many must travel hundreds of kilometres, away from their homes and families to face an unfamiliar, intimidating place, ALONE. In an on-going effort to be better, together as a community, we’ve asked these students to anonymously share their thoughts and vision for the future of being an Indigenous student, learning and living, in Thunder Bay.

THI S I S WHAT THE Y HAD TO SAY S E V E N Y O U T H I N Q U E S T R E C O M M E N D A T I O N 1 1 6 A W A R E N E S S P R OJ E C T

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FilmTheatre

100% Authentic By Jimmy Wiggins

efore social media was a thing, finding new drag performers wasn’t as easy as scrolling through your phone. You had to physically leave your house, go to bars or drag shows, meet people, make connections, and actively look for new talent. Back then, drag was such an underground art form that unless you were going to queer nightclubs or events, you very likely would have never seen a drag queen or king in person. Then came social media, and the game changed. We were all instantly connected to billions of people all over the world. And then RuPaul’s Drag Race hit the scene and drag exploded out of the nightclub and into the mainstream. This mix gave us a window into the world of the “bedroom queen”—a drag queen who doesn’t perform live and usually only does drag in private. It also gave bedroom queens the option to have an audience if and when they wanted. I’m always looking for new performers and when I see talent I don’t let it slide by that easily. There’s one bedroom queen that’s been on my radar for a while now. Her name is Ophelia Queen. Ophelia Queen (a.k.a. Jordan out of drag) is originally from St Catharines, Ontario, and moved to Thunder Bay in the midst of the pandemic. Having dabbled in makeup since he was a teen, Jordan has struggled to figure out how to express himself. Out of drag, he is pretty quiet, enjoys painting, and loves horror movies, podcasts, and gardening. In drag, Ophelia Queen is a gothy and sultry queen, inspired

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by the scene kids of the 2000s and other drag artists who have an edgy or punky aesthetic like Pythia, Dollya Black, and Ivan Love. She’s here and she’s ready to take on the world. “Ophelia is the version of Jordan that allows me to be seen and enjoy attention,” explains Ophelia, “I’m naturally a quiet person. I don’t really put myself in the spotlight and I tend to wait to speak. As Jordan I definitely want attention, but I feel guilty asking for it. As Ophelia, I allow myself to be extravagant, demand the love that I deserve, and celebrate my queerness. Ophelia is definitely a way for me to build my confidence as Jordan.” Drag is not only a great expressive outlet, but it’s also a lot of fun and encompasses a lot of creative elements like fashion, makeup, hair styling, body transformation, and performance. For young queers, it can be the first steps into discovering, accepting, or being comfortable with their feminine side. “Performing as a drag queen to me means freedom to let my flamboyant attributes shine and be the forefront of what I am presenting,” says Ophelia, “From a very young age, I have always been flamboyant and when I came out in high school, I was told by family that as long as you keep it hidden and act straight, it’s okay. Doing drag gives me the freedom to express myself 100% authentically.” Follow Ophelia on Instagram @thatqueenophelia.

Ophelia Queen

“Ophelia is the version of Jordan that allows me to be seen and enjoy attention.”

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SPRING 2022 ART WORK BY SONYA L ACROIX

Celebrating our 13t h season of Craf t Revival

APRIL 24

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TheArts

The World I Know is Different By Penelope Smart, Curator, Thunder Bay Art Gallery Artist: CRoy Morris Title: The World I Know is Different Date: 2000 Medium: Acrylic on masonite Dimensions: 60.9 × 91.4 cm (24 × 36 in.) Gift of Rudy and Gloria Bies, 2016 his month, a new exhibition at the gallery celebrates new and recent acquisitions to our Permanent Collection. It’s a show we’ve had to wait patiently for— our calendar (like yours) has been full of stops and starts due to COVID. This spring, as restrictions begin to shift and change, we’re moving forward with a plan to introduce to you a selection of incredible works that we’ve added to the collection over several years. Come see what’s new. The World We Know is an exhibition of 12 artists working in all types of media. The title nods to a painting by Roy Morris called The World I Know is Different, which depicts a cosmology of sky and water beings—including animikii (thunderbirds), an underwater panther known as mishipeshu, and human beings—in a fluid matrix of relationship. While his image is grounded in Anishinaabe worldview, the title invites a larger question for our

HE FROM T BAY R E THUND ERY’S LL ART GA TION C E L L O C

“A group of elders taught Morris the ways of the Anishinaabeg, and he learned to listen to trees, grass, wind, and waters.”

present reality, experiences, and belief systems. Taking pause in the spring run-off, three years into a pandemic, what is the world we know? Morris was born in 1951 at Bearskin Lake, Ontario. He is Cree and a member of Muskrat Dam First Nation. Morris’s main media are pen, ink, and acrylic. As a child, Morris lived off the land and traversed the rivers and lakes around Bearskin Lake. A group of elders taught Morris the ways of the Anishinaabeg, and he learned to listen to trees, grass, wind, and waters. Morris used art and drawing as a natural extension to exploring the world around him, and received guidance from his grandfather, who used charcoal and craft paper salvaged from sugar bags to create pictures for Morris. The Thunder Bay Art Gallery has six paintings by Morris in our Permanent Collection, two of which are new donations on display in the exhibition. The World We Know: New Acquisitions to the Permanent Collection runs April 8–June 13.

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TheArts

Alice Falls

Dryocopus

Hidden cascades

Ghosts of Porphyry

Fox kit

Ninebark

Into the Woods

Ryan Wilkie of Dark Forest Photographic Zeroes in on the Natural World

A SAND U O H T O W RDS

Story by Bonnie Schiedel, Photos by Ryan Wilkie

icture 50 high school kids roaming the halls with 35mm cameras loaded with black and white film for art class—that’s how photographer Ryan Wilkie got his start. “It was a pickup, put-down kind of hobby for me, but I never really took it seriously until a few years ago,” says Wilkie, who now operates as Dark Forest Photographic. “I got a job out west in forestry, and I knew it was going to be in the mountains in some very picturesque scenery. So I picked up a decent camera, and learned how to take better photos; I

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started experimenting and really focusing on getting better.” At the time, YouTube instructional videos were his main teachers. In late 2019, Wilkie came back to Thunder Bay and Lakehead University (where he had earlier earned his Bachelor and Masters of Science) to continue his work in natural resources management. He started hanging out with other local photographers, including Chris McEvoy of Rusty Anchor Productions and Brandy Kenna of Incompass Photography. “We nerd out about cameras and camera

gear and look at each other’s work, and go, ‘Okay, how’d you do that? How’d you do this? And what filter did you use?’ We motivate, challenge and compete with each other, to try and get good photos.” Wilkie’s main focus is on wildlife and natural landscape photos. “Because I work outside a lot, I get to see some cool stuff. I go into the bush into some locations that people don’t necessarily get to go to, can’t really see from the roadside. And I’ve always been an outdoorsy person,” he says. “It’s a bit of a challenge to find the

right composition or try to keep your camera gear dry, but it’s fun being outside and being in the forest and taking pictures.” Part of W ilkie’s day job is to be a drone pilot and advanced drone pilot instructor, so he has honed his skills operating a drone and taking images and video over countless hours as both an undergrad and grad student, and as a staff member. “I grew up in the PlayStation generation, so to fly a drone wasn’t necessarily difficult for me. And we had lots of training through school; the main focus on

the skill development was mostly learning on how to fly safely and not crash,” he says. “Once those motor skills get developed, your reaction time gets quicker [and] the flying part becomes second nature. Then you can focus on the photography stuff.” By getting a birds-eye view with the drone, he can capture overhead shots of gnarled old trees, eagle nests, or the Lake Superior shoreline. What’s next? “I always like to go and chase a couple waterfalls in the spring!”

TheArts

Alice Falls

Summer fields

Ghosts of Porphyry 2

Verdant skies Photographer Ryan Wilkie

Lost in Lothlórien

Golden cedar

To see more images or order a print, visit @darkforestphotographic on Instagram.

Tech Specs

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TheArts printed on aluminum, acrylic, and is currently excited about washi paper, which is very delicate. In recent years, Cooper has exhibited both locally and internationally. She was juried into the 73rd edition of the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles in Paris and into the Biennial Art Exhibition at the Museum of Geometric and MADI Art in Dallas, Texas. Another rewarding experience was doing Fractal Art workshops with kids at the Boys & Girls Clubs. “They were just such great students and artists, I couldn’t say

enough about them,” she says. “I really enjoyed working with the kids. They got a good kick out of it too. And the thing is, you’re teaching them math, along with doing art. So, I was sneaky!” In Thunder Bay, Cooper will be a part of a group exhibition at DefSup, La Francophonie dans tous ses états in June this year, and there are plans for another miniature print exhibition in the summer.

 Bozzetto Circles

 Fractal 001

Find Cooper on Instagram @carolcooperarts.

 Bozetto 409

The Freedom of Digital Art Creating Geometric Abstractions and Fractals in Digital Media By Ayano Hodouchi Dempsey

elf-taught artist Carol Cooper loves the freedom computers give her in creating artwork. “I can go back in and change things. Then you’re not stuck—you can go back into your history steps, change things. That’s part of what kept me going,” she explains. Cooper has been making artwork on her computer for about two decades, and has more than 5,000 works saved. She has an ongoing list of ideas. “When the time is right and the inspiration is high, I’ll pull out my list and see if I can do something,”

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 Urbanforest

 Yqtyyz 002

she says. “The creative process can be inspired by waking up in the morning and saying, ‘I like the colour purple today. Let’s go play with purple.’” If she is doing geometric art, triangles are where she usually starts. Cooper uses Photoshop and Illustrator for her work. Sometimes she combines multiple techniques such as digital painting, photography, and vector and fractals (images based on mathematical equations). Although the possibilities are endless in digital art, an important part is knowing when to stop, she says.

“That’s when you get the feeling the artwork is saying what it has to say. But that’s not usually the end. The creative process in digital is a two-part thing, the way I see it. You save it on your computer, then you have to think about how to put it out. Print it on paper, canvas, add it to your website, animate it— that’s the second step.” “If I’m working on fractals, I like things nice and crisp, so I go with photography paper,” she adds. “If I’m going with my geometrics, sometimes canvas is nice.” She has

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Zaagi Creations

Indigenous Resin Jewelry and Creations By Stephanie Wesley

hen the world shut down in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fort William First Nation member Morgan BannonOgima found herself looking for something to pass the time. “When the pandemic hit, we were all stuck at home,” Bannon-Ogima says. “I was mostly bored, and I was wondering what am I going to do with myself aside from working? I couldn’t just sit around.” Bannon-Ogima started looking online and took notice of a new resin-based jewelry trend on the social media app TikTok, and an idea came to her. “The resin business was becoming a big thing online. I saw other artists doing it, and my best friend was doing it too,” she says. That was when BannonOgima decided she would venture into the world of jewelry craftsmanship as well, and started Zaagi Creations. “I’m not the most optimistic person some days, but I went for it,” she explains. The success of her new creative venture was not something she initially expected. Zaagi Creations now has customers from many different areas, including the United States. As an Indigenous person who, like many others, was disconnected from her culture due to the Indian Residential School system (her grandfather attended one of the schools), Bannon-Ogima wanted to strengthen her ongoing reconnection with her culture through Zaagi Creations. “Zaagi is short for zaagi’idiwin, which means

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‘love’ in Ojibway,” BannonOgima said. “I wanted to create something that is different and more modern to my culture.” She crafts each item by hand with the use of resin and silicone molds, and incorporates the four sacred medicines (tobacco, sweetgrass, sage, and cedar) inside each piece. In the summer, BannonOgima harvests sweetgrass, sage, and cedar respectfully after laying down tobacco as an offering. Initially, she was not sure if her idea to use resin alongside the traditional medicines was appropriate, so she went to an Elder to get advice. “He said go for it, follow your heart.” Bannon-Ogima does not charge very much for her creations, which helps the pieces become more affordable for everyone. “This is all a part of becoming respectful to the culture and the medicines. We don’t sell medicine, we sell our art and our time.” Zaagi Creations carries various pieces of jewelry, like earrings, bangles, and necklaces, but has also branched out into other items like wall hangings and suncatchers. In the future, Bannon-Ogima hopes to delve more into creating figurines in the shapes of animals like wolves and eagles, as well as phone grips. Zaagi Creations also provides teachings of Indigenous culture and language through various social media platforms and in person at craft shows. For more information, visit zaagicreations.ca.

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DefSup Expressionism Gala Bold Exhibit Hits Gallery Walls By Sara Sadeghi Aval

Chondon Photography

he Definitely Superior Art Gallery walls have been prepped once again for their newest exhibit revolving around expressionism, a style of painting where the artist conveys an emotional experience on canvas. Artists Patrick Doyle, Damen Chase Scott, and the Creators Project 8 films featuring the artist Sofles will be showcased during the exhibit’s month-long presence. There’s no doubting Doyle’s artistic presence inside the building. Upon entering the gallery doors, you are greeted by one of Doyle’s abstract triptychs (a set of three paintings) in his warm, high-contrast colour palette, most notably with his use of red, orange, and blue hues. “Triptychs are not to be confused with the name ‘three piece,’ like a man’s suit,” says Doyle on his use of multi-canvas sets. These

Artist Patrick Doyle in front of his piece North, South, East, West

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Sara Sadeghi Aval

Mainland, Patrick Doyle

Sara Sadeghi Aval

Life is a Dream, Patrick Doyle

Sara Sadeghi Aval

Primavera, Patrick Doyle

warm colors are somewhat of a differentiation from his earlier works, one of which is also displayed at the entrance of the gallery, which has lighter and more neutral tones throughout. The main gallery room is covered in Doyle’s collection titled Scratch the Surface. Over 30 large canvases, some encased with dark wooden frames, have been hung on each wall and highlighted with lighting. Doyle has previously been showcased with the gallery and even put the finishing touches on this collection at Definitely Superior. He is originally from Thunder Bay and is known internationally for his unique technique. His work is the epitome of expression, as each piece contains a world of figures, objects, and stories. With each look one can find new meaning in his work. His use of texture and strokes create the illusion of figures protruding from

Artist Damen Chase Scott

stating that these exhibits are a place for “the artist to display their art exactly how they want them to be seen,” and has been working diligently installing each piece. The entire collection will be available until April 16 and is sure to make you feel. Follow @defsup for more info.

“Nineteen-year-old Damen Chase Scott has only been painting for a year or two, but has created a collection beyond his years.”

Sara Sadeghi Aval

Untitled, Damen Chase Scott

Sara Sadeghi Aval

Untitled, Damen Chase Scott

Tim Burton. Scott uses a mixture of pencil and paint, on paper or canvas. His ability to draw life into the eyes of his created faces is the highlight of his work, and the young artist is a must see for emerging creators. In the gallery’s lower theatre, the Creators Project 8 films SOFLES Limitless by Selina Miles will be streamed. The videos follow Australian artist Sofles and other international graffiti artists as they tag an abandoned warehouse in Australia with over one thousand spray cans. Due to the country’s strict vandalism laws, artists must often use stencils in their street art in order to quickly complete the work and leave the scene. The gallery’s director David Karasiewicz notes, “the work is highly illegal, and not made to be permanent.” This type of urban graffiti is the perfect middle ground between Doyle and Scott’s work, all inclusive of the bold colours, social commentary, and innovation—the ultimate public expression. Karasiewicz is excited to once again welcome guests and the artists to the gallery,

Chondon Photography

TheArts the canvas, and a blend of shapes creates other hidden figures. There is no lack of emotion exuding from his brushstrokes, and the overall warmth of the collection reminds the viewer of the heart’s “order in chaos,” as Doyle describes. Nineteen-year-old Damen Chase Scott has only been painting for a year or two, but has created a collection beyond his years. His large scale neo-expressionist drawings/paintings remind the viewer of the innocence and freedom of childlike expression. His collection XV is located in the gallery’s graffiti room, which is fitting to Scott’s mix of wording, imagery, and socio-political messaging found throughout his pieces. “My goal for this exhibition is to bring awareness to real world issues and topics into the world of art, and to break boundaries in the art world,” says the artist. His use of the colour white to create large, ghostlike faces capture the viewer's eye and hold an air of melancholy, similar to the work of one of his inspirations, film director

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TheArts

Facing Forward The Art of Noah Tuomisto By Kathryn Lyzun

oah Tuomisto always liked drawing oddlooking faces. He doodled them on his high school workbooks and during his college classes. It was just for fun until his partner suggested he start using them in his actuwal work. “So I started playing around with them and just fell in love with drawing them,” the 23-year-old artist says. “It’s just very open to me. I don’t have to think too much about it, just let whatever I’m feeling or thinking flow out.” Tuomisto says he knew from the first art class he took at Hammarskjold High School that he was going to take art seriously, and started looking at it as a viable path for his future. After high school he pursued his art education and graduated in 2020 from Centennial College’s Fine Arts Studio program in Toronto. “That [program]

Confused

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was really eye-opening for me, and challenged me to push my art further in my exploration,” he says. Now back in Thunder Bay, Tuomisto is exploring m o re a v e n u e s f o r h i s artistic talents. He primarily works with ink and acrylics, sometimes pastels, and is always open to ideas from people looking to commission his work. He is about to start a tattooing apprenticeship at Studio Four Four Nine, something he’s long been interested in doing. He’s also putting together a body of work for an art show in Toronto with some of his college friends, which will happen later this year or next spring. And he’s happy to be back working with Eclectic Skate Shop, which he’s been involved with for nearly seven years, designing some really cool pieces.

Skateboard graphics designed by Noah Tuomisto for Eclectic Skate Shop

“I’ve been skate-boarding for about 11 years now, and I’ve been involved with the shop since 2015. I started there as a summer job in high school and still help out. It’s all not for profit and we’re all just volunteers and I love hanging out there,” he says. “Skateboarding has always been such a big part of my life and kind of inspired my art.” “It’s great working with Eclectic and John [Kelly]. I come up with an idea and he lets me kind of go for it. They

Eye Contact

have some clothes coming out this summer hopefully, and I just did my second skateboard graphic for them. We also had an opportunity to partner with a skate shoe company and I got to do an insole graphic for the shop.” In the summers, Tuomisto also makes custom grip tape for boards, and has a separate Instagram account just for this work. “They’re quick and easy and fun to do. It’s cool seeing people around with grip tape that I drew,” he says. Sound of silence

Check out his work on Instagram @noahtuomisto and @cooyee_grip.

“So I started playing around with them and just fell in love with drawing them.”

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Outdoor

Ice Inspiration Sea Kayaking the Rossport Islands

Story and photos by Zack Kruzins

 Kayakers weaving between the ice

or most people, their first sea kayaking experience on Lake Superior would likely be on a warm summer’s day when the weather is calm, risk is low, and maximum comfort allows for a good experience. Last year, I first splashed into the icy cold waters of Lake Superior near the Rossport Islands on a midApril Easter weekend with a few friends, and set forth for the open blue in our tandem kayaks. It was a crisp, sunny day with a thin layer of ice hovering over the lake surface. We crashed our paddle blades through the thin ice with each stroke and could hear the echoing cracks that caused Star Wars-like sounds under the ice across the semi-frozen bay. I was instilled with a zest for life and couldn't wait for more. Lake Superior was truly alive with the added presence of awe-inspiring ice formations and melting chunks of ice slowly drifting with the current. As anyone who spends time on or near Superior is aware, the lake

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has its moods. Even in the middle of summer, a very careful eye is required to paddle on Lake Superior, as the average year round water temperatures sits at about 4°C. On these early spring days, water temperatures are not much higher than freezing, making the risk factor much greater. The presence of very cold air and water temperatures amplifies the dangers of wind, waves, and heavy precipitation. Full one-piece GoreTex drysuits, fleece and merino wool layers, thick socks, neoprene hand covers (pogies), and booties are among some of the equipment needed to be safe in these conditions. However, along with the proper equipment, good judgment is of the utmost importance in assessing the level of experience within the group, weather, wind, and terrain conditions. The quaint village of Rossport is located at the very top of the Canadian north shore of Lake Superior off the Trans-Canada highway, two

 Jevon and Susan Hagens paddle a tandem kayak along the incredible ice formations in the Rossport Islands

 Aerial photo of Eastern Rossport Islands ice break up

Outdoor

 Exploring the Ice Grotto with Wyatt MacEwen

hours east of Thunder Bay. Rossport is in the heart of the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area, one of the largest freshwater marine pristine areas in Canada. It is a sea kayaker's dream, as it truly is the most protected group of wilderness islands on all of the Great Lakes, with paddling opportunities for the beginner to advanced kayaker. In most years, wind and waves blow in early spring and create open water access within this deep water island archipelago. Paddling here when this

happens is a truly magical experience. The question is, when will it open? This can vary dramatically from year to year. It’s sometimes open all year (even in the middle of winter) and sometimes it opens up a bit in February and then freezes up again until the late March or early April melt. The stars must align to experience this spring ice paddling phenomenon, but this raw and priceless beauty is definitely worth the effort. It is under my skin and it makes me feel incredibly lucky.

 Susan Hagens: happy paddling amongst the ice world

 Last of the icy shoreline melting into the Lake Superior

 Paddling through the line surface ice

 Peter Moule napping on piece of floating lake ice  Zack Kruzins enjoying the icy shoreline

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CityScene

Andrew Hare, Community Hub assistant at Waverley Library, checks out titles in the new climate change collection

An Important and Urgent Topic Climate Change Collection at the Library

Story by Angela Meady, Director of Collections,Thunder Bay Public Library, Photo by Raili Zgrych

here’s something new at the Thunder Bay Public Library; something that we are excited about for the community as it gives us the opportunity to highlight an important and urgent topic. This month we are launching a new Climate Change collection at the Brodie and Waverley Libraries. This is something we have been working on for a couple of years. It started

with a question from a library member—would we consider gathering our resources together into one place so that library users could more easily find books and resources on this important topic? This was such a perfect idea and fit right into our philosophy of being led by the community, so we gladly accepted the challenge. We set to gathering up what we already had, and assessed it

for gaps and currency. We also added new resources to make it a real, curated collection of helpful and interesting books and movies. As with all good ideas, once you take that first step, others who are interested in the same goals are quick to embrace your plans. We were fortunate to have other agencies demonstrate enthusiasm for the concept and to contribute in different

ways: EcoSuperior, the Thunder Bay Environmental Film Network, and scientists and activists from the local Climate Communication Workshop, to name a few. We were also fortunate to receive funding from the Thunder Bay Community Foundation and Superior Shores Gaming via the Friends of the Library to order new materials. The collection consists of books on a range of topics,

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which we have organized into categories like Sustainable Living, Environmentalist Biographies, Weather, Political Aspects, Animals, and Energy. Our goal was to make the information easy to find, so we chose this method rather than the Dewey Decimal classification system. The library has had an Indigenous Knowledge Centre for several years, and it naturally contains some incredible books on the topic of land and water stewardship and Indigenous knowledge about the natural resources of Turtle Island. We also will provide lists and guides to those materials, and to children’s books as well. We have also curated a webpage, which acts as a launchpad to accessing many online resources. Through CloudLibrary, members have access to thousands of free e-books, and Kanopy provides access to free streamed documentaries and films. We’ll also provide links to city plans, local, Canadian and international information, and eco-friendly suggestions. This is a collection that began as an idea from a person in the community, and that is for the community in every sense. It has been an exciting process so far, and we thank everyone who has helped us to bring this to a reality. We invite you to find your information and inspiration at your local library. For more information visit, tbpl.ca.

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Thunder Bay Aquarium Keepers

CityScene

THE SIASTS ENTHU

By Deanne Gagnon

n 2008, when Facebook was still in its infancy, James Foley saw the benefit of using the platform to connect groups of like-minded people—in his case, aquarium keepers. I used to own a store and aquarium maintenance company in town. When I shut it down I wanted to be able to keep in contact with the friends I had made through the business,” says Foley, the founder of Thunder Bay Aquarium Keepers. “Facebook was just getting into having groups, so I started one for local aquarium keepers and invited anyone that I knew that was on Facebook and had an interest.” Thunder Bay Aquarium Keepers is a very active group and now sits at over 1,200 members, with new members joining daily. People join the group for a variety of reasons, including advice on getting started, what to do if fish are sick, and for general care and maintenance. They also use the space for buying and selling of plants or fish, join forces to place group orders through online retailers, and simply share photos of different species of fish and their aquarium set ups. The group had a notable rise in membership numbers during the pandemic. “COVID was probably what spiked a lot of interest in the last two years, because we’ve had like a 20% increase in members in the last two years alone. I think

a lot of people really needed new hobbies. We couldn’t get out, couldn’t do too much,” says Patrick Merineau, one of the group’s administrators. Merineau initially became interested in keeping an aquarium in his early teen years. The hobby started with a fascination with red-bellied piranhas. He is now an African cichlid enthusiast, being attracted to their vibrant colours. Aquarium keeping has been known to be a very relaxing hobby. After a particularly stressful day, Merineau enjoys sitting and watching his colourful array of fish in one of the family’s two large tanks. They entertain his children as well. “My kids love it. They are staring at the aquariums constantly. It's fun for them too. My son just turned four a couple of weeks ago, and we got him a little aquarium in his room.” If you have any interest in starting an aquarium or have kept one for a while, Thunder Bay Aquarium Keepers is a great place to meet people with a common interest and lots of great knowledge that they are happy to share.

Patrick Merineau, one of the Thunder Bay Aquarium Keepers' administrators

For more information, find the group on Facebook.

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Blair Wright

CityScene

The Kam River Fighting Walleye face off against the Dryden GM Ice Dogs during Orange Wave Night

Orange Wave Night

Johnny McCollum of the Kam River Fighting Walleye

Fighting for Inclusion on Ice By Marcia Arpin

“I believe inclusion means giving an equal opportunity to people who, historically, may have been excluded because of race or gender. Culturally, many children never would get the opportunity to be a part of a hockey tournament of such magnitude.” Jason Thompson, founder of Warrior Supplies, has always believed that sport and education are great tools to offer youth for successful futures. Providing financial support to a player is a step towards doing just that. The specialty jerseys designed for this event were created by Warrior Supplies. Although the jerseys were worn the

night of the game, they were then auctioned off to the community. All the auction’s proceeds were invested in a scholarship for one of the Indigenous graduating players to pursue a postsecondary education. Trenton Morriseau is another player proudly participating in the event. He hopes the hockey community understands that “inclusion means giving equal access and opportunities for all no matter where you come from, and breaking down those previous barriers that have held us back to excel in sports.” Morriseau says he wouldn’t be where he is

“Inclusion means giving equal access and opportunities for all no matter where you come from, and breaking down those previous barriers that have held us back to excel in sports.” 50

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Ryan Hill

n March 12, the Kam River Fighting Walleye hosted their very first Orange Wave Night at NorWest Arena to celebrate inclusion, culture, and support for the Indigenous community in sport. “Growing up, I had the opportunity to play in numerous hockey tournaments with my brothers and cousins while we represented our First Nation, and it was amazing to see everyone come together annually to play the sport we all love,” says Johnny McCollum, a player from Sand Point First Nation (Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek).

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Blair Wright

today without the continued support of his community and can’t thank them enough. “I’m proud of where I come from, and I hope to be a role model in my community for many years to come. Hockey brings people together regardless of your race or cultural background and it’s a great game that we can all have an equal part of together,” he says. “Every Indigenous person has faced racism within their life. We all need to be inclusive with each other and hockey’s a great game and everyone should have an equal part in it.” The event was developed to demonstrate an example of creating a welcoming environment for everyone, in the hope that others will continue setting this example in our community for years to come.

Trenton Morriseau of the Kam River Fighting Walleye

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WALL SPACE

The Claude E. Garton Herbarium Story and photos by Adrian Lysenko

 (L–R) Ladislav Malek, research associate, Kristi Dysievick, acting curator, and Myles Cummins, assistant curator, at the Claude E. Garton Herbarium

ocated in the Centennial Building at Lakehead University, the Claude E. Garton Herbarium holds a vast collection of plant specimens and associated data used for preservation, research, and educational purposes.  Photos of Garton.

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“A herbarium is kind of like a library,” says Kristi Dysievick, the herbarium’s acting curator. “It’s a physical collection of the flora.” The herbarium was established in 1967 in part by Claude E. Garton, a teacher

and botanist who donated his collection of over 10,000 plant specimens. Myles Cummins, the assistant curator, points out how Garton didn’t go out and gather all the species, but used his collection to trade with other institutions. “Only

about 35,000 of our vouchers are from Northwestern Ontario; the rest are from all over the world, like New Zealand and South America,” Cummins says. “The oldest thing that’s been registered in the collection is from 1803.

It’s a primitive gymnosperm from Colombia of all places. How we got it, we don’t know, but it was traded to the National Canadian Herbarium sometime I think around when Claude opened this place up.”

 An example of a voucher at the herbarium. “On it you’ll have locality, the exact longitude and latitude, habitat descriptions, collector’s dates, and sometimes they have notes like elevation, surface, stuff like that,” Cummins says. “So ideally, with all the information, you should be able to follow this and almost walk right up to where they found the plant.”

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 “We have a diverse flora collection not just from Northwestern Ontario but from all over the world,” Cummins says, “I see each individual voucher as kind of like a sliver or snapshot of the biodiversity that Northwestern Ontario or the world once had to offer. So we’re able to put all of that together and make more of a collage about how biodiversity has existed over time, and how it’s potentially changed as well.”

 “One study that was simply done through a herbarium is phenology change. So how is climate change affecting the flowering of different plants,” Dysievick says. “You can do that because we have 30, 40 vouchers of a plant going back 60 or 70 years.”

 Cummins demonstrates pressing a plant for the herbarium’s collection.

 The collection is currently being photographed to create a searchable database made available in the future.

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reen is the colour of cannabis. Every stylized image of a cannabis leaf, whether it's on a flag, a license plate, or even a t-shirt, gets coloured the same. Now, this is fine for a symbol, but we know that cannabis comes in some amazing colours that offer the full spectrum of the rainbow. When I open the packaging for a new strain, the first thing I do is smell. After that satisfying inhale, though, the second thing is to visually inspect—and hopefully admire—the bud. In the olden days, a visual inspection was about the only way you had to judge your cannabis before using it. You’d nod approvingly at the healthy green colour, smile knowingly at the crystals or trichomes, and if these features were plentiful, consider it a “good” strain. Of course, this kind of inspection wasn’t really proving anything: potency can’t be assessed just by looking at a bud. What you can judge, though, is the health and potential flavour of the strain. Fresh cannabis should be vibrantly coloured, which means the taste will match. Cannabis—like every other plant—owes its green colour to chlorophyll. For most of the plant’s life, it will be the same green as the cannabis symbol. Close to harvest, though, once the plant is mature and chlorophyll content reduces, a whole range of colours are possible from additional phytochemicals such as anthocyanins, carotenoids, and flavonoids. If you’ve experience growing outdoors, you’ll be aware of this process, as the cooler temperatures close to harvest promote this colour exchange. With the enormous range of cannabis strains being produced, some growers are focusing on the plant’s appearance. Different colours mean different flavours, terpenes, and potency—a whole new way to taste the rainbow.

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Taste the Rainbow A Look at Cannabis Colours By Justin Allec

Pink: The obvious pick

would be Pink Kush, as it features a mild fuchsia hue. An indica-dominant strain, Pink Kush packs a punch to the body before spreading its goodness to dull pain and increase appetite.

Orange: Carotenoids

are responsible for hues of yellow and orange in plants, which require a more alkalineheavy soil. Milder strains such as Agent Orange and Tangerine Dream have an orangey tint to their buds, feature a fantastic citrus smell, and ensure a good mood.

Yellow: Strains with traces of gold and vibrant yellow, such as Lemon Haze, have a sweetness to their citrus flavour which stays in the mouth. They’re also usually more potent but also a fun time due to the increase in euphoria.

B l u e : Cannabis

strains like Blueberry and Blue Dream are high in anthocyanins and are some of the most attractive strains around. Predominantly indica and promoting heavy body relaxation, blue-tinged cannabis strains are some of the oldest in the industry.

Purple: Grape Ape and Purple Kush are popular due to their incredible berry flavour and potent cerebral effects, but they also tend to be soporific. Regardless, for a night off on the couch, these strains are a treat.

R e d : Almost all cannabis strains will feature “red hairs,” as the bright red stigmas are part of the bud’s pistils, and a greater concentration does usually mean increased potency. There is an actual “red” hybrid strain that exists, but it’s rare and probably won’t be found in your local dispensary.

White: Strains such as White Widow and White Rhino are still green, but at their peak they’re coated with white trichomes. The effect lends the strains their names but is also a warning as to their potency.

“Once the plant is mature and chlorophyll content reduces, a whole range of colours are possible.” The Walleye

CityScene

“What I discovered in the writing is how critically noisy silence is.”

Award winning Thunder Bay author Jean E. Pendziwol

The Noisiness of Silence

New Children’s Book Shares the Magic and Creativity that Comes from Sitting Still By Susan Goldberg

“P

leeease, be quiet!” It’s a plea that many parents have uttered to their school-aged offspring, especially over the past couple of years of working and learning at home. That plea opens When I Listen to Silence, Jean E. Pendziwol’s most recent children’s book: a harried mom, surrounded by laptop and cell phone at the dining room table, begs her young child for just a few moments’ peace. The child,

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in turn, curls up in a window seat and begins to dream. What follows is a whirlwind journey of the imagination: breathing trees, dancing bears, star-dappled steeds, pirates, mermaids, a flight upon a roaring dragon whose “smoky breath coils through a midnight sky.” We end up napping with whales on the floor of the sea before returning to the dining room table, where it’s the child’s turn to exhort the mother:

“Pleeease, be quiet!” Although When I Listen to Silence perfectly c a p t u re s s o m e o f t h e realities of pandemic-withkids, Pendziwol conceived of the book in 2017, well before COVID-19 made its appearance. She had attended a writing workshop with Hamilton, Ontariobased author Gary Barwin, where they explored the repetitive format of Elizabeth Bachinsky’s poem “When I

Have the Body of a Man.” In the weeks and months that followed, Pendziwol played with the format, using it as a way to explore the “meditative, contemplative nature of silence.” “What I discovered in the writing is how critically noisy silence is. When we allow ourselves to just sit and be still and tune out the busyness around us, tune out life and media, [we can] tap into our own creative selves. And it was really fun to see a child go on this journey.” Although Pendziwol didn’t write the text during the pandemic, illustrator C a r m e n M o k c re a t e d the artwork for it during lockdown, which may account for the book’s workand-play-from-home motif. “I love that Carmen got the noisiness of it, and brought that into the illustrations,” says Pendziwol. Mok has also picked up on the repetitive, circular

nature of the text. Each illustration flows into the next, creating a seamless mural that begins and ends in the same spot. “You could literally cut this book apart, and tape one page to the next to create one complete circular image,” says Pendziwol. “I thought that was absolutely brilliant.” Pendziwol’s next book, currently under contract with Groundwood Books, is tentatively titled Skating Wild on an Inland Sea. Originally written as an audio installation for the Harbourfront Centre, it explores skating on the wild ice of Lake Superior. When I Listen to Silence will be released by Groundwood Books this month and will be available to order at Entershine Books. Learn more about launch events and Pendziwol’s work at jeanependziwol.com.

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Powering Up Northwestern Ontario By Samrul Aahad, Economist, Northern Policy Institute

ntario largely uses nuclear power plants for electricity generation, followed by hydro power plants. Demand for energy by residents of Northwestern Ontario has been steady for the most part of the last decade, except for the dip in 2020. The decrease in energy demand in 2020 and 2021 could be, partly, attributed to the spread of COVID and the restrictions that followed, which led to dramatic reductions in services.

And speaking of energy, in late February the Ontario government announced an investment of $250,000 into e-vehicle production in Cobalt, ON. That said, 2021 has been the biggest year for batterypowered electric vehicles (BEV) sales in Northwestern Ontario. In the first three quarters of 2021, the sales have exceeded the previous high set in 2018. As well, 2% of all cars registered in 2021 in Ontario were BEVs (Statistics Canada, 2022).

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CityScene

Every year approximately 1,200 children and youth in Thunder Bay are not able to access recreation programs because their families cannot afford it. Now is your chance to help local children in our community access local activities through PRO Kids!

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CityScene

Sprucing Up Your Home with Secondhand Decor By Kelsey Raynard

hose of us new to the world of thrifting usually dip our toes by browsing secondhand clothing. We may be on the hunt for the perfect pair of vintage jeans, or we may be looking through racks of eclectic clothing for a Halloween costume. But have you ever ventured just a few

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aisles over to the housewares department? Better yet, have you followed any of the amazing local businesses curating vintage decor? With April being our annual green issue, it felt fitting to interview a business that inspires us to interrogate even more of our purchasing habits around the home. This

month, we feature Vintage Honey, a local thrifter with a vast and varied collection of vintage and antique housewares and decor. Vintage Honey was launched in July 2020 and has since featured hundreds of pre-loved household goods, from large rattan shelves to unique, vintage Pyrex. Owner Jaimie van Amerongen says that her love of decor stems from its inherent inclusivity and

universality. “I found my niche with housewares and I would say that it is sort of accessible to everyone,” she says. “If I have a unique piece like a vase, anybody can buy that, whereas clothing has to be within a certain size. Home decor is universal in that way.” This month, van Amerongen is selling a number of stylish statement decor pieces that would love a second (or even third) home. In the back row on the left, you will find a vintage wicker mini peacock chair, which works amazingly as a plant stand ($45). In the middle, we have a terra cotta-coloured clay vessel with intricate designs, made in Greece ($20). On the right is a vintage Holmegaard Primula smoked glass apothecary jar—try saying that five times fast ($75). In the front row, on the far left you can see a solid brass finger loop candle

holder ($20), which would look amazing paired with a beeswax candle from Heron House Handmade. Next is a wooden catchall bowl or pillar candle holder ($12). You can give even the tiniest space a bit of pre-owned love with the small wicker container with lid ($10). Lastly, we have a vintage brass and mother of pearl inlay candle holder ($15). If these items don’t catch your eye, van Amerongen says she is happy to hunt for different styles and pieces: “In addition to items I post for sale, I am happy to curate items specifically for people. If there is a vintage item you’ve been looking for, feel free to reach out as I’m happy to source specific items; I’ve always got eyes out for everything and anything.”

Check out @vintagehoney_ tbay on Instagram or VintageHoneyCanada on etsy.com.

“I found my niche with housewares and I would say that it is sort of accessible to everyone.”

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Thunder Bay Weavers & Spinners Guild

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AL GO LOC R E D N THU TRY N U O C BAY T E K R MA

Story and photos by Olivia Bosma

he arts of spinning and weaving date back centuries. They are said to have begun in ancient Egypt around 3400 BCE. As some may know, spinning is the process of converting raw fibres, such as wool, into thread or yarn. The crafter then takes the spun yarn and, using a machine called a loom, begins the lengthy and precise process of weaving and interlacing the yarn to form material fabrics. In recent years, these ancient crafts have become a lost art. However, there is a very talented group of people in our city who are dedicated to keeping these arts alive. The Thunder Bay Weavers & Spinners Guild, who hold a permanent place at the Thunder Bay Country Market, have been sharing their passion for these lost arts with our community for several years. They might not be spinning straw into gold, but their masterful skills with thread and yarn create valuable works of art,

nevertheless. “The guild was founded in the early 1960s I believe,” says Colleen Laughton, current president of the guild. “A group of friends who practiced weaving independently started getting together to share their interest and skills with each other.” After nearly 20 years, this small group of weavers joined up with a group of spinners in the 1980s to share knowledge and love of fibres. “It was after this point that they wanted to create a more formal guild,” Laughton says. In the early 2000s, the group formalized their organization and created the Thunder Bay Weavers & Spinners Guild. “The guild was then formalized as a [...] not-for-profit charity group,” Laughton says. The guild has operated at the Thunder Bay Country Market for around 10 years on a part-time basis, but they have, in recent years, taken up permanent residence. At

their booth, customers can find a range of handmade products from socks to rugs. “When people come to visit our booth, they will sometimes see something they like, and ask if we have it in another colour or material,” Laughton says. “They often don’t realize that we are not a factory or a store that brings in products. Every piece is handmade with a lot of time and effort. There is a person, a face behind

everything you will find in our booth at the market.” When you purchase anything from the guild’s booth at the market, 90% of the commission goes to the member who made it. The remaining 10% is donated to the guild so they can continue doing what they love and sharing their creations with the community. So, go check it out. It really is pure gold.

“Every piece is handmade with a lot of time and effort.” For more information, email tbwsguild@gmail.com.

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Advertising Feature

Celebrating Our Urban Forests Written by Kyle Jessiman, John Walas, and Robert Scott As spring arrives and the snow departs, we celebrate by planting farms, gardens, and trees. Arbor Day is usually celebrated at the end of April, though due to our climate, we hold off until the last frost which can be as late as June. It is a day used to reflect on the benefits that trees and green infrastructure provide to our communities. While trees filter the air, offer shade in the summer, and capture stormwater, amongst a plethora of other benefits, green infrastructure is a term to encompass anything developed to mimic or complement nature. Structures like Low Impact Developments, green roofs, native plants in urban areas, rain gardens, and more are all captured by the term.

It’s thanks to past Arbor Days that the City has improved areas in numerous parks across the city.

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The City of Thunder Bay has been active in encouraging green infrastructure with its EarthCare initiative; categorized partnerships between municipal government and community stakeholders providing guidance and support encouraging our city to be increasingly friendly to nature and resilient to climate change. You may very well be maintaining some green infrastructure of your own! Do you have trees, gardens, or other native plants on your property? Perhaps you make use of a rain barrel or harvest foods from a backyard plot? Even allowing sections of your lawn to naturalize can provide shelter and nourishment for pollinating insects and birds. Though Arbor Day is about trees, it gives us the opportunity to consider the realm of green infrastructure. It’s thanks to past Arbor Days that the City has improved areas in numerous parks across the city. Visit newly planted trees at City parks including Parkdale, Dease, Vickers, Dalhousie, and County Park; or small greenspaces like Holly, Confederation, and Albany to see green infrastructure planted by City staff and volunteers. The City has increased its tree planting efforts over the last five years from 200 per year to 1,100 trees, with dozens of Low Impact Developments and being built. Large-scale green infrastructure is essential, but there is strength in community effort and what you do on your property makes a big difference. Through a thousand small actions, considerable change is possible. You can help by planting trees, growing your own vegetables, refraining from using toxic pesticides and herbicides, improving the storm water runoff on your property, de-paving asphalt areas, renovating a building to increase its efficiency or add a green roof, advocating for biodiversity, or driving less. To learn more about EarthCare Thunder Bay, visit: www.earthcarethunderbay.ca

CityScene

Sprigs and Twigs Debut Poetry Book a Success By Sara Sadeghi Aval

“R

omantic poets try to appeal to your emotions, and the poetry isn’t about the person who’s writing,” explains Terry-Lynn Johnson, author of Sprigs and Twigs. The 90-page poetry book is the author’s first publication, but contains poetry from 50 years of her life—including a piece she wrote when she was only 12 years old. Labelled a collector’s edition, in Sprigs and Twigs Johnson eloquently discusses her emotional journey through grief, hope, nature, abuse, and love. The book is comparable to works by Robert Frost and inspired by writers like Leonard Cohen and Maya Angelou. Johnson was bor n in Nipigon and spent time in Red Rock as well, and the nature scenes found throughout her poetry replicate her life’s landscapes. Currently a teacher, Johnson’s favourite thing about her own work is that it can be enjoyed by her grade eight students and university professors alike. “The beauty of my poetry is you don’t need to understand the literary allusions or symbolism to enjoy the poetry. You can read it on the surface or dissect it,” says the writer. She has found that her younger readers are drawn to pieces like “Train Station Platform,” which encourages the reader to learn from life lessons and let go, while older audiences enjoy pieces like “Burnt Orange Tiger Lilies,” written in memory of Johnson’s mother. The variations in emotional maturity and depth ensures

these poems find a home in each reader. In true romantic poetry fashion, Johnson also uses birds to convey moments in time. In her piece “A Solitary Note,” she singles out the song of a sparrow on “a barren branch” and although words like “bleak and chilled” mark the poem’s tone, the ending lines bring hope back to the reader with the promise of “wintering the worst” and returning to harmony. “If you read the book from front to back, you can tell the poems are categorized by flavour,” says Johnson. She emphasizes that reading the poems through different lenses brings new meaning to each piece. There are even connections to current world issues, with an air of war surrounding “A Solitary Note.” “If you feel bad for this bird, you should feel bad for what’s going on in the world,” says Johnson. The use and manipulation of emotion is consistent throughout the book. Johnson attributes a lot of her success to Lakehead U n i v e r s i t y, w h e r e s h e graduated with her humanities degree and was mentored by Dr. Philip V. Allingham, who she acknowledges in the opening pages. She also dedicates the collection to her children, Melissa and Darren. Learn more at lakeheadpoet.com. Sprigs and Twigs is available for purchase at several online bookstores and at Indigo Thunder Bay.

Author Terry-Lynn Johnson

“The beauty of my poetry is you don’t need to understand the literary allusions or symbolism to enjoy the poetry.”

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This is Thunder Bay

Adam: Lots of walks. Now that COVID is loosening up, we can get out and enjoy coffees on the porch and things. Getting ready for summer, really. There’s a lot of snow to melt. It’s not like we can take our snowboards out anymore, and we can’t quite skate[board] yet.

Interviews by Nancy Saunders, Photos by Laura Paxton

This month, we asked our readers how they deal with spring fever.

Chandra: I get spring fever and I want to get the heck out of my house, so I end up travelling, actually. We end up going on lots of road trips, and I make lots of plans for the summer. Hawk: I like being inside so I don’t really mind it. Same thing in the spring and the summer—I just stay inside. Magpie: I’ve been outside all winter, with the horses. In the spring it gets icy, so it’s not as fun. It’s more work.

Doug: I think at this time of year, I’m just excited that the weather’s getting warmer, the days are getting longer. I have a camp at Shebandowan so we’re going out every weekend now, enjoying the outdoors more than we probably did during January and February.

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Speak’s

Veteran Skate Sharpener Closes Doors By Neal Bennett

ord of mouth led me to Speak’s a couple of years ago, as I had heard about a skate sharpening service in my neighbourhood. So I stopped by, skates in hand, and followed the signs directing me to the skate sharpening shack in the backyard. I walked out back, and found an older gentleman wearing a hockey jersey and using a sawed-off hockey stick as a makeshift cane. He greeted me and we entered his shack under the fluttering of two Canadian flags high on the pole. Once inside, I was surrounded by hockey memorabilia, yellowed newspaper articles, and photos of former teams and players while the old-time country music of a Slim Whitman concert played on a television in the corner. I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced such a truly Canadian experience in my life. I asked him his name, to which he replied, “It’s Speak.” I felt both welcomed and intrigued during my first visit. Having not grown up here in Thunder Bay, I was not aware of Robert “Bob” Speak, a true local legend. It was clear to me he was up for chatting, and with his quick wit and sense of humour, was ready to shoot the breeze with a customer. That day, I had my young daughter waiting in the car and wasn’t able to stick around as long as I would have liked. At that moment, I knew that I would be back for my next sharpening. Speak is now 88 years old and in 1948 he filled eight potato bags of empty bottles, enough to cash in for his first pair of skates. He didn’t realize he’d need to keep these new blades sharp, which at the time would cost him 25 cents. By 1968, Speak purchased his first skate sharpener and five decades later he’s now gone through 16 machines. “At this point, you could blindfold me and I’d go sharpen your skates,” he tells me. I can’t begin to describe the interesting and diverse life

experiences he shares with his own unique comedic flair. I could sit with him for hours, and he tells me “I could tell you stories for a week straight.” The standout, however, has to be the rink he “developed” at an old sawmill on Front Street. As a kid, he would go down there in the middle of the night and, using paper from train boxcars and old broken grain doors, he would light the sawdust pit on fire. He describes the fire as burning downwards into the pit until the fire department would arrive to extinguish it. In doing so, they would fill the pit with water, which subsequently froze after they left, creating a fresh sheet of ice for Speak and his buddies. He got away with this for two or three years, until the day the fire chief knocked on his parents’ door exclaiming that he knew what he was doing, and not to do it anymore. Instead, the fire department offered to flood the pit for him. S p e a k ’s p a s s i o n for hockey is certainly unparalleled, but it is closely matched with his desire to converse with people. His closet is a telling example of his dedication to the game, as he wears a hockey jersey every single day, even in summer. He retired years ago from the grain elevators but continues to masterfully sharpen blades, as he enjoys the interactions with the people drawn to his unique skate shack. Of his retirement, he says, “I won’t just lie on the couch and drink beer and eat chips.” All those who have visited surely hold distinct memories of their experiences. You won’t find him advertising anywhere, you

“Everything must come to an end.” Robert “Bob” Speak

won’t find him in a Google search, yet ask around and he is well known. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to stop by for a chat for much longer, as Speak plans to close the doors to his shack this April. “Everything must come to an end,” he says. However, he is interested in finding someone to train and keep the grinders going at his Secord Street location. I’m glad I was

able to experience both his razor-sharp edges and a wonderful conversation with this fascinating man before the sparks stop flying. Due to health issues, he’s currently set up his machine near his front door, and so he keeps grinding, literally. I’m saddened by the news as there is no replacing a business like Speak’s, but am thankful for my time getting to know this man who has been so

dedicated to the Thunder Bay skating community. I look forward to picking up my skates a couple more times with the small bag of candy and neon yellow business card attached. It is rare to have the opportunity to meet such an interesting individual. Thank you for your service to the skating community of Thunder Bay, Mr. Speak.

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CityScene EYE EYE TO

With Ron Kanutski As told to Adrian Lysenko, Photo by Shannon Lepere

on Kanutski wears many hats. Not only is he an accomplished comedian, he’s also a musician, storyteller, wellness facilitator, and cultural teacher. The Walleye caught up with him to talk about taking things for granted, his idols, and watching the Hallmark Channel. On live entertainment pre- and post-COVID: I think people have been so boxed in, and I think live entertainment was already taking a hit just prior to COVID. People weren’t going out anymore as much. People weren’t spending the money. They were sitting at home watching Netflix, Prime, Hulu, and all this other stuff. I didn’t see people really coming out anymore and not just for comedy—for music, for everything. It was really getting hammered. I find now, people are really starving for something and they just really want to get out. So I’m hoping that, you know, people aren’t going to take things for granted anymore. On binge-watching: I’m at the point where I’ve watched everything on Netflix. I’ve cancelled Netflix—I was like "There’s nothing more to watch!" I’m getting down to watching Heartland and things I would never watch. I’m on the Hallmark Channel at this point. On the what he’s enjoys doing off the stage: The biggest thing I like to do is I like to travel and I like to go to concerts. That’s what I do. I don’t go to a lot of comedians because I don’t want to watch other people in my job. The

other thing is I don’t want any of their stuff rubbing off on me. I don’t want to be stealing any of their things or thoughts—I want to try to keep my own program. I also like motorcycle riding. I like travelling on my bike. I like going places. On his idols and those who helped him along the way: The Thunder Bay Kinsmen. I think I owe a big thank you to Jason Komoski, because he’s the one who helped to get me here and I can’t forget about that. And Johnny Yellowhead from Summer Beaver. And Eddie Murphy and Sam Kinison. Those are the guys that made me go “I want to do this for a living.” On his background as a social worker and the crossover into comedy: I used to do healing and wellness presentations, so I can get up and teach for a seven-hour day. I can do a seven-hour workshop, which I have to install humour in, because if I just get up and hammer out stuff about wellness and mental illness, man you’ll kill a room with just straight facts. You want to make it exciting for people. So it’s working with people’s emotions. Sometimes it’s about getting people to feel. So sometimes I have to get them to get in touch with their trauma, get in touch with their sadness, their depression, and try to extract it out. So getting into rooms I found that I was able to make them cry, I was able to make them laugh, I was able to make them feel, bringing out anger, and letting stuff go. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Comedian Ron Kanutski with one of his prized possessions: a guitar signed by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield

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ST. PAUL’S UNITED CHURCH During this Easter season of transformation we mark the beginning of a new journey in ministry with Presented by

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CityScene

Stuff We Like

Stuff We Like That's Made From Other Stuff By Amy Jones

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1 Tag Art Milk + Bread Art + Vintage @milk.n.bread Most of us look at those little milk and bread tags and see something to toss in the garbage, but at Milk + Bread Art + Vintage, they see endless creative possibilities. These unique collages will make an interesting and beautiful addition to your kitchen décor.

ere at Stuff We Like, it’s no secret that, well, we like stuff. But we also know there really is far too much stuff in the world, and unfortunately, that stuff often ends up in the garbage when we’re done with it. This is why we love the upcyclers, the refinishers, the repurposers, the recyclers—all those people out there giving new life to the stuff that most of us would just throw out. From clothing to milk and bread tags, from plastic water bottles to beer caps, here is Stuff We Like That's Made From Other Stuff.

2 Hand-Poured Soy Candles

Thrifted Wick @the_thrifted_wick Love candles, but want to find an earth-friendlier way to light it up? Using unscented soy wax, beautiful thrifted glass, and dried flowers for a natural aroma, the Thrifted Wick makes candles that you can feel good about burning.

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3 Bottle Cap Fishing Lure

Sleeping Giant Brewing Co. 712 Macdonell Street We love Sleeping Giant Brewing Co. beer, and apparently, so do fish! Their flagship bottle cap lures are made from recycled bottle caps, and are recommended for walleye, pike, perch, trout, bass, steelhead, salmon, and many more.

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4 Artech Studios ReBeer Wrinkle Glass

Hygge Loft 271 Bay Street Handmade in Tory Hill, ON, the dishwasher and freezer safe ReBeer glass is made from heating and reforming recycled beer bottles. So next time someone asks if you want your beer in a bottle or a glass you can say, “Yes!”

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Patagonia Fisherman’s Rolled Beanie 5

Fresh Air 710 Balmoral Street Winter might be coming to an end (we hope!) but that doesn’t mean you still can’t use a beanie to keep your head warm on those cool spring days. Like a good portion of their clothing line, this Patagonia beanie is made with recycled polyester, which lessens our dependence on petroleum for new polyester and promotes new recycling streams for polyester clothing that is no longer wearable. Bet your old beanie can’t do all that!

$45

6 Nanabijou Hoodie

Ungalli Clothing Co. 115 Cumberland Street North We love Ungalli for their innovative recycled/organic clothing, like this gorgeous unisex Nanabijou hoodie made from 50% organic, non-GMO cotton and 50% recycled polyester, saving 24 plastic bottles from the landfill. Plus, well, they’re just really cool. It’s a win-win!

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7 OOAK Hand-Dyed Clothing

Wild Badger @badgerfolk Alongside their hand-dyed T-shirts, tanks, and long sleeves, accessories, and home décor, Wild Badger gives new life to second-hand clothing by hand-dying and/or printing the pieces. If you see something you like, scoop it up—these beauties are one of a kind, so once they’re gone, they’re gone!

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8 Upcycled Climbing Rope Tug Toy

Land and Forest Dog Co. @landandforestdog If your pup loves to play tug, this upcycled climbing rope tug toy made from retired climbing rope is the toy for them! Hand-tied in Thunder Bay and made with sustainability in mind, it’s sure to give Rover hours and hours of fun (while also being easy on the planet!)

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RV & TENT

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For a unique camping experience, stay the night at Fort William Historical Park. Close to city amenities, our campground is a great spot for short- and long-term stays. While you’re here, discover Anishinaabe culture and fur trade heritage at Fort William, one of North America’s largest living history sites. Enjoy award-winning historical programs and events, canoe along the historic Kaministiquia River, and venture through the cosmos at the David Thompson Astronomical Observatory!

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2040 (DVD) Growing and Eating Sustainably: Agroecology in Action Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future Red Deal: Indigenous Action to Save Our Earth Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World What Can I Do?: My Path from Climate Despair to Action

CityScene

Orange Blooms in Thunder Bay

Planting Seeds for Support and Solidarity Story by Leah Morningstar, Photos provided by Lori Armstrong

he bright orange shirt— based on the orange shirt that was taken away from young Phyllis Webstad when she started attending residential school in Williams Lake, BC— honours both the experience of survivors, and the children who died at school or trying to get home. Wearing an orange shirt or displaying an orange shirt is a declaration that every child matters. Last summer, Mark Jeffery and his wife Lori Armstrong were encouraged to see so many orange shirts popping up all over the city. But like many awareness campaigns, it’s often hard to keep the momentum going once the initial interest has quieted. “I felt like I needed to do something to keep the interest going, but as a nonIndigenous person, I didn’t want to step out of my lane or jump in and put my voice where it

wasn’t invited,” Jeffery says. Early in 2022, the Thunder Bay Horticulture Society encouraged residents to plant red flowers to honour Canada. Cities across Canada have been called to plant red in the spring, leading to a nation-wide bloom of red by July 1. When Jeffery heard this, it made him sad and angry. He said there are so many more residential school sites to examine. “It just felt wrong to think about displaying Canadian pride when so many more children need to be found and returned home,” he says. He couldn’t stop thinking about what he could do to expand the orange shirt campaign into something beautiful and meaningful for Indigenous people in and around Thunder Bay.

Jeffery thought about the orange shirts and the call for red flowers and posed the simple question: “Why not orange flowers?” Why not orange flowers, indeed. Jeffery began using social media to let local Thunder Bay people know about his idea to plant orange flowers everywhere. Then he began raising funds to purchase seeds. Jeffery’s hope was to buy enough seeds, particularly the popular and hardy California poppy seeds, so that he could hand them out freely to whoever might be interested. At this point, planting season is just around the corner. Jeffery says that each library in town has been provided with hundreds of packets of California poppy seeds, available for free.

He’s not sure how fast the seeds will go, but reassures the readers that he hopes to be back with seeds again next year. April in Thunder Bay means the weather is getting warmer and the sun is getting brighter. Pretty soon the trees will be budding and gardens will be growing. As you drive around Thunder Bay this summer and fall, you’re likely to see a lot of red blooming. But keep your eyes open

for the orange T-shirts that are still hanging and make note of the orange flowers. Jeffery wants to keep raising awareness about residential schools and, like many of us, is hopeful more awareness will lead to greater action by the Canadian government to do right by the survivors. For more information, check out @orangethunderbay on Instagram.

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Music

Beats by the Bay

Bay Dream Records Brings Two Producers to Join the Team By Michael Charlebois

T  Brodriguez (a.k.a. Brody Bida)

 Producer Collo (a.k.a. Colin Warwick)

“[Bay Dream] is kind of the only hip hop recording studio in Thunder Bay.”

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hunder Bay’s primary hip hop recording studio is continuing to expand its roster—this time with talent behind the boards. In January, Bay Dream Records announced two local hip hop producers would join their talent collective. The Miles Street studio will now begin to offer custom instrumentals and studio sessions with the two producers. Collo (a.k.a. Colin Warwick) is a 21-year-old producer who has been making beats since 2019. Brodriguez (a.k.a. Brody Bida) 18, has 10 years of piano-playing experience that he’s translated into beat-making as of 2020. The increasing availability of home audio workstations and access to streaming has led to a boom in DIY beatmakers all over the world, and the pandemic has accelerated their growth. Now, with the help of Bay Dream, Collo and Brodriguez are hoping to emerge from the underground. “[Bay Dream] is kind of the only hip hop recording studio in Thunder Bay,” says Collo. “That was kind of cool… it would be cool to be part of a Thunder Bay first. All of the other studios tend to just do rock and metal.” Collo’s style of producing is heavily influenced by trap, but his frenzied atmospheres draw influences from the genres of industrial music and hyperpop. He says his main influences are beatmakers affiliated with Juice WRLD and various

underground artists. Brodriguez’s sound treads closer to a traditional hip hop edge (he cites Kanye West as his main influence), but also pays homage to a new school collection of artists such as Whitearmor and Bladee. The two wear their influences on their sleeves and hope that having their fingers on the pulse on the latest trends in sound will help elevate the artists at Bay Dream. “In the near future I kind of see us developing local talent and the Thunder Bay hip hop scene,” Collo says. “We want to give local artists a better opportunity to come to a studio that’s more suitable for them.” With Bay Dream owner Liam Maguire also working as a producer, the young artists are getting their first opportunity to work in an environment with other local creatives. “Whenever we're together, there’s always ideas bouncing off each other,” Collo says. “Sometimes the skill level varies between artists but it’s great to learn from others, and that comes with the work,” Brodriguez adds. “I love collaborating with other people.” Collo agrees. “[Maguire] notices the underground talent that’s coming out. It’s great to work with these guys,” he says. Find Collo and Brodriguez’s instrumentals on Instagram @prod.collo and @brodriguez.wav. For more information visit baydreamrecords.com.

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Music

Carver Members Mark Release of New EP

Band Started Out as Side Project for Musicians By Kris Ketonen

he musicians who make up the Thunder Bay band Carver never really expected things to get this far. The band started out as a side project for members Chad Kirvan, Jimmy Breslin, Nick Sherman, and Derek Shaffer. But this month, Carver’s first release, the four-track Ghost EP, will be hitting streaming platforms. “Nick, Jimmy, and I had worked on other musical projects together for […] years and years,” Kirvan says. “But they were all kind of folky. Carver was just us wanting to have fun and play something a little bit heavier, and something that didn’t have to be as serious.” Breslin says Carver was initially just going to be a “basement band.” “We all kind of have roots as young kids loving hard rock and metal,” Breslin says. “We wanted to create a bit of an outlet for that.” Things progressed, however, with Carver playing some live shows, and then hitting the studio to record. The EP—with songs written by Sherman, and the other members building on things—was recorded during the

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COVID-19 pandemic, Kirvan says. The timing led to some discussion about whether to release the EP during the pandemic, or hold off until things started opening up again. “It was such a weird time to put music out, especially when we couldn’t play any shows,” Kirvan says. “We kind of just went back and forth, and now […] I feel like it’s a really good time to put it out.” Breslin says Carver’s future is a bit up in the air. He moved to southern Ontario during the pandemic, and all members have other, higher-priority musical projects going on. But, he says, it’s certainly possible Carver could end up playing more shows, depending on everyone’s availability. In the meantime, he’s excited that people will finally get the chance to hear the EP. “I think people are going to love it,” he says. “I think people are going to be really surprised.”

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Music

hese days, it seems, t h e re i s a l o t o f discord in the world. “We don’t have to agree on everything, but music is a place where we can all meet,” says Steven Page. “For memories, nostalgia, to be in the moment, to laugh, or to cry—that’s what music is there for. Speaking with the musician and Barenaked Ladies co-founder about his upcoming concert with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, it’s apparent his music has been bringing people together in the past two years. In March, Page held his 85th Live at Home concert on Zoom. Throughout the pandemic he has been performing from his home studio. The audience leaves their cameras on so they can see each other, and connect through the chat. “They’re friends. It’s a community,” says Page. Now, those same audience members are attending his in-person concerts. “It’s emotional.” Like many musicians, Page just started touring again. The trio does their best to stay safe, and they have to be disciplined. “It’s weird to go to New York and not go out to a restaurant or anything. But you have to do that because if someone got sick in the U.S. they have to stay there to quarantine. That gets annoying and expensive.” Page’s trio performed recently with the Vancouver Symphony, and it was powerful. “The feeling of doing live shows in front of an audience who haven’t been together like that, where they haven’t been totally separated from each other—it was intense,” he says. “You could feel the audience’s sense of trepidation at first, but as soon as someone made a joke, as soon as someone started to laugh, you could feel the pressure lifting. It was pretty joyful.” Page approaches his symphony concerts a bit differently than other musicians. “Sometimes in

Bringing the Bands Together

Steven Page’s Trio Performs with the TBSO Story by Amy Sellors, Photo by JD Scarcliff

rock or pop concerts, there’s not a lot for the orchestra to do because the songs are fully orchestrated by the band. All the parts have been assigned, so the orchestra doubles what is already being played. That’s boring for the players,” he says. “They may feel like they’re decoration or just legitimizing the pop person or making their music fancy. That’s no fun. We try to make it so in our arrangements, the orchestra carries that song… it’s a result of mixing two complete ensembles together.” This concert with the TBSO promises to be something special. Symphony concerts “give us the opportunity to step outside the original recorded version of the song and do something different with it,” he adds. Page’s trio consists of Craig Northey (guitar), Kevin Fox (cello), and himself. “We have been playing together long enough that we have a good sense of ESP playing together. One of the weird things about being a soloist in front of an orchestra is you’re the only one who

can’t see the conductor. You can’t see the musicians, the conductor, they’re all behind you,” he says. “If you start ploughing ahead or they start dragging behind, it can be a train wreck. I rely on Kevin to see what the conductor is doing. It’s an intense way of your gears turning that pays off in such amazing riches.” With a little help from their very talented colleagues, including Page’s eldest son, Isaac, the trio has written their own orchestrations of the songs. The orchestrations were developed for three different sizes of orchestras, allowing them to play anywhere with just about any ensemble. In Thunder Bay, it will be the mid-sized orchestrations. This is a different way of working for Page, who works mostly in an ear-based way rather than creating sheet music for every song. “There’s nothing scarier than handing your charts to a classical musician and having them say: ‘This isn’t really how it works here,’” he says. “But I’ve done my research. I’ve learned that

you can make what’s on the page exactly what you want to hear. I can be as specific as I want to be, and the more specific I am, the easier it is for the players.” If you have a ticket for this concert you can expect to hear a mix of classic Barenaked Ladies songs, Page’s solo work written over the last 13 years, and songs from his new musical that almost made it to the stage for the Stratford Festival of Canada’s 2020 season before the pandemic closed their doors. It’s a great mix of old and new songs that shows the heart of Steven Page. About 20 years ago, Page realized that, just like the Barenaked Ladies album title, you can’t be Everything to Everyone. “In order to be an artist, you have to be clear about who you are. It doesn’t mean you have to give your opinion about everything that’s happening in the world, but if you are honest, authentic, and genuine, you can make art with a clear head and conscience.”

“We don’t have to agree on everything, but music is a place where we can all meet.”

Steven Page’s trio performs with the TBSO at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium on April 30 at 7:30 pm. Visit tbca.com for ticket info.

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Music

Darren Foley

Musician Releases Sunny Album in Time for Spring By Sara Sadeghi Aval

“I

think I recorded my first album in 1988 when my friend brought over a 4-track,” says musician Darren Foley. Since then, he has amassed over nine albums through his musical career with the various bands he’s performed with. He began work on his debut solo album, Hymns of the Sun, in January 2020 and released it on February 13 of this year. The album features 11 tracks written and recorded by Foley in his studio attached to his home, called Albert’s Workshop Records. Although the production process was two years, Foley says he was delayed by six months due to technical issues, and that “everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong,” so he “recorded sporadically.” His commitment to overcoming each hurdle leaves a sense of catharsis in his music. The sun plays an integral part in Foley’s imagery, which is heavily influenced by nature. His interest in cymatics— the study of the vibrational

phenomena based on the idea that the sounds and vibrations around us also create and mold the shapes around us—led him to the album’s title, along with the tracks “My Setting Sun” and “So That I Radiate Sunshine”. “You know the sun is the anthem of our lives, and these soundwaves are the connection between us and nature,” says Foley. A mixture of dream pop and singer-songwriter, the acoustic album evokes images of an endless summer night and a neversetting sun, and features lyrics that float through the music with a groove that very much reminds the listener of something off a Beatles album. Categorized by different emotions, each song follows an emotional state, whether it be love and loss, isolation and fear, the future, or the process of sobriety. Foley says the album works “hand in hand with nature” and is meant to be listened to while on a walk or sitting around a

campfire. Like many artists during the pandemic, Foley took the time alone to internalize and translate his ideas into the album, and he also wanted to produce a project from start to finish on his own. Inspired by artists like Rick White who boast self-sufficiency, Foley even designed the album’s cover art, painting a wintry sunset as he looks onto the horizon

using gouache paints. He also filmed the music video for the track “Cloudy Day,” available on YouTube. Foley hopes to perform live this summer and is currently working on creating vinyl versions of his album to add to his growing collection. You can find Hymns of the Sun on Spotify, SoundCloud, Bandcamp, and YouTube.

“You know the sun is the anthem of our lives, and these soundwaves are the connection between us and nature.”

Find Foley on Instagram @darren_foley_music.

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Music

ABBA Revisited

Relive the Magic of the 1970s for One Night Only By Taylor Onski

ant to feel like the infamous young and sweet dancing queen? Or have someone hear your S.O.S.? Now is your chance, because ABBA Revisited is heading to the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium. Since 2017, ABBA Revisited has been transporting audiences back to the magic of the 1970s. In this tribute show honouring the famous Swedish pop group, performers Nick Pattison, Kristal Jackson, Andrea Brunet, and Ewan Fernie take on the roles of ABBA members Björn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Fältskog, AnniFrid Lyngstad, and Benny Andersson respectively, and perform ABBA’s distinct and catchy catalogue. Having played across North America, Dubai, Bermuda and the Bahamas, the group is excited to head back to Thunder Bay. “Thunder Bay is always a great place to play. The auditorium is one of the nicest in North America. The sound, the crew, and lighting is some of the best in the world, I would say,” says Pattison. As the performers and friends recreate the magic of ABBA, audiences also see multimedia videos overhead coinciding with each song, and iconic

ABBA costumes such as the yellow and blue cat dresses. From classic hits like “Waterloo,” “Mamma Mia,” and “Chiquitita,” to ABBA’s newest song in 40 years, “Don’t Shut me Down,” taking a chance on ABBA Revisited is worth it for the music alone. You’re going to leave with catchy tunes stuck in your head from four fantastic performers who understand the power of ABBA’s music. “Music is healing and everybody needs music in their lives,” Jackson says. “As nostalgic as ABBA is, ABBA’s music can entertain young and old and bring people together. All of ABBA’s songs are about love and friendship and struggles and things we go through that they went through 40 years ago.” Pattison says his favourite part about being part of ABBA Revisited is without a doubt seeing audiences from ages five to 97 smile and sing along to ABBA’s iconic music. Knowing how the show can become a special and happy time for audiences is what the group most looks forward to when they make music together. Catch ABBA Revisited on April 16 at 7 pm at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium. To get your tickets, visit tbca.com.

“Music is healing and everybody needs music in their lives.” 80

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Music

Reconsidering the 80s

G BURNINE H T TO SKY

(L–R) Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal of Tears for Fears

By Gord Ellis

he 1980s are not always seen as a high watermark for music. It was during the 80s that MTV and MuchMusic became huge players in what music became popular. The better the video, and the cuter the artist, the better. Not that there's anything wrong with a good video or a good-looking artist, but the ground started to shift about what was important to have a musical career. I mean, remember in the 80s when Heart was transformed into a hair metal band? Then there was the advent of digital recording and the sudden need to drape every recording in a blanket of synthesizers. The drum machine also became ubiquitous, and although some artists—Prince in particular—used it to great effect, a lot of other bands suffered from the metronomic effect. A drum machine will never swing. Plus, record production began to suck. The move from analog to digital recording drained the

life out of a lot of music for this era. However, to write off the 80s as a period of lost music is to miss a lot of great stuff. This is when the already-mentioned Prince was at his peak creativity. Even gut bucket rockers like Springsteen and John Mellencamp were experiencing career highs. Some of the popular artists of the day, from Boy George to Madonna and even Duran Duran have held up reasonably well as the years have gone on. As timing would have it, two artists from the 80s have released new music this year. That’s right, a lot of 80s acts are still creating music and sounding good. For instance, it is amazing just how well the music of Tears for Fears has aged. Although they were marketed like every other 80s band, the duo of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith made music that was both largely built on the synthesizers of the day, but also worked as good songs. Listening

to “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” is a trip, because the song is not only resonant, but doesn’t sound dated, despite it being built on programmed bass and drums. The song was a huge hit in the 80s, but you realize as it rolls out, and the rock guitar licks come forward, that you don’t hear music like this anymore. Most modern pop radio songs don’t do guitar breaks. Or bridges. This song has both and it breathes. Then there is the incredible “Sowing the Seeds of Love,“ the most Beatlesque non-Beatles song ever recorded. Orzabal and Smith harnessed the best aspects of 80s recording with killer songwriting and great vocals. Which is why in 2022, they can release a new album and it sounds of our time. The Tipping Point features all the Tears for Fears earmarks, including the fire and ice vocal match of Orzabal and Smith, which is fine by me. Which brings us to Soft

Cell, arguably the most 80s of all 80s acts. This is not necessarily a good thing. Compare the programmed drums of “Tainted Love” to what Tears for Fears was laying out. Yet the duo that made up Soft Cell, singer Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball, seemed to revel in the exquisite cheesiness of their sound. Clearly, there was an audience for it. Soft Cell have had a good career, marking 12 top 40 hits in the early to mid 80s. They remain a huge act in the U.K. The influence of the grandiose, dramatic style lives on today. They basically created a genre of music that allowed the “band” to be one person singing and another one playing a bank of keyboards. And this spring, the duo will release their first new album in 20 years. I’ve not heard it yet, but maybe an older, wiser Soft Cell will be just what this divided, warravaged world needs to hear.

“'Sowing the Seeds of Love,' the most Beatlesque non-Beatles song ever recorded.“

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Music

Avery Raquel

Music that Speaks to the Soul Story by Olivia Bosma, Photo by Scott Gibson

s Billy Joel once said, “Music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.” This sentiment could not be timelier. In current times, who isn’t in need of some healing? The only thing better and more healing than listening to music at home is getting the gift of experiencing it live. The Sleeping Giant Folk Music Society is offering this gift to the community in April. Avery Raquel, a Torontobased singer-songwriter, will be performing her soulful music on April 16 at the Port Arthur Polish Hall at 8 pm. “I started singing when I

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was four years old,” Raquel says. “My parents took me to see a musical in Toronto and when we got back, I memorized all of the songs and performed them for my parents in my room. I think that is kind of when I knew that this is what I wanted to do.” After discovering her passion for music, Raquel began playing the piano and eventually became classically trained, earning Royal Conservatory certificates in voice and advanced music theory. “I think I was about 10-ish when I was really introduced to jazz, and I started appreciating jazz a lot more. That is when I released my first record.” Drawing much of her inspiration from the jazz genre, Raquel is not afraid

of experimenting with a multitude of sounds to create her own unique style. “Now that I am writing a lot more, my style has definitely changed over time, especially with my most recent album coming out in early April,” Raquel says. “It is really more alternative soul—a more modern interpretation but still having that jazz influence and old-school sound.” Not having had the chance to perfor m in Northwestern Ontario yet, Raquel is thrilled to play in Thunder Bay. “I have never been to Thunder Bay before, but I am really looking forward to it,” she says. “It is always so special to be able to reach and interact with new people.

I really love it and I am so grateful to be able to.” When attending her concert, audience members can expect a wonderful night of old school R&B soul music. “In recent years I have really begun diving into songwriting, and I love to perform original songs, and some classic songs. My greatest influences are people like Carole King, Eloise, Stevie Wonder, the 60s and 70s. All of the greats.” All of the greats indeed. If anyone is looking to have an enjoyable night out, come out on April 16 and relish in some amazing live music from this very talented young performer. Get back to whatever the new normal is and do some healing.

“Music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity.”

For more information, visit: sleepinggiant.ca.

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Indoors atAlgoma HMCS GRIFFON 125 N. Street, 125 N. Algoma Street, Thunder Thunder Bay, Ontario.Bay, Ontario Admission: $2 Admission: $2 Shop at many tables. This sale is open to the general public Shop at over 60 tables. This sale is open to the general public and is a fundraiser for the Thunder Bay Military Family and is a fundraiser for the Thunder Bay Military Family Resource Centre who serve military families in Thunder Bay. Resource Centre. All proceeds go towards programs and Provincial Covid will families be followed during our services forrules military in Thunder Bay.event.

Formore more information information please our centre at 807-345-5116 For emailcall info@thunderbaymfrc.ca or visit our Thunder Bay MFRC website. or call 807-345-5116

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Music

Eleanor Hopwood Section Cello, TBSO

TBSO E PROFIL

By Kris Ketonen Born: Ottawa Instrument: Cello Age you started to study music: Started playing cello at age 5, but began studying in earnest at age 17 How long have you been with TBSO: This is her second season What’s on personal playlist: Taylor Swift, Sam Smith When Eleanor Hopwood was just five years old, she had quite the unusual request for her parents: she wanted to play cello. “I have two older sisters, so I said, ‘I’m the smallest kid, but I want the biggest instrument,’” Hopwood says. Hopwood isn’t quite sure what led her to choose the cello back then, however. “Everyone in my family plays music, and so I grew up around piano, violin, viola, guitar, a lot of different things,” she says. “I must have heard [cello] somewhere, but I can’t say how I knew that it was the one for me… it was just a sixth sense.” Her instincts were good, given that she’s now playing the cello professionally with the TBSO.

“What I love about it now is its warmth,” she says of the instrument. “I love the low range. There’s something just really powerful musically, and I think emotionally, about a bass instrument.” “Whatever ensemble you’re playing with, the bass line holds everything together,” she adds. “It’s beautiful, and it’s powerful. It feels very comforting.” Hopwood earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Victoria, and her master’s at McGill in Montreal. She then auditioned for the TBSO, and joined the orchestra under contract in 2019 (she didn’t play with the TBSO for the 2020–21 season, but returned for 2021–22). And despite the pandemic-related challenges, getting back in front of a live audience this season was “so fulfilling.” “I had missed it so much. I was with Thunder Bay when COVID initially hit, and it was so bizarre going from playing all the time to no concerts, no rehearsals, nothing,” she says. “And then to come back to it, I honestly felt like my purpose in life had been returned to me.”

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OfftheWall Reviews

Auntie Up!

Jolene Banning and Kim Wheeler

“Indigenous women talking about important shit” is the opening statement of every episode of Auntie Up!, a superbly created 10-part podcast produced by Makwa Creative, and it couldn’t be more true. Banning and Wheeler celebrate and elevate their culture and history with a no-nonsense approach, and they certainly don’t shy away from the tough conversations. Auntie Up! brings in special guests to talk beading, bannock, reclaiming languages, and so much more, along with a Know History Indigenous Moment in each episode. The strength in these powerful women’s voices is so evident, you are immediately drawn by their resilience and incredible ties to their culture. They share stories straight up, without the white-washing that’s often found in Canadian history and media. Empowering, informative, and truly inspirational, Auntie Up! is a gem of a podcast. -Andrea Lysenko

PEP

Spellbound

Lights

Judy Collins

PEP is the fifth album Canadian musician Lights has released. Admittedly, this album is the first I have ever heard from this electro pop singer, and I feel as though I have been missing out. This eclectic album features songs that all sound different from the one before but still draw on similar themes. When listening through the album, I struggled with being able to pinpoint her exact style. Is it electro grit? Synthpop? Technopop? Or something else entirely? The album opens with the song “Beside Myself.” This track, which can be best described as introspective, wistful, and dreamy, is one of my favourites. The second tune, “In My Head,” features a strong, drumdriven syncopated rhythm. This not only makes the song extremely catchy but fitting for a song with a message about marching—or dancing—to the beat of your own drum. As you make your way through the album, you will find that no song is better than the last. Each has something unique to offer that every listener can appreciate. Whether it’s something that makes you want to dance, or a song that stops you in your tracks with meaningful lyrics, you will find it all on this album.

Listening to Judy Collins’s new album brought me back to the days of patchouli oil, strawberry incense, and tie-dye T-shirts. She was an icon of the folk music scene of the 1970s with hits like “Both Sides Now” and “Send in the Clowns.” Now, at 82, she has just released Spellbound, her 28th studio album. I liked the album. Her voice still has the wonderful clarity it had 60 years ago. Most songs are ballads and many have a nostalgic feel to them. The production is uncluttered with piano, guitar, and at times an orchestra backing Collins’s stellar voice. Her love of nature and the outdoors shines through in the lyrics of a number of songs. She also writes about her early days in Greenwich Village and her love of art and painting. Favourite songs include “When I Was a Girl in Colorado” and “Grand Canyon.” Both sing the praises of mountain streams, waterfalls and blue skies. Spellbound has a gentle sweetness to it—maybe a bit too sweet for some. But it’s a musical treat from a woman who continues to cast her musical spell even after 80 years.

-Olivia Bosma

-Gerald Graham

Live at Brent St. Public House (07/09/21) Femur

Reviewing this album feels kind of like a victory for all of us. As an album, Live at Brent St. Public House (07/09/21) captures a frantic Femur performance from last summer. On over seven tracks picked from their two full-lengths, the band plays as if their lives depend on it. The usual anxiety that Femur whips up gets positively heightened here as each song manages to be simultaneously louder, faster, and harder than the album version. Show closer “Locus of Control,” for example, from 2018’s debut Red Marks, evolves from an absolute trainwreck of a finale into something nearly apocalyptic as the trio pushes their sound to the redline. It’s a thrilling performance from start to end that Femur should be proud to show the world, and now they can. That feeling of triumph I referred to above reflects the fact that, yes indeed, live music has returned to Thunder Bay’s stages, and by the time this is published Femur will have played their first show in a long time. So even though the option exists to actually go see Femur in person, I’d also suggest picking up Live. It’ll remind you of the strange days we all lived through, but also help out one of our best bands as they look ahead. -Justin Allec

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Candydrip

Lucky Daye

There’s a void left by some of the raunchier R&B artists like Miguel or PARTYNEXTDOOR that became fashionable in the early 2010s. The direction of the genre was never fully realized as this style can only be executed with genuinely sexy production and material. Recent R&B mainstream artists haven’t always been up to the challenge. Enter L.A.-based artist Lucky Daye, who feels like a recent throwback. His second album Candydrip is the fullest collection of flavours the 36-year-old has released thus far. The airy, coastal instrumentation pairs well with Lucky Daye’s seductive presence and obvious talent on the microphone. It’s unclear whether he has the complete package to be the next “it name” in R&B, but his latest is a sweet, sweet collection of bedroom jams that should hold R&B fans over as the weather warms. -Michael Charlebois

Get on Board: The Songs of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee Taj Mahal & Ry Cooder

Great music will always live on through those it inspires. Legendary roots musicians Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder prove the premise admirably on Get on Board, an 11-track homage to the pioneering duo of Piedmont blues. Mahal and Cooder were impressionable teenagers when they first heard the music of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, and it profoundly shaped their professional lives. But this is much more than dreamy reminiscing. Recorded live off the floor, with Taj Mahal (vocals, harmonica, guitar, and piano) and Ry Cooder (vocals, guitar, mandolin, and banjo) alongside Joachim Cooder (drums and bass), the album captures the chemistry and spontaneity of those celebrated Terry and McGhee performances. With lyrics featuring topics as diverse as fickle relationships, picking cotton, drinking wine, pawn shops, and comfort food, not only do Mahal and Cooder succeed in preserving this seminal music, but also the Southern heritage and culture that it chronicles.

THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND PUP

Generally labelled as a pop-punk, PUP (Pathetic Use of Potential) are dangerously close to becoming a right deadly rock band on their fourth album, released this month. THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND is frontman Steve Sladkowski’s favourite album of their catalogue, and I agree one hundred percent. Four tracks were released early on Bandcamp and I have to say while they are well worth checking out, they really just pave the way for what’s to come. While the title of the album and some of the tracks alludes to a possible demise of PUP, there is nothing to suggest that’s the case. Hopefully that angle is just some good ol’ self deprecation that won’t rob us of anything left in the wings. A few of the lyrics from the lead out single, “Robot Writes a Love Song,” probably wrap this up best: “Ooooh. I’m wearin’ cargo shorts down in Flor-i-da. Please tell me; is there any room in your a-ort-a… for a beta test?” -Jamie Varga

Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time Jeff Speck

Walkable City examines the advantages of making cities more walking-friendly. In North America, car culture took over and city streets were designed to make driving safer. But now, cities are starting to redevelop their downtown cores thanks to more people of all generations being attracted to urban life. Jeff Speck is a city planner and urban designer who advocates for more walkable cities. His book contains his 10 comprehensive steps that slow down traffic, make pedestrian routes safer, and make a city’s walking routes more attractive. Together, these 10 steps will make any city more walking-friendly. While Speck’s prose can be a little dense, Walkable City was overall really entertaining to read (especially the snarky comments in the notes). Walkable City will show you the ways city streets are designed for traffic flow, not pedestrians, and how we can change that. -Shauna Kosoris

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Adrian Lysenko

Architecture

here is nothing more rewarding than seeing a building with heritage value be repurposed into something new. When buildings were built to last centuries, this not only extends their lives, it also avoids new construction and saves waste going to landfills. Such is the case with the former Drew Street School building, located at 515 Syndicate Avenue North. Originally built in 1909, it was aptly named for its location on the former Drew Street, a three-block area between Southern Avenue and Dease Street later renamed Syndicate Avenue in 1912. The architect was C.D. Howe,

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whose name “appears on several architectural drawings showing his design for the Drew Public School, Syndicate Avenue, Fort William” according to the Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada, 18001950. With a budget of $25,000, Howe designed the two-storey, four-room school in the Queen Anne style using red brick, white stone trim, and curving Flemish gables. The portico entrance is flanked by stone pillars and topped by a small parapet with cornice detailing. In the curved archway above the door, the school’s name and year of construction are proudly etched. In 1914, the board

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum

By Jennifer Bonazzo

Adrian Lysenko

The Former Drew Street School Building

Although the school closed in 1996, the building was thankfully not vacant for long. It was acquired by Summit Church, who remain the current occupants. This building also took part in the City of Thunder Bay’s Doors Open event in September 2005, welcoming people to visit and celebrate its history. The Drew Street School building is one uplifting example where repurposing a building has extended its life, but is by no means the only one. There are others, including the former Port Arthur Collegiate Institute, also built in 1909 in the Queen Anne style, now owned by Lakehead University and used as the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law. The next time you drive around our fair city, see how many others you can make note of.

Drew Street School, circa 1925

Jennifer Bonazzo is a member of the Heritage Advisory Committee, which advises City Council on the conservation of heritage buildings, sites, and resources, and their integration into development. For more information on the city’s heritage resources, visit thunderbay.ca.

Adrian Lysenko

requested a permit for an addition. Harry M. Scott, formerly of Hood and Scott, a well-known local architectural firm at the time, designed and supervised this project. His plans added eight new classrooms and an assembly hall, for a total of 13 rooms. Scott honoured Howe’s original design, using the same or similar materials for the exterior structure. The distinctive red brick was purchased from the Paper Brick yards, the foundation was Simpson Island limestone, and Bedford stone was used for the sills and trim. This made for a seamless addition, where one hardly knew where the original building stood. Seeing Scott’s finished design, with its brick and stone buttresses topped by finials on both ends of the new addition and matching rectangular windows, we are struck by its sense of symmetry. Inside the school were maple floors, oak staircases, and the latest in ventilation systems— only the second to be installed in Fort William, according to a Fort William Daily Times Journal article from February 1915. Once completed, the total cost of the addition was $77,000.

Courtesy of the Thunder Bay Museum

Architecture

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AprilEventsGuide Due to ongoing and changing pandemic-related restrictions, we recommend checking for updates with each venue.

April 1, 9 pm

April 1, 7 pm

Black Pirates Pub

Fundraiser for the Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine Port Arthur Royal Canadian Legion Branch 5

Please join the Thunder Bay community as they come together in raising funds for Ukraine. All proceeds will be donated through the Red Cross. Musical entertainment includes The Thirsty Monks, Bay Street Bastards, and Aaron Gee. Tickets are $10 and available at the door. This is a 19+ event.

In Loving Honour of Camden Blues Enjoy a night of music to honour the life and work of award-winning artist Camden Blues. This is a 19+ event.

@blackpiratespub

April 1, 9 pm

Atmos Presents: Barely Alive Atmos

Massachusetts duo Matt and Willie are bringing their dubstep sound to Atmos for one night. Local artists Bevz, BLVCK.SHEEP, and Ginja Ninja will also be performing. Tickets are available online. This is a 19+ event.

portarthurlegion.ca

atmostbay.ca

April 1 & 2

April 1, 2, & 6–9, 7:30 pm

Wilde Tales: Beyond First Impressions Magnus Theatre

The Eleanor Drury Children’s Theatre is proud to return to the stage with this lively production based on Oscar Wilde’s classic stories. When a group of young friends discover a secret garden, magic unfolds. Performed by youth and fun for all ages. Tickets are available online.

magnustheatre.com

Addams Family Paramount Theatre

Join the Badanai Theatre troupe on the Paramount Theatre stage as they recreate the spookiest family around and all their family drama including Wednesday Addams, Gomez, and even Pugsley. Tickets are available online.

facebook.com/ badanaitheatre

EVENTS GUIDE KEY General Art Food Sports Music April 1, 7 pm

The Roarin’ Soarin’ Twenties: Law Ball 2021–2022 The Chanterelle

The Law Students Society executive team invites you to their annual formal ball. The dress code is glamour! Tickets are $65 and available online.

@thechanterelle

April 2, 8 am

St. Joseph’s Curl for Care Port Arthur Curling Club

Come out to the third annual Curl for Care in support of St. Joseph’s Care Group. This is a great day of curling for curlers and non curlers, no prior experience needed.

sjftb.net/curlforcare

April 2, 1 pm

Book Launch: When I Listen to Silence Goods and Co. Market

Join author Jean E. Pendziwol for the release of her new children’s book When I Listen to Silence. There will be readings by the author, a craft activity, and refreshments. Entershine Bookshop will be on-site so you can purchase your own copy. See this month’s City Scene section for more info.

@goodscomarket

April 2, 7 pm

April 3, 11 am

The Foundry

Red Lion Smokehouse

Royal Canoe Canadian indie pop band Royal Canoe is bringing their creativity to the Foundry live stage. The band is on tour promoting their newest album Sidelining after recently performing a show with instruments made only from ice! Tickets are available online. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

royalcanoe.com

Until April 3

Lakehead University Honours Exhibition 2022 Thunder Bay Art Gallery

Another year of Lakehead’s Fine Art Honours program graduates are displaying their talents at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. The annual exhibit will feature nine students and their variety of mediums. Student work is available for purchase.

theag.ca

Until April 3

Lakehead University Juried Exhibition 2022

Brunch is Back

The monthly Sunday brunch is back at Red Lion. Enjoy poached eggs and beer-y cocktails. Book your spot by phone.

286-0045

April 7, 7:30 pm

War on the Catwalk

Thunder Bay Community Auditorium Your favourite queens are touring from Halifax to Vancouver to perform live on stage for the ultimate drag fans, hosted by Miz Cracker and featuring Kandy Muse, Jimbo, Priyanka, and many more. Tickets are available online. This show contains adult content.

tbca.com

April 7, 7 pm

In Conversation with author Jean E. Pendziwol Entershine Bookshop

Meet author Jean E. Pendziwol as she answers questions about her writing and newest publication. There will be reading from the author and a group discussion followed by Q&A and refreshments.

Thunder Bay Art Gallery

@entershinebookshop

Over 40 student works are displayed at the Thunder Bay Gallery in this annual juried exhibition. Lakehead University celebrates students each year through a panel of juries and local prizes. Student work is available for purchase.

TBSO presents: Northern Jazz

theag.ca

April 8 & 9, 7:30 pm

Italian Cultural Centre The Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra is inviting you to an evening of jazz with Robin Ranger and his band. Tickets are available online. This is an all ages event.

tbso.ca

92 2

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April 8–June 13

The World We Know: New Acquisitions to the Permanent Collection Thunder Bay Art Gallery

The Thunder Bay Art Gallery is highlighting new and already beloved pieces in their permanent collection with 12 artists and their worldviews across mediums.

theag.ca

April 8–June 13

Ending Up Thunder Bay Art Gallery

The first solo exhibition by Thunder Bay artist Katie Lemieux has arrived at the art gallery. Working in ceramics and drawing, she reimagines the modern sculpture studio as a space to encounter surface, material, and nonverbal communication.

theag.ca

April 9, 7 pm

TBSO presents: Noondaag’otoon Fort William Historical Park

Noondaag’otooon means “play it” in Ojibway, and the phrase is bringing together TBSO and Indigenous musicians for this free event. Paul Haas will be conducting, accompanied by Junonominated Cris Derkson, guitarist Lewis Chapman, and the internationally known Thunder Mountain Singers. Celebrate cultures and talent. Registration is required. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

tbso.ca

April 9 & 30, 9 am

Until April 16

April 16, 10 pm

April 20, 6:30 pm

Slovak Legion and Current River Community Centre

Definitely Superior Art Gallery

The Foundry

CLE Heritage Building

Spring Market

Shop over 60 local businesses and artisans in this two-day Spring Market presented by Shop Local Tbay. Admission is free.

shoplocalboutique.ca

April 9, 8:30 pm

Pretty Ugly

Royal Canadian Legion Branch 5 Dance the night away at the legion with Pretty Ugly, featuring beloved hits from acts like The Judds, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Shania Twain, and many more. Tickets are $20.

345-8232

April 9, 7 pm

Rockin’ the Proz Westfort Prosvita

The Cajun Country Rock Band tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival and John Fogerty are hitting Westfort. Tickets are available at the door. Contact Andy Wolfe for event details.

683-7670

April 13, 8 pm

Cancer Bats w/ Vagina Witchcraft Black Pirates Pub

Canadian punk rock band Cancer Bats are back in Thunder Bay. They are teaming up with Vagina Witchcraft from Manitoba to take on the Black Pirates stage. Tickets are $27 and available online.

Expressionism Exhibit View three artists’ unique approaches to expressionism in this bold exhibit. Patrick Doyle, Damen Chase Scott, and the Creator’s 8 Project films are featured throughout the gallery and feature vivid colours, lines, and messages. See this month’s Art section for more info.

definitelysuperior.com

April 16, 8 pm

Avery Raquel

Port Arthur Polish Hall The Sleeping Giant Folk Music Society is proud to present singer/songwriter Avery Raquel as part of their 20th Season Collection. Tickets are $32 and available online. See this month’s Music section for more info.

sleepinggiant.ca

April 16

ABBA: Revisited

Thunder Bay Community Auditorium North America’s number one tribute to ABBA is coming to the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium stage to take audiences back in time and recreate the ABBA magic. This is an all ages show. Tickets are available online. See this month’s Music section for more info.

tbca.com

Greenz featuring DJ Big D Dance the night away with DJ Big D’s carefree vibes. Enjoy soca, dancehall, and afrobeats all night. This is a 19+ event. Tickets are $10 at the door.

@foundrytbay

April 17, 7:30 pm

Celtic Illusion

Thunder Bay Community Auditorium Showcasing a stellar cast of internationally acclaimed dancers, Celtic Illusion brings together talent from companies like Riverdance and Lord of the Dance. Watch this energizing live performance to witness some of the world’s fastest tap dancing. Tickets are available online.

tbca.com

April 19, 8 pm

Robbie G Live Atmos

@blackpiratespub

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Enjoy this family-friendly show full of magic and mentalism. Ryan Joyce has brought joy to audiences around the world including Las Vegas and Hong Kong. This show is in support of the Make a Wish Foundation. Tickets are available online.

April 23

Hooligan Fuel Hot Sauce’s Fire in the Bay Downtown Port Arthur

ryanjoyce.com

Fire in the Bay Volume 1.0 is hitting the heart of Thunder Bay. Test out wings (including vegan options) from 16 different businesses, enjoy cold beer, and listen to live music to kick off spring. See this month’s Top Five for more info.

April 22, 7 pm

hooliganfuel.com

Women in Technology Mixer and Social The Chanterelle

The OACETT (Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists) wants to come together and raise women’s presence in the technology sector. Meet fellow trailblazers and build your network. Tickets are $32 and available online.

oacett.org

Hip hop artist Robbie G has played over 700 live shows, and now he is stepping onto the Atmos stage. Thunder Bay is the second stop on his Light At the End of the Tunnel Canadian tour. Special guests Preme and Native Pool Boy make an appearance along with artists like Dallas, B The Wiz, and Kross Kid. This is a 19+ event. Tickets are available online.

@atmostbay

Ryan Joyce Variety Show

April 22, 7:30 pm

TBSO presents: Ravel and Prokofiev Hilldale Lutheran Church

This evening of 20th century and contemporary orchestra includes the world premiere of conductor Paul Haas’s piece, Tuning In. Compositions by Maurice Ravel and Sergei Prokofiev will be played throughout the program. Tickets are available online.

tbso.ca

April 23, 9 pm

Birthday Bash 5000 Port Arthur Royal Canadian Legion Branch 5

Didn’t get a chance to celebrate your birthday how you wanted? Well now’s your chance with the Birthday Bash 5000. Enjoy another year around the sun with performers Pedestrian Lifestyle, Reckless Abandon, and BLK. Tickets are $5 at the door.

portarthurlegion.ca

April 24 & 25, 10 am

Craft Revival

Various In-Person Locations and Online The annual Craft Revival is back with both in-person and online shopping. In-person shopping will be open April 24 and online vendors open April 25–May 1. Shop your favourite local artisans and craft makers. See this month’s Top Five section for more information.

April 28- May 1

Great Benjamins Circus CLE Coliseum

The circus is in town! The Great Benjamins Circus is bringing you 90-minute shows filled with tricks, thrills, and laughter for the whole family. Tickets are available online.

benjaminscircus.com

April 30, 7:30 pm

TBSO presents: An Evening with Steven Page

Thunder Bay Community Auditorium Barenaked Ladies cofounder Steven Page joins the TBSO for an evening of songs from Page’s career. Tickets are available online. See this month’s Music section for more info.

tbca.com

Until May 1

Wrapped in Culture Thunder Bay Art Gallery

The collaborative project curated by Wahsontiio Cross features work from ten Indigenous artists across Australia and Canada. The team created contemporary versions of an Australian Aboriginal possum skin cloak and a Blackfoot Buffalo robe and the show also features 20 colour photographs by Rosalie Favell.

theag.ca

craftrevival.ca

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Music

LU RADIO’S MONTHLY TOP 1 Big Thief

Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You

4AD

7 Toro y Moi

MAHAL

Dead Oceans

8 Max Bien Kahn

On the Floor - EP

Perpetual Doom

9 OMBIIGIZI*

Sewn Back Together

Arts & Crafts

10 Polemics

The Sesh - EP

Beatbuzz

2 NicFit Fuse

Upset The Rhythm

New Sky

Trazar

Exploding in Sound

19 Sean James Murphy A Calloused Sweetheart

Post-Stagnation EP

Heart EP

diy

22 Tanya Tagaq*

26 Yard Act

The Overload

Zen F.C./Interscope

27 JoyRide* JoyRide

JoyRide

28 John Dwyer Gong Splat

Castle Face

Tongues

Temple of Mystery

6 Azar Lawrence

Buds

21 Rewind Rewind

First Contact

Albert’s Workshop

18 Ovlov

Disco DEVIL

4 Kontact*

1.9.8.5.

Self-Released

Digital Regress

20 AUS!Funkt*

Choose.

25 Dez Dare

Asleep In America

Blue//Rose

Thirteen Moons

Check out our weekly charts online at luradio.ca and tune in to the Top 20 Countdown, Mondays from 7-9 am, or catch one of the rebroadcasts throughout the week! Keep it locked on 102.7 FM, online streaming at luradio.ca.

17 Crisis Man

Independent

The State of the Union

Hymns of the Sun

Weaponry

Paradise Studios

11 Did You Die*

3 Ryan McCulloch*

5 Darren Foley*

16 Cemento

CILU 102.7fm’s Monthly Charts for this issue reflect airplay for the month ending March 15, 2022.

Six Shooter

12 Elder & Kadavar

ELDOVAR: A Story of Darkness & Light

Robotor

13 Teen Mortgage Smoked - EP

29 Guerilla Toss

King Pizza

14 Little Oil Little Oil

1311074 Records DK

15 PUP*

THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND

Rise

Famously Alive

23 jrdn alexander DWEEB EP

Youth Riot

24 Funny Face House Dog in Hell

Sub Pop

30 Kids on a Crime Spree Fall in Love Not in Line

Slumberland

Youth Riot

* Indicates Canadian Content

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Advertising Feature

NWO Innovation Centre BTIF Project Sail Superior

Sail Superior, in operation for over 15 years, provides a oneof-a-kind experience on Lake Superior. With four vessels and a variety of destinations, the company boasts over 100 years of sailing experience between its crew and captains. Their predesigned tours are the perfect means to access Lake Superior’s scenery and fresh waters. Captain and owner Gregory Heroux and the crew of Sail Superior work together to provide a memorable experience for all guests, whether on their majestic catamaran (perfect for larger groups), the two monohull sailboats, or their Zodiac RHIB speedboat. With the help of the Business Technology Improvement Fund (BTIF), their online presence grew substantially. “We’ve maintained a presence year-round even though we are seasonal. We help people plan their summer experience well in advance” says Heroux. The BTIF program provided funding for software

development and marketing for the company in order to streamline their booking engine, help Google searchers find Sail Superior more quickly and efficiently, and target the imagery they use online towards their audience. The result was a professional, imagery-filled website that both invites clients to explore vacation possibilities and reach out and ask questions they may have. “For a large percentage of people, they know they want to be on the lake. They just don’t know how easy it is to get there. We provide the options. Whether it is a short 90-minute tour, a whole day, a half day, or a sevenday trip, we’re confident we can match our customers with the optimum vacation experience on the water,” explains the captain.

conflicts, which is imperative while planning wedding party tours, corporate events, or longer sails. Captain Heroux, having kept up with the Innovation Centre’s courses and various offerings through the years, heard about the BTIF Project through the centre’s monthly newsletter. Heroux himself has attended over 10 business courses with the Innovation Centre team and believes “they find the right program or assistance for you and your business”. “I’ve taken advantage of many of their programs. They have helped us grow. What is crucial now is managing that growth. The centre helps you with implementation of new technology, allowing better use of staff to serve the customers,”

says Heroux. He says Sail Superior’s client base has grown due to the simplicity of their booking engine, and the ease with which digital marketing can now be achieved. As regulations shift during the pandemic, improving their online presence has been essential to their growth and customer service. The Business Technology Improvement Fund aims to increase innovation and efficiency in the day-to-day operations of businesses through advancements in software, hardware, and data management. For information on applying, please visit nwoinnovation.ca/btif.

With an updated website and booking system, the team was able to learn how to use and manipulate their app to keep up with reservations and availability, thus avoiding scheduling

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TattooedYou

Kirty Cameron-Gielbert Sheds Her Old Skin Story by Leah Morningstar, Photos by Chris Gielbert Artist: Colin Donnelly irty Cameron-Gielbert has always liked tattoos, and got a few smaller pieces when she was around 19. Then, as an adult, when she wanted to start making healthier choices, she cleverly used tattoos as rewards for reaching a goal. Some tattoos were just for fun, some were tributes to departed loved ones, but some were definitely rewards. For example, after losing 80 pounds,

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Cameron-Gielbert celebrated the accomplishment with a tattoo on her ribs: a woman shedding her skin. To back up a bit, in 2019, Cameron-Gielbert and her husband began getting out for walks and exercise, eating healthier, and experimenting with the keto diet. The goal was to learn about the food they were eating, learn about portion sizes, and incorporate dietary changes into an overall lifestyle change. When Cameron-Gielbert

started losing weight, she found she was actually gaining confidence. She had always been interested in clothes and makeup, but struggled with feeling brave enough to attempt certain styles. CameronGielbert started having a lot of fun dying her hair brighter colours, trying out more dramatic makeup looks and clothes, and of course, adding to the growing tattoo collection. Cameron-Gielbert has

quite a few tattoos now, but the focus here is on this black fine-line tattoo by Colin Donnelly. The image is a woman surrounded by roses and skulls, shedding her skin. It’s a powerful image of rebirth, and that’s kind of how Cameron-Gielbert felt as she was losing weight. “I wanted to get a tattoo to represent the changes and struggles I went through. To some it might not seem like such a big deal but it was a huge accomplishment for

me,” she says. “I decided to get a girl shedding her skin on my ribs to represent shedding the old me.” The old parts of CameronGeilbert, not just physical weight, were falling away and there was someone new underneath: a new Kirty emerged and she’s excited to keep working on being the best version of herself possible. And she’ll likely get more tattoos as well.

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Green

Wolf Packs participants visited Dancing Bee Apiary’s bee yard in 2021

The Thunder Bay Field Naturalists Bringing Greater Awareness of the World that Surrounds Us By Olivia Bosma

here is nothing like a w a l k i n n a t u re . Breathing deeply the fresh, rejuvenating air. Feeling the sun on your face and the breeze blowing through your hair. Hearing the sounds of all of the beautiful wildlife in your surroundings, unable to pinpoint what is making each sound. It is peaceful and calm. Now, imagine having this experience while learning all about the nature surrounding you. The Thunder Bay Field Naturalist Club offers just that. This non-profit organization provides educational walks and talks that allow members to learn about the history and preservation of nature. “Since its first meeting in 1933, the club has been about bringing folks together to

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explore and learn from nature. Aside from WWII, we have always been a really active organization,” says Courtney Mondoux, current president of the club. “Birdwatching and botany have always been popular among members, but that is not all we do.” The club offers experiences for a diverse range of interests. “We do frog walks, lichen walks, orchid walks, and walks just to get out and appreciate some of the great natural areas in the region,” says Mondoux. “Sometimes we do multi-stop trips led by local experts to learn about things like the geology or anthropological history of the area.” In today’s day and age, learning how to preserve and protect nature and its beauty

is of the utmost importance. “Our walks, talks, and educational programs give folks the opportunity to learn from and connect with local experts and other naturelovers,” says Mondoux. “Not only are the events we hold an educational opportunity for those who participate, but a lot of the activities we do contribute to research and conservation in the region, such as the upcoming City Nature Challenge BioBlitz or the Thunder Cape Bird Observatory.” The Field Naturalists provide these exciting educational opportunities for people of all ages. “One area we have really grown in this past year is our youth programming. Many of our events are 'family-friendly,' but

now we have more programs and events that are geared specifically towards families and youth,” Mondoux says. The three current youth programs are the Wolf Packs, Efts and NEWT. Wolf Packs events are for families to get their hands dirty and their feet wet exploring the world up close. The Efts, named after the teenage stage newts go through before becoming aquatic adults, is for tweens aged 12–15, and the Nature Explorers With Technology (NEWT) program is for high school students, delivered in partnership with Lakehead University and the Claude E. Garton Herbarium. For those interested in learning more, the club also offers indoor lectures on the fourth Monday of September, October, November, January, March and April. These lectures include presentations, guest speakers, and time to socialize over tea and coffee. Thunder Bay hosts some of the most spectacular views of nature that can be found anywhere. The opportunity to explore these beautiful lands while learning all about them is definitely one to jump at. Why not take this chance to get outside and get into nature? For more information, visit tbfn.net.

Magnolia warbler banded for migration tracking

“Since its first meeting in 1933, the club has been about bringing folks together to explore and learn from nature.”

Advertising Feature

April Entrepreneur of the Month

Kate Strange, Owner of Waxxed Candle Co.

Meet Kate Strange, owner and candle expert behind Waxxed Candle Co. Kate is a relatively recent transplant from Down Under (Australia) who previously worked as an international flight attendant for Qantas for 12 years before following her heart and now calling Thunder Bay home. Kate originally started making candles as a hobby and sold them alongside her florist sister back in her homeland of Australia. Kate moved to Thunder Bay in August 2018, and eventually picked up candle making again to remind her of Australia and more so her sister. After restarting this hobby in her kitchen, she launched her website at the beginning of the pandemic and opened a storefront at 16 Cumberland Street North in October 2020. Kate always wanted to open up a cute little flower/coffee shop and has tried to put that same welcoming and warm vibe into her store. Find Kate online at waxxedcandleco.com and @waxxedcandleco_ on Instagram. What drew you to entrepreneurship? The opportunity to be creative is probably the biggest draw to entrepreneurship for me. Whether it’s planning a seasonal

launch or collaborating for a local cause, no two days are ever the same—I’m certainly never bored! Entrepreneurship has allowed me to truly express myself the way I want. The other big draw is being able to give back to the community through fundraisers and reducing our carbon footprint through our refill and recycle rewards programs. Every little bit counts and I feel proud that Waxxed is trying to be a part of the solution. What inspired you to launch your business? I have been lucky in my life to be surrounded by strong women with determined spirits. Seeing one of my biggest role models, my little sister, take a leap of faith into her business journey and show what can be done with a positive attitude and a strong work ethic, and having the support of my friends and family to realize my dream of a cute little shop gave me the confidence to make candles full-time. Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently when you were first starting out? There are a few things I probably would have done differently. The

main thing would be keeping my plans more flexible and understanding that learning is a journey and not a destination. Situations and circumstances are always changing and are impossible to predict, so it’s okay to make mistakes and just rely on your gut in certain situations. I also think I would have made sure to take more time to celebrate the little wins—it’s unbelievable how quickly time flies. What advice would you give to someone who is trying to become an entrepreneur? What would you give yourself? There’s only so much planning someone can do. Sometimes you just have to jump in the deep end of the pool and figure out how to swim after. Embrace the fear. Just do the damn thing. Successful or not, you will learn SO MUCH. Also network, collaborate and listen. You will find your like-minded squad and grow together. The best advice I would give to myself is to be my true self. Everyone sparkles in their own special way and you don’t need to give in to what people think you should be.

What are you working on now? The spring launch collection will likely be freshly launched when this article is published. Every seasonal launch is a demanding but rewarding process. I will test burn different scent creations and then test burn my formulas again and again to make sure I am providing the best product I can before I pour, pour, pour inventory. I’m also continuously brainstorming on evolving the refill and recycling rewards programs. Reducing waste has never been more important for our community and the world. My mother was a recent victim of the Australian floods and I think it’s very important to reduce global warming any way we can so others aren’t at risk of losing their homes or worse. Is there anyone specific you would like to thank? My amazing team at Waxxed who work so damn hard! My fiancé Rob, who does so much heavy lifting and rarely complains. But my biggest thank you would be to this wonderful community for giving such a warm and welcoming embrace to this quirky Aussie.

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Green

Recycling the Unconventional By Jesse Hamilton, ReThinking Waste Program Coordinator, EcoSuperior Did you know that items like water filters and contact lens packaging can be recycled? There are local recycling options for unconventional items! No other species creates lasting and harmful waste except our own. Caring for the environment includes minimizing the type and volume of waste we produce. Recycling may not be the full answer, but it does help. All around town, there are programs to help us recycle different items and products; some of them may surprise you. For example, EcoSuperior collects expired water filters. These single-use items contribute to a substantial amount of plastic in landfills. Drop off expired filters to EcoSuperior, all brands and

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sizes accepted. Many people wear glasses or contacts, but what options are there for old glasses or packaging from contacts? There are places that will repurpose glasses by sending them to those in need. Some will even recycle plastic packaging from contacts. Contact your local vision centre or check out places like: Ham’s Vision Centre, Hakim Optical, Thunder Bay Eye Care, Harbourview Optometry Centre and Dr. Eric Bella and Associates for optical recycling options. Used batteries can be dropped off at the 55 Plus Centre, Victoriaville Civic Centre, all branches of the Thunder Bay Public Library, or EcoSuperior. Using rechargeable batteries is a way to reduce the number

of batteries consumed. They pay for themselves after only a few uses. Cigarette butts are almost entirely made of plastics and can be recycled. EcoSuperior is a drop-off location and ships them through TerraCycle (a recycling company) to be turned into plastic lumber or picnic tables. At the local Staples store, you can drop off any brand of used-up markers, pens, mechanical pencils or highlighters, which will be sent to TerraCycle for recycling. You can also support EcoSuperior’s programs by sending common household items to TerraCycle to be recycled. Packaging from Babybel, Gerber, Living Proof hair care products, and P&G eco-boxes (Tide, Downy, and Gain) can all be recycled,

and so can Vileda cleaning products and L.O.L Surprise! packaging, accessories, and products. Shipping is free and TerraCycle will donate $1 to EcoSuperior’s environmental programs for each pound of waste sent in to be recycled. For more information contact rethinkingwaste@ecosuperior. org. The Solid Waste & Recycling Facility (the landfill on Mapleward Road) provides residents with an easy and free drop-off point for all hazardous waste, e-waste, and tires. The Habitat for Humanity ReStore can take old bicycles for re-use or recycling. The Power Centre, Tbaytel Retail Store, and Touch Unwired are locations where old cell phones can be recycled. Eco Carbon Foam Inc. is a new local company

that takes clean #6 plastic foam packaging free of tape and recycles it into insulation. Dutchak Scrap Metal takes all forms of metal from computer components to old pots and pans. Full Circle Recycling takes items from TVs to freon-free large appliances. Even old fire extinguishers can be recycled with Everguard Thunder Bay. Before disposing of an item, we encourage you to take a look around town first, as there are almost always options to reuse, repurpose, or recycle!

By Wendy Wright are here during the fall months as well. From August until October, banding takes place  McKellar Island Bird Observatory volunteers (L-R) Brad Balec and Jeremy Balec process a bird before the birds fly south again for the winter. Save Our Songbirds works with school children up to and including post-secondary students to educate and share their birding knowledge. “It’s amazing watching kids release birds and see the look in their eyes,” says Maureen. Volunteers are welcomed for peripheral duties and everyone is welcome to come out and view the activities. The area is very accessible for locals and a picnic table and butterfly garden have been added over the years. It’s a great resting and feeding spot for the birds—and people as well, if you bring your picnic  John Woodcock with a northern harrier to this lovely spot. Together with the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority, Save Our Songbirds created the Tree Swallow Project in 2014. What started with one tree swallow nest box has grown to 80, all of which are very active. John jokes that they have an “if you build it, they will come” attitude. There will also be a new nesting structure made of eight gourds for purple martens. John explains that this is their far northern range  Baltimore oriole  Alder flycatcher and they rely on human-made  Calvin Knorr with a long-eared owl structures for nesting. Seeing how many tree swallows are visiting their new boxes, maybe the purple marten hotel will be just as popular. John Woodcock

For more information on Save Our Songbirds at McKellar Island Bird Observatory, fly over to @mckellar or @saveoursongbirds on Facebook.

John Woodcock

arly mornings in May, you will find Maureen and John Woodcock banding migratory birds at the McKellar Island Bird Observatory. (Banding means placing a lightweight metal band with a unique identifying number on the bird's leg.) Situated just before Mission Island Marsh, this is a spectacular place for birdwatchers, and for this work to be done. The variety of species flying through is high, and observations vital to studying these flyers’ health and well-being are recorded for the betterment of their individual species. Population counts are one of the many types of data recorded. Some of the same birds return year over year—approximately 10% of the birds netted are return visitors. Looking for trends to see how each species is doing is the main concern for Save Our Songbirds Foundation. From 2015 to 2021, around 20,000 birds from 109 species have been banded. The yellow-rumped warbler leads the list, with over 2,200 banded. On the other end of the spectrum, there have been 333 red-eyed Vireo banded, and just a few Baltimore orioles. Some bird sightings are rare. “I wanted to mention the blue-winged warbler we banded this fall,” John says. “It’s an extremely rare bird in these parts, and especially unusual in being the last bird we banded last October, well out of range and well after most sensible warblers are far to the south.” And yes, Maureen and John

Maureen Woodcock

Non-Profit Dedicates Itself to the Conservation of Migratory American Songbirds

John Woodcock

Save Our Songbirds Foundation

John Woodcock

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Green

Starry, Starry Nights

Quetico Designated as an International Dark Sky Park Story by Pat Forrest, Photo by Travis Novitsky

he opportunity to look up into a beautiful starry sky has always been a part of the huge appeal of Quetico Provincial Park. But now it's official. On February 23, 2021, the park was designated as an International Dark Sky Park by the International Dark Sky Association (IDA), the award-winning authority on light pollution. The earth’s rhythm of day and night is encoded in all plants and animals. Many of them rely on these natural rhythms for feeding, sleeping, migration, breeding, and avoiding predators. Thus, the health of our environment relies on the health of our dark skies. Artificial lights can lead baby turtles to their demise,

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disrupt the nighttime croaking of toads and frogs, thus interfering with courtship and reproduction, cause birds to collide with needlessly illuminated buildings, and attract insects to their death, among many other negative impacts. Applying to become an International Dark Sky Park was a true team effort, undertaken in partnership with Quetico’s Heart of the Continent partner groups in Northwestern Ontario and Northeastern Minnesota, a coalition of land managers and local stakeholders working together on projects that promote the economic, cultural, and natural health of the lakes, forests, and communities on the Minnesota/Ontario

border. Quetico is the third Ontario provincial park to receive dark sky status with the IDA. As well, Voyageurs National Park and Superior National Forest’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota were designated in the last half of 2020. At 1,098,000 acres in size, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness has become the world's largest Dark Sky Sanctuary. Other projects from the Heart of the Continent Partnership have been their geotourism website and mapguide. With help from National Geographic, the geotourism initiative helps showcase what the region has to offer, places to visit, where to stay,

adventures to have. “The coalition within the Heart of the Continent Partnership has benefited our work and the region,” says Chris Stromberg, coordinator of the Heart of the Continent Partnership and Quetico Park warden. “I am very proud to be part of this bi-national collaboration and the Dark Sky Initiative.” He adds that the dark sky initiatives have created a lot of interest. “Our aim was to help people become aware of all that we have here in the Heart of the Continent and Quetico— lots of green space and some of the darkest skies, which are becoming more and more scarce—and take an active interest in their preservation.”

“The coalition within the Heart of the Continent Partnership has benefited our work and the region.”

For more information, visit darksky.org and heartofthecontinent.org.

Green

Snow mould

Road Salt

Making the Grass Greener on Your Side

Fertilizer Burn

By Hedy Koski

The neighbours’ lawns are green, but your lawn has brown patches, and you’ve watered, fertilized, and even de-thatched! What is going on? Well, here are some common issues in our region I’d like to help you with. Snow mould - As soon as the snow melts on your lawn, you may notice white/grey or even pink, fuzzy, web-like substance on top. Rake it! (If you have allergies, get someone else to do this.) That fungus can suffocate the lawn, causing dead patches. It will recover, but will take some time. Road salt used in winter Applying gypsum or lime can help remove salt from soil, or you can give it a deep soaking of water daily to push salts down below root level. Fertilizer burn - Follow the instructions on the bag—more doesn’t make it greener.

Grubs  - Now, before you purchase an insecticide, inspect if there really are bugs. This summer, cut out and lift a square-foot area in your lawn to look for grubs. If the lawn lifts easily like a rug, you are sure to have grubs, because they have cut all the roots. Another sure sign of grubs would be animals such as skunks digging up your lawn for a tasty treat. Note: if you see any June bugs this year, just know, each can lay about 75 eggs that turn into grubs. Just saying.

Dog urine  - The acidity from urine will definitely change the pH in your soil, ultimately making it impossible for grass to grow in this area. You can give it a deep soaking of water daily to leach the acidic urine deep below root level. Adding some lime is advisable; unfortunately, knowing how much lime to add requires a soil pH test first, then calculations of how much lime to add to reach a lawn’s preferred pH (between 6.0 and 7.0). But hey, adding a handful of dolomite lime to each dog spot, plus water, is better than none at all.

t Let’s Gewith g in Grow dy He

Once you have determined and fixed the issue, you will need to wait a while for your lawn to grow back. You can also add some seed for quicker growth. For best seeding results, do the following: mow the lawn shorter than normal and rake those dead areas down till you see soil. You want the grass seed to hit the soil so it will germinate. Adding a thin layer of soil or peat moss on top of seed can help retain moisture; it also helps deter birds from eating all the seed. Keep it moist everyday, and never let it dry out—but take care not to water too much, where you have a river flowing, and seeds flowing with it. For added success, apply a lawn starter fertilizer when new growth emerges. Now, sit back and watch the green grass of home grow.

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Health

Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy

(L–R) Jordan Gross, Dr. Mario Nucci, and Erin Pomanti of the Canadian Centre for Psychedelic Healing

A Breakthrough to Mainstream Mental Health Care Story by Kim Latimer, Photo by William Gross

etamine is a psychedelic medication known for “dissociation,” a mindaltered state described as the mind separating from the body. If misused in high doses, it can cause hallucinations, blurred vision, and out-of-body experiences. It was used a lot in the 1970s and again in the 1990s and was known as a club drug. Fast-forward to 2022, and ketamine is reemerging— but this time in the field of medicine. Medically assisted microdose ketamine therapies are now being offered in tandem with psychotherapy, with proven results for treating mental health patients. The evidence is gaining ground, with an onslaught of recent academic, peerreviewed, and published studies pointing to ketamine as an effective treatment for depression and anxiety. And, it's been actively used in clinics for

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several years in Thunder Bay by family physicians, qualified registered nurse psychotherapists, and psychiatrists. Thunder Bay is now home to the Canadian Centre for Psychedelic Healing, the first of its kind in Northwestern Ontario. It’s a clinic specializing in Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy services, and has already treated over 50 patients, and performed several hundred ketamine assisted therapy sessions. Dr. Mario Nucci, a family doctor in Thunder Bay specializing in mental health care, has been offering ketamine treatments to his patients since 2014, and is the lead physician supervising the new clinic. “Ketamine, and psychedelics more broadly, have been shown to have incredibly positive effects when administered in the right amounts that are controlled for patients,” he

says. “There is a high level of evidence based on large randomized control trials that have shown that people with treatment resistant depression—meaning, depression that's not helped by conventional medications and conventional therapies— have had success with ketamine assisted psychotherapy.” According to the data, Dr. Nucci says up to 70% of people will have a response to treatment “and around 40% might achieve some form of remission, which in the field of mental health, is very high.” Nucci says the key is delivering both the ketamine and psychotherapy at the same time. “If you imagine someone who has depression, anxiety, PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), an eating disorder, or a substance use condition, their brain is putting out

what we describe as a fixed, narrow pattern of thinking and behaving,” he says. “Psychedelics can act to alter those deep patterns of thinking and doing the therapy with the psychedelic medication on board, you can use the ‘dissociated state’ to achieve some transformation. It's incredibly powerful, and we've had some incredible success with patients.” Nucci recounts the case of a severely depressed patient who didn’t leave home for four years. With ketamine assisted psychotherapy treatments, “he is now a research assistant at the university who completed his degree and is thinking about going to medical school. You know, that transformation is just unbelievable.” Another patient describes suffering from depression for over 30 years, unable to find a therapy that worked. “I was in a very bad place,” the patient says. “I was at the

end of my ability to suffer day in and day out. This treatment was a lifesaver for me. It was the only therapy that was able to rapidly diminish life-threatening suicidal thoughts, saving my life.” “An additional yet potentially life-changing benefit from ketamine therapy is the management of chronic pain,” says Jordan Gross, an RN who specializes in ketamine assisted psychotherapy and is completing his Masters in Counseling Psychology. “Through research and our own practice, we’ve discovered that ketamine can be very effective in managing certain types of chronic pain, especially nerve pain.” A treatment at the clinic takes two hours and includes 45 minutes under the effect of a micro-dose ketamine injection. Prior to intake, patients are carefully screened. Anyone can contact the clinic to be considered for treatment. Dr. Nucci has treated patients who've made the trip all the way from Nakina, Geraldton, and Marathon. As the research continues to gain momentum, the fact that it’s new and emergent requires more education—all this in the face of persistent social stigmas in mental health. “There's a huge, huge unmet need for mental health care. The stigma of mental health over such a long period of time is why we haven't had the extensive investment in exploration of new treatments and new therapies. These therapies—ketamine assisted psychotherapy, psychedelic assisted psychotherapy—offer incredible human potential for people who have struggled with mental health conditions,” says Dr. Nucci. “We've treated everyone from doctors, to doctor’s siblings, to homeless individuals and everyone in between. Psychedelics are a powerful tool for the patients who may need them and, quite frankly, I'm excited about helping people— that's why I got involved in this.” For more information, visit ccfph.com.

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Health

Indigenous Food Sovereignty

By Ivan Ho, Public Health Nutritionist, Thunder Bay District Health Unit

ave you ever imagined how you would interact with food in an ideal world? What would that look like for you? Perhaps it means going to the grocery store and finding that all the foods you desired were available for you to buy at affordable prices. It might also mean eating what is in season and grown locally in the area where you live. Or it could involve being part of the actual harvesting, growing, or hunting and trapping of food. All of these examples are considerations that fall under the term “food sovereignty.” According to Food Secure Canada, food sovereignty is the “right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems.” In other words, people and their communities have the ability and freedom to make choices around the food they eat and how it is produced, and to determine what is acceptable to them. It also means that your surrounding food environment is responsive and reflects your preferences and needs. Why is this important? L e t ’s t a k e a l o o k a t Indigenous food sovereignty as an example. Traditionally, food is seen as much more than simply nourishment for Indigenous

culture. Food is tied to identity and values, and is involved in many traditional practices and ceremonies, and used as medicine. It also symbolizes the relationship and connection to nature and to the land. Unfortunately, a lot of this traditional meaning was lost through colonization and residential schools. As a result, there is a close relationship between loss of food sovereignty and decreased health outcomes, such as higher rates of chronic diseases and poorer mental health. At the Thunder Bay and District Health Unit (TBDHU), we have taken the initiative to address this priority issue through the Understanding Our Food Systems (UOFS) project. This is a collaboration with various community organizations to support 14 road-accessible First Nation communities in the Thunder Bay and District area to determine their own food systems and to improve community health and well-being. The project has been ongoing for a number of years, and is community-led and is based on community needs. UOFS supports everything from grassrootslevel activities, such as building infrastructure f o r a g re e n h o u s e o r butcher shop, to more regional efforts such as annual forums and gatherings that encourage collaboration and sharing. At the core of this work are the relationships and connections that

are formed to help us understand our Indigenous partners better. They also serve as a strong foundation that allow this project to move forward. Supporting Indigenous food sovereignty is a longterm process, as it often involves changing the structure of the existing food system, which can be complex. While challenging, this work

is worthwhile because it truly represents real transformative and systemic change that leads to sustainable and long lasting benefits. For more information on the project, please visit understandingourfoodsystems.com.

“Right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods.”

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Adrian Lysenko

TheWall

Jon Thompson is an award-winning journalist and author who belongs to Northwestern Ontario

Engagement is the Antidote Editorial by Jon Thompson

he balance of community and anonymity might be the most underrated quality of living in a small city like Thunder Bay. You don’t recognize everybody you see, but whenever you go out, you’re likely to run into somebody you know. If you’re not too rushed to talk, you might find more common ground than you remember. You might even wish you saw each other more often. But it’s a coin toss that can easily go the other way, where you discover someone you thought you knew has fallen into some unfathomable obsession that has consumed their entire life. I never thought I’d miss it so much. There was something about the range of humanity that brushed off in those infrequent, sometimes shallow conversations—something

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we lost over the global pandemic’s long winter. We all want to contribute in times of crisis but the only role we were given was to wear masks, get vaccinated, stay home, and wash our hands. Our two-year isolation narrowed our social circles and we lost all our shades of grey in the online echo chambers. It seems the only thing on which we can agree is that we’re more divided than ever. With COVID restrictions loosening, confusing “new normals,” and our rusty social skills, this spring will be disorienting for everyone to navigate. Now suddenly, we’re in an election year. An authoritarian trend with popular support across the spectrum was digging into our political culture long before the pandemic began, and its roots have only grown deeper. Throughout history,

it’s the direction things tend to go in fearsome times. We’ve seen our systems buckle under stress. We all know the structures of last century will need to adapt if we’re to meet the challenges to come. Uncertainty makes it tempting to believe that a strong leader could roll up their sleeves, take back whoever’s power should be ours, and fix it all. But we can’t solve the real problems by voting, then going home and washing our hands. Partisans will try to split us along the lines their focus groups tell them will move the needle a notch while strengthening their base. If we stay isolated, we might be duped into believing that our neighbours are somehow different from us and at worst, that their preferences will irreversibly ruin our province or city. We don’t have to fall for that.

We can resist similar urges to give in to forces who are deliberately spreading disinfor mation to sow mistrust in our institutions and the grotesque caricature they’ve painted onto our public square. Many point to better media literacy or civics education as longterm solutions. In the short term, taking the time to anchor our political beliefs in the nuts and bolts of how things actually work would go a long way to stabilize the conversation. Political leaders and senior bureaucrats letting us in could contribute a great deal to that end. Our institutions have taken it upon themselves of late to present a sleek image under an evergreen public relations campaign that everything is fine and the people in charge have it handled, despite appearances to the contrary.

But done right, democracy’s a messy way to do business and the better it’s done, the messier it looks. The more interests get in the mix, the more likely the truth might come out that not everyone agrees. In a climate where disagreement can be interpreted as a challenge to power just as likely as it can be seen as power exerting its dominance, it makes the whole system look volatile. Unquestioningly trusting experts and distrusting them on principle are both dysfunctional approaches to democracy. Engagement is the antidote. So the first thing we can do to cure “the division” is seeking out humanity again, in all its shades of grey. Our very identities have come to inform our language and that can trigger those with different priorities. We’ll need to learn to listen between the lines to meet with the suffering and aspirations of what the other is truly saying. We’ll need to learn to see past the mirages that render us partisan spectators to our own society. We’ll need to learn to attend to what we can touch and act on those tangible things we can change. Imagine what we could build together if we harnessed all the energy it took for us to pull apart. We can start by considering how our own expertise can contribute to a better society. We can open our circles again and respect different expertise, including lived experience. As we rebuild, we can demand meaningful opportunities to contribute to our democracy, and our leaders should heed those demands because a healthy democracy depends on us believing in it. We’re going to disagree—sometimes strongly—about the next moves we make together. But they will be the right moves if we make them together, with respect for each other. It’s time to get our hands dirty again.

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AprilHoroscopes Aries

(March 21–April 19) Happy birthday month to all the April Rams out there! You’ve been sticking to some new and stellar habits lately, so keep the good work going. Aries have been laying low for awhile now, but it’s time to get yourself out into the public eye as much as you can. The world is much cheerier when the Rams are around, and this fiery sign has a big heart indeed. Loving the spotlight comes naturally, so when the gang gathers ‘round for some fervent festivities, you’ll be feeling all the joy. Happy solar return and many more!

Taurus

(April 20–May 20) Taurus (April 20–May 20) Being born in the spring, most Bulls have a special fondness for Easter. This year, the plan is to do it up right. There’s an unspoken yearning to somewhat make up for the smaller gatherings of years past, so trust that our spring friends are going to be pulling out all the stops for this one. The chocolate bunnies and other delectable morsels abound—just make sure to save some for the young ones. A festive table with all the fam is something to look forward to. The new moon in your sign on the 30th has you starting a project anew.

Gemini

(May 21–June 20) Air signs might feel like their world is slightly tilted off its axis of late. Maybe in a good way, or maybe in a challenging way—but either way, things are being shaken up lately. Not to worry, sometimes a change is as good as a rest. Even though Twins may feel like the rug’s been pulled out from under them, they keep soldiering on like the mutable sign they are. You may have a challenging exchange

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By Sunny Disposish

of ideas with a mentor. It is possible to disagree and still have an amicable relationship, but not all folks seem to get that particular memo. Be the bigger person and set a good example.

Cancer

(June 21–July 22) Keep your wits about you and don’t fall for any April Fools’ Day pranks. Someone may not have your best interests at heart, so it’s important to stay aware and make sure your “i’s” are dotted and your “t’s” are crossed. The full moon on the 16th may lead to some heightened emotions within your household. Stay the course and be the calming presence in the middle of what may be some perceived chaos. Things will settle down in a day or two. There is a chance around this time to meet someone of interest to you, or rekindle an old spark from the past. Brainstorming with some close friends will lead to some excellent ideas that may pay off financially for you in the future.

Leo

(July 23–August 22) Your personal growth is making some great strides this month, Leo. In fact, roaring Lions are making more progress than they actually give themselves credit for. You can thank your amazing support system— but don’t forget to give your own self a shout-out as well. You’ve gone through some heavy sludge in the past, and now the sun seems to want to shine down on you for real. Good Friday may find you enjoying a delicious meal with those you hold dear to your heart. Savour every moment, and while you’re on a roll, let the younger folk clean up. Put your feet up and pat yourself on the back for another fabulous event.

Virgo

(August 23– September 22) Earth Day is on the 22nd of the month, and right now it is really resonating for you. Being an earth sign yourself, Virgos might want to research a practice called “earthing.” Yes, it’s a thing! Basically, it’s a time when one goes barefoot around the yard, or lies down on the ground to meditate. One can even picnic while tuning into the land. If it’s still too cool outside, make a note to bring this practice forward next month. Gardening, plants, and flowers bring Virgos joy anyway, so here’s a way to add a bit more. Have some patience this month: you’re being tested a little bit. Try to stay neutral and observe instead of getting immediately upset.

Libra

(September 23– October 22) The full moon is in your sign on the 16th, and the scales of justice will be on your side. Fairness and balance are key this month. You may finally achieve a victory in a long-standing battle, even one waged within yourself. Career is accentuated this month, and it feels like your voice is finally being heard. It’s time to really think about social media in your life. How much is too much? Again, it’s all about balance. A gettogether with family brings about a few laughs and some much needed comedic relief. Relish the time with the younger folk—they don’t stay little forever.

Scorpio

(October 23– November 21) The new moon on the 1st has Scorpions starting the month off with a bang. There’s a lot going on this month and you need to be ready. Personal development is at the forefront right now.

There may be an opportunity to take that course or class you’ve always had your eye on. There’s no shame in outsourcing either, so hand off your taxes to a trusted professional and free up more of your time that way. A relationship needs nurturing. Why not plan a special date night?

Sagittarius

(November 22– December 21) Archers have always been prone to being happy wanderers, but the stars are showing that being bit by the travel bug has this fire sign reaching for their travel bag. Before one rushes out the door, make sure that all the little details are attended to. Even the most cheerful Saggis are prone to a little doom and gloom when there is no wander in their wanderlust. Buckle up, stay safe, and enjoy some time away from the usual routine. You’ll come back refreshed and invigorated, with a sparkle in your eye and a spring in your step.

Capricorn

(December 22– January 19) There’s no need to fear success, Capricorn. You can achieve anything you set your mind to. No need to keep yourself small— branch out and you can have it all. Spend Earth Day with your journal and write out some goals. You may find it brings you some solace to see things clearly in writing. Family gatherings are a joy this month, particularly ones that involve chocolate bunnies. Prepare to receive more than you give for once. Abundance and prosperity are yours for the taking. There may be some new neighbours moving into your area—be the first on the scene with a welcoming casserole. You may make a lifelong friend!

Aquarius

(January 20– February 18) Why such a worrywart these days, Aquarius? An air sign like you shouldn’t have such heavy shoulders. Plan to release any thoughts or feelings not for your greatest good in and around the full moon this month. The April moon is also called the Wind Moon, so let any trials and tribulations blow away. You don’t have to carry the world on your shoulders. If you’re a Water-Bearer who enjoys cooking or baking, now would be the time to whip up something new or to make a cherished recipe passed through generations to soothe the soul. The thought of a long weekend perks you up. Time to watch that new movie or series that everyone’s been talking about.

Pisces

(February 19– March 20) The urge to do some spring cleaning is upon you, so don’t resist that current—swim with it! Crack open those windows and let some fresh air in. It’s been a long winter, and Fish welcome the signs of spring. The Easter weekend finds you in a joyous mood, so however it is celebrated this year will be a wonderful time. Being out in nature will bring a much needed respite from an overloaded brain. Plan to spend some time near water if possible. You may have some vivid dreams at the beginning of the month—thank the new moon on the 1st for that. It wouldn’t hurt to write them down in a journal.

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2022-03-15 2:15 PM

TheBeat

Seasons change fashion By Jean M. Forget

To this, the season has led Summer wishes to go to bed It no longer wishes to be seen Wearing its warm coats of green Change the leaves, they’ll begin to fall The colors surround like nature’s shawl The air will cool and get a crisp A breeze will tail you like a wisp Then will come the frosty white That turn the dark winters bright A blanket of cool all around The crunching of snow on the ground Now sweep way like a broom The time has come to let it bloom Much like a promised ring The change comes, now is spring It’s called FASHUN, digital illustration, boy Roland

As the season changes fashion May it spark constant passion Let growth be the look Of your journey’s ever flowing brook

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TheEye

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