Thunder Bay, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District
, Ontario
, Canada
. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario
, and the second most populous in Northern Ontario
after Greater Sudbury. The census metropolitan area of Thunder Bay has a population of 122,907, and consists of the city of Thunder Bay, the municipalities of Oliver Paipoonge and Neebing
, the townships of Shuniah
, Conmee
, O'Connor
and Gillies
and the Fort William First Nation
.
European settlement in the region began in the late 17th century with a French fur trading outpost on the banks of the Kaministiquia River
. It grew into an important transportation hub with its port forming an important link in the shipping of grain
and other products from western Canada
through the Great Lakes
and the Saint Lawrence Seaway
to the east coast. Forestry
and manufacturing
played important roles in the city's economy. They have declined in recent years, but have been replaced by a "knowledge economy
" based on medical research and education. Thunder Bay is the site of the Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute.
The city takes its name from the immense Thunder Bay at the head of Lake Superior
, known on 18th-century French maps as Baie du Tonnerre (Bay of Thunder). The city is often referred to as the "Lakehead" or "Canadian Lakehead" because of its location at the end of Great Lakes navigation.
). In 1803 the Montreal-based North West Company
established Fort William as its mid-continent entrepôt. The fort thrived until 1821 when the North West Company merged with the Hudson's Bay Company
, and Fort William was no longer needed.
By the 1850s, the Province of Canada
began to take an interest in its western extremity. Discovery of copper
in the Keweenaw Peninsula
of Michigan had prompted a national demand for mining
locations on the Canadian shores of Lake Superior. In 1849 French-speaking Jesuits established the Mission de l'Immaculée-Conception (Mission of the Immaculate Conception) on the Kaministiquia
to evangelize the Ojibwe. The Province of Canada negotiated the Robinson Treaty
in 1850 with the Ojibwa of Lake Superior. As a result, an Indian reservation was set aside for them south of the Kaministiquia River. In 1859–60 the Department of Crown Lands surveyed two townships (Neebing and Paipoonge) and the Town Plot of Fort William for European-Canadian settlement.
Another settlement developed a few miles to the north of Fort William after construction by the federal Department of Public Works of a road connecting Lake Superior with the Red River Colony
. The work was directed by Simon James Dawson
. (see Port Arthur, Ontario
) This public works depot or construction headquarters acquired its first name in May 1870 when Colonel Garnet Wolseley named it Prince Arthur's Landing. It was renamed Port Arthur by the CPR in May 1883.
The arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway
(CPR) in 1875 sparked a long rivalry between the towns, which did not end until the amalgamation of 1970. Until the 1880s, Port Arthur was a much larger and dynamic community. The CPR, in collaboration with the Hudson's Bay Company, preferred east Fort William, located on the lower Kaministiquia River where the fur trade posts were. Provoked by a prolonged tax dispute with Port Arthur and its seizure of a locomotive
in 1889, the CPR relocated all its employees and facilities to Fort William. The collapse of silver mining
after 1890 undermined the economy of Port Arthur. It had an economic depression, while Fort William thrived.
, Thunder Bay began a period of extraordinary growth, based on improved access to markets via the transcontinental railway and development of the western wheat
boom. The CPR double-tracked its Winnipeg–Thunder Bay line. The Canadian Northern Railway
established facilities at Port Arthur. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
began construction of its facilities at the Fort William Mission in 1905, and the federal government began construction of the National Transcontinental Railway
. Grain elevator
construction boomed as the volume of grain shipped to Europe increased. Both cities incured debt to grant bonuses to manufacturing industries. By 1914 the twin cities had modern infrastructures (sewers, safe water supply, street lighting, electric light, etc.) Both Fort William and Port Arthur were proponents of municipal ownership. As early as 1892, Port Arthur built Canada's first municipally owned electric street railway. Both cities spurned Bell Telephone Company of Canada to establish their own municipally owned telephone systems in 1902.
The boom came to an end in 1913–14, aggravated by the outbreak of the First World War. A war-time economy emerged with the making of munitions and shipbuilding. The cities raised men for the 52nd, 94th and 141st Battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force
.
Railway employment was hurt when the federal government took over the National Transcontinental Railway
and Lake Superior Division from the Grand Trunk in 1915, and the Canadian Northern Railway in 1918. These were amalgamated with other government-owned railways in 1923 to form the Canadian National Railways. The CNR closed many of the Canadian Northern Railway facilities in Port Arthur. It opened the Neebing yards in Neebing Township in 1922. By 1929 the population of the two cities had recovered to pre-war levels.
The forest products industry has always played an important role in the Thunder Bay economy from the 1870s. Logs and lumber were shipped primarily to the United States. In 1917 the first pulp and paper mill was established in Port Arthur. It was followed by a mill at Fort William in 1920. Eventually there were four mills operating.
Manufacturing resumed in 1937 when the Canada Car and Foundry Company plant re-opened to build aircraft for the British. Now run by Bombardier Transportation
, the plant has remained a mainstay of the post-war economy. It has produced forestry equipment, and transportation equipment for urban transit systems, such as the Toronto Transit Commission
and GO Transit
.
, Port Arthur
and the geographic townships of Neebing and McIntyre. Its name was the result of a referendum
held previously on June 23, 1969, to determine the new name of the amalgamated Fort William and Port Arthur. Officials debated over the names to be put on the ballot, taking suggestions from residents including "Lakehead" and "The Lakehead". Predictably, the vote split between the two, and "Thunder Bay" was the victor. The final tally was "Thunder Bay" with 15,870, "Lakehead" with 15,302, and "The Lakehead" with 8,377.
The expansion of highways, beginning with the Trans-Canada Highway
and culminating with the opening of Highway 17 linking Sault Ste Marie to Thunder Bay in 1960, has significantly diminished railway and shipping activity in the 1970s and 80s. Shipping on the Saint Lawrence Seaway
was superseded by trucking on highways. Grain shipping on the Great Lakes to the East has declined substantially in favour of transport to Pacific Coast ports. As a result, many grain elevators have been closed and demolished. The Kaministiquia River was abandoned by industry and shipping.
with most provincial departments represented. Lakehead University
, established through the lobbying of local businessmen and professionals, has proved to be a major asset. Another upper level institution is Confederation College
. The same businessmen and professionals who helped attract the university and college were the driving force behind the political amalgamation of Fort William and Port Arthur in 1970.
and McIntyre. The former Fort William section occupies flat alluvial land along the Kaministiquia River. In the river delta
are two large islands: Mission Island and McKellar Island.
The former Port Arthur section is more typical of the Canadian Shield
, with gently sloping hills and very thin soil lying on top of bedrock with many bare outcrops. Thunder Bay, which gives the city its name, is about 22.5 kilometres (14 mi) from the Port Arthur downtown to Thunder Cape at the tip of the Sleeping Giant
. The city reflects the settlement patterns of the 19th century and sprawls. Anchoring the west end of the city, the Fort William Town Plot surveyed in 1859–60 was named West Fort William (Westfort) in 1888 by the CPR. The land adjoining the lower Kaministiquia River became the residential and central business district of the town and city of Fort William. A large uninhabited area adjoining the Neebing and McIntyre rivers, which became known as Intercity, separated Fort William from the residential and central business district of Port Arthur. At the extreme east of the city, a part of McIntyre Township was annexed to the town of Port Arthur in 1892, forming what later became known as the Current River area.
Since 1970, the central business districts of Fort William and Port Arthur have suffered a serious decline. Business and government relocated to new developments in the Intercity area. There has also been substantial residential growth in adjacent areas of the former Neebing and McIntyre townships.
(Köppen climate classification
Dfb) that is influenced by Lake Superior, with especially noticeable effects in the city's north end. This results in cooler summer temperatures and warmer winter temperatures for an area extending inland as far as 16 km. The average daily temperatures range from 17.6 °C in July to −14.8 °C in January. The average daily high in July is 24.2 °C and the average daily high in January is −8.6 °C. On January 10, 1982, the local temperature in Thunder Bay dropped to −36 °C, with a wind speed of 54 km/h for a wind chill temperature that dipped to −58 °C. As a result, it holds Ontario's record for coldest day with wind chill.
The city is quite sunny, with an average of 2167.7 hours of bright sunshine each year, ranging from 283.4 hours in July to 88.8 hours in November, sunnier than any city in Canada located to the east of it.
and Fort William
. Both still retain much of their distinct civic identities, reinforced by the buffering effect of the Intercity area between them. Port Arthur and Fort William each has its own central business district
s and suburban areas. Some of the more well-known neighbourhoods include: the Bay and Algoma area, which has a large northern European population centred around the Finnish Labour Temple
and the Italian Cultural Centre; Simpson-Ogden and the East End, two of the oldest neighbourhoods in Fort William located north of Downtown Fort William
; Intercity, a large business district located between Fort William and Port Arthur; Current River
, the northernmost neighbourhood of Port Arthur; and Westfort, the oldest settlement in Thunder Bay. Within city limits are some small rural communities, such as Vickers Heights and North McIntyre, which were located in the former townships of Neebing and McIntyre, respectively.
The city is governed by a mayor and twelve councillors. The mayor and five of the councillors are elected at large by the whole city. Seven councillors are elected for the seven wards: Current River Ward, McIntyre Ward, McKellar Ward, Neebing Ward, Northwood Ward, Red River Ward, and Westfort Ward.
Thunder Bay is represented in the Canadian Parliament
by Bruce Hyer
and John Rafferty, both members of the New Democratic Party
, and in the Ontario Legislature by Ontario Liberal Party
members Michael Gravelle
and Bill Mauro
.
A large formation of mesa
s on the Sibley Peninsula
in Lake Superior
which resembles a reclining giant has become a symbol of the city. Sibley peninsula partially encloses the waters of Thunder Bay, and dominates the view of the lake from the northern section of the city (formerly Port Arthur). The Sleeping Giant also figures on the city's coat of arms and the city flag.
Coat of arms
The Coat of arms
of Thunder Bay, Ontario is a combination of the coats of arms of both Port Arthur and Fort William, with a unifying symbol—the Sleeping Giant—at the base of the arms.
Corporate logo
The city logo depicts a stylized thunderbird
, called Animikii, a statue of which is located on the city's Kaministiquia River Heritage Park. The slogan, Superior by Nature, is a double play on words reflecting the city's natural setting on Lake Superior.
City flag
Thunder Bay's flag
was created in 1972, when mayor Saul Laskin
wanted to promote the city by having a distinctive flag. The city held a contest, which was won by Cliff Redden. The flag has a 1:2 ratio, and depicts a golden sky from the rising sun behind the Sleeping Giant, which sits in the blue waters of Lake Superior. The sun is represented by a red maple leaf
, a symbol of Canada
. Green and gold are Thunder Bay's city colours.
Seinäjoki
, Finland
since 1974 Little Canada
, Minnesota
since 1977 Duluth
, Minnesota
since 1980 Keelung
, Taiwan
since 1988 Gifu
, Japan
since 2007
As the largest city in Northwestern Ontario, Thunder Bay is the region's commercial, administrative and medical centre. Many of the city's largest single employers are in the public sector
. The City of Thunder Bay, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
, the Lakehead District School Board
and the Government of Ontario each employ over 1,500 people. Bowater Forest Products
is the largest private employer, employing over 1500 people. Other major employers in the forestry
sector include AbitibiBowater
and Buchanan Forest Products. Bombardier Transportation
operates a plant in Thunder Bay which manufactures
mass transit vehicles and equipment, employing approximately 800 people.
The rising cost of electricity in Ontario
has threatened the viability of primary industries in the region, resulting in the laying off of workers at pulp
and saw
mills. The grain trade has declined because of the loss of grain transportation subsidies
and the loss of European markets. The gradual transition from shipping by train and boat to shipping by truck, and the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement
have ended Thunder Bay's privileged position as a linchpin
in Canadian east-west freight-handling trade. As a result the city has lost its traditional raison d'être as a break-bulk point. However, in recent years shipments through the port of Thunder Bay have stabilized, and remains an important part of the Saint Lawrence Seaway
.
In an effort to rejuvenate its economy, the city has been actively working to attract quaternary
or "knowledge-based" industries, primarily in the fields of molecular medicine
and genomics
. The city is home to the western campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine
, the first medical school to open in Canada in a generation.
provides coach service to both regional and national destinations, with the municipally owned Thunder Bay Transit
providing 17 routes across the city's urban area. The city is served by the Thunder Bay International Airport
, the fourth busiest airport in Ontario by aircraft movements. The main highway through the city is Highway 11
/17
, a four lane highway designated as the Thunder Bay Expressway
.
The city is an important railway hub, served by both the Canadian National
and Canadian Pacific Railway. Passenger rail service to Thunder Bay ended on 15 January 1990, with the cancellation of Via Rail
's southern transcontinental service.
Harbour
Thunder Bay has been a port since the days of the North West Company
which maintained a schooner on Lake Superior. The Port of Thunder Bay is the largest outbound port on the St. Lawrence Seaway System
, and the sixth largest port in Canada. The Thunder Bay Port Authority manages Keefer Terminal, built on a 320,000 square metre site on Lake Superior.
. Other health care services include the St. Joseph's Care Group, which operates long term care centres such as the Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital, St. Joseph's Hospital, and Hogarth Riverview Manor. The Northern Ontario School of Medicine
has a campus at Lakehead University. The city is also home to a variety of smaller medical and dental clinics.
According to the 2006 Census
, there were 109,140 people residing in Thunder Bay on 16 May 2006, of whom 48.4% were male and 51.6% were female. Residents 19 years of age or younger accounted for approximately 22.9% of the population. People aged by 20 and 39 years accounted for 24.6%, while those between 40 and 64 made up 35.9% of the population. The average age of a Thunder Bayer in May 2006 was 41.7, compared to the average of 39.5 for Canada as a whole.
Between the censuses of 2001
and 2006, Thunder Bay's population increased by 0.1%, compared to the average of 6.6% for Ontario and 5.4% for Canada. The population density
of the city of Thunder Bay averaged 332.3 people per square kilometre, compared with an average of 13.4 for Ontario. The total population has been stagnant or declining since amalgamation in 1970.
A further 13,767 people live in Thunder Bay's Census Metropolitan Area, which apart from Thunder Bay includes the municipalities
of Neebing
and Oliver Paipoonge
, the townships of Conmee
, Gillies
, O'Connor
and Shuniah
, and the aboriginal community of Fort William First Nation
.
Ethnicity
Thunder Bay is home to 12,825 people of Finnish descent, the highest concentration of persons of Finnish origin per capita
in Canada, and the second largest Finnish population in Canada after Toronto
which has 14,750 persons of Finnish origin.
Language
In terms of Canada's official languages, 81.6% of Thunder Bayers speak only English
, and 2.6% speak only French. Thunder Bay has one of the largest established communities of Finnish speaking people outside of Finland
. Other languages spoken in Thunder Bay include Italian
and Ojibwe
.
Religion
The 2001 census
states that 82.0 per cent of Thunder Bay residents belong to a Christian
denomination, 39.8% of which are Roman Catholic, 39.5% Protestant, and 2.6% other following Christian denominations, mostly Eastern Orthodox
. Those who follow other religions make up less than 1% of the population, while the remaining 17.0% are non-religious.
, a reconstruction of the North West Company
's Fort William fur trade post as it was in 1815, which attracts 100,000 visitors annually. The marina in downtown Port Arthur, an area known as The Heart of the Harbour, draws visitors for its panoramic view of the Sleeping Giant
and the presence of various water craft. The marina also includes a lake walk, playground, harbour cruises, a children's museum, and a Chinese/Canadian restaurant. There are several small surface amethyst
mines in the area, some of which allow visitors to search for their own crystals. A 2.74 m (9 ft) statue
of Terry Fox
is situated at the Terry Fox Memorial and Lookout on the outskirts of the city near the place where he was forced to abandon his run. Other tourists attractions are listed below.
s, 3 middle school
s, 8 secondary school
s, 2 private school
s, and an adult education facility. The city also has several other private for-profit colleges and tutoring programmes. Post secondary institutions in Thunder Bay include Confederation College
and Lakehead University
.
The Lakehead District School Board
is the largest school board in the city, with 22 elementary schools, 4 secondary schools and a centre for adult studies. The Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board
is the second largest with 16 elementary schools, 3 middle schools and 2 high schools. Conseil scolaire de district catholique des Aurores boréales
operates one elementary and one high school in Thunder Bay, and an additional six schools throughout the Thunder Bay District.
, Scandinavia House, the Italian Cultural Centre, the Polish Legion, and a wide variety of others. Shags, a combination shower and stag held to celebrate the engagement
of a couple, and Persians
, a cinnamon bun pastry with pink icing, originated in the city. Thunder Bay is served by the Thunder Bay Public Library
, which has four branches.
Thunder Bay is home to a variety of music and performance arts venues. The largest professional theatre is Magnus Theatre
. Founded in 1971, it offers six stage plays each season and is located in the renovated Port Arthur Public School on Red River Road. The Thunder Bay Community Auditorium
, which seats 1500, is the primary venue for various types of entertainment. It is the home of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra
, which has 30 full-time and up to 20 extra musicians presenting a full range of classical music. New Music North is vital to the contemporary classical music scene in the city by offering intriguing and novel contemporary chamber music concerts.
The Bay Street Film Festival
, established in 2005, is an independent film festival that features local, national, and international films with the theme of "Films for the People." The festival is held in early October at 314 Bay Street in the historic Finnish Labour Temple
. Thunder Bay is also home to the North of Superior Film Association (NOSFA). Established in 1992, the NOSFA features monthly screenings of international and Canadian films at the Cumberland Cinema Centre, with a spring film festival that attracts several thousand patrons.
which was founded in 1976, specializes in the works of First Nations artists, having a collection of national significance. The Thunder Bay Historical Museum
Society, founded in 1908, presents local and travelling exhibitions and houses an impressive collection of artifacts, photographs, paintings, documents and maps in its archives.
Thunder Bay has two recognized Federal Heritage buildings on the Register of the Government of Canada Heritage Buildings:
both are part of HMCS Griffin.
in 1981, the Nordic World Ski Championships in 1995, the Continental Cup of Curling
in 2003, and the World Junior Baseball Championship
in 2010.
sheets, and three golf
courses, among others. Listed below are some of the city's major facilities.
Multi-use facilities
Municipal ice rinks and indoor pools
Golf courses
Ski hills
Cross-Country Skiing Facilities
Thunder Bay is also home to the National Development Centre - Thunder Bay, an elite cross-country ski team that attracts many of Canada's best Junior and U-23 skiers.
Print
Thunder Bay has one daily newspaper, The Chronicle-Journal, which has a circulation of approximately 28,000 and has coverage of all of Northwestern Ontario. There are two weekly news papers—Thunder Bay's Source, a weekly newspaper operated by Dougall Media, and Canadan Sanomat
, a Finnish language
weekly newspaper. Lakehead University
has a student newspaper called The Argus, which is published weekly during the school year. The Chronicle Journal publishes a free weekly called Spot every Thursday, focusing on entertainment. The city publishes a bi-monthly newsletter to citizens titled yourCity, which is also available online in a PDF format, by electronic subscription and RSS feed. Netnewsledger is a daily updated website covering news and current events in Thunder Bay, which places emphasis on connecting politicians to their constituents.
television. Programming from the Global
and CBC
networks is provided by a locally owned twinstick
operation branded as Thunder Bay Television
, and the city receives TVOntario
on channel 9 and the French CBLFT
on channel 12. CTV
is now cable-/satellite-only in the area.
The cable provider in Thunder Bay is Shaw
, although locally owned TBayTel, has been granted a license by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to compete in the cable TV market. The community channel on Shaw Cable is branded as Shaw TV
, and airs on cable channel 10.
WBKP
TV channel 5, the CW
/ ABC
affiliate in Calumet
, Michigan
can be received in Thunder Bay with an outdoor roof antenna and a digital-capable television or receiver.
There are four commercial radio stations based in the city — Rock 94.3
and CKPR 91.5, owned by Dougall Media, the parent company of Thunder Bay Television and Thunder Bay's Source, and Magic 99.9
and 105.3 The Giant
, owned by Acadia Broadcasting
. One additional station, Thunder 103.5
, targets the Thunder Bay market from transmitters in Kaministiquia
and Shuniah
. The city receives CBC Radio One
as CBQT-FM
and CBC Radio 2 as CBQ-FM
, at 88.3 FM and 101.7 FM respectively. The French Première Chaîne is available as a repeater of Sudbury-based CBON-FM
on 89.3 FM. Lakehead University operates a campus radio station, CILU-FM
, at 102.7 FM, and CJOA-FM 95.1
broadcasts Christian-oriented
programming and is run by a local non-profit group.
, bandleader
on the American Late Show with David Letterman
, and recipient of the Order of Canada
.
Bobby Curtola
, an early rock and roll
singer and one-time teen idol
.
Norval Morriseau, artist.
Lauri Conger
, keyboardist and songwriter, and a member of the Canadian band Parachute Club.
Gary Kendall
, musician, solo artist and multiple Maple Blues Award
winner.
Kevin Durand
, actor.
Current NHL
players:
Patrick Sharp
,
Ryan Johnson,
Alex Auld
,
Tom Pyatt
,
Taylor Pyatt
,
Jared Staal
,
Eric Staal
,
Marc Staal
,
Jordan Staal
.
Former NHL
players:
Alex Delvecchio
,
Greg Johnson,
Trevor Letowski
.
Katie Weatherston
, Olympic
gold medalist.
Haley Irwin
, Olympic
gold medalist.
Jay Miron
, professional BMX rider and 9-time X-Games medalist.
Clarence Decatur Howe, originally from Massachusetts, moved to Canada in his early adult years and, as "Minister of Everything" played a major role in the economic development of Canada.
Saul Laskin
, city's first mayor.
Bora Laskin
, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
from 1973 to 1984.
Elizabeth Lawrie Smellie
was a nurse, and the first woman to be promoted to the rank of colonel
in the Canadian army.
Thunder Bay District
Thunder Bay District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. The district seat is Thunder Bay....
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario
Northwestern Ontario
Northwestern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and west of Lake Superior, and west of Hudson Bay and James Bay. It includes most of subarctic Ontario. Its western boundary is the Canadian province of Manitoba, which disputed Ontario's claim to the...
, and the second most populous in Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
after Greater Sudbury. The census metropolitan area of Thunder Bay has a population of 122,907, and consists of the city of Thunder Bay, the municipalities of Oliver Paipoonge and Neebing
Neebing, Ontario
Neebing is a municipality in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Thunder Bay District immediately south of the city of Thunder Bay. It is part of Thunder Bay's Census Metropolitan Area.-History:...
, the townships of Shuniah
Shuniah, Ontario
Shuniah is a municipal township bordering the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada on the east. Shuniah was incorporated by an act of the Ontario legislature in 1873, and at that time included much of present-day Thunder Bay and its predecessor and surrounding municipalities...
, Conmee
Conmee, Ontario
Population trend:* Population in 2006: 740* Population in 2001: 748* Population in 1996: 729* Population in 1991: 651-References:...
, O'Connor
O'Connor, Ontario
O'Connor is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located west of the city of Thunder Bay. The municipality was formed on January 1, 1907...
and Gillies
Gillies, Ontario
Gillies is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located within the Thunder Bay District.The township is part of the city of Thunder Bay's Census Metropolitan Area.-Demographics:Population trend:* Population in 2006: 544...
and the Fort William First Nation
Fort William First Nation
Fort William First Nation is an Ojibway First Nation south of and adjacent to Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. As of January 2008, the First Nation had a registered population of 1,798 people, of which their on-Reserve population was 832 people....
.
European settlement in the region began in the late 17th century with a French fur trading outpost on the banks of the Kaministiquia River
Kaministiquia River
The Kaministiquia River is a river which empties into western Lake Superior at the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Kaministiquia is an Ojibwe word meaning " with islands" due to two large islands at the mouth of the river...
. It grew into an important transportation hub with its port forming an important link in the shipping of grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
and other products from western Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
through the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
and the Saint Lawrence Seaway
Saint Lawrence Seaway
The Saint Lawrence Seaway , , is the common name for a system of locks, canals and channels that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the North American Great Lakes, as far as Lake Superior. Legally it extends from Montreal to Lake Erie, including the Welland Canal...
to the east coast. Forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
and manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
played important roles in the city's economy. They have declined in recent years, but have been replaced by a "knowledge economy
Knowledge economy
The knowledge economy is a term that refers either to an economy of knowledge focused on the production and management of knowledge in the frame of economic constraints, or to a knowledge-based economy. In the second meaning, more frequently used, it refers to the use of knowledge technologies to...
" based on medical research and education. Thunder Bay is the site of the Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute.
The city takes its name from the immense Thunder Bay at the head of Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
, known on 18th-century French maps as Baie du Tonnerre (Bay of Thunder). The city is often referred to as the "Lakehead" or "Canadian Lakehead" because of its location at the end of Great Lakes navigation.
Before 1900
European settlement on Thunder Bay began with two French fur trading posts (1683, 1717) which were subsequently abandoned (see Fort William, OntarioFort William, Ontario
Fort William was a city in Northern Ontario, located on the Kaministiquia River, at its entrance to Lake Superior. It amalgamated with Port Arthur and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Ever since then it has been the largest city in Northwestern...
). In 1803 the Montreal-based North West Company
North West Company
The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what was to become Western Canada...
established Fort William as its mid-continent entrepôt. The fort thrived until 1821 when the North West Company merged with the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
, and Fort William was no longer needed.
By the 1850s, the Province of Canada
Province of Canada
The Province of Canada, United Province of Canada, or the United Canadas was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham in the Report on the Affairs of British North America following the Rebellions of...
began to take an interest in its western extremity. Discovery of copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
in the Keweenaw Peninsula
Keweenaw Peninsula
The Keweenaw Peninsula is the northern-most part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It projects into Lake Superior and was the site of the first copper boom in the United States. As of the 2000 census, its population was roughly 43,200...
of Michigan had prompted a national demand for mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
locations on the Canadian shores of Lake Superior. In 1849 French-speaking Jesuits established the Mission de l'Immaculée-Conception (Mission of the Immaculate Conception) on the Kaministiquia
Kaministiquia River
The Kaministiquia River is a river which empties into western Lake Superior at the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Kaministiquia is an Ojibwe word meaning " with islands" due to two large islands at the mouth of the river...
to evangelize the Ojibwe. The Province of Canada negotiated the Robinson Treaty
Robinson Treaty
Robinson Treaty may refer to one of three treaties signed between the Ojibwa chiefs and The Crown.-Lake Superior:The Robinson Treaty for the Lake Superior region, commonly called Robinson Superior Treaty, was entered into agreement on September 7, 1850, at Sault Ste...
in 1850 with the Ojibwa of Lake Superior. As a result, an Indian reservation was set aside for them south of the Kaministiquia River. In 1859–60 the Department of Crown Lands surveyed two townships (Neebing and Paipoonge) and the Town Plot of Fort William for European-Canadian settlement.
Another settlement developed a few miles to the north of Fort William after construction by the federal Department of Public Works of a road connecting Lake Superior with the Red River Colony
Red River Colony
The Red River Colony was a colonization project set up by Thomas Douglas, 5th Earl of Selkirk in 1811 on of land granted to him by the Hudson's Bay Company under what is referred to as the Selkirk Concession. The colony along the Red River of the North was never very successful...
. The work was directed by Simon James Dawson
Simon James Dawson
Simon James Dawson was a Canadian civil engineer and politician.Born in Redhaven, Banffshire, Scotland, Dawson emigrated to Canada as a young man and began his career as an engineer...
. (see Port Arthur, Ontario
Port Arthur, Ontario
Port Arthur was a city in Northern Ontario which amalgamated with Fort William and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Port Arthur was the district seat of Thunder Bay District.- History :...
) This public works depot or construction headquarters acquired its first name in May 1870 when Colonel Garnet Wolseley named it Prince Arthur's Landing. It was renamed Port Arthur by the CPR in May 1883.
The arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
(CPR) in 1875 sparked a long rivalry between the towns, which did not end until the amalgamation of 1970. Until the 1880s, Port Arthur was a much larger and dynamic community. The CPR, in collaboration with the Hudson's Bay Company, preferred east Fort William, located on the lower Kaministiquia River where the fur trade posts were. Provoked by a prolonged tax dispute with Port Arthur and its seizure of a locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
in 1889, the CPR relocated all its employees and facilities to Fort William. The collapse of silver mining
Silver mining
Silver mining refers to the resource extraction of the precious metal element silver by mining.-History:Silver has been known since ancient times. It is mentioned in the Book of Genesis, and slag heaps found in Asia Minor and on the islands of the Aegean Sea indicate that silver was being separated...
after 1890 undermined the economy of Port Arthur. It had an economic depression, while Fort William thrived.
The 20th century
In the era of Sir Wilfrid LaurierWilfrid Laurier
Sir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911....
, Thunder Bay began a period of extraordinary growth, based on improved access to markets via the transcontinental railway and development of the western wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
boom. The CPR double-tracked its Winnipeg–Thunder Bay line. The Canadian Northern Railway
Canadian Northern Railway
The Canadian Northern Railway is a historic Canadian transcontinental railway. At its demise in 1923, when it was merged into the Canadian National Railway , the CNoR owned a main line between Quebec City and Vancouver via Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Edmonton.-Manitoba beginnings:CNoR had its start in...
established facilities at Port Arthur. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was a historical Canadian railway.A wholly owned subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway , the GTPR was constructed by GTR using loans provided by the Government of Canada. The company was formed in 1903 with a mandate to build west from Winnipeg, Manitoba to the...
began construction of its facilities at the Fort William Mission in 1905, and the federal government began construction of the National Transcontinental Railway
National Transcontinental Railway
The National Transcontinental Railway was a historic Canadian railway between Winnipeg and Moncton. Much of the line is now operated by the Canadian National Railway.-The Grand Trunk partnership:...
. Grain elevator
Grain elevator
A grain elevator is a tower containing a bucket elevator, which scoops up, elevates, and then uses gravity to deposit grain in a silo or other storage facility...
construction boomed as the volume of grain shipped to Europe increased. Both cities incured debt to grant bonuses to manufacturing industries. By 1914 the twin cities had modern infrastructures (sewers, safe water supply, street lighting, electric light, etc.) Both Fort William and Port Arthur were proponents of municipal ownership. As early as 1892, Port Arthur built Canada's first municipally owned electric street railway. Both cities spurned Bell Telephone Company of Canada to establish their own municipally owned telephone systems in 1902.
The boom came to an end in 1913–14, aggravated by the outbreak of the First World War. A war-time economy emerged with the making of munitions and shipbuilding. The cities raised men for the 52nd, 94th and 141st Battalions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force
Canadian Expeditionary Force
The Canadian Expeditionary Force was the designation of the field force created by Canada for service overseas in the First World War. Units of the C.E.F. were divided into field formation in France, where they were organized first into separate divisions and later joined together into a single...
.
Railway employment was hurt when the federal government took over the National Transcontinental Railway
National Transcontinental Railway
The National Transcontinental Railway was a historic Canadian railway between Winnipeg and Moncton. Much of the line is now operated by the Canadian National Railway.-The Grand Trunk partnership:...
and Lake Superior Division from the Grand Trunk in 1915, and the Canadian Northern Railway in 1918. These were amalgamated with other government-owned railways in 1923 to form the Canadian National Railways. The CNR closed many of the Canadian Northern Railway facilities in Port Arthur. It opened the Neebing yards in Neebing Township in 1922. By 1929 the population of the two cities had recovered to pre-war levels.
The forest products industry has always played an important role in the Thunder Bay economy from the 1870s. Logs and lumber were shipped primarily to the United States. In 1917 the first pulp and paper mill was established in Port Arthur. It was followed by a mill at Fort William in 1920. Eventually there were four mills operating.
Manufacturing resumed in 1937 when the Canada Car and Foundry Company plant re-opened to build aircraft for the British. Now run by Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
, the plant has remained a mainstay of the post-war economy. It has produced forestry equipment, and transportation equipment for urban transit systems, such as the Toronto Transit Commission
Toronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
and GO Transit
GO Transit
GO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe...
.
Amalgamation
On January 1, 1970, the City of Thunder Bay was formed through the merger of the cities of Fort WilliamFort William, Ontario
Fort William was a city in Northern Ontario, located on the Kaministiquia River, at its entrance to Lake Superior. It amalgamated with Port Arthur and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Ever since then it has been the largest city in Northwestern...
, Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Ontario
Port Arthur was a city in Northern Ontario which amalgamated with Fort William and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Port Arthur was the district seat of Thunder Bay District.- History :...
and the geographic townships of Neebing and McIntyre. Its name was the result of a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
held previously on June 23, 1969, to determine the new name of the amalgamated Fort William and Port Arthur. Officials debated over the names to be put on the ballot, taking suggestions from residents including "Lakehead" and "The Lakehead". Predictably, the vote split between the two, and "Thunder Bay" was the victor. The final tally was "Thunder Bay" with 15,870, "Lakehead" with 15,302, and "The Lakehead" with 8,377.
The expansion of highways, beginning with the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
and culminating with the opening of Highway 17 linking Sault Ste Marie to Thunder Bay in 1960, has significantly diminished railway and shipping activity in the 1970s and 80s. Shipping on the Saint Lawrence Seaway
Saint Lawrence Seaway
The Saint Lawrence Seaway , , is the common name for a system of locks, canals and channels that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the North American Great Lakes, as far as Lake Superior. Legally it extends from Montreal to Lake Erie, including the Welland Canal...
was superseded by trucking on highways. Grain shipping on the Great Lakes to the East has declined substantially in favour of transport to Pacific Coast ports. As a result, many grain elevators have been closed and demolished. The Kaministiquia River was abandoned by industry and shipping.
Today
Thunder Bay has become the regional services centre for Northwestern OntarioNorthwestern Ontario
Northwestern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and west of Lake Superior, and west of Hudson Bay and James Bay. It includes most of subarctic Ontario. Its western boundary is the Canadian province of Manitoba, which disputed Ontario's claim to the...
with most provincial departments represented. Lakehead University
Lakehead University
Lakehead University is a public research university in Thunder Bay, and Orillia, Ontario, Canada.Lakehead University, shortened to 'Lakehead U', or 'LU', is non-denominational and provincially supported. It has undergraduate and graduate programs and a medical school.The school has more than 45,000...
, established through the lobbying of local businessmen and professionals, has proved to be a major asset. Another upper level institution is Confederation College
Confederation College
Confederation College is a provincially funded college of applied arts and technology located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1967, and has area campuses in Dryden, Fort Frances, Geraldton, Kenora, Marathon, Sioux Lookout, Red Lake and Wawa. The college, with its area...
. The same businessmen and professionals who helped attract the university and college were the driving force behind the political amalgamation of Fort William and Port Arthur in 1970.
Geography
The city has an area of 328.48 square kilometres, which includes the former cities of Fort William and Port Arthur, as well as the townships of Neebing, OntarioNeebing, Ontario
Neebing is a municipality in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Thunder Bay District immediately south of the city of Thunder Bay. It is part of Thunder Bay's Census Metropolitan Area.-History:...
and McIntyre. The former Fort William section occupies flat alluvial land along the Kaministiquia River. In the river delta
River delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
are two large islands: Mission Island and McKellar Island.
The former Port Arthur section is more typical of the Canadian Shield
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien , is a vast geological shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American or Laurentia craton. It is an area mostly composed of igneous rock which relates to its long volcanic history...
, with gently sloping hills and very thin soil lying on top of bedrock with many bare outcrops. Thunder Bay, which gives the city its name, is about 22.5 kilometres (14 mi) from the Port Arthur downtown to Thunder Cape at the tip of the Sleeping Giant
Sleeping Giant (Ontario)
The Sleeping Giant is a formation of mesas and sills on Sibley Peninsula which resembles a giant lying on its back when viewed from the West to North-Northwest section of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. As one moves southward along the shoreline toward Squaw Bay the Sleeping Giant starts to separate...
. The city reflects the settlement patterns of the 19th century and sprawls. Anchoring the west end of the city, the Fort William Town Plot surveyed in 1859–60 was named West Fort William (Westfort) in 1888 by the CPR. The land adjoining the lower Kaministiquia River became the residential and central business district of the town and city of Fort William. A large uninhabited area adjoining the Neebing and McIntyre rivers, which became known as Intercity, separated Fort William from the residential and central business district of Port Arthur. At the extreme east of the city, a part of McIntyre Township was annexed to the town of Port Arthur in 1892, forming what later became known as the Current River area.
Since 1970, the central business districts of Fort William and Port Arthur have suffered a serious decline. Business and government relocated to new developments in the Intercity area. There has also been substantial residential growth in adjacent areas of the former Neebing and McIntyre townships.
Climate
Thunder Bay and the area experiences a humid continental climateHumid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
(Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Dfb) that is influenced by Lake Superior, with especially noticeable effects in the city's north end. This results in cooler summer temperatures and warmer winter temperatures for an area extending inland as far as 16 km. The average daily temperatures range from 17.6 °C in July to −14.8 °C in January. The average daily high in July is 24.2 °C and the average daily high in January is −8.6 °C. On January 10, 1982, the local temperature in Thunder Bay dropped to −36 °C, with a wind speed of 54 km/h for a wind chill temperature that dipped to −58 °C. As a result, it holds Ontario's record for coldest day with wind chill.
The city is quite sunny, with an average of 2167.7 hours of bright sunshine each year, ranging from 283.4 hours in July to 88.8 hours in November, sunnier than any city in Canada located to the east of it.
Neighbourhoods
Thunder Bay is composed of two formerly separate cities, Port ArthurPort Arthur, Ontario
Port Arthur was a city in Northern Ontario which amalgamated with Fort William and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Port Arthur was the district seat of Thunder Bay District.- History :...
and Fort William
Fort William, Ontario
Fort William was a city in Northern Ontario, located on the Kaministiquia River, at its entrance to Lake Superior. It amalgamated with Port Arthur and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Ever since then it has been the largest city in Northwestern...
. Both still retain much of their distinct civic identities, reinforced by the buffering effect of the Intercity area between them. Port Arthur and Fort William each has its own central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
s and suburban areas. Some of the more well-known neighbourhoods include: the Bay and Algoma area, which has a large northern European population centred around the Finnish Labour Temple
Finnish Labour Temple
The Finnish Labour Temple is a Finnish-Canadian cultural and community centre and a local landmark located at 314 Bay Street in the Finnish quarter in Thunder Bay, Ontario....
and the Italian Cultural Centre; Simpson-Ogden and the East End, two of the oldest neighbourhoods in Fort William located north of Downtown Fort William
Downtown Fort William, Ontario
Downtown Fort William, also known as Downtown Thunder Bay South or the South Core, is the urban core of the former city of Fort William, the southern half of Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is centred on Victoriaville Civic Centre, an indoor shopping mall and civic centre built as part of an urban renewal...
; Intercity, a large business district located between Fort William and Port Arthur; Current River
Current River, Thunder Bay, Ontario
Current River is a neighbourhood located north east of Port Arthur in the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is separated from the main urban area of Thunder Bay by the Current River Greenway, a large parkland along the river after which the neighbourhood was named...
, the northernmost neighbourhood of Port Arthur; and Westfort, the oldest settlement in Thunder Bay. Within city limits are some small rural communities, such as Vickers Heights and North McIntyre, which were located in the former townships of Neebing and McIntyre, respectively.
Government and politics
Thunder Bay is represented in the Canadian Parliament
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
by Bruce Hyer
Bruce Hyer
Bruce Tolhurst Hyer is an American-born Canadian politician, who was first elected to represent the electoral district of Thunder Bay—Superior North in the 2008 Canadian federal election, and re-elected with a wider margin in the 2011 federal election...
and John Rafferty, both members of the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
, and in the Ontario Legislature by Ontario Liberal Party
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
members Michael Gravelle
Michael Gravelle
Michael Gravelle is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is the Minister of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry, and also a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the northern riding of Thunder Bay—Superior North for the Ontario Liberal Party.Gravelle was born in Port...
and Bill Mauro
Bill Mauro
Bill Mauro is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Thunder Bay—Atikokan for the Ontario Liberal Party....
.
City symbols
Sleeping GiantSleeping Giant (Ontario)
The Sleeping Giant is a formation of mesas and sills on Sibley Peninsula which resembles a giant lying on its back when viewed from the West to North-Northwest section of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. As one moves southward along the shoreline toward Squaw Bay the Sleeping Giant starts to separate...
A large formation of mesa
Mesa
A mesa or table mountain is an elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs. It takes its name from its characteristic table-top shape....
s on the Sibley Peninsula
Sibley Peninsula
The Sibley Peninsula is a long and wide peninsula in Ontario, Canada on Lake Superior. It projects into the lake from its north shore, and separates Thunder Bay to the west from Black Bay to the east....
in Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
which resembles a reclining giant has become a symbol of the city. Sibley peninsula partially encloses the waters of Thunder Bay, and dominates the view of the lake from the northern section of the city (formerly Port Arthur). The Sleeping Giant also figures on the city's coat of arms and the city flag.
Coat of arms
The Coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of Thunder Bay, Ontario is a combination of the coats of arms of both Port Arthur and Fort William, with a unifying symbol—the Sleeping Giant—at the base of the arms.
Corporate logo
The city logo depicts a stylized thunderbird
Thunderbird (mythology)
The Thunderbird is a legendary creature in certain North American indigenous peoples' history and culture. It is considered a "supernatural" bird of power and strength...
, called Animikii, a statue of which is located on the city's Kaministiquia River Heritage Park. The slogan, Superior by Nature, is a double play on words reflecting the city's natural setting on Lake Superior.
City flag
Thunder Bay's flag
Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric with a distinctive design that is usually rectangular and used as a symbol, as a signaling device, or decoration. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.The first flags were used to assist...
was created in 1972, when mayor Saul Laskin
Saul Laskin
Saul Laskin was a Canadian politician. He was the first mayor of the City of Thunder Bay, Ontario.Born in Fort William, Ontario, he was the younger brother of jurist Bora Laskin. He was educated in Fort William and Toronto, and served overseas in World War II...
wanted to promote the city by having a distinctive flag. The city held a contest, which was won by Cliff Redden. The flag has a 1:2 ratio, and depicts a golden sky from the rising sun behind the Sleeping Giant, which sits in the blue waters of Lake Superior. The sun is represented by a red maple leaf
Maple leaf
The maple leaf is the characteristic leaf of the maple tree, and is the most widely recognized national symbol of Canada.-Use in Canada:At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the settlements of New France had attained a population of about 18,000...
, a symbol of Canada
National symbols of Canada
National symbols of Canada are the symbols that are used in Canada and abroad to represent the country and its people. Prominently, the use of the maple leaf as a Canadian symbol dates back to the early 18th century, and is depicted on its current and previous flags, the penny, and on the coat of...
. Green and gold are Thunder Bay's city colours.
Sister cities
Thunder Bay has five sister cities on three continents, which are selected based on economic, cultural and political criteria.Seinäjoki
Seinäjoki
Seinäjoki is a city located in Southern Ostrobothnia, Finland. Seinäjoki originated around the Östermyra bruk iron and gunpowder factories founded in 1798. Seinäjoki became a municipality in 1868, market town in 1931 and town in 1960...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
since 1974 Little Canada
Little Canada, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,771 people, 4,375 households, and 2,393 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,445.8 people per square mile . There were 4,471 housing units at an average density of 1,119.1 per square mile...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
since 1977 Duluth
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
since 1980 Keelung
Keelung
Keelung City is a major port city situated in the northeastern part of Taiwan. It borders New Taipei and forms the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area, along with the Taipei and New Taipei. Nicknamed the Rainy Port for its frequent rain and maritime role, the city is Taiwan's second largest seaport...
, Taiwan
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
since 1988 Gifu
Gifu, Gifu
is a city located in the south-central portion of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and serves as the prefectural capital. The city has played an important role in Japan's history because of its location in the middle of the country. During the Sengoku period, various warlords, including Oda Nobunaga, used...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
since 2007
Economy
| Labour force | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rate | Thunder Bay | Ontario | Canada |
| Employment | 57.7% | 60.8% | 62.2% |
| Unemployment | 7.6% | 8.9% | 7.7% |
| Participation | 62.4% | 66.8% | 67.4% |
| As of: February 2009 | |||
As the largest city in Northwestern Ontario, Thunder Bay is the region's commercial, administrative and medical centre. Many of the city's largest single employers are in the public sector
Public sector
The public sector, sometimes referred to as the state sector, is a part of the state that deals with either the production, delivery and allocation of goods and services by and for the government or its citizens, whether national, regional or local/municipal.Examples of public sector activity range...
. The City of Thunder Bay, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is an acute care facility serving Thunder Bay and much of Northwestern Ontario, Canada. The hospital has 375 acute care beds. All of its patient rooms are handicapped accessible and the facility is air-conditioned with "negative pressure" rooms to...
, the Lakehead District School Board
Lakehead District School Board
The Lakehead District School Board oversees all secular English-language public schools in the Thunder Bay CMA and the townships of Gorham and Ware in Ontario, Canada. It administers education at 22 elementary schools, 4 secondary schools and an adult education centre.Elementary Schools*Agnew H....
and the Government of Ontario each employ over 1,500 people. Bowater Forest Products
Bowater Forest Products
Bowater Forest Products is an AbitibiBowater owned paper mill in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It began as Great Lakes Forest Products in 1898. Investments by American entrepreneurs from Chicago and Minneapolis created one of the largest paper mills in the world on the northern shore of the Kaministiquia...
is the largest private employer, employing over 1500 people. Other major employers in the forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
sector include AbitibiBowater
AbitibiBowater
Resolute Forest Products , formerly known as AbitibiBowater Inc. is a pulp and paper manufacturer headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, formed by the merger of Bowater and Abitibi-Consolidated, which was announced 29 January 2007...
and Buchanan Forest Products. Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
operates a plant in Thunder Bay which manufactures
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
mass transit vehicles and equipment, employing approximately 800 people.
| Employment by industry, 2006 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Industry | Thunder Bay | Ontario |
| Agriculture and resource-based | 3.6% | 2.9% |
| Construction | 5.4% | 5.9% |
| Manufacturing | 7.7% | 13.9% |
| Wholesale Trade | 2.8% | 4.7% |
| Retail trade | 12.7% | 11.1% |
| Finance and real estate | 4.2% | 6.8% |
| Health care and social services | 15.2% | 9.4% |
| Education services | 8.9% | 6.7% |
| Business services | 16.8% | 19.7% |
| Other services | 22.6% | 18.7% |
The rising cost of electricity in Ontario
Ontario electricity policy
Ontario electricity policy refers to plans, legislation, incentives, guidelines, and policy processes put in place by the Government of the Province of Ontario, Canada, to address issues of electricity production, distribution, and consumption. Policymaking in the electricity sector involves...
has threatened the viability of primary industries in the region, resulting in the laying off of workers at pulp
Pulp mill
A pulp mill is a manufacturing facility that converts wood chips or other plant fibre source into a thick fibre board which can be shipped to a paper mill for further processing. Pulp can be manufactured using mechanical, semi-chemical or fully chemical methods...
and saw
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
mills. The grain trade has declined because of the loss of grain transportation subsidies
Crow Rate
The "Crow Rate" or "Crow's Nest Freight Rate" was a rail transportation subsidy imposed on the Canadian Pacific Railway by the Canadian government, benefiting farmers on the Canadian Prairies and manufacturers in central Canada.-Origin:...
and the loss of European markets. The gradual transition from shipping by train and boat to shipping by truck, and the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement
Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement
The Free Trade Agreement was a trade agreement signed by Canada and the United States on October 4, 1988. The agreement, finalized by October 1987, removed several trade restrictions in stages over a ten year period, and resulted in a great increase in cross-border trade...
have ended Thunder Bay's privileged position as a linchpin
Linchpin
A linchpin, also spelled linch pin, lynchpin, or lynch pin, is a fastener used to prevent a wheel or other rotating part from sliding off the axle it is riding on. The word is first attested in the 14th century and derives from Middle English elements meaning "axletree pin".Securing implements onto...
in Canadian east-west freight-handling trade. As a result the city has lost its traditional raison d'être as a break-bulk point. However, in recent years shipments through the port of Thunder Bay have stabilized, and remains an important part of the Saint Lawrence Seaway
Saint Lawrence Seaway
The Saint Lawrence Seaway , , is the common name for a system of locks, canals and channels that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the North American Great Lakes, as far as Lake Superior. Legally it extends from Montreal to Lake Erie, including the Welland Canal...
.
In an effort to rejuvenate its economy, the city has been actively working to attract quaternary
Quaternary sector of industry
The quaternary sector of the economy is a way to describe a knowledge-based part of the economy which typically includes services such as information generation and sharing, information technology, consultation, education, research and development, financial planning, and other knowledge-based...
or "knowledge-based" industries, primarily in the fields of molecular medicine
Molecular medicine
Molecular medicine is a broad field, where physical, chemical, biological and medical techniques are used to describe molecular structures and mechanisms, identify fundamental molecular and genetic errors of disease, and to develop molecular interventions to correct them...
and genomics
Genomics
Genomics is a discipline in genetics concerning the study of the genomes of organisms. The field includes intensive efforts to determine the entire DNA sequence of organisms and fine-scale genetic mapping efforts. The field also includes studies of intragenomic phenomena such as heterosis,...
. The city is home to the western campus of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine
Northern Ontario School of Medicine
The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is a medical school in the Canadian province of Ontario, created through a partnership between Laurentian University in Sudbury and Lakehead University in Thunder Bay...
, the first medical school to open in Canada in a generation.
Transportation
Thunder Bay receives air, rail and shipping traffic due to its prime location along major continental transportation routes. Greyhound CanadaGreyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
provides coach service to both regional and national destinations, with the municipally owned Thunder Bay Transit
Thunder Bay Transit
Thunder Bay Transit is the public transit operator in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It was formed in 1970, after the amalgamation of the cities of Port Arthur and Fort William and their respective transit agencies...
providing 17 routes across the city's urban area. The city is served by the Thunder Bay International Airport
Thunder Bay International Airport
Thunder Bay Airport or Thunder Bay International Airport, , is an airport in the Canadian city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. With 80,591 aircraft movements in 2010 it was the 7th busiest airport in Ontario and the 24th busiest airport in Canada...
, the fourth busiest airport in Ontario by aircraft movements. The main highway through the city is Highway 11
Highway 11 (Ontario)
King's Highway 11 is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. At , it is the second longest highway in the province after Highway 17. Highway 11 begins at Highway 400 in Barrie, and arches through northern Ontario, around Lake Superior, to the Ontario–Minnesota border...
/17
Highway 17 (Ontario)
King's Highway 17, more commonly known as Highway 17, is a provincially maintained highway and the primary route of the Trans-Canada Highway through the Canadian province of Ontario. It begins at the Manitoba border west of Kenora and ends south of Arnprior at the western terminus of Highway 417, ...
, a four lane highway designated as the Thunder Bay Expressway
Thunder Bay Expressway
The Thunder Bay Expressway is a four lane highway with signalized intersections running on the western edge of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.- Route description :...
.
The city is an important railway hub, served by both the Canadian National
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
and Canadian Pacific Railway. Passenger rail service to Thunder Bay ended on 15 January 1990, with the cancellation of Via Rail
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
's southern transcontinental service.
Harbour
Thunder Bay has been a port since the days of the North West Company
North West Company
The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what was to become Western Canada...
which maintained a schooner on Lake Superior. The Port of Thunder Bay is the largest outbound port on the St. Lawrence Seaway System
Saint Lawrence Seaway
The Saint Lawrence Seaway , , is the common name for a system of locks, canals and channels that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the North American Great Lakes, as far as Lake Superior. Legally it extends from Montreal to Lake Erie, including the Welland Canal...
, and the sixth largest port in Canada. The Thunder Bay Port Authority manages Keefer Terminal, built on a 320,000 square metre site on Lake Superior.
Medical centres and hospitals
Thunder Bay has one major hospital, the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences CentreThunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is an acute care facility serving Thunder Bay and much of Northwestern Ontario, Canada. The hospital has 375 acute care beds. All of its patient rooms are handicapped accessible and the facility is air-conditioned with "negative pressure" rooms to...
. Other health care services include the St. Joseph's Care Group, which operates long term care centres such as the Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital, St. Joseph's Hospital, and Hogarth Riverview Manor. The Northern Ontario School of Medicine
Northern Ontario School of Medicine
The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is a medical school in the Canadian province of Ontario, created through a partnership between Laurentian University in Sudbury and Lakehead University in Thunder Bay...
has a campus at Lakehead University. The city is also home to a variety of smaller medical and dental clinics.
Population and demographics
| Selected Ethnic Origins, 2006 |
|
|---|---|
| Ethnic origin | Population |
| English English people The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens... |
34,360 |
| Scottish Scottish people The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,... |
26,400 |
| Canadian Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
24,650 |
| Irish Irish people The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha... |
22,260 |
| French French people The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups... |
21,165 |
| Ukrainian | 17,620 |
| Italian Italian people The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people... |
17,290 |
| Finnish | 14,510 |
| German | 13,090 |
| Aboriginal | 11,870 |
| Polish | 8,595 |
| Swedish | 5,580 |
| Visible minorities | 3,175 |
| multiple responses included | |
| City of Thunder Bay | |
|---|---|
| Population by year | |
| 1911 | 27,719 |
| 1921 | 35,427 |
| 1931 | 46,095 |
| 1941 | 55,011 |
| 1951 | 66,108 |
| 1956 | 77,600 |
| 1961 | 92,490 |
| 1966 | 104,539 |
| 1971 | 108,411 |
| 1976 | 111,476 |
| 1981 | 112,486 |
| 1986 | 112,272 |
| 1991 | 113,946 |
| 1996 | 113,662 |
| 2001 | 109,016 |
| 2006 | 109,140 |
According to the 2006 Census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
, there were 109,140 people residing in Thunder Bay on 16 May 2006, of whom 48.4% were male and 51.6% were female. Residents 19 years of age or younger accounted for approximately 22.9% of the population. People aged by 20 and 39 years accounted for 24.6%, while those between 40 and 64 made up 35.9% of the population. The average age of a Thunder Bayer in May 2006 was 41.7, compared to the average of 39.5 for Canada as a whole.
Between the censuses of 2001
Canada 2001 Census
The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15, 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...
and 2006, Thunder Bay's population increased by 0.1%, compared to the average of 6.6% for Ontario and 5.4% for Canada. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of the city of Thunder Bay averaged 332.3 people per square kilometre, compared with an average of 13.4 for Ontario. The total population has been stagnant or declining since amalgamation in 1970.
A further 13,767 people live in Thunder Bay's Census Metropolitan Area, which apart from Thunder Bay includes the municipalities
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
of Neebing
Neebing, Ontario
Neebing is a municipality in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Thunder Bay District immediately south of the city of Thunder Bay. It is part of Thunder Bay's Census Metropolitan Area.-History:...
and Oliver Paipoonge
Oliver Paipoonge, Ontario
Oliver Paipoonge is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located directly west of the city of Thunder Bay. The municipality was formed on January 1, 1998, with the amalgamation of the former Township of Oliver and Township of Paipoonge...
, the townships of Conmee
Conmee, Ontario
Population trend:* Population in 2006: 740* Population in 2001: 748* Population in 1996: 729* Population in 1991: 651-References:...
, Gillies
Gillies, Ontario
Gillies is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located within the Thunder Bay District.The township is part of the city of Thunder Bay's Census Metropolitan Area.-Demographics:Population trend:* Population in 2006: 544...
, O'Connor
O'Connor, Ontario
O'Connor is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located west of the city of Thunder Bay. The municipality was formed on January 1, 1907...
and Shuniah
Shuniah, Ontario
Shuniah is a municipal township bordering the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada on the east. Shuniah was incorporated by an act of the Ontario legislature in 1873, and at that time included much of present-day Thunder Bay and its predecessor and surrounding municipalities...
, and the aboriginal community of Fort William First Nation
Fort William First Nation
Fort William First Nation is an Ojibway First Nation south of and adjacent to Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. As of January 2008, the First Nation had a registered population of 1,798 people, of which their on-Reserve population was 832 people....
.
Ethnicity
Thunder Bay is home to 12,825 people of Finnish descent, the highest concentration of persons of Finnish origin per capita
Per capita
Per capita is a Latin prepositional phrase: per and capita . The phrase thus means "by heads" or "for each head", i.e. per individual or per person...
in Canada, and the second largest Finnish population in Canada after Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
which has 14,750 persons of Finnish origin.
Language
In terms of Canada's official languages, 81.6% of Thunder Bayers speak only English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, and 2.6% speak only French. Thunder Bay has one of the largest established communities of Finnish speaking people outside of Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. Other languages spoken in Thunder Bay include Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and Ojibwe
Ojibwe language
Ojibwe , also called Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of the Algonquian language family. Ojibwe is characterized by a series of dialects that have local names and frequently local writing systems...
.
Religion
The 2001 census
Canada 2001 Census
The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 15, 2001. On that day, Statistics Canada attempted to count every person in Canada. The total population count of Canada was 30,007,094. This was a 4% increase over 1996 Census of 28,846,761. In...
states that 82.0 per cent of Thunder Bay residents belong to a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
denomination, 39.8% of which are Roman Catholic, 39.5% Protestant, and 2.6% other following Christian denominations, mostly Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
. Those who follow other religions make up less than 1% of the population, while the remaining 17.0% are non-religious.
Visitor attractions
Thunder Bay's main tourist attraction is Fort William Historical ParkFort William Historical Park
Fort William Historical Park is a Canadian historical site located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, that contains a reconstruction of the Fort William fur trade post as it existed in 1815. It officially opened on July 3, 1973...
, a reconstruction of the North West Company
North West Company
The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what was to become Western Canada...
's Fort William fur trade post as it was in 1815, which attracts 100,000 visitors annually. The marina in downtown Port Arthur, an area known as The Heart of the Harbour, draws visitors for its panoramic view of the Sleeping Giant
Sleeping Giant (Ontario)
The Sleeping Giant is a formation of mesas and sills on Sibley Peninsula which resembles a giant lying on its back when viewed from the West to North-Northwest section of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. As one moves southward along the shoreline toward Squaw Bay the Sleeping Giant starts to separate...
and the presence of various water craft. The marina also includes a lake walk, playground, harbour cruises, a children's museum, and a Chinese/Canadian restaurant. There are several small surface amethyst
Amethyst
Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz often used in jewelry. The name comes from the Ancient Greek ἀ a- and μέθυστος methustos , a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness; the ancient Greeks and Romans wore amethyst and made drinking vessels of it in the belief...
mines in the area, some of which allow visitors to search for their own crystals. A 2.74 m (9 ft) statue
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
of Terry Fox
Terry Fox
Terrance Stanley "Terry" Fox , was a Canadian humanitarian, athlete, and cancer research activist. In 1980, with one leg having been amputated, he embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise money and awareness for cancer research...
is situated at the Terry Fox Memorial and Lookout on the outskirts of the city near the place where he was forced to abandon his run. Other tourists attractions are listed below.
- Bluffs Scenic Lookout
- Boulevard Lake Park
- Canada Games ComplexCanada Games ComplexThe Canada Games Complex was constructed in 1981 to host the aquatic events of the 1981 Canada Summer Games in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is Thunder Bay's primary fitness facility, and its features include a swimming pool, indoor fitness areas, a fitness testing area, and an indoor running track.The...
- Canadian Lakehead ExhibitionCanadian Lakehead ExhibitionThe Canadian Lakehead Exhibition or CLE is an annual regional fair in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Similar in nature to the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto, it features local and regional artisans and farmers, a midway, concessions and numerous other activities geared towards families and people...
- Cascades Conservation Area
- Centennial ConservatoryCentennial ConservatoryThe Centennial Conservatory in Thunder Bay, Ontario is located in the city's south end. It was built in 1967 as a Centennial Project to commemorate the Canadian Centennial. The conservatory houses various varieties of tropical plants, flowers, trees and shrubs in its main greenhouse, a cactus...
- Centennial Park
- Chapples ParkChapples ParkFort William Stadium is a soccer, football, and track and field stadium in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is also known as Chapples Park and is part of the Royal Canadian Legion Sports Complex. It has a seating capacity of 3,500, and is used primarily by the Thunder Bay Chill of the USL Premier...
- Chippewa ParkChippewa ParkChippewa Park is located on the shore of Lake Superior, south of Thunder Bay, Ontario. From May Long Weekend to Labour Day Weekend the park operates a children's amusement park which features a C.W. Parker Carousel that was built between 1918 and 1920. There is also a Wildlife Park which is home...
- Connaught SquareConnaught Square (Thunder Bay)Connaught Square is a public park located in the north end of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It is located directly east of Waverley Park across Algoma Street, formed by the conflux of Waverly Street and Red River Road...
- Finnish Labour TempleFinnish Labour TempleThe Finnish Labour Temple is a Finnish-Canadian cultural and community centre and a local landmark located at 314 Bay Street in the Finnish quarter in Thunder Bay, Ontario....
- Fort William GardensFort William GardensThe Fort William Gardens is a 4,690-capacity multi-purpose arena, in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It opened in 1951.Previous tenants include the Thunder Bay Flyers, of the 'Junior A' United States Hockey League, the Thunder Bay Senators/Thunder Bay Thunder Cats, of the Colonial Hockey League and...
- Fort William Stadium
- Hillcrest ParkHillcrest Park (Thunder Bay)Hillcrest Park is a public park located in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The Park is located in the city's north end . The Park's location provides scenic views of the city, the harbour, and the Sleeping Giant. Located within the park is a World War II memorial for the Lake Superior Regiment...
- The HoitoThe HoitoThe Hoito Restaurant is a Finnish-Canadian restaurant in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada established in 1918 and housed in the bottom-floor of the historic Finnish Labour Temple...
- Intercity Shopping CentreIntercity Shopping CentreIntercity Shopping Centre is a shopping mall in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It was one of the first shopping malls in Thunder Bay and is the largest of its kind in Northwestern Ontario, with of retail space. Some of its stores include American retailers such as American Eagle Outfitters, UK...
- Kakabeka FallsKakabeka FallsKakabeka Falls Provincial Park, established in 1955, covers 5 km² and is managed by Ontario Parks. It surrounds the falls and extends along the Kaministiquia River, which was used centuries ago by Voyageurs, who were the first Europeans to overwinter annually in northern Ontario...
- Magnus TheatreMagnus TheatreThe Magnus Theatre - The Dr. S. Penny Petrone Centre for the Performing Arts in Thunder Bay, Ontario was founded in 1971 and is Northwestern Ontario's professional theatre company....
- Mount McKay LookoutMount McKayMount McKay is a mafic sill located south of Thunder Bay, Ontario on the Indian Reserve of the Fort William First Nation. It formed during a period of magmatic activity associated with the large Midcontinent Rift System about 1,100 million years ago.-History:...
- Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of FameNorthwestern Ontario Sports Hall of FameThe Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, established in 1978 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, is dedicated to the people of Northwestern Ontario who have achieved greatness in any kind of sport....
- Ouimet CanyonOuimet CanyonOuimet Canyon is a large gorge in the Canadian province of Ontario, about northeast of Thunder Bay in Dorion Township. The gorge is deep, wide and in length, protected in the Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park....
- Port Arthur StadiumPort Arthur StadiumPort Arthur Stadium is a stadium in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It is exclusively used for baseball and is the home of the Thunder Bay Border Cats of the Northwoods League. The ballpark has a capacity of 3,031 people and seats 2,581, and was opened in 1951....
- Silver Falls
- Thunder Bay Art GalleryThunder Bay Art GalleryThe Thunder Bay Art Gallery is Northwestern Ontario's primary art gallery specializing in the work of contemporary First Nations artists. It is located on the campus of Confederation College in Thunder Bay....
- Thunder Bay Community AuditoriumThunder Bay Community AuditoriumThe Thunder Bay Community Auditorium is a 1,511 seat performance arts centre, located in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It opened on October 16, 1985 and is home to the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra...
- Thunder Bay Historical MuseumThunder Bay Historical MuseumThe Thunder Bay Historical Museum is located in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is operated by the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society, incorporated in 1972 as the successor to the Thunder Bay Historical Society....
- Thunder Bay MarinaMarina Park (Thunder Bay)Marina Park is a local waterfront park and marina located on the shores of Lake Superior in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The park is located in the city's north end near the downtown north core...
- Thunder Bay Restaurant
- International Friendship GardensThunder Bay Soroptimist International Friendship GardenThe Thunder Bay Soroptimist International Friendship Garden is a city park located in the south end of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. The park is located at the south end of Chapples Park, at the corners of Victoria Avenue and Hyde Park Avenue....
- Trowbridge Falls
- VictoriavilleVictoriaville (Thunder Bay)Victoriaville Centre is a mall in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is located in the city's south core. The mall was built in 1980 when a portion of Victoria Ave. East was closed at Syndicate Ave...
- Waverley ParkWaverley Park (Thunder Bay)Waverley Park is a public park located in the north end of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It is the second oldest municipal park in Ontario. The park forms the centre of the Waverley Park Heritage Conservation District, a collection of historical homes, churches, schools, and other buildings at the...
- Whitewater Golf Club
Education
Thunder Bay has 38 elementary schoolElementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s, 3 middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
s, 8 secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s, 2 private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
s, and an adult education facility. The city also has several other private for-profit colleges and tutoring programmes. Post secondary institutions in Thunder Bay include Confederation College
Confederation College
Confederation College is a provincially funded college of applied arts and technology located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1967, and has area campuses in Dryden, Fort Frances, Geraldton, Kenora, Marathon, Sioux Lookout, Red Lake and Wawa. The college, with its area...
and Lakehead University
Lakehead University
Lakehead University is a public research university in Thunder Bay, and Orillia, Ontario, Canada.Lakehead University, shortened to 'Lakehead U', or 'LU', is non-denominational and provincially supported. It has undergraduate and graduate programs and a medical school.The school has more than 45,000...
.
The Lakehead District School Board
Lakehead District School Board
The Lakehead District School Board oversees all secular English-language public schools in the Thunder Bay CMA and the townships of Gorham and Ware in Ontario, Canada. It administers education at 22 elementary schools, 4 secondary schools and an adult education centre.Elementary Schools*Agnew H....
is the largest school board in the city, with 22 elementary schools, 4 secondary schools and a centre for adult studies. The Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board
Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board
The Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board oversees all Catholic schools in the Thunder Bay CMA and the townships of Gorham and Ware in Ontario, Canada. It administers education at 13 elementary schools, 2 senior elementary, and 2 secondary schools....
is the second largest with 16 elementary schools, 3 middle schools and 2 high schools. Conseil scolaire de district catholique des Aurores boréales
Conseil scolaire de district catholique des Aurores boréales
The Conseil scolaire de district catholique des Aurores boréales oversees 10 French language Catholic schools in Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada...
operates one elementary and one high school in Thunder Bay, and an additional six schools throughout the Thunder Bay District.
Culture
The city of Thunder Bay was declared a "Cultural Capital of Canada" in 2003. Throughout the city are cultural centres representing the diverse population, such as the Finnish Labour TempleFinnish Labour Temple
The Finnish Labour Temple is a Finnish-Canadian cultural and community centre and a local landmark located at 314 Bay Street in the Finnish quarter in Thunder Bay, Ontario....
, Scandinavia House, the Italian Cultural Centre, the Polish Legion, and a wide variety of others. Shags, a combination shower and stag held to celebrate the engagement
Engagement
An engagement or betrothal is a promise to marry, and also the period of time between proposal and marriage which may be lengthy or trivial. During this period, a couple is said to be betrothed, affianced, engaged to be married, or simply engaged...
of a couple, and Persians
Persian (pastry)
A Persian is an oval-shaped, cinnamon-bun-like pastry with a sweet, pink icing made of either raspberries or strawberries. It originated in and remains particular to the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Persians are also well known in Wisconsin...
, a cinnamon bun pastry with pink icing, originated in the city. Thunder Bay is served by the Thunder Bay Public Library
Thunder Bay Public Library
The Thunder Bay Public Library serves the citizens of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada and surrounding areas.-History:The library got its start when the Port Arthur Library opened a Mechanics' Institute in the schoolhouse in 1876. Membership fees were $20.00 for life or $2.00 per year...
, which has four branches.
The arts
Magnus Theatre
The Magnus Theatre - The Dr. S. Penny Petrone Centre for the Performing Arts in Thunder Bay, Ontario was founded in 1971 and is Northwestern Ontario's professional theatre company....
. Founded in 1971, it offers six stage plays each season and is located in the renovated Port Arthur Public School on Red River Road. The Thunder Bay Community Auditorium
Thunder Bay Community Auditorium
The Thunder Bay Community Auditorium is a 1,511 seat performance arts centre, located in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It opened on October 16, 1985 and is home to the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra...
, which seats 1500, is the primary venue for various types of entertainment. It is the home of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra
Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra
The Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra is a professional orchestra based in the Community Auditorium in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It was founded on 29 November 1960 as the Lakehead Symphony Orchestra, debuting at the Lakeview High School auditorium...
, which has 30 full-time and up to 20 extra musicians presenting a full range of classical music. New Music North is vital to the contemporary classical music scene in the city by offering intriguing and novel contemporary chamber music concerts.
The Bay Street Film Festival
Bay Street Film Festival
The Bay Street Film Festival was established in 2005 by Kelly Saxberg and Ron Harpelle as an independent film festival in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, that features local, national, and international films with the theme "films for the people." The festival is sponsored by Flash Frame, Thunder...
, established in 2005, is an independent film festival that features local, national, and international films with the theme of "Films for the People." The festival is held in early October at 314 Bay Street in the historic Finnish Labour Temple
Finnish Labour Temple
The Finnish Labour Temple is a Finnish-Canadian cultural and community centre and a local landmark located at 314 Bay Street in the Finnish quarter in Thunder Bay, Ontario....
. Thunder Bay is also home to the North of Superior Film Association (NOSFA). Established in 1992, the NOSFA features monthly screenings of international and Canadian films at the Cumberland Cinema Centre, with a spring film festival that attracts several thousand patrons.
Museums and galleries
The Thunder Bay Art GalleryThunder Bay Art Gallery
The Thunder Bay Art Gallery is Northwestern Ontario's primary art gallery specializing in the work of contemporary First Nations artists. It is located on the campus of Confederation College in Thunder Bay....
which was founded in 1976, specializes in the works of First Nations artists, having a collection of national significance. The Thunder Bay Historical Museum
Thunder Bay Historical Museum
The Thunder Bay Historical Museum is located in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is operated by the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society, incorporated in 1972 as the successor to the Thunder Bay Historical Society....
Society, founded in 1908, presents local and travelling exhibitions and houses an impressive collection of artifacts, photographs, paintings, documents and maps in its archives.
Thunder Bay has two recognized Federal Heritage buildings on the Register of the Government of Canada Heritage Buildings:
- Ordnance Store Recognized - 1997
- Park Street Armoury Recognized - 1994
both are part of HMCS Griffin.
Places of worship
Thunder Bay has many places of worship supported by people of a variety of faiths, reflecting the cultural diversity of the population. A sample:- Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church - Ukrainian OrthodoxUkrainian Orthodox Church of CanadaThe Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada is an Eastern Orthodox Church in Canada, primarily serving Ukrainian Canadians. Its former name was the Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church of Canada ...
(716 Pacific Avenue). The original wooden church, built by UkrainianUkrainiansUkrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
Orthodox families in 1911/1912 was almost destroyed by fire in 1936. The current church was built on the same site, opening in 1937. It has decorative gold domes that are characteristic of Ukrainian churches of the BukovinaBukovinaBukovina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains.-Name:The name Bukovina came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation from the Principality of Moldavia to the possessions of the Habsburg Monarchy, which became...
area, with Orthodox crosses atop the domes.
- Calvary Lutheran Church (Donald and Edward St) was established in 1958 as a mission congregation of the Minnesota North District. website
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (2255 Ponderosa Dr). The church has a family history library open to anyone to research their genealogy.
- Elim Community Christian Centre (360 Black Bay Rd). Pentecostal Church located in Current River area of the city. website
- Evangel Church (1260 Balmoral St). Contemporary Pentecostal church with a strong emphasis on children, youth and (with their convenient location next to Lakehead UniversityLakehead UniversityLakehead University is a public research university in Thunder Bay, and Orillia, Ontario, Canada.Lakehead University, shortened to 'Lakehead U', or 'LU', is non-denominational and provincially supported. It has undergraduate and graduate programs and a medical school.The school has more than 45,000...
) young adults. website
- Hilldale Lutheran Church (321 Hilldale Rd). Offers services in both English and Finnish. website. The church has an intimate atmosphere and wonderful acoustics, and is frequently used for musical performances.
- Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox ChurchGreek Orthodox ChurchThe Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
(651 Beverly St). Founded in 1918, the church moved to its present building in 1991. The church is active in providing non-profit housing for needy families. website
- Hope Christian Reformed Church (1315 Crawford Ave). Services are recorded so that anyone with an internet connection may listen. website
- Kitchitwa Kateri Anamewgamik (451 Syndicate Ave N). Roman Catholic communal church geared to Native culture and teachings. A drop-in centre provides coffee and serves soup & bannock.
- Lakehead Unitarian Fellowship (129 S. Algoma St ). This Unitarian UniversalistUnitarian UniversalismUnitarian Universalism is a religion characterized by support for a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning". Unitarian Universalists do not share a creed; rather, they are unified by their shared search for spiritual growth and by the understanding that an individual's theology is a...
community includes Christians, Post-Christians, Buddhists, PagansPaganismPaganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
, Theists, Non-theists, Humanist-agnostics, and Atheists. They welcome and celebrate the presence and participation of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons. website
- Saalem Church (21 Walkover St). Offers services in both English and Finnish. website
- Shaarey Shomayim Congregation - Jewish SynagogueSynagogueA synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
(627 Grey Street). This egalitarian community has the only mikvahMikvahMikveh is a bath used for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism...
between Winnipeg and Toronto.
- Shepherd of Israel Congregation - Messianic Jewish (534 McLaughlin St). Affiliated with Evangelical movement.
- St Agnes Church. Roman Catholic Church (1019 Brown St). Founded in 1885, the new St. Agnes Church and Hall was dedicated on June 6, 1982. St. Vincent de Paul Society operates a food bank out of this church. website
- St Stephen the Martyr Anglican Church (494 Leslie Ave). Provides a food cupboard for the Current River area. website
- St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church (226 Pearl St). Founded in 1872, the current building was erected in 1884. website
- St. Patrick's Cathedral - Roman Catholic (211 Archibald St S). The old St. Patrick's Church was built in 1893. In 1963 it was replaced by the current cathedral on the same site. website
Sports and recreation
Thunder Bay's proximity to the wilderness of the Boreal Forest and the rolling hills and mountains of the Canadian Shield allow its residents to enjoy very active lifestyles. The city has hosted several large sporting events including the Summer Canada GamesCanada Games
The Canada Games is a high-level multi-sport event with a National Artists Program held every two years in Canada, alternating between the Canada Winter Games and the Canada Summer Games. Athletes are strictly amateur only, and represent their province or territory.The Games were first held in 1967...
in 1981, the Nordic World Ski Championships in 1995, the Continental Cup of Curling
Continental Cup of Curling
The Continental Cup of Curling is a curling tournament held annually between teams from North America against teams from the rest of the world. Each side is represented by six teams , and compete using a unique points system. The tournament is modeled after golf's Ryder Cup...
in 2003, and the World Junior Baseball Championship
2010 World Junior Baseball Championship
The 2010 World Junior Baseball Championship was an international baseball competition being held at the Port Arthur Stadium and Central Ball Park in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada from July 23 to August 1, 2010.-Teams:...
in 2010.
Recreational facilities
Thunder Bay enjoys many recreational facilities. The city operates fifteen neighbourhood community centres, which offer various sporting and fitness facilities as well as seasonal activities such as dances. The city also operates six indoor ice rinks and 84 seasonal outdoor rinks, two indoor community pools and three seasonal outdoor pools as well as a portable pool and two maintained public beaches, several curlingCurling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
sheets, and three golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
courses, among others. Listed below are some of the city's major facilities.
Multi-use facilities
- The Canada Games ComplexCanada Games ComplexThe Canada Games Complex was constructed in 1981 to host the aquatic events of the 1981 Canada Summer Games in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is Thunder Bay's primary fitness facility, and its features include a swimming pool, indoor fitness areas, a fitness testing area, and an indoor running track.The...
- The Fort William GardensFort William GardensThe Fort William Gardens is a 4,690-capacity multi-purpose arena, in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It opened in 1951.Previous tenants include the Thunder Bay Flyers, of the 'Junior A' United States Hockey League, the Thunder Bay Senators/Thunder Bay Thunder Cats, of the Colonial Hockey League and...
- Port Arthur StadiumPort Arthur StadiumPort Arthur Stadium is a stadium in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It is exclusively used for baseball and is the home of the Thunder Bay Border Cats of the Northwoods League. The ballpark has a capacity of 3,031 people and seats 2,581, and was opened in 1951....
- Royal Canadian Legion Sports ComplexChapples ParkFort William Stadium is a soccer, football, and track and field stadium in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is also known as Chapples Park and is part of the Royal Canadian Legion Sports Complex. It has a seating capacity of 3,500, and is used primarily by the Thunder Bay Chill of the USL Premier...
- Thunder Bay Sports Dome
Municipal ice rinks and indoor pools
- Current River Arena
- Delaney Arena
- Grandview Arena
- Neebing Arena
- Port Arthur Arena
- Thunder Bay Tournament Centre (2 ice surfaces)
- Sir Winston ChurchillWinston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
Community Pool - Volunteer Community Pool
Golf courses
- Centennial Golf Course (9 holes)
- Chapples Memorial Golf Course (18 Holes)(Municipal)
- Dragon Hills Golf Course (9 holes)
- Emerald Greens Golf Course (9 holes)
- Fort William Country ClubCountry clubA country club is a private club, often with a closed membership, that typically offers a variety of recreational sports facilities and is located in city outskirts or rural areas. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or polo...
(18 Holes) - Municipal Golf Course (9 holes)(Municipal)
- Northern Lights Golf Complex (9 holes par 3/9 holes regulation)
- Strathcona Golf Course (18 holes)(Municipal)
- Thunder Bay Country Club (9 holes)
- Whitewater Golf Club (18 holes)
Ski hills
- Loch Lomond Ski Resort
- Mount Baldy Ski Resort
Cross-Country Skiing Facilities
- Lappe Nordic Ski Centre
- Kamview Nordic Centre
Sports teams
| Club | Sport | League | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thunder Bay North Stars | Ice Hockey Ice hockey Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take... |
Superior International Junior Hockey League Superior International Junior Hockey League The Superior International Junior Hockey League is a Junior A ice hockey league under the supervision of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Hockey Canada. The winner of the SIJHL playoffs competes for the Dudley Hewitt Cup with the winners of the Ontario Junior Hockey League and the Northern... |
Fort William Gardens Fort William Gardens The Fort William Gardens is a 4,690-capacity multi-purpose arena, in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It opened in 1951.Previous tenants include the Thunder Bay Flyers, of the 'Junior A' United States Hockey League, the Thunder Bay Senators/Thunder Bay Thunder Cats, of the Colonial Hockey League and... |
| Lakehead Thunderwolves Lakehead Thunderwolves The Lakehead Thunderwolves are the varsity athletic teams that represent Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada in Canadian Interuniversity Sport... |
Basketball Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
Ontario University Athletics Ontario University Athletics Ontario University Athletics is a regional membership association for Canadian universities which assists in co-ordinating competition between their university level athletic programs and providing contact information, schedules, results, and releases about those programs and events to the public... |
C.J. Sanders Fieldhouse |
| Lakehead Thunderwolves Lakehead Thunderwolves The Lakehead Thunderwolves are the varsity athletic teams that represent Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada in Canadian Interuniversity Sport... |
Ice Hockey Ice hockey Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take... |
Ontario University Athletics Ontario University Athletics Ontario University Athletics is a regional membership association for Canadian universities which assists in co-ordinating competition between their university level athletic programs and providing contact information, schedules, results, and releases about those programs and events to the public... |
Fort William Gardens Fort William Gardens The Fort William Gardens is a 4,690-capacity multi-purpose arena, in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It opened in 1951.Previous tenants include the Thunder Bay Flyers, of the 'Junior A' United States Hockey League, the Thunder Bay Senators/Thunder Bay Thunder Cats, of the Colonial Hockey League and... |
| Lakehead Thunderwolves Lakehead Thunderwolves The Lakehead Thunderwolves are the varsity athletic teams that represent Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada in Canadian Interuniversity Sport... |
Volleyball Volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive... |
Ontario University Athletics Ontario University Athletics Ontario University Athletics is a regional membership association for Canadian universities which assists in co-ordinating competition between their university level athletic programs and providing contact information, schedules, results, and releases about those programs and events to the public... |
C.J. Sanders Fieldhouse |
| Thunder Bay Border Cats Thunder Bay Border Cats The Thunder Bay Border Cats are a baseball team that plays in the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball league. The league's only Canadian team, their home games are played at Port Arthur Stadium in Thunder Bay, Ontario.... |
Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
Northwoods League Northwoods League The Northwoods League is a collegiate summer baseball league comprising teams of the top college players from North America and beyond. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate... |
Port Arthur Stadium Port Arthur Stadium Port Arthur Stadium is a stadium in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It is exclusively used for baseball and is the home of the Thunder Bay Border Cats of the Northwoods League. The ballpark has a capacity of 3,031 people and seats 2,581, and was opened in 1951.... |
| Thunder Bay Chill Thunder Bay Chill Thunder Bay Chill is a Canadian soccer team based in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 2000, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American and Canadian soccer pyramids, in the Heartland Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games... |
Soccer Football (soccer) Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball... |
USL Premier Development League USL Premier Development League The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid... |
Chapples Park Stadium Chapples Park Fort William Stadium is a soccer, football, and track and field stadium in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is also known as Chapples Park and is part of the Royal Canadian Legion Sports Complex. It has a seating capacity of 3,500, and is used primarily by the Thunder Bay Chill of the USL Premier... |
Thunder Bay is also home to the National Development Centre - Thunder Bay, an elite cross-country ski team that attracts many of Canada's best Junior and U-23 skiers.
Canadan Sanomat
Canadan Sanomat is a weekly Finnish language newspaper in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It is headquartered in the Finnish Labour Temple.The paper is published by Vapaa Sana Press Ltd....
, a Finnish language
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
weekly newspaper. Lakehead University
Lakehead University
Lakehead University is a public research university in Thunder Bay, and Orillia, Ontario, Canada.Lakehead University, shortened to 'Lakehead U', or 'LU', is non-denominational and provincially supported. It has undergraduate and graduate programs and a medical school.The school has more than 45,000...
has a student newspaper called The Argus, which is published weekly during the school year. The Chronicle Journal publishes a free weekly called Spot every Thursday, focusing on entertainment. The city publishes a bi-monthly newsletter to citizens titled yourCity, which is also available online in a PDF format, by electronic subscription and RSS feed. Netnewsledger is a daily updated website covering news and current events in Thunder Bay, which places emphasis on connecting politicians to their constituents.
Television
Three English language stations and one French language station supply Thunder Bay with free over-the-airOver-the-air
Over-the-air has several meanings, depending on context. *Generally, over-the-air is synonymous for wireless.*Specifically, over-the-air can have the following meanings or is used in the following contexts:...
television. Programming from the Global
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
and CBC
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
networks is provided by a locally owned twinstick
Twinstick
A twinstick, in Canadian broadcasting, is a term for two television stations, broadcasting in the same market, which are owned by the same company...
operation branded as Thunder Bay Television
Thunder Bay Television
Dougall Media is a Canadian media company, which has several television, radio and publishing holdings in Northwestern Ontario.-Television:Thunder Bay Television is the name under which CKPR, a CBC affiliate in Thunder Bay, Ontario operates. It is co-owned with CHFD, a Global affiliate in the same...
, and the city receives TVOntario
TVOntario
TVOntario, often referred to only as TVO , is a publicly funded, educational English-language television station and media organization in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is operated by the Ontario Educational Communications Authority, a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Ontario...
on channel 9 and the French CBLFT
CBLFT
CBLFT-DT is the Radio-Canada television station providing French-language television in Toronto and most of Ontario, including the Western, Central and Northeastern regions.-History:...
on channel 12. CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
is now cable-/satellite-only in the area.
The cable provider in Thunder Bay is Shaw
Shaw Communications
Shaw Communications is Canada's largest telecommunications company that provides telephone, Canada's fastest Internet and television services as well as broadcasting and soon Wifi. Shaw is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta...
, although locally owned TBayTel, has been granted a license by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to compete in the cable TV market. The community channel on Shaw Cable is branded as Shaw TV
Shaw TV
Shaw TV is a locally-based community channel service operated by cable TV company Shaw Communications, and is available to Shaw Cable subscribers in most major communities throughout western Canada....
, and airs on cable channel 10.
WBKP
WBKP
WBKP is the CW-affiliated television station for Michigan's Central Upper Peninsula licensed to Calumet. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 5 from a transmitter on Tolonen Hill in Atlantic Mine. The station can also be seen on Charter channel 2...
TV channel 5, the CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
/ ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate in Calumet
Calumet, Michigan
Calumet is a village in Calumet Township, Houghton County, in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, that was once at the center of the mining industry of the Upper Peninsula. Also known as Red Jacket, the village includes the Calumet Downtown Historic District, listed on the National...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
can be received in Thunder Bay with an outdoor roof antenna and a digital-capable television or receiver.
Radio
Thunder Bay is home to 11 radio stations, all of which broadcast on the FM band.There are four commercial radio stations based in the city — Rock 94.3
CJSD-FM
CJSD-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 94.3 FM in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The station broadcasts an active rock format branded as Rock 94.-History:...
and CKPR 91.5, owned by Dougall Media, the parent company of Thunder Bay Television and Thunder Bay's Source, and Magic 99.9
CJUK-FM
CJUK-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 99.9 FM in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The station broadcasts a hot adult contemporary/adult CHR format with the brand name Magic 99.9...
and 105.3 The Giant
CKTG-FM
CKTG-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 105.3 FM in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The station is owned by Northwoods Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Acadia Broadcasting, and broadcasts adult hits using the brand name 105.3 The New Giant FM...
, owned by Acadia Broadcasting
Acadia Broadcasting
Acadia Broadcasting Limited is a commercial radio broadcasting company with its headquarters located on historic King Street in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Its owner is Ocean Capital Investments, New Brunswick Limited. The focus is providing local radio for the communities it serves,...
. One additional station, Thunder 103.5
CFQK-FM
CFQK-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts at 104.5 FM in Kaministiquia, Ontario. The station airs a country music format as The Thunder.The station also broadcasts on 103.5 FM in Shuniah, with the callsign CKED-FM.-History:...
, targets the Thunder Bay market from transmitters in Kaministiquia
Kaministiquia, Ontario
Kaministiquia is a community in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Thunder Bay District on Highway 102 approximately 30 kilometres west of Thunder Bay....
and Shuniah
Shuniah, Ontario
Shuniah is a municipal township bordering the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada on the east. Shuniah was incorporated by an act of the Ontario legislature in 1873, and at that time included much of present-day Thunder Bay and its predecessor and surrounding municipalities...
. The city receives CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
as CBQT-FM
CBQT-FM
CBQT-FM is a Canadian radio station. It is the CBC Radio One station in Thunder Bay, Ontario, broadcasting at 88.3 FM, and serves all of Northwestern Ontario through a network of relay transmitters.-History:...
and CBC Radio 2 as CBQ-FM
CBQ-FM
CBQ-FM is a Canadian radio station, airing the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's CBC Radio 2 network at 101.7 FM in Thunder Bay, Ontario.The station was launched in 1984.- External links :* at Canadian Communications Foundation...
, at 88.3 FM and 101.7 FM respectively. The French Première Chaîne is available as a repeater of Sudbury-based CBON-FM
CBON-FM
CBON-FM is a Canadian radio station. It broadcasts the Société Radio-Canada's Première Chaîne network at 98.1 FM in Sudbury, Ontario. The station also serves much of Northern Ontario through a network of relay transmitters.-History:...
on 89.3 FM. Lakehead University operates a campus radio station, CILU-FM
CILU-FM
CILU-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts at 102.7 FM in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is the campus radio station of the city's Lakehead University....
, at 102.7 FM, and CJOA-FM 95.1
CJOA-FM
CJOA-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 95.1 FM in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The station broadcasts a contemporary Christian music format.-History:...
broadcasts Christian-oriented
Christian radio
Christian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...
programming and is run by a local non-profit group.
Short List of Notable Residents
Paul ShafferPaul Shaffer
Paul Allen Wood Shaffer, CM is a Canadian musician, actor, voice actor, author, comedian, and composer who has been David Letterman's sidekick since 1982.-Early years:...
, bandleader
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
on the American Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
, and recipient of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
.
Bobby Curtola
Bobby Curtola
Robert Allen "Bobby" Curtola, CM is an early Canadian rock and roll singer and teen idol.-History:Curtola had several songs on the Canadian music charts beginning with "Hand In Hand With You"...
, an early rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
singer and one-time teen idol
Teen idol
A teen idol is a celebrity who is widely idolized by teenagers; he or she is often young but not necessarily teenaged. Often teen idols are actors or pop singers, but some sports figures have an appeal to teenagers. Some teen idols began their careers as child actors...
.
Norval Morriseau, artist.
Lauri Conger
Lauri Conger
Lauri Conger is notable primarily as the keyboardist and one of the principal co-writers of most of the songs of the Parachute Club.- History :...
, keyboardist and songwriter, and a member of the Canadian band Parachute Club.
Gary Kendall
Gary Kendall
Gary Kendall is an award-winning Canadian bassist, vocalist and band leader, best known for his longstanding association with the Downchild Blues Band.-Biography:...
, musician, solo artist and multiple Maple Blues Award
Maple Blues Awards
The Maple Blues Awards are Canada’s blues awards, "honouring the finest in Canadian blues". They are the only comprehensive national best in blues awards program. The program's goal is to promote blues music across Canada, and to recognize outstanding achievement...
winner.
Kevin Durand
Kevin Durand
Kevin Serge Durand is a Canadian actor known for his roles as Joshua in Dark Angel, Martin Keamy in Lost, Fred J. Dukes in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the Archangel Gabriel in Legion, and Little John in Robin Hood....
, actor.
Current NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
players:
Patrick Sharp
Patrick Sharp
Patrick Sharp is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and alternate captain currently playing for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:Sharp was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba...
,
Ryan Johnson,
Alex Auld
Alex Auld
Alexander Auld is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . Auld has also played for the New York Rangers, Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers, Phoenix Coyotes, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens and Dallas Stars of the NHL...
,
Tom Pyatt
Tom Pyatt
Thomas Cullum Pyatt is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently with Tampa Bay Lightning . He is the son of former NHL player Nelson Pyatt and brother of Phoenix Coyotes forward Taylor Pyatt.-Playing career:...
,
Taylor Pyatt
Taylor Pyatt
Taylor William Pyatt is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who plays for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League . Drafted out of the Ontario Hockey League , he played major-junior with the Sudbury Wolves...
,
Jared Staal
Jared Staal
Jared John Staal is an ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League. He is the younger brother of Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes, Marc Staal of the New York Rangers, and Jordan Staal of the Pittsburgh Penguins...
,
Eric Staal
Eric Staal
Eric Craig Staal is a Canadian ice hockey player and the captain of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League...
,
Marc Staal
Marc Staal
Marc Staal is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and alternate captain for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League...
,
Jordan Staal
Jordan Staal
Jordan Lee Staal is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League...
.
Former NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
players:
Alex Delvecchio
Alex Delvecchio
Alexander Peter "Fats" Delvecchio is a former ice hockey player and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.After playing a single junior league season for the Oshawa Generals of the OHA Delvecchio joined the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League for the 1952 season, and helped the team to...
,
Greg Johnson,
Trevor Letowski
Trevor Letowski
Trevor Letowski is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played in the NHL with the Phoenix Coyotes, Vancouver Canucks, Columbus Blue Jackets and the Carolina Hurricanes.-Playing career:...
.
Katie Weatherston
Katie Weatherston
Katherine Marie Weatherston is a Canadian women's ice hockey player.-Playing career:...
, Olympic
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
gold medalist.
Haley Irwin
Haley Irwin
Haley Irwin is a member of the 2009–10 Hockey Canada national women's team and also plays for the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs.-Playing career:...
, Olympic
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
gold medalist.
Jay Miron
Jay Miron
Jay Lawrence McNeil Miron is a retired Canadian BMX athlete and former owner of MacNeil Bikes. Miron has competed in several X-Games competition since 1995, compiling 9 medals, including the first ever X-Games gold medal for Bike Dirt. In addition, Miron is credited with inventing more than 30...
, professional BMX rider and 9-time X-Games medalist.
Clarence Decatur Howe, originally from Massachusetts, moved to Canada in his early adult years and, as "Minister of Everything" played a major role in the economic development of Canada.
Saul Laskin
Saul Laskin
Saul Laskin was a Canadian politician. He was the first mayor of the City of Thunder Bay, Ontario.Born in Fort William, Ontario, he was the younger brother of jurist Bora Laskin. He was educated in Fort William and Toronto, and served overseas in World War II...
, city's first mayor.
Bora Laskin
Bora Laskin
Bora Laskin, PC, CC, FRSC was a Canadian jurist, who served on the Supreme Court of Canada for fourteen years, including a decade as its Chief Justice.-Early life:...
, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
from 1973 to 1984.
Elizabeth Lawrie Smellie
Elizabeth Lawrie Smellie
Elizabeth Lawrie Smellie RRC was a Canadian nurse, and the first woman to be promoted to the rank of colonel in the Canadian army....
was a nurse, and the first woman to be promoted to the rank of colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
in the Canadian army.