..

---

Thunder Bay: Gateway to the Great Lakes
By Jerry W. Bird

 

Last time we flew into Thunder Bay, formerly Port Arthur and Fort William, it was on a project for Inns Canada. a new hotel group at the time. I brought along photographer Peter Gold from Calgary. Alberta to capture the tourism amenities of the city and area in a few choice shots. Fortunately for us, Hotel Manager Guy Laliberte, very popular and well known in the area, was somewhat of a showman and rustled up props to depict every type of sport. Peter captured it all in a single shot of Laliberte all decked out in flippers and scuba mask, with snow and water skies, hockey helmet, goalies stick and gloves, fishing gear, tennis racket, golf bag and clubs ... you name it. Good thing Guy was a bear of a man and could stand up under the load. Being that it was still winter season, Guy took us to one of the local ski areas, where we got an indication of how much locals enjoy their winter sports. The city has some of Ontario's best alpine and world class cross-country ski terrain. We visited several of the150 parks in the Thunder Bay area, and found out there's much to see and do. Many of those who settled the area were from Finland, which accounts for the fact that Thunder Bay is considered the Sauna Capital of Canada.

Gateway Information (Airport details to come)
Located at the head of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway System, Thunder Bay has been a Canadian crossroads since pioneer days. From here, a navigable waterway stretches several into the heart of the North American continent through 16 of the world's most efficient locks. As a port, served by both Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Railways, Thunder Bay handles all types of cargoes, with over 600 ships visiting the port annually. As eastern gateway to the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Thunder Bay provides direct access to Ontario, Quebec and many eastern states.

Thunder Bay Recreation Areas
Boulevard Lake / Chippewa Park/ Hillcrest Park
Marina Park/ Mt. Mckay/ International Friendship Gardens
Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park/ Sibley Provincial Park