I’ve never spent much time in Thunder Bay. For me, it’s always been a stopover to somewhere else. But, this year, our daughter moved there to live and now we have reason to visit and explore. In some ways, it has a vibe that reminds me of Victoria. Sure, the winters are colder and there’s a much bigger First Nations presence. But, like Victoria, it’s promoted as a good community for retirees. At the same time, there are a lot of hipsters setting up funky shops, buying local food from farmers’ markets, eating gluten free, growing beards and wearing hemp. The vibrant shops stand next to boarded up buildings. The hipsters rub shoulders with the homeless. You can have breakfast at the Scandinavian Home Restaurant, then slip around the back to the methadone clinic.
Albert hit me up for bus fare. Two days later, I met him in the same place and he gave me the same line. I don’t think Albert spends as much time riding the bus as he says.
There’s a skateboard/BMX park immediately to the east of this foot bridge, but these kids took shelter in the bridge when it started to rain. Note the EMS vehicles below the bridge.
Looking over Water St & rail lands through a broken pane.
Traveller’s Return, by Andy Davies. These three point to another metal glob – the traveller? – out of the photo’s frame. The sculpture stands in front of Bight Restaurant near the waterfront.
Overheard: “For a city in the middle of so much natural beauty, it sure puts up some ugly buildings.”
Cycling off Algoma St.
A boarded up place of business (32 Cumberland St. S)
