When Once is Never Enough

Beyond downtown

If you arrive by boat, you could spend a week enjoying the marina and never leave the radius of the waterfront and downtown. But there’s a whole lot more waiting for you out there.

According to Julie Tersteeg, a sailor and motorcyclist who visited Thunder Bay while doing the Circle Tour on two wheels, there are some top to-dos that no one wants to miss (do I need to mention that we missed all of them on that first trip?).

At the top of Tersteeg’s list: Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park. We learned of it from fellow boaters, who accepted the harbormaster’s offer of his truck for the day so they could drive and check it out (just another example of how friendly and welcoming Thunder Bay residents are — especially if they’re boaters). In about a half-hour drive from the marina, the second-highest waterfall in Ontario plunges an impressive 40 meters (just over 131 feet). Endangered lake sturgeon spawn at the base. It’s also a popular spot for camping, drawing people from all over the world.

Tersteeg also recommends visiting an amethyst mine. Amethyst is the official gemstone of Ontario, and the region is renowned for the stone’s quality and quantity. Visitors can tour an open-pit mine to find their own amethyst or find polished stones and jewelry at many shops throughout the city.

The third to-do atop Tersteeg’s list is Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park, just over an hour’s drive from Thunder Bay. This 150-metre (492 feet) wide gorge is stunning, with sheer cliffs that drop straight down to the canyon floor and panoramic views. It’s open May to October, and visitors also highly recommend exploring the canyon floor — an unusual landscape where you’ll see arctic plants usually only found much farther north.

If you’re into experiential history, Fort William Historical Park recreates the days of the North West Company and the Canadian fur trade. The historically accurate park allows visitors to tour the many buildings of the North West Company’s inland headquarters, a working farm and the Anishnaabe encampment, as well as learn about the area’s fur trade and see how birchbark canoes were made. Annual festivals include the Anishinaabe Keeshigun Festival. It’s also the location of the David Thompson Astronomical Observatory, one of the largest public telescopes in the area (a huge regret that we missed this attraction — our kids would have really loved this).

Just a short drive away, the Centennial Botanical Conservatory offers a peaceful escape, with lush tropical plants, seasonal floral displays and tranquil garden spaces. The conservatory officially reopened in January after a multi-year restoration project focused on the main building. Guests can now explore the Tropical Main House, Desert Wing and new Multi-Purpose Wing. Future phases will expand outdoor gardens and paths, making this local oasis a must-see attraction.

Meeting the Giant

It seems that from everywhere in Thunder Bay, but especially the waterfront, one is always aware of the Sleeping Giant, silently guarding the entrance to Thunder Bay. Located along the 32-mile-long Sibley Peninsula, the name Sleeping Giant, or Nanabijou, comes from the Ojibway people. There are different versions of the Ojibway legend for how Nanabijou, spirit of deep water, came to sleep forever with the silver mine at his feet. Some legends say he lay there as stone to protect the silver mine; other versions of the legend say he was turned to stone when the secret location of the mine was revealed. Regardless of its origins, the Sleeping Giant name is fitting, as this series of mesas resembles a giant lying on its back.

Rising dramatically from Lake Superior, the Sleeping Giant towers 820 feet above the shoreline, boasting the highest cliffs in Ontario. You can arrive one of two ways: An hour-long car ride north from Thunder Bay, or by taking your boat. Mooring balls are available for boaters in Sawyers Bay, near the head of the Sleeping Giant, or in Tee Harbour, located on the east side of the Sleeping Giant. At Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, visitors are rewarded with sweeping lake views from the Top of the Giant Trail and Thunder Bay Lookout, along with miles of hiking trails, three secluded inland lakes, abundant wildlife, year-round cabin rentals, visitor center exhibits and plenty more to explore.

We’d been watching the Giant for days, or rather, feeling the Giant was watching us. So one day we cruised over to the Sibley Peninsula to set down anchor in the crook of his neck for a couple of nights.

There is so much that is unique and wonderful about Sleeping Giant, and my regret of the side excursion was that my patience was so thin, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I could have. We hiked with the kids, watching as they disappeared into the thimbleberry bushes, the flat leaves forming umbrellas way over their heads, re-emerging with berries the size of my thumb (which is pretty darn big for a thimbleberry). We explored ancient rock promontories, met friendly boaters at anchor, and slept alongside the Giant’s embrace. The boreal forest is home to so much wildlife, hiking with incredible views, clear water you just can’t get over, and a quiet respite from the urban landscape of Thunder Bay, which isn’t too far away.

Welcoming & friendly

The region is renowned for its fishing prosperity. Residents and visitors fish from shore or aboard a guided fishing tour with a knowledgeable charter captain, either out on the big lake or one of the inland lakes. For those who want to join the fish below, the nearby diving opportunities are abundant. Local dive operators and guides provide equipment, outfitting, lessons and tours.

Thunder Bay really is the jumping-off point for Lake Superior’s north shore. The boaters we encountered on the south side of the Sibley Peninsula encouraged us to venture north for the wildlife, the silence and solitude, the exploration and adventure, the topography and geology. It wasn’t in our cards that trip — but maybe that’s less about regret, and more about inspiration for next time.

We promised our kids a toy store visit and souvenirs for our final day. The toy store was a good distance from the marina, and so we set off with our stroller and three kids for the nearest bus stop. Riding the bus is a terrific way to really get a feel for a city and its community, and we had an easy ride out with our fellow commuters and shoppers. We wrangled the kids through the epic aisles, discussed what to buy, wrangled some more, and a couple of hours later, headed back out to the bus stop. We were exhausted and probably looked it. As we waited at the bus stop, a pick-up truck pulled up. A couple in the front — who said they had grandkids about this age — asked us where we were heading and offered to give us a ride to the marina. Into the bed went the stroller, into the cab went all five of us, and within 15 minutes we were back at the marina, enlivened by goodwill and the generosity of people willing to give a family of five and their megalith stroller a ride to their boat.

Did I mention Thunder Bay is welcoming and friendly?

Perhaps I need to start seeing the Thunder Bay trip in a new light. Rather than one of regret, I can see it as “not yet done.” Maybe it’s time for a return trip, with an older crew, and a chance to set our feet in the same spaces in a new light and a new way. To explore some of those “don’t-miss spots” we missed the first time around.

Of course, once we’re there, we’ll no doubt see even more things to explore the next time — I hear that North Shore is just gorgeous.