News

It Was, Uh, Wet on Tuesday

In the off chance you live in a sealed bunker and didn’t stick your head out on Tuesday, let me get you up to speed on what happened.

It rained.

A lot.

Like really, really a lot.

So much so, in fact, Thunder Bay set a record.

The airport reported 88.2mm of rain. The previous record was 78.2mm set on November 28, 2016.

The interesting thing (well, as interesting as rain can be I suppose), is that the intensity was not uniform. There were pockets of dense moisture.

The airport is a good example. At one measuring station it set a record, at a second station on the property, it only registered 61.9mm of rain.

And to round out the record setting, we are now sitting at 104.6mm of total precipitation in November, which is more than double the average.

My reference point is the McIntyre river which runs through our backyard.

Monday night, it was like a picturesque babbling English brook. By Tuesday night it sounded like Kakabeka Falls in the spring.

Commerce

The Port is Porting

Since you all loved that record-breaking rain story so much, here’s another one for you:

The Thunder Bay Port recorded shipping volumes in September and October that haven’t been seen in decades. Not even the 90s or 80s.

The biggest volumes were in potash and grains, with the main reason identified being an increase in selling of grains to eastern markets.

When Africa and the Middle East purchase those goods, Thunder Bay is the port of choice to route those products.

This October the port handled over 1 million tonnes of grain which is a 33% increase over the monthly five-year average.

Yay for those who can still eat gluten keeping our port humming!

Crime

Scammers Target Grandparents

I’m sure there’s a special place in hell for people who prey on the elderly claiming something horrific has happened to their grandkids…

Thunder Bay Police are advising residents about a new phone scam making the rounds.

Callers from a private number are pretending to be a lawyer claiming the resident’s grandchild has either been in a car accident, arrested, or in some other form of distress.

A voice in the background can be heard sounding like the aforementioned grandchild.

Evil.

The caller then says the resident needs to either transfer money, or have cash ready for a bondsperson to come pick it up.

Police are advising anyone that experiences this type of call, to hang up and try calling the family member in question.

Please make a point of contacting any elderly people in your family and letting them know about this scam.

As*holes.

Parking News

Calendar Parking Delayed

I think parking content is going to need a dedicated spot in this newsletter pretty soon…

For those eagle-eyed Thunder Bay drivers, you would have noticed that calendar parking was supposed to go into effect last Friday.

But since we’ve got, well, zero snow, and calendar parking is designed to assist with effective street clearing of snow, the city has decided to delay the implementation.

It’s always heart-warming to see municipal departments make a rational decision.

The city will make an announcement (and hopefully I catch it and put it in here!) on when calendar parking will take place.

Until that time, park wherever the hell you want I guess! (No, don’t do that. Be reasonable please).

First Nations News

OPG vs FWFN

FWFN is opposing the planned redevelopment of the OPG hydro generating station located in Kakabeka Falls.

The station is over 117 years old and located on traditional FWFN territory. It’s actually one of the oldest power generation stations in the province and provides power for 25,000 homes.

I honestly had no idea that existed.

The history of the station is fraught with conflict as the FWFN claims it’s construction and subsequent use has had a negative impact on their land and way of life.

But now, the issue is archeological in nature.

FWFN is concerned that the construction could disrupt the physical site, pointing to the discovery recently of Indigenous remains during a Parks Canada project.

There is already a registered burial ground on site (records are sketchy, but it looks like 4-6 workers from the original project who died during the construction are buried there).

For their part, OPG has stated that they have reached out to FWFN and wish to work collaboratively.

Stay tuned…

Things to do This Week

Events In and Around the City

Carrie: The Musical
Based upon Stephen King’s debut novel, Carrie. Content warning: contains strong language, violence, death, religious abuse, bullying, visible blood, and mentions of sexual assault
November 20, 21, 22, 23 - 7:00pm - Paramount Theatre
$20

Of Marriage Minded Misses
Cambrian Players
November 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 - 7:30pm - Cambrian Players
$25-$30

Moana Jr.
Music from the blockbuster movie
November 22 - 7:00pm - Community Auditorium
$25

TBSO Pops - Country Roads Take Me Home
Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra
November 22, 23 - 7:30pm - Italian Cultural Centre
$25-$50

30+ Fridays
Relive your glory years
November 22 - 9:00pm - Armani’s Night Club
$ Free

Holiday Craft Revival 2024
Downtown Waterfront District
November 24 - 10:00am-4:00pm
$52 Free

LAKEHEAD ATHLETICS:

Women’s Volleyball vs York - 6:00pm (Nov 23, 24)
Tickets

Home of the Day

491 Harstone Dr.

(Realtors if you want your home featured - send us an email: [email protected])

3 + 1 bedrooms
3 bathrooms
1,900 sq ft

$829,900

Kakabeka Falls - riverfront property with 2 garages, pool and the Kam in the backyard!