Things to do in Thunder Bay
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Caribou Restaurant & Wine Bar
Between the confusing haze of wide-set freeways and boxy mega-marts lies one of Thunder Bay’s best dining options. The facade positively reeks of franchise banality; however, the inside is filled with one-of-a-kind touches like white-clothed tables and designer stemware.
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Hoito Restaurant
You’ll think you’ve stumbled into a staff cafeteria in Finland – in fact, that’s how the Hoito started, providing affordable meals to Finnish bushworkers. This Thunder Bay institution serves breakfast until 7:30pm, and lunch starts at 10:45am – though you’ll probably just want to eat the notorious flattened pancakes around the clock. Don’t forget to wish the Hoito a happy birthday – the restaurant celebrated 100 years in 2010, though we don’t think it looks a day over 75…
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Kakabeka Falls
About 25km west of Thunder Bay, just off Hwy 11-17, is Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park. The spectacular 40m waterfall is the source of many local legends. The moody chute is at its best after the thaw in early spring and it gushes year-round after heavy rains.
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Growing Season Juice Collective
Healthy blended juice is the name of the game here, but it also does scrumptious dishes to accompany your smoothie. Wash down your carrot sticks with a shot of organic wheatgrass, which just happens to be grown on-site!
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Terry Fox Memorial
The Terry Fox Memorial should be your first stop in town - both to visit the valuable information center, and to learn about one of Canada's great heroes. The memorial honors the young Terry Fox, a native of British Columbia, who lost his leg and eventually his life to cancer. Before passing on, he left a powerful legacy by attempting to walk across Canada with an artificial leg to raise money for cancer research.
On April 12, 1980, he started his walk in St John's, Newfoundland. On September 1, he arrived in Thunder Bay after traveling 5373km, but was forced to stop as his illness worsened. Today's memorial is erected close to where Terry ended his great 'Marathon of Hop…
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Fort William Historical Park
French voyageurs, Scottish gentlemen and Ojibwe scuttle about while re-enacting life in the early 1800s at this historical park. From 1803 to 1821, Fort William was the headquarters of the North West Company. Eventually the business was absorbed by the Hudson Bay Company and the region’s importance as a trading center declined. Today, the large heritage center offers 42 historic buildings stuffed with entertaining and antiquated props like muskets, pelts and birch-bark canoes.
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Fort William First Nation
Mt Mackay rises 350m over Thunder Bay, offering sweeping views of the region’s patchwork of rugged pines and swollen rock formations. The lookout is part of the Fort William First Nation, and reveals its most majestic moments in the evening when the valley is but a sea of blinking lights. A walking trail leads from the viewing area to the top of the mountain. Watch your step while climbing – the shale rock can cause tumbles.
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Thunder Bay Museum
This 100-year-old museum has enough quirks and gadgets to keep adults interested and children entertained. The well-presented artifacts offer visitors a glimpse of the region’s 10,000 years of human history by incorporating displays about Ojibwe culture, fur trading, military history and recent developments.
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Amethyst Mine Panorama
Visit the mine, 40km east of Thunder Bay, and dig for your very own purple chunk of amethyst, Ontario’s official gemstone. While pulling into the parking lot, you may notice that the gravel has a faint indigo hue – a testament to the fact that the area is truly overflowing with these semiprecious pieces.
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Masala Grille
Housed in a stately Victorian manse, this eclectic addition to Thunder Bay’s dining scene represents the evolving community as new immigrants add a certain cosmopolitan flare to the otherwise staid city. Sample spicy platters from the subcontinent; there are a few Thai treats to tempt the palate too.
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Giorg
The exterior is a throwback to a time when good taste and architecture weren’t especially synonymous (the ’70s), but the charming Italian restaurant inside ranks as one of Thunder Bay’s best, with scrumptious pastas served by poised waiters.
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Thunder Bay Art Gallery
Thunder Bay’s premier gallery offers an eclectic assortment of contemporary art from First Nations artists. The use of natural imagery, haunting masks and scorching primary colors will leave lasting impressions on visitors.
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Wabakimi Canoe Outfitters
Wabakimi Canoe Outfitters is situated at an ecolodge about 250km north of Thunder Bay. Expeditions focus on the thick stretch of dense boreal forest known as Wabakimi Provincial Park.
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Madhouse Tavern Grill
A great place to relax and take a load off among warm, friendly chatter and cold beer. The dangling portraits of famous writers and artists have a swirling style similar to Dalí.
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Prospector Steakhouse
Appetites beware: you’re about to be obliterated. Hefty carnivorous portions are dished out amid ranchlike curios. The infamous prime rib will give your arteries a workout.
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Magnus Theatre
This professional theater company has premiered some now-classic Canadian works, while also drawing on an international repertoire. Entry to the theater is off Waverley St.
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Bistro One
A diamond in the rough hidden amongst clunky uninspired neighbors, Bistro One sizzles with an innovative, ever-changing menu, sleek decor and a legendary wine list.
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Kangas Sauna
If you're looking to be pampered you've come to the wrong place. Think BYOB, as in 'bring your own bathing suit.' Well, actually, beer works too - Friday night at Kangas is a well-established social event. The saunas are private and can be hired for up to five hours, so go it alone, or grab a 'conference room' for you and your 'associates.'
Even if you're not in the mood to get steamy, Kangas has other amenities that might pique your interest: a public hot tub, a delicious dining area, tanning booths and even a hair salon.
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