St. Volodymyr's Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the Fort William section of Thunder Bay; Fort William and Port Arthur are the two main cities that merged to form Thunder Bay in 1970. I might call him St. Volodymyr the Creepy because his church has painted windows on the towers. Who paints windows other than haunted castles and serial killers?


Moving up to Port Arthur, what's now the main downtown of Thunder Bay. Until 10 years of mounting debt forced it to close, Hoito and the Finlandia Club were the star attractions of the city. Visitors and locals would flock there for authentic Finnish food, especially pancake breakfast. As you can see from the plaque (click for closeup), this started life as the Finnish Labour Temple, so that's 110 years of representing Scandinavia's most eclectic member. The engraved stone atop the house reads "Labor Omnia Vincit," work conquers all.


This church, also built in 1910, has been known as both St. Ansgarius Scandinavian Anglican Church and the First Norwegian Lutheran Church. It is creepy in its own right as an abandoned church, but this property on the south corner of 2nd Street and Cornwall Avenue was razed in 2019.


To the waterfront, and Waterfront Plaza's views of Sibley Peninsula and the rock formation known as Sleeping Giant. I think the most anthropomorphic views are found on the peninsula itself - see the Sibley link at the bottom of this page - but this view's where it got its name.


The old CN rail car is a bit removed from the old CN rail station, which served passengers from 1905 to 1990.


Ground views of Mt. McKay, the northernmost of the Nor'Wester Mountains, from the airport, then leaving the airport, then on James St.


More views of Sibley Peninsula as I head east along the Thunder Bay waterfront, featuring the 1940 Thunder Bay Main Lighthouse, protecting the inner harbour from its breakwater. Pie Island lies to the right (southwest) of Sibley.


Cumberland Street takes me away from the waterfront and across the Port Arthur Spillway from Boulevard Lake.


Leaving Thunder Bay for a moment (the airplane will return inside its boundaries shortly), here are some aerial views of the Nor'Westerly Mountains. McQuaig Lake is on the left of the first photo and the right of the second photo. The larger lake appearing to the left is Loch Lomond, whose ski area you can see at bottom right.


Right (Nor'Westerlies and Loch Lomond Ski Area) and left (Loch Lomond and an airplane propeller).


More views of Loch Lomond, which bears a passing resemblance to Lake Michigan.


East (left) of Loch Lomond is Lake Superior. The first photo has Flatland Island near left, Sturgeon Bay centre, and Isle Royale in the distance. The international border crosses the lake before the latter. The second photo, taken over delicious Pie Island, has Thompson Island to the top left and Flatland Island to the centre right.

Across to Sibley Peninsula
Leave the city on Highway 61
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