Thunder Bay’s beloved burger-eating fundraiser for the local United Way, Novemburger, will be getting a brand new name ahead of this year’s campaign. On May 30, Brulé, alongside the fundraiser’s chef de mission Erika Mikkola, unveiled that the fundraiser will now be known as the Ultimate Burger Battle. 

Say “hello”—or rather, say “bonjour”—to the new and improved Festival BONJOUR, formally known as Franco Festival. Since its inception almost 20 years ago, the event has evolved greatly, from a one-day gathering every two years to an annual three-day extravaganza. What could top that? This year, from June 5 to 7, Festival BONJOUR is inviting you to experience even more than ever, proving their name change represents more than meets the eye.

This past weekend, the Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop (NOWW) hosted its 27th annual LitFest at Goods & Co. The two-day event concluded with the NOWW Awards Gala on May 17, where Marianne Jones and Michael Sobota, two influential local writers, were celebrated for their significant contributions and support to literature in the region.

What started as a sidewalk sale in 2013 has grown into a neighbourhood-wide festival attracting thousands of attendees over the years. This summer, the Bay & Algoma Buskers Festival will celebrate a milestone tenth anniversary with more international acts than ever before. 

Even in this day and age, the topic of youth mental health can still be considered taboo, typically discussed through euphemisms, if at all. So what is unveiled when a snapshot of 10 young people’s mental health and their ways of coping with it is not hushed up or downplayed, but instead proudly displayed for all to bear witness to—unadulterated? In Teenage Mechanisms, Kamryn Woloschuk seeks to answer that question.

Inspired by a fascination with Thunder Bay’s past, local photographer/videographer Tyler Sklazeski set out to bring the city’s history to life through video. The result is a one of a kind vignette, taking the viewer back to another time and through the bustling streets of the city as it stood then, which he was able to achieve with the assistance of AI technology. 

The iconic statue of a curling rock in front of Fort William Gardens reads that Thunder Bay is the “Centre of Curling Canada.” That statement will ring true when the 44^th annual Scotties Tournament of Hearts will be held at the Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay from February 14^th to 23^rd.