Not unlike birds leaving the nest, the 2021 and 2022 Lakehead University fine arts graduates debuted their work at this year’s RetroGraduate exhibit and entered the world of professional art, some of them for the first time.

The word “epic” is an understatement when referring to the incredible homemade ice cream and desserts sold at Epic Cones. Founded by husband-and-wife team Adam and Danielle Turuba in 2018, Epic Cones offers the people of Thunder Bay fun and delicious treats throughout the summer that are safe for those with peanut and tree nut allergies.

It happened faster than I thought it would—”craft” cannabis has arrived at the Ontario Cannabis Store. Identified with a yellow sticker, this new category of products takes all your farmers market-approved adjectives and applies them to cannabis. Craft cannabis, by OCS definition, is artisanal, small-batch, hand-processed cannabis that (supposedly) ensures a higher quality experience, from taste to packaging.

This year marks the 16th anniversary of Salt & Pepper Catering, and owner Dave Thomas couldn’t be more excited. After his catering business ground to a halt due to COVID, Salt & Pepper is finally enjoying a resurgence of bookings. “We’re booking into 2024 now,” Thomas says, shaking his head with a smile. “It’s crazy.”

As you may have guessed from the album’s title, Songs My Friends Wrote, Corb Lund has compiled and covered 10 songs written by friends and fellow country/folk singers to create this special, obscure, country storytelling masterpiece.

The challenges of the past two years have shown us that art helps us heal. Anishinaabe artist Tom Tom Sinclair knows this well. “Art helps me see the world in a good way, in a colourful and beautiful way. Especially now, during the pandemic, where everyone is so separated from each other,” he says. “In my art, I show connections, things on a spiritual level. That’s why I often put strawberries in my paintings—ode’imin—heart berries. Everything grows from the heart.”

Ryan La Via and Ryan Hill have found themselves on an emotional journey as they work to complete their new documentary film. The film, A Sobering Story, examines the addictions crisis in the Thunder Bay area, the stigma surrounding it, and the lack of resources available for those struggling.

For anyone not growing or harvesting everything they eat, it has become painfully obvious that food prices are on the rise. Whether it’s your go-to snack or basic necessities, everyone is shelling out more for everything at the grocery store. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), food prices increased by about 33% across the globe between September 2020–2021. By the end of the year, food prices reached their highest levels in over a decade.