Culture
As the home of Fort William, the inland headquarters of the Northwest Company, our region brought together Northwestern Ontario's Aboriginal inhabitants with French and British settlers. But as the era of the fur trade drew to a close in the late nineteenth century, our regional economy shifted to one based upon newer industries like forestry and shipping.
This, in turn, ushered in an era of prosperity that drew immigrants from all over the world further enriching our cultural mosaic. The forest industry held a special attraction for the Finns and even today, Thunder Bay boasts one of the largest settlements of Finnish people outside Finland. The omnipresent saunas, the shops of "Little Finland" on Bay Street and the prevalence of nordic-style skiing are just a few of the ways the City reveals its Finnish heritage.
Ethnic diversity is one of Thunder Bay's greatest assets, and it shows most clearly in the cultural events that visitors have come to enjoy. The Folklore Festival, a world tour of nations, attracts tourists and locals alike every spring in a celebration of song, dance and cuisine. Just as the Festa Italiana celebrates the food and fun of Italy, the Ukrainian Festival highlights the traditions of the Ukrainian heritage. Ojibwa Keeshigun, a traditional pow-wow held at Fort William Historical Park, offers a colourful glimpse of Native culture.
The coming together of diverse cultures is reflected in the formation of the city itself. Two towns that developed side by side - Fort William and Port Arthur - were amalgamated in 1970 under the name the first settlers had chosen - Thunder Bay.
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