The City of Thunder Bay is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Arts & Heritage Awards, celebrated last night at Magnus Theatre. The event featured inspiration, recognition, and community pride as attendees gathered to honour the people and organizations who shape Thunder Bay’s vibrant cultural landscape. 

The 2025 award recipients are as follows:

  • Marion Agnew – Literature
  • Small Town Bad – Music
  • Ivan Love – Stage Performance
  • The Thunder Bay Museum – The Pillar Project – Visual Arts and/or Fine Craft
  • Eleanor Drury Children’s Theatre – Cultural and/or Heritage Organization
  • Story Time with Thunder Bay Drag Queens – Cultural and/or Heritage Festival or Event
  • Lynne Warnick & David Tranter, Entershine Book Shop – Cultural and/or Heritage Professional
  • Sue Paskoski – Achievement: Cultural and/or Heritage Volunteer of the Year
  • Kelly Saxberg – Achievement: Lifetime or Professional Achievement in Arts, Heritage or Culture 

“The Arts & Heritage Awards highlight the incredible creative energy that exists in our city,” said Caitlyn McMillan, Cultural Development & Public Art Coordinator. “Each recipient represents the heart of Thunder Bay’s arts and heritage community—innovative, dedicated, and deeply connected to our shared sense of place.” 

This year’s ceremony also marked the unveiling of a new award design, created by local artists Callen Retter and Robin Gathercole. The multi-layered, laser-cut wood sculpture reflects Thunder Bay’s cultural and natural identity, featuring the Sleeping Giant, Lake Superior, and abstract motifs representing the diverse award categories. 

Individual awards were proudly sponsored by the Heritage Advisory Committee, the Public Art Committee, Tourism Thunder Bay, and The Walleye. 

For more information about the 2025 recipients, award categories, and the history of the event, visit thunderbay.ca/cultureawards.

 

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Contact: Caitlyn McMillan– Cultural Development and Public Art Coordinator, 625-2357, caitlyn.mcmillan@@thunderbay.ca