Baggage Building Art Centre

The History of the Baggage Building Arts Centre

Dating back to 1907, the original structure served as the Freight Office for the Canadian Pacific Railway handling the railwayʼs shipping and receiving until the early 1960ʼs. Purchased by the City of Port Arthur, the building began being used by the Lakehead Visual Arts Club in 1969 and was a seasonal summer gallery for artists to showcase their work used by the club until 2009.

The spirit of the site as an arts venue has continued as part of Thunder Bayʼs waterfront development plan. The structure was renovated and expanded to include a two-storey addition in 2012 combining its historical architecture with a modern open-concept space. Named the Baggage Building Arts Centre, the facility offers flexible space including work studios, exhibition space, and teaching venues, while the north courtyard and south plaza provide additional outdoor exhibit and performance spaces.

The building has achieved LEED Gold certification through many sustainable strategies. These strategies include passive heating and cooling, solar energy, triple-glazed windows, the low albedo roof, and the use of recycled content building material. The building, along with the adjacent Water Garden Pavilion, are the first LEED-certified projects built in Thunder Bay.

Currently, the Baggage Building Arts Centre is not open on a daily basis, however the facility can be rented in order to host arts, culture, & heritage minded community programming, workshops, performances, gallery exhibitions, etc. 

If you require a PDF in an accessible format, please email our Municipal Accessibility Specialist.