Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada is not just a major port city on Lake Superior. The city’s history includes the Anishinaabe and Ojibwa native peoples who began trading with the western settlers who came and built Fort William as a central transport depot, fur trading post as part of the North West Trading Company. The fort was used by the fur traders to exchange goods coming from Europe via Montreal. The fur traders originally came mainly from Scotland and France and ended up inter-marrying with the indigenous peoples during this period in the 1800’s. The Hudson’s Bay Company was also located at Point de Meuron during this time as well. Today, Thunder Bay serves as a rural hub of education and health care along with logging, mining ore, and grain transport for central Canada.

Our first stop on our tour is at Fort William Historical Park. The park was built in 1973 to provide a look into the life and times of this amazing part of the Canadian history of commerce. Everything in this park is recreated and represents what life was like on at a trading post in the 1800’s. The fort was a rendezvous for traders from the west and east.

This is one of the best historical parks we have seen. Much of the information provided can be found on the internet and yet it is so interesting to see it in person – like building canoes out of birchbark! https://fwhp.ca/about-us/historic-background/

Kakabeka Falls is the next stop on this tour. It is called the “Niagara of the North,” Ontario’s second highest waterfall. Quite beautiful even on a cloudy day.

Back on the ship for a group dinner in the private dining room. A great way to end our day!

We did not get to see the famous Sleeping Giant Mesa which is known to be a beautiful sight across from Thunder Bay due to the overcast weather conditions. Tomorrow, our ship makes a stop at Silver Inlet and a hike at the Sleeping Giant Provincial Park will have to do!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeping_Giant_(Ontario)