Thunder Bay, on the shore of Lake Superior
Thunder Bay sits at the head of the Great Lakes, where the Trans-Canada Highway bends around Lake Superior. It is the largest city in northwestern Ontario and the gateway to a very large, very empty landscape.
A city shaped by the lake
The city grew around a natural harbour. For more than a century it has been a major port for grain moving from the Prairies onto lake freighters and down the St. Lawrence Seaway, and its skyline of grain elevators still shows it.
The lake also sets the weather. Summers are mild near the shore, while winters are long, cold and snowy — plan any trip between November and April around road conditions.
The view that names the city
Across the bay lies the Sibley Peninsula, whose rock formations look from the city like a figure lying on its back. The Sleeping Giant is the landmark people picture when they think of Thunder Bay.
Something to try
The Persian — a sweet, oval pastry topped with pink berry icing — is a local speciality you are unlikely to find outside the city.
- OutdoorsThe main outdoor sights near Thunder Bay: Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, Kakabeka Falls, Mount McKay and the Lake Superior shoreline.
- HistoryFrom the fur trade at Fort William to the 1970 amalgamation with Port Arthur, and the Terry Fox monument east of the city.
- Getting aroundPractical notes on reaching Thunder Bay by road and air, driving the Trans-Canada Highway and planning around winter.
- AboutAn independent guide to Thunder Bay, Ontario.