Jacob Henriksen-Willis is a Thunder Bay-based multimedia journalist with a passion for storytelling. He is a graduate of Loyalist College's Journalism program. You can contact him at Henriksen-WillisJ@radioabl.ca.
Lakehead University’s Indigenous Students’ Association (ISA) will be hosting their 36th annual powwow this weekend at the university’s Hangar.
The ISA says the event will display talent and entertainment while reinforcing traditional aspects of Indigenous culture such as drumming, dancing, singing, and giving thanks.
Walking Bear of Ginoogaming First Nation will be the Host Drum. Attendees will also have the opportunity to explore Indigenous arts and crafts vendors throughout the weekend.
The event is 100% free and all peoples are encouraged to attend.
Here’s the main itinerary:
Friday, March 13: Warm-ups – 6 to 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 14: Grand Entry – 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. Traditional Feast – 5 p.m.
Sunday, March 15:
Grand Entry at 12 p.m. and Closing Ceremonies until 5 p.m.
The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation is hosting their second annual fundraising auction by Howie Mandel’s iconic game show.
20 prize packages, each valued at around $1,000, will be up for grabs during the Chase the Case event at the Valhalla hotel ballroom April 16. All proceeds for the event go towards supporting breast cancer care through the Northern Cancer Fund.
Here’s how it will work:
The 20 prize packages will be divided into 4 groups of 5
Each round, the five prize packages will be shared and participants can start placing their bets
The prizes will then be stashed inside briefcases (you’ll know which prizes are available, but not which case they’re hidden in)
The top five bidders will come to the stage and pick a briefcase, hoping their preferred prize package is inside
There is an option to buy a “phone the banker” opportunity to find out the two cases your desired prize is most likely hidden inside
“Every bidder gets to go home with something awesome,” said Health Sciences Foundation Event Manager Haley Werbowetski. “Last year we raised over $41,000 for breast cancer, which was incredible for our first year. We have a fundraising goal of $55,000 this year.”
Without giving too much away before the event, Werbowetski was able to share three of the prize packages that will be on the block.
“We have the Hot Tub Happy Hour supported by Lake of the Woods Brewery, so you’ll get a case of beer from them, and Hot Tub Express donated a weekend rental of a hot tub in your backyard so you’ll be able to have the coolest party of the summer,” she said.
Another prize is called Feast Coast. “This one is supported by the Landing Gathering Hall, so you’ll get an event rental space there, and East Coast Lobster will provide you with your choice of an oyster shuck or a seafood boil.”
The last prize Werbowetski shared is Suds and Save. “This is a $3,500 gift certificate for Inspired Cabinetry to get you started on that bathroom you’ve probably been ignoring for years.”
The event’s main prize is valued at over $6,500 and donated by Re/Max First Choice Realty.
“It’s been a grueling process for buyers in this market, and it’s gut wrenching,” said James Cameron, event ambassador and realtor at Re/Max. “I’m trying to minimize that stress by putting a case together. I’m going to donate some of my own dollars as a cash prize. Auto Home Paints is also donating some funds. I’ve got a real estate lawyer that’s stepping up to offer his services for closing costs on a property purchase. And I’ve got a home inspector that’s stepped up as well.”
Guests will also enjoy a four-course meal, drinks, carnival games and a separate silent auction over the course of the night.
“(The event will have) great food, great people, and it’s also a great way to network. I love community and this is a great event for it,” Cameron said.
Thunder Bay’s young skiers had the chance to compete in their own backyard as the U16 provincial championships took place at Mount Baldy.
They delivered standout performances on the familiar snow. Four Thunder Bay locals will move on to represent Ontario at the Eastern Canada Championships in Quebec two weeks from now.
“Our local athletes are doing very well at these races,” said Port Arthur Ski Club head coach and program director Dave Bradley. “It’s nice to have home hill advantage, because we’ve been training hard on these hills and they’re taking advantage of it.”
Port Arthur Ski Club head coach and program director Dave Bradley at Mount Baldy for the U16 Provincial Championships (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/March 12 2026)
Over 160 of the top 14-16 year old skiers across the province were invited to the five-day event.
In the boy’s category, William Gerry finished 9th, Hudson Freeburn finished 7th and Reid Jones finished 3rd in the Giant Slalom event Thursday. All three will qualify for the next level.
Freeburn’s time of 35.95 in his first run topped the field, but he fell down the rankings after a slow finish in his second run. Bradley says it’s a valuable learning experience for him.
“You’ve got to look ahead and really stay on your line or you can lose a lot of time all of a sudden, which is what happened to Hudson,” Bradley said. “That can be really hard to deal with.”
Freeburn, 15, is a student at Westgate High School and races for Norwesters Alpine Ski Club in Thunder Bay.
“Second run I got a little late at the bottom, things got a little fast,” Freeburn said. “This event’s really fun though because it brings people from all over Ontario here. It’s very exciting because you see people you’ve never raced against and it’s a very high level.”
“There’s so many things I could say (to a novice skier), but the most important would be to just go out and ski and have fun. Stay in the sport. It’s really meaningful.”
Thunder Bay’s Hudson Freeburn finished 7th in the Giant Slalom Thursday (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/March 12 2026)
Reid Jones, 16, races for TB Fast ski club. He says young skiers should keep working hard through any adversity.
“I just try to get down as fast as I can,” Jones said.
Thunder Bay’s Reid Jones finished 3rd in the Giant Slalom Thursday (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/March 12 2026)
In the girl’s category, Ella Nichols of Thunder Bay finished 2nd in the Slalom event on Monday and will qualify for the Eastern Ontario Championships. She wasn’t available for interview.
Thunder Bay skiers and friends Madeline Hooke and Sophie Lechto, both 15, said they had fun and are happy with how they skiied.
“We’re hoping to continue on with this next year and see how this goes,” Hooke said.
As for advice to novice skiers, Hooke said not to let any negativity get to them.
“People chirp a lot. Don’t let the drama get to you,” she said. “Don’t get involved with it.”
Thunder Bay skiers Sophie Lechto and Madeline Hooke (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/March 12 2026)
Bradley says these athletes shouldn’t be too focused on results at such a young age.
“One thing about skiing, as in a lot of sports, is that every child is on a different growth curve,” Bradley said. “The playing field doesn’t really even out until adulthood. So right now some of the smaller skiers have to be patient and keep working because they’re going to catch up in strength, and some of the big guys that are winning now have to be ready to be challenged in a little bit.”
“Just keep your confidence. Keep working on your skills and having confidence that you’ll be competitive down the road.”
Kenora’s own Sophie English has claimed her third record in paraswimming.
The 15-year old phenom swims in the S6SB6SM6 class. She posted a time of 15:28 in the 800m freestyle short course at a Winnipeg meet last month, the best junior paraswimming time in her class in Canadian history.
English captured the paraswimming provincial record for her class in the 200m backstroke last year, breaking a mark that stood for over 14 years. She also holds the provincial record in the 200m breaststroke for her class.
English is a member of the Kenora Swimming Sharks club.
“I’ve watched Sophie show up every single day and give everything she has,” said Swimming Sharks head coach Janet Hyslop. “For that dedication to be recognized with a Canadian record, it means the world to her, to our club, and to everyone in Kenora who has supported her along the way. This is her moment.”
Employment gaps across the Canadian aviation industry have made the 4th annual Confederation College Aviation Day more important than ever.
Students in the aviation technician/aircraft maintenance and aviation flight management (piloting) programs had the chance to network with over 25 potential employers at the Aviation Centre of Excellence on campus Wednesday afternoon.
The fair also featured events and challenges such as a VR piloting experience and a technician skills competition.
Reps from Pop-Up VR show off their immersive VR piloting experience at Aviation Day (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/March 11 2026)
“The industry is so short for pilots and aircraft mechanics right now,” said Matt Bunn, Associate Dean of Confederation’s Aviation Centre of Excellence. “It’s such a good time to get into aviation. Ten years ago would have been a different scene, but we’ve got so many different employers that are coming to us and seeking our grads.”
“It’s a very mutually beneficial event for both industry and the students of our two aviation programs.”
Confederation Aviation School of Excellence Vice President Matt Bunn at Wednesday’s job fair (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/March 11 2026)
Representatives from main line airlines Air Canada and Porter attended the fair, as well as the Royal Canadian Air Force and the OPP.
“5, 10 years down the line, you’re going to see me in the airlines, definitely,” said Oliver Morgan, second-year student in Confederation’s piloting program. “You’re going to hear Captain Morgan on the airways, and I’m not talking about the liquor.”
Morgan will be interning with Perimeter airlines in the summer after graduation.
“You work really hard to be able to showcase your skills at a high level. Being able to get into the industry basically straight out the gate is just fortunate,” Morgan said.
Sean Park, a second-year student in the aircraft maintenance program, echoes Morgan’s sentiment.
Second-year aircraft maintenance student Sean Park at Aviation Day (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/March 11 2026)
“If I can say anything to the first years or any potential students, I’d tell them to just come and say hi and explore, try new things, get your hands on as many things as you can, and just see where life takes you,” Park said. “I really liked working on things, and I started off working on computers for my friends and family. I started in journalism, but a lot of my friends I met doing that told me to give aircraft maintenance a try. So I came all the way here to Thunder Bay from BC to do just that.”
Officers from the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service seized nearly $150,000 worth of cocaine and crack cocaine in a search of two Nibinamik First Nation homes.
Three women, one from Winnipeg and two Nibinamik locals, are charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000.
The woman from Winnipeg appeared for a bail hearing on Tuesday and was remanded into custody with a future court date. The other two suspects have been released from custody with conditions and a future court date. The names of suspects are withheld until charges against them have been sworn in before the courts.
Confederation College is partnering with the Royal Canadian Navy to educate future sailors.
Through their Non-Commissioned Member Subsidized Training and Education Plan (NCMSTEP), the navy will cover tuition and pay an annual salary to eligible students looking to join the military after graduation. Military-related programs like Aviation Technician, Engineering Technician and Electrical Engineering qualify for the subsidy.
Students will likely need to attain Basic Military Qualification and pursue military training in the summer to fulfill the program.
Naval officers and college administrators gathered Tuesday for a signing ceremony to formalize the partnership.
Lieutenant Navy/Thunder Bay Catholic School Board teacher Joel Biesenthal (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/March 10 2026)
“We are short personnel currently to meet our operational needs, but we’re doing what we can with what we have,” said Lieutenant Navy Joel Biesenthal. “We are working on a major recruiting blitz to get more people to enroll. This is one of those avenues.”
Biesenthal, who is also a teacher with the Thunder Bay Catholic School Board, says he’s happy this program provides opportunities for his past students considering college.
“After I graduated high school, I did not have financial means to go to university. When I enrolled in the navy, it allowed me to get that employment experience and also the financial support to achieve my goals in education,” Biesenthal said.
Confederation Vice President Academic Aaron Skillen says the school is proud to partner with the Canadian Armed Forces. He emphasized the financial benefit of enrollment for potential recruits.
“It’s a wonderful financial aid opportunity,” Skillen said. “There’s a real component there of being supported both financially in your post-secondary studies as well as employment security and stability upon time of graduation.”
Basic Military Training Coordinator Adam Beverly speaks at Tuesday’s ceremony (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/March 10 2026)
Basic Military Training Coordinator and recent Confederation graduate Adam Beverly says joining the navy has been an adventure.
“Basically, if you want to travel, meet new people and gain a lot of overall life experience, it’s a great way to pursue that. And it’s great money to pay for college,” Beverly said.
Alan Doyle. Jim Cuddy. Greg Keeler. Paul Brandt. Johnny Reid. If you’ve lived in Thunder Bay for a while, there’s a good chance you’ve seen them live.
These Thunder Bay Community Auditorium (TBCA) stars are a part of the city’s cultural legacy.
Now’s your chance to own a part of that history.
Signed guitars from all five artists are up for auction, and proceeds will go towards renovating the auditorium to improve accessibility and fan experience.
A signed guitar from Alan Doyle is up for grabs at the TBCA auction (via TBCA)
“We have a lot of history over the last 40 years,” said Andrew Edwards, Acting General Manager of the TBCA. “We don’t want (valuable items) collecting dust in our archives. It felt right to celebrate our past and let items go into the community where they can appreciate them.”
This is the first of four auction rounds hosted by the TBCA. A new round will open each month, with the featured memorabilia revealed as a surprise.
“The artists that we chose specifically for the first round of auctions were people that had some pretty extensive history of playing the building multiple times,” Edwards said.
A guitar signed by Jim Cuddy and Greg Keeler of Blue Rodeo is up for auction (via TBCA)
Edwards says he has fond memories hosting some of their performances.
“Jim Cuddy’s backstage before one of his shows, and he’s just sitting there doing a crossword from the local newspaper, cool as a cucumber. And I’m like, man, this guy’s about to go be a rockstar in front of a sold out crowd, and he’s just dong a crossword right before like a normal person,” Edwards recalled.
“Paul Brandt comes into the auditorium and he knows his way around. He actually sets up a workout room in the basement and goes to town. Same deal with Johnny Reid, but he would actually travel with a personal trainer and set up his workout machines in the lobby. He would try and get staff to join in on his workouts too.”
Signed concert posters from artists such as Down With Webster, Jesse Cook and Coney Hatch are available for bidding as well.
A 39-year old man is dead after an altercation with Kenora OPP officers.
The provincial Special Investigations Unit is investigating the incident.
Police say they responded to a call about a man in distress in the Ena Lake area around 6 pm Monday night. He was armed with a knife.
According to police, officers fired their tasers after an unsuccessful attempt at negotiation. Multiple officers then shot their firearms at the man.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS responders.
The SIU encourages anyone with information about the investigation to contact their lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529 or online at: https://siu.on.ca/en/appeals.php.
