The city of Thunder Bay always stirs my Canadian sensibilities - as a key location in our country's growth. Fort William and Port Arthur (the original settlements) were established as important transfer points for western trade goods as they made their way through the St Lawrence system. This is currently reflected in the massive array of grain elevators that line the shore - with ocean-going ships on one side and long rows of railway cars on the other. It was through these ports that western furs were collected and prepared for the trip to Eastern Canada and European markets. It is now the location where the grain from our prairie farmers is transferred from train to ship.
It is a transportation town but it has also become a pulp mill town, service centre, and education hub.
At this point our road more consistently follows the path of the railroad - for the most part all the way to the west coast. I find it exciting to think of the history of this infrastructure - both the good and the bad. It's no wonder that it's still a thrill to receive a whistle or wave from the engineer at the controls of a passing freight.
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