Road map Thunder Bay surrounding area (Ontario, Canada)

Northwestern Ontario      

In the 17th century this was the land of the voyageur, the  front line of the fierce competition between the Hudson Bay Company and  the Northwest Company for furs and North American domination. Today  northwestern Ontario is a land of lumber camps, mining, and wilderness,  where deep violet amethyst hides in the rock and Finnish names dot the  landscape. Each town is rich in character with many unusual  larger-than-life attractions-"Husky the Muskie," murals in Nipigon, a  full-scale replica of the famous Norseman bush plane, and the Sleeping  Giant. Most inspiring of all is the statue of a true Canadian giant,  Terry Fox, on the Courage Highway just outside Thunder Bay.     

Fort Frances [D3] The "Fort" as it is locally known, this  pulp-and-paper town is linked by bridge to International Falls,  Minnesota, and is one of Canada's major tourist entry points. Fort  Frances Museum exhibits early Native, fur-trading, and pioneer  artifacts. Pithers Point Park contains the reconstructed Fort St.  Pierre, and the 18-m-long Hallct, once the largest logging boat on Rainy  Lake.      

Kenora [C2] Kenora is holiday headquarters for the Lake of the  Woods, a 573 km2 waterway with over 14,500 islands that offers  excellent fishing, hunting, and camping. Downtown, 15 full-color  Heritage Townscape murals have been painted by professional artists from  across Canada. "Husky the Muskie," a 13-m-high statue of a fish, has  become the town's symbol.      

Nipigon [D7] Nestled in the heart of the Canadian Shield on  the shore of the great Nipigon River that flows from Lake Nipigon to  Lake Superior, Nipigon is a mecca for fishing enthusiasts. The world's  largest recorded brook trout was caught in the Nipigon River, and many  such world-class fishing opportunities await in the many lakes and  rivers around town. Boats can be moored and launched at the Nipigon  Marina. St. Sylvester Roman Catholic Church, the oldest in the Nipigon  area, was built in 1877. Mass is still celebrated at this historic site.  ©South of Nipigon, near Dorion, is the spectacular geological anomaly  of the Ouimet Canyon, 150 m wide, 100 m deep, and 2.4 km long. The  steep, angular gorge is so deep sections of its floor are in shadow so  much that arctic flora flourish there. From the viewing platform you can  look straight down into the gigantic fault.   

Red Lake [A3] Originally a fur trade post, Red Lake could only  be reached by air until 1947. The Norseman bush plane remains an  important link for the community as many of the 50 seasonal wilderness  resorts are accessible only by aircraft. Besides the museum, Red Lake  has many excellent outdoor activities, including flyfishing and  canoeing.      

Thunder Bay [E6-E7] Also referred to as "The Lakehead" because  of its position at the head of Lake Superior, Thunder Bay is the  third-largest port in Canada, handling cargoes of prairie grain, iron  ore, potash, and forestry products. Lumbering and mining first drew  Finnish settlers here, and Thunder Bay has the largest Finnish  population outside Finland. A fine Finnish meal and sauna can be found  in town. Centennial Park offers superb views of the Sleeping Giant, an  unusual formation of 300 m cliffs offshore that resembles a reclining  figure. SAt Old Fort William, the magnificent inland headquarters of the  Montreal-based North West Company, over 100 costumed interpreters in 42  buildings on a 10-hectare site give visitors an authentic glimpse of  fur trade life circa 1815. Overnight stays are available.      

FORT FRANCES      

Fort Frances Museum Pithers Point Park Fort St. Pierre      

KENORA      

Lake of the Woods      

Museum Mather-Walls House (c.1889) Keewatin Boat Lift MS Kenora Cruises      

NIPIGON      

Nipigon Marina Nipigon Hiking Trail St. Sylvester Roman Catholic Church Nipigon Murals Ouimet Canyon      

RED LAKE      

Red Lake Museum Norseman Heritage Park      

Campbell Gold Mine Golden Civic Centre and Crull Mineral and Rock Collection      

THUNDER BAY      

Old Fort William      

Thunder Bay Historical Museum      

Thunder Bay Military Museum Prince Arthur's Landing Centennial  Park Sleeping Giant Provincial Park International Friendship Gardens  Kakabeka Falls Amethyst Mine Panorama Canada Games Complex      

Terry Fox Courage Highway and Monument Thunder Bay Art Gallery