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Revision as of 23:48, 3 April 2004 by Erudition (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Thunder Bay (2001 population 120,370) is a city at the head of Lake Superior in northern Ontario, Canada. Its port forms an important link in the shipping of grain and other products from western Canada through the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence Seaway to the east coast.
The city was formed in 1970 by the merger of the smaller cities of Fort William and Port Arthur. Fort William, originally the French Fort Caministogoyan, was the hub of the North West Company's fur trading business in the early 19th Century. Port Arthur, a few miles to the north, was first settled in 1870 as the head of construction of the Dawson Road connecting Ontario with Western Canada.
Forestry and manufacturing are the largest industries in Thunder Bay, with Bowater Forest Products and Bombardier Transportation maintaining large operations there.
Thunder Bay is home to two institutions of higher learning: Lakehead University and Confederation College.
Thunder Bay's main tourist attraction is Fort William Historical Park, built in 1973 as a reconstruction of the Fort William fur trade post.
The city overlooks the Sleeping Giant, a large formation of mesas on a peninsula in Lake Superior that resemble its name when viewed from the city. It has become a symbol of the city.
In 1981, Thunder Bay hosted the Canada Games. In 1995, Thunder Bay hosted the World Nordic Ski Championships.
Media outlets in Thunder Bay include Thunder Bay Television (CKPR 2/5 and CHFD 4/6) and Shaw Cable 10; CBQ 88.3 FM, Rock 94, Magic 99.9, Hot 105, and 580 CKPR; The Chronicle-Journal and Thunder Bay's Source; and Thunder Bay Independent Media Center.