Saltie Report: The Port of Thunder Bay welcomed its earliest ever foreign-flagged visitor when the Marshall Islands-registered M.V. Federal Cedar enter the harbor on April 4 and earned Federal Cedar Capt. Pradeep Dattajirao Nalawade and Chief Engineer Kalyan Kumar Roy the port’s Top Hat Honours for 2021, however there was no ceremony due to pandemic protocol. This is the earliest opener for the port in five years. The vessel loaded 12,000 metric tonnes of Canada Western Red Spring Wheat for direct export to Puerto Rico and left Thunder Bay at about 9:30 p.m. Thursday. Meanwhile, it looks like the first Twin Ports saltie might be a week or so away from arrival (think April 18-ish). The first saltie under the Aerial Lift Bridge, of course, will net a nifty prize package for the winning entry in the First Ship Contest sponsored by Visit Duluth. Registration is closed, but it will be intriguing to see how close the winner gets to the right time and day. Stay tuned.
On Their Way: "C'est parti!" a band of five French Canadian adventurers posted on March 20 as they began their Expédition AKOR trek from the northernmost island to southernmost point in Canada using only their people-power propulsion. "Nicolas Roulx, Guillaume Moreau, Philippe Voghel-Robert, Étienne Desbois and Jacob Racine, each had with them a pair of cross-country skis and a sled, loaded with supplies, weighing approximately 300 pounds," reports Andrew Cruickshank for Cottage Life. "Their goal is to spend the next seven months traversing the 7,600-kilometre journey between Canada’s north and south axis using only human force." Along the way, they will gather science data, and in anticipation, they've done many education programs. The route laid out by the five eventually follows the Ontario shore of Lake Superior. The full trip is expected to take seven months, and we're not sure when we'd be welcoming them here, but you can follow their progress on the Facebook and website pages. They will employ skis, canoes and bicycles for their journey.
popUp Playspace: Our former Lake Superior Magazine space at 310 E. Superior St. across from the Sheraton Hotel has a temporary new life as an indoor playspace organized by the Duluth Children's Museum. Through the month of May on Thursdays-Sundays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., children can come to expend a little energy on the creative equipment set up there. Use is free for museum members and $5 per person for non-members. It may be perfect for the upcoming rainy, gray weekend. Find out more about all the programs and opportunities through the Children's Museum on its website.
Loose Moose: A couple anglers catching the last good ice fishing on an inland lake west of Thunder Bay got a surprise ice buddy recently. After falling through the ice and managing to pull itself out of the chilly waters, a moose strolled over to Doug Steele and his son Owen, hanging nearby for about 90 minutes, reports Gary Rinne of SooToday. The moose followed one of the fellows for a bit, and they caught some interesting video of the experience. Speculation was that the moose wanted their walleye. One question, is it usual to ask an approaching moose, "What do you think you're doing?" or is that a northern Ontario thing?
Community Booster: As Ontario continues under a COVID lockdown this month, a Sault Ste. Marie business owner is encouraging locals to remember their restaurants. Launching #wevegotyourback, Greg Lefave, president of Superior Auto Group, encourages residents to order take out directly from restaurants and then pick it up themselves so that the most money goes to the struggling eateries. Greg is encouraging take-out orders by offering to do a end-of-the-month drawing to pay all the month's take-out for one person. See his Facebook post for details. Local Sault restaurants also are posting on his page with their take-out offerings. Today for Fish Fry-Yay (as the posters put it), The Breakfast Pig is offering this fish meal (in photo) until it sells out. The U.S.-Canadian border is officially closed through April 21, though one suspects it will remain so at least through this monthlong lockdown.
Keep It Clean: Melted snow always reveals more than we'd like to see, especially when it comes to loose trash. Tomorrow in Duluth is the day to lend a hand to the spring clean up sponsored by Keep Duluth Clean. The group encourages residents to pick up the litter and trash in front of their house, within their neighborhoods and in city public spaces. You can sign up to participate online and when you submit your trash collecting report online you're eligible for prizes from local sponsors, from Whole Foods Co-op gift cards to Loll Designs products. Forecast calls for overcast, but the rain should be done by then. Perfect trash-picking weather, we hope.
OverTheWaves
A Wave at the Michigan House: Bick Smith, who produces Over the Waves, video/audio visits around Lake Superior, posted his latest installment this week describing his visit to Michigan House Cafe & Red Jacket Brewing Co. in Calumet, Mich. In a short conversation with Tim and Sue Bies, owners of the establishment for two decades, Bick talks about their business and community. (Red Jacket, of course, was the original name for the town of Calumet in its mining heyday.) Folks are drawn to their Keweenaw establishment by the handcrafted beer served in setting that echoes an eclectic set from a movie and by the history of the region. It's a short wave that will put a fun addition onto your Keweenaw Peninsula travel itinerary.
Photo & graphic credits: Capt. Nathan Dawson/Thunder Bay Tug Services; Expedition AKOR; Duluth Children's Museum; Doug & Owen Steele; The Breakfast Pig; Keep Duluth Clean; Bick Smith/Cybick Productions