"Small City, Big Possibilities": The Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission recently launched its refreshed website along with a promotional video touting the attributes of Lake Superor's largest city. "We have been working very hard with Firedog Communications to revamp the gotothunderbay.ca website and Westfort Productions to create a new promotional video for Thunder Bay," the folks at the CEDC posted. "With our new website and video, we want to share everything we love about one of Canada's most exciting cities. Our goal is to better promote Thunder Bay to regional, national and global markets and drive economic wellness and prosperity for many years to come." The video touches on all of the outdoor activities and city amenities, offering that instead of just a great getaway, "maybe it could be the life you live every day because right on the edge of Lake Superior, bordered by forests and mountains, and under the canopy of an endless sky, there lies a beating heart that over 100,000 Canadians call home: Thunder Bay." For those of us who haven't been able to travel across the closed border this year, it's a mini refresher on why we love to visit TBay … and a great promise of what awaits when the crossing is unlocked.
This Just In: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports today that Lake Superior declined slightly less than usual in November, dropping its water level by 1.2 inches instead of its long-term average of 2 inches for the month. "Lake Superior … water levels continue to decline, but are still well above average and the risk of high-water impacts remains," the Corps, acting on behalf of the International Lake Superior Board of Control, announced. The Lake enters December at 9.8 inches above its long-term average at this point in the year, but 3.2 inches below this time last year. The Lake is expected to decline, as usual, through December.
Standing Tall: It may not be the highest of the ski hills in the country, but Mount Bohemia in Michigan's Upper Peninsula can stand tall as it makes the USA Today's Best 10 Ski Resort list for the third year in a row (in fact, it's in the top 5). Seeing the U.P. pop up among ski resorts in Idaho, Colorado and Alaska in the United States or Alberta and British Columbia in Canada might seem a surprise to some, but the extreme skiing experience there has long attracted attention. It is Michigan’s tallest vertical drop at 900 feet. While beginning skiers are discouraged (there is no Mount Bohemia bunny slope), the resort has broadened its appeal all year round with yoga experiences and wilderness lodging that includes yurt life. As to the USA Today's choice of this top ski resort – we're down with it.
On the Line: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will have a live audio and web Public Hearing from 1-4 p.m. ET Monday on the proposed tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac for the Enbridge Line 5. The Corps notes: "Enbridge Energy, LP, has submitted an application for a Department of the Army (DA) permit to construct a pipeline tunnel under the bed of the Straits of Mackinac
between Point LaBarbe, St. Ignace, Mackinac County, and McGulpin Point, Mackinaw City, Emmet County, Michigan. The tunnel would house a new 30-inch pipeline for light crude oil and liquid natural gas which would replace the existing dual submerged Line 5 pipelines crossing the Straits of Mackinac." Those who wish to speak for three minutes during the hearing must pre-register at Line_5_LRE@usace.army.mil before Monday. The current 645-mile Line 5 dual pipeline also traverses the Lake Superior region, starting in Superior, Wis., traveling near the Lake shore in Wisconsin then turning to the southern Upper Peninsula in Michigan and continuing across Lower Peninsula to Sarnia, Ont. Tribal nations and others with environmental concerns have opposed laying a new Line 5 to replace the aging pipeline built in 1953. Even before Enbridge's easement leases expired with the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in 2013, the band had asked Enbridge to remove the 12 miles of pipeline on its lands. It has since sued for the removal, and Enbridge has agreed to seek an alternative route. Those opposed for environmental reasons point to a study from the National Wildlife Foundation, cited in an MLive story that noted at least 29 incidents along the line since 1968 releasing at least 1.1 million gallons of crude. "Many incidents were related to construction mishaps. Others were caused by manufacturing defects in the pipe, such as stress cracking along a seam." Enbridge counters that "Over the past 15 years, there have been three incidents on Line 5 that have resulted in a total of approximately 21 barrels of product being released off the mainline. All of the product released during these three incidents was recovered." On its website, the Canada-based company posts, "We monitor the Line 5 Straits crossing 24/7, using both specially trained staff and sophisticated computer monitoring systems. We also carry out regular inspections of the line, using inline tools, expert divers, and remote operating vehicles (ROVs), going above and beyond regulatory requirements." Elsewhere it states, "Line 5 has operated without incident at the Straits of Mackinac for more than 65 years" and the line supplies 65% of propane demand in the U.P. and 55% of propane use overall in Michigan. Enbridge's 550-acre terminal built in 1950 in Superior is a hub for 10 pipelines to and from Canada and employs about 50 people. More workers would be hired on the construction. Michigan's Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in November ordered the current aging pipeline to shut down by May 2021, citing multiple violations by the company of its 1953 easement and the state’s duty to protect the Great Lakes. The company counters that it is in compliance with the easement, as reported by MLive.
Living with the Hoito?: The new owner of the historic Finnish Labour Temple in Thunder Bay may be amenable to keeping a version of the Hoito restaurant in the building he intends to make into apartments. In late fall, former Lakehead University student Brad McKinnon bought the property for $375,000 after it was let go by the liquidated Finlandia Association. He told Doug Diaczuk of TBNewswatch that he'd like to make high-end apartments out of the banquet hall and auditorium to finance the building and would considering an updated version of the Hoito. The Finlandia Co-operative, which sought to buy the property but fell short of fundraising, is trying to lease the downstairs space to reinstall the popular restaurant.
On Another Finnish Note: The South Pier Inn in Duluth intends to raise the Finnish flag above its property on Sunday to salute the day of Finland's independence from Russia in 1917. The Finlandia Foundation Northland Chapter encourages residents to light two candles in each window to join the celebration. Plus - just to show the true Finnish funny bone, the Northland Chapter linked to the Finnish Embassy's hoot of a video. It leads with how dark it is in the country this time of year (see, or don't see, the snowman?) but ending with a roar of outdoor fun and funny images.
A Hole in the Community's Heart: It was indeed with sadness that we learned of the passing on Wednesday of Mary Rice, 80, a Bayfield, Wis., entrepreneur, restaurateur, artist, philanthropist and all around generous "Queen Mary" of the region who frequently appeared all in pink at the Bayfield Apple Festival. Born in Stillwater, Minn., she graduated from Carleton College in Northfield, where she met her husband, John Rice. They lived in Germany, England and the Twin Cities and had two daughters before they divorced in 1979. In 1980, she moved to Bayfield, an area with which she was long familiar since her father owned property on Sand Island. Besides spearheading development of several non-profit organizations and being a patron of local arts, she was the founder of Maggie's, the flamingo-festoned restaurant in downtown Bayfield, along with a number of other food enterprises in Bayfield and on Madeline Island. She also built the Wild Rice restaurant, now transformed into a retreat. In October, Mary announced closure of Maggie's, though the head chef is working on a potential reopening next spring, the Ashland Daily Press reported at the time. She had a hand in many regional enterprises, including the Lake Superior Big Top Chatauqua and Madeline Island Music Camp. More details of her passing are posted on My Keeper, and tributes abound around the close-knit community. Among the tributes posted is one from Bob Mackreth, formerly of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore: "She was one of those larger-than-life personalities that you read about often enough, but rarely encounter in everyday life. "Flamboyant" wouldn't begin to describe her style, and her contributions to the community would take all night to list. Bayfield won't be the same without her, nor will Sand Island." He also added, "Her contributions to the peninsula are not replaceable."
From CORE Community Resources (which also posted the photo of here of her): "We lost one of the greats yesterday in Bayfield and our little community on the shores of Lake Superior will never be the same. She started CORE Community Resources with a handful of hardworking community members and 14 years on, we are still here, doing the work she started all those years ago. There are so many things I could say about Mary -- her quick wit, her creative spirit, her ability to pull-off epic parties, her hearty laugh, her deep loyalty to the people and causes she held dear, and her artistic talent -- but it was her commitment to this place and its people that will be a touchstone for CORE as we move forward, without her. Her legacy will be multi-faceted but at its heart was the idea that we are better when we are connected -- through art, through food, through service."
This from the Apostle Islands and Chequamegon Bay Area Community Funds (which posted the Apple Fest 2019 photo of Mary all in pink): "Mary Rice who strengthened our community in so many ways, passed on today. She started iconic businesses (Maggies, Egg Toss, Wild Rice). She was a founding donor to the Apostle Islands Area Community Fund and many other nonprofits who exist because of her philanthropy. She quietly and anonymously helped uncounted individuals-- probably hundreds and hundreds with scholarships, medical bills, jobs, housing and more. She was incredibly intelligent (A Carleton College graduate) and a creative artist. She challenged us to do our best. She knew how to throw a party, and accepted the rightly title "Queen of Bayfield". How can we have an Apple Fest Parade without our dear, feisty, opinionated Mary sitting in her pink bathtub atop the bejeweled pink station wagon?"
And finally from the Bayfield Hertiage Association: "Bayfield mourns the loss of our queen. Mary Rice was a leader, philanthropist, and community-builder. Her legacy lives on in the many organizations she built and supported, including BHA. We are forever grateful Mary, and we will miss you greatly."
All in Stride: Brian Freeman may live in Woodbury, Minn., but much of his time is spent in Duluth … either physically visiting or in his imagination. That's because Brian is the New York Times best-selling author of a 12-book series about a flawed Duluth police detective, Jonathan Stride. Of course, the Duluth of Brian's imagination sometimes suffers fictional fluctuations (like a bomb at the mall), but Brian's books do capture the grit and the blunt beauty of our city. Brian writes about more than Stride and has nearly two dozen books out since his first, Immoral, in 2005. They are available in 42 counties and in 22 languages. (Brian tells us people in Italy especially love Duluth.) We featured Brian in our 2012 story "Murder They Wrote: How the Lake Superior Region Seduces Mystery Writers." Recently, though, the author is getting even more international attention with the release of his first book in the Jason Bourne canon created by the late author Robert Ludlum and made even more popular by the films starting Matt Damon. The Bourne Evolution came out in July, and WCCO reporter Jennifer Mayerle interviewed him and posted the story on Monday. Brian says he treats writing like "a 9-to-5 job," evidenced by release of his four books this year – Thief River Falls, The Bourne Evolution, Funeral for a Friend and The Deep, Deep Snow – each described by the author in his blog "The Year in Books." We know, too, that it's something of a family business, with his wife, Marcia Freeman, touting herself as "the author's wife," and serving as first editor for everything, Brian notes, from typos to plot missteps. He also says she gets the first two words in every book, where, indeed, you'll find "For Marcia" on the dedication page. We contacted Brian to ask a few questions about his work and stepping into the Bourne identity.
LSM: In what ways are the characters Jason Bourne and Jonathan Stride the same and different?
Brian: Stride and Bourne take a pretty different approach to problem-solving! Bourne is an action hero, so he seems to leave a trail of dead bodies wherever he goes. He’s always reaching for a gun or using his fists. Stride, as a police lieutenant, is more interested in getting to the truth and solving a puzzle. He’s actually pretty good at resolving conflict in a peaceful way — witness how he held Duluth together during my book Marathon. However, Stride and Bourne are also both fractured, both struggling with their pasts. They’ve both known loss and are haunted by it. So they may be very different men, but they do have things in common.
LSM: You had four (count 'em, four!) books come out this year. Do you work on one completely through or do you work one days on one plot and other days on the other?
Brian: Yes, it’s been a busy year! My stand-alone Thief River Falls came out in January, then Bourne in July and Stride in September. Then the print edition of my Audible Original The Deep, Deep Snow came out in October. Next year the pace will be similar, because I’m wrapping up the third book this year right now. Honestly, I’d love to work on one book completely through — it’s hard switching back and forth! — but the demands of deadlines have made that impossible the last couple of years. I wrote The Bourne Evolution and Funeral for a Friend simultaneously last year, one week on one, one week on the other. This year, I’ve done the same with the second Bourne and my next Audible Original. Fortunately, the stories and characters are all so different that they don’t bleed over between books!
LSM: The Bourne series was launched by Robert Ludlum and picked up by Eric Van Lustbader. How hard is it to step into a character developed by two other authors? Do you try to match anyone's style, or just make it your own?
Brian: I wondered if it would be difficult to step into the shoes of another author’s character — but in the case of Bourne, it felt very natural. I’ve known Jason Bourne since I met him in 1980 in The Bourne Identity, when I was 17 years old, and I’ve followed all of his iterations in books and movies over the years. So I’ve actually known him much longer than Stride! As to style, that’s a trickier question. I think if you try to imitate an author’s style — particularly an author like Ludlum, who had a distinctive dramatic way of writing — you risk it coming across as a caricature. So I largely used my own style, but I tried to let a few echoes of the Ludlum approach meld into my own writing, just enough to make people think of him and his novels.
LSM: A Stride book was your first published work, wasn't it? Does that mean Duluth helped you launch your career ... and how does that strengthen your ties up here to the Big Lake?
Brian: That’s true! Coming to Duluth is still like coming home to me and Marcia — and the people in the Northland truly treat us (and Stride) like family. We love that. I hope I can keep bringing murder and mayhem to Duluth for years to come!
Photo & graphic credits: Westfort Productions; Mount Bohemia; Enbridge; Finlandia Co-operative; Finnish Embassy to the U.S.; CORE Community Resources; Apostle Islands and Chequamegon Bay Area Community Funds; Dave Ballard/Lake Superior Magazine
Around the Circle This Week editor: Konnie LeMay