There is something grand about living in Thunder Bay—the largest city beside the world’s largest freshwater lake. Here’s an insider’s snapshot of some activities you can find in the city and area.

Archie’s Fishing Charters

Want to go fishing on Lake Superior for lake trout or Chinook salmon? Then you need to know about Captain Archie Hoogsteen and Archie’s Fishing Charters, Thunder Bay’s only fishing charter business. Archie has over 25 years of fishing experience on Superior and knows where to take his guests to get the fish.

Archie’s Fishing Charters. Website: www.archiescharters.com Tel. (807) 473-9435, cell (807) 624-7096.

Eagle Ridge Trout Ponds

A unique fishing experience that doesn’t require a fishing license is offered at Eagle Ridge Trout Ponds located on Highway 61 about five minutes north from the Canada-U.S. border (or 35 minutes south from Thunder Bay). Owned by Judy and Rick Osipenko, folks can come in and fish for rainbow trout in their ‘’Catch and Keep’‘ pond or catch-and-release for bass in another. You can have a cookout right on site (picnic tables, fire pits, BBQs, shelters) or take the rainbow trout home for dinner (they’ll clean them!).

For overnight guests, Eagle Ridge also has cabins, a solar-heated swimming pool and sauna, all with a fabulous view of Lake Superior.

Eagle Ridge Trout Ponds. Tel. (807)964-9933.

Blue Point Amethyst Mine

Since 1995, amethyst has been Ontario’s official gemstone and Thunder Bay area is home to Canada’s largest amethyst deposits and mine (Amethyst Mine Panorama). One of the smaller less-known amethyst mines is the Blue Point Amethyst Mine, tucked away in Pearl. Open to the public, it offers free admission and provides a big bucket for visitors to mine their own chunk of purple rock (you bring the hammer and water).

To get there, drive 35 miles east from Thunder Bay on Highway 11/17 and when you get to Pearl, turn left onto Road #5 North, cross the railroad tracks and at the mine sign about two miles later, turn left.

To contact Blue Point Amethyst Mine, call (807) 472-4460 or email lynswan1@lakenet.com.

Urban Kayaking

Last summer I had a great time kayaking on the McIntyre River which runs through Thunder Bay. We set out with WildWaters Canoe & Kayak from their dock on McIntyre River and paddled towards Lake Superior.

Once on the harbor, we paddled past interesting waterfront landmarks (like elevators and an abandoned massive ore dock), watched float planes land and gazed over the waters at the awesome Superior landscape of the Sleeping Giant, the islands and lighthouse.

Contact WildWaters Canoe & Kayak at www.kayakthunderbay.com, (807) 622-7200 or forests@tbaytel.net.

Hope & Memory Garden

A relaxing, inspiring stop is at the Hope & Memory Garden, a public garden located on the banks of the McIntyre River. Designed by local landscape gardener Lana Lang, the walkways take you through a vibrant perennial garden sprinkled with beautiful annuals and shrubbery. Rising from the centre is a stunning reach-to-the-sky wood circular pergola with a large seating area.

Developed and maintained by the Thunder Bay Branch of the Canadian Cancer Society, the gardens were created with two goals -- to represent the hope that cancer can be beaten and to commemorate those already lost to it.

Look for the garden when you are traveling north on Balmoral Street, just after crossing the McIntyre River bridge.