It’s that day of the week again. Time to take the trash out to the curb for pickup. Thinking about it, garbage collection can be a thankless job. It’s certainly not prestigious. Who wants to be outside in the winter cold or a downpour of rain collecting other people’s garbage anyway? Yet, somebody has toContinue reading “The Original Curbside Pickup”
Author Archives: Brian G. Spare
Springing Forward
On March 13 of 2022, we preformed the semi-annual ritual we both love and hate. We changed our clocks an hour. Hopefully, you changed all the clocks in the house ahead one hour to make them Daylight Savings Time. And you hit the sack an hour earlier as well to catch up on that hourContinue reading “Springing Forward”
Remembering Memory Lodge
by Brian G. Spare In 1935, Larry Baarts immigrated from his native Holland to Canada settling in what was then Fort William, Ontario. What appealed to him most were the wide open spaces of this region. Along with his pleasant disposition, he brought his hard work ethic, too. Larry had learned the diamond business inContinue reading “Remembering Memory Lodge”
Street Cars – The Electric Street Railway
A Look Into Thunder Bay’s Transportation Past by Brian G. Spare Things can change a lot over a century including our public transportation system. In the 1880s the silver boom ended leaving Port Arthur without its economic power house. Things got worse when the Canadian Pacific Railway chose Fort William for it terminus and itsContinue reading “Street Cars – The Electric Street Railway”
Keeping the Drive Alive
100 Years of Stock Car Racing in Thunder Bay by Brian G. Spare There has been stock car racing in Thunder Bay for nearly as long as there has have been motorized vehicles here. The earliest recorded race was in September, 1914. It was held as an event in the West Algoma Agricultural Fair atContinue reading “Keeping the Drive Alive”
Jack Masters
A man of our times by Brian G. Spare When I went to Jack Masters’ home for our interview, I was welcomed in by him and his wife Kay. Jack and I spoke for two hours solid and we could have gone for another two. He had many stories and insights to tell me, onlyContinue reading “Jack Masters”
Thunder Bay International Airport
The remarkable history of the Thunder Bay International Airport by Brian G. Spare Did you know the place where Thunder Bay International Airport is now isn’t the original location? I didn’t until writing this article. In June 1929 Bishopsfield (named after Billy Bishop WWI flying ace) became the Lakehead’s first airport and the sixteenth inContinue reading “Thunder Bay International Airport”
Christmas Traditions
by Brian G. Spare Christmas is fast approaching once more, and with it comes all the rituals, social gatherings, food and traditions that make up this time of year. I don’t know of any other holiday season that is so steeped in tradition, or is as cherished as Christmas. No matter how modern it mayContinue reading “Christmas Traditions”
Christmas Concerts
A Community Tradition Through the Years By Brian G. Spare The fur trade in the 1800s brought with it prospectors to Northwestern Ontario searching for mineral wealth. Foresters were attracted here by the vast abundance of trees. Many of them stayed to carve out a place to live from the wilderness. However, the biggest influxContinue reading “Christmas Concerts”
Dinners of Christmas Past
A History of Our Festive Feasts by Brian G. Spare The Yuletide season will soon be upon us once again and with it comes all the rituals, social gatherings, traditions and food that make up this time of year. I don’t know of any other holiday season that is so steeped in traditions, or isContinue reading “Dinners of Christmas Past”
Brian G. Spare 