The Keefer Terminal was conceptualized in 1957 by the Canadian Lakehead Port Association, a co-operative consisting of the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, and the cities of Port Arthur and Fort William. The terminal stands out as a major feature of the Thunder Bay Port, and is an integral part of the region's shipping. It was built to augment existing bulk cargo-handling capabilities at the Lakehead with modern facilities for lake vessels carrying freight for Western Canada, and berthage for ocean-going vessels for handling import and export trade. With the transition of package freight movement to the Trans-Canada Highway in the 1980s, marine activity decreased at Keefer Terminal. Since 2004, the Port of Thunder Bay has revitalized the terminal as a supply-chain gateway for heavy, oversized breakbulk and project cargo. Keefer Terminal’s regular cargoes, primarily destined for Western Canada, include steel products, windmill components, electrical infrastructure and bulk phosphate fertilizer. Capital infrastructure investment of $30 million has modernized Keefer’s cargo handling assets, providing value for shippers using the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system. Learn more about this fascinating site through the video below.

The Red Sky Métis Independent Nation (RSMIN) are descendants of the original French voyageurs who settled in the area and the Indigenous women they married. Specifically, they are composed of the descendants of those 84 Métis recognized by the Crown as beneficiaries and annuitants under the Robinson Superior Treaty of 1850. RSMIN are culturally distinct from the First Nations people, holding their own traditions, customs and practices. The history of the RSMIN dates back to as early as 1506. As part of Digital Doors Open, through the video below, the RSMIN shares with us their traditional knowledge of preparing birch tea. Birch tea has anti-inflammatory and medicinal properties to it. Different parts of the birch tree found in the Thunder Bay region have been used for centuries for the preparation of this tea.

The shorelines of the Lakehead have been populated with elevators since the early 1880s, with the construction of Port Arthur’s King Elevator beginning in 1883. The grain industry fuelled much of the development of the twin cities, with the first elevators being built by the Canadian Pacific Railway at Fort William in 1885. Construction of grain elevators proceeded so rapidly that Fort William was called “Elevator City” during the early 20th century. Today, there are seven operational grain terminals at the Port of Thunder Bay. One of these is the Superior Elevator. Grain arrives here by rail where it is offloaded, inspected, cleaned (if needed) and stored until its journey continues east by ship. Watch the video below to see this terminal in operation and learn more about its role in transporting grain to market.

Built as Fort William’s police station and courthouse, the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society opened its major exhibit gallery here in 1997. Visit the Thunder Bay Museum during Doors Open Thunder Bay 2022 for back-of-house artifact collection storage tours, artifact displays on the early foodways and agricultural development in the area, as well as a museum-wide family-friendly scavenger hunt.