The economic and social life of Thunder Bay have always revolved around the seasons. When freeze-up closed the harbours to navigation, unemployed grain handlers and longshoremen found work where they could - in the bushcamps, on the railway, or at snow removal jobs in town. For the comfortable classes especially, social activities and sports relieved the tedium of the long dark winters. in all seasons visits by notables helped dispel the sense of isolation felt by this community some 450 miles from Winnipeg and 900 miles from Toronto or Ottawa.
This picture taken during the visit of the Governor General shows the popular winter sport of curling played outdoors on the river, one of the many activities at Fort William begun by the McKellars. Looming in the background can be seen Canadian Pacific Elevators "A" and "B", while in the far distance is one of the few remaining structures of the Hudson's Bay post.
