Thunder Bay’s 50 million ton city mascot is known as the Sleeping Giant, the panoramic Sibley Peninsula, a formation of mesas and sills that juts out on Lake Superior and forms the body of water that is Thunder Bay. When viewed from the City, this remarkable peninsula resembles a reclining giant. The Sleeping Giant is displayed on the City of Thunder Bay’s coat of arms and flag.
The largest, deepest, and most northerly of the Great Lakes and the largest body of fresh water in the world, Lake Superior has been home to the Ojibwe people for over 500 years. An Ojibway Legend identifies the Sleeping Giant as Nanabijou, who was turned to stone when the secret location of a rich silver mine was disclosed.
This formation is part of the Sleeping Giant Provincial Park where dramatic steep cliffs are among the highest in Ontario at 240 metres. The southernmost point is known as Thunder Cape and has been depicted by many early Canadian artists. The park has natural, recreational and cultural opportunities during every season including hiking and biking, canoeing and kayaking, camping, wildlife viewing and photography, and winter sports like cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
Sometimes we do, Garry. Like Lake Minnewanka, Kakabeka falls, and so on.
But more often Anglicized names are used, or translation of native names into English (eg. “Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump”).
What say you, Ottoman?
Hi Garry RF and DrFumblefinger.
Thanks for you interest on today’s pic of the day…the Sleeping Giant. Garry, in Northwestern Ontario (and many other areas of Canada), aboriginal names are used quite commonly. In Thunder Bay, many medical clinics, schools, recreational centers, and so on have an aboriginal name, not to mention the many towns and landmarks in the area that also have aboriginal names. A major piece of Northwestern Ontario’s history involves the fur trade (which of course the aboriginals played an important part in). Speaking of the fur trade, within the next few months I hope to either do a pic of the day or a blog on “Old Fort William” aka “Fort William Historical Park” which is located in Thunder Bay. Happy travels everyone. Cheers.
Do the modern Canadian folks still use the original names that the indigenous people used for local places ?
I’ve been to a few places where the aboriginal people have been pushed aside for the Concrete Jungle of Western or Anglicised living.
I do feel a touch guilty – but ……
Passing through Towns in Australia and North America (incl. Canada) I like to stop off and take a few photo’s of places that have been named after places in the UK.
In Chester PA. I was asked “Do you have a Chester too?” – ” Yes and a Jersey, York, Boston, Washington, Dover, Bethesda, Birmingham and a few more “
Didn’t know you had a Fort William until I was watching a “Who Do You Think You Are” TV show recently. A female Celebrity was tracking her ancestral trail from the UK.