Thunder Bay, created in 1970 by the amalgamation of the cities of Fort William and Port Arthur and the adjacent townships of Neebing and McIntyre, is located in the northwest part of the province on the west shore of the LAKE SUPERIOR bay of the same name.

The Port of Thunder Bay is the western terminus in Canada of the Great Lakes-ST LAWRENCE SEAWAY. Small patches of agricultural land occur adjacent to the city, but the community's physical and economic hinterland is dominated by the rocks, lakes and forests of the Canadian SHIELD.

Surrounding communities depend upon tourism or some form of resource extraction and look to Thunder Bay for a wide variety of services. Natural resource extraction, processing and transportation continue to be strongly represented in the economy of Thunder Bay.

The forest industry, with woodlands operations, pulp and paper mills and wood-processing plants, is the largest industrial employer. Forest products, coal and potash are exported through Thunder Bay harbour, but grain, accounting for 70% of the port's traffic, predominates.

The grain trade has suffered as a result of changing international trading patterns and competition from West Coast ports, but the port continues to ship between 8 and 13 million t annually, and with 9 terminal elevators capable of cleaning and storing 1.4 million t of grain, the port remains one of the world's largest grain-handling facilities.

Secondary industries include railcar construction, ship repair and specialized equipment assembly and modification.

Administrative and service functions employ a large proportion of the labour force and, with the tourism industry, form the second largest employer after forestry, catering to over 1 million visitors annually. Camping areas within the city limits plus provincial parks in the surrounding area serve summer tourists, while the 4 ski areas around the city attract winter visitors. Boaters have access to a full-service marina and its adjacent waterfront park, built on reclaimed industrial land.

Along with tourism, government, education and health services provide diversity in the city's economy and help to maintain a certain buoyancy during periodic fluctuations in the resource industries.

Cultural Life
Thunder Bay has become the regional centre for cultural life in northwest Ontario. In the heart of the city is the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, considered one of the finest concert halls in North America. Productions range from the concerts of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra and the Fort William Male Voice Choir to multicultural music ensembles and performances by a host of contemporary entertainers.
There is one professional theatre company, Magnus Theatre, as well as a variety of amateur companies. The Thunder Bay Art Gallery is a national exhibition centre for native and INUIT ART.
There are also several artist-run or private galleries exhibiting local art. Local history is kept alive at the Thunder Bay Historical Museum and at Old Fort William, a replica of the 19th-century fur trading post.
The city's cultural diversity is promoted through the activities of various ethnic groups and an annual multicultural festival.
Post-secondary education is provided by Confederation College of Applied Arts and Technology and LAKEHEAD UNIVERSITY.
Cultural industries, such as film and music production, graphic art and book publishing, are beginning to take root in the city.