Thunder Bay

When Mennonite missionaries began reaching out into First Nation communities in the 1950s, Red Lake was the literal end of the road. There were trails to northern communities but no roads. Float planes were often used for transportation. Today, some places have all weather roads while some are only connected by ice roads for about 6 weeks out of the year. Travel by airplane is common and communities have (gravel) airports but as you can imagine, it can be prohibitively expensive to fly. In the seventy years since the first missionaries reached out into the northern bush, things have changed dramatically for the peoples who lived there. With a lack of employment opportunities in remote communities and the deterioration of their previous way of life, First Nations people are increasingly moving to urban areas.

The city of Thunder Bay is home to a university, a technical school, and many healthcare services not available in more remote areas. It is one of the primary destinations for First Nations people moving temporarily or permanently away from the northern communities.

Brief aside on the history of Thunder Bay: when the cities of Fort William and Port Arthur were merged into one municipality, the name of the new city was put up to a referendum. Votes were split between two similar options, and the name Thunder Bay won almost by accident. Despite those beginnings Thunder Bay is an appropriate name for the city. Throughout the Bible, thunder is used as a symbol for God's power and glory. Look at this description of God's mercy from Psalm 18:

YHWH thundered from heaven;
the Most High projected His voice.
He shot His arrows and scattered them;
He hurled lightning bolts and routed them.
The depths of the sea became visible,
the foundations of the world were exposed,
at Your rebuke, YHWH,
at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.
He reached down from heaven
and took hold of me;
He pulled me out of deep waters.
He rescued me from my powerful enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too strong for me.

We can't wait to start working in Thunder Bay! Things are happening there, both good and bad. There is depression. There is oppression. Most importantly there is HOPE!