Beyond Wearing Orange: How Thunder Bay Is Honouring National Truth & Reconciliation Day This Year
Amanda Bay
September 16, 2025
Thunder Bay’s Waverley Park isn’t just a green space in the middle of the city, it’s a true local gem with over 150 years of history, dubbed Ontario’s second oldest municipal park. And this summer, it’s about to become your favourite place to hang on a Monday night thanks to the Summer Concert Series. It runs every Monday from July 7th to August 25th, and it’s completely free.
Since 2018, the Coalition for Waverley Park has teamed up with the City of Thunder Bay and the Thunder Bay Musicians’ Association to carry on this tradition that fills the heritage spot with live music. Every Monday night starting at 6:30 pm, local bands take over the bandstand, while people roll in with lawn chairs, snacks, friends and neighbours, for an easy night out.
But here’s the part that makes this park feel extra special—Waverley Park was designated as parkland way back in 1871 after surveyor Simon Dawson’s crew realized their horses couldn’t handle the steep hill on what’s now Waverley Street. Instead, a new road was cut along the route of today’s Red River Road, and the Ontario Government set aside the land for a park. It officially opened in 1906 and is now part of a heritage conservation district. A permanent bandshell was added in 1979 and has been home to community concerts ever since. And the showstopper? The Hogarth Memorial Fountain that is a focal point of the park was built in England in 1790 (that makes it 234 years old! Yes, really!), later to be shipped across the Atlantic in four huge crates and unveiled in Thunder Bay in 1965.
All of that history makes an incredible backdrop for this year’s community lineup that includes jazz, folk, rock and Irish tunes. A few standouts include:
August 11- Jamie Philip: With over forty years of experience in live performance, Jamie is super passionate about his music. He uses a loop station, creating a full band sound by building layers of live loops using a keyboard, guitar, and percussion sounds.
August 18- Jim‑n’-I: Known for their warm acoustic style, this duo blends folk classics with original songs that share local stories. This set always feels like catching up with old friends.
August 25- Rodney Brown: A TBay legend! Rodney has been writing and performing in the community for decades, with music that really captures the spirit of Northwestern Ontario. Expect storytelling that you will be humming to yourself even after the show ends.
If you’ve been looking for a chill summer tradition that feels super Thunder Bay in an iconic setting, this is it. Spend your Monday nights surrounded by live music in one of the oldest parks in Ontario. Waverley Park is ready to show you why it’s been the heart of Thunder Bay since 1871.
