A Chilling Tale from Beneath the Inland Sea
For Halloween thrills, we got permission to link you to the chilling Big Lake story of the lost Kamloops by Geo Rutherford, author/illustrator of Spooky Lakes: 25 Strange and Mysterious Lakes That Dot Our Planet.
"Chock-full of shipwrecks, Lake Superior is a graveyard for thousands of people who have perished there," writes Geo. "There is a rich and intricate history of ships navigating the Great Lakes’ vast waters because they serve as a vital shipping highway through the Eastern North American continent, from the Atlantic Ocean to Lake Superior. However, the sheer scale of Lake Superior means it can be incredibly dangerous, and on windy days waves can reach up to 29 feet high. That’s taller than a two-story house! During storms, these massive waves can engulf ships, dragging them down to a watery tomb."
"…Of the 350 shipwrecks at the bottom of Lake Superior, there is one particularly famous steamship called the SS Kamloops. At 250 feet long and 2,226 tons, this steel freighter was a relatively small vessel for the Great Lakes in the 1920s. For three years, the ship’s responsibility was to carry cargo between Montreal, Quebec, and Thunder Bay, Ontario."
Read Geo's full story on Great Lakes Now by linking here.
Meanwhile …
If you're a boatnerd or Lake lover, you might want to sign up for the Gales of November program next weekend (Friday, Nov. 8-Saturday, Nov. 9) in Duluth. The annual event put on by the Lake Superior Marine Museum Association features speaker on maritime history, industry and photography, plus exhibitors, luncheons, a great silent auction and a raffle for a chance at the "Cruise of a Lifetime" on the Great Lakes Fleet flagship freighter, Edwin H. Gott.
Among those giving presentations this year: Jonathan Lamb, president of Duluth Cargo Connect; Sam Hankinson from the Port of Monroe; photographer/maritime historian Chris Winters; Paul LaMarre III, director of the Port of Monroe; maritime historian/author Fred Stonehouse; wreck hunter Ken Merryman; Paul Moralee of Canadian Lighthouses of Lake Superior, and many more, including Ian Grant of PBS, a Duluth native now living in the Twin Cities, who brings a sneak peak of his new series "Culture Quest."
Register at LSMMA.com.
'Fruit Fly, Please Bother Me' … So Says Michigan Tech Researcher)
Armed with a banana-baited live trap and a strong desire to disprove a gap in a species distribution map, Michigan Technological University professor of genetics and developmental biology, Thomas Werner, found a single specimen of the species Drosophila narragansett on the Maasto Hiihto public recreation trail in Hancock. (He's seen here in this photo by Daniel Shaykevich on a Pacific Northwest expedition that’s the subject of an upcoming documentary film.
Cyndi Perkins writes about Thomas' discovery of this fruit fly thought to be extinct, but right in his own backyard region.
"Researchers suspected that Drosophila narragansett, a silver-faced fruit fly, was extinct," she writes. "'Astonishingly, it seems not to have been collected within the past 60 years despite its broad range,'" said Werner.
"The investigation that led to the elusive fruit fly was entirely unplanned. It started with an irresistible research paper in the hands of Werner, an educator who has been raising awareness about the scope and importance of fruit flies throughout his career."
Thomas has collected and studied fruit flies coast to coast. He was amazed to find the silver-face fly, distinctive from its dark-face cousin. (You can see the difference in the photo here.)
Read the full story of Thomas' journey of discovery here.
The Wild Weather of Halloween
Long-time residents of western Lake Superior remember well the infamous 1991 Halloween Blizzard. Duluth got buried under 37 inches of snow from Oct. 31-Nov. 3 that year, as the National Weather Service shows in its history graphic seen here and the wider view comes from NOAA, which also has a good story on the storm found here. Madeline Island got 16.4 inches during that time. David Ballard, a former photographer for the Duluth News Tribune, posted pictures and a few memories of the storm back in 2016.
Atmospheric turbulence isn’t the only disruptor of past Halloweens by the Big Lake. SooToday posted a story this week from the librarians of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library and took us back to the Halloween earthquake of 1935. You heard that right – earthquake – though technically it was 1 a.m. ET on Nov. 1. It is said ripples were felt as far as Thunder Bay.
“The earthquake was centered around Témiscaming, Québec, but it could be felt across an area of approximately 1.3 million square kilometres – a notably large swath of land to be affected. It was registered as a 6.1 magnitude earthquake and defined as 'very strong' based on the damage caused, including cracked chimneys and a collapsed railroad embankment,” the story says. “In Sault Ste. Marie, the damage wasn’t quite as severe. During the roughly 45 seconds for which the quake lasted, it rattled windows, jangled dishes in cupboards, knocked plates off shelves, shook furniture, and in one case, sent some plaster tumbling down. In Soo, Michigan, it cracked windows.”
And, apparently, at least one chicken died of fright (that was a hen, not a human scaredy cat). Read the full story of the quake here.
While the weather this evening shouldn’t parallel those wild storms, trick-or-treaters should dress warmly and waterproof-ly according to the regional weather services. Expect rain at least, but perhaps even a snowy mix and, according to some forecasts up to 6 inches of snow, before and during the evening door-to-door knocking.
Writer-ly Notes
• Thunder Bay author Jean E. Pendziwol won the the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award for the book, Skating Wild on an Inland Sea. Todd Stewart, equally honored, was illustrator of the book. The Canadian Children's Book Centre sponsors the awards. Lake Superior Magazine's editor chatted with Jean about her book last November. You can read that Q&A conversation here.
• R.Aveen will be signing copies of her book Animal Listeners at Black Ice Comics & Books in Houghton on Saturday (Nov. 2) from noon-5 p.m. She is donating 40% of her book sales at the event to Copper Country Humane Society.
• Author-scholar-storyteller Carter Meland will present a compelling overview of Indigenous futurisms and the broader speculative fiction genre in his talk titled "Exploring Genre: Speculative Fiction," starting 6 p.m. at the Duluth Public Library on Nov. 7. The author of Stories for a Lost Child will examine the unique elements of world-building, character development and plot construction in speculative fiction, offering insight into how Indigenous voices are reshaping the genre.
• Astronaut, author and artist Col. Jeffrey Williams, U.S. Army (Ret.), will be the keynote speaker at St. Louis County Historical Society's Veterans Memorial Hall 2024 Remembrance Dinner that starts at 5 p.m. Friday (Nov. 1) in the Great Hall of the St. Louis County Depot. Jeffrey, who was born in Superior and raised in Winter, Wis., holds the record for longest time in space for an American man, with over 534 days logged. His work includes time on the International Space Station with Expedition 13 and Expedition 21 as Flight Engineer, and Commander of Expedition 22. There are a limited number of tickets still available. Call 218-733-7507 for details.
• Honest Dog Books in Bayfield offers a double-the-fun whammy of a night on Friday. From 5-7 p.m, enjoy a free Tiny Bookstore Concert by Milo, the acoustic father-son duo Clint and Luke McCowan. Then starting a 7 p.m., join Jan Lee for an intimate evening of "Small Epiphanies," in the space out back. Jan has written a one-woman show of mostly-true stories, sprinkled with a bit of accordion. Suggested $10 donation.
• AICHO – the American Indian Community Housing Organization – hosts the last chapter of its Indigenous Writer Series, celebrating writers Dennis E. Staples and Jesse Switters on Saturday, Nov. 9, from 2-4 p.m. at the Dr. Robert Powless Cultural Center in Duluth. This event is free and open to the public. Expect a presentation, book reading, Q&A and book signing.
REMEMBER … It's a time-changing weekend, so "fall back" an hour before you head to bed Saturday night. Then you'll be on-time Sunday morning.:
Michigan
Saturday, Nov. 2: The Lake Superior Arts Association presents "Art Adventures for Children: Latin America," with creative hands-on projects for kids at the Peter White Public Library in Marquette. Young artists ages 7-12 will enjoy using markers and paint to make personal masterpieces.
Tuesday, Nov. 5: Marquette Maritime Museum hosts History on Tap, 7 p.m. at the Ore Dock Brewing Company. The topic is "Improvements in Weather Forecasting Throughout the Years" with Matt Zika, National Weather Service Marquette meteorologist.
Next Thursday-Sunday, Nov. 7-10: The 41 North Film Festival in Houghton showcases award-winning independent films and filmmakers from around the region, country, and world. The event offers a full schedule each day of shorts and longer films. Its first feature fill on Thursday is "Agent of Happiness" (in photo above).
Of Note: The Michigan DNR is seeking public input on two new general management plans in the Keweenaw Peninsula. One is for Keweenaw Point state-managed lands and the other is for Fort Wilkins Historic State Park in Keweenaw County. Residents have until Nov. 24 to comment on the plans. There will be a virtual public meeting about Keweenaw Point, Wednesday (Nov. 6) 6-7:30 p.m. Pre-register here.
Minnesota
Friday, Nov. 1: The 17th annual All Souls Night, centered at The St. Louis County Depot in Duluth, will feature food trucks, a puppet parade on Bob Dylan Way (aka Michigan Street) including Muesli, a giant articulated lantern moose (seen above), and other activities intended to remember those passed. Lantern making starts at 3 p.m., the main events at 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 1: Get ready to see an incredible lineup of acts, from singers and comedians to dancers and even a cat trick act when Ely’s Historic State Theater hosts "Ely's Got Talent." Each ticket gives you five votes to cast for your favorite performance, and every dollar donated adds an extra vote. Your support could help your favorite act win the $750 Audience Choice Award and helps Northern Lakes Arts Association meet its $7,500 fundraising goal to continue programs like Youth Art Camps, Pay-What-You-Can performances, Reflections Dance Company, and others. Event runs 7-10 p.m.; those who can't attend can vote online.
Friday & Sunday, Nov. 1 & 3: The Lyric Opera of the North performs two one-act plays, "The Impresario" and "Circe on Superior."
On the radar: Singer-songwriter Gaelynn Lea and storyteller-playwright Kevin Kling combine their talents in an original musical fable, "Invisible Fences," which weaves together storytelling and song to create a unique theatrical experience. This production blends their internationally-renowned skills in music and storytelling to create an intimate show that is rich in the wit and wisdom inherent in Disability Culture. Performances at Zeitgeist in Duluth will be nightly, Nov. 7-16 and Nov. 21-23. Gaelynn is from Duluth; Kevin's mom lives in Washburn.
Wisconsin
First Friday of the Month: Shop late and shop local in Bayfield the first Friday of every month when the local shops stay open until 7 p.m. 'Tis the season for local shopping.
Friday, Nov. 1: Pier Plaza Restaurant & Lounge celebrates its annual Veterans Fish Fry, 4-7 p.m., with proceeds donated to Bayfield American Legion Post 49. Hoops donated the fish. There's also a 50/50 raffle.
Saturday, Nov. 2: Saturday, Nov. 2: Gear up for winter with the annual Ski + Snowboard Swap at Mt. Ashwabay Ski and Recreation Area in Bayfield. The swap offers a chance to trade-in or trade-up, with 15% of the purchase price benefiting the Ashwabay Outdoor Educational Foundation. Cross-country, downhill, snowboarding and other winter sport equipment are all welcome. Doors open 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Drop offs taken through 5 p.m. Friday.
Next Friday, Nov. 8: The Bay Area Film Society along with the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa focus on National Native American Heritage Month with a special screening of "Sugarcane". This 2024 National Geographic film has been nominated for 8 Critics Choice Documentary Awards and covers an investigation into abuse and missing children at a Canadian Indian residential school system. Special $5 pricing for all tribal members with ID.
Ontario
Friday-Saturday, Nov. 1-2: Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra and the Badanai Theatre Co. team up for a Disney Adventure, starting 7:30 p.m. at the Italian Cultural Centre in Thunder Bay. From the circle of life in “The Lion King” to the tale as old as time in “Beauty and the Beast,” experience a whole world of gorgeous tunes.
Saturday, Nov. 2: The Machine Shop in Sault Ste. Marie transforms into Hogwarts, school for Wizards, during a daytime event designed for “wee wizards.” Participants can embark on a journey through Platform 9 3/4, explore Ollivanders, wander the iconic Hogwarts corridors, and engage in interactive wizardry classes. This event offers a captivating opportunity for avid Hogwarts fans to immerse themselves in the enchanting wizarding world, providing a firsthand experience of student life at Hogwarts. Proceeds are donated to the Sault Area Hospital Foundation Cancer Care Fund. Runs 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 2-3: Enjoy the 29th annual Country Christmas Craft Fair at Vanderwees Garden Gallery in Thunder Bay. More than 70 tables of handmade items from local vendors. Shop early for Christmas. Free admission.
Next Thursday, Nov. 7: Salt & Light Northern Film presents “Nefarious,” a 2023 suspense thriller, showing 7 p.m. at The Grand Theatre in Sault Ste. Marie.
Photo & graphic credits in order of appearance: Geo Rutherford; Lake Superior Marine Museum Association; Michigan Technological University; Duluth News Tribune/Facebook; National Weather Service; Todd Stewart/Skating on an Inland Sea; Carter Meland; Jeffrey Williams; Jan Lee; Spotlight, from left, "Agent of Happiness," 41 North Film Fest/All Souls Night/Bayfield Chamber and Visitors Bureau/The Machine Shop