The Thunder Bay Yacht Club was founded in August 1945. In the beginning, a small group wished to race sailboats- snipe sailboats, to be exact. These boats required a skipper and one crew. The group gradually expanded as new sailors were introduced to racing as crew. There was a need for a large pool of replacement crew, for the boats were tippy and the skippers bold. Furthermore, the sailing area off Chippewa was on the windiest part of Thunder Bay, and some say also the coldest.
Even 50 years ago, all the shoreline in both cities was spoken for and busy, and access to open water was a must with no engine in the boats. The Port Arthur harbour inside the breakwall would have given some protection but was very busy with commercial traffic and had no available location for a club. The Club was formally organized at Chippewa Park, with Tom Corness as Commodore, and with the blessing and support of Arthur Windnall, head of Fort William Parks. The new Club, named after Thunder Bay, already had members from both the cities of Fort William and Port Arthur, and 25 years later it became the Yacht Club that had a city named after it!
Contact Info
Address:
1851 108th Ave, Thunder Bay, ON P7C 6B8, Canada
Phone: +1 807-622-0256
Email: admin@tbyc.on.ca
Website: www.tbyc.on.ca