As anticipation builds for Wake the Giant on Saturday, many of its young guests are getting the chance to explore Thunder Bay ahead of the festival.
New high school students from remote Indigenous communities spent Thursday taking part in a guided scavenger hunt across the city.
Organizers say the activity is designed to help students become more comfortable navigating Thunder Bay, as well as build confidence and make connections with one another as the 2026-2027 school year gets started.
“We’re racing around the city in small groups, getting to know the city, getting to know the bus system, getting to know the safe places we can go if we’re feeling nervous, as well as some places we should avoid,” said organizer and Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School music teacher Aaron Guthrie. “We’re getting comfortable here at the Marina festival grounds too so we’re ready for Wake the Giant.”
The hunt was inspired by the popular game show The Amazing Race.
“At each place we go to there are little challenges and little activities for us to do while we wait, like skits and jokes and making little videos for fun,” Guthrie said.
Stops included:
- The Hive Studio
- Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM)
- Marina Park
- Cinema 5 Skatepark
- Wacky Wings
- Intercity Shopping Centre
- CEN-CAN Expo
“The hunt also helps the school staff build some empathy and understand what these students are going through. For example, I’ve never ridden a bus really and it was overwhelming for me. Some of these kids are taking two or three transfers just to get to school,” Guthrie said.
A stated goal of Saturday’s Wake the Giant festival is to help students from remote Indigenous communities feel welcomed and at home in Thunder Bay. The highly anticipated event will feature performances by Flo Rida and The Wallflowers.
“I’m so excited to go [to Wake the Giant],” said Laneesha Meekis, an 11th grade student at Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School travelling from Sandy Lake First Nation. “I’m most excited to see Flo Rida.”
