Thunder Bay city council has provided $100,000 in seed money over the next two years to a group attempting to establish a heritage park in the city's historic Bay-Algoma area. The funding is conditional on the group raising four dollars for every one dollar provided by the city, and the establishment of a legal entity to receive the funds.
The park is to be known as the Bay-Algoma Cultural Heritage Park and is home to the city's historic Finlandia Club, the Italian Society of Port Arthur’s new Cultural Centre and the Scandinavian Home Society.
The $2.2-million park project envisions an expansion of the existing commercial mix of tourist-oriented import shops, arts and crafts boutiques, restaurants, bakeries and other businesses.
Suomi Plaza, an open multi-purpose space featuring artistic fountains and a parade of flags representing heritage nationalities, will dominate the Bay-Algoma corner. Piazza Italiana, on Algoma directly in front of the Italian Cultural Trade Centre, will have a central raised plinth and fountains. Both areas are intended as gathering points for major public events. The architectural design features landscaped gathering places, gardens and treed walkway corridors throughout the city block
