Thunder Bay Lookout

This elevated viewing platform shows the view of the bay from the Sleeping Giant looking west to the city of Thunder Bay. This pano contains hyperlink "hotspots" to last years summer solstice WWP event from Mt Mckayas well as to the 2005 "Best Of" WWP event for the winter solstice.. The Thunder Bay Lookout provides a breathtaking panorama of the rugged Northwestern Ontario landscape.

Some notes about Sibley Provincial Park from the government website:
Sleeping Giant is located approximately 40 kilometers east of the city of Thunder Bay (population 109,016 in 2001). The Fort William First Nation borders the city of Thunder Bay to the south. The community of Pass Lake abuts the northern park boundary. Silver Islet, a predominately seasonal community on Lake Superior, is a park neighbour to the southwest. Nearby communities to the east on the Trans-Canada Highway (11/17), include Dorion, Red Rock and Nipigon.

Thunder Bay is the largest urban centre in Northwestern Ontario. The city lies at the Canadian Lakehead on Lake Superior and is strategically situated at the geographical centre (east-west) of Canada. As a regional centre for industry, shopping, services, recreation and educational opportunities, the city has transportation services by both major Canadian railway systems as well as highway connections west to Winnipeg, east to Sault Ste. Marie and Toronto, and south to Minneapolis and Chicago.

Access to the park may also be gained from Lake Superior. Silver Islet has a Government of Canada wharf that is available to mariners. The park’s sheltered bays and inlets provide important harbours of refuge and mooring opportunities.

With the discovery of silver ore in 1868, mining development began in the Silver Islet area. Families arrived and by 1872, the community was well established. The mine closed in 1885 after a total production of $3,250,000.00. The miners and their families dispersed. Residents of Port Arthur and Fort William (now Thunder Bay) began to purchase the homes of the former miners at Silver Islet to use as summer camps as early as 1896. Silver Islet is now a thriving seasonal community. A federal dock with tenure under a Licence of Occupation is located adjacent to the Silver Islet store.

Camping
The Marie Louise Lake Campground, located on the shores of Marie Louise Lake on the southern-end of the Sibley Peninsula, is comprised of 200 sites, 85 of which offer electrical hook-ups.
All sites have a fire-pit and picnic table and a number of campsites have direct access to Marie Louise Lake. Water taps, vault toilets and additional vehicle parking areas are interspersed throughout the campground. There are two comfort stations (barrier-free access) with flush toilets, showers and laundry facilities and a firewood and ice concession.
The two group camping areas can accommodate large parties while also providing barrier-free access. The campground is also equipped with a visitors’ centre, park store, outdoor amphitheater and campfire theatre. Additional facilities include the park administrative office, maintenance buildings, staff quarters and an Ontario Ranger Camp.

Sleeping Giant Provincial Park is open year round. From January to March, the park offers winter activities such as the Sibley Ski Tour, the Winter Open House and the Silver Dog Sled Race, as well as cross-country skiing on 50 kilometres of groomed cross-country ski trails. These snow trails represent a combination of the Burma and Pickerel Lake hiking trails, a small portion of the Wildlife Habitat Nature trail, and old tertiary roads and secondary roads, such as the Marie Louise Lake Scenic Driver, that are left unplowed for the winter. The trails range in length and difficulty from a beginner to intermediate 10 kilometre loop east of Marie Louise Lake to the more challenging 30 kilometre Burma – Pickerel loop trail found north of the lake. All of the trails are maintained and groomed through a partnership with the Thunder Bay Nordic Trails Association. The trailhead is in the Marie Louise Lake Campground, where the visitors’ center is used for warming.

Formal opportunities for scenic viewing are provided at the Thunder Bay Lookout, which has a cantilevered viewing platform (as seen above in this WWP event).Informal viewing opportunities are provided at the terminus of the Chest Trail, the Head Trail, the Top of the Giant Trail, at Tee Harbour, Middlebrun Bay, and Lehtinen’s Bay, Joeboy Lake Lookout on the Piney Woods Nature Trail, and Nanabosho Lookout off of the Talus Lake Trail. The wetlands around Sibley Creek,the mineral lick just north of the Sea Lion trailhead, the Wildlife Habitat Nature Trail and the Gardner Lake trail all provide wildlife viewing opportunities.

Sleeping Giant Provincial Park is within the boundaries of lands covered under the Robinson- Superior 1850 Treaty. The Fort William First Nation (Reserve #52) is located adjacent to the City of Thunder Bay. Sleeping Giant Provincial Park is part of the traditional use area of this First Nation. There are no land claims regarding Sleeping Giant Provincial Park at this time.

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USA-Canada / Canada-Ontario

Lat: 48° 28' 46.35" N
Long: 89° 50' 8.38" W

Elevation: 13827

→ maps.google.com [EXT]

Precision is: Unknown / Undeclared.

Velben tripod.
Fuji Finepix A345 point and shooter
200 individual shots
Stitched using "Autostitch"
converted to QuickTime with "Pano2QTVR"
loving care and patience.