Thunder Bay Unseen

Superior History

The Soroptomist International Friendship Gardens

The Soroptomist Club of Fort William and Port Arthur first received its charter in 1949. It is a Women's Service club, much like the Rotary Club is a men's service club. In 1965 they happened upon the International Peace Garden in Salt Lake City and wanted to create a similar space in the twin cities to celebrate Canada's Centennial in 1967. Enlisting the help of many of the city's ethnic groups they set about creating this special park as part of the Chapples Memorial Community Park.

The entrance arch to the park. Inside the arch is a flagstone with a bronze site plan map. Care was taken to situate the plaque low enough that it could be read from a wheel chair. Originally there were rose bushes nearby that were a gift from the club's sister group in Carshalton, England

Canadian Garden

The garden was designed to be 'spacious and simple in desig, colourful in Autumn, not pretentious.' This sums up Canada quite well.

This garden was originally sponsored by the Lake Superior Chapter of the International Order of the Daughters of the Empire

German Garden

Quite unique in its design, the German garden stands apart from many of the other gardens. It is home to a millwheel, alongside the mill house, that fed a stream which ran down to the Reflecting Lake.

The plaque over the entrance reads "Germany from the mountains to the sea."

The 1991 dedication plaques read:
Dedicated by the German Canadian Association of Thunder Bay. May the four winds carry the message of

Unity

Freedom

Peace to all Mankind

Slovakian Garden

The Slovakian Garden is rich with symbolism: The boulders represent the High Tatra Mountains.

This garden takes the form of the map of Slovakia.

The second garden is in the form of a maple leaf.

The main monument features three peaks representing the mountain ranges of Slovakia - Tatra, Fatra, and Matra. The emblom on the front of the monument is that of Slovakia.

Also part of the Slovakian Garden is the minature replica of Oravsky Zamok castle in Orava County. The majority of local immigrants came from that area.

Italian Garden

This is a very impressive monument that stands near the rear of the park.

It is marked with a single plaque which dedicates the monument to the substantial Italian population of the the Lakehead who helped build this city and nation.

The statue at the centre of the garden is of Lupa (the wolf) and the children are Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of the city of Rome. This statue is a replacement for the original which was a gift from the city of Rome. The original statue was stolen. This replacement was sculpted by an Assistant Professor from Lakehead University named Oliver Tiura.

Polish Garden

The main part of this garden is the Polish Kopiec. The Kopiec is a high mound of Earth and a traditional monument in Poland to honour their heroes and royalty. It is created as people carried earth from all over the country to that one place. When the garden was first dedicated the Polish attendees brought their own earth to add to the mound, continuing the tradition.

The trees surrounding the mound are Linden and Oak, both of which are typical trees in Poland.

Lithuanian Garden

The main part of the Lithuanian Garden stands upon a high hill, surrounded by a fieldstone wall.

This plaque notes the Lituanian "Vytis" and the two dates: 1263 and 1974. The first marks the adoption of the sylized defender of Lithuania as the national emblom. 1974 marks the completion of this project.

The plaque on the other side of the monumnet shows a maple leaf and the inscription "Lithuanian Culture and Work dedicated to Canada."

The figure inside the monument is called a "Smutkelis" which means "Guardian" or "the Sorrowful Christ."

Ukranian Garden

In Commemoration of the Centennial of Canada's Confederation this collection of one hundred named varieties of peonies was donated by the Ukranian Canadaian Committee, Women's Division of the Lakehead, to suggest the growth and beauty of this nation.

The cross is in commemoration of the millennium of Christianity in the Ukraine, celebrated in 1988. The two silhouettes on the black stone are St. Wolodymyr - the King of Kiev who invited the Greek Orthodox clergy to first visit Kiev - and Olga the first Christian ruler of the Ukraine.

There are two gardens side by side here - one for the Ukrainian Community Groups and the other for the Ukrainian relgious denominations here in the city.

The white flowering crab apple trees were planted as a subsititute for the sour cherry trees that grow wild in the Ukraine.

Finnish Garden

The centrepiece of this garden is the stone obelisk supporting two bronze swans. The swans are from the Finnish Ballad. the Kalevala, and the inscription on the back of the column in Finn translates as "Flew Sotka, a fair bird, looking for a nesting site, a place to live in." The swans were sculpted by Armas Hutri of Finland.

Erected in 1976 by the Finnish People of Thunder Bay and Area commemorating those early finnish immigrants who settled here 1876 and thereafter. By hard work and dedication they helped make this country a better place.

The birch trees surrounding the monument need to be replaced every two to four years.

Dutch Garden

The Dutch garden holds a special place for many in these cities. The local Lake Superior Regiments were an active part of the Canadian forces that were responsible for liberating the Netherlands from the Nazis during WWII. This garden was meant as a recognition of that sacrifice for their nation.

The centrepiece of the garden is this windmill, a symbol of the Netherlands. It is deidcated as the Prinses Margriet Windmill. Prinses Margriet was born in Canada during WWII when her mother Princess Jullianni escaped the invading German Army and sought refuge in Canada. Because a Dutch princess had to be born in Holland in order to one day rule the country her Delivery Room in Ottawa was actually temporarily declared Dutch soil to create the necessary loophole.

Hungarian Garden

The semicircle wall marking this garden is meant to honour the Hungarian Heroes who shielded the western European Christians from the heathen Tartars and Turkish invaders for hundreds of years. The crest represents the first Hungarian Christian King, St Stephen, and the nation of Hungary. The wall's opening is oriented to the west.

Indian Garden

The central monumnet of this garden sports a replica of the National Emblem of India - the Lion of Sarnath.

The Lion Capital of India was erected in the 3rd century BC to mark the spot where Buddha first proclaimed his gospel of peace and emancipation to the four corners of the Universe - an ancient commitment to world peace and goodwill.

The lions represent power, courage and confidence.

The lions stand upon a abacus that is girded by 4 other animals who are the guardians of the four directions: Lion (north), Elephant (east), Horse (west), and the Bull (south).

Filipino Garden

There are three plaques at the "Sandigan" monument - each represents one of the main islands of the Philippines: Luzon, Mindadao, and Visayas

Ang bantayog na ito ay naitayo ng magkasanib na pagsisikap, pagtutulungan at pagmamalasakit ng samahang Filipino-Canadian na naninirahan sa lunsod ng Thunder Bay
This structure was built by the Filipino-Canadian Community of the city of Thunder Bay whose joint efforts, commitment and dedication have made it possible.

This structure is presented to the City of Thunder Bay by the Filipino-Canadian Association of Thunder Bay, Inc on September 25, 1988. It symbolizes our commitment to peace, friendship and understanding.

The Philippines, "Pearl of the Orient" is an archipelago of 7,107 islands with a total land area of 115,758 square miles. The three major geographic regions are Luzon (The Biggest Island), Visayas, and Mindanao

The coat of arms of the Republic of the Philippines.

Greek Garden

The Greek Garden features a very simple monumnets - A Doric Column from classical Greek Architecture. The plaque below the monument is very simple stating the name Greece in both english and Greek followed by the internation symbol of the Olympic Games which originated in Greece. A top the pillar is a representation of the Olympic Torch which, stylisitcally, resembles the logo for the Calgary Winter Olympic Games.

Chinese Garden

A replica of an ocatgonal Chinese Pagoda called "Ting" which means "Where People Stay In Harmony." The materials used in its materials were donated by Great Lakes Forest Products, except for the Jade roofing tiles which were imported from Hong Kong.

Inside the pavilion is a plaque inscribed with all the names of the doners who made the Chinese Garden possible. Their names are all inscribed in both english and chinese.

The lions are replicas of those in front of the Imperial Palace in Beijing. They were obtained from the government of China. The lions have the symbolic meaning of protection and peace.

The statue of Confucious was obtained from the government of Taiwan. Confucious is one of the most respected philosophers from feudal China. His teachings still have an impact on Chinese Culture. His position at the north end of the pagoda is where a loyalist would pay respect to his king.

Scottish Garden

The Scottish Monuments is laid out like the St. Andrew's Cross, one of the national emblems of Scotland. When the gardens are planted with blue flowers it looks very much like the Scottish Flag.

The centre monument features a number of scottish symbols and elements including a Scottish Lion, a Highland Dancer, and a Scottish Piper .

The fourth side of the monument features a poem by Robert Burns, felt by many to be one of the key cutural figures of Scotland.

For A' That And A' That
R obert Burns

Then Let Us Pray That Come It May
As Come It Will For A' That,
That Sense and Worth O'Er A'The Earth
Shall Bear The Gree An' A' That,
For A' That, And A' That,
It's Comin' Yet For A' That,
That Man To Man, The World O'Er,
Shall Brithers Be For A' That.

The name Alba, at the top of the monument, is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland.

Slovenian Garden

The Slovenian monument features three beams pointing to the heavens, painted in the colours of the Slovenian flag. They angle as a reminder of an old proverb that states "We bend but never break." The three pyramids represent Mount Triglav, the tallest mountain in Slovenia. Triglav is also the name of the monument itself, designed by Mr. Miro Korsik of Toronto.

Croatian Garden

The Croatian garden is one of the smallest in the entire park. It features a small focal point - a 1 metre tall bronze statue of Croatia's first king, Tomislav, who united all of the Croatian regions into one Kingdom. On the base is the Croatian national crest and a map of Croatia.

Nearby stands a steel post with the word "Croatia" on one side in English and "Hrvatska" on the other which is Croatia in Croatian.

Portuguese Garden

The blue tiles forming the steps up to the monument are representative of the waters of the world, conquered by Portuguese explorers. The unique side columns are representative of the sails on the ships of those bold explorers. The cement columns were hand rubbed in order to gain their soft appearance.

This remarkable monument features some very beautiful shaded ceramic tiles which are gifts from the Government of Portugal. The pictures illustrate Prince Henry the Navigator whose rule and leadership led to some of the greates 15th century sailing exploration.

Also depicted is Luis Vaz de Camoes, who is Portugal's greatest Poet and writer of the Lusiads. The Lusiads are about the voyages of Vasco de Gama, considered Portugal's greates explorer and discoverer of the sea route to India.

Like many of the other national monuments the Portuguese Association of Thunder Bay has added a bronze plaque to their monument to explain a little of their culture's history and unique nature.

The Friendship Gardens is still undergoing growth as new monuments are added to the park. Although there is not much room left to add new National Monuments other groups have found ways to add to the park's beauty:

Home Depot and the Tree Canada Foundation
100 Trees for 100 Stores - Thunder Bay, Ontario
Saturday October 4, 2003

A number of partners and volunteers participated in the planting of 100 trees spread throughout the entire Soroptimist International Freindship Garden. Home Depot employees, Tree Canada Staff, City of Thunder Bay staff including Mayor Ken Boshcoff, Trees Thunder Bay volunteers, Brownie Unit 102, members of the Soroptimist International of Thunder Bay and the Lakehead University Urban Forestry Club

Thank you for your support.

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The Soroptomist International Friendship Gardens