The Thunder Bay area is home to many stunning, natural wonders. With evidence of a history of human habitation dating back over 9,000 years, many of the natural wonders Northwest Ontario is famous for are accompanied by some very interesting legends.
The adventures to be had at these locations are many, but paired with the knowledge of the traditional legends, your journey will become even more exciting.
This installment of Legends and Lore in Thunder Bay features the legend of the Sleeping Giant.
The Sleeping Giant - Nanabijou
Visible from many places in Thunder Bay, the Sleeping Giant is the city's most well-known natural wonder. The landmass itself is an Ontario Park with hundreds of kilometres of hiking trails and campsites to enjoy.
Thousands of locals and visitors alike marvel at the wonder of the Sleeping Giant each year, but what is the legend surrounding this Giant?
The legend goes as follows...

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There are numerous versions of the Legend of the Sleeping Giant and one is not necessarily more valid than another. This particular one was published in a booklet entitled Tales of The Tom Tom, written probably in the 1950s or 1960s, by Hubert Limbrick, a former Fort William City Councillor (1951-58 and '60-65).
Actual Ojibway legends are stories about Nanabijou printed in local 19th-century newspapers. These stories reportedly came directly from Ojibway elders interviewed at the time, but there's no way of verifying that today. The earliest dates from 1882, while another version dates from somewhat later. These versions are completely different from Limbrick's rather simplistic and fanciful one, and neither makes direct mention of the Sleeping Giant. They talk about how Nanabijou created the world, including the lakes, rivers and islands.
Limbrick's story seems to be connected with Silver Islet and, as such, must be of relatively recent origin as the mine was not discovered until the late 19th century.
There is also a version in W.S. Piper's The Eagle of Thunder Cape (1924) that mentions the creation of the Sleeping Giant (pages 117-119 in the 2001 reprint by the Thunder Bay Historical Museum) but it also bears no resemblance to Limbrick's.
Now that you know the "legend" of the Sleeping Giant, plan your trip to visit him (and Thunder Bay) today!