Breakfast at the Hoito: And Other Adventures in the Boreal Heartland

by Charles Wilkins

Breakfast at the Hoito brings together a collection of stories and essays on the dreamlike world of Lake Superior's north shore ... on wilds and wildlife, people and places.

Spend a day in the kitchen of the famed Hoito Restaurant in Thunder Bay. Discover the secret life of ravens; the passions of the blueberry picker; the thrills and fears of the novice ice climber. Tour Silver Islet, an eccentric summer community that has evolved from the relics of what was once the world's richest silver mine; and the town of Schreiber, half of whose 2,000 residents trace their roots to the Italian city of Siderno. Visit a 16th-century pine forest, and meet Freda McDonald, one of Canada's most respected aboriginal elders. Accompany the author on a refreshingly candid tour of contemporary Thunder Bay.

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

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Reviews

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative book about Thunder Bay and area. Made me stop and appreciate the city that I live in for what it has to offer in regards to natural wonders. It also paints a story about the places around town that we often drive by daily without truly appreciating in terms of history, architecture, and culture.

[Chris Hearn]

Wonderful true tales about the interesting folks one finds around Northwestern Ontario.

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was enjoyable nostalgia as someone who grew up in Northwestern Ontario, revisiting the 90s (when I grew up) and some places that are now gone like The Hoito and Lauri's Hardware. It also gave a window into places I didn't know a lot about like Schriber. It made me reflect on how much has changed. The Northwestern Ontario Wilkins gives a portrait of is still an industry town, culturally shaped by Italian and Finnish immigrants, and Anishinaabe people. The first people of this land are still here, and we are slowly (if often insufficiently still) addressing the racism that plagues this region. The Italian and Finnish cultural influences are still here, though you don't hear the languages spoken much anymore as the older generations have passed on. And now, we have new communities. Asian, African. The Thunder Bay Wilkins writes about is still an industry town, though he speaks of the decline that has only grown since then, as the city struggles to redefine itself economically, the original industries still limping along. For all the NIMBYism around here, it's never been a richer or more interesting place.