THUNDER BAY - People living and visiting the city will soon have an opportunity to see some of Thunder Bay’s most iconic landmarks from a very unique perspective.
Northwest Heli-tours and Adventures is getting ready to take off from the Pool 6 site as early as Friday afternoon, offering tours from the air of landmarks throughout the city and surrounding area.
“We have a number of different options, anywhere from a view of the waterfront, we can go out to Sleeping Giant, we can make it all the way up the Kam River to Kakabeka Falls, we can do custom tours,” said Liam Dowds, lead with Northwest Heli-tours and Adventures. “We can pretty much tailor anything you want as long as it is within the Canadian Aviation Regulations.”
The Pool 6 site is currently undergoing some landscaping and cleanup work and will be inspected by city officials Friday morning. If the site passes inspection, Northwest Heli-tours will be cleared to take off Friday afternoon in time for Ribfest this weekend.
A three-year temporary use bylaw was granted by Thunder Bay city council in the spring to allow the helicopter touring company to fly out of the Pool 6 site on the waterfront.
Dowds said it has taken a lot of work to get to this point and there have been roadblocks and a lot of questions, but he added that council and administration have been very helpful in bringing this new service to the city.
“It feels great to finally have the deal in place and we hope the inspection on Friday goes well and we can operate and get going out of there,” he said. “We are really excited to show everybody the city of Thunder bay and the surrounding area.”
Tours have already been offered out of the Thunder Bay International Airport, and last weekend, Dowds was at the Murillo Fair providing trips around the area.
“The feedback was fantastic,” he said. “We did probably more than 50 tours over the weekend. It was great to see kids, parents, first time fliers out having a lot of fun.”
Tours can range from an eight minute helicopter experience, to trips out to the Porphyry Lighthouse for a picnic. Passengers will be taken up in a Robinson R44 Clipper, which is fitted with floats.
“We can fly straight out over the water,” Dowds said. “It lets us get to places like Porphyry Island and the Sleeping Giant without flying along the shore.”
Dowds said he is planning to fly between five and eight hours a day, providing five to six tours an hour. And while there is only one aircraft, Dowds said if the interest is there, he hopes to see the tour company expand in the future.
Northwest Heli-tours will operate year round, with only weather, darkness, and temperatures below minus 20 degrees Celsius keeping the helicopter grounded.
For more information and to book a tour, visit the Northwest Heli-tours and Adventures website. Dowds said it is an opportunity to see the city of Thunder Bay and area like you never have before.
“The other day we were flying north of Murillo and there are beautiful waterfalls, seeing Kakabeka Falls from above is unbelievable,” he said. “When you go out and fly along the Sleeping Giant and see what is on the Sleeping Giant is amazing. Going out to the light house is fantastic.”
