Outdoor Gear Repair Cafe + Workshops

Event Date: 
Saturday, February 28, 2026 - 10:00am to 2:00pm EST
Event Location: 
SN 2007
Event Fee: 
Free
Event Contact Name: 
Rachel Portinga
Event Contact Phone: 
807-343-8010 ext 8703
Event Contact E-mail: 

Join us for the first-ever Outdoor Gear Repair Café!  In the spirit of stewardship and circularity, this event is designed to keep your favorite gear in the field and out of the landfill. Whether it’s a torn tent, a stuck zipper on a sleeping bag, a backpack needing a stitch, a camping stove needing maintenance, and more, our "fixers" are here to help.  Light refreshments provided.  Co-hosts: TBay Repair Café, Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism (ORPT) department, & LU Office of Sustainability. 

 To register an item to be repaired: 

Workshops (no registration needed)

  • Leather Boot Care: Learn how to maintain and restore leather boots and other items
    • 10:30 – 11:00
  • Sustainable Layering: Explore synthetic and natural materials for your layering system
    • 11:00 – 11:30 am
  • Bike Chain Maintenance: Discover how to prepare your bike chain for smooth pedalling
    • 11:30 am – 12:00 pm
  • Maintaining your MSR Camp Stove: Learn how to disassemble, clean, and restore your MSR whisperlite camp stove
    • 12:00 – 12:30 pm
  • Re-Waterproofing Outerwear: Learn how inspect and reseal the waterproof coating on your rain gear
    • 12:30 pm & 1:00 pm 

Drop-In Anytime 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

  • Creative Patching for Beginners: Hands-on instruction on how to mend and patch a variety of fabrics.
  • Repairing Cracked Plastic Gear: Demonstration of steps to patch cracked plastic such as pulks (sleds) with epoxy and fibreglass.
  • Adjust Your Backpack Fit: Bring your backpack to have our experts help adjust your pack for a more comfortable fit.

Earth Day 2026 - Thunder Bay Campus Clean Up

Event Date: 
Wednesday, April 22, 2026 - 12:00pm to 4:00pm EDT
Event Location: 
Check in at Lake Tamblyn
Event Fee: 
Free
Event Contact Name: 
Rachel Portinga
Event Contact Phone: 
807-343-8010 ext. 8703
Event Contact E-mail: 

Earth Day LU Campus Clean UpPoster for Earth Day 2026 Clean Up event

April 22, 2026

12-4 pm - Join anytime in that window

  • Join us to enjoy some time outside while helping us clean up our beautiful campus!  
  • Check In at Lake Tamblyn by Faculty Lounge / Cafeteria for materials 
  • Registration is appreciated, walk-ins are welcome!
  • We highly recommend you bring a buddy (or your whole unit!)  
  • Supplies (gloves, bags, litter pickers, sharps box) will be provided, but feel free to bring your own gardening gloves 
  • Dress for the weather 
  • Host: LU Office of Sustainability, with support from EcoSuperior and Physical Plant
  • Questions? email Rachel Portinga, Sustainability Coordinator, rporting@lakeheadu.ca

Lakehead Orillia: Take the Commuter Challenge

Event Date: 
Sunday, June 1, 2025 - 12:00pm EDT to Saturday, June 7, 2025 - 12:00pm EDT
Event Location: 
Orillia
Event Contact Name: 
Ledah McKellar
Event Contact E-mail: 

Please note: This is NOT the same event as Tbay on the Move Active Commute Challenge. This event is for Orillia Only.

Register for Commuter Challenge And Help The Environment and Your Wellness

Lakehead's Office of Sustainability is encouraging you to take the Commuter Challenge this June!

Commuter Challenge is a friendly, national competition that encourages daily commuters to choose sustainable modes of transportation for the benefit of their health and the environment. 

From June 1 – June 7,  employees across Canada will cycle, walk, run, bus, carpool, or telecommute their way to work.  

Register now and put Lakehead in the lead! Please remember to enter Lakehead University as your workplace.

Active Commute Challenge Thunder Bay

Event Date: 
Sunday, June 1, 2025 - 12:00pm EDT to Monday, June 30, 2025 - 2:00pm EDT
Event Location: 
Thunder Bay

Save the Date!

The Active Commute Challenge (ACC) is a community initiative that takes place during the month of June, where participants replace car trips with sustainable commuting options like walking, biking, taking the bus, jogging, rollerblading, or carpooling. By signing up, you’ll be part of a workplace team and compete against others across the City and District. You’ll track your commutes, watch your team’s progress, and climb the leaderboard for a chance to win great prizes! Joining the ACC is a great way to improve your health and reduce your environmental impact. The average adult spends 9.6 hours a day being sedentary, but by switching to a sustainable commute, you can break that cycle and help meet the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week.

 https://tbayonthemove.ca/

Electrify Your Future

Event Date: 
Wednesday, February 26, 2025 - 6:30pm to 8:00pm EST
Event Location: 
Italian Cultural Centre
Event Contact Name: 
Ledah McKellar
Event Contact E-mail: 
  • Learn about the basics of heat pump technology

  • Explore the Canadian energy rebates available today

  • Speak with local residents who have installed heat pumps in their homes

  • Visit service provider booths to learn more about the heat pump services they provide

  • Enjoy free refreshments

Speakers

Danielle Thom

Headshot of Danielle Thom

Danielle is a passionate environmentalist with a background in biology. Since receiving her undergraduate degree from the University of Waterloo, she has worked in various fields including urban forestry, water conservation, waste management, and science communications. She currently works for the City of Thunder Bay where she oversees the implementation of the Net-Zero Strategy as the Climate Action Specialist. Outside of work, Danielle likes to dabble in activities that keep her outdoors. On her days off she has been known to enjoy open water swimming, great lakes surfing, cross-country skiing, biking, and hiking!

John Stephenson

Headshot of John Stephenson

John Stephenson is a principal at FormStudio Architects (Thunder Bay) and a past president of the Ontario Association of Architects (OAA), with extensive experience with housing, and care and treatment projects that cross the full continuum of care for seniors. During over 40 years practicing architecture John has developed a strong focus in the design, development and ownership of independent living, retirement living, supportive housing, long term care and mental health rehabilitation projects. Stephenson’s portfolio also includes heritage studies, restoration, and adaptive reuse of heritage buildings, as well as educational, cultural, and commercial building projects in Northwestern Ontario, and includes a growing portfolio of work with indigenous communities across Ontario. All this work has been guided by a strong focus on low energy and low carbine design approaches. Over the past eight years John has also been active in advocating for an Architecture Policy for Canada working with the Rise for Architecture committee of ROAC, the Regulatory Organisations for Architecture in Canada. This advocacy work is focused on embedding into policy, issues of the broader public interest in architecture that intersect with concerns for the health and wellness of people and the planet.

Richard Clark

Registered Energy Advisor

Campus Beautification Day

Event Date: 
Friday, September 20, 2024 - 11:00am to 2:00pm EDT
Event Location: 
Thunder Bay Campus
Event Contact Name: 
Ledah McKellar
Event Contact E-mail: 

Join us for Campus Beautification Days 2024, an immersive opportunity to enhance our shared environment and foster a stronger sense of community within Lakehead Thunder Bay. Taking place on September 20th, 2024 from 11 am to 2 pm, this event invites Lakehead employees and students to embrace the beauty of nature while collaborating with colleagues and friends to rejuvenate our campus.

Activities Include:

  • Tidying up our gardens.
  • Collecting debris.
  • Revitalizing our courtyards.

By participating, you contribute to the creation of a clean and inviting campus environment. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just eager to lend a helping hand, your presence will make a difference.

How to Participate:

Departments and individuals are encouraged to sign up in advance, though drop-ins are warmly welcomed anytime each day of the event. While bringing your own garden gloves and trowels is appreciated, it's not mandatory. Register via our >>> Google Form <<<.

Location and Amenities:

Look for our welcome table outside the Chancellor Paterson Library, where you'll find all the necessary supplies. Light refreshments will be provided.

Sustainability Walk

Event Date: 
Friday, September 27, 2024 - 1:00pm to 2:30pm EDT
Event Location: 
Thunder Bay Campus
Event Contact Name: 
Ledah McKellar
Event Contact E-mail: 

Join the Office of Sustainability on a Sustainability Walk!

On this walk, you will learn about some of the sustainability services and attractions on the Thunder Bay campus. Stops on the walk include the Braun Building Rain Garden, CASES building, Lake Tamblyn, Climate Action Park, McIntyre River, Sweat Lodge, Campus Garden, and more.

During the walk, participants will discuss what sustainability means to the university, and how it is more broadly defined by multiple worldviews. Participants will also learn some history of the campus.

Please dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes, as we will be walking across the campus and in the forest.

Registration is required as space is limited. Please email lpmckell@lakeheadu.ca to register.

Active Commute Challenge Launch

Event Date: 
Tuesday, June 4, 2024 - 12:00pm to 1:00pm EDT
Event Location: 
Patterson Library Courtyard
Event Contact Name: 
Ledah McKellar
Event Contact Phone: 
807 343 8010 ext. 8703
Event Contact E-mail: 

As an initiative supported by Lakehead’s Wellness Strategy, the Office of Sustainability invites you to take the Tbay On the Move Active Commute Challenge this June and win great prizes! 

For the month of June, hundreds of employees across Thunder Bay will swap their vehicle and cycle, walk, run, bus, carpool, rollerblade, telecommute, or even paddle their way to work! Any form of active transportation counts.

Join us outside the Patterson Library (rain location CASES auditorium) on Monday, June 4th at 12:00-1:00 pm, grab a coffee/tea, and register for the Active Commute Challenge! We can answer your questions, help you register, and give you a midday boost.

Registration is open--when registering please select or enter Lakehead University as your workplace.

Any employee who logs at least one commute where they did not drive alone will be entered to win a prize.

 

Orillia Only: Commuter Challenge

Event Date: 
Sunday, June 2, 2024 - 12:00pm EDT to Saturday, June 8, 2024 - 11:00pm EDT
Event Location: 
Lakehead Orillia
Event Contact Name: 
lpmckell@lakeheadu.ca
Event Contact Phone: 
ext. 8703
Event Contact E-mail: 

Please note: This is NOT the same event as Tbay on the Move Active Commute Challenge. This event is for Orillia Only.

Register for Commuter Challenge And Help The Environment and Your Wellness

Lakehead's Office of Sustainability is encouraging you to take the Commuter Challenge this June!

 Commuter Challenge is a friendly, national competition that encourages daily commuters to choose sustainable modes of transportation for the benefit of their health and the environment. 

From June 2 – June 8,  employees across Canada will cycle, walk, run, bus, carpool, or telecommute their way to work.  

REGISTER AND LOG YOUR COMMUTE.

 

Campus Beautification Days

Event Date: 
Tuesday, June 13, 2023 - 9:00am EDT to Thursday, June 15, 2023 - 1:00pm EDT
Event Location: 
Multiple Locations- See Flyer and Google Form
Event Contact Name: 
Devon Lee
Event Contact Phone: 
807-343-8010 x.8703
Event Contact E-mail: 

Campus Beautification Days encourage our Lakehead community to spruce up our campus, spend some time outdoors with peers and colleagues, and lend a helping hand.

ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:

  • Tidying up our gardens
  • Collecting debris
  • Revitalizing our courtyards

We aim to create a clean and welcoming environment that instills a sense of pride in our physical surroundings.

Departments and individuals are encouraged to sign up ahead of time but drop-ins are welcome. Registration is available via google form. Interested participants can bring their own garden gloves and trowels, but is not required

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