Meet the newcomers: why 5 people chose Thunder Bay
Work, school, love and education draw people to Thunder Bay
Some move for work. Some move for school. Some move for love. Some move to come home.
There are as many stories about why people move to Thunder Bay, Ont., as there are people who move here.
All week, CBC Superior Morning is bringing you some of their stories.
Data released from the 2016 census showed that the census metropolitan area's population grew by just 25 people compared with the 2011 census—from 121,596 to 121,621 people.
So we chose 25 people to profile. Here is the second group of five.
Fabiola Martinez Leyva
For Fabiola Martinez Leyva, it was love that drew her to Thunder Bay.
Originally from Mexico, Leyva came to Thunder Bay when her husband was transferred to the city's Bombardier plant. And the lifestyle has been, to put it mildly, a positive change for her.
"I used to drive six hours a day, so just coming here [to] Thunder Bay, to a small city, I just got 30 hours of my life, every week, back," Leyva said. "I love to have the time to see my kids grow."
The freed-up schedule has allowed Leyva to pursue another hobby: cooking.
"I didn't know how to cook, because I didn't have time to do it, so I came here to learn how to cook my Mexican food," she said. "I plant my own food, and grow it and eat it. I just think Thunder Bay is the perfect city to grow a family."
And Leyva also appreciates the pace in Thunder Bay. Everything is close together, the people are friendly, and life here isn't a rush like it would be in a bigger centre.
"I know sometimes the weather is kind of harsh," she said, laughing. "But you get tough."
Matt Pearson
Matt Pearson relocated to Thunder Bay from London, Ont., in 2012 to further his wife's career — she was a professor at Western University and was looking to explore new career opportunities in academia.
It didn't take Pearson and his family long to realize they wanted to live here.
"When we came up to visit Thunder Bay, we fell in love with the school, the area, the access to nature," he said. "We love it here. My wife sometimes gets academic opportunities, but then when she sits down and thinks about it, she says 'no way, I don't want to leave here.'"
With a background in the service industry, Pearson began working at Sleeping Giant Brewery as the manager. And when an opportunity to buy in came up, he did that, and is now one of the owners.
Jada Ferris
Jada Ferris, who is originally from Constance Lake, came to Thunder Bay about four years ago, and said she appreciates how much there is to do in the community.
"My mom had a job opportunity here," the Grade 9 student at St. Ignatius high school said. "It's a really good place to live. I really enjoy living here so far."
Aside from attending class, Ferris has been studying art, and taking piano lessons, she said.
Jim Burchfield
It was education that brought Jim Burchfield to Thunder Bay in 2012.
Burchfield is originally from southern California, and came to the Lakehead to pursue his studies.
"I'm a doctoral candidate at Lakehead University," he said. "I had a lot of interest in endangered aquatic species, and there was an opportunity to work with lake sturgeon for a Ph.D. project at Lakehead, so I packed my things up and moved here."
Burchfield enjoys the outdoors, and appreciates how accessible things like paddling and hiking are.
"I'll hopefully be defending my Ph.D. in December," he said. "After that, I'll have to find a job somewhere. I think I would prefer to live here."
Shalini Misir
Shalini Misir moved to Thunder Bay in 2014, coming from Toronto.
She and her husband moved to the city after he accepted a job here, and Misir admits she wasn't familiar with Thunder Bay at the time.
However, the city has quickly grown on her.
"I just love that I feel healthier being here," she said. "I find that the air is cleaner, it's a lot more family- and friend-oriented."
"It just feels a lot more natural and relaxed, and I feel like this is the way you should be living, and not just in a cement jungle all the time."