Thunder Bay, though geographically remote, became tied to global Cold War tensions as nuclear weapons, missile technology, and NORAD surveillance reshaped North American security. Canada’s defence debates—especially over Bomarc missiles and nuclear warheads—created political friction, while the Cuban Missile Crisis brought real fear to local communities. Port Arthur and Fort William implemented civil‑defence plans, drills, and shelters despite uncertainty about being actual Soviet targets. Cold War anxieties lingered in culture and local events, including Canada’s first successful airplane hijacking in 1971 and later international alerts that again showed Thunder Bay’s peripheral but persistent connection to global conflict.

The View From Up Here is a six‑part satirical “found‑footage” documentary series about twentieth‑century history in the Thunder Bay region, hosted by local historian Tom Peotto and built from CKPR TV news clips, regional archival footage, and artifacts from the Thunder Bay Museum.