Local clothing company gives new life to the Cumberland Theatre
Ungalli Clothing Co. is a sustainable clothing brand locally owned by sisters Hailey and Bree Hollinsworth. While they started in the business-to-consumer model, they quickly realized that making wholesale, custom t-shirts for businesses and organizations was where they would see the most success. It’s grown so much that they needed to move into a bigger space - the old Cumberland movie theatre.
“We were looking for a year and a half for a new spot. We already had some warehouse space with our former store on Cumberland, while our go-to screen printer was on the other side of town. We were driving in circles and it was just insane and took so much time and was inefficient. We were looking for somewhere that had enough space for everything under one roof. We had 765 sq ft at our old store, and we needed 8,000 - that’s hard to find in the downtown area”, said Hailey.
Since their first move into downtown north core in 2019, Ungalli has been a one-stop-shop for locally created treasures. Whilst shopping for a new t-shirt or hoodie, customers can peruse through pottery, art, jewellery, accessories, and home decor made by local artisans, creators and crafters. Ungalli will continue to curate and display and grow their vendor list to well over 60 different creators at the theatre location.
“It’s easy to get caught up in the competition in a small town. Collaborating with other people and helping each other grow, partnering with others and supporting each other is how we’ve
found the most success”, said Hailey.
Hailey and Bree have kept and upcycled some of the original movie theatre seats and have created unique artwork to incorporate the original cinema numbers to honour the heritage of the building. They hope to continue to grow the custom-order, wholesale side of the business with local, regional and international brands.
“I think that if we would have been starting the business in Toronto where I went to school, it would have been such a different situation. We’re so lucky to have the support of a small city, we really feel the love from the community”, says Hailey.
Craft shows, pottery and paintings, oh my!
Lisa Makela from The Calm Creative, a thriving local pottery business, has always had a passion for art and from an early age she spent a lot of time being creative whether through drawing, painting, or making sculptures.
“It wasn’t until my twenties that I decided to pursue art as a career path and to be honest it was a difficult decision to make because of the societal stigma around making a living as an artist”, said Lisa. She went on to study fine arts at Lakehead University majoring in painting and ceramics with a minor in psychology.
“What I enjoy most about pottery is the creative process in general. I will have an idea or visualization of a form and its function, then with a ball of clay and some tools, the idea comes to life.”
Lisa started her pottery Instagram page @The_Calm_Creative in the fall of 2019 and has since been accepted into a host of local craft shows and art shops that have been transformative in growing her business. Lisa is currently getting ready and restocking various functional pottery pieces for the holiday season and for the upcoming online Craft Revival event happening November 21st-26th. Shops that feature her pieces include 4 Seasons Shop, Valley Foods, and Goods and Co. Market.
“When I am creating pieces I often think about the people who will use them and hope that it brings joy to their daily lives.”
Makela has been focusing on pottery works for the last couple years, but looks forward to returning to her painting easel for a new collection centered around the North Shore.
“There is never a lack of inspiration being an artist in Thunder Bay. I am continually inspired by nature and I try to emulate certain elements from the natural landscape such as textures or colors in both my ceramic and painting practice. It is also incredibly rewarding to be an artist in Thunder Bay because there is so much community support and continuous expansion of the arts and culture for which I’m so grateful”, explains Lisa.
For custom orders and to view her work online, follow @the_calm_creative on Instagram or at www.thecalmcreative.ca
Traditional steakhouse with a modern twist
Although Lot 88 may be Thunder Bay’s newest restaurant, their concept is well proven in other Canadian markets. Franco Veneruzzo, Front-Of-House Manager shed some light on the
new steakhouse and what makes it unique.
Lot 88 Steakhouse & Bar is a franchise started by John Law and Jolie Nguyen with locations in Winnipeg, Sudbury, Orillia, North Bay and most recently, Thunder Bay. The Law family is well known in the local Thunder Bay restaurant scene as members of the family own and manage multiple popular eateries such as Wasabi Japanese, Outlaws, Mikes Roadhouse, Tina’s and more. They had been looking for a space for some time before they came to an agreement with Tony & Adam’s to take over what was formerly their private party space. Now both restaurants are operating separately under one roof.
The city has never seen a steak house quite like Lot 88. Unique to the dining experience here are the 600° hot lava stones that can be ordered as an option with most steak dishes. Guests can season their cut with the toppings of their choice and cook it to their liking right at their table on the lava rock. It offers a hands-on and integrative dining experience for those who want it, while others can still order prepared steaks off the grill. Lot 88 is located at 45 Court St. South.