Terry Fox visitor centre turns 30

Between 60,000 and 70,000 visitors stop to pay tribute to the iconic Canadian every year.

THUNDER BAY — Each year, between 60,000 to 70,000 people stop at the Terry Fox visitor centre to pay tribute to one of Canada’s most iconic heroes.

Almost always Trip Advisor’s No. 1 Thunder Bay activity, city tourism manager Paul Pepe says the visitor centre and its staff have been teaching visitors to the region about Fox’s legacy for 30 years, since the facility first opened in late October 1993.

Staff also act as ambassadors for the entire region, informing tourists about activities and other sites of interest to visit, even hopping on the phone to try to find accommodations for travellers who arrive in Thunder Bay to find hotel rooms scarce during busy summer months.

“We’re a centre that’s actually open year-round. We’re open seven days a week, 365 days a year,” said Pepe, on Monday marking the 30th anniversary of the centre and the relocation of the Terry Fox statue, which for almost a decade resided across Highway 11/17 from its current location overlooking Lake Superior and the Sleeping Giant.

“That’s very rare in a lot of tourism markets, particularly in Northwestern Ontario. It’s something we’re very proud, that we’re able to help visitors find places to stay, find places to eat, find things to do on a year-round basis here.”

Fox began his Marathon of Hope in 1980, after losing a leg to cancer, the goal to raise money and awareness about the disease that took his limb, and ultimately cost him his life in 1981.

Four decades later, his legacy lives on, with hundreds of millions raised.

“Terry’s legacy left a mark on so many people. A lot of people that have been impacted by cancer or have loved ones impacted by cancer, for them, this is a must stop for them to come and pay honour to Terry’s legacy, to Terry’s legacy. It’s a must stop for many, and not just Canadians, but people from around the world know about Terry Fox’s legacy. It’s a very popular stop … It is the kind of place that really draws people.”

The Terry Fox statue was officially dedicated on June 26, 1982, with then governor general Edward Schreyer and former Ontario premier Bill Davis in attendance.

Fox died on June 28, 1981 at the age of 22. His Marathon of Hope ended on Sept. 1, 1980, after 5,573 kilometres, just east of Thunder Bay.