You always hear about the seedy taverns that exist in small towns and being from Gananoque and having lived in the not-so-good areas of Toronto, I've experienced my fill. The Eclipse Tavern is like these places but still warm and friendly. A small bar perched atop the Knights of Columbus hall (http://www.yelp.ca/biz/knights-of-columbus-council-1447-thunder-bay), it's a drinking hole that has regulars that can tell instantly that you are not from around there. Don't be put off by that. It's not a point of aggression, but more of welcome.
The bar staff are friendly, helpful, and will fill you in on the things that Thunder Bay has to offer. They've got some snacks and what they don't have, they'll let you order in. Sit long enough and the regulars will challenge you to pool, or on other nights, I'm told that karaoke throwdowns may happen. It wasn't on when I was there so I guess I lucked out.
This is an older tavern with a horseshoe bar. It's traditional, slightly seedy, and made me feel right at home. Not in the best neighbourhood, and probably not a first-date place, but if you're in the neighbourhood, you can do worse than poke your head in. They also sold bottles of Labatt's Crystal, which I'd not had in years. Good times. read more