One thing that I came away from Thunder Bay with was the fact that there is a ton of gift stores…read morehere. Like lots. Like more gift stores than there is holidays to give them at. When you hit the Finnish Bookstore, the selection is huge and most to all of it is stuff that you'd actually want to give someone. The place does hold true to its title. It is rooted in Finnish ancestry, as is a large portion of Thunder Bay. It also has Finnish books, those being both in Finnish and about Finland. Not knowing a word of Finnish, save "Mikä ajaa te alhainen 'paikalla ei enemmän kalja'?" I tended to stay away from that section. There are different sections of the stores for different needs, almost like a very scaled-down department store, but focussing on home-wears and gifts. You may want to peruse the kitchen-ware section as well. There is a main kitchen area that I'm pretty sure is used to run courses or demonstrations on cooking, most likely Finnish. So if you're lucky, some day you'll be able to come in, grab some new kitchen duds and feast in some Lihapullat.

Magic pure magic! We've been coming up to Grand Marais for 6 years running and this is the first…read moreyear I saw this amazing bookstore! I'm so glad we stopped in, because WHAT A TREAT! Very impressive collection of books! The store is set up perfectly, painted and decorated so well and, the selection is fantastic. They have a rewards program that doesn't have a time limit so stop by everytime you are in the area! What an amazing "new" find for us that will become a staple moving forward!

This bookstore is pure North Shore magic, and a must-stop when in Grand Marais!…read more Nothing is more romantic than walking along the shoreline of the North Shore - in any season - and stumbling across this locally owned bookstore. Stop inside this quaint, whimsically painted house and live your "main character" dreams out by browsing the bookshelves and sitting in the rocking chair. They have a truly impressive collection of the latest releases, classic favorites, an adorable children's corner, local writers highlight, books about nature and the area, and staff picks. Sit out on their rocky shoreline with your book afterwards, smiling to yourself knowing you supported a local book shop.

The crazy thing about this review is that I do not live in Canada and have never been there. I was…read morelooking for a specific album for a very long time and didn't ever think I would find it at a reasonable price, then came across a Facebook post from a store call The Vinyl Frontier (I know great name!) that said, he had the record but the post was a couple of weeks old so I thought I was out of luck, I contacted the owner Chris and he said he would get back to me. A little later he contacted me and said he got one for me! I almost fell over, 2 years of searching might be finally over. Chris gave me a pretty reasonable price for the record and I sent him a PayPal payment. The scary part was the waiting but Chris contacted me a couple of times to assure me I was getting the package and then he sent me a tracking number! What a stand up person! Great Store! Great owner! If I ever get up north I will definitely be stopping by. Thanks Again!

From the owner: Thunder Bay's Vinyl, Cassette & Pop-Culture Hub. We've got a permanent home now, but we're still…read morepopping up because the world's a weird place. Come for the vinyl, cassettes, and pop culture-New arrivals and restocks every week.