THUNDER BAY – Latoya Pemmican became a star on Saturday night, if only for a few fleeting minutes.
The Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School student and several of her classmates joined Canadian rockers July Talk on stage at the inaugural Wake the Giant Music festival, performing Mourning Keeps Coming Back, a song they co-wrote with the band over the past 18 months.
It was the moment the crowd of 4,000 strong at Marina Park were waiting for and the youngsters did not disappoint.
Moments after the cheers subsided, Pemmican, who sang lead vocals on the song, was still in a state of happy shock.
“It was unreal. I still don’t believe that that just happened,” she said, as darkness settled over the Thunder Bay waterfront, the stage still shaking as July Talk continued their hour-long set a few feet away.
The festival grew out of a grassroots movement encouraging local businesses to place Wake the Giant signs on their storefronts, letting the local Indigenous community know they are welcome there with open arms.
In a city that has made national news for its racist attitudes and violence toward Indigenous peoples, it was a long time coming.
Seeing so many people supporting the movement, and the music, was refreshing, Pemmican said, knowing the dark history of seven students who came to Thunder Bay to study at her school dying between 2000 and 2011.
“It’s just nice to know there are people that do care and that do see us as people,” she said.
July Talk singer Peter Dreimanis told the crowd it was an honour to be invited to take part in such a groundbreaking music festival, to help deliver a message of inclusiveness that sometimes seems to get lost – and not just in Thunder Bay.
“Edmonton’s got a dark history too, man,” he said. “A lot of Canada does. We’ve been very lucky to spend some time here with some people that want to change the make-up, man. It’s time for a new look ... I feel very lucky to be a part of today, with such great artists.”
Saturday’s bill included a homecoming for sorts for Thunder Bay’s own Coleman Hell, who rocketed to stardom with his 2015 hit Two Heads.
He said he leapt at the chance to take part in the festival.
“I thought it would be the perfect reason to return home,” he said before performing in the city for the first time in three years.
The singer, who was introduced on stage by his father, Ron, said Wake the Giant really resonates with him.
“I think personally, it feels like waking up a city to something that’s important that needs to happen. Obviously there’s a history of colonialism and racism and things like that all throughout Canada. But it also happens in Thunder Bay and I think the more inclusive we can be and the more we can talk about this kind of stuff, it’s just a step in the right direction,” Hell said.
DFC’s Sean Spenrath, who co-founded the Wake the Giant movement, said it was refreshing to see just how Thunder Bay embraced the idea.
“I’m so proud of the city for coming out and supporting this. I knew we had a lot of support through the businesses, but to actually physically see all of the people who are supporting it, it makes me warm and fuzzy,” he said.
“When you see all the kids on the stage up there and everyone’s cheering for them, that’s what this is all about – making those kids feel welcome in Thunder Bay and giving them that moment to say, ‘Thunder Bay’s an awesome place.’”
Also performing were Metric, Wolf Saga, Ernest Moonias, Ansley Simpson and Nick Ferrio, Luke Warm and the Cold Ones and the Battle Nation Drum Group.
