THUNDER BAY – Hundreds attended ThunderCon 2022 on Saturday despite the rain to see what the annual convention had to offer this year.
This weekend's events featured various panels, a wide genre of vendors, a cosplay competition and board game demos and was the First ThunderCon since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and board chair Kevin Taylor says they're glad to be back.
“It's been a challenge for sure getting through this, but all of our vendors and sponsors have been really understanding and have been with us the whole time,” he said. “And, of course, our volunteers, none of which are paid, including myself. We're all volunteer organization, it really came together to get this going for 2022."
Taylor says he couldn't be happier with this year's turnout.
"We got people milling across both buildings,” he said. “The pre-sale tickets were pretty decent so we're just hoping that the rain holds off, and that everybody has a chance to come down."
There were several special guests present at this year's convention, including nefarious villains, power rangers, and cosplayers.
Thunder Bay local actors Teddy Kellogg, who is Lieutenant Duke in Star Trek Strange New Worlds, and Lisa Marie DiGiacinto, best known as Ali in DC Legends of Tomorrow, could also be seen on the CLE grounds.
"You know, you always hear about the big, huge, ones in San Diego or fan expo in Toronto and stuff so sometimes for people in places a bit further away, it's harder to get to,” said Kellogg.
“So, to have something more local here in Thunder Bay and to have people celebrate. and like I said people come from Sault St. Marie from Sudbury like they don't have to necessarily go to the big city to get a fan experience which is pretty awesome."
DiGiacinto agreed with Kellog as the pair were wandering around the site meeting fans, that it's important for Northwest Ontario to have a local fan convention.
"People do come from all the small towns in like a 7 to 8 hour radius,” she said “And then there's Winnipeg and you have to go to the states to get anywhere else that's kind of bigger so it's nice that we can have this here and have the opportunity for people to just drive here.”
