Rolling thunder

The roar of more than 700 Harley Davidson motorcycles was heard across the city on Saturday.

Hundreds of spectators watched as riders of the 23rd annual Ontario Provincial Harley Owners Rally rolled out of the Victoria Inn Hotel. Traffic came to a stop as wave after wave of motorcycles toured around the city. The parade was one of the highlights of the three-day event, which started on Friday.  

The route took the bikers from Arthur Street down the Thunder Bay Expressway to the Harbour Expressway way then up Balmoral Street and then back to the Victoria Inn.

Kevin Davidson came out to watch the parade with his two-year-old-son Jacob and his five-year-old-stepson Austin. Davidson said the roar of the engines was what made the parade great.

“This is a once in a lifetime, it’s not very often that you get to see hundreds of motorcycles drive by,” Davidson said. “Every guy has a dream to have a Harley and this just makes that dream a little bit stronger.”

Liz Harms, an avid motorcycle rider herself, stood along the sidelines as the parade went down Arthur Street. She said she would have liked to have joined in the parade but didn’t because her husband was out of town and instead took pictures to show him what he missed.

“The parade is beautiful and I love the noise,” Harms said. “The best part of going on the road on a motorcycle is meeting people, being able to ride on the highway and able to smell everything and see everything up close.”

Mike Foreman, chapter director for Thunder Bay Harley Davidson Group, said the parade was the biggest to feature motorcycles ever in Thunder Bay.

He said it took about three years to get the event all organized and it was well worth the wait.

“It’s just a unique experience,” Foreman said. “To do this in your own hometown is just a super bonus. I’ve been fortunate enough to represent Thunder Bay in Milwaukee, Wis. twice for their big home coming parades and it gets very overwhelming. Having this event at home with my dad beside me is awesome.”

The rally wraps up on Sunday