The Sleeping Giant is a series of mesas formed by the erosion of thick, basaltic sills on Sibley Peninsula which resembles a giant lying on its back when viewed from the west to north-northwest section of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. As one moves southward along the shoreline toward Sawyer's Bay the Sleeping Giant starts to separate into its various sections. Most distinctly in the view from the cliffs at Sawyer's Bay the Giant appears to have an Adam's Apple. The formation is part of Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. Its dramatic steep cliffs are among the highest in Ontario (250 m). The southernmost point is known as Thunder Cape, depicted by many early Canadian artists such as William Armstrong.
The Sibley Peninsula, or the Sleeping Giant as it's known in Thunder Bay, is a natural rock peninsula in the shape of a giant sleeping person. The rock juts into Lake Superior and forms Thunder Bay. There are many stories around this landmark. One Ojibway legend identifies the giant as Nanabijou, who turned to stone when the secret location of a rich silver mine, now known as Silver Islet, was disclosed to white men.
I nominate the Sibley Peninsula or the Sleeping Giant as it's known in Thunder Bay, Ontario. This is a natural rock peninsula in the shape of a sleeping person lying on its back jutting into Lake Superior and forming Thunder Bay.
I submit the Sleeping Giant as viewed from the shores of Thunder Bay, Ontario. This rock formation, across the bay, is nothing less than breath taking. The image of the Sleeping Giant is what Thunder Bay is known for. An Ojibway legend identifies the giant as Nanabijou, the spirit of the Deep Sea Water, turned to stone when the secret location of a rich silver mine, now known as Silver Islet, was disclosed to white men.
He was persuaded by the white men to take them to the location of the whereabouts of the silver, and upon their journey to the mine, a terrific storm broke over the bay, where the white men drowned, however, the Native was found in a crazed condition floating aimlessly in his canoe and the entrance to the silver mine completely shut down by the sleeping figure of a man.
Still, there are plenty of other legends connected to this impressively beautiful formation. It was also voted as number one site of the Seven Wonders of Canada list, which makes it even more interesting for people to come and see it peacefully sleeping.
Tourism Board of Thunder Bay. "The Sleeping Giant." The Sleeping Giant. The City of Thunder Bay, 2016. Web. 15 July 2016. _The_City_Lights/About_Thunder_Bay_and_Region/local_legends/sleeping_giant.htm
NOWADAYS, IN A PANORAMIC VIEW NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN, one can see the gigantic figure of Nanna Bijou, a great land formation outlined in the bay of Lake Superior. An enormous giant asleep opposite the city of Thunder Bay in Ontario, he is named The Sleeping Giant. Situated at the south western tip of the vast Sibley peninsula, its rocky peaks, the highest of which boasts fourteen hundred feet elevation above sea level, inherited the names of his head, his chest and his Adam's Apple. The abrupt sides of the long promontory, the Nanna Steps, are likewise named in his honour.
So popular it has been reprinted several times, Nanna Bijou: the Legend of the Sleeping Giant prompted the reviewer for the Toronto Globe and Mail to write that it was a "delightful book and illustrations by Luc Robert capture the magic of the legend perfectly. The clearness of the prose and simplicity of the story make the book ideal material for reading out loud to children."
Growing up and living in northern Ontario, at the top of Lake Superior, Katie from Mochas and Markbooks is regularly reminded of an old Ojibwa legend surrounding the great giant that can be seen laying in the water with a rich silver mine buried at its feet.
Sleeping Giant Provincial Park was originally called Sibley Provincial Park as it is located on the Sibley Peninsula. In 1988, the park was renamed to Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. The park is named for the Sleeping Giant, also known as Nanabijou (Spirit of the Deep Water). Sleeping Giant is a massive rock formation that looks like a giant lying on its back, as viewed from Thunder Bay across Lake Superior.
We find a similar code of silence among the Ojibwa who mined copper along the northern Great Lakes. For accounts of the relationship between the Indigenous peoples and the metal resources of the North, we can look to Traditional Knowledge. The Ojibwa story of Nanabijou serves as a cautionary tale against sharing the secrets of mineral wealth. Nanabijou was a giant who protected the Indigenous people of the northern boreal forest. Nanabijou revealed the secrets of a rich silver mine to the Ojibwa, but warned that they must never share this information. Despite their best efforts, the white men learned of the location of the mine at Silver Islet on Lake Superior. They came with their dynamite and shaft-sinking machines, and Nanabijou was turned to stone, becoming the famous Sleeping Giant in the harbour of Thunder Bay. The Ojibwa lost their guardian and were left exposed to the destructive influx of white men.
The park was originally named Sibley Provincial Park, after the peninsula it is located on. In 1988, it was renamed Sleeping Giant, or "Nanabijou" (Spirit of the Deep Water), due to the massive rock formation that looks like a giant lying on its back as viewed across the lake from Thunder Bay.
The Marie Louise Lake Viewing Point is another must-see during your visit to the park, which is a scenic viewpoint where Highway 587 intersects with Marie Louise Lake, offering an incredible view of the giant.
Located in the Thunder Bay area of Northwestern Ontario, this Canadian natural wonder is a series of mesas formed by the erosion of thick, basaltic sills on the Sibley Peninsula and resembles a giant lying on its back.
Located about an hour outside of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Sleeping Giant Provincial Park covers 94-square miles on the Sibley Peninsula which juts out into Lake Superior. The park formed as Sibley Provincial Park in 1944 and was renamed Sleeping Giant Provincial Park in 1988. The park draws its name from the series of tall basalt mesas that line up to resemble a giant sleeping on its back. The tallest point on the peninsula is 1847 ft!
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