Bridging the distance: welcoming Indigenous students to Thunder Bay

Every year, families across the country celebrate their children’s eighth-grade graduations, a milestone marking the leap into high school. For many Indigenous students in Northwestern Ontario, this transitional time holds added weight. It often means preparing to leave their communities, travelling more than 600 kilometers to attend Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School in Thunder Bay. 

Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School (DFCHS) is more than a place of learning. With students far from home and family, DFCHS provides housing resources, mentorship opportunities and emotional support. The staff at DFCHS address these unique hurdles, ensuring that each student feels safe, supported and empowered as they adapt to a new environment.  

To support this transition and foster inclusion, DFCHS faculty created the annual Wake the Giant Music Festival to bring together Indigenous students and the wider Thunder Bay community. 

Now in its fifth year, Wake the Giant has grown into a vibrant celebration of Indigenous culture and a bridge that connects students to the city they now call home.  

Ahead of the festival, students take part in a series of workshops and activities aimed at helping them settle into their new surroundings. One standout event is the DFC Amazing Race, a city-wide scavenger hunt that enables students to explore public transportation and strengthen their ties to the local community.  

As a proud sponsor of the Wake the Giant Music Festival since its founding in 2019, BMO is dedicated to building strong community partnerships and supporting the academic success and well-being of Indigenous students.  

“Education is one of the most powerful tools to break barriers. It can be difficult for children to leave their families and communities to receive education. BMO’s support of First Nations, DFCHS and the Wake the Giant movement to improve students’ success, safety and experience is one of the ways we demonstrate reconciliation in action.”  

– Dan Adams
Vice President, BMO Indigenous Banking

 Across North America, BMO works to combat racism experienced by Indigenous Peoples and eliminate barriers to inclusion. Learn more about BMO’s commitments to Indigenous customers, colleagues and communities in ᐑᒋᐦᐃᑐᐏᐣ wîcihitowin.