Thunder Bay Charity Casino, which attracts 3,000 visitors daily, recalls Thunder Bay's heyday during the 20s and 30s when cruise ships crowded its Great Lakes port.

The design borrows elements from the city's local geography and history as well as from art deco ship architecture. Patinated copper canopies, shaped like breaking waves, mark the casino's entrance. Stone from Thunder Bay's harbourfront breakwaters clads the one-storey pre-cast concrete building. A highly visible lighthouse evokes the lighthouses that stood watch over the Great Lakes harbours. Riveted copper inside and outside is reminiscent of ships' hulls. The lobby features enormous chandeliers, streamlined columns, wrought iron railings, and a wave-like floating ceiling. Artwork, produced by local artists and artisans, includes large-scale wall murals and a frozen waterfall of cut and bubbled glass.

This fast-track construction management project had its official opening in August 2000 only12 months after the design team began its work. Nineteen tender packages were issued, and twelve consultant teams were coordinated. A straightforward cost-effective construction system using steel columns and beams was used to beat the severe winter conditions of northern Ontario.