b"CULINARY SPOTLIGHTP A Y I N GT Dani Thunder (centre) with In Common's I former owners Mitch and TaraFORWARDFor Dani Thunder,W hen Dani Thunder was a child, her mom was the executive director of the Friendship Centre in Thunder Bay. She watched as her mother running a restaurant iswelcomed people into the Centre. Back then people would just come in, hang out and eat if they were hungry. There was always soup and bannock on, says Thunder. about more than justBut fresh food wasnt on offer just at the Friendship Centre; it was on offer in Thunders home as well. As a result, she grew up with a healthy doing businessitsrelationship to food, and it is this love of food and giving that is the back-bone of her Thunder Bay restaurant In Common. about helping others Some of Thunders first jobs were working in restaurants. Its a love she has always held on to, but her career and home life took several turns. Thunder entered culinary school but only lasted a year in a program she By Kim Wheeler says was full of misogyny and racism. Then, as she got older and her first marriage broke down, she decided to return to school because she thought that was what you were supposed to do. 42Fall/Winter 2020"