Canadian Made Hot Tubs
HIRING
Experienced: • Landscapers • Lawn Cutters • Irrigation Technician • Sprayers • Mechanic Driver’s Licence Required
Al’s
Sales & Installation
LAWN & GARDEN
www.alslawnandgarden.ca
352-4955
Vol. 8 Edition 20
YOUR Independent Community Newspaper
71 Sass Rd. Unit 5, Chatham 519-809-9074 www.abovetherestpools.ca
THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021
FREE!
Bikes hard to find
Fish on!
By Pam Wright Contributing Writer
Sarah Schofield/The Chatham Voice
Four-year-old Finn Houston reeled in his first catch while out fishing at Rondeau Bay with his dad Fraser and family on July 22. The Houston family all enjoyed the still waters, and a break from the heat.
Crazy 8 Barn listed for sale
By Bird Bouchard Local Journalism Initiative The Ridgetown Independent
It’s the end of an era. The Crazy 8 Barn & Garden is
listed for sale and looking for a new owner. In 2003, for the first time, Susanne Spence Wilkins and her partner Manfred Wiehle wandered through the old barn, its
loft was filled with old straw and its downstairs crammed with cast-off parts, machinery and used household items. While many saw flaws, they chose to see the beauty in her old bones.
After weeks of dismantling, the main barn structure was stored in a transport trailer until January 2011, when repair of the main timbers began.
Continued on page 5
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The pandemic has created a worldwide shortage of bicycles, and at Smith Cycle, they’re feeling the pain. The long-time Chatham business has but a handful of bikes for sale and they don’t foresee their inventory being restocked anytime soon. Interest in outdoor activities such as cycling have soared since COVID-19 turned the economy on its head, leading to a heavy demand for sporting equipment. At the pandemic’s outset, Smith Cycle manager Matt Ytsma said sales were off the charts. “When COVID-19 hit in March (2020), we sold a year’s worth of bikes in one month,” Ytsma said. “By June we didn’t have a bike to sell.” It’s the same, he said, with parts and accessories. “We can’t get tires, chains and shifters,” Ytsma explained. “It’s not just us, it’s everywhere.” Bike helmets are another issue, he said, adding the store sold a year’s worth of helmets in six months so far in 2021. Continued on page 3