MaRS Discovery District and the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) have announced the grand prize winner of the Rural and Remote Community Cancer Screening Challenge, an innovation competition designed to improve access to cancer screening for people living in rural, remote and underserved communities across Canada.
The challenge called on a diverse group of innovators — founders, researchers and community organizations — to develop practical solutions that reduce barriers to screening participation.
Five outstanding finalists were selected in August 2025 and received $15,000 to pilot their solution in the fall.
Following an extensive evaluation process, Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH), a non-profit based in Goderich, was selected as the win-
McKAY
The fifth annual Huron Hospice Candlelight Memorial Walk continues to grow as a meaningful community tradition, offering a space for reflection, remembrance and healing.
According to Roger Mather, chair of the Candlelight
Memorial Walk committee, the event has gained increasing recognition each year for its inclusive and heartfelt purpose.
While rooted in hospice care, the walk extends beyond families who have experienced loss at Huron Hospice, welcoming anyone in the community who wishes to honour a loved one.
Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health awarded $100,000 to improve cancer screening access
ner of the challenge. The grand prize winner, who was announced at MaRS’s annual health tech summit Impact Health, receives $100,000 to support the scaling and implementation of its solution.
Gateway CERH’s Integrated Rural Screening Initiative was designed to normalize cancer screening conversations in public, non-clinical settings. By embedding breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening education into active, community-centred programming, this solution has already achieved substantial reach across rural communities.
Gateway CERH increased awareness of cancer screening through multiple approaches, including targeted screening education, delivered at 10 in-person community events, reaching more than 450 rural residents, including farmers, firefighters, seniors and the general public, over five months.
“By integrating screening facilitation within trusted community settings, the model aims to improve uptake, streamline pathways to diagnostic follow-ups and reduce strain on primary care,” said Gateway CERH president Gwen Devereaux. “We are excited about the opportunity this funding creates to continue advancing cancer screening initiatives in rural communities.”
SUNCOAST DR. E., GODERICH ONT. N7A 4H8 (1983) LTD.
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Huron Hospice Candlelight Memorial Walk brings community together in moving tribute
“It’s really about bringing people together,” Mather said.
“Whether someone has lost a parent, a child, a grandparent – anyone can come and remember.”
The evening begins indoors at the Varna Stanley Complex, where attendees gather for a dedication ceremony.
The program features live music from the Clinton Legion Pipes and Drums band, opening remarks from a master of ceremonies, and a reflection on end-of-life care delivered by Huron Hospice Executive Director Willy Van Klooster.
The Solace Bedside Singers also perform, helping to set a calming, and reflective tone before participants move outdoors for the candlelit walk along the Taylor Trail.
One of the most moving moments of the evening comes during the reading of memorial names. In recent years, between 100 and 110 names have been read aloud as families listen for their loved ones.
Participants can also donate to have a candle lit in memory, adding a personal and emotional connection to the ceremony.
This year, organisers introduced crocheted hearts –nearly 200 in total – which participants can wear during the walk as a symbol of remembrance.
Following the indoor portion, attendees are led by the Clinton Legion Pipes and Drums band to the nearby Taylor Trail.
The one-kilometre route is illuminated by more than 100 candles and is designed to be accessible for all ages.
Along the path, participants can pause to reflect at memorial poems or take in the natural surroundings, often enhanced by the quiet of dusk, and in some years, a vivid sunset.
A particularly unique feature of the walk is the presence of the Solace Bedside Singers along a wooded section of the trail.
Singing a cappella, their voices echo through the trees, creating what many attendees describe as a deeply emotional and even healing experience.
“It’s hard to put into words,” Mather added.
“People say it is profound, it’s peaceful and it really stays with you.”
The event also reflects strong community support. In addition to individual participation, local businesses play a key role through sponsorships, with approximately 50 sponsors contributing in recent years. Their involvement helps ensure the continued success of the fundraiser, which supports hospice services that remain free for families.
Mather emphasized the importance of hospice care, noting that while many people hope to spend their final days at home, hospices provide compassionate, dignified care when that isn’t possible.
“Families are just so grateful,” he said.
“Hospices provide comfort not just for the individual, but for everyone around them.”
The walk also reconnects families of past hospice residents, inviting those from the previous years to return and participate—an effort that reinforces a lasting sense of support and remembrance.
With attendance exceeding 200 people last year, including many children honouring grandparents and other loved ones, the event continues to resonate across generations.
This year’s walk took place on April 11, and organizers hope increased awareness will encourage even more participation in the future.
“It’s a beautiful evening,” Mather remarked.
“Once people experience it, they want to come back.”
(JANE SEIFRIED PHOTO)
Huron Hospice's fifth annual Candlelight Memorial Walk was led by the Clinton Legion Pipes and Drums band as it made its way down Taylor Trail.
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Care service packages, can be tailored to suit your needs.
Community gathers to celebrate Earth Day in Goderich
More than 150 residents of all ages filled Lakeshore United Church on Saturday, April 18, for Celebrating Earth Day, a morning event that brought together eighteen local environmental groups, handson activities and free admission for all along with some four-legged visitors from Fool’s Errand Farm.
The event, organized by the Celebrating Earth Day Stewards — Michele Melady Young, Marcia Scheffler, and Linda Wiebe — drew participants from Goderich and beyond, including the Tri-County Master Gardeners, who made the trip from Stratford.
The morning buzzed with conversation as attendees moved freely between tables, with organizations connecting and exchanging ideas as much as they engaged with the public.
Adding to the excitement was a free raffle featuring fourteen prizes. Attendees were given a passport card to collect stamps at each information table, which they then handed in for raffle tickets — encouraging visitors to explore every corner of the event.
The Lakeshore United Church Women ran a snack bar featuring hot dogs, homemade cookies and muffins — a popular stop for hungry attendees and a fundraiser for the church's water bottle refill fountain.
Katrina McQuail and her partner Ben Hustis, along with their children, represented Meeting Place Organic Farm with an information table and a zinnia seed-sowing activity — offering seeds from their own cut flower zinnia garden for gardeners of all ages to take home and grow.
"I think it was amazing. I was so im-
pressed,” McQuail summed up the day, enthusiastically.
“Thank you for making it happen and for inviting us. We're excited for next year."
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Among the highlights were breakout sessions on environmental topics, a seed tape activity led by Goderich and District Horticultural Society President Betty Hendriks, and a craft room where attendees could make butterfly wings and have their faces painted —
with many thanks to Bethany Davidson, Val Malough (known to many as Snippitty the Clown), and four GDCI Art Club student volunteers who all brought their skills and enthusiasm to the day.
Organizer Linda Wiebe was happy with the family engagement.
"We were thrilled that so many families came out," she said. "It turned out to be the thing to do on a rainy Saturday morning."
For families, the morning offered something for everyone. Tammy Fielder, who
brought her children for the event, put it simply: "The kids had a blast. It was a great morning. Lots to see."
The event was made possible through the generous support of the Goderich Lions, the Rotary Club of Goderich, the Goderich Kinsmen and Kinettes, Lakeshore United Church, and a few anonymous donors.
Heartfelt thanks go to Lakeshore United Church for opening its doors and to every volunteer who gave their Saturday morning to make the day a success.
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(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Showing off painted wings from the morning's butterfly wing painting project with Bethany Davidson.
Family Nature Explorers Program brings Clinton community together outdoors
Families in Clinton will have a new opportunity to connect with nature—and each other—later this month through the Family Nature Explorers event.
The free community event is set to take place on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, from 4 to 5 p.m. at Clinton Lions Park, offering an accessible and engaging outdoor experience for families with children.
Led by Janneke Vorsteveld, owner and lead facilitator of Seeds Rooted in Youth, the program focuses on bringing the community closer together while encouraging families to experience the outdoors in a simple, approachable way. “It gives a really good way for parents who might be able to meet other parents that they’ve never met before because it’s going out and being with their kids,” said Vorsteveld. “They can meet other families. I believe there’s a just a natural connection that happens between people when we’re outside playing and exploring together.”
The program includes a mix of nature-based activities such as building structures, crafts, games, and guided
exploration along local trails. Participants will gather near the gazebo before heading out for a short walk, making the event manageable for families with young children.
Beyond recreation, the initiative aims to break down barriers some families feel when spending time outdoors.
“One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that some people don’t know what to do with their kids when they go outside,” Vorsteveld explained.
“So, it’s about giving them ideas and showing that it doesn’t have to be complicated, there’s an ability to slow down and explore and just be curious.”
The event is free to attend thanks to support from local organizations, including the Optimist Club and Rural Response, which will also provide snacks. Scheduling the program shortly after school hours was a deliberate choice to make it more accessible.
“Doing it right after school gives them [the parents] something that they can take their kids to before they have dinner,” Vorsteveld noted.
Organizers also hope the program will have a lasting impact by encouraging a deeper connection to nature
and environmental awareness.
“If we can create even a curiosity for the beauty of one single plant, then that spreads,” Vorsteveld stated.
“As we build a relationship with the land, we naturally become protectors and stewards of it. Everyone that’s come back more than once says it’s an amazing time. Their kids have a lot of fun, and they get to engage,” she said. “It’s important for us to re member how to play just as much as it is for kids to play.”
To reach a broader audience, orga nizers have partnered with multiple community groups and continue to promote the program through local outreach.
Vorsteveld encourages anyone cu rious to attend, even if it feels outside their comfort zone.
“Whether people come and try it or not, I just encourage anybody to spend more time outside,” she said. “Even if it means sitting in a park or on your front porch, watching the birds. Any way you can spend out side, try to take it on—in any weath er.”
The Family Nature Explorers event runs rain or shine, with cancellations only in extreme conditions.
Maitland Valley Conservation Authority raises concerns over amalgamation of conservation authorities
GODERICH
STAFF info@goderichsun.com
The Maitland Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) is expressing significant concerns following the province’s move to consolidate Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities into nine regional entities.
According to the new plan, Maitland Conservation will become part of the new Lake Huron Regional Conservation Authority along with the Ausable Bayfield, Saugeen, Grey Sauble, Nottawasaga and Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authorities.
This new regional Conservation Authority will encompass watersheds that vary greatly in land use, watershed characteristics, population and environmental pressures.
According to the MVCA, amalgamation is not likely to reduce costs, increase housing builds, improve the level of customer service in permitting, increase the safety of Ontarians from flood and erosion hazards, or improve local, watershed-based representation for the people who live, work, farm, or visit this beautiful province.
“For the sake of the people of Ontario, please do not amalgamate the Conservation Authorities,” commented Ed McGugan, Chair of Maitland Conservation.
“We’re calling on the provincial government to halt this amalgamation plan and commit to improving the unique watershed-based conservation system we all
benefit from in this province.”
The MVCA membership (comprised of Councillors from lower tier member municipalities), has outlined several specific related to costs, governance and conservation outcomes.
Key concerns identified by MVCA include lack of a business case, no evidence of improved efficiency or effectiveness, risks to natural hazard management, threats to watershed, loss of local representation, and a need for a call for reinvestment.
MVCA members noted that the Province has not developed a business case demonstrating that the proposed amalgamation will improve watershed health, resilience, or public safety in Ontario.
The Province has provided no evidence to show that consolidating Conservation Authorities into large regional corporations will result in more effective or more efficient service delivery across diverse watersheds.
Conservation Authorities have been delegated by the Province to regulate development in areas subject to flooding and erosion. These regulations are critical to reducing risks associated with flood damage, social disruption and loss of life.
The MVCA is concerned that larger, regionally governed authorities may weaken the ability to apply local watershed knowledge when managing flood and erosion hazards. Future development must not be directed into areas that are subject to flooding and erosion.
Conservation Authorities were established by the Province at the request of municipalities to restore and
protect the health and resilience of natural resources in Ontario’s watersheds.
Healthy soils, rivers, lakes, wetlands and forests are essential to Ontario’s economy and quality of life. It is our responsibility to maintain and enhance local natural resources to build a foundation for future generations. Under the proposed governance structure, members of regional Conservation Authority boards will be appointed by upper-tier municipalities such as counties or regional governments.
A representation-by-population model risks underrepresenting rural Conservation Authorities on regional boards. Rural municipalities will lose an effective voice in local watershed management and decision making.
The MVCA is calling on the Province to reinvest in the existing Conservation Authority model. Conservation Authorities were intended to be a partnership between the Province and local municipalities, guided by the founding principle that conservation efforts are most effective when led by the people who live and work within the watershed.
Moving forward, the MVCA remains committed to working collaboratively with the Province, member municipalities and partners to protect and enhance the Maitland watershed and the communities it serves.
However, the MVCA strongly believes that watershed-based governance, supported by adequate provincial investment, remains the most effective approach to conserving local natural resources and managing natural hazards.
Health unit looking for dog
info@goderichsun.com
Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) is looking for a dog involved in an incident in Clinton on Monday, April 20, 2026, at 8:20 p.m.
The incident took place in front of 66 Albert St. in Clinton.
The dog involved in the incident is described as a smallto medium-sized terrier with orange and white hair. The presumed owner of the dog is a male, of medium
build, who was wearing a plaid sweater at the time. After the incident, the owner and the dog walked away in the direction of the Circle K store.
The health unit is investigating this incident to check if the rabies vaccination status of the dog is up to date.
HPPH reminds people to always obtain the contact information of the owner or owners of the animal that is involved in an incident.
Anyone who has information about this dog should contact Huron Perth Public Health at 1-888-221-2133, ext. 3670. After hours or over the weekend, call the main number and follow the prompts to reach our answering service.
Central Huron sees strong growth in building and planning activity
Central Huron Council has received an encouraging Building and Planning Monthly Report, showing a notable boost in development activity within the municipality.
The report compares building permit figures between the first quarter of 2025 and 2026. From January to March 2025, 22 permits were issued, while the same period in 2026 saw that number rise to 29, reflecting a 32 percent increase in
overall permit activity year-over-year. Alongside the rise in permit volume, there has been marked growth in permit revenue. Revenue is up by $19,911.26 compared to the same time last year, largely due to a higher number of new agricultural and residential construction projects in the area.
The report highlights an ongoing trend of growth and investment in the community, notably in the agricultural and housing sectors.
The council acknowledged the report for informational purposes.
BRITTANY McKAY Sun Reporter
SUN
GODERICH SUN STAFF
Eastlink Arena shower repairs in hope for long-term fix
Clinton’s Eastlink Arena may soon see upgrades to its shower facilities after council moved forward at a recent meeting with plans to address ongoing maintenance issues affecting the dressing room floors.
Rather than a completed project, the work is currently in the planning and approval stage following a recent council meeting where members reviewed a report from the Facilities Manager outlining persistent problems with the existing surfaces.
According to the report, shower floors have been repainted annually as part of regular maintenance. However, over time the coating has deteriorated, leading to a worn-out appearance. Noting the peeling and flaking can contribute to drainage issues.
To resolve the issue long-term, staff are recommend-
ing the application of a more durable urethane-based coating known as “Stonshield.” The product is commonly used in arena environments and is valued for its slip-resistant finish and extended lifespan, which can range from 10 to 20 years depending on use.
The proposed upgrade has already been included in the municipality’s 2026 capital budget under arena flooring improvements and is expected to be funded through the facilities reserve. If approved and scheduled as planned, the work would take place during the arena’s 2026 off-season to minimize disruption to users.
The Eastlink Arena remains a key recreational facility in the community, featuring an NHL-sized ice surface, indoor walking track, and events throughout the year. Municipal officials say the proposed investment aligns with ongoing efforts to enhance facility conditions and support long-term usability of community spaces.
Hunking municipal drain project moves forward following council’s approval
BRITTANY McKAY
Reporter
A new drainage infrastructure project in Central Huron is moving ahead following council approval, marking an important step toward improved water management in the area.
The project, known as the Hunking Municipal Drain, is based on an engineering report prepared by R.J. Burnside & Associates Limited dated October 28, 2025. The report outlines the proposed design and construction details and has now been formally accepted by council as the basis for the project.
While approval has been granted, the project is still in the early stages and has not yet proceeded to construction.
The total estimated cost is $190,000. Of that, the mu-
CHAPIN KOROSEC Sun Contributor
The Goderich Lions Club is proud to contribute $200,000 to the continued improvement and development of the Goderich Memorial Community Centre. This investment reflects the Lions Club’s commitment to strengthening the heart of the community and support-
nicipality’s share is $970, with the remaining $189,030 to be funded by local property owners identified as benefiting from the drainage improvements.
To move the project forward, the municipality will borrow the required funds and recover costs through assessments levied on affected landowners. These costs will be determined in accordance with the engineering report and issued as invoices once finalized.
Unlike typical long-term municipal financing models, the assessments will be collected in full within 30 days of billing, once issued to property owners.
Council noted that the drainage improvements are considered necessary under the provisions of Ontario’s Drainage Act and are intended to improve long-term water flow and land management in the area. Further steps, including scheduling and construction timelines, will be confirmed as the project progresses.
Goderich Council Board receives April’s report on landfill site
The Mid-Huron Landfill Site Board has received the Site Supervisor’s Report for April 2026 for information, highlighting ongoing operational updates at the landfill.
According to the report, recent activity at the site has focused on leachate management [the liquid that drains from a landfill or waste site and can carry contaminants], with drilling work successfully carried out over the past month. While details of the drilling scope were not fully outlined, the work is typically associated with monitoring or improving leachate collection systems, a critical component in maintaining environmental compliance and protecting surrounding land and water sources.
The report notes that there are no financial implications associated with the updates provided for April.
Senior municipal staff were consulted in the preparation of the report, and the board’s receipt of the report indicates continued oversight of landfill operations, with routine updates ensuring transparency and accountability in site management.
ing a space that brings together people through recreation, connection and shared experiences.
The Lions Club is equally please to deepen its involvement by having Lions member Cecilia Fulker join the Centre’s board, helping to guide its future growth and impact, and are excited to contribute towards its continued development.
By Jake Grant
What is the dot over the letter "i" called?
What is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea?
3. Which country has won the most World Cups?
4. What pizza flavour was famously invented in Canada?
5. What was the original name of the search engine "Google"?
6. Where is the strongest human muscle located?
7. What is the only food that can never go bad?
8. What is the only mammal capable of true flight?
9. What was the first toy advertised on television?
10. True or false - The color orange is named after the fruit.
BRITTANY McKAY Sun Reporter BRITTANY
DECLARATIONS DE CANDIDATURE LE CONSEIL SCOLAIRE CATHOLIQUE PROVINDENCE
(FRENCH
LANGUAGE SEPARATE SCHOOL BOARD)
Un (1) à élire-représentant les régions combinées à l’intérieur des Comtés de Lambton, Huron et Bruce. LE CONSEIL SCOLAIRE VIAMONDE
(FRENCH LANGUAGE PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD)
Un (1) à élire-représentant les régions combinées de toutes les municipalités des Comtés de Waterloo, Wellington, Middlesex, Huron et Perth Les formulaires appropriés au bureau du Greffier.
Chaque nomination doit être dûment signée par le candidat et classée par la candidat ou un agent entre la période de l’année débutant vendredi le 1 mai 2026 et finissant vendredi le 21 août 2026 (Journée des nominations) entre 9 h et 14 h. Un honoraire prescript au montant de cent dollars ($100.00) doit accompagner le formulaire. Les règlements provinciaux requièrent que l’honoraire soit en argent comptant, chèque certifié ou un mandate, carte-client ou carte de crédit. Les cartes de crédit n’est pas accepté à Sarnia. Les chèques personnels ne sont pas être acceptés. Le formulaire du candidat doit être approuvé par le Greffier afin que la personne nominée devienne un candidat certifié pour le poste qu’ils a été nommé.
Veuillez noter que les nominations pour le Conseil Scolaire de Langue française doivent être classées comme suit:
LE CONSEIL SCOLAIRE CATHOLIQUE PROVINDENCE (FRENCH LANGUAGE SEPARATE SCHOOL BOARD)
Les nominations peuvent être classées entre 9h et 14h, le jour des nominations le vendredi 21 août 2026 ou avant le jour des nominations pendant les heures normales de bureau. Les nominations peuvent être classées au bureau du Greffier de Sarnia au C.P. 3018, 255 Rue North Christina, Sarnia, Ontario. N7T 7N2 ou à votre demande, au bureau municipal de votre municipalité si la distance entre votre résidence et le bureau municipal de Sarnia est au-delà de cent (100) kilomètres.
LE CONSEIL SCOLAIRE VIAMONDE (FRENCH LANGUAGE PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD)
Les nominations peuvent être classées entre 9h et 14h, le jour des nominations le vendredi 21 août 2026 ou avant le jour des nominations pendant les heures normales de bureau. Les nominations peuvent être classées au bureau du Greffier de London au C.P. 5035, 300 Dufferin Avenue, London, Ontario, N6A 4L9 ou à votre demande, au bureau municipal de votre municipalité si la distance entre votre résidence et le bureau municipal de Sarnia est au-delà de cent (100) kilomètres.
Au cas où il y aurait un nombre insuffisant candidats certifiés pour remplir les postes disponibles, les nominations pour les postes libres seront réouvertes seulement le mercredi 26 août 2026 entre 9h et 14h, heures de bureau, et toutes nominations additionnelles, si requis, peuvent être classées au bureau du Greffier désigné.
L’électorat est dûment notifié au cas où il y aurait un nombre excédent de candidats certifiés pour les postes disponibles les bureaux de vote seront ouverts aux dates précisées, dans le but de permettre les notes avancées.
Si vous avez l’intention de poser votre candidature aux élections municipaux pour quelque poste que ce soit, vous devez premièrement compléter et classer le formulaire approprié indiquant votre candidature au bureau du Greffier assigné avant de dépenser aucun frais monétaire ou d’entreprendre des prélèvements de fonds monétaire à votre campagne électoral.
Andrea Fisher, Greffière Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh North Huron Goderich
Kim Johnston, Greffière Dèputè Meaghan McCallum, Greffière
Alex Wolfe, Greffière Morris-Turnberry Huron East South Huron
Caitlin Gillis, Greffière Chandra Alexander, Greffière Steve Doherty, Greffier Howick Bluewater Central Huron
Gateway’s upcoming webinar offers chance to discuss climate change, planning for EV’s and community health
info@goderichsun.com
Five counties in Ontario - Bruce, Dufferin, Grey, Perth, and Wellington - are leading the way towards sustainable transportation.
On Tuesday, May 5, 2026, from 12 p.m. until 1 p.m. via ZOOM, Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) will explore the complex relationships between climate change, planning for EV’s and community health.
Speakers include Dr. Wayne Caldwell, professor emeritus of the University of Guelph, Derry Wallis, Climate Change and Energy Specialist, and Jason Geberdt, Manager of IT Infrastructure and Operations at the County of Huron. Residents in rural areas, on average,
must travel further and have limited options for transit, making personal vehicles – and increasingly electric vehicles – an essential part of everyday mobility. This session will explore the realities of owning electric vehicles in rural areas, including the financial, environmental, and community health connections.
This webinar will share how collaboration between counties is one approach to developing municipal infrastructure that can reduce emissions and build regional connectivity.
Anyone in the community is welcome to attend.
To attend this event and future presentations, please register on the Gateway CERH website https://www.gatewayruralhealth.ca/lectureseries.
SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION 2026
Municipal Elections Act, 1996 FOR THE
HURON-PERTH CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD NOTICE OF NOMINATIONS
Nomination for the office of school board trustee One (1) person to be elected to represent the electoral district of the Town of Goderich, Municipality of Central Huron, Township of North Huron, Municipality of Morris-Turnberry, Township of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh and Township of Howick
Nominations/Registrations may be filed during regular business hours at the office of the Clerk for the Town of Goderich, 57 West Street, Goderich, Ontario N7A 2K5 during regular business hours, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM between May 1, 2026 and August 20, 2026 and on Nomination Day August 21, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 2:00PM. Nominations/Registration papers and full particulars may be obtained at the Municipal Office.
A signed consent to the nominations, a declaration of qualification by the candidate, the $100.00 filing fee (cash, money order, debit or certified cheque) and identification of the candidate are required.
Electors are hereby given notice that if a greater number of candidates are certified than are required to fill the said offices; an election will be held. Voting Day will be Monday, October 26, 2026.
Please be advised that no person who proposes to be a candidate may solicit or accept contributions for election purposes or incur expenses until that person’s nomination has been filed.
Dated this 20th Day of April 2026
Florence Witherspoon
Clerk
Township of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh
Caitlin Gillis
CAO/Clerk
Township of Howick
Carson Lamb
Clerk
Township of North Huron
Steve Doherty
CAO/Acting Clerk
Municipality of Central Huron
Andrea Fisher
Clerk
Town of Goderich
Kim Johnston
Deputy Clerk
Municipality of Morris-Turnberry
GODERICH SUN STAFF
Huron County Pride announces 2026 festival events lineup
info@goderichsun.com
Huron County Pride is thrilled to share the full lineup of events for our Fourth Annual Pride Festival, happening June 2 to 7, 2026.
Last year, we welcomed more than 1,500 people to our festival and events throughout the week, and we look forward to another time of celebration and community building this June. We are excited to host our Pride Festival at a new location, as well as hosting more of our events in different parts of the county this year.
This year’s theme, "Pride through the Ages," puts into perspective the voices raised, challenges faced and achievements made by the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and allies. It is also a call for us all to continue the work of fostering inclusion, celebration and pride. Whether you’re joining for the first time or returning to celebrate again, we can’t wait to welcome you.
Thanks to the support of local businesses, community groups, volunteers, and neighbours, our festival continues to grow. Every event is open to the public and designed to bring people together in fun, meaningful, and inclusive ways.
Here’s what’s happening:
Tuesday, June 2
Pride poster-making/bring your own craft evening
Start the Pride festivities by flexing your creative and community-building muscles. We invite friends and allies to come together for a time of connection and sharing our creations. Bring your arts and crafts, and/ or make some Pride posters in the vein of protest and celebratory posters used during the queer liberation movement. Thank you to the Seaforth Library for providing the space for this event.
Seaforth Library (108 Main St. S., Seaforth)
6: p.m. to 8 p.m.
Admission: Free
Wednesday, June 3
Movie afternoon at the museum
We’re partnering with No Hate in Huron for a screening of “Parade: Queer Acts of Love and Resistance,” a documentary detailing the history and voices behind the 2SLGBTQIA+ movement in Canada. There will also be a time following the film for an intergenerational discussion around our own queer stories and presence in the community.
Huron County Museum (110 North St., Goderich)
2 p.m.
Admission: Free (seating is first-come, first-served)
Thursday, June 4
Tie-dye/acid wash evening
Join us for an evening of making throwback (or fashion-forward) styles at the MacNaughton Park Pavilion in Exeter. Bring a shirt, shorts, or whatever other clothing you would like to “zhuzh up” and personalize.
We will have limited t-shirts of our own for you to tie dye or acid wash.
MacNaughton Park Pavilion (68 Hill St., Exeter)
5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Admission: Free (bring your own clothing to dye/wash)
Friday, June 5
Pride trivia night
Team up with friends for a friendly night of queer trivia at Bad Apple Brewing. Test your knowledge, meet new people and maybe win a prize or two. We’ll be drawing from ages past and present for our questions, so all ages will have something to add.
Bad Apple Brewing (73463 Hwy. 21, Zurich)
7 p.m.
Admission: by donation (up to teams of four)
Saturday, June 6
Fourth annual Huron County Pride Festival
Come and join us for the main event, our Pride Festival. This year, we will be celebrating together at the Lions Harbour Park, offering more space and more opportunities to make connections and have a blast. Enjoy live music, drag performances, an artisan market, community booths and the family Pride area. Everyone is welcome, and there's something for all ages.
Lions Harbour Park (Harbour St., Goderich)
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission: Free
Sunday, June 7
Pride worship services
Celebrate Pride in two inclusive worship services led by Rev. Alex Jebson, minister at Blyth and Brussels United Churches and chairperson of Huron County Pride. During these services, we will celebrate Blyth and Brussels United Churches officially becoming Affirming Congregations, an official designation and commitment to being 2SLGBTQIA+ affirming communities. All are welcome as we reflect on the power of love, spirit, and community.
Brussels United Church (61 King St., Brussels) – 9:30 a.m.
Blyth United Church (430 Mill St., Blyth) – 11 a.m.
Sunday, June 7
Bayfield River Valley Trail Association
Pride Walk
Join us for Bayfield’s Fourth Annual Pride Walk. Meet at the pavilion in Clan Gregor Square at 11 a.m. for a walk along the Heritage Trail. Show your pride, support diversity and take in the beautiful views of Bayfield.
Clan Gregor Square, Bayfield
11 a.m.
Admission: Free
For more information: Ralph Blasting –rjblastingjr@gmail.com
Come and join us for these events and continue the work and community-building that is Pride. Let’s have a celebration for the ages.
Chamber Connect: Agriculture in Huron County is
highly capable, innovative, and resilient
CARMICHAEL Sun Contributor
Recently, I was invited to represent the Huron Chamber of Commerce at the Huron County Federation of Agriculture’s MP/MPP Forum, and one of the strongest takeaways was how wide the range of pressures has become across the agricultural sector.
We often talk about agriculture as though it were a single industry.
In Huron County, it is anything but.
Grain and oilseed producers, beef, pork, dairy, poultry, sheep, and egg farmers all operate under different business models, different regulatory systems, and different market realities.
For grain and oilseed producers, trade uncertainty remains a major concern. These are sectors heavily exposed to export markets, global commodity prices, transportation costs, and international competition.
Tariffs, non-tariff barriers, and foreign subsidies can affect farm income quickly, even when nothing about the local growing season has changed. Add in the rising cost of fertilizer, fuel, equipment, and financing, and the margin for error becomes very thin.
Beef and pork producers face many of the same pressures, but they are also affected by processing capacity and market access in distinct ways.
When domestic processing options are limited, producers can become more vulnerable to cross-border disruptions, higher transportation costs, and bottlenecks that are largely beyond their control.
If Ontario wants to strengthen food resilience and keep more economic value closer to home, regional processing capacity must be part of the conversation.
For dairy, poultry, and egg producers, the conversation is somewhat different, but no less important. These sectors depend heavily on the stability of supply management. That stability supports farm planning, domestic food production, and investment in local operations.
At the same time, producers remain
concerned about concessions in international trade agreements that can gradually weaken the system.
For many farm families, this is not an abstract policy debate. It goes directly to long-term confidence and succession planning.
Sheep producers are dealing with another variation of the same broader challenge. There is clear opportunity to grow domestic lamb production and meet more of the demand that is currently filled by imports, but expansion requires the right business conditions, including access to processing, reliable infrastructure, and policies that make growth realistic rather than theoretical.
Across all these sectors, there are also shared concerns. Farmland values have risen to levels that make entry and expansion increasingly difficult, especially for younger farmers.
Interest rates and borrowing costs affect capital-intensive operations in a very direct way. Rural broadband, roads, bridges, and energy infrastructure all influence productivity and competitiveness.
Environmental stewardship remains a priority for producers, but policy must reflect on-farm realities and be paired with practical program support rather than layered on as another administrative burden.
Agriculture in Huron County is highly capable, innovative, and resilient, but that should not be mistaken for an endless ability to absorb rising costs, policy uncertainty, and structural barriers.
Producers can adapt a great deal, and they do, but there comes a point when constant pressure stops being a challenge to manage and starts becoming a constraint on growth, investment, and succession.
If we want agriculture to remain strong, we need public policy at all levels of government that acknowledges the differences between sectors, while also addressing the common pressures that run across them.
That is not just good for the farms that dot the landscape, it is good for every town and village across Huron County.
GODERICH SUN STAFF
COLIN
United Way celebrates Goderich-area volunteers for yearround support
GODERICH SUN STAFF
info@goderichsun.com
Volunteers help strengthen United Way Perth-Huron’s (UWPH) connection to communities across the region by giving their time, skills and energy.
According to UWPH, through the support of volunteers, hundreds of residents contribute to programs and services to help build stronger, more connected communities in the region.
Recently, UWPH held its Spirit of Community Celebration and two local volunteers received recognition and awards.
Beth Blowes and Bernice Glenn of Goderich were celebrated for their volunteerism.
Blowes received a Community Heart award for her 10-plus years of service to UWPH. Her involvement included the Community Impact and Allocations Committee, the Social Research and Planning Council, UWPH’s Board of Directors and the Mid-Huron Community Committee, where her leadership and focus on community needs helped strengthen the organisation’s work.
“Beth has contributed so much to UWPH,” stated Ryan Erb, UWPH Executive Director.
“She brought clarity, creativity, and a deep commitment to community, and we
are grateful for her insight and support.”
Glenn received a Spirit award for her involvement with Goderich Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY).
Over the past seven years, Glenn has personally raised more than $62,500 and tirelessly promotes awareness and understanding for those experiencing homelessness.
“Bernice has played a significant role in the success of CNOY in Goderich,” Erb remarked.
“Her willingness to share her family’s story, along with her fundraising efforts, have helped build Goderich CNOY into the success it is today.”
Further to Blowes and Glenn’s efforts to support UWPH, each volunteer giving their time to UWPH play a vital role in supporting the organisation’s work.
In addition to Blowes and Glenn, other volunteers were honoured for their contributions including Wendy Hutton, Sarah Bussey, Sally Desjardine, Karen Dickens, Andrea Loohuizen, Ellen Barnett, Gwen Bradley, Patti Fievoli, Nick Skinner, Tom Soltys, Terri Sparling and Denise Winger.
“We’re grateful for our volunteers,” concluded Erb.
“They are a big part of the success of UWPH and we’re happy to highlight their importance and thank them for all they do.”
Senior Men’s Golf League at The Maitland accepting reservations in early May
GODERICH SUN STAFF
info@goderichsun.com
With the golf season on the horizon, organisers of the Senior Men’s Golf League at The Maitland in Goderich are now accepting reservations to the league on Tuesday, May 12 from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. Play begins on May 19.
“Come and join this fun league with weekly on course prizes, five monthly shotgun special dates, standing tee times and an all around enjoyable time,” encouraged Ron Cave, Convenor of the men’s league. For further information regarding prices, contact Ron Cave, convenor: roncave11@gmail.com
John Hindmarsch Environmental Trust to host Plant and Compost Sale in May
GODERICH SUN STAFF
info@goderichsun.com
After a long and snow-laden winter, Spring is extra welcome this year, and on Saturday, May 9, the event that gardeners look forward to each year will again be happening in Goderich at the Columbus Centre on Suncoast Drive.
From 10 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., you will find a plentiful supply of sun and shade-loving plants, experienced gardeners to help with your choices, plus butterflies and native plant specialists.
This year there will again be an extra focus on native plants, as environmentalists tell us that they are the most beneficial
for pollinators as well as the hardiest and trouble-free choices.
The Butterflyway Rangers will be there as well as Krystal with Huron Backyard Ecosystems.
Organisers are pleased to again be able to provide bags of compost to give your garden soil a boost.
This event is sponsored by the John Hindmarsh Environmental Trust Fund, the Maitland Conservation Foundation and the Maitland Trail Association. It provides funds for local environmental projects.
For more information on this event, please contact Susan Chan at (519) 5242804.
Well Youth Hubs and Huron-Perth Children’s Aid Society partner to support long-term stability
GODERICH SUN STAFF
info@goderichsun.com
A new partnership has been formed to ensure long-term stability, sustainability and continuity of The Well Youth Hubs.
The Well Community Collective and the Huron-Perth Children’s Aid Society (HPCAS) have partnered to support local youth.
HPCAS will assume administrative and operational responsibilities for the Youth Hubs, while preserving the strengths of the existing model, including youth co-design, low-barrier access and strong community collaboration.
“This partnership is about strengthening what already works,” said Kristian Wilson, Executive Director.
All three operating hub locations in Goderich, Exeter and Listowel will run exactly as they do today, and youth will
experience no change in access, services or the day-to-day functioning of the hubs.
Shannon McGavin will continue in her role as Director of The Well Youth Hubs, supported by HPCAS, and continue to lead with youth-structures that have shaped the hubs.
“The Well Youth Hubs have become trusted, welcoming spaces for young people, and our role is to ensure that stability continues long into the future,” added Wilson.
“We are committed to supporting the model, the team, and the community relationships that make these hubs so successful.”
John Peevers, Senior Advisor, Corporate Affairs at Bruce Power and co-chair of the fundraising cabinet for The Well Community Collective said that young people in the region are facing complex
Province announces funding to connect local patients to care providers
info@goderichsun.com
The Ontario Government has announced that the Huron Perth and Area Ontario Health Team will receive $4.324 million in funding to connect patients to a primary care team.
According to a press release, 10,157 patients will be connected through the funding that comes through the Primary Care Action Plan in a push to link everyone in the province to a family doctor or primary care provider by 2029.
Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson said the investment is a “significant step forward” for people and families across Huron and Perth counties.
“Our government remains committed to strengthening rural healthcare by supporting the dedicated professionals on the front lines and building a system that is more connected, accessible, and responsive to the needs of both Huron and Perth,” she said.
The $4.324 million investment into the Huron Perth and Area Ontario Health Team will be dispersed between the Family Health Teams (FHT) in the region: Bluewater Area FHT, Clinton FHT, Huron Community FHT (Seaforth), Listowel-Wingham and Area FHT, Maitland Valley FHT (Goderich), Grand Bend Area Community Health Centre and Family Health Organization (FHO Exeter), STAR FHT, Stratford
FHT and Happy Valley FHT.
The Family Health Teams receiving funding aim to act quickly to recruit healthcare professionals to attach more patients. Those without a family doctor or who are seeking to find one closer to home may add their name to the Healthcare Connect list, which is the primary method to attach patients to a new primary care provider.
Huron Perth and Area Ontario Health Team director Joelle Lewis said the funding reflects the strength of primary care in the region.
“By aligning teams, providers and community partners, we are improving how care is coordinated, making it more connected and easier for people to access and navigate where they live,” said Lewis.
“This collaborative approach is a major step forward for our region to ensure everyone has access to primary care and the supports they need to stay healthy.”
The Huron Perth and Area Ontario Health Team were funded through the latest call for proposals under the Primary Care Action Plan. All 124 teams that received funding across Ontario are expected to connect an additional 500,000 patients to primary care.
The investment also builds upon the $822,604 investment made in 2024 to help connect an additional 2,000 residents in Huron and Perth Counties to a primary care provider.
challenges. This includes mental health and substance use, and Peevers emphasizes the importance of coordinated, community-based responses.
Bruce Power focuses on helping build resilience in local communities, and Peevers explains that is the reason Bruce Power remains committed to The Well Community Collective.
“The Well Youth Hubs are creating the kind of connected wraparound support that young people need,” added Peevers.
“This work shows that building a strong, resilient community does not happen in silos, it happens through collaboration.”
This new partnership with HPCAS allows The Well Youth Hubs to maintain its vision while ensuring long-term sustainability.
The focus remains the same, according to McGavin – accessible, youth-driven
spaces where young people feel seen, supported, and welcomed.
“This partnership ensures that young people continue to have a space that feels safe, welcoming and built for them,” said Kyra Leddy, Youth Engagement Lead, The Well Youth Hubs.
“What matters most is that youth voices remain part of how the hubs grow and evolve.”
This partnership reflects a shared commitment to ensure young people continue to have reliable, inclusive and welcoming spaces to access mental health, wellness and community supports.
Over the coming months, The Well and HPCAS will work together to ensure a smooth administrative transition, with ongoing communication to partners, youth and families. All services remain fully operational.
SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION 2026
Municipal Elections Act, 1996 FOR THE
AVON MAITLAND DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
Nomination for the office of school board trustee
One (1) person to be elected to represent the electoral district of the Town of Goderich and the Township of Ashfield-ColborneWawanosh
Nominations/Registrations may be filed during regular business hours at the office of the Clerk for the Town of Goderich, 57 West Street, Goderich, Ontario N7A 2K5 during regular business hours, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. between May 1, 2026, and August 20, 2026, and on Nomination Day August 21, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Nominations/Registration papers and full particulars may be obtained at the Municipal Office.
A signed consent to the nominations, a declaration of qualification by the candidate, the $100.00 filing fee (cash, money order, debit or certified cheque) and identification of the candidate are required.
Electors are hereby given notice that if a greater number of candidates are certified than are required to fill the said offices; an election will be held. Voting Day will be Monday, October 26, 2026.
Please be advised that no person who proposes to be a candidate may solicit or accept contributions for election purposes, or incur expenses until that person’s nomination has been filed.
Dated this 10th day of April, 2026
Andrea Fisher, Florence Witherspoon, Returning Officer Returning Officer Goderich Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh
GODERICH SUN STAFF
From Ailsa Craig to Artemis II: Reflecting on Jeremy Hansen’s journey
recruitment campaign, making him one of two candidates to do so that year.
When the Apollo missions went to the moon, generations of people were inspired by their display of human ingenuity and perseverance.
Now, more than 50 years after humans last stepped onto the lunar surface, humanity is returning to Earth’s only natural satellite. And for the first time in history, a Canadian was part of the crew of trailblazers launching into the final frontier.
That Canadian, Jeremy Hansen, was one of four astronauts serving on the Artemis II crew that not only saw humans make their way around the moon, but sent them further into space than anyone before.
Hansen, who served as a mission specialist on the crew, spent many of his formative years in southwestern Ontario, where his early experiences helped shape the steady and grounded person he is known as today.
Born in London and raised on a farm outside Ailsa Craig, Hansen’s local roots run deep. From Kindergarten to Grade 8, Hansen attended McGillivray Central Public School, graduating from the school before he and his family moved to Ingersoll during his teenage years.
Hansen’s career in aviation began when he was just 12 years old, joining London’s 614 Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron. At 16, he earned his Air Cadet glider pilot wings, then his private pilot licence and wings just one year later.
His journey would take him to the Canadian Armed Forces, starting with basic training in 1994 and leading to him becoming a CF-18 fighter pilot. In 2009, Hansen successfully weathered the intense Canadian Space Agency astronaut
Though he has seen a lifetime of successes born from his tenacity and steadiness, one of Hansen’s teachers from his McGillivray days, Drew Robertson, said he could have never imagined one of his former students would reach such heights.
However, Robertson said the signs of the traits that would lead to his success were already there from a young age.
“Did I ever think he’d be in space? No,” said Robertson. “But I knew, regardless of what he was going to do, he was going to be successful simply because he met the challenge at hand.
“I am so exceedingly proud of him.”
Robertson described Hansen as a deeply humble and reliable individual, though he said it is difficult for him to recall how Hansen was in the classroom academically, having taught thousands of students throughout his career.
“He obviously had dreams as a young boy,” he said. “He’s realized those dreams.
“I think for anybody to have realized their dreams is a great thing. We all dream.”
It was by chance that Robertson would run into Hansen several years after he left McGillivray Central. The two crossed paths at a shopping mall in London while Hansen was an Air Cadet, already taking to the skies in gliders.
“I told him it was one of my lifelong dreams to glide,” said Robertson. “He said ‘well look, I’ll take you up.’”
Weeks later, Robertson was meeting a young Hansen in Centralia, where the pair hopped into a glider together. Though Robertson said it started as a nerve-wracking experience, he ultimately came to enjoy the flight.
“Off we went, pulled up by the tow rope. It was this teenager flying me through the sky in this glider,” said Robertson. “But he was the kind of kid you could trust.
“He had my life in his hands.”
Decades later, the pair would reunite once again in Parkhill when Hansen received the North Middlesex Sesquicentennial Inspiration Award in 2018. Though decades had passed, Robertson said Hansen continued to show humility, speaking with respect to both children and adults as they asked him questions.
“Yes, he was an astronaut. Yes, he spoke about space, though it was well before his time in space. But he spoke openly, freely and humbly.”
While speaking about his thoughts as he followed Hansen’s journey into space, Robertson said it showed his steady nature as he served in the Artemis II mission alongside three other astronauts who relied on him succeeding to return home.
“He had that commitment, and he fulfilled it. That speaks so highly to him as an individual.”
Though it’s been decades since Hansen lived in the area, Robertson said the astronaut has continued to maintain connections with the tight-knit community of McGillivray.
Meanwhile, the community has shown its own lasting connection to Hansen, and to his story.
Students at McGillivray Central were able to look to Hansen as an inspiration, learning about the former student’s history at the school while following his journey to the moon.
“This experience has shifted how our students see themselves,” said McGillivray Central principal Michelle Koop. “They’re seeing that important journeys
can begin right here. Jeremy Hansen’s story has become part of our story and has helped our students think more broadly about what’s possible.”
Robertson echoed Koop’s sentiment. He said he wonders what kind of impact Hansen’s story will have on a new generation of bright young minds who may lead remarkable lives of their own with that spirit of science and adventure shown to them through Hansen’s story, much like the Apollo astronauts did.
“How many kids today may have had some seed sown in their heads because of what he’s done? He’s such an ordinary, down-to-earth and sincere person,” said Robertson. “They can say ‘if he can do it, I can do it.’ I think that’s the important part.”
Even as he stepped onto the world stage, Hansen seemed to carry himself with the same quiet humility and down-to-earth sincerity that the community knows him for.
As he stood in front of a crowd alongside his crew when they answered questions after their return to Earth, Hansen said the science of the mission was exciting. However, he said it was the human experience of Artemis II that he and the crew found most interesting. He shared the love he has for his crewmates, how they worked to find joy in their mission and how people around the world could see themselves in the four-person crew that went farther from Earth than anyone before.
“We are a mirror reflecting you,” said Hansen. “If you like what you see, then just look a little deeper. This is you.”
From a farm outside Ailsa Craig to the far side of the moon, Hansen’s journey is a reminder that big dreams can begin in small places.
DAN ROLPH Sun Correspondent
(NASA PHOTO)
Jeremy Hansen looks through a camera outside the windows of the Orion capsule Integrity.
(NASA/BILL INGALLS PHOTO)
Jeremy Hansen shortly after returning to earth following a successful splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on April 10.
Goderich Sun
Flag football league continues to grow, driven by volunteers
Huron Perth Flag Football is returning to the field for another season of local football action, and the organization is looking for dedicated volunteers willing to lend a hand.
The league first got its start in 2024 when Dave Levinson and his wife, Melanie, decided to start a local league in the region where football options are limited. With a history of travelling to London for football, the couple decided to bring the sport closer to home, but it was their children who gave them the needed encouragement to tackle such a project.
“We’re huge football fans,” said Levinson. “It took a few years of (our children) trying to convince us to do it.”
Now moving into the league’s third year, Levinson said they have continued to see growth with each consecutive season. For the coming spring season that starts on May 2, he estimated they will have about 160 players in the co-ed league that welcomes players from ages six to 17, representing a mixture of returning players and ones who are signing up for the first time.
“Each season, we do have quite a few new players that join us,” he said. “Whether it’s word of mouth or seeing some of our posts, most of it is just organic growth.
“Football has grown substantially in Canada in terms of popularity over the last 15 years.”
In particular, Levinson said the league that plays at Exeter’s community soccer fields on Victoria Street has seen growth in the number of girls getting involved, showing the sport’s appeal across the board.
“Football’s not just a boy-dominated sport,” he said.
Levinson attributed much of the growth and success that Huron Perth Flag Football has seen to their philosophy for the league: to create a welcoming and safe atmosphere where the players can grow.
“It’s the focus on coaching, positivity
and the team atmosphere,” he said. “Yes, people can compete hard and they can be serious about their football, but it is just a game.”
“That’s the important philosophy of the league. As long as people are improving as individuals and having a good time and they’re getting better, that’s what we focus on.”
That philosophy is one Levinson said has been popular with parents, who regularly speak to them about how the league has improved the lives of their children for the better.
“Those are the things that are really encouraging for us,” he said. “They show us that we’re making a huge difference for a lot of these kids. That’s the whole goal.
“The atmosphere we create, I think, is the secret sauce.”
The league’s positive approach to the sport is one that seems to not only be popular with children, but with adults as well.
Levinson said they’re hoping to launch a league for adults that will include dropin games on Saturdays, meaning there won’t need to be long-term commitments when people are looking to fit football action into their busy schedules.
“Every season, people connect with us and ask if we’re running anything for adults,” he said.
However, the league wouldn’t be able to operate without the dedicated community who helps to bring it all together. Wheth-
er it is businesses sponsoring the league and allowing them to improve their equipment, or the volunteers who sign up to coach, referee and help with the league’s operations, Levinson said they’re vital to the operation.
“That enables us to run the league,” he said. “We’re always looking for volunteers.”
As they ramp up to their spring season, Levinson said they are still looking for coaches, referees and students who may need community service hours.
Volunteers are the backbone of the league, and anyone interested in helping make the season possible is encouraged to reach out at huronperthflagfootball@gmail.com.
DAN ROLPH Sun Correspondent
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Huron Perth Flag Football is returning to Exeter on May 2 for another season of football action. The local league got its start in 2024 and has been supported by volunteers since its inception.
Vikings earn first and second place at Grade 7/8 basketball tournament
Bayfield Lions Club unveils new stage wrap in celebration of 150th anniversary
GODERICH SUN STAFF info@goderichsun.com
The Bayfield Lions Club is proud to announce the unveiling of its newly wrapped stage, beautifully adorned with photography from fellow Lions member and avid photographer Jack Pal.
This striking design celebrates the 150th anniversary of Bayfield, capturing the essence and beauty of our community.
The stage will be showcased at the Home Show this weekend, inviting the public to view this artistic representation of Bayfield’s rich history and vibrant culture.
Residents and visitors alike are encouraged to explore the stage and learn how
you can rent it for various special events.
“This wrap not only beautifies our stage but also pays homage to the wonderful community we are proud to serve,” said Karen Scott, Lions President.
“We invite everyone to come and see it for themselves this weekend at the Home Show and consider using our stage for their events.”
The Bayfield Lions Club has been an integral part of the community since 1947, dedicated to service and support. The new stage wrap is a testament to their ongoing commitment to enhancing local events and celebrations.
For more information or to book the stage for your event, please visit bayfieldlions.ca.
My seasonal allergies just got renewed for another year
When you lie all the time, don’t be surprised when people are skeptical.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
The new wrapped stage adorned with photography from fellow Lions member Jack Pal.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Congratulations go to the boys' team for bringing home first place after a wonderful season of teamwork and sportsmanship. (Names weren't obtained in time for publication).
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Further congratulations go to the girls' team for earning second place at the tournament. Coaches are proud of the effort and sportsmanship from everyone. (Names weren't obtained in time for publication).
The 4 Ts Golf Tournament aims to raise awareness for breast and testicular cancer and funds for MRI Campaign
KATHLEEN SMITH Editor
In its inaugural year, the Tata’s and Testicles Golf Tournament (Four Ts) will aim to bring a golf tournament to the region that raises awareness and funds for both breast and testicular cancers.
Funds raised during the tournament will be donated to the new MRI Suite at the Alexandra Marine and General Hospital (AMGH) in Goderich.
The tournament, which has been sold out for months, includes 18 holes of golf with a cart and dinner during the all-day fundraiser.
Marilyn Turner, organiser of the event,
said during the all-day fundraising event, anyone can venture out to Goderich Sunset Golf Course and participate.
The day will also include games, a 50/50, a raffle and a silent auction, accompanied by live entertainment by local band Happy Jack following dinner and into the evening.
Organisers of the event hope to raise over $10,000 for the Magnetic Moments Campaign to raise funds for the new MRI suite at AMGH in Goderich.
“Not only will we raise funds for the new MRI suite, but we are also bringing awareness to both men’s and women’s health, because everyone’s health matters
From soil to songbirds: Why native plants matter
RENEE SANDELOWSKY and HELEN VAREKAMP
Sun Contributors
If you have been reading our articles, you already understand the devastating and costly problems invasive species can create.
Maybe you have already pulled your Burning Bush, and you are working on eradicating a large patch of Periwinkle. If so, congratulations and thank you.
For those of you who are new to our articles, here’s a reminder - invasive plants are non-native plants that cause harm to our economy, human health or the environment; they spread aggressively and displace native species while disrupting the ecological relationships that people and wildlife depend on.
They often naturalize in areas other than our gardens, such as forests and roadsides. It will then take millions of dollars to eradicate these villains.
So, why is it important to replace invasive species with native plants? Why not plant non-native plants which are not on the invasive list? Let’s look at one example: a native Oak tree versus a Ginkgo tree which originates from China.
Native Oak trees support over 500 species of butterflies and moths alone. Compare this to Ginkgo trees, which support at most five species. Over thousands of years, native Oak trees have evolved alongside local insects, creating complex food webs.
Ginkgo trees evolved in China, so our native insects have not had the opportunity to learn how to feed on them and overcome the tree’s chemical defense systems. Various chemicals including ginkgolides and bilobalides in Ginkgo leaves act as natural deterrents that repel most insects and fungi.
Therefore, an Oak tree is a critical food source for birds and other wildlife, while a Ginkgo tree’s resistance to pests is what makes it such a popular choice for urban landscaping and such a poor choice to support biodiversity.
In fact, it takes 6,000 - 9,000 caterpillars to raise a single nest of young chickadees. So, a healthy insect population is crucial to their survival, and native plants play an essential role by supporting a much wider variety of caterpillars than non-native plants.
This also means birds, especially nesting songbirds, prefer a native tree over a non-native tree because there will be more food for themselves and their chicks.
Now you may ask yourself, are all non-native plants invasive? Absolutely not.
Non-native plants can have a place in our landscape, either based on aesthetics or usefulness. In fact, most of our essential food crops are non-native, yet serve an important role in our wellbeing.
It is alright to have some non-native plants in your garden if you really like these. Just be aware of their shortcomings in the ecosystem and for biodiversity. As gardeners we can make choices to either support habitat for wildlife or contribute to a world where natural habitats are disappearing.
So, what should you do if you have invasive plants? You can make a difference by removing them from your property, so their future spread will no longer be a concern.
Then do the world a favour by planting gorgeous native plants in their place and enjoy watching your garden come to life.
Renee Sandelowsky & Helen Varekamp are volunteers for Canadian Coalition for Invasive Plant Regulation
and having local access in our hometown hospital will make a huge difference,” added Turner.
“We are also inviting the community to be involved with our fundraiser because it’s a community effort.”
Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in males aged 15-34 years old. One male is diagnosed every hour, and one male dies a day from testicular cancer. When detected early, 99 per cent of men diagnosed survive.
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in Canada and according to statistics, one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
Eighty-two per cent of female breast cancer cases are diagnosed early in development (Stage I and II), and with early detection, the probability of surviving breast cancer at least five years after diagnosis is about 89 per cent in Canada.
“Everyone can get involved, not just golfers, because every little bit helps us get closer to this happening in our hospital,” concluded Turner.
“Awareness, involvement, fundraising and donations are key to making this happen.”
The Ta Ta’s and Testicles Golf Tournament will be held on June 6 at 11 a.m. at Goderich Sunset Golf Club.
Central Huron Council to decide on distribution of community funding
BRITTANY McKAY Sun Reporter
The approved Operating Budget for 2026 includes $50,000 for the Donation Fund program, which is sourced from OLG Revenues and falls under the OLG Community Recognition Program. The Donation Fund policy outlines the following criteria for consideration:
The Central Huron Municipal Donation Fund supports groups and organizations that run events or programs benefiting the community. Eligible requests must focus on one or more of the following areas:
• Promoting community welfare
• Promoting public health
• Promoting education and training
• Promoting social and economic growth
• Promoting cultural, heritage, or environmental well-being Eligibility requirements for applicants include:
Be a local community group, non-profit, charity, or school (elementary or secondary).
National or international organizations may apply if they have a local branch or affiliate.
Show how their project will benefit residents of Central Huron.
If they’ve received funding in the past, submit a completed report on how last
year’s funds were used.
The Program received 23 applications, excluding the annual student commencement scholarships and the Outstanding Youth Award.
The pre-approved requests are:
· $200.00 for the Municipality of Central Huron’s Outstanding Youth Award
· $200.00 for the Municipality of Central Huron Award at Central Huron Secondary School
· $200.00 for the Municipality of Central Huron Award at St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary School
· $1,000.00 for Huron Manufacturing Association’s Student Awards (as per Council resolution on April 7, 2026)
· The application of $2,000.00 for the Clinton Kinettes was pre-approved at the April 7, 2026 Council meeting.
Council faces three options for distributing the remaining funds:
Allocating Full Amounts Requested Prioritize First-Time & Less Often Applicants within Budgeted Amount
3. Proportion Applicants within Budgeted Amount
Following the Council's resolution, staff will issue letters to all applicants detailing their approved funding amounts and will move forward with the program in accordance with the policy
MAY EVENTS
Local author’s bone - chilling experience becomes first book
It’s a story with the makings of a nightmare, but local author TC Williams said what he put onto the pages of his first book is truly what he lived though.
“Resident Stalker” is the first volume of Williams’ “The Superintendent Chronicles.”
Due to the sensitive nature of the book, Williams writes under a pseudonym.
In his first book, which released at the end of 2024, Williams goes into detail about his experience as a superintendent of a condominium complex in a large city, where he became the target of a resident who began to harass and stalk him for nearly a decade.
“It was a really lonely journey,” said Williams of the experience. “It tried every aspect of my sanity along the way.
“It was literally terrifying for almost 10 years. I thought for sure I was losing my mind.”
In his book, Williams writes of an indifferent condominium board that failed to act as he dealt with the stalker, eventually leading to an attack that left him with a permanent elbow injury.
In response, Williams was terminated by that condominium board, though other residents of the complex created a group to oppose the board and its power.
The story unfolds with moments of repeated institutional failures and persistent inaction, resulting in hardship for Williams. Yet, it also reveals resilience and the enduring strength of the human spirit as he confronts a traumatic and harrowing ordeal, supported by other residents at the complex.
Williams said the process of putting words onto the pages was challenging, often feeling as if he was reliving the experience.
“While I was writing it and going back through the story, it was like I was actually there,” said Williams. “I was actually sweaty, feeling the same feeling, my heart skipping beats like it used to every day on the job. It was difficult writing some of the passages. It really affects you, because you’re going back through it again. It’s almost like you’re being traumatized twice.
“When I had completed it, I was so happy because I was free of it. The story was told.”
It’s been several years since Williams left the city for a quieter life, and he said the move has left him “as solid as a rock” and in a much better place.
“Since the day I came out to the country, there’s not a heart-
beat out of whack,” he said. “I’m not stressed.”
As a first-time writer, Williams said ensuring the “essence” of his experience remained without sacrificing the strength of his story was difficult, particularly as he worked to ensure he wasn’t identifying places or individuals.
“You can tell the truth, but you’ve got to be careful not to give away too much,” he said. “You only want to give enough that it can’t be identifiable to anybody or anything. It was difficult. A lot of times I’d have to re-write something four or five times, because there was too much in it.
“But it’s hard to get the true feeling across to the reader if you don’t include as much as you can.”
Williams said he hadn’t planned to put pen to paper and become a writer, but the urging of residents from the condominium complex who watched him live through the ordeal gave him the push to share his story with the public. He first started working on “Resident Stalker” in 2021, gathering his notes as he continued to work at the complex.
Once he’d begun the writing process proper, it took Williams about a year and a half to finish his first book.
“I didn’t even know I could write,” he said. “I just started writing. It worked out great.”
Once he’d finished “Resident Stalker,” it was another eight months for him to learn how to create a cover, lay out a book and self-publish his work.
“Everything matters, from font to page numbers to page counts,” he said. “It was a lot of fine tuning at the end to get it right. Now, I know what to do.
“It’s a lot of work.”
The process has left Williams in a stronger place as he tackles his second book, “The Cooperative,” which will be the second volume of “The Superintendent Chronicles.”
His next book will dig into his experiences as a superintendent dealing with three gangs vying for the drug sales in his building, where he said there were as much as $30,000 in sales each month.
“I really want to get that one out,” he said. “It’s a really good story.”
Williams aims to release his second book by early 2027.
“Resident Stalker” is available both as a book and an e-book through Amazon’s Kindle Books.
DAN ROLPH Sun Correspondent
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Local author TC Williams’ first book “Resident Stalker” is available through Amazon’s Kindle Books.
COSTA RICA
INFORMATION PRESENTATION
CUSTOMER
Partnerships in Ausable River watershed support fish and mussel recovery
GODERICH SUN STAFF
info@goderichsun.com
The Ausable River is “one of the richest watersheds of its size for freshwater biodiversity,” according to Shawn Staton, team leader for Ontario with the Species at Risk Program of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Staton spoke on Aquatic Species at Risk Recovery in the Ausable River Watershed: The Power of Partnerships at Ausable Bayfield Conservation’s Partner Appreciation Evening.
More than 110 people attended the event at Ironwood Golf Club on Thursday, March 26, 2026.
There are 85 species of fish in the Ausable River and seven of those are species at risk, while there are 27 species of freshwater mussels in the Ausable River with eight species at risk.
The Ausable River is nationally important as a home to species at risk. It has globally rare mussel species and is home to some species that are almost extinct.
Populations of some native freshwater mussel species in the Great Lakes have been wiped out by the invasive zebra mussel. Rivers like the Ausable River may be the last refuge for some aquatic species, Staton said.
Two-thirds of mussel species in Ontario are found in the Ausable River. There are 41 different species of mussels in Ontario.
“One of the cool things about them is the diversity in shapes, sizes, and colours,” said Staton, adding that mussels have very interesting and colourful names.
Mussel names include threehorn wartyback, threeridge, purple wartyback, northern riffleshell deertoe, elktoe, kidneyshell and snuffbox.
“Another cool thing about mussels, that most people don’t realize, is they’re really dependent on the fish community,” said Staton.
Mussels have a unique life cycle as they are parasitic on fish during their larval stage. Young mussels attach to the gills of appropriate fish hosts taking in nourishment for a period of time before they drop off to become free-living.
Mussels filter and clean the water in the river and remove suspended sediment.
“They can have a real measurable impact on water clarity, just to give you an idea of some of the ecosystem benefits you can get from mussels,” said Staton. One mussel can filter up to 40 litres of water per day.
Species listed under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) may be special concern, threatened, endangered or extirpated. Ontario, which includes southwestern Ontario and the Carolinian Zone, has the highest number of species at risk in Canada. In Ontario, there are 29 fishes listed under SARA and 15 freshwater mussel species.
Staton has helped to develop recovery strategies to identify ways to help with recovery of some of these species. At Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the biologist has worked since 2003 to identify critical habitat for aquatic species at risk. Preparation and implementation of action plans, supported by funding programs, helps with species recovery.
Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk and the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk have provided funding support for stewardship projects in the Ausable River watershed.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Shawn Staton, team leader for Ontario with the Species at Risk Program of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, spoke to attendees of Ausable Bayfield Conservation’s Partner Appreciation Evening on March 26 about his work.
Staton was part of the creation of the former Ausable River Recovery Strategy and the current Ausable River Action Plan. The action plan identifies critical habitat for aquatic species to provide context for recovery actions. Plan actions have been implemented to address threats. Those actions include reducing sediment and nutrient loading through best management practices and stewardship projects. Enhancements have included riparian buffers, erosion control, conservation tillage, cover crops, berms, livestock fencing, manure storage and runoff collection system and re-establishing wetlands across the watershed.
Staton praised Ausable Bayfield Conservation staff for their role in environmental monitoring of aquatic species and in their work with participating landowners to implement stewardship projects on the ground since 2004.
The slide show Staton presented documented hundreds of local projects over the years to protect and enhance habitat for aquatic species in the Ausable River watershed. These projects included restoration of hundreds of hectares of land and a quarter of a million trees planted, thousands of acres of cover crops planted and buffers established stretching the equivalent length of 38 kilometres.
Staton also shared the education and outreach conducted in the Ausable River watershed including more than 60 events for watershed landowners, where they learned about species at risk, habitat, threats and actions to protect these species. There were also more than 300 classroom education activities. More than 7,000 students learned about aquatic species and protecting them.
“That’s pretty impressive,” said Staton, adding that it is great for young people to learn about species at risk,
what’s going on in the river, the significance of the river and the biodiversity.
It was also valuable, he said, that they may bring that message home to their parents and guardians.
Assisted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada funding, Ausable Bayfield Conservation staff have worked with landowners and other community partners to implement projects since 2004. Staff members have also implemented a watershed-wide mussel monitoring program.
Staton said the results of the mussel monitoring represent “encouraging evidence of a healthy mussel community with increasing densities at most sites.”
Federal funding supported environmental monitoring of aquatic species in the Ausable River, with sampling at more than 300 fish sites and 50 mussel sites. Long-term monitoring of mussel populations provides important data on “density for individual species as well as demographics of the population, so we can really tell how healthy the populations are, how much reproduction is going on if it is going on.”
This data informs not only how conditions are changing in the river but also support national status assessments for individual species over larger areas.
“It’s very important,” said Staton. Mussel monitoring requires a high level of expertise, and he said the expertise of staff experts at ABCA, including aquatic biologist Kari Jean, is highly regarded.
It’s exciting to see increased density of some mussel populations in the Ausable River, he said, although this is not the case at all sites.
“The mussels appear to be responding to improving habitat conditions so this is what we’re really excited about,” said Staton. “We want to continue the long-term monitoring program and investigate the reasons for the declines (at one site).”
Staton said funding and strong partnerships are essential for effective species-at-risk stewardship and recovery actions. He described Ausable Bayfield Conservation’s Ausable River recovery program as “an outstanding example of the power of partnerships.”
Fisheries and Oceans Canada could not accomplish everything that has been accomplished in the Ausable River watershed, without the work of the conservation authority, local landowners and other community partners, Staton said.
“It really takes a collaborative approach and I’ve been so impressed by the passion and commitment of ABCA biologists,” he said.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada appreciates the work of the conservation authority staff in Ausable Bayfield watersheds, he said, and “so do the species.”
Staton recounted how he became interested in freshwater mussels during his presentation. Originally, he wanted to research fish, but his interest in mussels grew as he got a job where he was doing mussel population surveys that hadn’t been done in many years. He initially worked on mussel surveys in the Sydenham, Thames and Grand rivers.
“I became a huge mussel fan,” he recalled. He learned to identify the different mussels and he helped to prepare status reports on mussel species at risk.
The model of mussel surveying used in the Sydenham River was later applied to the Ausable River.
Native Ontario wildflowers paint forests, fields and wetlands with striking palettes of hues and shapes
JUDY AND BARRY JOHNSON Sun Contributors
Spring explorations on local trails through forests, along rivers and in meadows are invitations to al fresco flower shows. Use print field guides and wildflower websites to identify and to enhance appreciation of the amazing varieties of colours, height, forms and past to present uses of these floral delights. No touching or picking, please. Take only photos.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
BLUE FLAG IRIS: It has blue to royal purple blooms on plants up to a metre tall. This perennial grows in clumps in pond edges, and shallow water.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
TURK’S CAP LILY: The species name is “superb” in Latin, well-earned by its head-turning appearance. Find this perennial in swamp and bog areas, stretching up as high as 2 metres.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
BLACK-EYED SUSAN: A resilient biennial to short-lived perennial growing 45 to 90 centimetres tall, this wildflower thrives in open areas. It puts on a sunny show through summer.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
CARDINAL FLOWER: This brilliant red, showy flower is a perennial growing 60-120 centimetres tall. Pollinators like swallowtail butterflies often visit.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
FRINGED PURPLE POLYGALA: Look close to the ground in spring and summer in forests. Only about 7-12 centimetres tall, this fragile and uncommon little beauty is also known as bird-on-the-wing, due to its appearance from above.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
WHITE TRILLIUM: Ontario’s floral emblem often grows abundantly year after year in forests in spring. Standing solo or in a carpet covering a forest floor, this perennial wildflower is attention-grabbing. Its white petals turn a soft pink in the last stage of bloom.
Sisters share artistic passion at the Goderich Co-op Gallery
her way through a dozen brushes per session to find just the right effect.
Following the brilliant success of the Exposure art show in April, two sisters who are both artists will be featured guests during May at the Goderich Co-op Gallery.
Bridget Van Osch's artistic journey has been shaped by a full and busy life. Raising seven children on a large rural property left little time for hobbies, and it was only about six years ago that she finally opened the beginner's oil painting kit her late husband had gifted her years before.
Learning as she went, she embraced the process wholeheartedly — experimenting
Her work reflects a deep love of the landscape around her, from the beauty of the local countryside to the tranquility of backcountry camping with her family. Rooted in realism, her paintings carry the quiet observation of someone who has lived closely with the land.
Denise Dalton's love of the creative arts goes back as far as she can remember — from colouring geography maps in grade school to designing fantastical clothing and futuristic houses as a teenager, before finally falling in love with painting.
Her formal training came during a year at the University of Windsor, where she
focused on foundational drawing techniques, and she has been teaching herself ever since.
After years of limited output and a full working life, retirement gave her the freedom to return to her easel. She has explored acrylics and watercolour but always finds her way back to oils.
Her subjects range from local scenery to the awe-inspiring landscapes of the northern wilderness, and she also relishes the challenge of portraiture — working across styles from realism and impressionism to abstraction and even surrealism. She paints now purely for pleasure and finds joy in the happiness her paintings bring to those who receive them.
The sisters, united by a shared love of oils and a lifelong creative curiosity, bring two very different paths to a wonderfully common destination.
The exhibition opens on Friday, May 1. Join us for the opening reception on Saturday, May 9 at 2 p.m.
See new member art on the Feature Wall, exploring the theme of Journeys, on display from May through July.
Visit us at 54 Courthouse Square, downstairs from Elizabeth's Art Gallery.
New hours are now in effect: Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., except the second Wednesday of each month, when hours are 12–5 p.m.
CAROL MCDONNELL Sun Contributor
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Paintings by Bridget Van Osch.
Paintings by Denise Dalton.
Engineering better communities: 75 Years of B. M. Ross & Associates:
Anyone who has drunk clean water, driven on good roads, and crossed a sturdy bridge in mid-western Ontario has benefitted from the engineering work of B.M. Ross & Associates.
For the last 70 years, B.M. Ross & Associates has been the 'go to' engineering company that has built and maintained the area's municipal infrastructure.
The smooth operation of these services that so many take for granted is testament to the firm's skill and long experience working in the communities that they serve.
Burns Mckay Ross, the company's founder was born in Oxford County in 1927.
He grew up working on the family farm during the Great Depression. The value of diligence and hard work were instilled in Ross who applied those lessons learned on the farm to his studies at the University of Toronto where he graduated in 1950 with a B.Sc degree in Engineering and an Ontario Land Surveyors' License.
He returned to his hometown of Woodstock and worked for a local engineering firm, but Ross was determined to be “his own boss” and looked to set up his own company.
In May 1951, 24-year-old Burns Ross opened his firm's first office in Malcolm Mathers' Insurance building on West Street (now Lyons and Mulhern) in Goderich.
The town of Goderich seemed an odd place to set up an engineering company. Its proximity to Lake Huron meant that he could expect no business to the west.
He was also advised that a sparsely populated area like Huron County could hardly support an engineering business. Undeterred, Ross set up his office, introduced himself to the local councils and sat by the phone waiting for it to ring. One day, a lawyer whom Ross shared the office with told him to go out and go fishing. He would let Ross know if the phone rang.
Sure enough, while Ross was fishing in the harbour, Ross' first call was loudly announced when the lawyer drove down to the harbour honking the car horn. It was the first of thousands of calls to the B.M. Ross firm over the next seven decades.
As calls eventually trickled into the office, Ross needed to hire staff. The cab stand next to the office and pool halls were fertile recruiting venues where Ross collared men looking for work.
One long time employee, Ray Young, recalled that while trying to earn a few bucks hustling at Woods' Pool Hall, the manager told him that Ross needed a survey assistant. Young presented himself
at Ross' office and was promptly hired as the firm's first permanent employee.
In those early years, engineering jobs were scarce. It was the land surveying portion of the business that paid the bills.
In the post-war years' prosperity, Ross surveyed much of the land west of Highway #21 and divided it into lots along the lake shore for family cottages.
The 1950s was a time of unprecedented economic growth which required modernizing the county's roads, highways and bridges.
Starting in the 1950s, small towns were required to install municipal sewage systems to eliminate reliance on septic tanks and outhouses. These were projects that only engineering companies like B.M. Ross could perform.
In 1960, Ross hired professional engineer, Ken Dunn. He had worked as a summer student for Ross in 1959 and recalled that when he was hired the firm had been busy.
Using a slide rule, Dunn began “cranking out bridge designs.” Over the next 37 years, Dunn was responsible for designing over 600 bridges and culverts in southern Ontario.
Dunn later served as the company's president from 1989 to 1998.
Shortly after Dunn's arrival, the firm outgrew its original location and moved across the street to the Masonic Hall sharing the building's first floor with the Goderich Signal Star.
As the firm grew, it was re-organized in 1965. With Ross as president, the B.M. Ross Survey and Engineering Company became B.M. Ross and Associates.
In 1975, further expansion forced the firm to purchase the former North Street United Church manse and re-locate its
larger operation there.
Another major change with move was selling of the land surveying part of the business to Christian Kiar.
An Ontario Land Surveyor, Kiar, who had joined the BM Ross in 1973, continued the land surveying part of the operation until his retirement over 40 years later.
The engineers design the projects, but it is the field crews who go on sight to take the notes that make the engineering projects possible.
The survey crews are the ones who wade through rivers in December, cut lined bush and swarms of black fly swarms in dense bush in summer and climb down sanitary sewers to take measurements. Wayne Bauer, a highly respected survey crew chief, was hired by the firm in 1971.
Fifty years later, Bauer still works the odd job for the company. Bauer said that he enjoyed the work because there “was a lot of variety; you were in a different spot every day” and could use “your own know-how” to get a job done.
Until the technological revolution, the field notes were taken back to the office where they were transcribed onto paper by a team of draughtsman. Those plans were then submitted to the engineers who calculated how to bring the project to completion. Field notes can now be sent instantaneously to the office to be plotted by a computer.
Bruce Potter, the senior engineer and company president from 2009-2019, was hired out of Queen's University in 1974. Potter assists local municipalities in building and maintaining a reliable infrastructure system (water, sewage, roads and bridges).
Potter says that in his 47 years with
B.M. Ross & Associates, the company has always worked on behalf of small municipalities, the private sector and other government agencies.
Yet, perhaps, the most important projects the firm has engineered are the water and sewage treatment plants that area municipalities in Ontario began constructing in the 1960s.
Professional engineer, Stephen Burns, who was hired in 1969, echoes Potter's pride in the importance of constructing the water and sewage systems that now serve Blyth, Exeter, Brussels, Exeter, Hensall, Zurich, Bayfield and Mt Brydges to name a few area communities that have relied on B.M. Ross and Associates for safe drinking water and sanitary waste removal.
After 52 years and serving as president between 1999-2009, Burns still works for the company. In a 2001 interview for the Signal Star, Burns said he was “proud to have been part of a business that has grown, that has contributed in a very positive way to the community.”
Service longevity and company loyalty are due in large part to Ross' concept of an employee-oriented workplace.
At the time of his death in March 2008, founding president, Burns Ross, had ingrained in the company's ethos an employee focused work culture.
Richard Anderson who was hired as an engineer in 1984 said the company has “always been employee focused.”
Deb Bauer, wife of Wayne, said the workplace is “the closest thing to family as can be.” Indeed, Ross' son, Andy, has followed in his father's footsteps and has worked with the company since the late 1980s. In 1987, Andy managed the newly opened Mt. Forest office of B.M. Ross. Andy has served as company president from 2019-2021.
The company is also community oriented as it is one of the oldest private engineering firms left in the province according to 27-year employee Darren Alexander.
He believes a good part of the firm’s success is that it deals with local municipalities.
“We are approachable,” says Alexander, and “relate to the client base”.
When a client calls “they are likely to get a partner on the phone,” says Alexander, “we have a great relationship.”
Dale Erb, the current president, says the company now employs between about 80 people working out of offices in Goderich, Kincardine, Mt. Forest and Sarnia.
As the firm has expanded and kept pace with the new technologies that have revolutionized civil engineering, 75 years later B.M. Ross and Associates still lives up to its motto of “engineering better communities.”
DAVID YATES Sun Contributor
(DARREN ALEXANDER, B.M. ROSS PHOTO)
Since 1975, this North Street building in Goderich has housed B.M. Ross Engineering offices. B.M. Ross now has offices in Kincardine, Mt. Forest and Sarnia.
Rural Roots, Modern Reach: What your content should actually be doing
MEG PEARSON
Sun Contributor
Let’s talk about social media. Because right now, a lot of local businesses are posting, but
not really getting anywhere.
A photo of a product. A quick “Happy Friday!” Maybe a promo or sale. And then, nothing. No comments. No inquiries. No leads. And it’s not because social media doesn’t work. It’s because most people are using it without a strategy. Here’s a simple shift that can change everything:
Stop posting just to post. Start posting with a purpose. Before you share anything, ask yourself: Who is this for? What is this building (for example: trust, authority, relationship)?
And where am I sending someone next?
Because every piece of content should be doing something for your business; even if it’s subtle. At its core, marketing only has three jobs: get attention, help people decide if you’re the right fit and make it feel safe and easy to choose you.
Most local content stops at step one, if that.
So what does better content actually look like? Instead of just posting a product, explain how to use it. Instead of only sharing listings or services, talk about what people don’t see behind the scenes. Instead of trying to sound polished, try being relatable (especially important these
days with so much AI out there).
Some of the most effective posts are simple:
“What no one tells you about…”
“POV: You’re dealing with…”
“Here’s how this actually works…”
This kind of content builds trust, shows your expertise and helps people feel like they already know you before they walk through your door. The part most people miss is that social media isn’t the end goal. It’s the starting point. It should lead people somewhere: your website, your booking page, your store, or even just a conversation.
The goal isn’t just to be active online. It’s to be intentional. So the next time you go to post, pause for a second and ask: Is this just filling space, or is it actually building something? Because the businesses that are growing right now aren’t posting more.
They’re posting smarter.
Do you know a local business that is doing cool things in the digital space? I’d love to hear from you! Please send me an email at info@meghanpearson. ca or direct message me on Instagram at @coachmegpearson.
Protecting Ontario’s turtles: Small actions that make a big difference
After a long, hard winter, the days are finally getting warmer, and Ontario's eight native turtle species are coming out of hibernation and are on the move again.
While these fascinating reptiles play a vital role in keeping our ecosystems healthy, their future is uncertain, as all eight species are currently designated as 'Species at Risk'.
The good news is that there are many things that we can do to help protect them and increase their chances of survival.
After hibernating all winter, our native turtles are out and about anytime between April and November, although most sightings are in May and June as they travel to find mates and nesting sites.
Females lay their eggs on dry land, bury them, and leave - a nest without a mother nearby isn’t abandoned. The eggs usually hatch in late summer or early fall.
Here’s a fun fact: for many turtle species, the gender of the hatchlings is determined by the incubation temperature of the eggs.
Why turtles matter: Turtles are important in keeping
our local wetlands and ecosystems healthy - they help prevent erosion by propagating plant seeds, distributing nutrients and, since they’re scavengers, they help clean the water by eating dead fish and animals that are sources of harmful bacteria and pathogens.
Because less than one percent of all turtle eggs will survive to adulthood, and turtles can take up to 20 years to reach maturity, it can take decades of nesting before a turtle replaces itself. Every turtle lost is a blow to the local ecosystem.
Why they’re at risk:
While habitat destruction is the biggest threat to our turtles, vehicles are a close second: turtles travel several kilometers to find mates and lay eggs, so both males and females must cross the roads that have been built through their remaining wetlands.
Other threats to our turtles include eggs and hatchlings being eaten by predators, being struck by boats, getting caught as fishing bycatch, and poaching for food or as pets (both of which are illegal).
How you can help:
• Watch for turtles on the road. Turtles frequently cross the roads to find mates or lay eggs, so drive carefully, slow down and give them space.
• Leave nests alone. Don’t disturb laying females as this can cause them to give up on laying and cause serious health problems. If you find a nest, leave it where it is. If you’d like to protect it, you can install a nest protector but make sure it won’t trap hatchlings or affect the temperature (visit ontarioturtle.ca for guidance). Reporting nest locations to a monitoring program can also help conservation efforts.
• If you find an uninjured turtle on the road, you can help it cross the road if it’s safe for you to do so. Be aware of traffic and make sure that you’re visible! Always move the turtle in the direction it was heading (otherwise, it will likely try to cross again and leave it well off the side of the road. Handle the turtle as little as possible, and wash your hands afterward, as turtles can carry bacteria such as salmonella. If you’re not comfortable picking it up, you can gently guide it using a car mat, board, or shovel. Never lift a turtle by its tail, as this can cause serious injury. Visit ontarioturtle.ca for information on how to safely pick up and move turtles.
• If you find an injured turtle, call the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre at (705) 741-5000 (option 9) right away. They have a network of volunteer “turtle taxis” who can transport injured turtles to their specialized hospital for treatment and release. Place the turtle in a well-ventilated plastic container with a secure lid (turtles can climb). Don’t offer food or water and place the container somewhere dark and quiet at room temperature. Record the location where the turtle was found (GPS coordinates, road and fire number, etc.) so that they know where to release it. Turtles have an amazing ability to heal, and, with proper care, can recover from injuries that look very severe - no turtle is too injured to try saving.
• If you find eggs that have been dug up or disturbed contact the OTCC. Their rehabilitation centre incubates thousands of eggs a year for release back into the wild. Their team can give you guidance on how to properly handle and col-
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
A painted turtle with a shell fracture that was brought into the clinic in 2025 for “turtle first aid” before it was transported to OTCC. The turtle was successfully rehabilitated and released.
lect the eggs so that they can be transported for incubation. Note the location of the eggs so that they know where to release the hatchlings
• If you find a dead turtle: Even dead turtles are valuable for conservation! A recently deceased female may have eggs that can be incubated, and the data and tissue samples are very useful for research. Note the location the turtle was found as above, place it in a dry bin and call the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre at the number above.
For more information on Ontario’s turtles, including conservation and rehabilitation efforts, safe handling tips, how to build a nest protector, or to check out the turtle hospital, visit our fabulous friends
at the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre at ontarioturtle.ca
*Note: Our veterinary practice volunteers as a “first aid station” for the OTCC. If you find an injured or dead turtle during our operating hours (8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday to Friday), and you can bring it to Clinton, please call Clinton Veterinary Services at (519) 482-3558 and we’ll arrange a transfer to OTCC.
As we are busy caring for our patients, we are unable to go pick up turtles. Outside of our operating hours, please contact OTCC at (705) 741-5000.
Dr. Sophie Farrell is a veterinarian at Clinton Vet Services in Clinton, Ontario. She practices small animal, emergency and honeybee medicine.
DR. SOPHIE FARRELL Sun Contributor
Get planting on May 2, not May 24
Staring out the window at my brown and barren yard over the last few weeks, I found myself anxious, not just for spring's eruption, but for the chance to get my hands dirty in the garden.
Conventional wisdom encourages us to wait until the Victoria Day long weekend to satisfy that itch, when warmer weather puts an end to frost warnings and the sun hangs in the sky long enough to properly fuel the growth of our seedlings. This rule of thumb, however, assumes our gardens to be full of foreign imports like tomatoes and petunias, plants that don't tolerate the sleepy transition of Ontario's winter to spring with much grace.
On Saturday, May 2, you'll find me with shovel or spade in hand after my annual pilgrimage to the Native Plant Sale at the Lambton Heritage Museum, located eight kilometres south of Grand Bend on Highway 21. After a morning spent wandering amongst tables full of potted gems like prairie smoke, mayapple, purple-flowering raspberry, sky blue aster and wild ginger, an afternoon playing in the dirt is impossible to resist.
Most of our native plants, those that populated the landscape long before the first settlers arrived here, are used to our climate and weather and are
hardly fussy about shorter days and the occasional nip of frost. In fact, some natives, like trillium, bloodroot and yellow trout lily, rise so early in the year they might already be in bloom.
The sale is organized by Lakeshore Eco-Network, a local notfor-profit that works to raise awareness about environmental issues and advocate for effective climate and biodiversity action.
Pat Morden, the network’s chair, has seen the sale evolve since its launch in 2015.
“Our organization started more than 10 years ago after a tornado ripped through Grand Bend, taking down thousands of trees,” he said. “Our goal was to encourage people to replant with native trees, which are adapted to thrive in our region and provide habitat for many birds, insects and other animals.
“Some of the best growers in the southwest now bring stock to our spring and fall native plant and tree sales. It’s a popular event that attracts gardeners from a wide region, and there are always lots of lively conversations about the benefits of planting native.”
People are drawn to the sale for a variety of reasons. Some are hoping to expand the food provided by their native garden, searching for the likes of American hazelnut, wild strawberry or paw-paw trees, whose fruit is often described as tasting like a mango crossed with a banana.
Others are there for the spring ephemerals, plants that rise, flower and go dormant all before summer arrives. There are those, of course, who simply want to find a splash of colour or a pretty flower to add some curb appeal.
But for the hardcore enthusiasts, as long-time vendor Sarah Smeekens of Thedford Native Plants puts it, it's more profound: "There’s something deeply satis-
fying about planting something that does more than just please the eye. You begin to feel connected to the soil beneath your hands, to the insects that pass through, to the birds overhead. It transforms a simple act into something meaningful, grounding, and quietly important."
The plants native to our area co-evolved with local wildlife over thousands of years, each species influenced by shared environmental pressures and one another's behaviours. This intricate dance forged a mutual dependence that has developed generation after generation.
Planting natives fuels these relationships in powerful and predictable ways that most exotic plant species simply can't satisfy. Our gardens are no longer just attractive greenery but become habitat instead, shelter and sustenance for creatures both big and small, that helps to support the broader ecosystem on which all life, ours included, depends.
There's been a very notable
rise in enthusiasm for native gardening around these parts over the last several years. Commercial enterprises like Thedford Native Plants or Hemlock Grove Nursery in Grand Bend are perhaps the most obvious sign of this, but not the only ones. Take a peek on Facebook and you'll likely discover upcoming community events from Blyth to Lucan, just like the Building Habitat and Biodiversity event held at Bethel Bible Church in Seaforth on March 23. Or consider the ongoing work at Bingham Butterfly Park (243 Blake St. W., Goderich) led by Butterflyway Goderich, part of a nationwide, citizen-led initiative that works to create habitat for pollinators. All across the province, native plant enthusiasts are gardening for nature and it's no different here than elsewhere.
Of course, there are those who will arrive at Saturday's sale with little idea as to how it differs from a trip to their local garden centre. To help these folks
Goderich Duplicate Bridge Club Results
The North/South club was directed by Robert McFarlane on April 14:
1st – John Davies and Garth Sheldon – 65.48%
2nd – Mary Lapaine and Joan Lounsbury – 63.99%
3rd – Michele Hansen and Greg Bowman – 53.28%
4th – Margaret Blackie and Murray Blackie – 49.11%
The East/West club was directed by Robert McFarlane on April 14:
1st – Cal Scotchmer and Penny Peters – 63.49% 2nd – Shirley Thomas and Tom Rajnovich – 57.14%
3rd – Susan Morrison and Nancy Craig – 55.29% 4th – Joyce McIlwain and Kay King – 51.85%
The Goderich Duplicate Bridge Club meets every Tuesday at 12:45 p.m. at the Christian Reform Church on Mill Road in Goderich.
If you are interested in playing, we are welcoming
new members.
better understand the positive impacts that planting natives can have, nature education and advocacy organizations also show up in force. One such regular is Huron County Backyard Ecosystems, an organization out of Clinton that works to encourage the restoration of local biodiversity in support of pollinators and wildlife.
"Supporting native plants starts with encouragement, not criticism. One plant is all it takes to begin. When we work with people to find what fits their garden and their goals, we create lasting change that keeps growing," said organization founder Krystal Brideau.
The spring 2026 Native Tree and Plant Sale will be held Saturday, May 2, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Lambton Heritage Museum, 10035 Museum Road, Grand Bend. A similar sale will be held in autumn, likely in early October, although the exact date has not been announced.
If you have a partner, you can simply arrive to play. If you need a partner, we will do our best to find someone from our spare list.
For more information please call club president: Michele Hansen (519-441-3275).
The Goderich Duplicate Bridge Club’s website: https://bridgewebs.com/goderichbridge.home.html
JASON RAMSAY-BROWN Sun Contributor
(JASON RAMSAY-BROWN PHOTO)
The Spring Native Plant Sale at the Lambton Heritage Museum in Grand Bend in 2022.
Grey Matters: Telling Your Story - Where Do You Begin?
One of my favourite memories of my grandparents is of them gathered around the card table, laughter spilling over the clatter of cards or watching the horse races in Clinton with quiet excitement.
I loved hearing the stories behind those days the little victories, the playful rivalries, the moments that made them smile or shake their heads. Now, I share those same stories with my children.
They never met their great-grandparents directly, but through these stories, they feel
connected and they have so many questions I don’t always know the answers to.
It’s a reminder of how important it is to start these conversations while we can: ask questions, make notes, even create a scrapbook so these memories live on for the next generation.
Interestingly, this idea of storytelling came to me from a resident who requested an article on the topic not to ask for help telling their own story, but to share the importance of telling one’s story in general.
The timing felt ironic and perfect: shortly afterward, I attended a conference where keynote speaker Mike Downie spoke about the same idea. He reflected on Terry Fox and Vicki Keith remarkable Canadians whose legacies continue to inspire, not just because of what they accomplished, but because their stories were shared, remembered, and passed on. Their courage and determination live on because someone cared enough to listen and to tell their story.
It made me think about the stories all around us stories that
may never make headlines, but matter just as much. Every life is full of moments that shaped us, challenges that tested us, and lessons that guided us. And the more I thought about it, the more I realized how often these stories remain untold, even though they hold so much value for the people we love.
Telling your story is important in ways we don’t always realize. It helps us make sense of our lives, connecting experiences, triumphs, and even heartbreaks into something meaningful. It reminds us of our own resilience; of the strength we didn’t always notice in ourselves. It can even bring clarity to moments we may have carried quietly for years. For our families, stories become treasures. They provide context, history, and a sense of identity.
For my children, hearing about their great-grandparents’ lives help them understand not just where they came from, but who they are now.
Even if some details are missing, the act of sharing, the conversation itself is what matters
most. And for those of us who listen, stories create connection and deepen understanding in ways that nothing else can.
So, where do you begin? The truth is you don’t need to start at the beginning. Start with a moment. A memory that makes you laugh. A time you were proud. A challenge you overcame. Maybe it’s a lively game of cards, a day spent at the racetrack, a favourite family recipe, or even a small story that has stuck with you over the years.
Here are a few tips to help capture your stories:
• Write the way you speak – Don’t worry about perfect grammar or style. Just tell it naturally.
• Focus on feelings, not just facts – What did it feel like? Who was there? Why did it matter?
• Ask gentle questions –“What was happening around me?” “Who influenced this moment?” “What did I learn?”
• Keep notes or create a scrapbook – Even small notes or pictures can spark
memories and start conversations.
• Record a conversation –Sometimes speaking aloud is easier than writing, and hearing your own voice can bring the story to life. Stories don’t need to be polished or complete to be meaningful. Conversations over coffee, casual chats with family, or little notes tucked away in a notebook all of it keeps memories alive. And sometimes, these shared moments lead to even more questions, laughter, and understanding between generations.
Spring reminds us that it’s never too late to begin. Perhaps reading this could be your invitation: a daughter, a son, a grandchild, someone who wants to know their family’s stories. Start the conversation. Ask questions. Make notes. Make memories last. Even one story at a time can make a lifetime of difference. Your story matters. Your family will treasure it. And the best time to begin is now.
Annette Gerdes is the General Manager at the Goderich Place Retirement Residence
Better Mental Health: Why self-care is NOT selfish
We’ve all heard the airplane safety message: “Secure your own oxygen mask before helping others.” It is a simple, logical instruction. Yet, in the messy reality of daily life, it’s difficult to follow that life-saving messageespecially for those of us in caregiving roles.
From an early age, we’re conditioned to put others first. We’re praised for being selfless and accommodating.
For parents and other caregiv-
ers, this pressure is amplified by a deep-seated belief that love is measured by how much of ourselves we can give away.
Caring for others is one of the highest expressions of love and purpose, but we can’t pour from an empty cup.
The cost of compromising our self-care can accumulate into burnout, resentment, and overall poor health. Self-care isn’t selfish or self-indulgent. Caring for yourself is an act of love - for yourself, and for everyone in your life.
Here are some simple habits that can help you protect and strengthen your mental health: Set a Daily Intention: Our expectations act as a compass.
If you wake up bracing for a stressful day, your mind will naturally look for evidence to prove you right. Try starting with a simple, grounding thought: “I will meet today with steady breath.”
It won’t make the day perfect,
but it shifts how you respond to its challenges.
Practice Strategic Slowness:
We tend to live at a fast pace - often eating, thinking, and moving on autopilot. Choose one routine moment in your day to slow down. Notice your environment, the temperature of your drink, the flavor of your food.
These micro-moments of mindfulness can reset your nervous system.
Assume Positive Intent:
Much of our emotional friction comes from taking things personally. The driver who cuts you off, or the person blocking the grocery aisle, isn't trying to antagonize you - they’re simply distracted or overwhelmed.
When we stop assigning negative motives to other people, we preserve our own peace.
Be Grateful:
There is a beautiful Tibetan practice of turning one’s cup upside down at night to symbolize the end of the day and to acknowledge that tomorrow is not
guaranteed. In the morning, the cup is turned upright with gratitude for a new beginning.
It’s a powerful reminder to cherish the present and not take life for granted.
Focus on What You Can Control:
Your mind is constantly being influenced by what you watch, read, and listen to. You are the gatekeeper of your mind.
Resist being manipulated by media and marketing messages that are designed to make you feel like you’re lacking something.
Watch, read, and listen to positive things and feel the joy that life can bring. Remember to talk to and treat yourself like you would talk to and treat a good friend.
Self-care doesn’t require a complete life overhaul. It’s built through small, consistent choices that support your well-being.
When you take care of yourself, you’re not taking anything away from others - you’re put-
ting yourself in a position to give from a place of strength.
If you’d like support in building healthier habits, join us Sunday mornings in Goderich for a supportive group meeting, or take part in our monthly mindfulness walks along the Millennium Trail. You can also join our regular small-group classes for Tai Chi FLOW.
For details, feel free to reach out at redroofrecovery@gmail. com.
Tanya MacIntyre is a Certified CBT Practitioner, Mental Health Fitness Trainer, and owner/operator of Red Roof Recovery (RRR) and its training division Mental Health Fitness Alliance (MHFA).
DISCLAIMER: This content is not intended to constitute, or be a substitute for, medical diagnosis or treatment. Never disregard medical advice from a doctor, or delay in seeking it, because of something you have watched, read, or heard from anyone at RRR or MHFA.
ANNETTE GERDES, Sun Contributor
TANYA MACINTYRE, RED ROOF RECOVERY Sun Contributor
Trail Talk: Higher temperatures means more wildflowers and insects to see along the trails
With a few high temperatures and rain, many more wildflowers have come out, including large white and red trilliums, large-flowered Bellwort, Marsh marigolds, and Bloodroot. I have also seen a garter snake, and several green frogs since the weather has changed.
Two sights new to me were Unequal Cellophanes bees and a Neogyromitra brunnea fungus. There were 50 or more bees flying around close to the ground when I was at Coldstream. They are small native bees that live in underground burrows, which they line with a plastic like coating. The fungus is one of the fungi called false morels, this one had dark brown “ears”.
Other signs of spring include a few dragonflies and butterflies. I have seen Eastern Commas (a reddish -orange butterfly) a Mourning Cloaks (black with a pale-yellow border) and some Azures (small pale blue that is white with black dots when resting with folded wings.) It is difficult to tell the difference between Spring, Northern and Summer Azures.
On April 20 I hiked on the Maitland Trail on the east side of Sharpes Creek Line. I saw the first of this year’s White Trilliums in blossom and also several spider’s webs that were decorated with small dots of snow, due to the light snow flurries that morning. Most of the snow has finally melted from “snowdrift” hill, which now had only a part of the trail covered with two or three feet of snow.
In a field at the side of Wildlife Line on April 22 there were four swans by a small pond in a partly flooded field. These were Trumpeter swans rather than the Tundra swans seen earlier in the spring.
Thankfully the high river levels have re-
ceded and most of the puddles along the trails have dried up as of April 24.
The volunteer work crews are still busy clearing up the last of the winter windfalls.
NOTES:
Maitland Trail Closure - A section of the Maitland Trail is closed from Londesboro Road to Little Lakes Road due to bank slumping and instability. Please plan your hike accordingly and respect all closures for your safety. There is no reroute. The alternative is to walk west on Londesboro Road then north on River Line to rejoin the Maitland Trail.
EVENTS:
Sunday, May 3 from 9:30 - 11 a.m. Cycle Stratford - Festival City route Meet in Stratford and cycle the Festival City route, including T.J. Dolan natural area. This is an approximately 12 km loop. Exact meet-
ing location will be provided upon registration. Depending on weather, after the ride, we could picnic near Lake Victoria or visit a local coffee shop. Helmets are required and pre-registration a must. For more information and to confirm your attendance, please contact Gena Lowe at genalowe24@gmail.com. This is a level 1 easy ride on quiet streets, woodchip and dirt trails in D.J. Dolan area.
Saturday, May 9 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Annual Plant and Compost Sale at the Knights of Columbus Centre parking lot, 390 Parsons Court, Goderich. Plant donations are welcome.
Saturday, May 9 from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. Hike the Morrison Dam Conservation Area & MacNaughton-Morrison Trail, Exeter. Meet at Morrison Dam Conservation Area, parking at 71108 Morri-
son Line, Exeter (south side of the dam). Approximately 8 km hike, scenic views along the Morrison Dam reservoir system and the McNaughton-Morrison Trail. For more information and to confirm your attendance, please contact Susan Ethelston at susan.ethelston@gmail.com. This is a level 1, moderate to brisk paced hike.
Saturday, May 16 at 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. BRVTA members only birdwatching at G. Ebers property.
Sunday, May 17 from 1 – 3:30 p.m.Hike Jenkins to Morris Tract. Meet at 36833 Londesboro Road (at the junction of Morris Tract Line and Londesboro Road or Google “Morris Tract Trailhead”) to carpool to Jenkins. This section has several big hills and includes many views of the Maitland River and goes through the section most affected by the 2011 Tornado. For more information and to confirm your attendance, please contact Patrick Capper at pcapper99@gmail.com. This is a level 2-3 hike at a moderately fast pace with hills and uneven terrain. Expect to taka about 2 ½ hours.
Tuesday Trompers meet at 9 a.m. on Tuesday to hike for about an hour. If you wish to be on this email list, send an email to mta@maitlandtrail.ca
Midweek hikers meet at 9 a.m. and hike for 1.5 to 2 hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Contact Patrick Capper at pcapper99@gmail.com
LIFE hikers meet every Friday for a hike of about 1.5 hours, with a choice of pace, striders moving a little faster than the strollers. The hikes now start at 9a.m. and can be joined through One Care. Tuesday Trompers meet at 9 a.m. on Tuesday to hike for about an hour. If you wish to be on this email list, send an email to mta@maitlandtrail.ca
PATRICK CAPPER Sun Contributor
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Mourning Cloak.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Neogyromitra brun nea.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO) Snow caught in a spider’s web.
MELANIE B.’S FLORAL ACCENTS, GIFTS, HOME AND GARDEN DECOR SPRING SHOW & S A L E
Wednesdays to Saturdays
May 6 - 16; 10 a.m. till 6 p.m. 4176 Road 135 - North of the OPP Sation in Sebringville Cemetery Saddle Special $55.00 519-393-6978 www.facebook.com/melaniebfloraldesigns
MACKAY CHORISTERS
On Thursday mornings from 9:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. at Lakeshore United Church.
Looking for a choir family? Come join the MacKay Choristers, Huron County’s daytime choir. Weekly rehearsals every Thursday morning. For more information: singers@mackaychoristers.ca
GODERICH CHESS CLUB
On Tuesday evenings from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Goderich Library in the activity room.
This club warmly welcomes all chess enthusiasts of any age to join. Whether a seasoned player or a newcomer eager to learn the game, this is the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of chess.
Participants may come and go as they please during this timeframe. Admission is free. Equipment will be provided.
SMART RECOVERY MEETINGS
Hosted every Sunday from 11 a.m. until 12 p.m. at Red Roof Recovery.
ENGLISH CONVERSATION CIRCLE
Join in on Mondays from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Goderich Library.
Make friends and practice speaking English while talking about culture, family, food, movies or anything you would like. Hosted by the Huron Welcome Hub for Newcomers. Join on: May 11, May 25, June 1, June 8, and June 15.
GODERICH READS BOOK CLUB
Join this book club that meets every two weeks at the Goderich Legion and come work with a variety of books. There are nearly 140 members online and a core group of locals who come out to in-person meetings at Café 109. Upcoming meetings are May 4 (Theo of Golden), May 25 (The Lion Women of Tehran) and June 8 (The Lion Women of Tehran) at 10 a.m. at Café 109 at the Goderich Legion. Contact head of book club Holly Smith: 519-630-3962 for more information.
EVERY BRILLIANT THING
On May 1, May 2, and May 8 at 7:30 p.m. as well as May 9 and May 10 at 2 p.m.
A live theatre production at Huron County Museum Theatre in Goderich. Tickets are $25 for general admission; early purchases
recommended due to limited seating. Tickets and information: http://everybrilliantthingmay2026. eventbrite.ca
GLAD HATTERS FUNDRAISER
On Saturday, May 9 from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. at the MacKay Centre for Seniors in Goderich. Join the MacKay Centre for a spot of tea while fundraising. Tickets are $20 per person and are available at the office.
JOHN HINDMARSH ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST FUND PLANT AND COMPOST SALE
On Saturday, May 9 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Knights of Columbus Hall in Goderich.
Looking for something new for your garden? Come browse a wonderful selection of perennials, native plants, and garden favourites. Compost for sale as well.
Yor help supports local trails and environmental projects in the community.
SISTERS SHARE ARTISTIC PASSION
Visiting artists for May – Denise Dalton and Bridget VanOsch exhibition at Goderich CoOp Gallery from May 1 until May 30. Show opening is May 9 at 2 p.m. Gcgallery.ca for more information.
TREK TO ELORA
On Wednesday, May 13 join for a day of history, culture and exploration as the Huron County Historical Society treks to Elora in Wellington County.
The coach leaves the Huron County Museum at 8 a.m. on May 13, headed for Elora. Historical background commentary on route provided by Elysia DeLaurentis.
A stop at Drew House to enjoy coffee and snacks.
Guided historical walking tour of downtown Elora with free time to explore the shops. Lunch at The Wild Tart. Experience the Elora Gorge up close. Visit the ‘hole in the rock’ and learn about the local history of the Grand River.
Price is $100 per person, all inclusive. Pre-register with David Armstrong by May 1: 519-524-1156 or Davidarmstrong@ hurontel.on.ca
BIA FARMERS’ MARKET
Every Saturday until October 10, from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. Begins on Saturday, May 16.
BIA SUNDAY MARKET
Every Sunday until October 11, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Begins on Sunday, May 17.
HOW TO PROPAGATE HYDRANGEAS
On Tuesday, May 19 at 7 p.m. at the MacKay Centre. Join the Goderich District Horticultural Society as Michael Falconer gives a presentation on how to propagate hydrangeas.
Everyone is welcome to attend this free event.
HURON COUNTY COMICON
On Saturday, May 30 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Columbus Centre in Goderich. Come for a full day of collectibles, pop culture, and family-friendly fun celebrating comics, toys, trading cards, anime, and all things geek culture.
Browse a wide variety of vendors, meet special guests, connect with fellow collectors, and join in a fun weekend outing. Be sure to arrive early. The first 100 guests will receive a free, VIP shopping bag filled with goodies from event sponsors. Admission is free.
SPRING PLANT SALE
On Saturday, May 30 from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. or until sold out, in the parking lot behind the MacKay Centre. Donations of plants and gardening related items are greatly appreciated and can be dropped off between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. on May 30. This is a great opportunity to buy perennial and native plants. Money raised at this event will be used to support community projects by the Goderich District Horticultural Society. For more information contact betty.hendriks@bell.net
GODERICH LITTLE THEATRE PRESENTS SILVER DAGGER
Don’t miss this juicy, edge-of-your-set murder-mystery full of twists and turns.
Silver Dagger – written by David French, directed by Crystal Salverda.
Previews on Wednesday, June 3 at 8 p.m. – pay what you wil.
Opens Thursday, June 4 at 8 p.m.
Performances on June 5, June 6, June 11, June 12 and June 13 at 8 p.m.
Matinees on Sunday, June 7, June 14 at 2 p.m.
Tickets available on May 4 at livery.ca/tickets or call 519-5246262.
SILVERWOODS PARK FESTIVAL
On Saturday, June 6 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Vauxhall Park in London. Includes a silent auction, a 50/50 draw, classic cars, kid activities and free face painting, vendors and food trucks, and hourly prize draws. Fun for the whole family.
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY’S 2026 GARDEN TOUR
On Saturday, July 11 the Goderich District Horticultural Society will host its 2026 Garden Tour from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
This non-profit group takes care of several flower beds around Goderich and hold several events. The money raised at this tour is spent on plants for these gardens and to support other community groups that work hard to make Goderich the Prettiest Town in Canada.
Tickets can be purchased at the MacKay Centre on July 11.
www.cbcgoderich.com
What has many teeth but can’t bite? A comb
What can fill a room but takes up no space? Light
What belongs to you but other people use it more than you do? Your name
What has an end but no beginning? A stick
What can you hold in your right hand but never in your left? Your left hand
What gets sharper the more you use it? Your brain
What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks? A river
What disappears the moment you say its name? Silence
What has cities, rivers, and roads but no houses? A map
What has one head, one foot, and four legs? A bed
CLASSIFIEDS
OLIVE IRENE CHISHOLM
Olive Irene Chisholm passed away peacefully on Friday April 17, 2026, at the age of 95. Beloved wife of the late Leonard Chisholm (2012). Also predeceased by son Colin (2018), son-in-law Don Hartung (2022), and grandsonin-law Cory Wilson (2023).
Cherished mother & mother-in-law of Alex & Betty Anne Chisholm, Anne Chisholm (late Colin), Virginia & David Caesar, and Leola Hartung, friend Brian Purcell and (late Don). Loving Grandma / Nana of Jack & Crystal Chisholm, Luke & Crystal Hartung, Colleen Caesar & Patrick Rushton, Chantelle Wilson (late Cory), Scott Chisholm & Jonielle Wilson, Katie Chisholm, Mallory Caesar, and Ben Hartung & Nathan Flach. Dear Great Grandma of Aubrey, Charley, & Andie Jo Chisholm; Blake & Brooke Hartung; Liam & Rhiannon Rushton; Hadley & Tate Wilson; and Lillian, Abigail, & Axel Chisholm. Survived by sisters-in-law Patricia Payne, and Lucille Chisholm.
Predeceased by her parents James & Beatrice (Reekie) Payne, and brothers and sisters: Harold & Evelyn Payne; Bruce & Rose Payne; Alice & Bob Kiessling; Vivian Stevenson (Norman Read & Ron Stevenson); Verna & Earl Ritcey; Maurice & Helga Payne; Elgin Payne (Rita & Mary); and brothers-in-law & sister-in-law Ronald Chisholm, Marie & Murray Oke, Raymond & Patricia Chisholm.
Olive graduated from Hamilton Normal School with a Teaching Certificate in 1951, and taught in Malton, Wingham, & Cedar Valley (Ashfield Twp) schools prior to marrying Leonard on July 2, 1955. She then became a full-time farmer with Len on the Chisholm family farm on the 4th of West Wawanosh. In Spring 1970 Len & Olive moved to Dungannon after selling the farm. Len commenced working underground at the Goderich salt mine in 1969, and Olive worked at various jobs while wrangling four busy teenagers.
In January 1990 she graduated from Conestoga College as a Level II Homecare support worker, and worked for Town and Country Homemakers (now One Care) for several years until surgery forced her to retire earlier than she wanted. In 2009 Len and Olive downsized to an apartment in Goderich. Olive moved to Goderich Place Retirement Home in March 2020, then to Maitland Manor/ Southbridge nursing home in March 2023.
Olive will be fondly remembered for her beautiful flowers, bountiful vegetable gardens, her talent with a needle for quilting, sewing, and mending, and her wonderful baking. All of Mom’s pies were delicious, but the raisin, lemon meringue, pecan, and raspberry ones were memorable. Her caring ways and generous spirit will be greatly missed by her family.
Private family service with internment at St. Augustine Cemetery, St. Augustine, Ontario. Donations, if desired, to Alexandra Marine & General Hospital – MRI Fund, or St. Augustine Cemetery Board.
Thank you to all the staff at Maitland Manor/Southbridge for their attentive care of Mom, and Chaplain Amanda Bisson, and McCallum & Palla Funeral Home for their guidance and expertise.
OBITUARY
Unexpectedly, as the result of a motor vehicle accident, on Saturday, February 7, 2026, Laura Natsuko (Nakamura) Ross, of Exeter, age 38, leaving behind a legacy of love, laughter, and devotion to her family. Born on August 24, 1987, in Goderich, she was the dearly loved wife of Rob Ross. Proud and adoring mother of Colin and Ethan Ross. Forever loved daughter of the late Brian Nakamura (2013) and Linda (Haugh) Nakamura of Seaforth. Loved sister of Jason and Sarah Nakamura and their daughters Mya and Carmen of Kitchener and sister-in-law of Scott Ross of London. Lovingly remembered by her father-in-law and motherin-law Jim and Mary Ann Ross of London. Fondly remembered by her aunts, uncles, cousins and many friends. Predeceased by her grandparents Ross and Irene Haugh, Tomiye and Yujiro Nakamura. At the request of the family, cremation has taken place and interment in the family plot in Crediton Cemetery at a later date. An Open House Celebration of Laura’s Life, with refreshments, will be held at the Crediton Community Centre, 38 Victoria Avenue East, Crediton, on Saturday, May 16, 2026, from 1 to 4 p.m. T. Harry Hoffman & Sons Funeral Home, Dashwood, entrusted with the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Cornerstone Montessori School in Clinton or Egmondville United Church. Go Raptors Go! and Let’s Go Blue Jays!
Goderich Sun
“I know the paper is free, but can I get a subscription anyway?”
Yes. We understand that some people might like the convenience of the Goderich Sun arriving at their home (located near or far) through Canada Post, so we do have subscriptions available for this purpose. The price for a subscription is $53.33 + GST = $56.00
To subscribe, please e-transfer granthavenmedia@gmail.com and include your full mailing address in the comments, or send a cheque with mailing address to Grant Haven Media, PO Box 2310, St. Marys, ON N4X 1A2.
Wanted for busy scrap yards, secondary resources (Perth) Ltd. Goderich and Sebringville yards, check our website www.secondaryresources.ca Roll off, and luggers and track trailers, part time and full time drivers. Must have clean driving abstract (3 years). Please send resume attention Tom Joyes to secondaryres@hotmail.com or call 519-393-5390.
SALE
Shade Trees; Maples, Oaks, Birch, Beech, Honey Locusts, Elms, Magnolia, Hydrangea Tree, Tulip Tree, Crab apples, Ivory Silk Lilac, Chanticleer Pear, Golden Weeping Willows and more. Apples, Pears, Peaches, Plums, Apricots, Nectarine, Blueberry, Haskap etc. Lots of healthy strong Spruce, Cedars and White Pine for your privacy hedges and windbreaks. Hundred of flowering shrubs. Reg Hours 7 a.m.- 6 p.m. Mon-Sat at Martins Nursery c/o Emanuel Martin. 42661 Orangehill Rd., Wroxeter, ON
CAMPFIRE WOOD Seasoned hardwood, bagged and ready for your summer enjoyment. $7.00/bag $20/3 bags $30/5 bags. Face cords available. Call or text for pick up. Delivery available in the Goderich/Point Farms/Bayfield area. Jim 519-301-1395
HELP WANTED WANTED
PART-TIME BOOKKEEPER/ BOOKKEEPING CLERK at The Brick - Goderich. For more information, please email Cory at ckuipers@thebrick.com.
Nineteen students from GDCI, SHDHS and SMDCVI were given the opportunity of a lifetime to travel to South Africa with Operation Wallacea for March Break 2026.
According to Melanie Ball, teacher at GDCI, the expedition was seven days of research activities at Gondwana Game Reserve in South Africa, working with Operation Wallacea and Wildlife and Ecological Investments staff and guides.
Students completed various surveys including herbivore impact on vegetation, estimating large mammal populations, and bird studies.
The students attended lectures to learn the species, processes and safety considerations for each survey and for life on the reserve.
“As part of their work, they got to see ele-
phants, giraffes, hippos, wildebeest, zebra, various antelope species, lions, cheetahs, buffalo and so much more,” said Ball.
“That, along with incredible sunrises, sunsets, mountains and valleys, made it a truly amazing trip.”
According to Ball, the research done by the students will help Operation Wallacea and local South African organisations create scientific publications, monitor ecosystems, and select conservation interventions.
“This was a great opportunity for students to get hands-on learning experience in a different part of the world,” added Ball.
Another group of students from GDCI travelled with teacher Mark Phillips to Peru. The trip comprised of nine days abroad, starting on March 11 and extending to the evening of March 20.
Flying to the modern capital of Peru, Lima, the students spent some time in the
city and got to experience the culture of Lima while exploring its many parks and the ancient pyramids or tasting its famous cuisine.
After a short day-and-a-half, the students and Mr. Phillips flew to Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire.
Cusco sits in the Andes Mountains, some 3,400 metres above sea level and is situated in an alluvial plain surrounded by mountains.
“It is a remarkable city that essentially connects the life of the interior jungles, history and peoples to the rest of the outside world,” explained Phillips.
The trip took 25 students from three high schools in Avon Maitland – nine from GDCI in Goderich, five from CHSS in Clinton and 11 from SDSS in Stratford.
“We offered the experience as a chance to have an adventure in the Andes,” said Phillips.
“The culmination of the experience was two days in Machu Picchu where students got to hike at the top of the moun-
Phillips was one of four chaperones that went on the trip, as well as Kirsten Baldwin from CHSS, Greg Judge and Katey Kneider from SDSS.
“These trips offer students an opportunity to experience cultural diversity, fostering personal growth and developing cultural sensitivity in an increasingly complex and interconnected world,” added Phillips.
Lilyan McKay reflected on the trip to Peru as a fascinating and once in a lifetime experience.
McKay says she chose to on the trip to Peru because it seemed like an exciting opportunity to travel and thought Peru was a chance to explore more of the world.
“I think that one big takeaway from the trip was the view when we were in the mountains, because of how breathtaking they were,” reflected McKay.
“It was my first time seeing mountains like that and I was in awe of the view. I really wish to go back one day.”
Deadline: Friday prior at 3 p.m. Contact: info@goderichsun.com
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Sunsets of Goderich
A warm glowing sky to remind us of the warm seasons ahead. Taken April 23 at the west end of Sunset Cove.
