A new native plant mural at Elizabeth’s Art Gallery in Goderich is inviting the community to look closely and get creative. The Wildflower Wall Challenge lets participants identify native plants for a chance to win prizes.
The Goderich Co-op Art Gallery and Elizabeth’s Art gallery are bringing a new contest to the community with a focus on environmental awareness and artistic flair,
“My next painting exhibit will focus entirely on native plants. It’s a two-year project I’m working on with my assistant here at the gallery,” said Elizabeth Van den Broeck, founder of Elizabeth’s Art Gallery.
“The Co-Op Art Gallery, which occupies the lower level of my building, are my tenants, and we wanted to make sure people know they can access us through either entrance, because native plants are my passion project, that’s what I chose to highlight for this exhibit.”
Elizabeth’s Art Gallery has unveiled a new back entrance marked by a full-wall mural of native plants painted by Susan Seitz and her son Dylan Seitz.
The gallery is inviting the public to take part in the Wildflower Wall Challenge, an interactive contest that lets visitors identify the plants featured in the mural for a chance to win more than $1,000 in prizes, including a $500 custom framing certificate.
In a thrilling come-from-behind victory against the South Huron Panthers in Exeter, the Goderich Vikings field hockey team captured the Huron-Perth championship.
Trailing 2-0 with eight minutes left, Paige Ireland and Amelia Bissett each scored to tie the game and send it to a shootout.
Goderich then outscored the Panthers 4-3 with goalie Mya Craig making a great stick stop to win the match.
Goderich shootout goals came from Emmi Coups, Amelia Bissett, Emery Cook and Grace Stoll.
“It’s been a terrific season, and the final was dead even, as it usually is against a strong Exeter team,” said Ray Lewis, head coach.
“Deciding in penalty strokes was exciting, and it came down to goalie Mya Craig’s stick save on the last shot.”
The Vikings will host the Medway Cowboys in the WOSSAA gold medal game on Wednesday, October 29 at 11 a.m. on the GDCI pitch.
Lewis explains that WOSSAA will be tough, as Medway is undefeated and has a ton of experience.
The Vikings have already secured their position in OFSAA and will represent the region in London from November 6 to November 8.
“An OFSAA birth is the reward our group has been looking for,” remarked Lewis.
“I’m especially proud of our seniors because they were the Grade 9s who had to endure and learn to lead.”
The Vikings end their regular season with a 10-1-1 record.
Art and nature meet at Elizabeth’s Gallery with new native plant mural
“I’m on a personal mission right now to learn about native plants their benefits to the environment, how to grow them, and how to manage invasive species,” said Van den Broeck.
“I have 13 acres along the Maitland River, and I’ve been studying plants like buckthorn, garlic mustard, and knapweed, along with the other invasive species that are causing problems.”
To participate in the Wildflower Wall Challenge, visitors should start by entering Elizabeth’s Art Gallery through the back entrance, which is visible from the Montreal Street parking lot.
Guests are invited to study the mural closely and try to identify as many native plant species as possible.
Participants can also submit their guess-
es online though the gallery’s website or by scanning the QR code at the entrance or fill out a ballot in person. Each correct identification counts as an entry, increasing the chances of winning.
A bonus entry is available for those who post a photo with the mural on Instagram or Facebook, tagging Elizabeth’s Art Gallery with #nativeplantmuralgoderich.
“I think this challenge encourages the community to show off both their off artistic flair and creativity,” said Van den Broeck.
“What I really love is that it has a public art component, is that no matter what the mural is about, it’s a piece of public art that’s a permanent part of the community. I think that’s what makes it so special.”
Elizabeth’s Art Gallery is offering a $500 gift certificate for custom framing as the grand prize in its mural contest. The Goderich Co-op Gallery is also contributing three special prizes, totaling $500, to be awarded throughout the contest.
Mortgage Agent Level 1, Lic #M25000482
Cell: 226.376.1641
Email: Andrew.Darling@mortgagegroup.com
Web: www.andrewd.tmgbroker.com
Children can enter by submitting completed colouring pages, with art supply sets available as prizes in three age categories.
lery to claim their prizes.
All ages can also participate in the colouring page challenge, divided into three categories: 0–6, 7–14, and adult. Submitted entries will be displayed in the newly renovated Gallery Studio on the lower level.
coming up, and one is happening very soon on October 26 is our Spooky Walk at Balls Bridge, and it’s absolutely incredible,” added Van den Broeck.
Ask me about reverse mortgages and all your mortgage needs! WEDNESDAY
The contest is open to all ages, though winners must visit Elizabeth’s Art Gallery or the Goderich Co-op Gal-
Winners will be notified by email on October 31, and the contest closes at midnight on October 26.
“We have a couple of amazing events
“We open the forest trail to the community and set the scene with spooky music, apple cider, a fireplace, and a last fire pit with marshmallows. Everything is decorated to be fun, creepy, and a little scary and last year, over 400 people came.”
Elizabeth Van den Broeck.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Goderich Memorial Community Centre Committee seeking applications
GODERICH SUN STAFF
info@goderichsun.com
The Goderich Memorial Community Centre Committee (GMCCC) is seeking applications from engaged and passionate community members to a position on its Board of Directors.
The GMCCC is a collaborative initiative of Goderich’s service clubs, including the Lions, Kinsmen, Kinettes, Rotary, Goderich Legion Branch 109, Goderich Legion Ladies Auxiliary, Knights of Columbus, IODE, and Optimist clubs.
The mission of the GMCCC is to ensure that the centre is a vibrant, sustainable hub for recreation, culture and community gatherings, accessible to all ages, groups and organizations.
Overseeing the operation, management and programming of the Goderich Memorial Community Centre, the GMCCC works in partnership with the Town of Goderich.
The committee is seeking a committed community member who can bring experience, insight and energy to the Board.
According to the committee, the ideal candidate will
demonstrate a strong connection to Goderich and its community values, a collaborative and solutions-focused approach to decision-making, and skills in finance, fundraising, facility management or community programming.
Board members of the GMCCC provide governance and oversight for the operation of the Goderich Memorial Community Centre, supporting fundraising initiatives, and helping shape improvement plans for the facility.
According to the GMCCC, this position has a two-year tern, renewable subject to the Board and Town approval. The successful candidate for this position must be able to commit to regular Board meetings, plus participation in sub-committees or events as needed.
Interested individuals are invited to submit a resume and cover letter indicating why you would like to provide governance and how you would like to contribute to this community project to goderichmemorialcc@gmail.com
Successful applicants will be chosen by representatives from Goderich service organizations.
Submission deadline is November 21, 2025 at 5 p.m.
Editorial Goderich’s Living Legacy of Service and Sacrifice
they moved on to advanced training elsewhere. Around 240 were trained by 1942.
As the crisp winds of November sweep through Courthouse Square and poppies appear on lapels, Goderich prepares to honour its fallen heroes and veterans. Remembrance Day is not just a date on the calendar; it’s a day to remember and honour the sacrifices of all those who have served in Canada’s Armed Forces and pay tribute to the men and women who fought and died for our country and the freedoms we often take for granted.
The military history here is a deeply embedded thread in the town’s fabric, woven through its streets, monuments, and memories and going all the way back to the war of 1812, which established the Canada Company.
In 1827 a log cabin was built in what is now Harbour Park.
When the Second World War was declared in 1939, the town’s local militia companies were deployed just before the No. 12 Elementary Flying Training School was established in 1940 to provide introductory flight training to pilots before
In 1941 the HMCS Goderich (a minesweeper) was commissioned and, in 1943, rescued survivors of the US tanker Brilliant during a storm.
With this deep history, the town doesn’t come up short on ways to pay tribute to their military history.
The Cenotaph has stood in Courthouse Park since 1924 and is a powerful tribute to those who gave their lives in the Great War, Second World War, and the Korean War that was erected by the Canoe Club and local citizens.
It faces east, toward the very street where soldiers once marched to board trains. Its inscriptions echo with reverence: “Never shall their glory fade” and “Their name liveth for evermore”. Each name etched into its stone is a story of courage, sacrifice, and love for country.
The Huron County Museum holds a wealth of Military Memory and, no matter how many times I’ve been through, I still get chills.
The museum stands just a short walk from the square and houses a remarkable
military gallery that brings history to life. Among its most iconic artifacts, sitting on the side lawn of the museum, is the M4A2E8 Sherman Tank that was used by the Canada Militia for training purposes in 1946.
The Sherman was the most widely used tank among allies in the Second World War. Canada continued to operate them until the 1970s. This tank was once stationed with the Ontario Regiment in Oshawa before it was acquired by the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 109 and later donated to the museum in 1978.
Not far from the Sherman sits the LAV (Light Armoured Vehicle) that was used in Afghanistan and was also brought to Goderich by the Legion. Next to it sits a commemorative cairn built from the foundation of the Victoria Street United Church built in 1878 and destroyed by the tornado in 2011.
The cairn contains a piece of dark grey marble, a part of the original Kandahar Cenotaph located in Kandahar Airfield in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Heading north out of Goderich Highway 21 becomes the Bluewater Veterans High-
way, officially designated in 2003. This scenic route pays homage to the thousands of Canadian veterans who served in conflicts around the globe.
As residents and visitors travel its length, they are reminded of the sacrifices made to protect the freedoms we enjoy today.
Beyond its landmarks, Goderich’s spirit of remembrance lives in its people. Local schools, service clubs, and veterans’ organizations come together each year to host ceremonies, share stories, and educate the next generation.
The Legion’s continued efforts, from poppy campaigns to memorial services, ensure that the legacy of service is never forgotten.
This Remembrance Day, as we gather in silence at the cenotaph or pause along the Bluewater Veterans Highway, let us remember that these symbols are more than stone and steel.
They are vessels of memory, honouring those who gave everything so we could live freely.
In Goderich, remembrance is not just tradition, it is a promise to never forget.
Remembrance Day is Every Day: Our duty to tell their stories
Editor
As we approach November and Remembrance Day is on the horizon, it’s important to reflect on the duty we share to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and those who
Restoring small-town journalism, one community at a time!
Goderich Sun
Publisher
Stewart Grant • stew@granthaven.com
Editor
Kathleen Smith • kate@goderichsun.com
Graphic Design / Sales Inquiries
Sarah Cairns • info@goderichsun.com
Business Development
Heather Dunbar • heather@granthaven.com
Billing Administrator
Cindy Boakes • boakescindy1576@gmail.com
Administrative Assistant
Wendy Lamond • wendylamond74@gmail.com
Contributors
Annette Gerdis, Tanya MacIntyre, David Yates, Paul Knowles, Nancy Abra
36 Water St. St. Marys, ON, PO Box 2310 N4X 1A2 info@goderichsun.com | 519.655.2341 | granthaven.com
survived hate.
Remembrance Day is an opportunity to acknowledge the courage and hardship of all those who fought and resisted fascism during times of war.
With political tensions rising due to far-right leanings of fascist ideologies and actions bubbling to the surface for our neighbours in the south, it is our duty to remember the efforts of those before us and take a stand.
It is our responsibility to tell their stories and spread their message. It is our duty to give voice to those who have lost theirs.
In a time where veterans and survivors are slowly fading from this world, we are compelled to pass along these lessons and stories, to keep the flame of resistance alive.
Before all the veterans and survivors are gone from this world, we must take it upon ourselves to listen to their stories so we may continue to resist hatred, in honour of those who died for our freedom.
Years ago, I was fortunate to sit in the presence of Eva Ols-
son, a survivor of the Holocaust.
Eva lost 11 members of her immediate family when they arrived at Auschwitz in May 1944.
“Remembrance Day is every day. I share why I remember,” said Eva in an interview in 2018.
“Without the memory, I have an empty soul. I don’t want to forget. I was given a gift – a gift of life, and when you get a precious gift, you must share it.”
Selected for slave labour at Auschwitz, and barely surviving starvation and disease, Eva was eventually sent to Belsen months before the British liberated the camp in April 1945.
It took 50 years before Eva could speak about her experience and grief; first to her grandchildren and their schools, and eventually all over Canada and at the United Nations.
I was humbled to be in the same room as Eva when she presented at a high school in Kitchener.
While hearing these stories we could feel the oppressive weight of what felt like fresh trauma, and apart from sniffles
PAMELA CLAYFIELD Sun Correspondent
KATHLEEN SMITH
Federal funding will launch Polaris initiative to help startups across the region
KATHLEEN SMITH Editor
At the end of September, the Government of Canada announced a $3.5-million investment to TechAlliance of Southwestern Ontario.
This funding will launch Polaris, a new initiative to help startups and high-potential technology firms across the region to accelerate growth, create jobs and sharpen competitiveness.
As a TechAlliance member, the Huron Chamber of Commerce was present when the announcement was made in London.
Having representatives from the Huron Chamber of Commerce highlights the importance of ensuring this investment benefits rural communities like Huron County.
As Executive Director of the Huron Chamber of Commerce, Colin Carmichael is thrilled to see this investment flow into TechAlliance’s ecosystem.
“This announcement underscores that innovators in Huron County are part of
the same growth story as those in larger centres,” said Carmichael.
“We look forward to seeing Polaris create opportunities in our local communities.”
Polaris will provide direct, practical support for businesses at different stages of growth.
This includes matched funding, bespoke advisory and mentorship, workforce and leadership development, investor activity and connections and community connectedness.
According to the Huron Chamber of Commerce, these supports are targeted at companies working in some of the fastest growing sectors of the economy.
This includes artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, medical technology, digital health, agricultural technology, clean growth, housing manufacturing and zero-emission vehicles.
For businesses in Huron County, this means opportunities to connect with investors, access mentorship, and explore partnerships that might otherwise feel out of reach in rural areas.
According to Christina Fox, CEO of TechAlliance, this is a moonshot moment for southwestern Ontario’s innovation corridor.
“Polaris is an investment and a declaration of our ongoing commitment to a connected, powerful and globally competitive region,” added Fox.
“Funding will unlock and maximize unparalleled economic opportunities and forge sustainable growth for Canadian startups and hypergrowth scaleups.”
TechAlliance’s resources, expertise and investor connections are being strengthened through Polaris. Those benefits will extend to innovators and
entrepreneurs in Huron County.
“It’s no secret that businesses not only create good jobs for Canadians, but they also play an important role in keeping our economy strong,” admitted Peter Fragiskatos, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and MP of London North Centre.
“Polaris will drive innovation and sustainability in key sectors while supporting local businesses and jobs.”
Whether an agricultural tech startup in Blyth, a clean growth initiative in Goderich, or a digital health idea out of Clinton, Huron Chamber of Commerce sees the funding as an opportunity for local businesses to have a seat at the table in one of Canada’s top innovation corridors.
To learn more about TechAlliance visit TechAlliance.ca
2025, and greedy tycoon Ebeneezer Scrooge has bought up every feedmill from Windsor to Tobermory, Lake Huron to the Ottawa River. With billions in the bank and Ontario’s farmers under his thumb, Scrooge sits on his riches and refuses to give a dime to help those less fortunate… but on Christmas Eve, he is visited by (yep, you guessed it) three ghosts!
Chock full of live music by local songwriter John Powers.
Hilarious Haunted Holiday tradition.
Respiratory illness season has begun; Public Health encourages getting influenza vaccine
KATHLEEN SMITH Editor
As respiratory illness season has begun, Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) encourages residents to get vaccinated to protect yourself and the community.
Since the end of August, there have been five respiratory illness outbreaks at long-term care homes in Huron and Perth counties.
With respiratory illness season, comes the circulation of COVID-19, influenza (“the flu”), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and other viruses.
According to HPPH, all Ontario residents aged six months and older are eligible to receive influenza and COVID-19 immunizations. Select high-risk groups are eligible to receive RSV immunization.
“The best way to avoid and minimize respiratory illnesses is with immunization,” explained Dr. Miriam Klassen, Medical Officer of Health at HPPH.
“It is very important to stay up to date on the vaccines you are eligible for to protect yourself, your family and the community.”
Klassen explains that influenza and COVID-19 vaccines are being offered in phases, beginning with high-risk and priority groups.
Eligible for early access includes hospitalized patients, healthcare workers, individuals aged 65 and older, and residents of long-term care and congregate settings.
According to HPPH influenza and COVID-19 vaccines are available to the general public at the end of October and encourage residents to contact their healthcare provider or local pharmacy to inquire.
Furthermore, adults aged 75 and older are eligible to receive RSV vaccines, but this program is not available through pharmacies this year. Contact your primary care provider for more information.
Infants and high-risk children can get the RSV monoclonal antibody through birthing centres and healthcare providers.
HPPH will host fall respiratory virus immunization clinics for infants and children who do not have a healthcare provider, specifically RSV monoclonal antibody for infants born on or after April 1, 2025 and aged less than eight months at the time of administration. It also includes COVID-19 and influenza immunization for children aged four years and under.
HPPH will host local respiratory virus immunization clinics for infants and children on November 5 at the Listowel-Wingham and Area Family Health Team office, on November 11 at the HPPH Listowel office, and on November 12 at the HPPH Clinton office.
Clinics are by appointment only. Call 1-888-221-2133 ext. 3558 to make an appointment for your child.
According to HPPH, other ways to protect yourself and your family during respiratory illness season includes washing your hands often, staying home when sick, covering coughs and sneezes, masking when needed, cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces, and improving indoor ventilation.
To learn more about how to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses, including information about immunizations, visit www.hpph.ca/illness
Join the Alzheimer Society Huron Perth for annual virtual Fall Dementia Education Night
GODERICH SUN STAFF info@goderichsun.com
Guest speaker Dr. Sharon Cohen, Director of the Toronto Memory Program will present ‘What’s New in Alzheimer’s Diagnosis and Treatment’ at the Alzheimer Society Huron Perth’s annual virtual dementia education night.
Taking place on Wednesday, November 12 at 7 p.m. on Zoom, this presentation by Dr. Cohen is a timely and informative update on recent research developments in the dementia field.
Dr. Cohen is a behavioral neurologist renowned for her excellence in patient care, teaching and clinical research.
Serving as the Medical Director and Principal Investigator at the Toronto Memory Program, Dr. Cohen will share the latest advances in diagnosing and treating Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
The audience will have an opportunity to ask questions during the Q and A session following the presentation. To submit questions for Dr. Cohen in advance, please email jeanettes@alzhp.ca.
To find out more about Dementia Night 2025 or other Alzheimer Society Huron Perth education events, visit www.alzheimer.ca/huronperth or con-
tact the office at 1-800-561-5012 or info@alzhp.ca.
This is a free event, and all are welcome to attend. Register at www.bit.ly/Dementia-Night2025
Grants available for youth-led initiatives in Huron County
KATHLEEN SMITH Editor
Huron County’s Supporting Local Youth Program (SLYP) offers grants up to $1,000 for youth-led initiatives and activities in the county.
Eligible projects for the County of Huron’s Economic Development Department’s program must be youth-led and provide opportunities for youth in the county between ages 14 and 19.
Priority areas include social cohesion, community connectedness, creative expression, social justice issues, climate change and sustainability, mental health and welcoming communities.
“The Support Local Youth program supports Council’s priority of youth engagement and helps teens and young adults kick-start their ideas and projects
for the benefit of their local community,” said Vicki Lass, Director of Economic Development for the County of Huron.
“We’re very pleased to offer a program that increases opportunities for youth in Huron County.”
According to the County of Huron, applications will be assessed and awarded on a merit basis. Projects are assessed by a review panel made up of representatives from Huron County’s Economic Development Board and community youth from the target demographic.
Funding applications are due on November 15, by 4:30 p.m.
For more information about the SLYP including eligibility and access to an application form, visit https://www.huroncounty.ca/economic-development/ thrive/#Funds
Dr. Sharon Cohen will be the guest speaker on November 12 for the Alzheimer Society Huron Perth’s annual virtual dementia education night on Zoom.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
New immigration program designed to address gaps in labour force in Huron County
KATHLEEN SMITH Editor
Public conversations about immigration can often be clouded by myths and misconceptions such as foreign workers take jobs from Canadians, immigration drives housing shortages and employers should just raise wages.
By engaging proactively with reality, unfounded criticism can be prevented, and truth can be reinforced. Immigration is not the problem; it is part of the solution, especially in Huron County.
Reimagining Immigration is a new initiative that has proposed the creation of the Canadian International Workforce Program (CIWP), a program designed to address the persistent and structural gaps in labour force.
Huron Chamber of Commerce is a signatory of Reimaging Immigration, representing rural southwestern Ontario on the national advisory committee.
“Our employers across Huron County are telling us, clearly and consistently, that immigration workers are essential to their businesses,” stressed Colin Carmichael, Executive Director of the Huron Chamber of Commerce.
“We cannot sustain our local economy without them.”
According to Huron Chamber of Commerce, this region has one of the lowest and most persistently low unemployment rates in the province.
For local employers, this can be a sign of economic strength but also represents a pressing challenge. With so few workers available, businesses struggle to recruit and retain staff.
This means restaurants may have to shorten their hours, manufacturers may experience a delay in orders, and hospitals and care facilities remain short-staffed.
Carmichael explains that these gaps hurt not only businesses but also residents who depend on essential services.
Immigration workers in Huron County are the difference between businesses staying open or closing their doors.
This is compounded by the national demographic trends. Canada’s fertility rate has fallen to 1.26, far below the replacement level of 2.1. By 2030, nearly one in four Canadians will be seniors.
With more people retiring than entering the workforce, immigration has become the only source of local market growth for the past 20 years in Canada.
Yet, here in Huron County, there is no surplus of young workers locked out of the labour market. It is quite the opposite.
Huron County does not have enough young people to fill jobs that exist today, let along those as the population ages.
Immigration workers are essential to Huron County’s economy.
The CIWP proposes a more sustainable approach to tackle the lack of workers through two streams: Seasonal and Temporary Jobs, and Year-Round Jobs.
Seasonal jobs are for workers who come to Canada temporarily to fill low-skilled jobs tied to seasonal cycles, such as agriculture. These workers would return home when the season ends.
Year-round jobs are for jobs that are consistently vacant year after year and known to be unattractive to Canadian or permanent resident workers.
This stream would integrate pathways to permanent residence for foreign workers, recognizing the ongoing need for these positions.
These two streams would provide certainty for employers and clear protections and pathways for workers. Through this program, CIWP aims to replace the inadequate stopgaps of the past with a fair,
demand-driven system.
Moreover, a recent Abacus Data poll shows how politically charged this issue has become.
According to the survey, of those who participated, 44 per cent of Canadians support eliminating the Temporary Foreign Worker Program altogether, while only 30 per cent oppose the idea and 18 per cent remain undecided.
These results from the survey reflect public concern, but do not reflect Huron County’s reality.
For some Canadians, the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) symbolizes an economy that is unfair or tilted against them.
In Huron County, the situation is reversed. There aren’t enough workers to fill local jobs, and there is no hidden pool of unemployed youth waiting for an opportunity.
According to Carmichael, eliminating the TFWP or failing to replace it with a program like CIWP, would leave gaping holes in the local economy.
The CIWP aims to protect the rights and well-being of foreign workers. Too often, critics of immigration point to stories of exploitation as a reason to scale back foreign worker programs.
The CIWP would strengthen safeguards, including stricter regulation ensuring legitimate job postings, and enhanced inspections of employers.
Workers could also benefit from certainty in pathways to permanent residency, giving them confidence that their contributions to the Canadian economy can translate into long-term opportunity.
This kind of stability reduces turnovers for employers and allows for stronger workforce planning while aiding in the elimination
Maple Leaf Chapter Goderich prepares for festive IODE Christmas House Tour
The Maple Leaf Chapter IODE Goderich has a long tradition of providing a festive Christmas House Tour in November.
This year the beloved annual event will host tours on Saturday, November 8 and Sunday, November 9 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Each year, the IODE has been fortunate and thankful to have five generous homeowners open their homes to visitors over the two-day open house event. This year, the IODE is thrilled to have All Around the House (Goderich), The Backyard Flower Shop (Clinton), GreenBucks Country Christmas Store (Grand Bend), Greyhaven Gardens (Londesborough), Heather Stewart Realtor and Kristy Daley Realtor, Watson’s Home Hardware (Goderich), Zehrs Markets
poinsettias (Goderich), Olive and Rose Flower and Gift Studio centrepieces (Goderich), and Goderich Print Shop for tickets and posters. These businesses and professionals are all contributing to the success of the event.
Furthermore, the IODE has a refreshment stop for participants this year to enjoy cider, shortbread cookies and holiday carollers at Berea-By-The-Water Lutheran Church on the corner of Suncoast and Gibbons streets. In the recent past, the IODE donated to the Huron Hospice Bender House, and AMGH Palliative Care room, and this year the funds will be directed to the GDCI Track Rebuild.
Tickets can be purchased by contacting the IODE Chapter at iodemapleleaf@gmail.com for $25 per person.
Heather Ball is a member of the IODE Maple Leaf Chapter
of myths on immigration workers taking jobs or driving housing shortages.
Immigration workers are not taking jobs from Canadians. Every position must pass a rigorous process through the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) proving that no Canadian or permanent resident is available.
Canada’s housing challenges stem from regulatory delays, construction coasts and lack of serviced land; not from immigrants.
Temporary Foreign Workers represent fewer than one per cent of Canada’s total labour force.
Carmichael adds that the Huron Chamber of Commerce has always been a strong advocate for smart, responsive immigration policy.
The Chamber’s participation in the Reimagining Immigration initiative builds on this advocacy, while ensuring that Huron County’s unique perspective is included in conversations that will shape national policy.
Carmichael believes the CIWP is not just a national policy idea, but also a lifeline for Huron County.
“Workforce shortages are already constraining local businesses and without a long-term solution, the prosperity of our towns and villages is at risk,” wrote Carmichael.
“A fair and sustainable immigration system will allow employers to plan, services to remain accessible and communities to grow stronger.”
For more information visit https://huronchamber.ca
Weekend Quiz
By Jake Grant
1. Which monster is said to transform during a full moon?
2. What is a group of witches called?
3. What year did It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown first air?
4. Which famous Halloween movie features the line “Do you like scary movies?”
5. Vincent Price provides the spooky monologue in which popular Halloween song?
6. What creature is known for being tall, thin, with a featureless white face, long arms, a black suit and is said to teleport?
7. What do zombies eat?
8. What does the Grim Reaper usually carry with him?
9. Camp Crystal Lake features in which horror movie?
10. “Who you gonna call?”
HEATHER BALL Sun Contributor
Remembrance Day 2025
LEST WE FORGET
The Huron Jail and the Second World War: Defence of Canada
detainment powers to the Ministry of Justice and limited free expression.
ly in neighbouring Perth County.
During the Second World War, Canada revived the War Measures Act: a statute from the First World War that granted the federal government extended authority, including controlling and eliminating perceived homegrown threats.
The Defence of Canada Regulations implemented on September 3, 1939, increased censorship; banned cultural, political and religious groups outright; gave extended
In Huron County, far from any overseas battlefields, these changes to law and order would bring the Second World War closer to home.
Regulations required Italian and German-born Canadians naturalized as citizens after 1929 (expanded to 1922 the following year) to formally register as ‘enemy aliens’ and report once a month.
In Huron County, jail Governor James B. Reynolds accepted the appointment of ‘Registrar of Enemy Aliens’ in the autumn of 1939, and the registration office was to operate from the jail in Goderich.
There were also offices in Wingham, Seaforth and Exeter managed by the local chief constables of the police force.
Nineteen-year-old Eickemier pled guilty to ‘seditious utterances’ spoken during the Seaforth Fall Fair and received a fine of $200 and 30 days in jail.
The same month, the Defence of Canada regulations took effect, Eickemier had publicly proclaimed that Adolph Hitler’s Nazi Germany was undefeatable, and that if it were possible to travel to Europe, he would join the Germany military.
He fled the scene when constables arrived but was soon pursued and arrested for ‘statements likely to cause disaffection to His Majesty [King George V] or interfere with the success of His Majesty’s forces’.
His crime was not necessarily his political views, but his disloyalty.
We remember their courage, their sacrifice, and their legacy.
In addition to its novel function as the alien registration office, the Huron Jail also housed any prisoners charged criminally under the temporary wartime laws.
Inmate records from the time period of the Second World War cannot be accessed, but Reynolds’ annual reports submitted to Huron County Council indicate that one local prisoner was committed to jail under the ‘Defence of Canada Act’ in 1939. There were an additional four such inmates in 1940.
The most common charges landing inmates behind bars during those years were still typical for the county: thefts, traffic violations, vagrancy and violations of the Liquor Control Act (Huron County being a ‘dry’ county).
Frank Edward Eickemier, the lone individual jailed under the War Measures Act’s Defence of Canada regulations in 1939, was no ‘alien’ but the Canadian-born son of a farm fami-
The prosecuting Crown Attorney conceded, ‘A man in this country is entitled to his own opinion, but when a country is at war, you can’t go around making statements like that’.
Bruce County law enforcement prosecuted a similar case in July 1940 against Martin Duckhorn, a Mildmay-area farm worker employed n Howick Township and alleged Nazi sympathiser.
Duckhorn had been born in Germany, and as an ‘enemy alien’ his rights were essentially suspended under the War Measures Act, and he thus received an even harsher punishment than Eickemier: to be ‘detained in an Ontario internment camp for the duration of the war’.
In July 1940, the Canadian wartime restrictions extended to making membership in the Jehovah’s Witnesses illegal.
The inmates recorded as jailed under the ‘Defence of Canada Act’ in Huron County that year were likely all observers of that faith, which holds a refusal to bear arms as one its tenets, as well as discouraging patriotic behaviours.
That summer, two Jehovah’s Witnesses arrested at Bluevale and brought to jail at Goderich, ultimately received fines of $10 or 13 days in jail for having church publications in their possession.
SINEAD COX
Sun Contributor
Remembrance Day 2025
LEST WE FORGET
The Huron Jail and the Second World War: Defence of Canada
Four others accused of visiting Goderich Township homes to discourage the occupants from taking ‘any side in the war’ had their charges dismissed, due to a lack of witnesses.
In 1943, the RCMP and provincial police collaborated to arrest another three Jehovah’s Witnesses in Goderich Township for refusing to submit to medical examinations or report their current addresses, therefore avoiding possibly conscription.
The courts sentenced the three charged, to 21 days in jail, afterwards to be escorted by police to the ‘nearest mobilisation centre’.
By August 1940, an item in the Exter Times-Advocate claimed that RCMP officers were present in the area to ‘look up’ those individuals who had failed to comply with the law and promptly register as enemy aliens.
A few weeks later, the first Huron County resident fined for his failure to register appeared in Police Court.
The ‘enemy alien’ was Charles Keller, a 72-year-old Hay Township farmer who had lived in Canada for 58 years, emigrating from Germany as a teenager in 1882.
According to his 1949 obituary in the Zurich Herald, Keller was the father of nine surviving children, a member of the local Lutheran church and had retired to Dashwood around 1929.
and restrictions would have been felt in the wider community, especially for those minority groups and conscientious objectors directly impacted.
Huron had a notable number of families with German origins, especially in areas like Hay Township where you can still see the tombstones of many early settlers written in Germany.
The Judge who sentenced Frank Edward Eickemier for his public support of the Nazi regime in 1939 made a point of accusing him or casting a ‘slur’ on his ‘people’ and all German Canadians: the actions of the individual conflated with a much larger and diverse Germany community by a representative of the law. His case indicates that pro-fascist and pro-Nazi sentiment certainly did exist close to home, but a person’s place of birth or their religion was no crucial evidence that could define who was or who was not an ‘enemy’.
Some collections are on permanent display in the Military Gallery on the second floor of the Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol.
Right now, the museum has a temporary small exhibit upstairs in the upper mezzanine that was curated by a local youth group that focuses on women’s stories from the First and Second World Wars.
Women During the War: Mystery of the Fourth Toe on the Left Foot
As more records become available online, local historians and archivists are finding out more about what life was like before, during and after the First World War.
Currently, the list of women from Huron County who served as nursing sisters in the First World War is now around 50 names.
This list includes women who served with the Canadian Army medical Corps (CAMC), American Army Medical Corps, Red Cross, and Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service.
It can often be difficult to find out what happened to a nurse after the war ended for many different reasons.
Many women married and changed their name, some moved across the country or to the United States, and a lot of records still aren’t available due to privacy legislation.
Due to limited resources, it can be very difficult to track people down and verify their identity.
One such woman is Mary Agatha Bell, who was born, according to her Attestation Papers, on November 5, 1879, in St. Augustine, but lived in Blyth, Ontario.
Mary enlisted on April 3, 1917, in London, Ontario, left Canada on May 20, 1917, and arrived in England on May 30, 1917.
tion* was issued to a Mary Bridget Bell, born on November 5, 1874, in St. Augustine, Ontario.
Records show that this Mary Bridget Bell moved to the state of New York on October 22, 1925. A border crossing document from August 1945 states that Mary’s address was 11 Hows Avenue, New Rochelle, New York, where she worked as a Registered Nurse.
The document also states that she is missing the fourth toe on her left foot.
That last piece of information was critical in definitively proving that Mary Agatha Bell (born in 1879) is the same person as Mary Bridget Bell (born in 1874).
According to her service file, Mary started experiencing problems with her left foot in France, 1918.
Notes in her file refer to her problem as a ‘contracted toe’. The fourth toe on her left foot was eventually amputated when she returned to Toronto in 1919 at St. Andrews Hospital.
It appears that Mary lied about her birth year on her Attestation Paper. This was not uncommon among women enlisting as nursing sisters in the First World War. Mary would have been a much more appealing candidate at age 38 than her real age of 43.
His punishment for neglecting to register was not jail time, but the fine of $10 and costs, about $172 today according to the Bank of Canada’s inflation calculator.
Visit these exhibits at the Huron County Museum to find out more information about war efforts made by those in the area.
Although incidences of prosecution under the ‘Defense of Canada Act’ in Huron County were few, the increased scrutiny
For more information on local stories, visit https://www.huroncountymuseum.ca/ stories/
While overseas, Mary mainly served with the 7th Canadian General Hospital in France. She also did temporary duties with the 6th and 8th Canadian General Hospitals.
Why she decided to change her middle name from Agatha to Bridget remains a mystery.
Sinead Cox is Curator of Engagement and Dialogue with Huron County Museum
After the war ended, Mary sailed back to Canada in July 1919 on the S.S. Olympic.
It was difficult to track down what happened to Mary Agatha Bell after the war.
On October 11, 1925, a birth registra-
*Birth registrations were often issued to adults who didn’t have birth certificates. Stories like this can be found online through the Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol’s website, highlighting war efforts made by local people.
Remembrance Day 2025
LEST WE FORGET
Remembrance Day is Every Day: Our duty to tell their stories
or attempts to control our breathing, one could hear a pin drop while Eva recounted the horrors of the Holocaust.
Eva grew up in Hungary, born to a Jewish family and remembers the simplicity of her early life. Hungary was allied with the Axis powers, so while the war raged around them, life was relatively unchanged until May 1944.
First came the ghetto, but within a matter of weeks, deportations of Jews began.
Eva and her family walked seven kilometres and boarded a train, travelling in brutal conditions for four days until they arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau.
As described by Eva, when the boxcar’s doors were opened and people stumbled out onto the platform at Auschwitz, bewildered and frightened, the selection process began immediately. The Angel of Death, Dr. Joseph Mengele directed the fate of each person.
After arriving with 13 family members, it was only Eva and her sister who survived the selection process.
During the Second World War, 1.2 million people were murdered at Auschwitz, and 70 per cent were murdered within two hours of arrival.
Out of the 1.5 million children who were murdered during the Holocaust, five were
Eva’s nieces.
“I had a mom, I had a dad, and I had siblings and five little nieces,” said Eva during a video interview in 2021.
“I decided I had made it my mission to speak for all children. Children whose voices were silenced by hate and cannot speak for themselves.”
One memory from Eva’s presentation that has stuck to my ribs and aches when I remember it, was the painstaking detail in which she remembers those first confusing moments at Auschwitz.
In the chaos of disorientation and fear, family members were separated and did not understand why. They were not given an explanation, or due process.
Eva recalled the moment her mother was sent to another line, one unknowingly headed for the gas chambers. In the rush of chaos, she turned her head for a moment. It was the last time she would see her mother.
“They didn’t say anything about why we were being separated from our families,” Eva reflected.
“I turned my head to the left…At that moment, I didn’t know that I will never see her again…I learned from her to be compassionate and have faith and courage…the legacy that she left me, I live by it every day.”
The descriptive recollection that Eva spoke about from that experience, left us feeling the empty ache of grief and oppression. It was as if Eva was reliving it in that moment.
Even now, it leaves my throat tight with emotion, imagining the helpless horror of it all.
Thinking of it now, and I’m disturbed, as it is not only some distant memory of a time past. It’s all too real today.
It’s happening to the south of us. People are being arrested, deported or detained without due process.
Families are ripped apart with no explanation.
Intimidation tactics by masked individuals are spreading rapidly and fear is trickling through communities.
These fears are an over-reaction. It wasn’t an over-reaction when members of communities were rounded up into ghettos, or onto trains, and eventually into concentration camps.
Hateful and damaging rhetoric is spewed by a select few politicians causing further division while inciting hatred and violence.
History has a way of repeating itself, and although it may not be exact, it sure appears to be rhyming with the years prior to the Second World War.
Hearing the stories of veterans and survivors
provides us with insight into how removed we are from that experience. The same can be said about what is happening to individuals and families in the United States presently.
It’s not impacting us right now, but if we never speak out against bullies, against hatred, against discrimination, or against fascism, we become bystanders allowing these abhorrent events to continue. Again.
In most of Eva’s interviews, presentations and within her novel, her message is clear –hate is a killer.
We must speak out against acts of hatred and discrimination, and refrain from being a bystander.
This Remembrance Day, take Eva’s message to heart and in your gratitude that we continue to live in freedom, be aware that it can change overnight.
Share her story, remember those who fought with courage and perished so that we may be free from the oppression of fascism.
Give voice to those who cannot tell their stories. Remember.
Notes from 2018 interview from Crestwood Preparatory College’s Oral History Project and from a video interview ‘In Conversation with Eva Olsson’ in 2021 by Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, and from a video on YouTube from Nov. 12, 2013, by Jamie Gilcig
LEST WE FORGET
The Huron Jail and the Second World War: A Strange Mutiny on the Great Lakes Remembrance Day 2025
SINEAD COX
Sun Contributor
In the summer of 1940, when the Netherlands fell to Nazi Germany, a ripple effect extending to the Great Lakes would unexpectedly commit 13 ‘alien seaman’ to the Huron Jail.
At the outset of the Second World War in 1939, the Oranje Line, as known in Dutch as Maatschappij Zeetransport N.V. was a relatively new Dutch-owned transport company that serviced Great Lakes routes.
The Line had only commenced operations in 1937, and its fifth vessel in the Great Lakes, the 2,800-ton diesel freighter Prins Willem III was the first deep sea motor ship to come inland; she embarked on her maiden voyage in September 1939.
On May 9, 1940, the Prins Willem III departed neutral Antwerp, Belgium on a routine commercial journey under captain W. P. C. Helsdingen.
In one day, the ship’s professional routine would be abruptly shattered.
The Prins Willem III was off the coast of Flushing, when a German bomb hit the water about 200 yards from the ship, and caused a huge explosion and towering pillar of water.
Germany had invaded the Netherlands.
Planes were flying high and out of sight, but the crew could hear the whining sound of bombs as they fell nearby.
Targeted by a machine gun onslaught from Nazi fighter planes, the ship escaped via the English Channel.
After narrowly surviving with their lives and the boat intact to reach England, the Dutch crew would soon learn that the formerly neutral Netherlands had capitulated, and their home country was now occupied by Nazi Germany.
The ship continued on its planned journey to North American waters, docking at Montreal, Duluth, Milwaukee and finally Chicago on June 25, successfully delivering a cargo of seeds and twine.
At Chicago, the crew awaited orders regarding their next destination.
Meanwhile, members of the Dutch government, including Queen Wilhelmina, had fled to London, England.
The government in exile required all Dutch merchant vessels abroad to now sail under the British Merchant marines, and to report to an allied port to join the war effort. This could have included transporting provisions or armaments.
Canada being the closest allied country, the Netherlands Shipping Commission ordered the Prins Willem III to return to Montreal and ‘then embark for some unnamed foreign port’, according to the Chicago Daily Tribune.
Seventeen out of the 19 crew members refused the orders.
The crew’s actions seemed to defy easy categorization as conscientious objection or mutiny.
Captain Helsdingen assured the Chicago press that the men were neither striking, mutinous, nor even refusing to do their assigned jobs aboard the ship, but the crew would not leave the neutral waters of the United States, which would not enter the war until after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941).
After their ordeal at the mercy of German bombs and guns, reluctance to return to a war zone aboard a ship that was not armed, and would not be provided an armed convoy, is hardly surprising.
The Tribune quoted the crew as telling the captain, ‘If we cannot have weapons, we would rather spend our time in a United States jail than on the ocean’.
They also feared for their families in a Nazi-occupied country and whether there could be reprisals against them – extending to arrests and transportation to concentration camps – for helping the allied cause by transporting munitions.
According to the captain, the crew of the Prins Willem III feared Germany more than England.
The crew’s ‘sitdown strike’ left Commonwealth, Dutch and American authorities with no easy solutions.
The standstill left most of the crew trapped on the ship, with only Captain Helsdingen legally permitted to go ashore.
The crewmembers had no immigration documents to legally enter the United States, and because of the ongoing occupation of the Netherlands, the U.S. would not have been easily able to deport the sailors: thus, immigration authorities and the Coast Guard kept a close watch on the ship.
The captain could not take on an American crew to move the ship because of U.S. neutrality, and thus the Prins Willem III remained anchored unmoving at Navy Pier.
American newspaper reports emphasise that, rather than any assumed violent mutiny, the crewmembers were largely friendly and cheerful in their refusal to budge.
During their months of isolation on board, the crew busied themselves cleaning, stripping and painting the masts, booms and deck, oiling ‘everything in sight, from door handles to winches’, and polishing every ‘spot of brass on the boat to glisten’.
The Tribune declared when it finally left Navy Pier the Prins Willem III would probably be ‘the best painted, best oiled, and best polished ship that ever left this port’.
By September the crew’s plight had gained the sympathies of Dutch Chicagoans, who organized a committee to deliver care packages to the crew from pleasures boats.
The Dutch government-in-exile, the Oranje Line and Canadian authorities finally devised a solution in October – the Prins Willem III would take on a Canadian crew recruited from Montreal.
Ten private police from the Pinkerton Detective Agency in the United States were hired to come board the ship with the fourteen Canadian crew members to prevent resistance or sabotage, and the ship was escorted by the U.S. Coast Guard during its departure from Chicago.
There was ultimately no violence from the crew confined below deck. According to Time Magazine, ‘internment in Canada looked better to the bored, sequestered Dutch than gazing at the Chicago skyline all day’.
Their initial stop according to the American reports was to be an ‘unannounced Canadian destination’, later specified as an Ontario port. That port was Goderich.
On October 16, 1940, the Prins Willem III presumably painted, oiled and polished to perfection, arrived in the Goderich harbour.
The secrecy surrounding the chosen port for the uncooperative crew’s disembarkment meant local customers workers were completely surprised by the ship’s unscheduled arrival and began a tentative dialogue with Captain Helsdingen regarding next steps while further instructions from Ottawa were awaited.
Again, the original crewmembers of the Prins Willem III were stuck in limbo on board, and again they made the most of it.
According to the Clinton News-Record, they came on deck ‘under watchful eye of two [Pinkerton] detectives…getting great enjoyment out of perch fishing from the stern of the ship while they whistled modern American airs’.
A local crowd of curious onlookers gathered at the harbour to gawk at the ship from a distance, and a host of exaggerated rumours quickly travelled throughout the community, including that the crew were held in irons and guarded by machine gun-wielding ‘G-men’.
Three days later, 13 crew members quietly disembarked from the ship during the night, escorted by the RCMP in batch-
es of no more than two men at a time.
Police vehicles delivered these men to the Huron Jail.
The remaining crew changed their minds and agreed to sail with Captain Helsdingen and the Canadians.
The Prins Willem III had vanished from the Goderich harbour by the next morning, and the Pinkerton detectives caught a train back to Chicago.
The crew’s confines on land might have been somewhat tighter and less comfortable than their previous situation on board the Prins Willem III.
Detailed inmate records are not accessibly from the 1940s, but regardless of how many prisoners were already ‘guests of the county’ at the time, the arrival of 13 ‘alien seamen’ would have left the Huron Jail, which had only 12 cells, over-capacity and somewhat crowded.
The crew, who may not have all spoken fluent English, would have received daily food rations worth 13 and a quarter cents per inmate, and would only be able to take fresh air from inside the jail’s walled courtyards.
The 13 Dutchmen remained in jail for three weeks, until removed under RCMP guard on the afternoon of Saturday, November 9. They left Goderich by rail.
Their destination upon leaving Huron County was once again a mystery to the media and the public, but widely assumed to be a Canadian internment camp, where POWs, Jewish refugees from Europe, and civilian ‘enemy aliens’ of differing loyalties could be forced to cohabitate.
Captain Helsdingen and the Prins Willem III continued to Montreal to enter the service of the allies as originally ordered by the Dutch government so many months earlier.
The temporary Canadian replacements would eventually be relieved by a Dutch crew, and the boat outfitted with anti-aircraft guns and machine guns, but the captain was to face continued refusals of work from his crew throughout the war.
Confirming the original crew’s fears, an aerial torpedo struck the Prins Willem III off the coast of Algiers in March 1943. The ship later capsized and sank, resulting in eleven deaths. None of the original crew from the Chicago sojourn were amongst the lives lost.
The international incident caused by the Prins Willem III in the Great Lakes may be largely forgotten today, but the plight of its crew demonstrates that the North American home front was not always as peaceful or untouched by the conflict in Europe as we might imagine.
Overnight, the capitulation of the Netherlands had left the crew of the Prins Willem III in a precarious situation after enduring a surely traumatizing ordeal during the Nazi invasion on May 10, 1940.
Facing uncertainty in the custody of North American authorities, versus what they might have deemed as an almost certain death re-entering a war zone without adequate protections, they acted (or rather inaction) that stymied multiple governments and brought the repercussions of the Second World War to an ‘Ontario Port’ as apparently nondescript as ours.
Some collections are on permanent display in the Military Gallery on the second floor of the Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol.
Right now, the museum has a temporary small exhibit upstairs in the upper mezzanine that was curated by a local youth group that focuses on women’s stories from the First and Second World Wars.
Visit these exhibits at the Huron County Museum to find out more information about war efforts made by those in the area.
For more information on local stories, visit https://www.huroncountymuseum.ca/stories/
Sinead Cox is the Curator of Engagement and Dialogue at Huron County Museum
Remembrance Day 2025
LEST WE FORGET
Significance of the poppy and why we remember
Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae of Guelph, Ontario who was a Canadian Medical Officer during the First World War.
Armistice Day or Remembrance Day originated following the end of the First World War, when an agreement was signed between Germany and the Allied Forces in Paris on Monday, November 11, 1918.
The ceasefire went into effect at 1100 hours the same morning; the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
The first Armistice Day was observed in 1919, and King George V sent a letter to the House of Commons in Canada that read:
“Tuesday next, November 11, is the first anniversary of the armistice, which stayed the world-wide carnage of the four proceeding years, and marked the victory of right and freedom…During that time, except in rare cases where this may be impractical, all work, all sound and all locomotion should cease, so that in perfect stillness the thoughts of every one may be concentrated on reverent remembrance of the glorious dead.”
Today, each November, poppies adorn the lapels and collars of Canadians in remembrance to honour Canada’s fallen.
The first person who introduced the pop-
Yet, the significance of the poppy can be traced back to the Napoleonic Wars in the 19th century, 110 years before it was adopted as a sign of remembrance in Canada.
According to the Goderich Legion Branch 109 records from that time indicated how thick poppies grew over the graves of soldiers in Flanders, France.
The records from that time stated that fields barren before battled exploded with the blood-red flowers after the fighting ended during the Napoleonic Wars.
It wasn’t until May 1915 when John McCrae penned the poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ on a scrap of paper on the day following the death of a fellow soldier. Since 1915, those 13 lines would become enshrined in the hearts and minds of all who would wear them.
Following a series of events since the poem including an American teacher, Moria Michaels, who made a pledge to always wear a poppy as a sign of remembrance, and a French woman, Madame E. Guerin, who learned of the custom and made and sold poppies to raise money for children in war-
adopted as the Flower of Remembrance on July 5, 1921.
In alignment with Armistice Day, or Remembrance Day as it has come to be known, originated following the end of the First World War, wearing poppies during the remembrance period is a sacred tradition.
Now, the poppy is worn in remembrance on the left side, over the heart from the last Friday in October until November 11, Remembrance Day.
According to the Legion, there is a guide on appropriate and respectful wearing of the lapel poppy. The Legion’s lapel poppy is a sacred symbol of remembrance and should not be affixed with any pin that obstructs the red flower.
Although worn during the remembrance period, the Legion encourages the wearing of poppies at funerals of Veterans, and for any commemorative event such as a memorial service or the anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
Following the remembrance period of November 11, the Legion stresses that the poppy should be removed, and some choose to place their poppy on the cenotaph or on a wreath as a sign of respect.
While poppies are always free, the Legion
gratefully accepts donations to the Poppy Fund, which directly supports Canada’s Veterans and their families in need.
For those Canadians living outside the country, they can get a poppy from Royal Canadian Legion Branches in the U.S., Mexico, Germany and the Netherlands, or through their Canadian Embassy or Consulate.
As this remembrance period approaches, wear a poppy to honour those who fell with the ultimate sacrifice so that we may live in freedom and peace.
“In Flanders fields the poppies blow, Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.”
Lt.-Colonel John McCrae
Remembrance Day 2025 LEST
WE FORGET
Huron County and the First World War: Newspaper Man Enlists
From my research into Huron County’s newspapers, it’s clear that a lot of effort, long hours and personal sacrifice often went into putting a paper to press and ensuring the latest edition reach local subscribers’ doorsteps on time.
There were few excuses that could justify a late paper on the part of its proprietors: perhaps broken equipment, the precedence of a contracted print job, adverse weather, public holidays, or even the rare editor’s vacation.
One of the most notable reasons to stop the presses, however, occurred in 1916 when The Dungannon News ceased publication entirely because its editor enlisted to serve overseas with Huron’s 161st Battalion.
Born in 1891 in Blanshard Township, Perth County, Charles Arthur Harold ‘Harry’ Bellamy had moved to Huron by 1908 when his stepfather Leslie S. Palmer – a former staffer at the St. Marys Journal and owner of the Wroxeter Star – founded The Dungannon News. His sisters, Amelia and Luella Bellamy, also worked locally as operators for the Dungannon telephone office.
When his mother and stepfather moved to Goderich in 1914, Harry became both editor and publisher of the News while still in his early 20s.
As editor, H. Bellamy strongly supported Canada’s involvement in the Great War within the pages of his publication, and by March 1916 had decided to enlist himself.
At only 24-years-old, and a newlywed of less than two years with his wife Annie Pentland of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh (ACW), Editor Bellamy signed up to serve with the Canadian Expeditionary Forces at Goderich.
With the department of its proprietor, The Dungannon News merged with Goderich’s Tory weekly, The Star, and the newsman became the news, as fellow editors praised Harry Bellamy’s decision in the columns of their papers.
Assigned to the 58th Battalion in Europe, Private Bellamy appeared once again in the pages of the local weeklies through his letters from the front.
Stationed ‘somewhere in France’ on December 26, 1916, Harry wrote to his friend F. Ross of how his ‘three- or four-days’ trench life’ had begun with digging out a trench collapsed by shellfire; he had become accustomed to ducking down for enemy fire, no matter how deep the mud and water is’.
While evading sniper bullets in a no man’s land crater, Bellamy says he pretended he was at home, practicing with friends at the Dungannon Rifle Association.
Imagining away the conditions he described would have no doubt been difficult: ‘We sleep and rest in the dugouts, which are 20 to 25-feet underground. After splashing, crawling and wading through trench mud for hours at a time, we find it quite a relief to get down in these underground quarters.’
On Christmas day, Bellamy witnessed ‘a fierce bombardment…It was a magnificent sight to see the green and red flames and the shells with their tails of fire flying…The noise and din of the various kinds of explosives in use was deafening’.
In the same letter, which Goderich’s The Signal printed on its front page, he claimed that the brutal lifestyle had not dampened the soldiers’ spirits: ‘We never worry over here. We content ourselves with singing, ‘Pack all your troubles in your old kit bag and smile, smile, smile’.
Although he was writing for the local papers, Private Bellamy could not regularly read them in Europe and complained that the delays in mail also prevented him from keeping up to date with happenings in Huron County.
According to his service records, a year after he had enlisted at Goderich, Harry fell ill with trench fever, an infectious disease carried by body lice.
He left France for treatment in the United Kingdom and after complaining of pain in his limbs at York County Hospital, doctors at the King’s Red Cross Canadian Convalescent diagnosed him with myalgia (joint paint) and an abnormally fast pulse.
In articles subsequently written for the Goderich Star, Private Bellamy did not detail his failing health, instead returning to his pen to share his experiences sightseeing on leave in Scotland and Ireland in August 1917.
Ever a committed imperialist, he enjoyed witnessing the Glorious Twelfth celebrations in Belfast, but reported caring less for his time in southern Ireland, since ‘there is no love lost between those in khaki and the Irish rebels’.
He felt wistfulness upon the end of his holiday, but Private Bellamy’s belief in the righteousness of the war had not wavered. He used his Star articles to rally home front sentiments
against peace until the enemy could be decisively defeated: ‘Let…every one of us, as Canadians, recapture the heroic mood in which we entered the war’.
Unable to resume his duties as a soldier, Private Bellamy returned to Canada, where in addition to his persistent trench fever, he received a diagnosis of neurasthenia – a contemporary term broadly used for nervous disorders.
After his homecoming, he reappeared frequently in the local news columns, usually receiving mention for promoting the war effort at local patriotic events or canvassing for Victory Loans.
Other brief news items hint, however, that although Private Bellamy had returned home to Dungannon, he had not left the trenches entirely behind.
He received treatment at a London hospital in early 1918 according to The Signal.
Following a social call from former editor Bellamy, the Clinton New Era classified his nervous illness as ‘shell shock’, a mental and emotional disorder common to returning soldiers, which today would be understood as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In April 1918, a medical board at Guelph honourably discharged Bellamy as medically unfit due to illness contracted on active service.
His records list a ‘nervous debility’ as well as trench fever as the causes for his dismissal and note that ‘this man would be able to do more than one quarter of a days’ work’.
The listed symptoms in his medical records include dizzy spells, light headedness, restlessness, hand tremors, headaches, and an irregular heartbeat.
The Board determined that the probable duration of his debility was ‘impossible to state’.
Despite experts’ doubts about his ability to cope with a full-time job, Bellamy received a
temporary government position as North Huron’s Registrar for 1918’s National Registration Day effort.
The federal government intended this wartime ‘man and woman power census’ to identify available labour forces for the home front and overseas by requiring all Canadians over 16 years old to register.
Nothing in the newspapers suggests that Harry Bellamy returned to printing or publishing on a full-time basis in Dungannon.
After the war was over in 1919, Ashfield accepted Bellamy’s application for the township’s annual printing contract with special consideration to him as a ‘returned soldier’, but according to an item in The Wingham Advance, he later declined the work for the pay offered.
There was evidently a vocation that Harry Bellamy now felt more passionately for than journalism, because in May of that year, the New Era records that moved to Toronto to accept a bureaucratic position, ‘in connection with the re-establishment of soldiers.’
In 1921, Bellamy ultimately sold The Dungannon News printing equipment to a buyer from Meaford, and he and wife Annie settled permanently in Toronto.
They didn’t entirely disappear from print, however, as local news columns over the next decade continued to note the couple’s visits to friends and family in Huron County.
Following Private Bellamy’s story via short items in the county papers certainly does not provide a full picture of his life, nor the toll of his experiences in the trenches of France.
The information gleaned, though, does speak to the value of these local weeklies as historical resources, and that comparing them against other records – in this case Private Bellamy’s military personnel files can help us to read between the lines.
It’s also a pertinent reminder that both historical and news sources are better understood if we know a little about the context and perspective of the people creating them.
What emerged in this case was the story of a man whose politics on the page never changed, whose service to the Canadian government continued beyond the battlefield and loyalty to the British empire never faltered, but who nevertheless could not quite pack the personal consequences of war away in an ‘old kit bag and smile, smile, smile’.
Some collections are on permanent display in the Military Gallery on the second floor of the Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol. Right now, the museum has a temporary small exhibit upstairs in the upper mezzanine that was curated by a local youth group that focuses on women’s stories from the First and Second World Wars.
Visit these exhibits at the Huron County Museum to find out more information about war efforts made by those in the area.
For more information on local stories, visit https://www.huroncountymuseum.ca/stories/ Sinead Cox is the Curator of Engagement and Dialogue at Huron County Museum
SINEAD COX
Sun Contributor
Remembrance Day 2025
LEST WE FORGET
On the Front Lines: B Company Mobilizes in First World War Legacy of Women in War
GODERICH SUN STAFF info@goderichsun.com
The latest community curators exhibit on display at the Huron County Museum is The Legacy of Women in War.
Curated by the Goderich Youth Collective participants, the exhibit interprets the stories of women during the First and Second World Wars, both overseas and on the home front across Huron County.
“The group proposed this topic themselves and then chose artifacts to display that spoke to the untold stores of women’s lives during the First and Second World Wars,” said Sinead Cox, Curator of Engagement and Dialogue for the Huron County Museum.
Cox guided the group through the exhibit from concept to installation.
Through carefully selected artifacts from the Museum’s collection, The Legacy of Women in War explores the resilience, courage, and sacrifice of women from Huron County through both wars.
According to Cox, the Goderich Youth Collective is a YMCA-run leadership program funded by United Way that focuses on healthy and active living, both mental and physical.
The group gained hands-on experience in exhibit development, research and storytelling with a local focus.
The Legacy of Women in War is now open to the public at the Huron County Museum and is included with regular admission.
First World War on the Homefront: A Letter from Harvie J. Dorrance
In a letter of thanks from Harvie J. Dorrance, the Seaforth Women’s War Auxiliary was thanked for the parcel they sent to him for Christmas.
Below is a transcript of Harvie J. Dorrance’s letter from December 15, 1918: Secretary,
It is with a very great pleasure that I take up my pen to thank you on behalf of the Ladies of the Seaforth War Auxiliary for the very nice parcel which I received today.
When our duty out here is so near finished it is a great pleasure to know that we are not forgotten by our friends at home.
I remember the other evening bringing a billet where some men were billeted and when they received some parcels, noticing how surprised the German people were to see such things as they got over here.
Candy is almost a thing of the past, for instance, a bar of chocolate worth in Canada about 25 cents here is worth 28 marks 50 pfennigs ($7.10); soap worth at home 5 cents here is worth 2 marks 50 pfennigs or $5, so you see, Canada is still worth fighting for, and you can understand one
reason why our Canadian soldiers are anxious to return.
As you will see by the address we are across the Rhine, one of the big ambitions
of a Canadian soldier.
I know cases of our soldiers who were sick and when asked by the doctor to ride in the ambulance said, ‘nothing doing I haven’t fought and walked for the last three years, not to be able to walk across the Rhine’ and refused to ride.
This if I remember correctly is the third parcel I have received from you. The first one in France, last year in England and now in Germany, and I know your parcels are being distributed over all the fronts where the British have fought.
In again thanking you, I sincerely hope that by next Christmas I may be in Seaforth and all the Seaforth boys back again.
Sincerely yours, Harvie J. Dorrance
According to records, Dorrance did return home after the First World War, and went on to live until 1960. He had a career in politics for the Liberal Party out in British Columbia. This was following service during the Second World War for the Armed Forces under the rank of Lieut.-Col.
A black and white photo postcard featuring a large group of B Company soldiers from Goderich in their uniforms standing on the Square. The Model Theatre is in the background.
In his letter from December 15, 1918, Harvie J. Dorrance comments on the price of chocolate and soap being so much more expensive in Germany than in Canada. Harvie enlisted on September 22, 1914.
(HURON COUNTY MUSEUM, DONATED BY HENRY BARTHALT PHOTO)
(HURON COUNTY MUSEUM, DONATED BY ELIZABETH JARROTT PHOTO)
Remembrance Day 2025
LEST WE FORGET
On the Front Lines: Service Post Card from First World War On the Front Lines: First World War
Dated from August 6, 1917. A post card of a ‘Whiz Bang’ that Harold Turner sent to his mother to let her know that he received a letter and parcel that she sent him in July. Whiz Bangs were usually sent when there wasn’t enough time to write a letter to let friends and family know that you were okay, or to remind them to send a letter. Harold Turner later notes that he wrote this card in a dugout behind Vimy Ridge.
Newspaper clippings from the Huron Expositor about the recruiting effort for the 161st Battalion. Newspaper advertisement and letters that appeared in the Huron Expositor encouraged local Huron County men to enlist in the 161st Battalion as it needed 250 more men. The letter was written by H.B. Combe, the Lieut.-Col. of the 161st.
The Homefront during First World War: Red Cross Work
A list of supplies that the Red Cross produced between 1914 and 1919. The Red Cross, supported by other groups like Women’s Institutes and War Auxiliaries, raised funds and sent goods overseas to soldiers and those living in places affected by the war. Among the list were 3,674 pairs of socks, one parcel of magazines, 2,022 shirts, 1,930 pounds of dried apples, 56 pounds of fruit cake, 10 boxes of candy, and 148 Christmas boxes. The total value of goods sent between 1914 to 1919 was listed as $5,943.25.
(HURON COUNTY MUSEUM PHOTO)
(HURON COUNTY MUSEUM PHOTO)
(HURON COUNTY MUSEUM, DONATED BY JUNE WALLACE PHOTO)
Private Shea Bradley: An Afghan War Veteran
After two weeks at Kandahar, the Sgt-Major pulled Bradley aside and told him that he got his wish and would replace a soldier in Charles Company based at Sperwan Ghar in southeast Afghanistan.
Years earlier, in 2006, the RCR fought and won an intense battle around Sperwan Ghar as part of Operation Medusa. By 2010, when Bradley arrived at the Sperwan Ghar base, the insurgents were less organized but still there.
Bradley recalls that when he was attached to 1 section, 8 platoon, he had to prove himself to the other 10 men in his section.
His Sergeant was hard on him and watched him closely at first because he had not been trained for in-theatre combat. “It was a steep learning curve” recalled Bradley as he “adapted”.
His NCOs were experienced. The section sergeant was on his third tour and the Sgt-Major on his fifth Afghan tour.
Bradley's first night operation went well as they scattered the suspected insurgents. Most encounters with insurgents ended before they came in direct contact with professional Canadian soldiers. Whenever the Canadians were bumped by the Taliban, an effective quick reaction plan was in place where one platoon guarded the base, another one was out on patrol, and a quick reaction platoon was on standby to respond to any emergency.
Yet, the Taliban continued to fire into the base. The rifle fire and mortar fire was wildly inaccurate according to Bradley, although they did manage to shoot down a Canadian Chinook helicopter. Fortunately, it was a soft landing, and the crew were rescued within minutes.
They became so used to the mortar fire that Bradley recalled that on one occasion, they were playing field hockey when mortar rounds were walking into the base, hitting a local school and helipad. Bradley and his fellow hockey players continued to play hockey despite the explosions until the Sgt-Major yelled at them to take cover.
In contrast to the inaccurate Taliban fire, the Canadians, Bradley said, were well protected by drones from the air, which provided intelligence; and all patrols were conducted with air and artillery support which could be accurately placed on any target.
The Taliban's most effective weapons were Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) which inflicted the most casualties on Canadian troops in the Afghan war.
Other operations that Bradley's Company were involved with were providing protection for the US Army Engineers and supporting Afghan National Army operations
One salient memory that Bradley had was manning a small operations post for 21 days with nothing to clean himself with but baby wipes.
Bradley remembered that they built trench structures, tunnels, a mortar pit and machine gun positions to occupy their time. It was “kind of fun” when they got
2017, he sought treatment for PTSD. He said it helped his recovery from his combat experience. His mother, Janet, said that she “didn't see my Shea back until the last year”.
Looking back on his time in Afghanistan, Bradley said that he was proud of his service, and not letting anyone down.
Although she is proud of her son's service, Janet said that after watching the Taliban take over the country in 2021, she thought “what a waste” of all those lives who young men and women who died to make Afghanistan a better place to live.
Janet says that her son “rarely talks about the war” but one day they were talking about whether Shea grew up in Woodstock or Goderich.
Shea paused and thought about the answer and said, “I grew up in Afghanistan”.
After an eight-month deployment, Bradley returned to Canada in December 2010. He had missed half of his daughter's first year. Despite planning on re-enlisting, Bradley was released from the army in the summer of 2011.
Shea's mother Janet Bradley recalled that it was the “longest eight months of her life”.
Every time a police cruiser pulled into the LCBO parking lot she feared they were bringing the worst news.
Janet said that her heart was in her throat for eight months. She said her relief was indescribable when he returned home.
Although Shea obtained a good job at the Goderich Salt Mine, Janet thought that it was a struggle for him to re-integrate into civilian life when he first returned home.
Bradley, himself, noticed that he was different when he returned and, finally, in
Is your business organizing future workshops, seminars, or community events? Let me show you how to reach your audience to boost registration and attendance.
to know local camel herders who traded camel rides for granola bars.
Shea Bradley (centre) with parents, Janet and Patrick.
The ancient and modern world meet. A 21st century army in a fortress built by Alexandra the Great’s forces over 2,300 years ago.
Men of one section, 8 Platoon, Charles Company, 1RCR. Bradley is standing second from right.
(JANET BRADLEY PHOTO)
(SHEA BRADLEY PHOTO)
(SHEA BRADLEY PHOTO)
Goderich Air Cadets heading to Halifax in 2026
KATHLEEN SMITH Editor
Goderich Air Cadets will soon tour the new Arctic Offshore Patrol Vessels, a Navy City Class Frigate, the maritime helicopter squadron in Dartmouth and the long-range patrol squadron with its trip to Halifax in 2026.
Aiming to provide exposure to maritime aviation, for many Goderich cadets, this will be their first time travelling outside Ontario and away from home.
According to Steve Shute, member of the Goderich Air Cadets Sponsoring Committee, this trip is a significant undertaking for local cadets.
“This trip is an opportunity for many cadets to travel outside their region and gain a broader awareness of east coast of Canada,” said Steve Shute.
“It will expose many cadets to military organization and have a chance to be hands on with some of Canada’s more sophisticated military equipment.”
According to Shute, a portion of the funding will be provided by the Squadron Sponsoring Committee (SS) who throughout the year raise funds for various extracurricular activities that are not covered.
This trip will be beyond normal SSC savings, and fundraising efforts will be undertaken between now and departure. Some of the fundraising efforts will be through direct requests to businesses in the Goderich area, but Shute explains that if individual community members are interested in donating, that can be done through E-transfer.
“Donations are incredibly important,” stressed Shute.
“The Squadron receives just enough money from the Federal Government to keep the lights on. Anything additional, above, and beyond comes by way of donation.”
Approximately 33 cadets on paper and
around 30 participate in weekly Wednesday night training. At this point 27 cadets are committed to the trip.
The Cadet Program offers youth valuable opportunities to develop leadership, citizenship, and mental and physical fitness, all skills that build confidence and help prepare them for adulthood.
Many cadets progress to earn Glider Pilot Licenses or Powered Flight Licenses through the air cadets’ program. This experience can lead to careers as commercial pilots, air traffic controllers, or roles in aerospace engineering.
“While there’s no obligation to join the military, cadets gain exposure to military life and leadership,” added Shute.
“This can make entry into the Canadian Armed Forces smoother, whether as an officer or in specialized trades.”
While joining does not obligate military service, cadets gain exposure to careers in aviation, engineering and the Canadian Armed Forces. Many alumni leverage these experiences for scholarships and future employment.
According to Shute, the program emphasizes camaraderie. Cadets meet peers with similar interests, build lasting friendships, and enjoy social activities alongside training.
Cadets learn discipline, teamwork, and leadership through structured training and activities. The program introduces youth to aviation fundamentals, aerospace, and navigation.
Cadets participate in fitness programs, survival exercises, and field training weekends.
These activities promote health, resilience, and practical outdoor skills.
The Air Cadets also take part in civic events like Remembrance Day ceremonies, parades, and volunteer projects, fostering respect for community and country.
For Harmony Shute who is a current member of the cadets, being part of the Remembrance Day ceremonies is something special.
Harmony’s father served in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) for 20 years; her grandfather was a police officer and her great-grandfather served during the Second World War.
“I have always had a spot in my heart for every family member of every fallen hero and a deeper understanding of seeing how it affects how they see the world,” admitted Harmony.
“It is an honour to be a part of the November 11 ceremonies and honour the heroes we’ve all lost.”
Shute explains that the 532 Maitland Squadron tries to schedule a more significant trip such as this trip to Halifax approximately every five years.
This ensures that each cadet at some point in their cadet career gets to participate in.
Cadets train on Wednesday nights from September to June at GDCI from 6:45 p.m. until 9 p.m. There are also two weekend camps undertaken locally throughout the year as well as several days to participate in ‘gliding’ opportunities.
Both the 340 Griffin Air Cadets, from Port Elgin, and 532 Maitland Air Cadets of Goderich at a joint field training exercise.
Level 4s – Sergeant Knoop and Sergeant Walia - learning to light a lantern.
Level 1s learning how to build a shelter at the field training exercise.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Rotaract Club of Goderich announces new collaboration with IODE Maple Leaf Chapter
Rotaract Club of Goderich’s Princess Project recently shared their collaboration with the IODE Maple Leaf Chapter in Goderich.
The Princess Project now has a new space inside the IODE Opportunity Shop off the square.
The Princess Project aims to make formal wear more accessible to students by lending out dresses for events like prom, semi-formal and graduation.
According to Chandal Bradley, committee member of the Princess Project, this partnership will expand opportunities for local students to access formal wear while promoting sustainability and community service.
As part of the initiative, the IODE Maple Leaf Chapter will display a curated selection of Princess Project dresses at the Opportunity Shop on North Street in Goderich.
According to Bradley, this partnership reflects a shared commitment to youth empowerment, equity, and environmental responsibility.
By offering gently used dresses for borrowing, the Princess Project reduces textile waste and makes special occasions accessible to every student, regardless of financial circumstances.
“This collaboration demonstrates what can be achieved when community organizations work together,” said Samantha Hamilton, another committee member of the Princess Project.
“The IODE Maple Leaf Chapter and the Rotaract Club of Goderich share a vision of lifting up young people and building a stronger, more inclusive community.”
This addition provides students with in-person shopping experiences, which is an important and memorable part of preparing for milestones such as prom and graduation.
The remained of the Princess Project dress collection can be viewed online.
“Trying on dresses and funding the one that feels just right is such a joyful and milestone moment for many students,” said Bradley.
“By making dresses available at the Opportunity Shop, we’re ensuring students have that same dignified experience while also helping reduce barriers and encourage sustainability in our community.”
The Princess Project is operated by volunteers within the Goderich Rotaract Club, and it has already made a meaningful impact in Huron County.
This new partnership will further the mission of providing students with beautiful, high-quality gowns, by ensuring more students can celebrate life’s special moments with confidence and pride.
Group photo of some members of the Rotaract Club of Goderich and Princess Project sub-committee. Amy Boyce, Chandal Bradley, Jenna Pentland, Chris Milley, Nathanya Barnett, Samantha Hamilton and Emma Bartz.
Sam Hamilton and Emma Bartz, members of the Princess Project committee with a Princess Project dress.
Amy Boyce, Jenna Pentland, and Chandal Bradley, members of the Princess Project committee holding dresses from the program.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS)
Colonel Donald J. Goodspeed of Exeter: Journalist, Scholar and Soldier
Lieutenant-Colonel D.J. Goodspeed was one of the most extraordinary individuals to have hailed from Exeter.
A Second World War veteran, journalist, lake mariner, mystery novelist, distinguished historian who authored 13 non-fiction books and became Professor Emeritus at Brock University, Goodspeed is claimed to have ‘chronicled the most turbulent periods of modern history’.
D.J. Goodspeed was born in Exeter on March 21, 1919. Tragically, his father died from Spanish Influenza, in Ruthland, Saskatchewan, just months before he was born forcing his mother, Mary (nee Love) to move back to the family home in Exeter where Donald was born.
Mary Goodspeed was an elementary school teacher who taught at Exeter public school until April 1924 when she was hired to teach in a one-room schoolhouse in New Liskeard.
The Goodspeed family returned to Exeter the following year where Donald attended elementary school until 1930 when his mother secured a teaching job near Port Arthur.
While his mother taught in northern Ontario, Donald was sent to Albert College, a private boarding school near Belleville.
According to his son, Peter Goodspeed, his father ‘hated’ the boarding school and in 1932 moved to Port Arthur where he boarded during the week and visited his mother on weekends.
During the Great Depression, Goodspeed
sailed the Great Lakes as a deck hand before getting a position as a journalist with the Windsor Star and Sarnia
He also displayed an interest in the military serving in the reserves at the Port Arthur Armory with the 3rd Company, 10th Divisional Signals from 1933 until 1936, and two years with the Lake Superior Regiment.
In June 1940, Goodspeed enlisted as a gunner in the Royal Canadian Artillery. He was sent to the United Kingdom rising to the rank of Sergeant.
In June 1942, Goodspeed returned to Canada to attend an Officer’s Training Course in Brandon, Manitoba.
Goderich Duplicate Bridge Results
On September 30 the club had eight tables directed by Robert McFarlane:
1st – Bob Dick and Keith Allen – 58.04%
2nd/3rd – Evy McDonagh and Susan White, with John Archbold and Pamela Raab – 56.85%
4th – Greg Bowman and Michele Hansen – 55.95%
5th – Brian Reeves and Graham Yeats – 55.36%
6th – Joyce McIlwain and Kay King – 54.76%
On October 7 the club had 10 and half tables directed by Bob Dick:
1st – Margaret and Murray Blackie – 66.54%
2nd – Garth Sheldon and John Davies – 63.35%
3rd – Pamela Raab and John Archbold – 61.28%
4th – Shirley Thomas and Tom Rajnovich – 61.13%
5th – Susan White and Evy McDonagh – 59.80%
6th – Graham Yeats and Brian Reeve – 57.18%
On October 14 the club had six and half tables directed by Robert McFarlane:
1st – Evy McDonagh and Susan White – 59.54%
2nd/3rd – John Davies and Garth Sheldon, with Brian Reeve and Graham Yeats –57.73%
4th – Doug Elliott and Virginia Elliott – 55.91%
5th – Tom Rajnovich and Shirley Thomas – 54.09%
6th – Arnie Parker and Frank Martin – 53.63%
On October 21 the club had 10 and half tables directed by Bob Dick: 1st – John Davies and Garth Sheldon – 63.49%
2nd – Mary Lapaine and Barb Howe – 63.49%
3rd – Joan Hutton and Joan Lounsbury – 59.54%
4th – Bob Dick and Keith Allen – 56.02%
5th – Cal Scotchmer and Tom Rajnovich – 55.83%
6th – Bill Hansen and Rob McFarlane – 55.74%
During a training exercise, Goodspeed broke an ankle riding a motorcycle at night without lights on.
While recovering in hospital, Nursing Sister Edith Ferrall found the ‘brash’ young officer ‘a difficult patient because he wouldn’t stay in bed’.
According to an interview in early 2025, Ferrall found his behaviour intolerable and threatened to put Goodspeed on charge. Six weeks later, Goodspeed married Farrell.
Days after their marriage, she was posted to England where she endured the Blitz as well as attending her nursing duties.
Lieutenant Goodspeed was sent overseas with the 66th Battery, 14th Field Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery and fought in Italy and the Northwestern European campaigns.
After the war, Goodspeed attended Queen’s University. He completed a fouryear degree in just two years.
Goodspeed re-enlisted in the army in 1948 and stationed on bases around Canada. He completed a 14-month stint at a Staff College in Wellington, India and served with the Canadian NATO Brigade before.
In 1953, Goodspeed was assigned to the Defence Relation Board, and later the Directorate of History at defence headquarters in Ottawa.
It was in Ottawa that Goodspeed and his wife, Edith, raised their three children. Two sons and a daughter.
The Goodspeeds became involved in their community as Edith taught home nursing to Girl Guides and Donald sat on the local Parent Teacher Association (PTA).
Captain Goodspeed wrote several articles on various aspects of military history. In 1958, one of Goodspeed’s articles ‘The Secret Army’ earned international notoriety. Goodspeed argued that the most successful means to change regimes is to foment rebellion form within
Particularly sensitive to internal strife behind the Iron Curtain after the Hungarian uprising in 1956, the Soviets accused Goodspeed of writing a ‘handbook for subversion’.
Valerian Zorin, the Soviet delegate to the
United Nations, demanded Goodspeed’s resignation from the Canadian Army. The Canadian Army responded by stating that ‘Captain Goodspeed was not advocating the overthrow of any government and that his article was a purely theoretical one written on his own’.
The Soviets seemed satisfied with the arm’s statement, and rather than resign, Goodspeed expanded his article into a book, The Conspirators, which was translated into several languages and was still in use as a guide for plotting coups into the 1990s.
While with the Directorate of History, Goodspeed wrote books on the Napoleonic Wars, a biography of German Field Marshall Ludendorff and in 1967, The Armed Forces of Canada 1867-1967: A Century of Achievement.
When Goodspeed retired from the Canadian military in 1970, he held the title of Senior Historian.
Remarkably, Goodspeed had time to write two popular mystery novels ‘The Traitor Game’ (1968) and ‘The Valentin Victim’ (1969) under the pseudonym Dougal McLeish.
Despite lacking a PhD, Goodspeed was recruited to teach history at Brock University in St. Catherine’s, publishing several more books on the wars of the 20th century.
Dr. John McEwen, the chair of Brock’s History Department who recruited Goodspeed recalled that ‘it’s one thing of which I’ll always be proud; that I persuaded Don Goodspeed to come to Brock. He was a wonderful person’.
Goodspeed became the department’s history chair and later Professor Emeritus, when he retired in 1984.
Colonel Donald J. Goodspeed passed away at the age of 71 at his Niagara-on-the-Lake home on August 1, 1990 (his wife Edith passed in March 2025, in her 100th year).
The Exeter native had been an eyewitness and participant to some of post-war Canada’s most turbulent times.
Perhaps most important, Goodspeed was able to document those times for future generations.
Observer.
DAVID YATES Sun Contributor
Donald J. Goodspeed as a child in Exeter. D. J. Goodspeed as a young soldier in the Second World War.
Professor Goodspeed at Brock University.
(PETER GOODSPEED PHOTOS)
Goderich Quilters Guild donates handmade quilts to AMGH patients
Alexandra Marine and General Hospital (AMGH) is pleased to recognize a donation from the Goderich Quilters Guild, who have generously provided a collection of handmade quilts to bring warmth and comfort to patients across the hospital.
Each quilt, handcrafted by Guild members, represents hours of care, skill and creativity.
“This kind of generosity really touches everyone here,” said Jimmy Trieu, President and CEO of Huron Health System (HHS).
“These quilts aren’t just blankets, they offer a sense of comfort, stitched together by members of our own community. We’re incredibly grateful to the Goderich Quilters Guild for thinking of our patients in such a personal and meaningful way.”
Individuals support AMGH in all kinds of ways, through donations, volunteering their time, or thoughtful gifts like these beautiful quilts.
Every act of generosity, big or small, makes a real difference in the lives of patients and their families.
Together, they show just how much heart and compassion exists in our community.
“I have a long history with AMGH, with over 30 years as a registered nurse in the Emergency Department, followed by various management roles,” said Donna Phillips-Grande, Guild member.
“AMGH practices patient-centred care, and even the smallest comfort we can offer, whether to someone in pain, living with a long-term illness, or welcoming a new baby, can make all the difference. The smallest act of kindness can become the most lasting memory.”
The Goderich Quilters Guild is dedicated to encouraging the art of quilting among its members and the broader community.
Through regular meetings, workshops and demonstrations, members share skills, spark inspiration, and work together on groups projects, many of which are donated to hospitals, shelters, and other community organizations.
The group is always open to new members and welcomes anyone with an interest in quilting, regardless of experience level.
Their 2025 Annual Textile Show and Sale will be held on November 1 and November 2 at the Huron County Museum, with free admission.
Hilary Marshall is the Marketing and Communications Specialist with HHS
Gateway to host webinar shedding light on life-limiting illness in Huron-Perth
Providing care in rural communities for serious and life-limiting illnesses requires support at all stages.
On Tuesday, November 4 at 12 p.m. via ZOOM, Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) welcomes Dr. Erin Donald, Gateway CERH research Chair in Equity and Access to Rural Palliative Care.
Dr. Donald will be presenting on building a community coalition for life-limiting illness in Huron-Perth.
This webinar will present research into local health priorities for palliative care access in Huron and Perth counties, and what actions can be taken to promote those priorities.
Support and funding for this investigation was provided by Jessica’s House and the Huron Hospice.
Joining this discussion is Willie Van Klooster, Executive Director of the Huron Hospice.
To attend this event and future presentations, please register on the Gateway CERH website https://www.gatewayruralhealth.ca/lectureseries
Shoreline Classics launches
24-Hour Live Broadcast to Support Local Communities
generosity.”
This holiday season, Shoreline Classics is giving back to the communities that have supported the station all year long with a brand-new event, the first-ever 24-hour Waves of Giving.
The event will feature a 24-hour live broadcast from Shoreline Classics on December 5, collecting toys and non-perishable food items to help local families in need during the holidays.
This is the first year for 24 Waves of Giving, but the idea comes from the proven success story from Shoreline Classics’ sister station 100.1 The Ranch. Their 24-hour toy and food drive for the past five years, raising approximately $200,000 in donations for local community groups.
“This holiday season, we want to give back to the communities that continue to support us,” said Nick Cadotte, General Manager of Shoreline Classics.
“We thought, what better way than to bring people together for 24 hours of live radio, community spirit, and
Bring this ad on Clinton Ladies Night (November 6 from 4:00-8:00) for a FREE GIFT!
Currently, Shoreline Classics is looking for local sponsors to join this initiative. According to Cadotte, sponsoring businesses will receive valuable exposure during the holiday season, while helping make a real difference in the lives of families in the area.
The 24 Waves of Giving broadcast will take place live from Shoreline Classics Radio on Elgin Street in Goderich.
Businesses or individuals interested in sponsoring or contributing can contact Nick Cadotte at 519-365-8027 or nick.cadotte@5amigos.net for more information.
CUSTOM PATIOS AND WALKWAYS!
Flagstone • Patio Stones • Interlock
GODERICH SUN STAFF info@goderichsun.com
GODERICH SUN STAFF info@goderichsun.com
HILARY MARSHALL Sun Contributor
Patti Harnett, Registered Nurse (RN) at AMGH and Donna Phillips-Grande, Guild Member.
PHOTO)
Goderich pet-sitting service offers comfort and companionship for dogs and cats
A Goderich resident has launched a pet-sitting business, offering one-on-one care for dogs and cats in their own homes.
Ashley Smith began this service with the aim of providing busy pet owners peace of mind, while keeping animals comfortable and engaged.
Along with the pet-sitting, Smith offers a variety of services from past veterinary experience, such as nail trims and walks, pet medications and overnight stays.
Currently, Smith works part-time at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital (AMGH) in Goderich as a lab assistant while operating her business at the same time.
With over a decade of veterinary experience while living in London after growing up in Goderich, Smith moved back two years ago to be closer to family.
Finding it difficult to obtain a job working with animals, Smith ended up taking on the part-time position at the Goderich hospital.
“I really wanted to keep animals in my life, so I decided to start my own business,” said Smith.
“Even just working at a few boarding kennels made me realize that some dogs could really benefit from home care, and I had people at the vet clinics ask me to look after their pets.”
Once Smith moved back to Goderich and found she had some extra time while
working part-time at the hospital, it just made sense to get this service started.
“With my care, it’s more one-on-one,” explained Smith.
“It’s just me and your pet. I don’t take a bunch of dogs on walks or anything like that. It’s all focused on the pet I’m caring for, giving them my full attention. It’s about building that bond.”
With households that have pets, owners often feel guilty leaving them alone because of busy schedules.
Smith explains she has had numerous clients reach out for daytime visits, in-
cluding walks and companionship.
According to Smith, the visits help break up the pets’ day, making them happier and calmer when their owners return home.
“I find my services really help with their anxiety,” Smith said.
“It’s all about being there to reassure them and keep them occupied while their owners are away. I do all of this in the pets’ own homes, which makes them more comfortable since they’re in a familiar environment. I’m just there to spend time with them and help them feel calm
while their parents are out.”
Smith explained that common signs of anxiety in pets include hyperactivity, excessive barking, chewing, scratching, and restlessness when owners return home. She said pets often have excess energy that needs an outlet, and providing an extra walk or a daytime visit can help them burn off that energy and feel calmer by the time their owners get back.
“Cats show they’ve missed you in different ways,” Smith explained.
“Sometimes they over-groom or lick their fur excessively, and other times they might pee outside the litter box or hide a lot. They’re a bit more subtle because they’re more independent, but they still need some love and attention every day.”
Smith emphasizes that experience is key when working with animals. She explained that while formal education can help, hands-on experience is essential, as jumping straight into working with animals can be challenging.
She recommends gaining practical experience, such as volunteering at a Humane Society, to build skills and confidence a foundation that can benefit anyone looking to start their own pet-related business in the future.
Although Smith’s business is only on the side, she plans to transition it into a full-time job eventually.
For anyone interested in Smith’s services they can reach Ashley at 519-639-7050 or email ashleysmithlynn@yahoo.com.
Grey Matters: Finding Warmth in the Cold: The Benefits of Winter Stays in Retirement Living
ANNETTE GERDES, Sun Contributor
I have to admit; I’ve always had a love–hate relationship with winter. I love the beauty of freshly fallen snow — how it sparkles under the streetlights and turns everything into a peaceful wonderland. But the cold? That’s another story! My arthritis reminds me just how chilly it really is. Some mornings, even walking
out to my car feels like a challenge, and the idea of shoveling snow is out of the question. I can’t help but envy those who can stay warm inside, watching the snow fall from a cozy chair with a cup of tea in hand.
For many seniors, winter can be a difficult season. Slippery driveways, icy walkways, power outages, and long, lonely evenings can make it feel like a season to endure rather than enjoy.
That’s why winter stays in retirement homes are becoming such a wonderful option — a chance to stay safe, warm, and social while still enjoying the best parts of the season.
Safety and Peace of Mind
Retirement homes are built with safety at the forefront. From welllit hallways and handrails to snow removal services and secure entrances, everything is designed for comfort and pro -
tection. Many residences also have backup generators, so even during power outages, the heat stays on, and lights remain bright. For those who still drive, covered parking garages and cleared walkways make it easy to come and go without worrying about slippery surfaces or digging out a car after a snowfall. Staff are on-site around the clock, ready to help at any hour, and emergency supplies are always available. It’s comforting to know that no matter what winter throws our way, support is never far away.
Good Food and Warm Company
One of my favorite parts of winter is the food — hearty soups, hot cocoa, and comfort meals that taste even better when shared. In a retirement community, you never have to eat alone or worry about groceries and meal prep. The dining room becomes a place
of warmth and laughter, where friends gather daily to share stories and enjoy chef-prepared meals. And for those who still enjoy a little independence, many suites offer kitchenettes, allowing residents to cook or bake when they wish — the best of both worlds.
Freedom from Isolation
Winter can be lonely for those living alone. Snowstorms and cold weather make it hard to visit friends or attend community events. But in retirement living, there’s always something happening — from movie nights and craft sessions to games, live music, and planned seasonal activities. Staying social keeps the spirit warm, even on the coldest days. Worry-Free Living
No more shoveling, salting, or scraping the windshield. No worrying about heating bills, power outages, or icy steps. Retire -
ment living takes care of the details so residents can focus on what really matters — enjoying life, safely and comfortably.
A Winter Stay, a Warm Experience
The best part? Many homes offer short-term or respite stays, so you can try it for the winter months without making a longterm commitment. It’s the perfect way to escape the cold, enjoy companionship and activities, and feel secure knowing everything is taken care of.
So, while I may never grow to love the cold, I do love the feeling of warmth that comes from community, comfort, and care — and that’s exactly what a winter stay in a retirement home provides. After all, winter is always brighter when it’s shared.
Annette Gerdes is the General Manager at the Goderich Place Retirement Residence
ALEX HUNT Sun Correspondent
Ashley Smith opened her pet-sitting business within the Goderich community two years ago and shows no signs of slowing down.
(ASHLEY SMITH PHOTO)
Paul J. Stevenson: Visiting Artist at the Goderich CoOp Gallery for November
Canadian painter Paul J. Stevenson first travelled north in 1964 and discovered what he calls “an enchanted world completely new to my young mind.”
Two years later, with his first canoe, he began exploring Algonquin Park, and by 1970, he was painting the wilderness that had captured his heart.
Over the years, Stevenson’s art has been shown widely across southern Ontario, including three major exhibitions in the Algonquin Room at Algonquin Park’s Visitor Centre between 2001 and 2022. His evocative landscapes reveal the quiet power and beauty of Canada’s wild places.
In 2024, Stevenson’s paintings were featured at For the Love of Art in London and The Wild Goose Studio in Blyth. He recently joined the McMaster Gallery in Brantford and has had work accepted by Cowley Abbott Art Auction House in Toronto.
Two of his pieces are now part of the Elgin County Art Centre’s permanent collection in St. Thomas, where he was born. Stevenson will be the November Visit-
ing Artist at the Goderich Co-op Gallery, with an opening reception on Saturday, November 8 at 2 p.m. The gallery also launches its 2025 Online Silent Art Auction on November 1, with all works available to view in person.
November is a lively month at the gallery. Come enjoy Ladies’ Night on Thursday, November 13 with a gallery gift basket draw, and don’t miss “Romancing the Tone” on Thursday, November 28, 4–6 p.m. This award-winning a cappella quartet, winners of last year’s Novice Ontario Quartet title, delights audiences with fourpart harmonies inspired by jazz, pop, soul, and barbershop.
Adding to the festive spirit, four Christmas Artisans will be featured mid-November, offering unique paintings, mixed media, wood art, and fused glass creations, perfect for holiday gift giving.
The construction on the Square is wrapping up and looking great. Until it is fully complete, back-door entry to the gallery is available.
Visit us Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to
5 p.m.
Learn more at www.gcgallery.ca.
Submitted by the Goderich Co-op Gallery for The Goderich Sun
October Glass by Paul J. Stevenson, Goderich CoOp Gallery’s visiting artist for the month of November.
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Habitat for Humanity Huron County celebrates 20
of support
info@goderichsun.com
Habitat Huron County is a charitable homebuilder, providing loans and affordable homes to select families that began in the early 2000s when Lois Hayter had an idea.
Now, Habitat for Humanity Huron County is celebrating its 20th anniversary and thanks the community for 20 years of support.
This year, Habitat Huron County finished its 20th home, and Executive Director Rob Evans points out that in addition to homebuilding and loan provision, Habitat Huron County operates two ReStores to pay for its administration.
Each ReStore sells resaleable and gently used household items and building supplies.
“Not only do ReStore items help improve folks’ homes and pocketbooks, this also helps with recycling efforts,” said Evans.
Evans explains that even though most Habitat interest-free loans to families are for 20 years, there are only 10 loans remaining and that shows how participating families improve their own economic situation via homeownership.
“It’s truly an amazing organization,” Evans remarked.
“More than 100,000 volunteer hours have been given to build affordable Habitat homes across Huron County.”
Volunteerism and the unique economic models are the foundation for how Habitat brings together community to build affordable homes.
Habitat Canada is a federation with 44 affiliates and is the largest charitable homebuilder.
It began in 1985 in Manitoba and shortly after with Huron County’s neighbours in Grey Bruce in 1987.
Compared with today, Hayter says it was easier in the beginning for Habitat Huron County.
“There were fewer building rules, lower costs and cheaper building materials,” admitted Hayter.
According to Evans, the early days were not easy for Hayter and her team, but credits armies of volunteers and retired builders and developers for much of the success.
Paul Dyke was a retired local principal as one of the first Board Chairs; Charlie Mallette was a retired teacher who wrote a lot of articles; a women’s church group brought lunches and event dedicated women-only build days.
Evans adds that one of the keys to success and being able to build in each larger community across Huron County, was having volunteers from all over the region.
Today, Habitat ReStores are in Goderich and a newly renovated one in Wingham.
Habitat hopes to reopen in Exeter with a good landlord but would prefer to own all its locations citing the improved economics putting what would be rental payments, towards building more.
“If we are successful innovating with new partnerships, our teams will be able to build dozens of new affordable homes across Huron County in the next five years, maybe more,” celebrated Evans.
Habitat for Humanity was born on Clarence Jordan’s community farm in Georgia, U.S.A. It was on that farm that Habitat International founders Millard and Linda Fuller developed the concept of partnership housing.
After going to Zaire in 1973, now the Democratic Republic of Congo, to build houses for no profit, they founded Habitat for Humanity International incorporated in 1976 with the combination of no interest loans and volunteerism to build affordable homes.
Today, Habitat has become a global movement, operating in more than 70 countries and more than 35 million people have partnered to access new or improved housing.
GODERICH SUN STAFF
Embracing emotions for better mental health
Mental health is not a fixed state; it’s a living, breathing part of who we are.
For many, that daily landscape includes hills of anxiety, deep valleys of depression, or periods of unrelenting stress. If you've felt the weight of these struggles, you are not alone.
I use a variety of clinically proven, drug-free tools to manage my mental health - including
Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (CBT) and Mindfulness Practice.
With CBT, I learn to sit with and accept the discomfort of certain emotions rather than react to or suppress them.
Mindfulness is like a gentle form of hypnotic self-soothing that brings me back to the present moment, helps me focus on my breath, and reminds me to treat myself with compassion.
Let’s try something together.
Think of a difficult emotion you’ve felt recently - maybe anger, shame, fear, or guilt.
How do you feel about that emotion? Do you think you should have been able to prevent it from arising in you? Do you consider yourself to be bad or wrong or weak for even having this feeling?
What if, instead of seeing that emotion as bad, you saw the emotion as PAINFUL? Anger, fear, guilt, shame - these are all
Ask a Vet: How
This is one of those simple questions with a complex answer, so I’m going to divide it into two parts. This month, we'll focus on what a food allergy is and how vets confirm the diagnosis.
Next month, we'll get practical and walk through the steps of diagnosing an allergy in your pet and pinpointing their specific food triggers.
What are food allergies?
A pet can react poorly to an ingredient in their food either because of a food allergy or a food intolerance, which veterinarians lump together under the umbrella term 'Adverse Food Reaction' (AFR).
Simply put, an AFR is an abnormal response to an ingredi-
states of suffering, and they hurt.
So now that you can recognize the emotion as being painful, what happens to your relationship with it? Whether it's anger, fear, guilt, shame, take that emotion and notice what it feels like in your body now that it's being held with some kindness and compassion.
Feel your relationship with the emotion shifting from negative to less negative and more bearable.
Observe the sensations that come with heightened emotions - things like tightening in your chest, the constriction of your breath, the heaviness in your heart, the upset in your stomach - and then notice the nature of the compassion which is holding it and surrounding it.
The pain is there, and now the compassion is also there. If the self-criticism returns, simply notice it and then return your attention to the compassion that lives
do I know if my
ent. While a true food allergy involves the immune system (and can take years to develop), a food intolerance doesn't.
The good news is, from a diagnostic standpoint, they look and act the same, so we diagnose them the exact same way.
The most common signs of an AFR are skin issues such as itching, redness, or swelling (sometimes concentrated on the ears, belly or paws), and/or tummy issues such as vomiting, diarrhea, and gas.
Many other things can cause these signs, so we can’t just assume that every pet with itchy skin or an upset tummy has an AFR.
What are some clues that will make my vet suspicious of an AFR?
• Specific patterns of itchy spots on your pet’s body can suggest AFR (note that other causes of itching can also cause these areas to flare)
• The itching is year-round and/or continues into the winter months when most of the environmental allergens (like pollens) aren’t around
• Your pet has recurring ear infections
• The itching was first noted at
alongside it.
Now imagine someone else being filled with these same heightened emotions. Do you see their emotions as being wrong, defective, or shameful? Notice how you might respond if you were to see their emotions as states of suffering and pain.
When we recognize heightened emotions as pain and suffering (instead of defects) we naturally respond with empathy and compassion.
We don’t choose our emotions, they arise from the conditions of life. We can’t stop them from showing up, but we can choose to not be defined by them or overwhelmed by them. This is the heart of mindfulness - awareness, acceptance, and compassion.
When someone else is acting from a heightened emotional state, try to remember that they’re probably acting from a place of pain and suffering.
Compassion doesn’t excuse negative behaviour, but it can soften our response to it.
Let’s practice compassion for ourselves and for our fellow fallible humans. Life is short, and it passes in the blink of an eye. The least we can do is be gentle and kind - with ourselves, and with each other.
Join us on the last Saturday of every month for a Mindfulness Walk. Email me for details at mentalhealthfitnessalliance@ gmail.com.
Tanya MacIntyre is a certified CBT Practitioner, Mental Health Professional, and owner/operator of Red Roof Recovery.
DISCLAIMER: This content is not intended to constitute, or be a substitute for, medical diagnosis or treatment. Never disregard advice from your doctor, or delay in seeking it, because of something you have watched, read, or heard from anyone at Red Roof Recovery.
pet has a food allergy?
less than six months old or after about five years old
• Steroids don’t help much (or at all). Steroid medications usually help with other causes of itch but don’t always relieve AFR-induced itching.
• Both itching and GI signs are present (about 30 per cent of pets with AFR will have both) How do you diagnose an AFR?
Since there is no classic presentation, if your vet suspects that your pet has an AFR, they will talk to you about testing to confirm or rule it out, which means doing a diet trial.
Sometimes, when I start talking about doing a diet trial, clients will ask me about the blood, saliva or hair tests for food allergies that they’ve read about online –they sound fast and easy, so why not do those?
Unfortunately, those tests are unreliable and invalid. Blood tests measure antibodies against certain proteins, but all that tells you is whether the pet has been exposed to that protein before; the presence of antibodies doesn’t mean that the protein is the allergic trigger.
Also, proteins are often changed during digestion, and
it may be the modified protein that’s causing the reaction. Since the changes happen unpredictably, there is no way to develop a test to measure them.
As for the saliva and hair tests, studies evaluating their effectiveness found that they were useless.
In fact, some researchers submitted tap water as “saliva”, and “hair” from a stuffed animal and received a report listing all the “patient’s” food allergens.
To date, the only proven, validated test for an Adverse Food Reaction is a diet trial.
How do you do a diet trial?
A diet trial is more than just feeding a different food to see what happens. It needs to be done carefully in a specific way to give accurate results.
While this can feel overwhelming, your vet can guide you through each of the steps:
(1) Elimination (get a clean slate) – the pet is fed a special restricted diet (chosen by your vet) for at least eight weeks to clear out any potential triggers and monitor for improvement - we’re looking for 50-100 per cent improvement in clinical signs.
(2) Challenge (testing the theory) - If the pet shows improvement during this time, then we
add back some of their old food to see whether the clinical signs come back. If they do, we’re much more suspicious of a food trigger instead of something like a seasonal allergy.
(3) Confirm (lock in the diagnosis) - If the clinical signs return, the pet is put back on the trial diet until they’re better again. This confirms food as a trigger.
(4) Identify (the detective work) – Once an AFR is confirmed, your vet will guide you through testing one new protein or ingredient at a time identify which one(s) are the culprits.
The good news is that once we know the trigger(s), we can often transition your pet to a safe, longterm diet that will keep them feeling comfortable.
Join me next month as we dive into the nitty-gritty of choosing the right test diet and avoiding common diet trial mistakes.
Do you have a question about pet care? Send it to reception@clintonvet.ca and it may be featured in a future column.
Dr. Sophie Farrell is a veterinarian at Clinton Vet Services in Clinton, Ontario. She practices small animal, emergency, and honeybee medicine.
TANYA MACINTYRE, RED ROOF RECOVERY
Sun Contributor
DR. SOPHIE FARRELL Sun Contributor
Trail Talk: Autumn colours this year seem more vibrant than usual
The autumn colours this year seem to be more vibrant than usual, so this is a good time to get out on the trails.
There are no bighting flying insects, though no doubt there are still some ticks, which have rarely bothered me.
So far, the trails have not been too wet despite the rain, though I recommend taking small careful steps on boardwalks that do not have any anti slip covering. Old boards seem to be more slippery than newer ones.
Even as late as Tuesday October 21 there were over 70 butterflies along the Hullett Sugar Bush white trail, when the sun was shining. They were all clouded sulphurs, with possibly a few orange sulphurs.
Although I dislike the alien invasive spotted knapweed, which is very common in open areas, it has one advantage as
many butterflies’ nectar on the blossoms which, along with popular red clover, are the few flowers still in bloom (last year my last butterfly sighting was on November 18).
Not only are there butterflies, but also a few autumn meadowhawk dragon flies.
One surprise along the trail was a frog in the mud at the edge of a puddle. Normally frogs leap into the water before I see them, but on that day this frog stayed in the mud and I found out it was a young American bullfrog, the first one I have ever seen.
The recent rainfall has changed the Bayfield and Maitland rivers from a trickle to more normal levels.
This coming year to ensure charitable status the Maitland Trail is having Maitland Trail Supporters, who will not have a vote at the AGM. Payments will only be accepted after January 1.
NOTES:
The Menesetung Bridge across the Maitland River at Goderich is now closed to pedestrians and cyclists until an expected completion date in November.
The trail entrance at 80918 Sharpes Creek Line is now closed due to gravel pit work.
Deer Bow hunting is from October 1 to November 3.
Turkey bow hunting October 1-30. Turkey gun hunting October 15-27.
Deer hunting by gun runs on November 3-9 and December 1-7 when most of the Maitland Trail will be closed.
Saturday, November 1 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. - Hike the Morrison Dam Conservation Area trails at Exeter.
Meet at the Morrison Dam parking lot at 71108 Morrison Line, Exeter.
Scenic views along the Morrison Dam reservoir system and 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 - some uneven surfaces.
Sunday, November 3 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. - Hike Naftel’s Creek Conservation Area. Meet at Naftel’s Creek at 79154 Bluewater Highway, Goderich and meander around this beautiful and scenic trail.
For more information and to confirm your attendance, please contact Gena Lowe at genalowe24@gmail.com. This is a level 1, moderately paced hike.
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
PATRICK CAPPER Sun Contributor
Maple Leaves.
Autumn Meadowhawk.
American Bullfrog.
Sharing a Knapweed blossom.
COMING EVENTS
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
UKELELE STRUMMERS
On Thursday mornings from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Huron County Library in Goderich. Drop in to learn and play the ukelele. All are welcome and no experience needed. Admission is free.
HURON BJJ KIDS HALLOWEEN PARTY
On Thursday, October 30 from 5:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at Huron BJJ in Goderich.
Open to everyone – members and non-members. Ages five years old and older.
Two rooms of fun including dodgeball and ninja course, movie, crafts and endless popcorn, DJ and music from DJ Dan Ward, and a costume contest.
Cost is $45 for members and $55 for non-members. All proceeds go to Huron BJJ’s Youth Mentorship Fund.
LINE DANCE LOUNGE
On Thursday evenings at the Goderich Legion. Grab your boots and join us every Thursday night for the Line Dance Lounge with Ellie Montgomery. Upstairs at the Legion at 7 p.m.
Full bar and food available, featuring all kinds of music. No cover charge.
THE LIVERY PRESENTS
On Thursday, October 30 and Friday, October 31 at 8 p.m. Featuring: The Rocky Horror Show.
TECH TIME
On Friday mornings from 11 a.m. until 12 p.m. at Goderich Library.
Registration required.
Book a 30-minute session to get help with how to use
Christmas Soup/Sandwich/ Dessert Luncheon & Bake Sale
Saturday, November 1st, 10:30 to 1:30pm
Berea-By-The-Water Lutheran Church 326 Gibbons Street, Goderich All welcome! Pay at door $15/person
library e-resources, your new device or your email account.
Admission is free.
SPOOKTACULAR ON THE SQUARE
On Friday, October 31 in downtown Goderich from 3:30 p.m. until 5 p.m.
HAUNTED HOUSE
On Friday, October 31 from 5 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. at 93 Bruce Street East.
All you ghost and goblins can get into the Halloween spirit to scare up support for animals in need.
The owners of East End Gym are reopening their home again for an interactive experience.
This year, donations will be accepted to help support Pet Rescue and Salthaven wildlife rehabilitation centre. All trick-or-treaters will be welcome, regardless, but if able, donations are appreciated.
HURON HISTORIC GAOL GHOST TOURS
On Friday, October 31 from 6:45 p.m. until 8:15 p.m. and again at 8:30 p.m.
This is a rare chance to visit the gaol after dark. This guided tour shines a flashlight into the dark corners of local history.
Cost is $11 or discounted to $7 for students and members.
HALLOWEEN BASH AT BOSTON PIZZA
On Friday, October 31 from 8 p.m. until 11 p.m.
Get ready for a night of chills, thrills and rock ‘n roll featuring Sal’s Alley.
HALLOWEEN PARTY AT THE LEGION
On Friday, October 31, the Goderich Legion opens its doors for a night you won’t soon forget. Live music by The Full Nelsons at 8 p.m.
Tickets are $20 in advance at the main floor bar. Come dresses to haunt – costumes are welcome.
HALLOWEEN SOIREE
On Friday, October 31 at East Street Cider in Goderich at 9 p.m.
Costumes are optional but welcomed. Prizes for best costume. Admission is free.
COUNTRY CHRISTMAS CRAFT SHOW
On Saturday, November 1 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at GDCI. Over 100 artists and crafters showcasing their work. Get a head start on your Christmas shopping. Admission is $5.
BLUFFS WINTER CRAFT AND ARTISAN MARKET
On Saturday, November 1 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Goderich Sunset Golf Club.
ANNUAL TEXTILE SHOW AND SALE
On Saturday, November 1 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday, November 2 from 12 p.m. until 4 p.m. at Huron County Museum.
Presented by Goderich Quilters’ Guild, Huron Tract Spinners and Weavers, and Y2K Rug Bugs. Free admission.
SILENT AUCTION AT GODERICH COOP GALLERY
On Saturday, November 1 until December 5. Bid online or at the gallery.
SMART RECOVERY MEETINGS
Hosted every Sunday from 11 a.m. until 12 p.m. at Red Roof Recovery.
FREE SKATE AT MAITLAND REC CENTRE
On Sunday, November 2 from 3 p.m. until 4 p.m. at Maitland Recreation Centre.
Please, no sticks or pucks. Admission is free.
GODERICH READS BOOK CLUB
On Monday, November 3 at 10 a.m. at Goderich Legion. Love to read? Love to chat about books over coffee? We meet every two weeks to dive into a new book, share thoughts and connect with fellow book lovers.
ENGLISH CONVERSATION CIRCLES
On Monday, November 3 and Monday, November 10 at 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Goderich Library. In partnership with Huron County Immigration Partnership.
Admission is free.
KNITTER’S CLUB
On Tuesday mornings from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Goderich Library.
No registration needed.
Knit, relax and meet fellow knitters each week.
www.cbcgoderich.com
Why didn’t the skeleton go to the party? He had no body to go with.
What do you call a witch who lives at the beach? A sand-witch.
Why did the vampire read the newspaper? He heard it had great circulation.
What’s a ghost’s favorite dessert? I scream!
Why don’t mummies take vacations? They’re afraid they’ll unwind.
What kind of music do skeletons love? Heavy metal.
What’s a zombie’s favorite snack? Finger food.
Why did the ghost go into the bar? For the boos!
How do you fix a broken jack-o’lantern? With a pumpkin patch.
What’s a vampire’s least favorite food? Steak.
Why are graveyards so noisy? Because of all the coffin.
Sunsets of Goderich
Do you thrive in a flexible work environment where you can set your own schedule? If so, we have the perfect opportunity for you!
Location: Work from Anywhere!
Schedule: Your Own Schedule
Type: Commission
About Grant Haven Media: At Grant Haven Media, we are committed to delivering top-quality news and
Hundreds of shade trees, fruit trees, apples, pears, peaches, plums, sweet and sour cherries, apricots, nectarines, blueberries, haskapp grapes, raspberries, elderberries etc. Lots of spruce, pine, cedars for windbreak and privacy hedges. Sizes 1-8 ft. in containers ready to go. Flowering shrubs and much more. Mon-Sat 7:00am to 6:00pm
Martin's Nursery, 42661 Orangehill Rd Wroxeter, ON N0G 2X0 (1 Conc. North of Wroexter on Belmore Line)
Responsible tenant seeking a pet-friendly home to rent in Goderich. Please call 519-955-7564 with
newspapers are powered by journalists, not AI. They check the facts so you can trust what you’re reading. That’s why 4 in 5 people in Canada come back each week for more. Thanks for keeping it real with us. nationalnewspaperweek.ca
three days in Goderich, a snapshot of the most beautiful sunset along the waterfront in Goderich. Taken early September. (CHAM TAILOR PHOTO)
COMING EVENTS
WELCOME VISITING ARTIST PAUL STEVENSON
On Tuesday, November 4 until Saturday, November 29 at Goderich CoOp Gallery.
From 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. Opening reception is on Saturday, November 8 at 2 p.m. at 54 Courthouse Square, Lower-Level Goderich, below Elizabeth’s Art Gallery.
MIND MOJO WITH TANYA MACINTYRE
On Friday, November 7 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the MacKay Centre for Seniors.
IODE CHRISTMAS HOUSE TOUR
On Saturday, November 8 and Sunday, November 9 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. at various locations across town.
OPENING RECEPTION AT GODERICH COOP GALLERY
On Saturday, November 8 at 2 p.m. Featuring visiting artist Paul Stevenson.
REMEMBRANCE DAY CEREMONY
On Tuesday, November 11 at 11 a.m. at The Cenotaph in Goderich.
BIA LADIES NIGHT
On Thursday, November 13 from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m. at various downtown Goderich locations.
EXPERIENCE FANSHAWE AT OPEN HOUSE
Meet faculty and current students from all areas of Fanshawe.
Drop-in and ask about your program interests, career options and hear from college experts on admissions, financial aid and more.
Explore our campuses at Clinton, London, Woodstock, Tiverton, Simcoe and St. Thomas.
CANCER SUPPORT GROUP
This peer-led group meets once a month at Bayfield Library on Saturdays at 12:30 p.m.
Upcoming date is November 22.
CHRISTMAS BAZAAR AND BAKE SALE
On Saturday, November 22 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Goderich.
New gifts and crafts, baking tables with Christmas goodies and gently used Christmas items.
WELCOMING GALLERY MEMBER LISA GOLEN
On Friday, November 28 from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m. at Goderich CoOp Gallery.
Romancing the Tone Acapella Quartet, with light refreshments at 54 Courthouse Square, below Elizabeth’s Art Gallery.
Deadline: Friday prior at 3 p.m. Contact: info@goderichsun.com
MAIL KNUJTON LIAM
WELCOMING THE BAYFIELD ARTIST GUILD
On Tuesday, December 2 until Wednesday, December 31 (may close early on Dec. 31).
Opening reception is on Saturday, December 6 at 2 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at 54 Courthouse Square below Elizabeth’s Art Gallery.
Community Calendar is for non-profit organizations to promot ssion events at no charge. Event listings can include your event name, date, time and location as well as a phone number, email address or website.
Display Ad - Sizes begin at a
Coming Events Word Ad in Classified section (50 word max.) - $10
Coming Events Boxed Word Ad in Classified section (50 word max.)
If your event is not free admission or you would like to include more details than stated above, you have the following options:
DISCOVER DISCOVER LADIES’
Thursday Nov. 13th Thursday Nov. 13th
DRAWS, SAMPLES, SALES AND RESTAURANT SPECIALS AROUND THE SQUARE AND SIDE STREETS! DRAWS, SAMPLES, SALES AND RESTAURANT SPECIALS AROUND THE SQUARE AND SIDE STREETS!
