The Citizen - August 6, 2020

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• Editorials • Agriculture • Entertainment • Obituaries

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The

THIS WEEK

Citizen

Huron County’s most trusted independent news source

Thursday, August 6, 2020

Volume 36 No. 32

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Cases on the rise in H-P

By Denny Scott The Citizen

The Pink Pirate Ava Nonkes was one of a number of children who took part in a special mask-making workshop at the newly-opened Wild Goose Studio in Blyth. Last Saturday was the third such workshop, each week with a new theme, a new story

and a new craft mask to create. In her creative vision for the pirate she’d like to become by putting on her mask, Nonkes envisioned a pink pirate with a wild-patterned bandana upon her head. (John Stephenson photo)

Four new cases of COVID-19 in Perth County have raised the total number of cases in Huron and Perth Counties to 72 with those four remaining the only active cases in the region.

In a press release from Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH), Medical Officer of Health Dr. Miriam Klassen said five of the region’s most recent cases have all been linked back to the same extended community of Low German-speaking residents. This community, throughout southwestern Ontario, has been experiencing a surge in cases in recent weeks, she said in the statement.

All of the new Perth County cases, all of which are in Perth East, are self-isolating and contact tracing is underway with the help of the leadership of the local Low Germanspeaking community.

“The Low German-speaking community is being hit particularly hard right now by the COVID-19 disease. HPPH is in regular contact with other health units, as well as the Ministry of Health, in regards to any epidemiological trends across the province, including outbreaks among different populations or locations. Our goal is to protect the health of all of our residents,” Klassen said in the press release.

The previously-diagnosed outbreak at Knollcrest Lodge in Milverton has been declared over, with the follow-up investigation Continued on page 9

Fowl Supper cancelled after line committee meeting

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen After a meeting between the Belgrave Community Centre Board and the Belgrave Fowl supper line committees, the annual event has officially been cancelled for 2020.

Jonathon Van Camp, president of the board, told The Citizen that the meeting took place late last week and shortly after the meeting began it was clear there were enough concerns for the event not to go forward. A vote was taken and the two groups decided to cancel this year’s event.

Van Camp said that while the board was trying to maintain optimism for the event, which is as big as it gets on the annual Belgrave calendar, the meeting with the line

committees (each table at the dinner has food provided by a different committee, representing one of the concessions in the community) made it clear the meal shouldn’t move ahead. With many of the residents and volunteers being older, there were concerns with holding the meal, even in a take-out or drivethrough form. He also said that the board always consults with the line committees on all decisions pertaining to the Belgrave Fowl Supper.

There has been some confusion around the event, said Van Camp, but the plan was always for the Belgrave Community Centre Board to meet with the line committees on July 28 to determine the future of the supper, which is the largest fundraiser of the year for the board

and the centre for which it’s named.

In the July 16 issue of The Citizen, Belgrave correspondent Linda Campbell incorrectly reported that the meal had been cancelled. Van Camp said this jolted the board into action, wanting to set the record straight and assure the community that an official decision had yet to be made and members were still hoping

to find a safe path forward for the fundraiser, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. That led to Van Camp’s Letter to the Editor in the July 23 issue of The Citizen, assuring residents that the meal had not been cancelled and that board members were busy working towards alternative methods of hosting the meal.

However, after the meeting between the board and the line committees, it became clear that it simply couldn’t move ahead in any form that would make everyone feel comfortable and safe.

Van Camp says he apologizes for any confusion and he and the board are looking forward to hosting the meal again in 2021.

Several collisions near Blyth On July 31 at approximately 4:30 p.m., members of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Huron County detachment, Huron County Paramedic Services and the North Huron Fire Department attended the scene of a two-motor vehicle collision, according to police.

The collision occurred at the intersection of London Road and Blyth Road and OPP say it involved a motorcycle and a sedan. One person was transported by Ornge to London, according to the OPP. The intersection was closed for several hours, police say, while OPP

Traffic Technical Collision Investigators (TCI) were called to assist at the scene.

Further details will be released when available. *** Huron County OPP, alongside Continued on page 20

PAGE 2. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020.

Farmers’ Market going strong: Pipe

As more businesses p , and services reopen, we must all continue our efforts to protect each otherr..

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Continue to practice physical y two metres distancing, stay apart even in gatherings.

Doing well Manager Kaitlyn Pipe says the Brussels Farmers’ Market has been doing well since the provincial government opened the community under Stage 3 of the COVID-19 reopening strategy. Moving the market indoors at the Four Winds Barn, she said, has made a big difference and improved the customer experience. (John Stephenson photo)

By Denny Scott The Citizen

The Brussels Farmers’ Market is working well under COVID-19 Stage 3 re-opening, according to Manager Kaitlyn Pipe.

Pipe said having the opportunity to move the market inside of the Four Winds Barn has made a big difference to both shoppers and vendors, as it takes some of the stress that comes from weather out of the equation.

She said that, when the market was only allowed to open outside the Four Winds Barn in Brussels, there was always a concern about heat posing a danger to vendors and inclement weather causing problems for everyone involved.

“It’s nice being inside because we don’t worry about vendors getting overheated,” she said.

Moving inside the lower level of the barn, where the market has typically been held, has also opened opportunities for some vendors to be outside, Pipe said. The move allows for more shopping opportunities for customers. She said last week, for example, the Brussels Leo Club held its regular barbecue in the outside space and that more vendors would be coming soon.

“Currently we have 15 vendors, but [last] week I fielded five more inquiries from vendors,” she said.

The market has added three more food vendors, she said, explaining that means vendors who sell prepared meals.

All three of those vendors also participate in the Seaforth Community Market. They include Pine Ridge Barbecue, a potato chip vendor and a pizza vendor that sells take-home pies.

“It’s exciting,” Pipe said. “It’s nice to add more vendors, we just need to

make sure we can keep up spacing.”

The market has attracted between 200 and 300 visitors weekly, she said, depending on the weather.

“That may be a little lower than last year,” she said.

Pipe said some of the visitors to the market last year weren’t necessarily there to shop, but to socialize, which can’t be done due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She pointed to the Brussels United Church booth, for example, which provided a place for people to visit and spend time together more than providing a commercial space.

She said that was part of what made the market so approachable for so many people, so not having it this year has been a noticeable change.

She did say, however, that from what she has experienced, she believes the market is providing a necessary service in the pandemic, offering people, especially retired people, a chance to get out in the community for fresh air and to at least briefly connect with people.

As rules from the province and Huron Perth Public Health continue to change, she said, the market will adapt as it can, though she didn’t know how many changes would occur in the two-and-a-half months before Thanksgiving, when the market closes for the year.

“Hopefully we’ll be adding more vendors, as I’ve had some say they are interested in starting in August,” she said.

Some of those vendors have been held up as they try and replenish stock after the pandemic, Pipe said.

She’s also very excited for next year, when she hopes things will return to normal, as the influx of new vendors will make for a varied shopping experience if they stay on.

For more information, find the market on Facebook.

Wear a ffa ace covering where physicall distancing is a challenge or where required.

Continue to wash hands frequentlly y.

Get tested iff you are worried y have COVID-19, or have you may been exposed to the virus.

Inside orr out, stay y safe.

Save lives.

Visit ontario.ca/coronavirus Paid for by the Government of Ontario

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020. PAGE 3.

McGavin named new TSF executive director

Evolution John Steffler, left, co-founder of the Tanner Steffler Foundation, named for his late son, is bringing Shannon McGavin, right, a long-time supporter and friend, as the new executive director of the Foundation. Her career in youth education and passion for youth mental wellbeing makes her a great asset to the organization, Steffler said, giving he and his wife Heather the opportunity to do more grassroots work on behalf of the Foundation. (Shawn Loughlin photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Walton’s Shannon McGavin has been named the new executive director of the Tanner Steffler Foundation, building upon years of volunteerism with the organization.

McGavin is a trained educator with many years of experience under her belt. From founding the Walton Little School in the wake of the Walton Public School closure to a long career as a teacher and viceprincipal in the Avon Maitland District School Board, much of McGavin’s career has focused on the youth of Huron County.

The Foundation, which was created after the death of Seaforth youth Tanner Steffler, focuses its work on the mental wellness of area young people, connecting them with resources and providing them with assistance where possible.

In an interview with The Citizen, both McGavin and Foundation cofounder John Steffler said the wheels were really set in motion for the evolution of the organization last year when the pair and their significant others went to a youth mental health conference in Australia.

“As I said to the board of directors and John and Heather [Steffler], I am honoured to accept this position and humbled to continue on the path started by Heather, John and their entire family,” McGavin wrote in a statement provided to The Citizen. “I am passionate about this work and invested in supporting the mandate of [the Tanner Steffler Foundation] to help youth and families navigate between and across multiple services and empower young people and their families as they weave through the fragmented services in Huron County.”

John says McGavin will be handling much of the day-to-day work with the Foundation, including co-ordinating programming and services. Meanwhile John says he and his wife Heather will return to what they do best, grassroots work on behalf of the Foundation within the community. Not only will it provide John and Heather with some much-needed time to themselves, but it will also put McGavin, who he says is the perfect person for the job, in the right position to do important, meaningful work for the young people of Huron County and beyond.

McGavin says that moving forward, the Foundation will need to focus on the youth. Not that the organization didn’t begin with a focus on the youth, but she says that without the support and buy-in from the youth of Huron County, the Foundation won’t be successful.

McGavin also said it’s important not to “tokenize” the youth involved with the Foundation. They need to have meaningful positions in which they’re free to make decisions and have input into the direction of the organization. In addition to the hiring of young people at the Foundation, the organization needs to be working with its virtual hub to connect with the youth of Huron County.

While there were some doubts in the early days of the Foundation about virtual resources, the COVID19 pandemic has validated the need for online resources, McGavin said, with so many people now working, learning and doing much of their

BUY? SELL? TRY CLASSIFIED

business online after the pandemic struck Canada. The online hub will be called TSF Connect.

“With the support of partners and stakeholders from across the province, we are pleased to announce TSF Connect as a way of giving back to the community. This virtual hub provides caregivers, service providers and youth the tools to stay connected and maintain their full circle of care,” McGavin wrote.

“TSF Connect is supportive and enhances current service providers in Huron County and we want to be very clear that we are not competing with services, but instead supporting and it is our hope to continue our partnerships as we move forward to provide the research and evidencebased support that our community deserves.”

McGavin said there will be three key components to the introduction of TSF Connect. First, there will be a youth council.

“The research is clear when it comes to youth councils, programs for youth cannot and should not be created without youth direction, input and advice. We value youth and everything we do is seen through a youth lens with young people being compensated for their time and value,” McGavin wrote about the Foundation’s youth council. “Prior to the provincial quarantine, [the Foundation] was planning to host our first official youth council for over 30 local youth. Despite the setback, our Youth Engagement peers will be reaching out soon to start our youth council virtually, so keep an eye on social media for that.”

Second, TSF Connect will incorporate what it calls, the “Navigator”, which will provide a simple and secure online intake system that connects young people with service providers in the area.

The third aspect will be peer support, meaning that TSF Connect can align individuals with trained peer supporters.

“The Mental Health Commission of Canada strongly advocates for peer support programs, and evidence from Integrated Youth Services throughout Canada indicates how successful integrated peer supports improve the quality of life, reduce hospitalization and improve client outcomes when provided before, between or after service provider visits,” McGavin wrote.

To further her ability to do the job that lies ahead, McGavin has been accepted into the University of Melbourne in Australia to complete her Master’s of Youth Mental Health. The program began online last weekend.

McGavin says that one of the most attractive aspects of the program is that it has partnered with Orygen, an Australian research institute and

innovation platform for preventative clinical care in young people.

“Orygen research is worldleading, impactful and creates change,” McGavin said. “And they work directly with young people, their families and friends, as they pioneer new, positive approaches to the prevention and treatment of mental disorders.”

This further education comes after McGavin first earned her Bachelor’s of Applied Science for youth studies and she learned more during her time with the school board, retiring as a high school viceprincipal.

While McGavin has been working with young people her whole life, one of the major reasons she wanted to be involved with the Foundation, aside from her family’s relationship with the Stefflers, is that Shannon and her husband Jeff have seen mental health struggles in their own family and know that local resources can be improved.

Since the foundation was formed, she has been volunteering her time with it for a number of reasons, some of them personal.

Shannon said that when she and Jeff saw one of their daughters struggling with mental health issues, they saw firsthand the lack of resources and programming available to families in Huron County and all of southwestern Ontario. It was “truly frustrating”, she said, to see children in need, whether it be at school or in her own home, and not be able to access it for a multitude of reasons.

Being part of a change in that culture and hopefully making those resources available to those who need them, Shannon said, will be a powerful development for Huron County.

Check The Citizen for developing news on the Foundation in the coming weeks.

For more information, visit the Foundation’s website online at tannerstefflerfoundation.com.

True Repentance!

From Spurgeon’s sermon, “APART” “Unless you repent – you too will all perish!” Luke 13:3 True repentance is always accompanied by sorrow.

Repentance is a deep, radical, fundamental, lasting change; and you will find that, whenever you meet with it in Scripture, it is always accompanied with sorrow for past sin.

And rest assured of this fact – that the repentance which has no tear in its eye, and no mourning for sin in its heart, is a repentance which needs to be repented of.

In such false repentance, there is no evidence of conversion, and no sign of the existence of the grace of God.

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The man who knows that his sin is forgiven, does not cease to mourn for it.

No, brethren, his mourning becomes deeper as his knowledge of his guilt becomes greater.

His hatred of sin grows in proportion as he understands that Love of Christ by which his sin is put away.

In true believers, mourning for sin is chastened and sweetened, and, in one sense, the fang of bitterness is taken out.

But, in another sense, the more we realize our indebtedness to God’s grace, and the more we see of the sufferings of Christ in order to effect our redemption, the more do we hate sin, and the more do we lament that we ever fell into it.

The man who has led the purest life, when he is brought before God by the humbling influence of the Holy Spirit, is the man who almost invariably considers himself to have been viler than anybody else.

“Repentance is to leave The sin we loved before, And show that we in earnest grieve By doing so no more.”

A Grace Gem Submitted by: Immanuel United Reformed Church, Listowel, ON 519-492-1359

PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020.

Editorials & Opinions

President: Keith Roulston • Publisher: Deb Sholdice Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny Scott Advertising Sales: Brenda Nyveld

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Keeping it legal As the community rallies around Brussels Transport and the driver charged in the tragic accident in Burlington, questions have arisen around how a peaceful protest could end this way.

By all accounts, these protests have been allowed to continue with minimal interference by authorities. While the protesters may have the right to protest outside the abattoir, they should not be allowed to disrupt the lawful of business of others, whether that be trespassing on private property or blocking legal roadways traversed by large transport trucks.

Late last week, dueling protests for and against Bill 156 by groups supporting the truck drivers and animal rights activists turned into shouting matches and were broken up by Halton Regional Police at the same slaughterhouse before things could turn violent.

With such polarized opinions, and a protest that has gone on for years, something needs to be done before further violence erupts. The truck drivers should not have to undergo such stress just to do their job at a legal business facility. – DS

Down but not out Whether you’re a supporter of the federal Liberal Party or not, many have grown tired of the scandal-ridden government. First it was the troublesome SNC Lavalin issue, followed by the numerous instances of racial insensitivity in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s past, and now it’s the handing over of a sole-source contract to the WE Charity for hundreds of millions of dollars, a company with which the Trudeau family has plenty of history, not to mention several other bumps along the way. However, as Trudeau has played hopscotch, bounding from one ethics conundrum to another, his party has remained favoured in polls.

A story from CBC late last week suggests that if an election were to be held right now, the Liberals would still win. The party is down 11 percentage points from where it was in May, but remains in better shape than it was near the beginning of the year. Much of the coverage has centred around the government’s positive handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and providing support to both Canadians and businesses.

However, with Canada’s several-party system and the dismal state of the federal Conservative Party, those lost Liberal points are scattered to the wind, with the Conservatives, New Democrats and Bloc Québécois each picking up a point from the Liberals’ loss. It has been Trudeau who has taken a hit in the polls, showing that Canadians are able to differentiate a party from its leader. While polls show the Liberals would win an election today, fewer people approve of Trudeau as a leader, with approval figures ranging between 34 per cent and 44 per cent, depending on the poll, compared to 55 per cent just a few months ago.

Just as the Conservatives failed to capitalize on the devastating Blackface scandal just months before the election, the party will have to right itself if supporters want the party’s yet-to-be-determined leader to move into 24 Sussex Drive (the party has not polled at over 31 per cent support in undecided voters in the last three months). If Trudeau wants to stop the slide, he needs to give his ethics a check and govern Canadians with care and compassion and keep his fingers out of questionable pies. – SL

A clear path forward Ontario teachers and families finally have an idea of how school will look when it starts in September, however that idea seems vague when compared to the plans put forward by other provinces. Ontario’s plan, while a welcome bit of news to families that need to plan for childcare in September, was lighter than some of its contemporaries, especially when it came to how to deal with increasing pandemic concerns.

All schools in the province will re-open, except for some high schools in certain areas, with rules about splitting classes up for breaks, but emergency and “what-if” situations are far less defined. While there are instructions for isolating children who are ill, there are no declared steps for outbreaks, like Alberta, which will reduce class sizes.

There wasn’t any information about physical distancing being mandatory or even suggested, unlike Manitoba, which has outlined rules that will have students learning from home if there isn’t enough space.

The only caveat here is that boards must require online learning if families aren’t comfortable sending their children to school.

It puts Ontario families in a difficult position. They can choose to keep their children home and learn online (if they can afford that), but even that isn’t a perfect solution. Part of what makes education work is the social, collaborative and even competitive experiences that happen between students. Digital learning removes some of those opportunities, and in some cases, it disrupts them entirely. The province also apparently hasn’t planned for educational assistants, saying that each ‘cohort’, or static class group, will have one educator.

While it’s good to have a plan, educators and families need more before they can feel comfortable about the back-at-school plan. – JDS

Looking Back Through the Years August 11, 1999 The Walton TransCan was set to be held again and over 10,000 people were expected to make their way to Walton for the event. Riders from Alaska, Florida, California, Great Britain, Belgium, South Africa and all over Canada were due to make their way to Huron County.

With a continued push for Huron County municipalities to amalgamate with one another, representatives from the Village of Brussels and Grey Township were due to have preliminary discussions with those representing the Town of Seaforth and Tuckersmith and McKillop Townships.

The Blyth Festival was working with local sponsors to bring forward a new part of the development process so audience members could be involved. The Festival had begun hosting script readings of plays that are still in development featuring plays written by playwrights like Bev Cooper and Carolyn Hay. The Brussels Tigers won the B Division title at the team’s annual fastball tournament, marking the first time since the 1970s that the team had prevailed at its own tournament.

As part of the Blyth Festival’s 25th anniversary season, the Young Company announced it would be performing Mostly in Clover in August. The play, based on the local works of Harry J. Boyle, was featured in the Festival’s first-ever season and served as a blueprint to what would become the Festival’s mandate of producing new, local, Canadian plays for the people of Huron County. Michael Ripley would direct, while Cappy Onn would provide stage management.

July 30, 2011 Huron East Council called a by-

election for the Brussels Ward after council accepted the resignation of Joe Seili, the former mayor who had been serving as a councillor. Council declared Seili’s former seat vacant and opted to proceed with a byelection, as opposed to calling for nominees or appointing a replacement.

The decision was not unanimous, however, as some thought that Frank Stretton, the former councillor who lost to Seili and Councillor David Blaney in the previous election, should be offered the position.

The Walton Brewers were unable to repeat as champions of the Brussels Tigers Fastball Tournament with the Kitchener Selects claiming the top spot by defeating the Harwood Corners by a score of 6-4 in the tournament’s A-A final.

The Mitchell Royals won the A-B final, beating the Melbourne Mercs by a score of 6-5 in their final game of the tournament.

Huron-Bruce MP Ben Lobb was named to the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, joining Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MP Larry Miller, who was named the chair of the committee.

Isaac Nicholson and Phaedra Scott, both Blyth-area young people, set up a new business at the Blyth Farmers’ Market selling fresh pretzels to those in need of a salty snack.

The business concept received a shot in the arm when Nicholson discovered his grandmother’s pretzel recipe and Nicholson and Scott went to work.

August 1, 2019 Ryan O’Reilly, a Seaforth native who played for the St. Louis Blues, brought the Stanley Cup to Huron County, hosting two parades with the precious trophy: one in Seaforth

and another in Goderich. He also brought along the Conn Smythe Trophy, which he earned as being the most valuable player in the league’s playoffs.

Liberal MP and Federal Minister of Agriculture Marie-Claude Bibeau was in Huron and Bruce Counties to tour several agricultural operations and appear at some events, including one held at the Four Winds Barn in Brussels. Bibeau, the first female agricultural minister in Canadian history, greeted over 100 Liberal Party supporters in Brussels, speaking in support of Allan Thompson, a federal hopeful in Huron-Bruce.

The Brussels Tigers won the A-A championship in their own home tournament for the second year in a row, beating the Appin A’s by a score of 12-0 in the final.

Three area young people put their names forward in hopes of becoming the next Brussels Fall Fair Ambassador. Megan Exel, Sean Mitchell and Brittany Struthers all hoped to win the famed competition, which was set to be held at the Brussels Legion on Aug. 10.

The HMCS Oriole, the Royal Canadian Navy’s oldest and longestserving commissioned vessel, made a stop in Goderich as part of its tour of the Great Lakes over the summer.

Goderich’s Celtic Blue Highlanders were on hand to officially welcome the ship and its crew to Goderich.

Blyth Festival General Manager Rachael King announced that the Festival would be producing A Huron County Christmas Carol in November and December. The Festival hadn’t produced a show in the winter in a number of years and Artistic Director Gil Garratt felt it was a natural way to expand the season.

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020. PAGE 5.

Other Views If police do too much, blame us

T

he argument behind the drive to “defund” police is that the scope of police power has continued to expand until many of the duties we expect officers to do is beyond the scope of their original “to serve and protect” mandate. But often it is we as a society who have asked them to do that.

That thought was prompted the other day when I read a columnist’s argument supporting the compulsory wearing of masks. Although Premier Doug Ford had argued that it would be impossible to enforce such an order, the columnist compared it to the implementation of the no-smoking law several decades ago.

She quoted a public health official who had been part of that campaign as saying that with the co-operation of police, they managed to enforce the prohibition of smoking in public.

I’ll bet police officers of that era were thrilled to be told they must stop and charge people who were smoking in a mall or restaurant. I can almost hear the grousing that must have taken place among police officers when they gathered for coffee breaks. But, like it or not, they were roped into the situation.

Just as they are today with enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions.

When a party in Brampton swelled to an estimated 200 people, well beyond the 10 people that were allowed at the time, neighbours called in police to break it up.

Whether or not this is a good use of police resources depends on your point of view.

A few days later a couple was on a Toronto television station complaining that a group of young people had congregated in a city playground. The couple was peeved that when they reported the gathering to police, the officers simply talked to the young men but didn’t charge or arrest anybody.

Keith Roulston From the cluttered desk During the pandemic, police officers have been asked to patrol beaches and parks to make sure people don’t ignore physical distancing, or to prevent pastors from holding church services when public gatherings were banned.

When human lives are endangered by the spreading of COVID-19, there’s an argument to be made that police were protecting lives, but I doubt it’s the sort of duty that Sir Robert Peel had in mind when he created the concept of modern policing back in pre-Victorian England.

Often, as many people have done during the pandemic, we want police to force people to behave in ways we think they should.

Even before COVID-19, if a neighbour held a noisy party, we called police to stop it. In times past, we have assigned police to prevent “indecent” behaviour, from dressing in ways once thought too risque to homosexual activities.

Of course at the same time we want police to make others behave the way we want them to, we resent it when police cramp our own style. Most people travelling on highways drive faster than the posted limit – which is set to protect public safety. Yet people complain if they are actually stopped for speeding and ticketed, seldom admitting they were just plain wrong. Similarly, people who are impatient to find a legal parking spot often park where they’re prohibited, then

grumble when they find a ticket on their windshield.

Here in Ontario, the drive to defund police has been accelerated by a number of tragic occasions when people have called for help in dealing with an emotionally-troubled family member. When police arrived, real or perceived threats to officers’ safety have led to the death of the person for whom help was sought – hardly a desired outcome.

Surely, the argument goes, it should be a mental health professional, trained to calm patients, who responds to such crises.

In municipalities that have such responders, however, usually a police officer is still part of the team in case things become dangerous.

The George Floyd murder by Minneapolis police, plus too many other cases closer to home of racially-prejudiced police actions against Blacks, Indigenous and other visible minorities, make police reform essential. The argument that by reducing the duties of police, money now being used for police services might be better spent in preventing social issues that lead to crime can make sense – though naive calls for a flat 50 per cent cut in police budgets without any study of what that would mean is nonsensical.

I suspect, however, that even Black Lives Matter advocates of “abolishing” police forces will still want someone they can call if they see a creepy old guy hanging around their daughter’s schoolyard or someone breaking the window of their car or home.

And even if we downsized police to a few basic services, I’ll bet it wouldn’t be long before we were proposing (or demanding) that whatever we called the service should have its powers expanded to help us make other people behave the way we think they should.

A new level of bringing work home

E

arlier this year, I was supposed to take a bit of a vacation with my family. We were preparing for time off to be relegated to when my daughter Mary Jane isn’t in class. (She starts Junior Kindergarten in less than two months. Where did the time go?) COVID-19, however, put an end to those plans.

In response, Ashleigh and I had to plan a different getaway because I’m told I need to take a vacation eventually.

See, in the past, The Citizen closed its doors for the first week of August and at Christmas, making sure everyone took some time off. We decided last year, as a company, that we can manage to cover for each other, so we did away with the static vacations and everyone gets to take their own time off work (except for Christmas when we’re all still off).

Funny enough, to fit my vacation away from council meetings, Ashleigh and I ended up choosing to go away the first week of August, so the more things change, the more they stay the same, I guess.

I’m not going to lie: I voted in favour of individual vacations because going away or taking time off in August, the hottest month of the year, was an annoyance for me (especially since I usually have staycations).

It was also frustrating because, when Shawn and I took time off at the same time, we inevitably ended up having to work through that vacation. There would be plays to review, council meetings to go to and pictures to take that we just couldn’t both walk away from.

This way, we know those things should be covered. I shouldn’t say we have to. I should say we chose to.

I also voted for the change, because, as a dad, I figured I’d need to take off an

Denny Scott Denny’s Den occasional March Break to keep Mary Jane company at home or I’d need to take time off to go on school trips with her as a chaperone (though who knows if those kinds of trips will ever happen again in light of the pandemic).

Now, just so no one thinks I’m having buyer’s remorse, I think that individual vacations are still a great thing. That said, I do now remember why I thought static vacations were a great thing when I first started at The Citizen over a decade ago.

For less than two years I worked for The Goderich Signal-Star (and yes, it was hyphenated back then, I’ve got a business card or two kicking around to prove it) and, in that time, I think I took a week off and hauled my laptop with me to maintain the online presence for the paper while I did it.

When I signed on with The Citizen, I remember thinking it would be great to be forced to take a vacation because, honestly, I’m the kind of person who has trouble putting work down.

Over time, the novelty of the forced vacation wore off (probably around attending my fourth or fifth Blyth Festival Bonanza Weekend when I was supposed to be on a beach with the good kind of Corona in my hand).

Even with our vacation this week, I still came in Tuesday morning (or was set to

anyway) to handle a few last-minute issues before Ashleigh, Mary Jane and I hit the road for a few nights away from Blyth.

I’ve had to explain this to friends before: being a journalist, especially at a weekly paper, doesn’t really have lulls where I can take off and feel comfortable with it in my mind. Some of my friends are lawyers and they can take off after big cases. Others are teachers and have months between school years while others still are in management positions in companies and, after big projects are done, they can take time off. As soon as we finish a paper, we start looking to the next one (as well as special sections).

I’m not complaining. I thrive on it, to be honest. Having those recurring goals keeps me going. I don’t know what I’d do with actual time off where I wouldn’t be thinking about the next big story. I might cut the lawn and do some DIY stuff, but that would only distract me for a little while.

Heck, even when I was in Florida this past year or the year before, I was constantly taking notes on my phone about columns and stories that came to mind while I should’ve been daydreaming while getting sunburnt.

So what’s the take-away from this meandering piece of writing? Just know that the people who put this paper in your hands every week, and I mean everyone from the advertising folks to our layout and design team straight up to our publisher, are the kind of people who never have work far from their mind, even if they’re far from work, and we thank you for giving us the opportunity to ply our trade, telling the truth and reporting on the good, the bad and the ugly, with the understanding we’re doing it all for you, even when we should be focusing on the campfire in front of us.

Shawn Loughlin Shawn’s Sense

What could have been

H

ow many times have you written out an e-mail only to leave it in your draft folder for a day and then subsequently delete it for one reason or another? How many times have you angrily pounded out a text only to, just as your thumb hovers over the “send” button, think better about sending it, deleting every last word you just typed? As someone who has done this kind of thing plenty of times, I have always been fascinated thinking of the e-mails and texts I never received.

With text messaging specifically this has become even more prevalent. Depending on the brand of phone you and your texting mate have, three bouncing dots will come up when your friend is typing a response. We’ve all had a heated discussion with a friend – waiting on a response, watching those dots for five or 10 minutes – only to receive a response of all of one or two words. After all that alleged typing, reading “OK”, “fine” or “no worries” can feel like looking at an iceberg, wondering what all lies beneath the surface. Those instances can feel like that classic movie device of someone speaking in a foreign language for a minute or two only to have the person’s translator relay an overly simple response after all that talking.

But those texts and e-mails can all fall into the same category: things that existed and never existed all at the same time because they never quite materialized. It’s like the columns I’ve written that you’ve never had the opportunity to read.

Every week for over the last 10 years I’ve spilled my guts out in this 600-word column space, but more times than I have fingers and toes, I have scrapped one column and written another. For a time those columns existed. I wrote them, but they never made it into The Citizen, so, in a way, they never really existed.

It’s easy to think about something like that – a column that was written, typed and edited, but never published – as something that, at one time, existed, but our current worldwide pandemic status has had me thinking about this concept, but in another context entirely.

Think, for a second, about all the times we may have come into contact with COVID-19, but then never knew about it because we did the right thing afterwards; washed our hands, refrained from touching our faces, sanitized our groceries or a package from a courier.

This, of course, isn’t meant to shift blame to those who contracted the virus through no fault of their own (this is a group that most certainly doesn’t include people overcrowding beaches, hosting house parties for hundreds of people or the young people hosting COVID-19 parties), but it’s interesting to think of all the times we may have skirted danger, avoiding it by doing all the things we’ve been told to do.

What about masks? How much transmission has been stymied thanks to an asymptomatic carrier of the virus being conscientious and wearing a mask to protect those around them?

But we’ll never know because while it may have “happened”, it never really happened.

Like Keith Roulston wrote in his column last week, specifically referring to public health initiatives, in some cases, success is measured by what doesn’t happen, rather than what does, which can then lead to people questioning the need for certain safety protocols.

We’re conditioned to judge success with our eyes, but sometimes that isn’t the case. With potential, we often tend to focus on the positives: I could have won the lottery, the Leafs could have won the Stanley Cup, I could have a bigger house if I’d gotten this or that job. But sometimes potential goes the other way and we can win simply by not losing.

PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020.

We’ve learned so much from our pandemic time A NOTE FROM BETTY

By Betty Graber Watson Call 887-9231

Going again After the success of the sold-out Father’s Day fish fry at the Brussels Legion, held as a drive-by, pick-up event, the Legion will host another fish fry meal. This one will be held on Aug. 23. (John Stephenson photo)

Are you enjoying increasing your social life? Feeling just a little less restricted? It’s time to make your bubble a little bigger, free to sit and chat or eat with a few folks, all the while being sensible.

We have learned so much about passing germs, probably more than we ever learned in school. The ways of this new virus have changed lives worldwide.

News and headlines can be discouraging, but if you stop and think, does this activity impact your life? In our rural area, our COVID19 numbers are low thanks to everyone and so you can probably

carry on with your distancing, our handwashing and your mask. Our new way of going about your business keeps us mindful of our daily contact with others.

These are truly unusual times. For us, who use the after tax time to travel and visit family, this year has been an eye-opener. After a bit of lamenting, the benefits of being home have been obvious; fully seeing the whole spring and summer unfold, especially noting the plants on our property.

We’ve been here to harvest rhubarb in large amounts. We’ve admired lilies we’d never seen bloom before and we’re watching the famous Morris and Grey potatoes flourish.

With no meetings and limited socializing, long overdue jobs got done, writing letters to grandsons became a regular thing and, of course, lots of reading was enjoyed (book 38 this week).

So while we lament the old days, we see the benefit of our new ways of interacting and we appreciate the

At the Branch

NEWS FROM BRUSSELS

Brussels Lions Club

Fish fry returning on Aug. 23

By Jo-Ann McDonald The Brussels Legion Branch held its first in-person executive meeting since March and there were eight members in attendance. Reports were given, although with COVID19, most reports were short and tothe-point.

The house had the longest report and was busy most of the week. The electrical work was accomplished last weekend and this week another major job was completed. The Branch rented a Genie lift and the siding was pressure-washed, eavestroughs were cleaned and the windows are now sparkling on the outside. Great job done by Deb Ross and Jamie Mitchell. They also repaired some missing facia and inspected some roof and vent issues.

The report on the pop-up patio was a positive one. Over 100 folks signed the guest sheet and enjoyed

little things in life that we so often overlook. Enjoy these days of summer.

Bye now, Betty G.W.

some food and social time. Lots of burgers and fries or chicken and fries were served by the Comrades. It was discussed to have another patio night, but the group decided to host a drive-thru fish fry again. It will be Aug. 23 and again all orders are to be called in and a pick-up time will be given. Watch for the posters and the numbers to call and information in The Citizen next week.

The discussion on re-opening was held with some for and some against opening at the present time. Some of the necessary requirements have yet to be met. The hand sanitizer machines are on back-order and the plexiglass required for the bar has not been received and installed.

Everything must be done before we open, so it could be into September before we re-open.

The Cadets sent a request regarding the Branch’s expectations for them to return. Discussion was

held and it was decided when they return they will not be able to use the whole building, but will be restricted to the upper hall area only. Parents will have to remain outside and wait for the Cadets. The Cadets will not be able to take part in any fundraising, only the parents. It will be a different year for all.

The fundraising efforts for many outside groups in the area had to be put on hold in the spring because of the COVID-19, but now many are ready to get back to work. We have six groups that have booked driveby fish fry meals. They have heard of the Branch’s success and are modeling their events to follow the guidelines of the Huron Perth Public Health. Looks like we will be busy in September.

The Branch is holding a general meeting in August. All Comrades are encouraged to attend on the last Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m.

presents

KICKSTART 2020 More than 40 prizes to be won!

Tickets: $25 available from local businesses, a Brussels Lions member or online at: www.brusselslions.ca/KickStart/ Check our Facebook page for a prize list and details.

Draw to be held Friday, Sept. 4 – 4 p.m. at the Farmers’ Market at Brussels Four Winds Barn

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Busy place The indoor Brussels Farmers’ Market at the Four Winds Barn continues to be a big draw for community members and visitors alike. With masks preferred and many safety protocols in place, the market has seen success in recent weeks since moving indoors. (John Stephenson photo)

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020. PAGE 7.

Blyth Outdoor Market continues to grow

In search of a good read Karen Webster and Cheryl Cronin, right, took control of the Blyth Repository of History booth at the Blyth Outdoor Market last week, situated in front of The Citizen office. The historical organization now hosts the annual Used Book Sale, but is giving shoppers a taste every Thursday at the market with the sale now on ice due to the pandemic. (Denny Scott photo)

By Denny Scott The Citizen

The Blyth Outdoor Market is running smoothly with new practices in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19, according to organizers Susan Hubbard and Annie Sparling.

The market opened earlier this year under the Blyth Community

Betterment Group after the previous supervisor resigned. The group had little time to organize the event, according to Hubbard, but, to meet with COVID-19 restrictions, the market was re-imagined with vendors peppered through the downtown core.

“The market has been going well,” she said.

“The group has done a fabulous

From Marilyn’s Desk

By Marilyn Craig Call 523-9318

A driver has been charged with Careless Driving after leaving the roadway on the evening of July 27. Police say a vehicle northbound on London Road attempted to pass another vehicle and left the roadway, resulting in the singlevehicle collision. The OPP say speed was a factor in the incident. (Denny Scott photo)

NEWS FROM BLYTH Broken Washer?

Blyth Laundromat 191 Westmoreland St., Blyth 519-523-9687

job getting things organized.”

She said the spread-out model is great for everyone as it makes more room for vendors than the centralized model and it encourages people to visit the entire commercial core of Blyth while taking in the market, seeing all Blyth has to offer commercially.

Hubbard said the group did some trial and error at first, but feel that

Locals celebrate milestones

Careless driving

Maitland Valley Conservation Authority’s booth.

For more information, visit the Blyth Outdoor Market on Facebook.

they have got a handle on how things work.

“There were some trials and tribulations, but that’s how you figure it out,” she said.

While the market is working as is, Hubbard said things may change as more businesses open their doors.

“We may need to change where we’ve put people to make sure we’re not blocking access,” she said.

The whole point of the market, Hubbard said, is to bring more people downtown, so blocking storefronts wouldn’t make sense.

Sparling said the market currently has 17 vendors, more than in previous years, and there are new vendors taking interest.

“We’re encouraging artisans because farmers’ markets may not be able to fit them in due to their mandate and COVID-19 rules,” she said.

The market has room for eight more vendors, she said, as the group is capping it at 25.

Sparling said she loved the way the market is playing out, especially with booths that are geared towards children. Last week, for example, there were take-home vacation Bible school programs from the Blyth Christian Reformed Church as well as youth programming at the

Happy anniversary to Eldon and Elaine Chamney who celebrated Aug. 2 and Larry and Myrtle Badley, Aug. 8.

Happy birthday to Eldon Chamney who celebrates Aug. 2; Pat Cronin, Aug. 3; Zoey Onn, Aug. 6; Don Edgar, Wingham, Aug. 7; Jeff Howson, Aug. 8; Lorna Whitmore, Aug. 9 and Rhonda (Badley) Rickwood, Aug. 12.

Happy birthday everyone.

We have had another good week.

Mother Nature has treated us well this past week, we have had sunshine every day and not the extreme heat of days gone by and the nights have been comfortable for sleeping.

Stay safe in the coming week.

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PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020.

Walton-area youth graduate PEOPLE AROUND WALTON

By Jo-Ann McDonald Call 887-6570

Donation The Brussels Lions Club recently donated $1,000 each to the Brussels and Grey divisions of the Huron East Fire Department to assist in equipment purchases. The club voted in favour of the donations after neither department could host its annual breakfast, a major fundraiser for many local volunteer fire departments. Presidents Zoellyn Onn, left, recently presented the cheque to Grey Chief Gary Boyer. (Photo submitted)

It was another great week for the farmers with acres of wheat being taken off. It is always nice to see the wheat crop come off after waiting 10 months.

Planting it in September/October, hoping it gets a good start, hoping it survives the winter, hoping it is a good spring and it starts to grow and finally it ripens and then we hope the price is good! Farmers put a lot of trust and faith in the land and the weather to harvest a crop. Now we wait for the beans!

It is the holiday weekend and then only five weeks until the start of school. It was announced last week children will be returning to school.

All the details have not been worked out, but there will be changes from the past. Students in Grade 4 and up will have to wear masks, so start sewing or buying the needed items for your children. They are available at a few different stores in the area.

Classes will be different, as will riding the bus. All the changes haven’t been released, so we will wait for more information. Enjoy the weekend!

Congratulations to Jordan and

Lacey Campbell on the birth of a daughter. Haley Ann will be welcomed home by Oaklen.

Grandma Deb Coultes is excited about the newest addition to love.

Congratulations all.

There were seven Walton-area young folks who have completed their high school education and graduated this spring.

We congratulate Adam Shortreed, Allison Stevenson, Jaden Shortreed, Marissa VanderPloeg, Cody Terpstra, Cole Terpstra and Evy Verschaeve. We hope they will be able to continue on to higher education when it is safe.

Many have heard of the gypsy moth and in the spring we were on the lookout for the gypsy moth caterpillar, a black caterpillar with red and blue dots. Now those caterpillars have turned into pupae and are emerging as the gypsy moth.

The female moths are a creamy white color and are busy laying their eggs for the next year’s crop of caterpillars.

They lay thousands of eggs and cover them with a rusty brown covering to protect them for the winter.

The gypsy moth caterpillar is a very invasive pest that attacks maple, birch, oak and other trees.

They eat and strip the leaves from the tree.

I heard about them in the spring, but didn’t think much about them.

Now, I am thinking about them.

Checking out my maple trees the other night I was shocked to find the trunks covered with the rusty

coloured egg sacks, unhatched larvae sacks and the female moths. I sprayed the moths and found them dead on the ground in the morning.

Checking the internet, it says the egg sacks must be scraped off the trees into soapy water to kill the eggs. The soapy water will also kill the caterpillars.

I have also heard of folks who had their trees sprayed in the spring for the caterpillars but did not see that as an option offered for the egg sacks now. Get out and investigate your trees before this pest kills your trees.

There is lots of good information online.

Celebrating birthdays this past week and to end July were Bridget Blake, Jeanne McDonald Dionne and Jennifer Grobbink. August kicks off with Lily Grobbink, Jacob Roth, Sarah Strome, Susan Alexander, Sherry Hoegy Delay, Rick Schmeltzer, Jacob Nolan, Courtney Pryce, Heidi McClure, Jodi Semple Houston, Kristen Grobbink, Curtis McCallum, Luke McCallum, Bruce Godkin, Angela Huether, Kenneth Huether and Adrienne Wakabayashi.

Happy birthday to all.

Huron County Museum set to reopen The Huron County Museum is excited to announce it has re-opened its doors as of Saturday, Aug. 1.

Since the closing of the museum in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have been working hard behind the scenes preserving local history, connecting with people in virtual spaces to share unique stories of culture and heritage and preparing for the day when staff could welcome visitors back to the physical site. In following the advice of public health authorities, the museum is making every effort to ensure visits back to the site are a safe and enjoyable experience for all. As a result, visits will look a little different from the last time the museum welcomed visitors through its doors.

Visitors can expect the following: • Museum capacity and hours are limited to enable enhanced safety and cleaning protocols.

The museum will be open Thursday to Sunday, 1-4:30 p.m., with the last entrance at 3:45 p.m.

• All visits to the museum are timed entry to help with physical distancing. Call 519-524-2686 to book a visit. If visitors do not have an appointment, they will only be accommodated as space and time allow • According to Huron Perth Public

Health guidelines, all visitors are asked to wear a face covering or non-medical mask • Visitors are asked to respect physical distancing by maintaining two metres from others at all times while visiting the space • The museum’s artifacts cannot be sanitized and should be enjoyed from a distance. As a result, some interactive activities have been removed or will remain closed at this time • All visitors will be asked to answer pre-screening questions before entering the building and should visit at another time if feeling unwell • The Historic Gaol will remain closed at this time and will re-open in 2021.

“The staff at the Huron County

Museum have missed our visitors and are looking forward to welcoming them back to our site safely,” said Elizabeth FrenchGibson, Acting Director of Cultural Services and County Librarian. “The site has seemed overly quiet the last few months and we will enjoy the laughter and voices that will echo through our exhibits again.”

In advance of re-opening to the public, the museum thanks everyone for working collaboratively to help keep the museum a safe place for all visitors and staff by carefully following all of the guidelines currently in place. The full list of guidelines can be found online at huroncountymuseum.ca/huroncounty-museum The County of Huron asks all residents and visitors to continue

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respecting all public health guidelines, including performing hand hygiene, practising physical distancing, and staying home if feeling ill. Stay informed on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation in Huron County by visiting the Huron-Perth Public Health website.

NEWS FROM WALTON

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020. PAGE 9.

Ag. Society to hold parade, decorating contest aid in decorating, the society is selling decorative bows. Large, 16inch bows are $10 each or three of $25, while small, 12-inch bows are $5 each or three for $12.

The parade will begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 20 in the parking lot of the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre. There will be several parade prize categories: best float by a group or organization, best theme float, most unique motorized vehicle, best decorated fire truck, best themed costume, best costumed pet and owner, best dressed bike, best dressed horse and rider and the

float with the most animals.

For more information on the parade, calls John Lowe at 519-8879799, Mary Anne Thompson at 519357-0556 or message the Brussels Agricultural Society’s Facebook page.

For more information about the society’s bows, call Rene Richmond at 519-887-9340.

Judging for the decorating contest will take place after the parade. To register, contact Monique Baan at 519-887-6998 or message the society’s Facebook page before Sept. 15, 2020.

Milverton outbreak now over: Klassen Sprucing up Members of the Brussels Agricultural Society were out late last week decorating the village’s bridge with the colours of the organization. This gesture pre-empted the announcement that the society, despite not holding a Brussels Fall Fair, will be moving ahead with a parade next month and a decorating contest for both homes and businesses. (John Stephenson photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen While this year’s Brussels Fall Fair may be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brussels

Agricultural Society is moving ahead with a parade and a decorating competition for homes and businesses.

The theme for the decorating contest asks, “What does the Fall

Fair mean to you?” and there will be five categories: Best use of Brussels Agricultural Society colours, most unique display, best display using farm implements, best animal display and best harvest theme. To

CH grants brief extension

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Central Huron has offered a small extension to a resident looking for an exemption to the municipality’s animal control bylaw, but will be keeping a close eye on the situation.

Charmane Newell spoke to council via Zoom at its July 20 meeting, asking that she be allowed to keep three dogs in her Clinton apartment for the foreseeable future.

The municipality only allows two, but Newell was hoping to find a new home for a rescue dog she had taken in, bringing the total number of dogs in her home to three.

She said her two dogs had been helping immensely during the COVID-19 pandemic, even providing a letter from her psychiatrist detailing the effect the animals have had on Newell’s mental wellbeing. The third dog, she said, has not been assimilating well and hasn’t gotten along with other pets or people, so she had been working to better the dog’s behaviour before she could find a new home for it.

According to the report from Bob Trick, the municipality’s animal control officer, he had received a complaint regarding noise and clean-up pertaining to the dogs, which is why he became involved in the first place. Mayor Jim Ginn reminded Newell and councillors that the animal control bylaw process is complaint-driven and the municipality wouldn’t have been involved had there not been a complaint filed.

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Councillor Alex Westerhout said that while he could sympathize with Newell’s situation, he felt that allowing her to keep a third dog would be a “slippery slope” that would lead to council making exemptions for many other residents, so he wasn’t in favour of budging for her.

Deputy-Mayor Dave Jewitt agreed, saying the municipality had a bylaw for a reason and to begin making exemptions wouldn’t be in council’s best interests.

According to Trick, Newell would have had to get rid of her third dog

by July 25. However, council extended that deadline to the end of August hoping it would give Newell more time to find the dog a new home. She had been asking for longer, however,

but accepted council’s decision.

Ginn did say, however, that if there were further complaints filed, council would have the right to rescind that extension and force Newell to get rid of the dog.

Continued from page 1 showing no evidence of transmission and the previous positive result in the asymptomatic healthcare worker has been deemed either a prior infection or a false positive.

She says there is no evidence of a current infection in that person.

She went on to say that people need to protect themselves and their loved ones because the virus is still in circulation in the area.

“We still need to behave as if we could acquire it anywhere,” she said.

“The number one advice given is to stay home if you’re ill.”

Those who feel ill should contact their primary care provider or Huron Perth Public Health, Klassen said, and get advice on where to be tested.

The press conference took place just before the long weekend, and Klassen suggested that people adhere even more firmly to the best health practices of maintaining a two-metre distance from anyone not in their social circles, saying it's important to both mental and physical health. Aside from that, she

said to make sure to wash hands frequently and make sure there are masks or face coverings, as well as hand sanitizer, on hand.

She suggested wearing masks outside as well as indoors in case situations arise where people aren’t able to maintain social distancing.

Of the 72 cases, 68 of which are resolved, 16 patients have been identified in Huron County: four in South Huron; three in Bluewater; two each in Ashfield-ColborneWawanosh, Central Huron and Goderich and one each in Huron East, Morris-Turnberry and North Huron. Howick is yet to have a confirmed case of COVID-19.

The remaining 56 cases are in Perth with 26 in Stratford, nine in North Perth, 10 in Perth East, five in St. Marys and three each in Perth South and West Perth.

An estimated 11,707 tests had been performed in Huron and Perth Counties as of earlier this week.

For more information, visit the Huron Perth Public Health website at hpph.ca.

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PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020.

Dykstra farm moves to enriched cage system

A new way Devon Dykstra, above, and his wife Sonya have begun working with an enriched cage system for their broiler-turned-layer chicken barn just outside of Londesborough. The cages, constructed by Tecno, were still being assembled late last month by a crew of friends, neighbours and high school students. (Lisa B. Pot photo)

By Lisa B. Pot The Rural Voice

The enriched cage route is the way to go, believes Devon Dykstra who is switching from broilers to layers and installing the spacious cages in the remodelled barn.

“It’s a nice balance of both worlds.

The chickens have room and more natural habitat but the farmers can control the amount of feed and what goes on with the birds,” says Dykstra, who farms just outside of Londesborough with his wife Sonya.

Enriched cages are now mandated as the caging system for new layer barns. Compared to conventional housing systems, the enriched cages support nesting, perching and foraging behaviours. They have extra space and waterers which creates a healthier living space.

According to the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pullets and Laying Hens, Egg Farmers of Canada are committing to a minimum of 85 per cent of hens to be transitioned from existing conventional cage systems to alternative housing systems that meet the new code. It is expected that 50 per cent of birds will be transitioned within eight years.

“Conventional cages are enclosures with wire mesh and sloping floors that typically house four to eight hens,” states the code.

“These cages provide a controlled environment that protects hens from a range of health and injury problems. However, hens are restricted from engaging in many natural behaviours due to limited space and amenities and as a result, conventional cages have begun to be phased out in Canada.”

With new builds, or remodeling, as on the Dykstra farm, farmers can start with the roomier enrichment cages.

“The whole idea of enrichment cages is that the birds will have a more natural habitat,” explains Dykstra. “Birds like to lay eggs in private so now there is a curtain and nesting area for them to lay.”

Dr. Tina Widowski, a worldrenowned expert in farm animal behaviour and welfare who is also the Research Chair in Poultry Welfare at the University of Guelph, likens enrichment cages to airplane seats.

“If conventional housing is economy class, then enriched housing is business class – more amenities, more space, more comfort,” states Widowski.

Larger cages mean the chickens have more walking room, more room to stretch, to sit and to spread their wings. The addition of a scratch pad is important. “Hens in the wild scratch at the ground as they hunt for food; they are compelled to scratch and scratch pads allow them to do just that.”

Some farmers are choosing free range or hybrid housing systems that allow for even more natural behaviours but Dykstra says those systems are a lot more work for the farmer.

“The hens don’t always lay in their nesting box in those systems, so you are always looking for eggs. They also require a lot more management,” he says.

Dykstra still works in construction and helps his dad with cash cropping, plus he’s a family man married to Sonya (a teacher) with four young children. He wants to be

able to work in the layer barn in the morning and have time for his other responsibilities the rest of the day.

The work hours for layers versus broilers is part of the reason Dykstra decided to remodel the broiler barn into a layer barn. The broiler industry is seeing many changes as

well. Among them is the move to modular loading systems, something the existing barn did not support.

Plus Dykstra’s parents’ layer barns were at capacity and there was a need for a new facility to expand.

With all these issues, it made sense to switch to layers.

Dykstra investigated several enrichment cage options before choosing Tecno cages, an enrichment cage system designed in Italy and sold by Clark Ag. Systems, a poultry system supplier based in Caledonia, Ontario.

“I looked at cage quality, ease of use and advancements and I really liked the Tecno cage,” says Dykstra.

“Plus, when I talked with Tecno and Clark Ag., I felt they were very supportive of the farmer by being quick to help and tweak the installation to make it better.”

The Tecno cages have a unique design with perches being placed horizontally instead of vertically in the cages. He thinks this works well for the birds to manouevre and reach the drinkers and feeders. Also, the in-cage lighting makes it brighter in the centre of the cage where the scratching pads are located but darker over the nesting area, creating privacy for the hens to lay eggs.

Clark Ag. Systems has an installer who helps supervise the process and will also supply crews for the actual work of building the cages.

However, Dykstra decided to hire casual workers and students from the neighbourhood.

“For me, it was important to have familiarity with the people and be able to give high school students a summer job,” explains Dykstra.

Some days he had nine workers and other days a handful, but it has

worked out “very well” despite some hiccups in the process, including COVID-19. Every industry was affected by the Coronavirus pandemic and it created some timing issues for the installation. However, the barn will be ready by October when the first birds arrive. The barn has capacity for 15,000 layer hens.

At the time of writing this article, the barn was really taking shape. The feed trolley system (versus chain feeders) was installed along with the perches, scratch pads and curtains creating the private area for chickens to lay eggs. Each cage will house 76 birds (38 birds on each side) giving each hen 116 square inches of space.

The packing room still has to be completed with a used Diamond 100 case packer that is a little large for the operation but was “priced right” from a local farmer he trusts.

The packing room is spacious, built high for ease of loading the five-and-half-foot high stacks of pallets into the loading truck. The room will also be handy when the kids help Devon and Sonya in the barn, giving them more space.

“You never complain about too much room,” says Dykstra.

He’s very much looking forward to raising birds in the new enrichment cages, saying the industry as a whole feeds birds all they need to stay healthy to produce a “good, quality egg.”

In terms of the hens, he says the birds coming out of enrichment cages look “just as good” going out as they came in. In a conventional cage system, the birds are sometimes rough-looking from their closer quarters. He believes the hens will be “comfortable and calmer” in the new system.

Keeping busy Devon and Sonya Dykstra were able to provide work opportunities to local high school students, who pitched in and helped install an enriched cage system for the family’s broilerturned-layer chicken barn just outside of Londesborough. Sarah Waanders of Clinton, above, was among those who put their blood, sweat and tears into the operation. (Lisa B. Pot photo)

Deadline: August 31st

The Citizen Send to: info@northhuron.on.ca

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020. PAGE 11.

New task force begins its work

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

Real mudders The Clinton Raceway held its weekly horse racing action on Sunday, despite the skies opening up on most of the community. The horses and jockeys were ready for it and the conditions made for some exciting action on the track, which has now welcomed a limited number of fans back into the stands. (John Stephenson photo)

Ginn wants upper-tier funds for municipalities, counties

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Huron County Warden Jim Ginn, who is also currently serving as the chair of the Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus, is hoping some provincial and federal funding will help municipalities weather the storm of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last week the two upper-tier governments announced a package of just under $4 billion for municipalities throughout the province; $2.2 billion will come from the provincial government, while $1.7 billion will fall to the federal government. According to the announcement, the funds are to help support homeless shelters, women’s shelters, food banks, public transit and public health.

In an interview with The Citizen, Ginn said it’s his understanding that just over half of the funds, about $2 billion, will be allocated for public transit. With ridership way down due to the pandemic, the sector is vital, but in trouble. As for the remaining funds, however, Ginn is hoping municipalities will see some of that money with no strings attached.

Ginn said allocating the money to municipalities on a per-capita basis would be the only fair way to go about it.

In Huron County, Ginn says he knows municipalities have encountered plenty of unanticipated expenses as a result of the pandemic, though the county has not seen the level of expenses other regions have.

Whether it be mass purchases of

personal protective equipment or enhanced sanitation and security at long-term care homes, municipalities and counties are seeing high costs associated with keeping COVID-19 at bay, Ginn said, and the hope is that this funding might be able to help.

As chair of the Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus, Ginn said every county is different and he has heard a number of issues from around the region. In the southern portion of western Ontario, for example, housing and sanitation for migrant workers has been a major issue, while other communities need help with their public transportation.

Whether it’s big-ticket items like public transportation or personal protective equipment like disposable masks, the costs add up, Ginn said and before you know it, a county could be spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to stop the spread of the virus.

Ginn said the Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus was prepared to lobby for this with the provincial government and he had a meeting to that effect on Friday, but said it will still be a matter of time until he and the rest of the region knows how the money will be allocated and spent.

He also said that later this month, the Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus will have a number of meetings with ministers through the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference, which will be held virtually.

Ginn says he has high hopes for

the delegations. Since the last election, Ginn said, he has felt the government has really lent an ear to counties and municipalities, viewing them as being the “boots on the ground”, as opposed to MPPs who do much of their work at Queen’s Park.

With its new homelessness task force, Huron County hopes to be there for its most vulnerable citizens, expanding resources and looking years down the road for support.

The county’s new homelessness task force has already held its first meeting and Huron County Warden Jim Ginn says plenty of great ideas have been tabled. The vision for two-, three- and five-year plans have been coming along, while at the same time the county needs help right now. Some communities, he said, particularly Goderich and Exeter, are seeing an influx of homeless people and are in need of resources worse than some of Huron County’s other communities.

“It’s not just about bricks and mortar. It’s not just about getting a room for these people,” Ginn said, going on to say there are a number of resources that need to be in place to keep the area’s homeless population safe. The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has further complicated issues, he said, which is why the topic of Huron County’s homeless population was raised in the first place.

In the early days of the provincially-mandated lockdown, with very few public and commercial buildings open, washroom facilities were limited for the homeless population, Ginn said.

To help them limit the potential for COVID-19 spread, Huron County’s homeless population needs access to hand-washing facilities and hand

sanitizer, Ginn said, and the pandemic made that very difficult for them.

In addition, many of the resources the homeless population had for free meals, whether it be churches or supermarkets discarding nearlyspoiled food, also dried up overnight due to COVID-19.

Ginn also said that mental health and well-being is also a big part of the homelessness issue, which is why social workers need to be made available for the area. He said that while the OPP and local hospitals have been doing their best, they’re not necessarily trained and properly equipped to handle and de-escalate a mental health situation like a social worker could, which is another service that needs to be improved in Huron County.

It’s harder than it sounds, however, says Ginn. With many members of the homeless population a lack of trust is a major factor, so county staff have to work to earn that trust and put themselves in a position where they are able to help these people, as hard as it may be.

Huron County staff have been preparing reports for Huron County Council and the homelessness task force, Ginn said, but many of them take a long-term look at the situation, preparing two-, three- and five-year plans. It’s good to have that level of preparedness, Ginn said, but the county needs help now and that has been the most difficult part of problem-solving.

“There are issues that we have to deal with right now, but we don’t have that solution yet,” Ginn said.

Look for #ReadytoReOpenHuron businesses across Huron County!

Recognized businesses are committed to implementing industry best practices & have made employee & customers safety their top priority!

To learn more or to register, visit: www.huroncounty.ca/ready-to-reopen

PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020.

Garratt, Sickinger create ‘Echo in the Quiet Fields’

Deep musical roots Blyth Festival Artistic Director Gil Garratt has teamed up with the Huron Arts and Heritage Network, Faux Pop Media and others to reinvigorate a film made several years ago about the music of Huron County. The film, Deep Roots: The Music of Huron County, focuses on a number of well-known, local musical celebrations like the Goderich Celtic Roots Festival, the annual Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association reunion and, above, the annual Barn Dance Jamboree weekend. The Barn Dance was due to host its final event in Blyth this year, but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and moved to 2021. (File photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on and the majority of live arts and cultural events are cancelled, Blyth Festival Artistic Director Gil Garratt and some friends are breathing new life into the film Deep Roots: The Music of Huron County. The

repackaging of the movie is called, “Echo in the Quiet Fields: Five Years since the Creation of Deep Roots: The Music of Huron County”.

The film, which was produced by the Huron Arts and Heritage Network, Faux Pop Media and others, tells the tale of music in Huron County. From the impromptu jamborees and gatherings to more

formal affairs like the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association’s annual reunion, the Barn Dance Jamboree and the Goderich Celtic Roots Festival in Goderich.

The film, which was produced in 2016, was distributed at the time, broadcast online and sold on DVD, but with the pandemic keeping many people home and not attending live music events, some of the county’s artistic heavy hitters got together to try and bring the film to a wider audience.

Garratt says that not only will they bring the movie to a wider audience, but it will also serve as a reminder for residents of the excellent musical culture in Huron County in a year

when not much of it is being heard.

Every Sunday for the rest of the month, the Huron Arts and Heritage Network will broadcast a new portion of the film (which has been trimmed into three distinct sections), complete with a new introduction featuring Garratt. It began last Sunday with the first section being broadcast on various social media platforms.

The next section will be broadcast next Sunday, the final section will be broadcast on Sunday, Aug. 16 and then on Aug. 23, the whole film will be broadcast. It can be found through the Huron Arts and Heritage Network and Blyth Festival Facebook feeds, among other social media pages.

Garratt said the project arose when he was speaking with Huron County Cultural Development Officer Rick Sickinger and the pair were brainstorming ways to engage residents while many have been staying home to stop the spread of COVID-19. Garratt went back to the film, saying he felt like it was a great historical record of the music in Huron County and that more people should see it. While it was available when it was first released in 2016, Garratt said it wasn’t very widely available and many people didn’t even know it had been made.

Garratt used the film just recently, he said in an interview with The Citizen, as he was directing a Huron County Christmas Carol last winter.

He said he devoted a whole rehearsal day to showing the cast the movie and working to impart upon them Huron County’s musical culture and he felt showing them the film was likely the most efficient way to do so.

He said not only is the moving a great historical record of the musical impact of Huron County, but that it also shows the intergenerational importance of music in the community.

When Sickinger and Garratt approached the filmmakers at Faux Pop Media, they were happy to work with the pair to make the movie readily available. They edited it into three distinct portions and Garratt then conducted special interviews with residents involved in Huron County’s music scene for new introductions to the movie before it was broadcast online.

For the Celtic Festival, he interviewed Cheryl PrashkerDrummer, while for the Barn Dance he interviewed long-time emcee Jim Swan and then Tom Melady for the Thresher Reunion. Melady has long emceed jam session nights at the reunion.

Sickinger, in an interview with The Citizen, said he thought it was a great idea to revive the movie from a few years ago. The opportunity to support the people making music in Huron County, he said, especially given the challenging year, was one he didn’t want to pass up.

“We were really hoping to remind people in 2020 how much we do have here in Huron County,” Sickinger said.

Sickinger said he hadn’t watched the movie in years and watching it again ahead of its online release reminded him of what a great achievement it is. For being made over four years ago, he said, it holds up remarkably well and really tells the tale of some of the most important musical culture in the area.

Sickinger also said it’s important to remind people of the arts and cultural infrastructure in place in Huron County so they can support and nourish it when COVID-19 is just a distant memory and those organizations begin holding events again.

For more information or to find the broadcasts, visit the Huron Arts and Heritage Network or the Blyth Festival on Facebook.

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An institution The annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association has been cancelled for this year, like many events in the area, meaning its renowned fiddle and step dancing competitions will not go ahead. The reunion is a must-attend for many on the annual calendar, thanks in no small part to the great music. (File photo)

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020. PAGE 13.

519-523-4311

www.ruralvoice.ca

Agriculture

BLYTH 519-523-4244

www.hurontractor.com

Brussels Livestock report

Good offering of quality beef, holstein at sale Total receipts for Brussels Livestock for the week ending July 31 were 1,100 cattle and 784 lambs and goats.

On Tuesday fed steers and heifers sold actively at steady prices. Choice steers and heifers sold $143 to $150 with sales to $151. Second-cut steers and heifers sold $132 to $143. Cows

sold actively at steady prices. On Thursday there was a good offering of quality beef and holstein selling actively with good buyer demand.

Beef veal sold higher. Holstein veal sold steady. Lambs, sheep and goats all sold steady. On Friday calves sold steady and yearlings sold steady to stronger.

Southlore Farms of Palmerston, consigned 12 head. One red heifer weighed 1,305 lbs. and sold for an average price of $151.

Kevin Rennick of Monkton, consigned four head. One limousin steer weighed 1,110 lbs. and sold for a price of $147.

There were 200 cows on offer.

Slowly returning The Clinton Raceway is now open to fans in the stands, though for safety purposes the number of fans allowed in each week is very limited and requires pre-registration. Sunday’s action on the Civic Holiday weekend brought out some fans though as the horses still raced despite the wet, dreary weather. (John Stephenson photo)

OFA launches ‘Always in Season’ As Canadians gear up for Food Day Canada on Aug. 1, it is the perfect time to celebrate the good things that grow in Ontario and across Canada.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is pleased to announce the provincial and federal government’s support of OFA’s project, “Always in Season: A Practitioner’s Guide to Local Food”.

Through Canadian Agricultural Partnership funding, the OFA, its partners, and Wilton Consulting Group developed a toolkit for communities to guide them through potential activities, key performance metrics, funding opportunities and ways to collaborate to support the agri-food sector.

The project aims to increase local food sales, provide new opportunities for local producers for value-added agriculture, enhance agri-tourism and culinary tourism opportunities and elevate the brand of local agricultural products.

The “Always in Season Toolkit” can be used nationwide. It includes many tips, templates and innovative ideas for communities to initiate, particularly during events such as Local Food Week, Ontario Agriculture Week, Canadian Agricultural Literacy Month, Canada’s Ag Day and Food Day

Canada. Through interviews with stakeholders across the province, the OFA learned of many innovative approaches to supporting the agrifood sector, and ways communities are helping their producers sell more local products and encourage agritourism.

“There are so many great initiatives already happening across Ontario and Canada to support agriculture and food,” said OFA President Keith Currie. “We know there are communities that support farmers and want to help. We hope this toolkit sparks new ideas and a new way of thinking about agriculture, food and agri-tourism as an economic driver.”

Supporting agriculture, local food and local beverage processors has never been more important.

Community organizations and municipalities have a vital role to play in fostering an environment where agricultural producers and processors can thrive.

The OFA and partners are looking forward to celebrating Food Day Canada and the diverse offerings Ontario produces for Canadians and the world to enjoy.

The OFA is proud to partner on this project with the golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance, Greenbelt Foundation,

South Central Ontario Region Economic Development Corporation, Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance, Greenbelt Fund, Meat and Poultry Ontario, Rural Ontario Institute, Food and Beverage Ontario, Rural AgriInnovation Network, Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association, Ontario East Economic Development Commission and Farm and Food Care Ontario.

This project was funded by the Canadian Agriculture Partnership.

To access the toolkit, visit ofa.on.ca/AlwaysinSeason.

Beef sold $85 to $95 with sales to $109; D1 and D12, $70 to $87 with sales to $99; D3, $72 to $79; D4, $60 to $71.

Dallas Coultes of Brussels, consigned two head. One bwf cow weighed 1,645 lbs. and sold for $109.

There were seven bulls selling $100 to $130. Bodmin Ltd. of Brussels, consigned one charolais bull that weighed 1,805 lbs. and sold for an average price of $130.

There were 165 head of veal on offer. Beef veal sold $160 to $205 with sales to $210; good holsteins, $125 to $132 with sales to $135; SL heavy holsteins, $125 to $130; heavy holsteins, $110 to $120 and medium holsteins, $118 to $128.

Allen Sherk of Wellesley, consigned four head. One blue heifer weighed 885 lbs. and sold for a price of $210. Emanual M. Martin of Elmira, consigned two head. One limousin heifer weighed 830 lbs. and sold for a price of $200.

Lambs under 50 lbs. sold $245.50 to $600; 50 - 64 lbs., $238.50 to $260; 65 - 79 lbs., $280 to $297; 80 - 94 lbs., $277.50 to $303; 95 - 109 lbs., $258 to $270 and 110 lbs. and over, $254.50 to $265.

Sheep sold $150 to $250.

Goats: billies sold $150 to $350; nannies, $100 to $250; kids: meat, $400 to $500; dairy, $250 to $470.

Luke Becker of Londesborough, consigned four head. Three lambs averaged 80 lbs. and sold for an average price of $303. Luke and Conner Franken of Whitechurch, consigned three kids that averaged 61 lbs. and sold for an average price of $500.

Top quality stocker steers under 400 lbs. sold $258 to $283; 400 499 lbs., $263.75 to $272; 500 599 lbs., $237 to $250; 600 699 lbs., $218 to $225; 700 799 lbs., $201 to $217; 800 899 lbs., $192 to $202.50; 900 999 lbs., $185.75 to $192.50; 1,000 lbs. and over, $168 to $179.50.

Top quality stocker heifers, 400 499 lbs. sold $172 to $212; 500 - 599 lbs., $186 to $205; 600 - 699 lbs., $193 to $201; 700 - 799 lbs., $166 to $180; 800 - 899 lbs., $152.75 to $174.50; 900 lbs. and over, $164 to $177.50.

Elam M. Martin of Clifford, consigned 12 head. Three limousin heifers averaged 957 lbs. and sold for an average price of $177.50.

Luke Martin of Cobden, consigned 49 head. Fourteen simmental steers averaged 1,079 lbs. and sold for an average price of $172.75.

BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK Division of Gamble & Rogers Ltd.

UPCOMING SALES TUESDAYS 9:00 a.m.

Fed Cattle, Bulls & Cows

THURSDAYS

8:00 a.m. Drop Calves 10:00 a.m.Veal 11:30 a.m. Lambs, Goats & Sheep

FRIDAYS

10:00 a.m. Stockers Visit our webpage at: www.brusselslivestock.ca email us at: info@brusselslivestock.ca

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Rural Voice June 2020

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NO CALLS FOR AUCTIONS Cropping continues but farmers miss the ritual of spring auction sales as restrictions remain in place

BE DIFFERENT Professional catalyst says in business being different is more important than being better

BUILDING RESILIENCE Resilience is about being tough but bendable to maintain mental health

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PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020.

Classified Advertisements – RATES – 20 words or less only $7.00 + HST. Additional words 20¢ each + HST. 50¢ will be deducted if ad is paid in advance

DEADLINE 2 p.m. Monday in Brussels 4 p.m. Monday in Blyth Phone 519-523-4792 or 519-887-9114 e-mail: info@northhuron.on.ca

Articles for sale 2010 TOYOTA MATRIX, 4 CYL., gray, 129,000 kms., four winter tires on winter rims, in the Blyth area. Call 705-385-9171, leave message. 32-4p -------------------------------------------21-1/2 FT. FIFTH WHEEL CAMPER, 1996 model, air, awning, microwave, good condition, asking $6,000. 519-527-1866.

31-2b -------------------------------------------GERBERS FIREWOOD SERVING you for over 10 years. Your number one source of quality slabwood and bodywood. Delivery available. No Sunday calls. 519-656-2057, 519441-2085.

01-50p -------------------------------------------REPRINTS OF PHOTOS taken by Citizen photographers are available to purchase. All are in colour. 4x6 – $5.00, 5x7 – $6.00, 8x10 – $10.00. Phone to order 519523-4792 or 519-887-9114. tfn -------------------------------------------THE CITIZEN IS AVAILABLE TO purchase at these locations – Auburn Co-op, Belgrave Variety, Blyth Variety, Blyth Food Market, Blyth Ultramar, Brussels Bulk & Bargains, Brussels Foodland, Brussels Variety, JR’s, Clinton Convenience, Clinton Foodland, Walton Inn, Dean’s ValuMart in Wingham, Wingham Mini Mart, Brown’s Pharmasave, Wingham. Seaforth Foodland, GT Mini Mart in Seaforth, Fincher’s in Goderich and The Citizen Blyth. The Citizen is available online for free while we are under orders for physical distances. Stay safe! huroncitizen.ca

Help wanted

Help wanted

PART-TIME MILKER REQUIRED on dairy farm near Brussels. Please call Robert 519-444-8250.

32-2p -------------------------------------------BACHERT MEATS INC. IS looking for a farm worker – hogs, no experience needed, fast-paced environment, physically demanding, to start as soon as possible, $14/hr.

Contact by email: bachertmeatshiring@hotmail.com 32-4p --------------------------------------------

MONOWAY FARMS LIMITED OF Brussels currently has openings for full- or part-time employment.

Students welcome to apply. We are a swine/cash crop farm seeking reliable individuals to complete various jobs. Willing to train the right candidate. Own transportation to and from work required.

Competitive wages and benefits.

Interested parties send résumé to monowayoffice@gmail.com or fax to 519-887-9837, Attn: Paul Fear.

31-2b

Economic Development and Recovery Committee The Township of North Huron is seeking applications for Economic Development and Recovery Committee members to enhance the economic opportunities and the quality of life for North Huron residents, as well as lead the North Huron economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee promotes and maintains communication with Council in an advisory role and works with the County of Huron, other municipalities, provincial ministries, the Blyth and Wingham BIA’s and other public agencies on initiatives that promote economic well-being.

North Huron residents interested in sitting on the Economic Development and Recovery Committee, are invited to submit a detailed Letter of Interest to the undersigned by 4:00 p.m. on August 26, 2020.

For more information, contact:

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In memoriam

Services CUSTOM ROUND BALING. Paul Buttar, 519-441-3067. 31-2p -------------------------------------------FAXING SERVICE We can send or receive faxes for you for only $1.00 per page. The Citizen, 405 Queen St., Blyth. Phone 519523-4792. Fax 519-523-9140. tfn

Straw/hay THIS YEAR’S CLEAN WHEAT straw for sale, round bales, 4.5 cents per pound, will deliver. Paul Buttar, 519-441-3067.

31-2p DUCHARME. In loving memory of Oscar Ducharme, a dear husband, father and grandfather who passed away August 4, 2018.

The moment that you left us, Our hearts split in two, One side filled with memories, The other side died with you.

We often lay awake at night, When the world is fast asleep, And take a walk down memory lane With tears upon our cheeks.

Remembering you is easy, We do it every day, But missing you is a heartache, That never goes away.

We hold you tightly within our hearts, And there you will remain, You see life has gone on without you, But will never be the same.

– Dorothea, Murray, Kim and Greg Ducharme.

32-1 --------------------------------------------

Carson Lamb, Clerk 519-357-3550 clamb@northhuron.ca

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KNOX, Mel. You left us so suddenly a year ago, August 4. God must have needed a new tenor in the choir. We will miss you forever. We will love you always.

– Barb, Cindy, Theresa and Steve, Melanie and Mike, Chris and Amy, Brianna, Aidan and James. 31-1p

Coming events THE WINGHAM COLUMBUS Centre would like to invite you to the next Famous Fish Fry – Take-out Style! on Friday, Aug. 14 from noon to 7 p.m. Take-out $16 – Your choice of grilled or battered white fish or chicken fingers, baked potatoes or fries and a dinner roll. Add a salad for $1.50 and/or a tart for $2, all taxes are included. Orders must be made in advance, payment by credit card or etransfer to wc1@bellnet.ca Pick-up times will be scheduled and all doors will be propped open and meals with names on them in the foyer. Please call 519-357-1270. If no answer please leave a message and we will call back. Next Cold Plate Shortcake meal on Aug. 21 noon to 7 p.m., $20. Same ordering instructions as fish dinners.

32-2

Personals POST-ABORTION HEALING. Are you suffering from the emotional aftermath of an abortion?

For support and healing please call Project Rachel at their confidential number 1-888-355-1110. e6w

BE A

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Call 519-523-4792 or email: info@northhuron.on.ca FOR SALE – small oak desk 62"Lx21"Dx30.5"H, 6 drawers (2 full, 4 small), $200 or best offer.

519-357-6461 - text only. 32-3 ---------------------------------------FOR SALE – four used M&S 235/65 R16 tubeless, steel belted tires on black steel rims, $100 for the set. Call 519-524-8302. 32-3 ---------------------------------------FOR SALE – beautiful vintage functional pump organ and adjustable stool with glass claw feet, refinished walnut hardwood, $400. 519-440-1021.

32-3 ---------------------------------------FOR SALE – Canon Rebel 2000, manual settings, great for learning all aspects of photography settings, $40 or best offer. 519-522-1196.

31-3 ---------------------------------------FOR SALE – ceiling tiles (2 ft. by 4 ft.) for a suspended ceiling $1 per tile. Contact David 519523-9696.

31-3

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020. PAGE 15.

Pandemic-fueled DIY surge results in wood shortage

By Denny Scott The Citizen

A boom in do-it-yourself (DIY) projects prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic has led to some delays in getting construction materials both locally and across the country according to local business owners.

From pressure-treated lumber for outside projects to paint and doorways, representatives of local hardware stores and lumberyards say products are becoming hard to come by.

“Nothing in 2020 was able to be forecasted,” said Richard Watson of Watson’s Home Hardware, which has a store and lumberyard in Blyth.

“Especially with what’s going on

with DIY projects right now.”

Watson said the company has been trying to stay out in front of the shortage and, fortunately, local customers understand they may have to wait a day or two for their products to come.

Michael McDonald of McDonald Home Hardware in Brussels agreed.

“We’ve had pressure-treated sales go through the roof,” he said. “It’s been hard to keep up with the demand.”

Both said they’ve been fielding calls and customers from hours away who are travelling to Huron County looking for products that are sold out in larger city centres.

“We’ve had people coming from as far away as Brampton, London, Kitchener and Orangeville,”

McDonald said. “They are driving to wherever they can find the materials.”

Watson said the same, adding he’s fielding phone calls from the Toronto area every day from people looking for products.

Watson said there have been cycles to purchasing with rushes on paint hitting early in the pandemic.

“We couldn’t keep it,” he said, adding that it sounded odd if the paint shaker stopped working during those first few weeks.

McDonald agreed, saying that fences and decks followed, alongside a steady stream of other types of renovations, like flooring projects.

He added that everything is selling that has anything to do with staying

at home, including barbecues and smokers.

Watson also said there have been more questions coming to staff about DIY projects, though many people are adhering to the DIY moniker, tackling the project completely on their own.

The DIY boom has resulted in waits for products, Watson said, but fortunately locals seem to be understanding when compared to people in other areas.

“When we have to advise people of delays, it’s well-received,” he said. “I’ve heard stories about other places where people get angry the wood isn’t there, but, for us, our customers have been super supportive.”

McDonald said that back in March

Obituaries expressions of sympathy.

Arrangements were entrusted to the Falconer Funeral Homes, Clinton Chapel.Condolences for the family may be placed at www.falconerfuneralhomes.com

HAZEL G. ELLIOTT Hazel G. Elliott (née Bradford) went home to be with her Lord in her 93rd year, peacefully at Huronview Home, Clinton on Sunday, July 26 2020.

Hazel was the beloved wife of the late William “Bill” Elliott (2003) and loving mother of Heather (Glenn) McMichael, London; Holly (John) McDonald, Haliburton; Gail Dobie, Brussels and Laurie (Ross) Burk, Haliburton. She will be cherished by 12 grandchildren: Susan Pol, Shelley Glousher, Justin Dobie, James Dobie, Matthew McDonald, Laura McDonald, Lisa McDonald, Michelle McDonald, Bradford Burk, Rachel Matkin, Heidi Burk, Jessie Burk and seven great-grandchildren: Dominic Glousher, Benjamin Loughnane, Norah Loughnane, Amelia McDonald, Ian McDonald, Zaylee Burk and Maxwell Matkin.

Hazel is survived by her sister Amy Bessey, sister-in-law Elizabeth Bradford and brother-in-law Jim Elliott. She will be missed by many nieces, nephews and cousins. Hazel will be remembered by Ross Dobie.

Hazel was predeceased by her brother Dr. Eric Bradford, brotherin-law Ron Bessey and eight Elliott in-laws.

Hazel was born in Quebec and lived in many homes across Ontario.

She dedicated her life to her family, her church and horticulturalism. Her strong will to live, unwavering faith in God, and the love and prayers of family and friends kept her going these past few months as her health declined.

At Hazel’s request cremation has taken place. A memorial service was held at Huron Chapel Missionary Church, Auburn on August 5. Pastor Ernest Dow officiated. Interment of ashes at Ball’s Cemetery followed.

Memorial donations to the MS Society, Ethnos Canada or Parkinson Canada would be appreciated as

JEANETTE GRACE STEWART Mrs. Jeanette Grace (Gilmore) Stewart, formerly of Molesworth, passed away at Royal Terrace, Palmerston on Thursday, July 30, 2020. She was in her 93rd year.

Grace was the wife of the late Gibson Stewart and mother of Bob and Terry Stewart, Milton; Kate and Joe Schnurr, Hanover; Jim and Joy Stewart and Ron and Colleen Stewart, all of RR 1, Listowel and Sharon Cullen, Listowel. She was the grandmother of 16, the great-grandmother of 33 and sister-in-law of Carol Gilmore, Gowanstown.

Grace was predeceased by her son-in-law Andy Cullen, sister Aleta Ludwig, and brothers Bob, Bill, and Bruce Gilmore.

A private family service was held on Wednesday, Aug. 5 with interment in Molesworth Cemetery.

Memorial donations to Royal Terrace Residents Council or St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church,

Molesworth would be appreciated, and may be made through the Eaton Funeral Home, Listowel.

Online condolences may be left at www.eatonfuneralhome.ca

JO LANSBERGEN Intensely sad and full of admiration for the way Jo lived her life, the family of Jo (Johanna/Joanne) Lansbergen share the news of her passing in Amsterdam, Netherlands on July 26, 2020.

In 1952, at the age of one, Jo came to Canada with her parents and nine older siblings who, along with three Canadian-born siblings, eventually settled in the Dublin area, and then to a farm just north of Zurich, Ontario.

Jo graduated with honours from South Huron District High School in Exeter, and then with a Master’s Degree in microbiology from the University of Guelph. She dreamed, planned and ventured on a working holiday in Holland in 1977 after graduation and, while there, ended up accepting a position with the Faculty of Science in the scientific research department of the

University of Amsterdam. She stayed with the university until her recent full retirement.

Jo was plagued by life-altering health issues dating back to her time at Guelph, but through her tenacity and strict adherence to healthy living she was blessed with more years of quality life than had been expected.

She was a very active cyclist exploring the country of her birth and showing off to her siblings when she came home for frequent visits, arriving on our doorsteps by bike.

Jo was a treasured and muchrespected sister to siblings: Hank (Betty), Mary Van Loon (John), Cor Palamaryk (Fred), Bill (Darlene), Neil (Valerie), Ade (Bernie), Ted (Hilda), Nick (Caroline), Chris Bingham (Doug), Elly Van Bergen Dow (Harry, Ivan) Tony (Jane), Theresa Ryan (Francis) and an adventurous aunt from ‘afar’ to 39 nieces and nephews.

Jo’s family is deeply appreciative of and indebted to wonderful neighbours and friends in Amsterdam who were there for her in her last troubled weeks and would ask those who knew Jo or any of her family to remember and honour Jo with an act of kindness to someone else. Pay it forward, pass it on ‘betaal het vooruit, geef het door’.

and April everyone was just trying to navigate the pandemic to the best of their ability with no idea what the future held.

“Everyone was wondering,” he said. “I think that’s what has led to some of the shortages.”

He explained that manufacturers and other people who provide product to lumber yards and businesses cancelled orders from overseas.

“People didn’t know what was happening, so they cancelled containers from overseas,” he said.

“Containers take three months to come over, so we can’t change supply in an instant.”

He said anyone looking to start a DIY project should give some extra time for supplies, just in case products continue to be delayed.

For more information visit Home Hardware online at homehardware.ca and follow McDonald Home Hardware and Watson’s Home Hardware on Facebook.

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PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020.

Damsma Honey sees uptick with farmers’ markets

By Denny Scott The Citizen

A new frontier Damsma Honey, owned by Henry, above, and Deb Damsma, have found success on the farmers’ market circuit throughout the community, including markets in Blyth, Seaforth, Bayfield and Grand Bend, among others. (Denny Scott photo)

While Damsma Honey from the Clinton area has been offering its product for five years now, this is the first year they have hit the outdoor market circuit; having a presence at six different markets.

Henry and Deb Damsma originally looked at beekeeping as a way to promote growth of their fruit trees on their Clinton-area farm, however it wasn’t long before they were benefiting from the honey being produced.

Henry explained that, one day, he was walking among the fruit trees and noticed they weren’t producing and figured that, with all the news of bees becoming less populous, the two must be linked. He brought in a hive and, sure enough, the problem was solved and another opportunity presented itself in honey.

Henry, who has been in agriculture all his life, said he recently retired after being involved in cash crops and chickens on his home farm and working for the thenMinistry of Agriculture in Ontario.

He said he’s taken up beekeeping, after that initial need for them to pollinate plants, as just another way of continuing to farm.

For several years, the Damsmas have been offering their honey at the end of their laneway on Dinsley Terrace in Clinton through a serveyourself stand. This year, however, they decided to start marketing it as vendors, which Henry says has been

great for getting to know people and getting the product out into the world.

The Damsmas sell their product at the Blyth, Seaforth, Bayfield, Grand Bend, Goderich and Masonville (London) markets, even bringing their grandchildren to some of the markets as help.

What makes their product special is that everything is done at his home, Henry said.

Aside from buying his first queen and hive, everything else has been in-house, he says, which is different from some vendors who buy honey wholesale then market it themselves.

By having his own hives and breeding stock, Henry said he has been able to create a reliable colony with high survival rates in the winter, saying that they had 100 per cent survivability over the past winter.

“We run 25 hives,” he said. “It’s really a hobby at this point, and we treat it as such.”

Henry said he was glad to be able to continue working in agriculture, saying that it’s been his life-long ambition. He’s also glad to be in Clinton, where he was born as a first-generation Canadian.

For more information, visit Damsma Honey on Facebook.

Lions to host drive-thru fish fry PEOPLE AROUND LONDESBORO

By BRENDA RADFORD Call 523-4296

During these months our sense of connectedness to our families and communities has been heightened and spawned acts of kindness and compassion. Acts of selflessness, decency and caring were a reflection of the best in all of us. Going

forward, regardless of being in the midst of a pandemic or not, we will all need to work to keep that spirit alive.

We learned quickly that we are social animals and forced isolation was/is not to our liking. More and more we turned to social media to counter those feelings of panic and concern. Every segment of society will need to consider continuing that contact. Returning to a more normal life could mean those who were sometimes forgotten will slip away unless we make a concerted effort to remember these unusual times.

Folks have discovered new talents or interests to pass these months and learned more about their individual

personalities. Appreciating a fuller personality is mental and emotional growth and enhances contentment.

The phrase, “we are in this together”gave us a sense of unity.

Let’s not lose that. Unity will make for a more just and equal society.

Early on this spring we learned that pollution levels plummeted as people stayed off the roads and out of the skies. Perhaps we need to consider whether a holiday or commuting long distances to work is more important than leaving a better planet for our grandchildren.

Sheltering at home we discovered how little we really need to be happy; not things, but people in our lives. Perhaps the pandemic will

result in a more moderate consumerism.

We all know the phrase, “What’s old is new again”. Remember the drive-in restaurants of the 1950s and 1960s when your order was taken at your car and the food brought to you there? Seems groups are turning to that idea to continue fundraising.

Word came from the Londesborough Lions Club last week that they will serve their postponed annual fish fry on Saturday, Sept. 26. I can’t see any Lion members rolling up to your car on roller skates as sometimes happened in the past, but ticket holders will not leave their cars. This will be strictly a drive-thru event.

More details will follow.

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Good Employment is hard to find!

Another collision The troubling résumé of the intersection of Blyth and London Roads in the south end of Blyth as one of the most dangerous intersections in Huron County continues to grow with another collision last week. This one was between a sedan and a motorcycle and resulted in one person being airlifted by Ornge to London, according to the OPP. (Denny Scott photo)

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020. PAGE 17.

From the Minister’s Study

Let go of your need for control, be with God

By Rev. JoAnn Todd Blyth, Brussels Anglican Churches We have been following along in Matthew’s gospel, at what’s been called Jesus’ Missionary Discourse, and the discipleship theme that runs through it.

We defined a disciple as one who follows Jesus’ teachings. We discovered that discipleship is, in fact, practising Christianity.

Discipleship is how we practise our Christian faith. Jesus trained His disciples before He sent them out to minister in His name; they had to learn Jesus’ ways before they could implement them. In a recent book study on Marcus Borg’s book Living The Heart of Christianity, Borg wrote that our practices, how we live out our faith in Jesus, are the ways, “the means that we live the Christian life.” “Practice is about paying attention to God.” Paying attention to God deepens our relationship with God, just like paying attention to our spouses, our families, our best friends, being together with a loved one all deepen our relationship with them. All this paying attention requires time, and that means disciplining ourselves to intentionally set aside time for those relationships, including spending time with God. I discovered that the difference between “disciple” and “discipline” was just two letters—an ‘i’ and an ‘n’ – the words are very closely connected in more than one way!

We also discovered that the word disciple actually means “learner”.

We read a series of Jesus’ teachings where He uses hyperbole, exaggeration to make His points – much like we often use in our speech. Hyperbole emphasizes the main point, giving emphasis to the message we’re trying to get across.

Jesus spoke about choosing our priorities, that love of God in Christ is the first priority for His disciples, saying: “If you love your father or mother or even your sons and daughters more than me, you are not fit to be my disciples” (Mt 10.37 NLT).

Following Jesus may well cause challenges for us; possibly even cause division within a family. He re-emphasizes the point, saying “ If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.” (Mt 10.38 NLT) Those can be tough words to hear!

This means Jesus comes first! What do you put first in your life? Is it to follow Jesus? To take up your cross I daresay it means to follow Jesus’ example; to do as Jesus did, to listen

for God’s call for our lives and to follow that call, embracing all the challenges. Some will be more difficult than others and thanks be to God that for most of us that call is not death on a cross; but whatever we, as disciples are called to do in Jesus’ name; Jesus very clearly said, we do not go it alone. God is with us.

Jesus’ preaching seems to rankle some of the crowds, and comments on the fickleness of people! Jesus compares His style to that of His cousin, John the Baptist. The folks criticized John’s asceticism, his stern and strict ways. He was a desertdwelling, locust-eating, fire-andbrimstone preacher, in a hair shirt.

One could say John’s style was most definitely on the conservative side.

Jesus, on the other hand was undeniably more social, He ate and drank with everyone, including those considered sinners! In fact He even turned water into wine for a wedding celebration!

Jesus’ liberal, open-minded ways were just as harshly criticized as John’s acetic ways. Jesus, in effect, calls the critics out on their childish and immature behaviour, comparing it to the silliness, the foolishness of children who, no matter what you try to do for them, are never pleased.

But both men were men of God, each with their own style, their own way; but each with the same message, calling us to repent of our self-serving lifestyles, and to return to God; calling us to become God’s holy people, by following God’s ways and putting that first in our lives.

I suspect the criticism the people were directing to both John and

Jesus was likely in response to the not-so-popular message they were preaching, and criticizing the two preachers personally was but a symptom of that dislike. Here’s how one commentator puts it: “God’s ways can be both too little and too much for us… Both of these messages are a threat to our hardwon autonomy. We long to maintain a happy medium between John’s stifling demands and Jesus’ frightening inclusiveness. So we keep changing our tune, insisting on moderation (or is it the mediocrity?) that we can secure for ourselves, not the extraordinary future that God dreams for us and the world.”

Jesus, in response to their childlike behaviour says: “Wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” (Matt. 11.

19) Wisdom is the opposite of foolishness. True wisdom is confirmed, is proven in the deeds, in the works of those who are truly wise—those wise enough to realize that the messages of both John and Jesus are the life-changing words of eternal life.

Jesus actually denounces the people in the towns where He had done so many miracles and the people there just didn’t make the connection between Jesus and the miracles. They just could not or would not see it – verse 20 “because they hadn’t repented of their sins and turned to God.”) Matt 11. 20 Jesus warned the people of the selfdestruction their behaviours bring upon them.

And then Jesus prays what at first look seems a strange prayer: “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden

BRUSSELS

United Church As we continue to follow the course of COVID-19, your health and safety are our priority.

Our church building remains closed until further notice.

Continue to join Rev. Gary on YouTube “Forest Hill United Church Kitchener” Celebrate Life, be Safe, be Kind, show Love.

Church Services are cancelled until further notice Video sermons available on YouTube by searching “Blyth Christian Reformed Church”

BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH Evangelical Missionary Church

See homepage for LIVESTREAM Sundays 10:30 a.m.

August 9 Pastor Rob Campbell, “Jacob’s Wrestlings Pt.2: Testing God” (Gen.28) Call 519-526-1131 to pre-register for Sunday attendance (max.60) Check out our midweek virtual LifeGroups!)

** Let us know how we can be praying for you / practical needs ** huronchapel.com huronchapelkids.com huronchapelyouth.com 119 John’s Ave., Auburn 519-526-1131

Minister: Pastor Gary van Leeuwen Hwy. 4, Blyth www.blythcrc.ca 519-523-4743

MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS Join us for outdoor worship at 11am on Sunday. Bring your own lawn chairs, and any drink or snack you want for fellowship time.

Weather dependent. Please continue to follow Public Health recommendations - stay home if you are at risk or showing symptoms. Search "St. Andrew's and Melville Sermon" on Youtube for the virtual worship.

Brussels Soup and More 2 is cancelled until further notice.

519-357-5273

these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants” (v25). You know, it almost sounds a bit tongue-in-cheek to me, a wee bit sarcastic. The people of the towns that rejected Jesus and His message of repentance to turn their lives around to follow God’s ways obviously believed themselves not in need of it – they felt they knew better, in their own infinite wisdom.

We all know people who don’t believe in God, and they have all kinds of reasons for why they do so; some of them offering up very wise and profound arguments as to why they don’t need God, or why God just doesn’t exist.

It is the second part of the prayer that provides us with the crux of the

issue. These things are revealed to infants. Why infants? Well, infants are totally and completely dependent upon their parents for their every need. And a good parent gives their infant everything they need out of loving dedication and care. And what does the infant do? They trust that their needs will be met, and accept the gift of love and nurture given them by their parents, and give their complete love back to the parent. The infant has no ego, in fact an infant doesn’t understand its separation from the parent until it’s a toddler, and by then, of course, it’s no longer an infant! We are to be as accepting of God’s love and nurture as an infant is in its total acceptance Continued on page 19

The Regional Ministry of Hope See our Facebook page 10:30 a.m. on Sundays for a live broadcast of our service.

All Anglican Churches are closed for public worship until further notice.

Rev. JoAnn Todd, Rector 519-357-7781 email: revjoann@hurontel.on.ca The­Regional­Ministry­of­ Hope

Trinity

St. John’s

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12 noon

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WINGHAM

10:30 am

COME WORSHIP WITH US!

Brussels Mennonite Fellowship God opened two gifts for you this morning — your eyes.

BMF Mission = our church exists to GROW in the teachings of Jesus to LIVE by His example, and to CONNECT people to Him

Closed Until Further Notice

250 Princess St., Brussels • 519-887-6388 • Pastor Ken Gazley

Blyth United Church No Sunday Service until further notice Join Rev. Gary Clark on YouTube “Forest Hill United Church Kitchener”

** New minister coming in September ** Join us Wednesday mornings at 10 am for our “Visit in the Garden” Bring your lawn chair and enjoy a social distance visit.

Facebook: Blyth and Brussels United Churches blythunited@tcc.on.ca ~ 519-523-4224

THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH

OUR CHURCHES HAVE RE-OPENED. WELCOME BACK. Brussels: St. Ambrose Saturday ~ 6:00 p.m.

17 Flora Street Wingham: Sacred Heart Sunday ~ 9:00 a.m.

220 Carling Terrace Listowel: St. Joseph’s Sunday ~ 11:00 a.m.

1025 Wallace Avenue N. Facebook: Search for St. Joseph/Sacred Heart/St. Ambrose Live Prayer Services, Wed., Thurs. and Fridays at 10:00 a.m.

Live Sunday Mass, Sundays at 10:00 a.m.

PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020.

Supper cancelled PEOPLE AROUND BELGRAVE

The result of this meeting was a decision to postpone the supper for this year.

Apologies for any confusion.

By Linda Campbell Call 357-2188

A thing of beauty Liz Allan of the Maitland Valley Camera Club recently snapped this picture of the Wroxeter harbour. At a time when much of life isn’t the same as it was, there is comfort in nature that remains the same year after year. (Photo courtesy of Liz Allan of the Maitland Valley Camera Club)

Congratulations is extended from the community to Shawn and Katie Cottrill on the birth of Oliver Daniel, born on July 23 at 12:15 p.m. in Stratford General Hospital.

Spoiling privileges are extended to grandparents Mike and Donelda Cottrill and Sharon and Terry Pringle and great-grandparents Irene Lamont, Miriam Pringle and Merle Gibson.

With the current COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines, the Belgrave Community Centre Board met with the Line Committees to discuss the upcoming Fowl Supper.

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020. PAGE 19.

Blyth restaurants welcome Stage 3 reopening

By Denny Scott The Citizen After months of only being able to offer take-out or outdoor seating, local restaurants are finally able to open their dining rooms with the loosening of COVID-19 pandemic

restrictions, and the change is a welcome one.

Cheryl Lee of the Blyth Inn says the loosening of the COVID-19 restrictions has been good for the downtown restaurant, which just finished its first week of being completely open to the public.

“It’s going well and we’re getting the kinks out,” she said. “There have been no negative comments to us.”

Director of Food and Beverage Dan McLaughlin at Blyth Cowbell Brewing Company said staff and customers appreciate the change.

“It has been a nice change of

A welcome return After the COVID-19 pandemic struck and forced cancellations the world over in March, many events, including weddings were cancelled. The Brussels Four Winds Barn, however, was able to hold a wedding, a rare sight in recent months. Above, Jeff Sabin, centre, married Jason McBeath and his bride Cassidy last Friday. (John Stephenson photo)

Go for the Gold comp. held

By Marita Oudshoorn On July 21, Huron County 4-H had its annual Go For The Gold competition. This time there were no boisterous 4-H members in a church hall waiting to compete with fellow members to be first on a buzzer, instead it was eager 4-H members on their home computers joining a Zoom meeting waiting to “Learn to Do by Doing” a new way to compete in this well-loved quiz competition.

With COVID-19 restrictions on in-person activities, 4-H Ontario came up with a virtual version of Go for the Gold using the fun gaming platform, Kahoot!

On the night of the competition,

participants needed a computer to join the Zoom meeting and a second device to participate with Kahoot.

Normally teams play two to four games against each other, but with Kahoot each player plays individually and the top-scoring members move on to the Region 5 competition (Huron, Perth, Bruce and Grey counties).

In this virtual competition of Go for the Gold, there was only one game with 50 questions. The 50 questions were a combination of multiple choice, short answers and true-false questions. Questions were out of 4-H beef, goat, horse, scrapbooking, woodworking, fit-

ness, small machines, snow-mobile, greenhouse, breadventure, veterinary and photography project manuals. Also included were some current events and general information questions.

The four participants with the highest score that moved forward to the regional competition were Lauren Bos, Dugald McIntosh, Mercedes Prout and Grace Theophilopolus. Lily Shapton and Halle Barton will be the back-ups if one or two can’t take part in the regional competition in late August.

All the 4-H members did a great job of adapting to a new 4-H annual tradition.

pace,” he said. “Even with limited seating indoors, we enjoy being busy again and starting to feel like things are getting closer to normal.”

McLaughlin said that, while the number of guests aren’t where they were a year ago, he and his staff have been impressed by how the outdoor dining options they’ve implemented have helped.

Cowbell opened “The Green”, a an open field with a covered tent just east of the restaurant, allowing people to enjoy their take-out on site and get a beverage or two.

“With the help of The Green... we have been amazed by the number of guests coming to visit the farm,” he said. “We are not where we were a year ago, but we are trying our best to serve as many people as possible.”

While restaurants like the Blyth Inn and Blyth Cowbell Brewing are open to the public, the public isn’t jumping in too quickly, Lee said, with take-out orders remaining steady and dining-in options starting slow.

“The diners seem happy with the way things are going,” she said.

The restaurant has had to cut down its capacity by over half, eliminating 17 of 29 tables. Lee said they’ve kept some tables of six, one table of eight and the rest seat four. The limitations are being dealt with, she said, and staff are figuring things out.

The necessary practices to keep the restaurant sanitized require more work, Lee said, but not much more, as she said cleanliness was always a priority in the restaurant.

The biggest change, she said, is likely that staff can only tend to one table before having to go back and sanitize. They can’t, for example, deliver food to one table then go take an order at another table.

“It makes things slower, but we’ve brought on extra staff to figure out how to make it work,” she said.

McLaughlin said staff have found the changes aren’t as onerous as anticipated.

Happy 50th Anniversary!

August 7 Carm and Sandra Machan

I give you is light.” (vv. 29-30).

A yoke is a wooden frame that joins two animals together. Their combined strength makes pulling the load lighter for each of them. There is another meaning for yoke. “(T)he term was often used in rabbinic literature to refer to the task of obedience to the Torah.” So to be yoked to Jesus carries a double meaning. I love this image, being yoked to Jesus to share our burdensome and wearying loads and in being paired up with Him we learn from Him, we grow deeper in knowledge and faith and therefore in discipleship. It’s a win/win/win scenario!

So, let us try to take Jesus up on His offer. Let go of our egos, our need for control, and be with God, as an infant with a loving parent.

Because to be yoked with Jesus is not difficult, the weight when pulled together with Him is not nearly so heavy. To be yoked with Jesus is to

be yoked with a great partner, as Jesus is gentle and humble in heart, and we will find rest for our souls.

Amen.

Bridal Shower for

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Drive-by Bridal Shower honouring

Chelsey Terpstra Wednesday, Aug. 12 7-9 pm

Be yoked with Jesus: Todd Continued from page 17 and dependence on their parent, in other words, without our own egos getting in the way. This is so very profound.

Next, Jesus reassures His listeners that He is God’s son, and all that God has and is, is entrusted to Him. And He provides that wonderful line of welcoming love: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”(vs 28) Yes, while we are to be as trusting of God in Christ as an infant is to their parent, Jesus knows that our lives are full of adult responsibilities! And they can be burdensome and wearying. As that old hymn says; “Take it to the Lord in prayer.” A heavy load shared is a burden lightened.

Jesus says, “Take My yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden

“It has not been as difficult as we first thought it may be,” he said.

“We’ve always been serious about the cleanliness of our facility, now we have additional sanitization in high traffic hours. It has helped create extra hours for staff that have returned to work.”

The Blyth Inn recently refurbished the front of the building and installed a take-out window just north of the main entrance.

“We know people may not want to come in, so we hope that helps,” Lee said.

Over at Cowbell, McLaughlin said the wood-backed menus that have been in place since the site opened have been changed in both form and what kind of dishes are being offered.

“Menus have had to be condensed a bit and changed to a one-time use, but we are trying to offer as much as we can and recycle the menus after use,” he said. “We have created links to our menu through barcodes on our indoor tables that we encourage guests to use [with their cell phones] to help us conserve a little paper.”

For more information, or to make reservations or place take-out orders at the Blyth Inn, call 519-523-9381.

Visit Blyth Cowbell Brewing online or through Facebook for more information.

St. Ambrose Church, Brussels – Love your family and friends

Chelsey is registered at myregistry.com

Happy 50th Anniversary Hugh & Lorraine Clugston

Shelby Lee fiancée of Robert Cronin to be held at 10 Frederick St., Brussels on

Sunday, August 23rd from 2-4 pm

Drop-by or drive-by garden party. Bridal registry can be found on myregistry.com Everyone welcome

Saturday, August 8th, 2020 Drive by 5 Remington Dr., Wingham 2-4 pm to congratulate them Love Karen, John, Paul, Sarah and families

PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020.

NH to sublet LeVan hangar

By Denny Scott The Citizen A discussion about transferring ownership of a hangar at the Richard W. LeVan Aerodrome led Reeve Bernie Bailey to remind North Huron Council it had other options than maintaining the facility.

During council’s July 20 meeting, Director of Public Works Sean McGhee presented a report about transferring ownership of a hangar from one private party to another.

The 20-year lease, which was signed in 2008, is currently under Donald and Diane Thompson’s ownership, however they want to transfer it to Bart Cameron.

McGhee said a similar request came from the Thompsons in 2019, however the deal, with a different buyer, had fallen through. He said this time should be different with both Cameron and the Thompsons signing documents to make the purchase legal.

The hangar is privately owned, but the ground upon which it sits belongs to North Huron and is in Morris-Turnberry, McGhee said.

The cost to the owner of the hangar

A bite to eat The Blyth Outdoor Market is quickly becoming known as a place for people to grab some lunch with plenty of options rotating from week to week. Above, Londesborough’s Kittie MacGregor and some guests enjoy some food at the market last Thursday. (Denny Scott photo)

Blyth crash results in careless driving charge Continued from page 1 Huron County Paramedic Services and the North Huron Fire Department attended a singlevehicle collision south of Blyth last week according to OPP. On July 27, at approximately 6:25 p.m., police say a northbound vehicle left County Road 4 (London Road) south of Blyth Road while attempting to pass another vehicle.

Police say that speed was a contributing factor in the crash and the unidentified driver has been

charged with Careless Driving.

The driver sustained non-lifethreatening injuries in the collision.

If you have information about these occurrences please contact Huron OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or (519) 482-1677.

Should you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or submit a secure web-tip at https://www.hccs.ca/ where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.

is $922.38 annually to lease the land, while it costs $770 in municipal taxes which North Huron collects and then passes to Morris-Turnberry.

Bailey then interjected, asking if there was the option for council to cut the lease short.

“Is there an option to buy the hangar out should we decide to sell that land or do something else with the land?” he asked. “What would that cost?”

McGhee said there are clearly outlined processes in the lease to buy back the land, however that requires buying the hangar at market value or allowing it to be relocated. He said there are also dispute resolution processes included in the document.

“There are definite costs associated with the purchase or relocation should council want that to take place,” McGhee said.

North Huron owns the airport and maintains it, Bailey said, but all the taxes go straight to MorrisTurnberry.

“North Huron is paying all the upkeep and costs involved and not getting a cent,” he said. “That’s not how it was supposed to be, but that’s how it is. We don’t have a say.”

Councillor Paul Heffer asked if there was going to be any additional costs since Cameron planned on keeping an aircraft in the hangar.

McGhee said the municipality was already maintaining the space necessary for use, including snow removal and grass cutting, but without the runway being open in the winter, snow removal costs were limited.

“The fact that there is or isn’t an aircraft there doesn’t force action on the part of council,” he said. “If you choose to [disable] your runway for the winter, that’s your prerogative.”

Council approved the request to sublet the hangar to Cameron.

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The theme of the day on Saturday was pirate masks at the Wild Goose Studio in Blyth. For the third week in a row, the new business welcomed young people from the community in to make themed masks for the sold-out workshop. (John Stephenson photo)

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