The Citizen - August 30, 2024

3 • Plowing Match 7 • History 8 • Sports 19 • Rural Festivals

The

THIS WEEK

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Stingers clinch top spot

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

Anyway, here’s ‘Bang a Gong’ All of the fans of the highly-influential and revered glam rock trailblazers T.Rex that showed up to the Blyth Kids Club’s end of summer party at Blyth Lions Park last Friday night may have gotten something a little different than what they expected upon being told that T.Rex was on stage. Nevertheless, Blyth’s Joe Gahan,

right, co-founder of the Kids Club, and his band The Lucky Charms kept toes tapping over the course of the night, which included inflatables, food, a silent auction, a foam party and more as one last gasp before the young people among us return to classes at schools throughout the county and across the province. (John Stephenson photo)

McGavin, Hern top Plowing Match results

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen While Mackenzie Terpstra and Jillian Simpson may have dominated headlines as the winners of the Queen of the Furrow and Princess competitions, respectively, at this year’s Huron County Plowing Match recently, there was much to be celebrated out in the fields as well.

Thursday - Junior Day On Thursday, Junior Day, the Huron County 4-H Sodbusters Club held its achievement day under a blazing hot sun. Clayton Hern was named the Top Plow Person with 138 points and he also took home the Ross Gordon Memorial Award for the day’s Top Crown. Cole Hugill won the William Leeming Memorial Award for Top Finish.

The club members were, in order of finish: Clayton Hern, 138 points, first place; Cole Hugill, 132 points, second place; Joel Fleet, 129 points, third place; Dugald McIntosh, 126 points, fourth place;

Percy Parsons, 123 points, fifth place; Ryan Miller, 120 points, sixth place; Jessalyn Hendriks, 117 points, seventh place; Keith DeKroon, 115 points, eighth place; Brendan Hickey, 109 points, ninth place; Wyatt Govers, 108 points, 10th place; Darcy Fear, 106 points, 11th place; Aiden Hickey and Jarrett Fleet, 104 points each, tied for 12th place; Ben Speer, 101 points, 14th place; Anna Fear, 99 points, 15th place, and James Speer, 90 points, 16th place.

Leaders for the day were Melissa Veldman, Brian McGavin, Troy Leeming and Sarah Miller, while the day’s helpers were Jeff McGavin, Don Dodds, George Townsend, Lucas Townsend, Mark Baker and Chris Baker.

Friday - the 96th annual Huron County Plowing Match As for the awards handed out at Friday night’s banquet for the 2024 Huron County Plowing Match, which welcomed 40 local and visiting participants, Brian McGavin was the Senior

Champion, followed by Paul Dodds, Reserve Senior Champion.

Clayton Hern was the Junior Champion and Dugald McIntosh was the Reserve Junior Champion.

Tom Evans won the Don Dodds Award for the highest score for a visitor with 150 points, while Keith DeKroon won the Van-Lea Award for the youngest plower and Clayton Hern won the McGavin Family Award for the Top Junior Plowperson from Huron County.

Richard Elliot was the Antique Plowing Senior Champion and Cameron Vos was the Antique Plowing Junior Champion.

The rest of the results are as follows: • Class 2 - Huron Junior Class: first, Clayton Hern; second, Dugald McIntosh; third, Cole Hugill; fourth, Anna Fear; fifth, Brendan Hickey; sixth, Ryan Miller; seventh, Ben Speer, and eighth, James Speer.

• Class 4 - Huron Junior Green Class: first, Joel Fleet; second, Aiden Hickey,

and third, Keith DeKroon.

• Class 5 - Huron Senior Division: first, Brian McGavin; second, Paul Dodds; third, Lucas Townsend; fourth, Chris Baker; fifth, Troy Leeming, and sixth, Andrew Fear.

• Class 6 - Open Junior TwoFurrow: first, Austin Brodhaecker; second, Alex Cameron; third, Sidney Sicard; fourth, Lynden Little, and fifth, Breanna Little.

• Class 7 - Open Senior TwoFurrow: first, Brian Sterling; second, Patrick Sanders, and third, Meghan Cameron.

• Class 8 - Open Three-Furrow Plow: first, Anthony Bertrand.

• Class 9 - Open Reversible Plow: first, Tom Evans, and second, Mackenzie Reinhart.

• Class 10 - Antique Trail: first, Richard Elliot; second, Ken Milligan; third, Richard Pepper; fourth, Paul Robinson, and fifth, Tom Thede.

• Class 11 - Antique Mounted: first, Doug Smith; second, Jim Continued on page 3

The Belmore Stingers have sewn up first place in this year’s Huron County Fastball League standings, with a record of 17-1 and 34 points with just two games left to play.

Even as the Sebringville Sting have a whopping seven games left to play, there is no chance they will catch the league leaders, even if they win all of them.

In second place is the Wingham Hitmen with a record of 12-5 and 24 points, followed by the Goderich Grizzlies at 10-7 and 20 points in third place and the Elmira U20 Expos at 8-7-2 and 18 points in fourth place.

The Brussels Bangers (8-9), Brussels Tigers (8-8), Monkton Muskrats (8-7) and Sebringville Sting (8-5) are all tied on points with 16 each, followed by the ninth-place Milverton Millwrights with a record of 7-9 and 14 points.

The Mitchell Mets and Walton Brewers follow with identical 5-101 records and 11 points each with the Fullarton A’s in 12th place with a record of 5-13 and 10 points and the last-place Wroxeter Rippers with a record of 3-14 and six points.

Games next week will resume after the Labour Day long weekend with three games scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 3. The Walton Brewers will be in Goderich to play the Grizzlies in a game shifted from Sept. 9. The Brussels Bangers will host the Sebringville Sting in a game originally scheduled for July 10 and the Elmira U20 Expos will be in Wingham to play the Hitmen in a game originally scheduled to be played on Aug. 16.

The next day, Sept. 4, the Sebringville Sting will be in Monkton to play the Muskrats in a game originally scheduled for Aug. 9 and the Walton Brewers will play the Milverton Millwrights in a game originally due to be played on July 18.

On Friday, Sept. 6, leading into the final weekend of the season, Goderich will play the Sting in Sebringville, the Milverton Millwrights will play the Muskrats in Monkton and the Brussels Bangers will host the Wingham Hitmen. On Sept. 8, the Sebringville Sting will play the Rippers in Wroxeter and the Monkton Muskrats will play the Brussels Bangers on Sept. 9, just ahead of the final day of the regular season: Tuesday, Sept. 10.

Looking back, on Aug. 25, the Continued on page 8

PAGE 2. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024.

Report on SWIFT project provides details on returns

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

No foam-o for these kids The Blyth Kids Club held its end-of-summer party at Blyth Lions Park last Friday and those who were in attendance were happy to be free of FOMO (fear of missing out) by being there to experience the foam party, music and so much more. (John Stephenson photo)

According to his report to Huron County Council on Aug. 14, Economic Development Officer Chris Watson says Huron County saw a return of $4.60 for every dollar spent on the Southwest Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) project to bring broadband internet to Huron County.

Now that the project has been completed, Watson reported back to council based on a summary of the SWIFT project provided by the group that rolled out the project received in May. The total contribution from Huron County came in just under $3 million - $2,986,989 - after an initial contribution of $678,557 followed by subsequent investments of $2,308,332 to fund three additional projects.

The total infrastructure spending across all SWIFT projects is in excess of $13 million - $13,667,343 - including contributions from the municipal sector, internet service

providers and SWIFT itself. This equates to a multiplied of 4.6:1, meaning that, for every dollar invested by Huron County, an additional $4.60 was invested by SWIFT and partner internet service providers.

With the 10 projects completed, 1,884 premises were served by the SWIFT project and 333.3 kilometres of fibre optic cable were constructed in Huron County, Watson said in his report.

“In addition to SWIFT projects, the Universal Broadband Fund (UBF) is also improving broadband access in Huron County. UBF projects are funded by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) and Infrastructure Ontario, in partnership with HuronTel. These projects are projected to be completed and fully installed by 2026. These projects are still in progress, but, to date, none are complete,” Watson said in his report.

Council received Watson’s report for information after years of debate over the SWIFT program.

Huron County Council denies funding request

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Huron County Council has turned down a request for $5,000 in funding for the Huron County Cenotaph Book Project, spearheaded by David Yates and Conrad Kuiper.

The two men asked council to consider helping to get the project off the ground last month, but council turned down the request at its Aug. 14 meeting, consistent with the recommendation from Treasurer and Director of Corporate Services Michael Blumhagen, presented to council that day.

In his report, Blumhagen also noted that the Huron County Historical Society had published an issue of its Huron Historical Notes that focused on cenotaphs in Huron County.

“With respect to the proceeds being donated to the county for the purpose of a cenotaph fund, it is staff’s understanding that the local Legions maintain the cenotaphs.

The county does not have any responsibility or involvement in maintaining the cenotaphs, so staff do not feel it would be appropriate for the county to manage a cenotaph fund,” Blumhagen said in his report. “Additionally, there is a current grant moratorium in place with no funds included in the budget to currently support community grants.”

Goderich Mayor Trevor Bazinet spoke in favour of the project and said he hoped council would consider approving the grant request, citing the importance of cenotaphs in Huron County.

Huron East Mayor Bernie MacLellan, however, was less enthusiastic about shelling out taxpayer dollars for the project, looking back at the justification for the grant moratorium in the first place. He said that there was a time

in the not-so-distant past that community groups and people with projects came to Huron County Council because the word on the street was that, if you appeal to council in person, you’ll get your money. Starting to hand out grants again, worthy though the projects may be, starts the county sliding backwards once again.

Central Huron Mayor Jim Ginn

felt it important to point out that this project would have been a perfect fit for the Huron Heritage Fund, which had recently been discontinued by the county. Chief Administrative Officer Meighan Wark agreed, saying that the project would have likely been destined for that fund, had council not opted to discontinue its funding.

Morris-Turnberry Mayor Jamie

Heffer and South Huron Mayor George Finch also spoke out against issuing the grant, saying that it might set a precedent for funding for further projects down the road.

Council then approved a motion consistent with Blumhagen’s

recommendation to not approve the grant. After the vote, however, councillors suggested that the two authors consider approaching local Legions for funding. With all of the Branches in Huron County, there would be potential for funding there, they suggested.

WWJD

(J.C. Ryle, "Holiness. Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots") A holy man will strive to be like our Lord Jesus Christ. He will not only live the life of faith in Him, and draw from Him all his daily peace and strength-but he will also labor to be conformed to His image (Romans 8:29). It will be his aim . . . to bear with and forgive others--even as Christ forgave us; to be unselfish--even as Christ pleased not Himself; to walk in love--even as Christ loved us; to be lowly-minded and humble--even as Christ humbled Himself.

A holy man will remember.. that Christ would continually deny Himself in order to minister to others; that He was meek and patient under undeserved insults; that He thought more of godly poor men, than of kings; that He was full of love and compassion to sinners; that He was bold and uncompromising in denouncing sin; that He sought not the praise of men, when He might have had it; that He went about doing good; that He was separate from worldly people; that He continued instant in prayer; that He would not let even His nearest relations stand in His way, when God's work was to be done.

All these things, a holy man will try to remember. By them, he will endeavor to shape his course in life.

He will lay to heart the saying of John: "He who says he abides in Christ, ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked" (1 John 2:6); and the saying of Peter, that "Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow His steps" (1 Peter 2:21).

Happy is he who has learned to make Christ his "all," both for salvation and example! Much time would be saved, and much sin prevented--if men would oftener ask themselves the question: "What would Jesus have said and done-if He were in my place?"

A Grace Gem Submitted by: Immanuel United Reformed Church Listowel, ON 519-291-3887

The Lion Charlie Shaw Memorial Golf Tournament Hosted By The Blyth Lions Club Has A Big

THANK YOU To The

148 Golfers 58 Businesses & Families Who Were Golf Hole Sponsors 52 Businesses, Families & Individuals Who Donated Prizes & Contributed Financially Special Thanks to all of our Volunteers All Proceeds from the Tournament Will Be Used To Support Youth Programs & Activities

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024. PAGE 3.

Zone 3 Junior Match attracts 28 to Bayfield

The Huron County Plowing Match was another successful event for the Huron County Plowmen’s Association on Aug. 15-16, but, on Sunday, Aug. 18, Zone 3 of the Ontario Plowmen’s Association held a special youth match, encouraging young people of all levels of experience to come out and try their hands in the fields. Nearly 30 did and it proved to be a great day for the provincial association and a tradition that will carry on in the years to come. (John Stephenson photo)

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The results from the day are as follows: • Experienced Class: first, Alex Cameron; second, Dugald McIntosh; third, Sidney Sicard; fourth, Wesley Brown; fifth, Ryan Miller, and sixth, Ben Speer.

• Intermediate: first, Cole Hugill; second, Brendan Hickey; third, Wyatt Reyneveld; fourth, Noah Reyneveld; fifth, Aiden Hickey, and sixth, Cameron Vos. • Inexperienced: first, Jessalyn Hendriks; second, Brooklyn Sanders and Gavin Gross; fourth, Carson Little; fifth, Joel Fleet; sixth, Eva Vos; seventh, Lincoln Voth; eighth, Logan Gross; ninth, Owen Hill; 10th, Jarrett Fleet and Chayle Oatt; 12th, Lyndon Little; 13th, Brianna Little; 14th, Anna Fear; 15th, Avery Brown, and 16th Keith DeKroon.

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Continued from page 1 Cox; third, Paul Hodgson, and fourth, Brian Helkaa.

• Class 12 - Horse Sulky Plow: first, Jordan Shortreed, who was also the winner of the Best Team Plow Award, sponsored by Miller Ace Country Market of Exeter.

• Class 13 - Horse Walking Plow: first, John DeKroon.

• Class 14 - Antique Junior: first, Cameron Vos. Sunday - the first-ever Junior Zone 3 Plowing Match, hosted by the Ontario Plowmen’s Association This initiative, meant to bring more young people into the world of competitive plowing, was held at the Vermue family farm near Bayfield, where the Huron County Plowing Match took place.

Allison Pepper, zone director with the Ontario Plowmen’s Association and its second vicepresident, said it was a great day, despite a bit of rainfall that did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the participants. During the preregistration period, Pepper said, there were about 12 young people registered, a number that climbed to about 19 the night before the match. Then, on the day of, 28 participants attended from Bruce, Grey, Huron, Perth, Lambton and Middlesex Counties, which Pepper says was a tremendous turnout that exceeded her expectations.

She thanked Bryan Bertrand, Paul Dodds and Steve Speller for serving as the judges for the days, the Vermue family for hosting and Robert’s Farm Equipment for sponsoring the day with prizes, lunch, merchandise and more.

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Kregar named new NH chief

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen

Stay connected with • Council Coverage including: Huron County Ashfield-W Wa awanosh-Colborne Central Huron Morris-Turnberry North Huron Huron East

At Monday night’s meeting, North Huron Council announced the appointment of Chad Kregar as its next fire chief. This won’t be Kregar ’s first time in the hot seat he’s been acting as Interim Director of Fire and Emergency Management since March, following the exit of previous chief Kent Readman. Prior to his stint as interim chief, Kregar spent 21 years as a firefighterr,, and has also been deputy fire chief. Ken DeV Vrries will now take on that position.

A statement from North Huron states that Kregar will oversee the strategic direction of the fire department by prioritizing community safety and improving operational efffficiency. In a press release from North Huron, Reeve Paul Heffffeer praised Kregarr,, writing that he is, “committed to fostering a culture of excellence, ensuring that our fire and emergency management functions continue to meet the highest standards…. On behalf of the Township of North Huron, I would like to congratulate Chad Kregar and Ken DeVries on their new positions. These appointments are a testament to their many years of dedication, leadership, and unwavering commitment to North Huron’s safety and well-being. We look forward to working with them in their new roles to keep our community safe.”

• Eventts • Festivvals CH hears Cliinton sports pad options • Fairs Brewers bumped to ISC second tier • OPP Reports • Community Correspondents • Guest Columnists We mak ke e it easy to sign up. Choose Y Yo our Option!

• Editorials Leading the way

The Brussels Legion Pipe Band was the first group to hit the road on Saturday as the Bluevale 170th Homecoming parade made its way through the community’s streets. That was just one part of the weekend, however, that had plenty of o kids’ activities,

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

Central Huron Council has not made a final decision on the creation of a new sports pad in Clinton, Clinton but did hear a number of location options on Monday night from Facilities Manager Steve Duizer for a project that could be included in next year ’s budget.

Duizer presented the report to council at its Monday night meeting. This came after council requested more information and several options from staffff after deciding not to build a new pool in Clinton to replace the aging pool that has been closed for several years and will now be demolished and the land renaturalized.

Duizer presented council with four options, complete with pros and cons for each site.

The first is Hawkins Park. The park is underutilized, he said in his report, and the size of the space in question could accommodate a pad with two pickleball courts and a

small basketbaall court, if that was council’s desirre. However, he noted that the park iss in close proximity to several resideential backyards and, without a parrking lot, the nearby uld be impacted if a side street cou sports t padd is i created t d there. th The second option was Kinsmen/Kinette Park.

Its circumstances mirror those of Hawkins Park, in that it also appears underutilized, but could accommodate a larrg ge pad, yet it is in close proximity to several yards and parking could be an issue as the existing parking lot at the park is not owned by the municipality.

The third option would be a new sports pad at Central Huron Secondary School. He noted that, while a double tennis court pad is already in place at the school, it would require a full pad replacement, as well as net post replacement and some fencing repairs.

He said that while an agreement to share construction costs, maintenance and define the terms

historical displays, planned get-togethers and reunions and music. It all started with Teeswater-based Haley McNeil on Friday night taking to the stage, a young lady with (John connections to Brussels returning to the community.

Stephenson photo)

of use could potentially be reached with the Avon Maitland District School Board, the final design could end up being a school board decision and the location at the rear of the school could limit residents’ usage during d i school h l hours. h The final option would be a new sports pad near the Clinton Raceway and Central Huron Community Complex, located on the large green space between the arena’s upper driveway and the casino.

He said the area could accommodate a pad with two pickleball courts and a small basketball court and it would be approximately 150 metres from the closest residence with ample parking. He also noted that the area is near the rear of the raceway barns, so he didn’t anticipate any impact on horse training or raceway operations.

Duizer noted that, if council were to select a location for a new sports pad, the project could be included in next year ’s budget deliberations.

However, council did not make a decision at the time and instead received the report for information purposes and will revisit it later.

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

The Walton Brewers hit the ground running in Surrey, British Columbia on Saturday in the International Softball Congress (ISC) 2024 Men’s Fastpitch World Tournament with a 3-0 win over the host Surrey Rebels to open the tournament for both teams.

The next day, however, the Brewers found themselves on the wrong end of a two-touchdown loss to the Bear Creek Express, who shut out the locals by a score of 14-0.

Then, on Monday y,, the Brewers fell a second time, losing to the Emery Electric Chargers by the muchtighter score of 7-4.

With those two losses, the Brewers were dropped from the ISC1 tournament, but were still alive in the ISC2 tournament, which continued this week. The team then won its first game in the second tier of the tournament on Tuesday, a 2-0 victory over the Alberta Pirates, but then lost by a score of 1-0 to the Tropics of Sydney, Australia. They then played again Wednesday Continued on page 3

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PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024.

Editorials & Opinions

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Grow it, show it...

A new study from the University of Waterloo has been cited across major American media networks in recent weeks. The study warned that a rise in temperature of just three degrees Fahrenheit would result in a 40 per cent reduction in yield for strawberries. The beloved summer berry is a major crop in the U.S. worth over $3 billion annually to its economy.

The research shows how tied the global food supply is to the environment and advocates for the continued adoption of sustainable agriculture practices, such as drip irrigation, crop shading to avoid heat stress and scheduling to avoid peak heat periods. The researchers chose strawberries as their initial study model due to the fruit’s popularity with consumers and notoriously short shelf life, but warned that their findings could be extrapolated across many commodities.

We have just hit the hottest 10 years ever recorded, all in the last decade, so our relationship to the planet should be at the forefront of government policies and agricultural practices if we want to be able to continue to feed the 8.2 billion people who share it. – DS

A need-to-know basis It wasn’t so long ago - just a few months, in fact - that this editorial board offered rare congratulations to Doug Ford’s Ontario government on splitting the vast portfolio of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Local MPP Lisa Thompson would oversee Rural Affairs and Rob Flack’s charge would be Agriculture, Food and Agri-Business.

This showed Ontarians that the government was taking rural issues seriously and that not all rural affairs involve agriculture; that concerns like healthcare, homelessness, addiction and mental health mattered in, say, Huron County and demanded their own, rural solutions.

How wrong we were. Two ministers overseeing issues pertaining to agriculture and rural affairs means there are twice as many people to say absolutely nothing as prime farmland is stolen from farmers.

While Ford’s government has been rightfully scrutinized for its role in the expropriation of prime agricultural land in Wilmot Township, including refused Freedom of Information requests and a complete lack of transparency, the silence from Flack and Thompson is deafening.

Neither has addressed the issue in a major way. Flack has offered an all-time non-answer with, “What this is, is a land assembly for future projects down the road. We’re a growing province that’s grown by over two million people in the last two years. We need to create jobs - we’re doing a great job of that.” From Thompson, it’s been crickets. Despite the intersection of agriculture and rural affairs regarding this issue, the people we pay to oversee such things are abdicating responsibility.

From ignoring expert advice to selling off valuable assets, the Ford government has shown nothing will get in its way. And yet, Thompson and Flack must be held responsible, rather than being considered part of an amorphous government blob. If they are the true overseers of agriculture and rural affairs in this province, we need to hear from them. If this is a good plan whose juice is worth the squeeze, tell us why. If it’s not, fight for us. Silence is not an option. – SL

It’s a start For too long, Canada’s housing crisis has cast a shadow over our communities, with solutions seeming just out of reach. Amid endless discussions and unfulfilled promises from various levels of government, recent developments offer a refreshing shift from talk to tangible action.

The federal government’s addition of 56 properties to a new public lands bank is an encouraging development in the quest for increased access to affordable housing. These properties - formerly military bases, Canada Post locations and unused federal buildings - were previously slated for sale, but will now be kept in public hands. This move is designed to ensure that housing developed on these lands remains affordable and accessible. These properties are spread across 28 municipalities in seven provinces, with plans for further additions as further underutilized federal lands are reviewed. This approach diverges from the earlier strategy of selling these lands outright, which would have resulted in a loss of control over their future use.

Five of the properties have already moved into the development phase, including sites from former military bases in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Ottawa, as well as a former National Film Board building in Montreal. This is just the beginning of what the new land bank could achieve, offering a practical start toward addressing the housing shortage. And while this initiative won’t solve the housing crisis overnight, it reflects a genuine effort to tackle an urgent issue that has been discussed for far too long without adequate action.

Looking ahead, we should view this development not as a comprehensive solution, but as a promising start. It indicates that action is being taken and marks a step in the right direction for addressing one of our most pressing social issues. Let’s hope this momentum continues, leading to further progress and real solutions in the future. – SBS

Looking Back Through the Years September 3, 1969 The Blyth Fire Department responded to a request for assistance from the Seaforth Department last Friday morning at 6 a.m. for a barn fire at the farm of Mr. and Mrs. Bob Dalton, Londesborough. Seaforth Chief John Scott estimated the damage at $25,000. Between 40 and 50 tons of grain, as well as a quantity of hay and straw, were lost along with the barn. The Blyth firemen remained on the scene for only a short period, filling a portable tank used by the Seaforth brigade with water from both a tanker truck and a pumper.

Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Bean presented a cheque for 100 dollars to the Blyth Lions Club this week on behalf of all those who helped during their recent barn fire.

Maurice informed The Blyth Standard that many people had spent countless hours working to remove heated hay from his barn.

He and his wife were deeply grateful to everyone for their assistance. They were certain that without the help, the hay would have ignited, and the barn would have been lost to the flames.

Wishing to express their appreciation in some way, the Beans decided to donate the one hundred dollars to the local organization on behalf of the workers. The money would be used by the Lions to support some worthwhile local causes.

Under the capable leadership of Board Members Hugh and Bill Flynn, the Blyth Agricultural Society constructed a new building to house the 4-H calves and junior livestock. The old horse barn, which had become more of an eyesore than a useful structure, was expected

to be demolished once the fair concluded.

August 31, 1977 A large crowd assembled at a park on Sunday evening to enjoy a concert performed by the Brussels Legion Pipe Band.

Huron County Council convened Friday morning for a brief session and approved the appointment of Dr. Brian J. Lynch as assistant medical officer of health, effective September 2, and as acting MOH effective October 1 for an initial three-month period.

Seaforth’s Deputy-Reeve Bill Dale expressed concern that information about Dr. Lynch’s position had appeared in the press before the county council had approved the matter. He mentioned that he heard the story on the radio twice.

August 30, 1989 Three girls sustained major injuries following a single-vehicle accident on the Bayfield Road around 9 p.m. Saturday evening.

Michelle Krauter, 19, of Ethel, and 20-year-old Ellen Tanner of Listowel were passengers in a car registered to Miss Krauter’s father, Ed Krauter. According to the Goderich OPP, the ‘78 Ford Pinto, driven by Gayle Sleightholm, 20, of Listowel, was westbound on County Road 13 when the front tire hit the gravel shoulder. The driver lost control, and the car rolled into the culvert, striking a post.

The three victims were taken to Clinton Hospital with injuries described by police as major.

Miss Sleightholm and Miss Tanner were later transferred to University Hospital in London, where they both were listed in fair condition. Miss Krauter, who was wearing a seat belt, remained in

Clinton in good condition.

An OPP spokesperson stated that no charges would be laid. The Krauter vehicle was destroyed.

Hattie and Edwin Wood celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with 200 friends, neighbours, and relatives joining them on Sunday in Londesborough.

The couple were married 60 years ago on Monday and continued to farm on the same property where they began in 1929.

A resource book and community reference guide, Seniors Scene, became available to the general public free of charge.

September 2, 2004 Local band Perish wrapped up last Saturday’s concert showcase with a bang at the Brussels Legion.

The event also featured other talented musicians including bands like Distort, Eye In Me, and Dramaturg. The event was organized by StickPin Records of Kitchener.

Rev. Eugen Bannerman of the Blyth United Church launched his new book, Street Names of Blyth, which provides a brief history and some stories about each street in Blyth. The book launch was hosted

by Jane Gardner, general manager of the Blyth Festival, in the Bainton Gallery at Memorial Hall.

A recent, though well-known arrival in Blyth, Edgar Daer was elected in a by-election to fill a vacant council seat. Daer replaced former Blyth ward councillor Ralph Trum.

Daer, who resided in East Wawanosh, had a strong association with the community, particularly through his many years of involvement with the Huron Pioneer Threshers, where he was then serving as president.

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024. PAGE 5.

Other Views

A scary vision for our neighbours

S

enior citizen though I am, I do not think our world is slipping backward. Oh sure, there are some things from our past I’d prefer to restore, like dynamic main streets in our towns, but mostly I think we have advanced amazingly far from our past.

And that’s where I’ve never understood the MAGA movement in the United States: Make America Great Again. I sense Republicans forget how good they have it. When was America greater than it is today? Back in the 1950s, when we feared nuclear war with the Soviet Union, so much that we had drills where we hid under our desks in a futile effort to protect ourselves from nuclear fall-out? In the days when southern states had two sets of drinking fountains: one for whites and another for Blacks?

America may be far from perfect - as is Canada - but it has come so far from the past.

Yet, led by Donald Trump, many Americans yearn for a return of a past way of life. His vice-presidential pick, J. D. Vance, wrote the forward to Project 2025, promoted by the Heritage Foundation as a proposed 900-page agenda for a renewed Trump presidency.

Trump denies knowledge of it, but it was cocreated by a large number of former advisers from his first-term government from 2016 to 2020. It would radically alter the standing values of America.

The document sets out four main policy aims: restore the family as the centrepiece of American life; dismantle the administrative state; defend the nation's sovereignty and borders, and secure God-given individual rights to live freely.

Project 2025 proposes, for instance, that the entire federal bureaucracy, including independent agencies such as the Department of Justice, be placed under direct presidential

Keith Roulston

From the cluttered desk control - a controversial idea known as “unitary executive theory”. The policy would give the president dictatorial control to decide policies.

Under Project 2025, job protections for thousands of government employees would be eliminated. They could then be replaced by political appointees.

Project 2025 labels the FBI, (a respected organization) as a “bloated, arrogant, increasingly lawless organization”. It calls for drastic overhauls of this and several other federal agencies, as well as the complete elimination of the Department of Education.

Under immigration, the document calls for increased funding to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as dismantling the Department of Homeland Security and combining it with other immigration enforcement units in other agencies, creating a much larger and more powerful border policing operation.

On climate, the document proposes slashing federal money for research and investment in renewable energy, and calls for the next president to “stop the war on oil and natural gas”. Carbon-reduction goals would be replaced by efforts to increase energy production and energy security.

Its economic advisers suggest Trump should slash corporate and income taxes and abolish the Federal Reserve.

Project 2025 proposes withdrawing the abortion pill mifepristone from the market, and using existing, but little-enforced laws to stop the drug being sent through the post.

It suggests that the department of Health and Human Services should “maintain a Biblically based, social science-reinforced definition of marriage and family.”

The document goes on and on and on, proposing a U.S. that is radically different from what Americans enjoy today; perhaps a reason Trump denies knowing about it despite the many connections to his campaign. This is not an America that most voters want.

More attention has been paid to Project 2025

by Democrats than Republicans. Several speakers at the recent Democratic National Convention (DNC) held copies of the document. This is not surprising, since Americans need to realize that a vote for Trump might usher in an America in which few of them want to live.

Many Democratic Party veterans who attended said the DNC was the most remarkable convention they had ever attended.

It reflects the lift that many Democrats experienced when President Joe Biden withdrew from the race and threw his support behind Vice-President Kamala Harris. It provided a positive drive against Trump, who seems even more dedicated to massive changes in the U.S. after he lost the 2020 election (something he refuses to admit).

If Democrats win the November election, Trump has already suggested it will only be because they cheated him. After experiencing Jan. 6, it’s hard to imagine what he and his supporters might do. Here’s hoping, given the fear of Project 2025 and their support of Kamala Harris, voters are so supportive of her that even Trump won’t be able to challenge.

There’s no reason why August can’t grow

Q

uirky as it may sound, the “Lengthen August” movement is gathering steam among those who know that 31 days simply aren’t enough to soak up the best of summer. Their bold proposition? Lengthen August to a sprawling 62 days, allowing us to squeeze every last drop of sunshine from the season. Because, let’s face it, if there’s one month deserving of a little extra stretch, it’s the one when everything feels possible before the cold reality of fall sets in.

Now, we can hear the skeptics already: “But you can’t just go around changing the calendar willy-nilly!” To which we respond, why not? We live in an era where we can 3Dprint organs and communicate with someone halfway around the world at the speed of light. Surely, adding a few more days to August is within our grasp.

Let’s consider the benefits. First, there’s the obvious perk of more summer. More time to enjoy the beach, more days to pretend you’re going to start that exercise routine, and more nights to convince yourself that one more barbecue won’t hurt. With a 62-day August, you can stretch out those lazy days into an entire extra month. Imagine the luxury of time to finish your summer reading list, or at least pretend you did when someone asks.

From an economic standpoint, the argument for a longer August is as solid as a sandcastle. More August means an extended tourist season, which is basically a win-win for everyone. Local economies would thrive as people flock to enjoy every last drop of what a long August has to offer.

But let’s not stop at the material benefits. A 62-day August would be a boon for mental health. Studies show that sunlight boosts serotonin, the chemical in our brains that makes us feel happy. Now imagine 31 extra days of that feel-good sunshine. We’d have a

Scott Stephenson The Chaff nation of people so cheerful, they might even start saying “good morning” to each other unironically.

And what about the months we’d have to shave down to make this happen? Well, no one’s shedding a tear over November. Let’s face it: November is the Wednesday afternoon of the year - nothing good happens, and it’s just a slog to get through. By trimming November down to a more manageable 20 days, we could rid ourselves of at least one week of cold, gray, pre-holiday misery.

As for December, who wouldn’t want Christmas to arrive a little faster? We’ll snip a few days off the front end, so you won’t have to wait as long to get to the good stuff.

Think of it as a gift-wrapped bonus round: less time fretting over gift lists and more time basking in the warm glow of holiday cheer.

By the time January rolls around, you’ll be so rested and rejuvenated from your extended August that even the New Year’s resolutions will seem like a walk in the park.

So how do we get this ball rolling? Simple: start by celebrating “Second August” the way some cultures have second breakfasts. Let’s declare August 32nd a holiday, complete with parades, fireworks and as much sunscreen as you can slather on. With enough enthusiasm, the momentum will build, and before long, you’ll find yourself grilling burgers on August 57th without a second thought.

Of course, there will be those who cling to tradition, who insist that time is immutable.

But where’s the fun in that? After all, time is a construct, and if we’ve learned anything from daylight savings, leap years and that one friend who’s always late, it’s that we can mold time to our liking.

For those looking to take a hardline approach, we salute you. Starting at 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 31, declare a time strike. That’s right, at the stroke of midnight refuse to acknowledge September’s existence. Keep living in August like it’s the summer that never ends. Refuse to change the calendar.

Keep wearing those flip-flops, and if someone mentions “back to school,” look them dead in the eye and say, “Not in my August.” Together, we can show the world that we mean business - sunny business.

So, as we ponder the merits of this audacious proposal, remember: life is short, but August doesn’t have to be. Let’s start a petition, rearrange our seasons and bask in a gloriously elongated summer while November whimpers in the background.

Because in the end, a 62-day August is not just a calendar change - it’s a lifestyle upgrade.

On the cusp of this calendar revolution, let’s make one thing clear: this isn’t just about adding days to August - it’s about seizing control of our own narrative. Why should we let time dictate how much summer we get to enjoy? Let’s flip the script and remind the world that we are the architects of our own seasons. The only thing standing between us and an eternal August is a little imagination and a whole lot of sunscreen.

So, here’s to a future in which summer is as long as we want it to be and the sun never has to set on the very best days of our lives.

Shawn Loughlin Shawn’s Sense

I am not O.K.

O

ver this three-week period, there has been and will be a lot of change at the Loughlin house. Last week, Cooper, now past the year-and-a-half threshold, has begun his life in daycare and, by the time you’re reading this, Tallulah will be one week away from her first day of school.

Those are a pair of pretty big milestones, both for the parents and for the children, in just a matter of weeks. All the while, Jess and I have had to carry on and work our jobs pretending that everything was O.K. when everything, in fact, was not O.K. To quote your friend and mine, Marsellus Wallace from Pulp Fiction, “Nah, man. I’m pretty [expletive deleted] far from O.K.” While Wallace’s circumstances in that moment differ greatly from ours, I think it’s safe to say that we were and are feeling the same way about things.

Cooper’s daycare is the same one that did so much to make Tallulah happy and welcome in Lucknow and I’m assured of the high quality of Hullett Central Public School, in addition to what I’ve seen with my own eyes and years of experiences there, so this is not about having doubts in the institutions. It’s about the unstoppable nature of time and how it takes on a different meaning when you’re a parent.

Of course Jess and I are eager to meet the new versions of our children. The Cooper who plays with his daycare friends and learns about new things. The Tallulah who learns at school and finds her own interests, passions and skills and makes her own friends free from her parents’ influence. These are two young people I can’t wait to meet. But I love my children as they are right now as well. It can’t help but feel as though you’re losing one version of your child, while gaining another version.

The kids will have friends who aren’t me or Jess and all we’ll want is to be their friends.

They’ll want to spend time with those friends, especially Tallulah, and all we’ll want is for the kids to want to spend time with us. We’ll long for the days when all the kids wanted to do was spend time with us, but, depending on the day, we might have declined so we could sit and rest, do some upkeep around the house, mow the lawn or just have a sip of coffee.

I know that Jess and I try to spend as much time with our kids as possible, often turning down offers to see friends or take trips in favour of being with them, so I don’t think we’re exactly lacking in time spent, but surely, one day, we’ll both feel like we could have done more, played more, snuggled more.

By no means are we packing up the kids in their own car and bidding them farewell as they head off to college - though I’m sure that will happen in a time period that won’t feel that long - so I’m not trying to be overly dramatic, but as the kids experience these changes, we will be experiencing our own.

Another aspect of all of this is that it’s hard to believe that the time has gone by so quickly.

Everyone has told me that this is the case, but it’s still shocking when it actually happens.

I remember two years ago, taking a picture at the Hullett school graduation and it just so happened to be on Tallulah’s birthday. I spoke with a parent there whose child was graduating and I told her that we had celebrated Tallulah’s second birthday just minutes earlier and put her to bed so I could run to the graduation. She said that, before I knew it, I’d be there, watching Tallulah graduate.

That feels more true than ever now. Working for The Citizen for 18 years now, I’ve seen so many children grow into adults. Now it’s time to watch my own children do the same and I don’t exactly feel ready for it.

PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024.

Brussels Fall Fair Ambassadors crowned

Emily Bieman, Brussels Fall Fair Ambassador 2024

Loretta Higgins, Brussels Fall Fair Ambassador 2023

Bridget McCallum, Brussels Fall Fair Junior Ambassador 2024

Paislee Ribey, Brussels Fall Fair Junior Ambassador 2023

Passing the torch The Brussels Agricultural Society welcomes a new generation of Fall Fair Ambassadors at an Aug. 14 ceremony held in the Brussels Legion.

(Shawn Loughlin photos)

Brussels Agricultural Society President, Reg Vinnicombe

Sophia Blake, Brussels Fall Fair Little Ambassador 2024

Isla Fischer, Brussels Fall Fair Little Ambassador 2023

Maggie Speer

Autumn enthusiasts getting ready for fall A NOTE FROM BETTY

By Betty Graber Watson Call 887-9231 A new month is almost here and, for the folks who enjoy autumn, let the fun begin with September of 2024!

As August came to a close, new things were on the horizon in our grandchildren’s lives, so we had a busy week.

Next week, Jill is heading to the University of Guelph for Environmental Studies, so last week she volunteered at 5R’s, gardened with me and spent time with us, reminding us of the life of the young.

Robyn is starting her last

semester - a practicum for her Nursing degree - so she had a few days for us and Curt and Ella came for an overnight stay. Ella is going into Grade 11 with a fascination with dance. Greg and Jordan, being the working ones, came for supper and a catch-up. Our heads are spinning with details of life we would never know if not for young people. They’re pleased to share things that they are sure we need to know. They are such fun!

So many things change when we flip the calendar. School is back in session and a little order is seen in the routines of many. Preparations are going strong for the Elementary School Fair in Belgrave, the Brussels Fall Fair and, for many in our area, the International Plowing Match, held near Lindsay this year.

Volunteers from the community make our lives better. Life holds interest in many areas and so people choose where their interests are and offer their time to worthwhile causes. Some are obvious, such as

churches, lodges, the Women’s Institute, Soup and More 2, the Legion, the Lions Club, the 5R’s, the Optimist Club, and sports teams, for a start.

Then, there is the Brussels Cemetery. Owned by the village and now the municipality since the 1980s, it was started by the Methodists. It’s a very nice place to visit, neat and tidy, peaceful and full of information, looked after by a board headed for many years by Doug Sholdice.

In retirement, board member Ross Somers has spent countless hours putting the cemetery card/records on computer. Over 6,000 folks are now on record, accessible to others for discovery and research. In this same timeframe, Lori Carter has been working with other local cemetery enthusiasts to find, record and repair old, often-forgotten gravesites.

Plans are being made to improve our cemetery in several ways and, of course, money is in limited

supply. A chat with a board member would inform you of how you can help. Doug, Ross, Mary Stretton and myself see the cemetery as a way to show respect to the people who made our community the caring place we call home.

Time is slipping fast to see the last couple of plays in Blyth. All good ones, giving you lots to think about outside your wee life. Get your ticket.

Bye now. Betty GW

NEWS FROM BRUSSELS

Brussels Legion 218 Catch the Ace Weekly Winner Winning Ticket: Glenda Chaput, $200.

Envelope #22 found the Queen of Diamonds.

Next estimated jackpot is $6,200.

At the Branch

One short of a score celebrate

By Jo-Ann McDonald The Branch was a happy place on Wednesday when 19 ladies arrived to celebrate the August birthdays.

Birthday girls were Nora Stephenson reaching 95 and Mabel Glanville reaching her 81st year.

The ladies attending the celebration included Betty Cardiff, Audrey Cardiff, Isabel Wheeler, Rene Richmond, Alice Marks, Dona Knight, Edna McLellan, Janet Hook, Merle Cousins, Betty Campbell, Joan Bernard, Betty McCutcheon, Margaret Clark, Barb Watts and Sharon Robbins. Happy

birthday to the ladies!

Sandra Brown, Deb Ross and Deb Seili were in charge of the meal.

The Catch the Ace draw took place on Friday evening and the weekly winner was Glenda Chaput, winning $200. She chose envelope number 22 and the queen of diamonds was revealed. The estimated jackpot for Friday’s draw is $6,200. Get your tickets at the usual outlets of the Brussels Legion, McDonald Home Hardware, Brussels Variety and the Brussels Pharmacy. You can’t win without a ticket!

Jim Lee and Ron were on hand to entertain for a few hours that night with great songs that were enjoyed by all. Tonight - Friday, Aug. 30 - is karaoke with Stubby D, so bring your voices and join the fun.

Congratulations to Caleb Koch on having a great time and results at the Royal Canadian Legion dominion track and field event in Calgary. Caleb finished sixth in hammer throw, 12th in discus throw and 15th in shot put. The Brussels Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion is proud to support Caleb in his track and field ambitions.

The Citizen offices will be closed on

Monday, September 2 The deadlines for the September 6 paper will be

Tuesday, September 3 at 2 pm

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024. PAGE 7.

Here comes the threshing machine Glimpses of the Past with Karen Webster

S

ome say that humans began to grow cereal crops as long ago as 10,000 years ago.

Throughout the ages, much hand labour was used to cut, dry and finally separate the grain kernels from the straw.

The flail, which consisted of a long handle with another small board tethered to it by a leather thong, was used for several centuries to beat the stalks of the plant and loosen the edible grain seeds. The first threshing machine was invented around 1786 by a Scottish engineer by the name of Andrew Heikle and, by the late 1800s, several Ontario manufacturers were making their own threshing machines.

For the first part of the 20th century in this part of Ontario, the method to harvest grain crops consisted of cutting the ripe grain, originally with a scythe and later with a mower, and bundling it in sheaves, either by hand or with a binder. The sheaves were then stood upright together in a stook, drying in the sun and wind, until the time came for a threshing bee.

Bruce A. Woods was a boy who lived in Stratford with his mother and grandmother. For him to escape the confines of city life, Bruce’s mother often sent him to the shores of Lake Huron, just north of Goderich, for a summer with the family of Andrew and Ethel Bogie.

Bruce was introduced to all the magic of farm life by Graham Bogie, who was only one year his senior.

From Bruce’s book, Between Two Women, comes this account of a threshing day in 1943 as seen through the eyes of a 12 year-old city boy.

The day of the threshing, Bruce and Graham watched from their perch on the rail fence.

The following section is a paraphrase of Bruce’s observations.

First, Terrance Hunter led the way with a team of chestnuts, pulling an empty wagon that could pass for a Conestoga, except that the canvas was gone. There were hayracks protruding from either side. Next came Wilfred Smith with his team and wagon. Next was Bill Cook.

After him was Irving Hunter. George and Cree Freeman were next in separate wagons. What a parade!

The horses were panting and snorting. Behind each team of horses, there stood a seasoned farmer. No finer display by 16 Clydesdales at the Canadian National Exhibition could have matched what those boys saw that day.

“The grand finale comes with Alexander Watson’s threshing machine being pulled by a big Oliver tractor. The thresher is more than a man-made machine. It is something with a life of its own,” enthused Bruce.

When the thresher was maneuvered into the entrance of the barn, the tractor was aligned with it with a big pulley belt stretched between the thresher and the tractor that transferred the power from the tractor to the thresher.

“Already, there is a load of oats at the ready. Mr. Bogie, pitchfork in hand, feeds the insatiable thresher with the oat bundles (sheaves).

Straw is flying into the mow and the oats are filling the nearby granary.”

Bruce continued his dialogue mentioning the heat, the noise and the industry of the farmers.

Finally, it was time for lunch.

Roast beef with mashed potatoes

and gravy… plates loaded up higher than ever seen… piling up the plates for seconds… then dessert… three pieces of pie each for 12 men seems to suffice. “The miracle is that they can work at all with all that food in their bellies.” But they do and are then ready for a full course chicken dinner at six o’clock. “Mrs. Bogie did have help from the wives, who also ate, but only after the men had finished.

“Act Two of the greatest show on earth has come to an end. The wagons and their horses are on their way home. The whole drama will be repeated at Wilfred Smith’s farm tomorrow. Six shows in six days, with the odd job here and there, and the thresher will fall silent for another year.”

When I first read this account of a threshing bee, I was amazed that here was related the story of my

grandfather, Alex Watson. Though he had died when I was fairly young, I had heard about him doing custom threshing and forage harvesting, so I was glad to be able to read a firsthand account of his involvement in the threshing bee at the Bogie farm.

Alex operated a Waterloo thresher, so named because it was manufactured in Waterloo, Ontario.

When Alex sold his threshing machine, it was purchased by a West Wawanosh farmer by the name of Harold Webster. Years later, I married Harold’s son, Allan, and was introduced to this threshing machine up close and personal because, for the next eight years, the Webster family continued to use it thresh its grain. My task was to keep an eye on the machine that was positioned on the threshing floor and to keep the grain bin leveled. Such a clattering sound filled the air.

Later, we converted to having our crop combined and we marveled how what used to be several days’ work could then be completed in an afternoon. However, the cost of running a combine far exceeded that of the belt dressing and fuel for the tractors involved when using the threshing machine.

These days, throughout the countryside, fields of orderly stooks of grain can be seen in the fields of our Amish and Mennonite neighbours, however, to see a threshing machine in action, one can attend the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association’s annual show in Blyth on Sept. 6, 7 and 8.

Laying the foundation This crew was busy harvesting for the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association’s reunion weekend.

From left: Brad McBride, Joe Hallahan, Greg Cook, Don Pattison, Wyatt Young and Brad Foxton. (Photo submitted)

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PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024.

Sports Mitchell Mets will host playoff tourney Continued from page 1 Sebringville Sting beat the Mitchell Mets in Rostock by a score of 2-0 in a game originally scheduled to be played on June 23 and the Belmore Stingers beat the Brussels Bangers in Belmore by a score of 9-2. Also that day, the Belmore Stingers were due to play the Goderich Grizzlies as well, but a score for that game was unavailable at press time.

On Aug. 23, the Sebringville Sting hosted the Brussels Tigers and beat them by a score of 5-3.

Also that day, the Monkton Muskrats were scheduled to host the Wroxeter Rippers, but a score for that game was unavailable at press time.

On Aug. 22, the Goderich Grizzlies were in Milverton and beat the Millwrights by a score of 10-3.

One day earlier, the Brussels Bangers beat the Mets in Mitchell by a score of 9-7, the Belmore Stingers beat the Hitmen in Wingham by a score of 7-0 and the Monkton Muskrats were scheduled to be in Brussels to play the Bangers, but a score for that game was unavailable at press time.

On Aug. 20, the Walton Brewers were at home to beat the Wroxeter Rippers by a score of 17-2, the

Brussels Tigers lost to the Elmira U20 Expos by a score of 10-3, the Milverton Millwrights beat the A’s in Fullarton by a score of 12-4 and the Sebringville Sting lost to the Belmore Stingers in Sebringville by a score of 7-0 in a game originally scheduled to be played on June 2.

On Aug. 27, the Sebringville Sting were scheduled to play the Brewers in Walton and the Wroxeter Rippers were due to play the A’s in Fullarton.

The next day, the Milverton Millwrights were in Mitchell to play the Mets, the Brussels Tigers hosted the Elmira U20 Expos and the Sebringville Sting were in Wingham to play the Hitmen in a game originally scheduled for Aug. 18.

On Aug. 29, the Monkton Muskrats were in Belmore to play the Stingers, the Fullarton A’s hosted the Sebringville Sting and the Mitchell Mets were in Milverton to play the Millwrights in a game originally scheduled to be played on June 7. Scores for all of those games, however, were unavailable at press time.

This all leads to the league’s yearend tournament, which will be held on the weekend of Sept. 13-15 in Mitchell, hosted by the Mets at Keterson Park.

Kings (and queens) of the hill At the Blyth Lions Club’s annual Charlie Shaw Memorial Golf Tournament, which raised funds for youth programs and activities within the village, a team of Blythites prevailed as Mixed AA champions. From left: Russell Nesbitt, MacKenzie Nesbitt, Kim Watson and John Watson. (Photo submitted)

Family Classes & Family Rates Available Children’s Classes ~ Ages 7 & Up

Teen & Adult Classes

Mondays & Wednesdays 6:15 pm - 7:00 pm Start Date: Wednesday, September 11, 2024

Mondays & Wednesdays 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm Start Date: Wednesday, September 11, 2024

Location: Holmesville Community Centre Instructor: Ron Tyndall - 6th Degree Black Belt Established school for over 40 years For more information and registration please call 519-482-3634

Summer Sports Pages Coaches and parents Success in Paris When London, Ontario native pole vaulter Alysha Newman, centre, won bronze in the Paris Olympics, it was Wingham native Doug Wood, right, and Zeke Krykorka, left, who coached her. Wood grew up in Wingham and still holds the Canadian high school pole vaulting record thanks to his efforts at F.E. Madill Secondary School in Wingham. Newman trains at the Bolton Pole Vaulting Club, which Wood founded and still runs today. He has coached Newman since she took up the sport. (Courtesy photo)

We need your team's picture and players' names 1. Please submit team photo A.S.A.P. 2. Please include players' and coaches' names for under photo.

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• Soccer • Baseball • Lacrosse

Please help us get ALL the summer sports teams published.

The Citizen

405 Queen St., Blyth 519-523-4792

info@northhuron.on.ca for more info

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024. PAGE 9.

PUBLIC NOTICE OF PESTICIDE USE County of Huron Huron County intends to utilize the services of Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority to spot spray Phragmites along rural roadsides within Huron County. The following roadsides to be treated are:

Throwing darts The Citizen’s own Shawn Loughlin impressed most of those in his foursome of Deb Sholdice, John Stephenson and Scott Wandless when he won the closest-to-the-pin competition at this year’s Charlie Shaw Memorial Golf Tournament, held by the Blyth Lions Club at Goderich Sunset Golf Club. The tournament was a sold-out success again for the club with proceeds supporting youth programs and activities. The team finished five over par. (Photo submitted)

Weekend brings weddings, birth PEOPLE AROUND WALTON

By Jo-Ann McDonald Call 887-6570

It has been a great week; cool in the mornings (had to break out long pants again), but, by afternoon, it was alright.

The weekend was absolutely beautiful for weddings.

Congratulations to Emma Baan and Ryan Boyd, who were married on Saturday. The wedding was held at Atwood Presbyterian Church and the reception was held at the Brodhagen Community Centre.

The 80 or so guests witnessed a beautiful ceremony. Photos were taken at the groom’s parents’ home in Monkton. Emma’s brothers were the emcees for the evening and, reportedly, didn’t pick on their baby sister too badly. The newlyweds will be living in Monkton.

Parents of the couple are Don and Monique Baan, Walton, and Ron and Kathy Boyd, Monkton. Ryan works at Vision Manufacturing and Ten Hove’s Farm and Emma works at Avon Maitland District School Board in its human resources department in Seaforth.

Congratulations to the happy couple.

Kevin and Alicia Deitner then celebrated the wedding of daughter Morgan Deitner and Remi

Zoccolante in Schomberg on Saturday. The parents were away from Thursday to Sunday to get ready for the event, including the rehearsal etc. The reception was held at a beautiful new curling club near Schomberg. It was a beautiful day and the happy couple honeymooned at Blue Mountain.

Congratulations to Morgan and Remi.

We had more excitement for Cardiff Road last week in addition to the wedding. Congratulations to Blake and Holly Cardiff on the birth of their first child. A beautiful baby girl they are calling Collins Joan was born last Wednesday. All are doing very well. Proud grandparents are John and Karen Braecker and Scott Cardiff and Kendra Cardiff.

ROAD NAME AMBERLEY ROAD BASE LINE BAYFIELD ROAD BELGRAVE ROAD BELMORE LINE BENMILLER LINE BLYTH ROAD BRONSON LINE BRUSSELS LINE CREDITON ROAD CUT LINE ROAD DASHWOOD ROAD DIAGONAL ROAD DONNYBROOK LINE DUTCH LINE FORDWICH LINE GORRIE LINE GOSHEN LINE GRAND BEND LINE HARRISTON ROAD HERN LINE HOWICK-TURNBERRY ROAD KINBURN LINE KIPPEN ROAD KIRKTON ROAD LONDESBORO ROAD LONDON ROAD LUCKNOW LINE McINTOSH LINE McNAUGHT LINE MILL ROAD MOLESWORTH LINE MORRIS ROAD MOUNT CARMEL DRIVE NEWRY ROAD NORTH LINE PARK ROAD PARR LINE PERTH ROAD 178 ROAD 173 SHARPES CREEK LINE SOUTH ROAD WALTON ROAD WESTFIELD ROAD WINTHROP ROAD ZURICH-HENSALL ROAD

From St Augustine Line Jenkins Road Bluewater Highway (21) Bluewater Highway (21) Howick-Turnberry Road (7) Huron Road (8) Council Line Mount Carmel Drive (5) Moncrieff Road Mollard Line Bluewater Highway (21) Corbett Line Amberley Road (86) Belfast Road Hullett-McKillop Road Lakelet Road Perth Road 178 (34) Dashwood Road (83) Grand Bend Line (81) Fordwich Line (30) Road 164 (23) Gorrie Line Hydro Line Road Stone Road Morrison Line Base Line (8) Base Line (8) Londesboro Road (31) Salem Road Blyth Road (25) Bronson Line Rowland Road London Road (4) Babylon Line Livingston Line Briarhill Road Elimville Line Mount Carmel Drive (5) Malcolm Line Cranbrook Road Maitland Line Mollard Line Gillis Line Currie Line Kinburn Line (15) Bluewater Highway (21)

To Adams Line Alma Street Fish And Game Line London Road (4) Glenannon Road Old Road Drive Division Line Huron Street McDonald Line Airport Line Tipperary Line Ausable Line Carling Terrace Amberley Road (86) Blyth Road (25) Mud Lake Line North Creamery Road Pepper Road Mollard Line Malcolm Line MacDonald Road Toll Gate Line Sawmill Road Staffa Road (32) Evergreen Line Sawmill Road Turnberry-Culross Road West Zion Road Howick-Turnberry Road (7) Newry Road (16) George Street Cardiff Road Button Line Victoria Drive Road 173 Canada Company Road Sunshine Line Community Centre Road Mud Lake Line South Newry Road (16) Londesboro Road (31) Corbett Line Livingston Line London Road (4) Beechwood Line Elizabeth Street

The following pesticides registered under the Pest Control Products Act (Canada) will be used: • Roundup WeatherPRO (PCP Reg. #33653), containing the active ingredient Glyphosate, present as potassium salt.

This work is being undertaken in accordance with the Public Works exception to the Cosmetic Pesticides Ban as mentioned in subsection 7.1(2) of the Pesticides Act, for the promotion of public health and safety.

Phragmites are being controlled as the growth of this plant within the right-of-way reduces sight-lines and has a negative impact on storm water drainage.

Anyone not wishing to have the roadside adjacent to their property treated for Phragmites should contact Nathan Schoelier (Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority) at 519-235-2610.

Commencing September 4, 2024 (weather permitting) and ending approximately October 31, 2024 by Ausable Bayfeild Conservation Authority.

NEWS FROM WALTON

For information call: (Collect Calls Accepted) Imran Khalid County of Huron Or Public Works Department 1-888-524-8394 ext. 3332

Nathan Schoelier Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority 519-235-2610

PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024.

Tips for both on and off the Bus!

Always check for traffic!

Howson & Howson Ltd. Flour Mill Blyth

519-523-4241

Stand safely away from traffic

Brussels Lions Club Practise social distancing

Have a safe school year! from

Optimist Club of Brussels

125 Ontario Street, Stratford Phone: (519) 271-7581

25 Water Street N., P.O. Box 1228, St. Marys Phone: (519) 284-1030

210 Oxford Street, E. London Phone: (519) 432-1663

STOP when lights are flashing!

Don’t push or shove!

Blyth Legion Branch 420

Blyth Lions Club

Be on time!

Londesborough Lions Club Participate in all bus evacuation procedures!

Keep aisles clear on bus

Set a good example!

McBurney Funeral Home Ltd.

Serving the funeral service needs of North Huron since 1979.

CANADIAN-INDEPENDENT

35 Patrick Street West, Wingham 519-357-1170 www.mcburneyfuneralhome.com

Welcome back students!

Custom Exhaust Bending

37117 Blyth Road Service all makes & models

519-524-9878 Doug and Jodie Ruston

2 Full-Time Licensed Mechanics

Never play around the bus!

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024. PAGE 11.

Tips for both on and off the Bus!

Enter/Exit bus in single file Dr L McCarthy Dr S Doorn

Do not touch or play with emergency exits

Listen to your bus driver!

Repairs to all makes & models of cars & trucks

9 Patrick Street West, Box 88, Wingham, ON N0G 2W0 Tel : 519-357-1282 • Fax: 519-357-4509 email: reception@winghamoptometry. com

519-523-9308 Used Car & Jack Van Dorp Truck Sales Located 2 miles south of Blyth corner of London Rd. & Hullett McKillop Rd.

connecting communities 519-606-2211 www.tcc.on.ca

Watch for darting children

Never run to or from bus!

Look both ways before crossing the street

Blyth Walk-In Clinic Open Thursday: 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm

226-532-9500

Blyth Pharmacy Open Monday to Friday 10:00 am to 6 pm

sparlings.com

226-256-8383

Propane. Appliances. Guaranteed Service.

Stand back until bus stops Todd Wheeler Insurance Inc.

Respect your driver

AGENT: TODD WHEELER PO Box 394 • 75 Sports Dr., Brussels, ON N0G 1H0

twheeler@mutualone.ca OFFICE: 519-357-0155

Hullett Central Public School

Listen to your bus driver!

Show respect for your driver & other riders!

• HANGING BASKETS • ANNUALS • PERENNIALS • NURSERY STOCK

R.R. #1, 39843 Londesboro Rd., 519-523-9781 Londesborough

Brussels Legion Branch 218

Maitland River Elementary School 519 357-3551

Use the handrail when getting on/off bus Brussels Majestic Women’s Institute Put backpacks on lap or under seat Kurtis Smith Excavating Inc. For all your excavation needs including septic system installations and repairs Supplying Brussels/Blyth Area with all types of sand, gravel and stone

BRUSSELS • 519-887-8855 • KURTIS CELL 519-496-1871

PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024.

Cable welcomes Belgrave back to church PEOPLE AROUND BELGRAVE

By Linda Campbell Call 357-2188

Mary Robinson, wife of the late Roy Robinson, passed away on Aug. 22 at the Wingham and District Hospital. Sincere sympathy is extended to her sons Len (Doris) Robinson, Larry (Janice) Robinson, Stephen (Joanne) Robinson, her grandchildren, greatgrandchildren and to her brother,

Lorne (Margaret) Humphrey.

Renee Lanthier of Rochester, New York enjoyed a five-day visit with her aunt Arlyn Montgomery.

Rev. Richard Hall was the guest minister on Sunday, Aug. 25 at Ken and Lila Procter’s pond. Scripture lessons were read from Joshua 24:1-2, and 14-18 and John 6:5659.

Sandra Cable will conduct the service on Sunday, Sept. 1. It will be in the church at 11 a.m.

Everyone is welcome.

Birthday greetings are extended to Katie Cottrill on Aug. 31 and to Harold Jardin on his 75th birthday on Sept. 2. Enjoy your day.

Congratulations to Chad and Brittany Foxton on their first wedding anniversary on Sept. 2.

Have an enjoyable day.

Have a great Labour Day weekend. Hopefully Mother Nature provides us with good weather.

Next week the students go back to school. The school buses will be back on the road. It will be a busy time and children may not always look before crossing. Slow down and drive with caution. Follow the rules when meeting a school bus or following behind one when it stops either picking up or dropping a student off.

Students will be returning to schools in the area with a staggered start, depending on their grade.

This comes after a P.D. Day on Tuesday with most students returning on Wednesday morning for another year of school.

Celebrating A Special Occasion?

Advertise it in

The Citizen Call or email to book your ad today! **Anniversary **Wedding **New Baby **Graduation **Birthday

NEWS FROM BELGRAVE

The Citizen 519-523-4792 info@northhuron.on.ca

DREA AM HOME OF THE MONTH M

Plan Number 7-3-1000B TH HREE BEDROOM FA AMIL LY Y HOME

Quality • Service • Trust

L Laverne ’s Custom Wood Products Custom made furniture, kitchens, vanities, wood trim and much more ...designed to fit your home.

41496 Moncrieff Rd, Blyth Jeff Kuepfer 519-441-7998 Where your dreams become reality!

To be part of the Home of the Month contact Brenda Nyveld, sales rep for The Citizen newspaper at 519-523-4792 fax: 519-523-9140 email: ads@northhuron.on.ca

Two-storey h home es, square metre for f square metre, provide id the h most liliving i space on a property, and d this three-bedroom family home is no exception.

Entry is through a covered porch with a veranda to the left. Once in the foyer, double doors open to a den, with the U-sshaped staircase to the second floor beyond. A window above the stairwell will let in lots of natural light.

The great room, separated from the foyer by an archway, has a lofty sloped ceiling that is open to the floor above. A gas g fireplace is flanked by entertainment units, and large windows look onto a covered patio at the e back of the home.

From the dining area, a access to the covered deck is easy, through sliding glass doors. A prep island divides the kitchen from the dining area, which has large windows overlooking the back garden. g will enter e the kitchen through windows over the double sink, which is set into a corner Natural light at an angle. The U--shaped counter configuration will provide adequate working space as well as effficiency. A walk-in n pantry will offfer extra storage space.

Across from the p powder room located near the foyer is a handy coat closet. Another closet is included in the laun ndry room, which has access to the double garage, large enough to include a workshop.

Upstairs, the masster suite looks out to the back garden. The generous en-suite includes a soaker tub as well as doub ble basins and a shower stall. The walk-in closet will be roomy enough for a couple’s clothing an nd accessories.

The second and third bedrooms share a three-piece bath. A linen closet is located outside the entrance to the thirrd bedroom.

Part of the secon nd floor is open to the great room below and is railed for safety. safety On the outside, th he home is clad in horizontal siding, with stucco accents and features a 3/12 roof pitch. Pilasters with h stone bases mark the entry and veranda, and stone accents flank the two garage doors.

This home measures 42 feet wide by 58 feet deep, for a total of 2,079 square feet of living space, nfinished basement included with the plans. Ceilings rise to nine feet throughout the not counting the un main floor, except where w otherwise indicated.

Our 51st Edition of the Home Plan Catalogue containing over 300 plans is available for $16.50 (includes taxes, postage and handling). Make all cheques and money orders payable to "Home Plan m to: of the Week" and mail JENISH HOUSE DESIGN LTD. c/o North Huron Publishing #201- 1658 Commerce Av Ave Kelowna, BC V1X 8A9 OR SEE OUR WEB PAGE ORDER FORM ON: www.jenish.com O AND E-MAIL YOUR ORDER TO: homeplans@jenish.com

Dum mpster Rental and Service Residential & Commercial Dumpster Rental & Service R.R. #1 41403 Londesboro Road Londesboro, ON N0M 2H0

Jim Anderson: Cell 519-440-6007 Jason Fleet: Cell 519-525-9473

Windows, Doors, Sho ower Glass, Store Fronts 224 Suncoast Dr. E., Goderich, ON N7A A 4K4 info@fisherglass.ca fisherglass.ca

519-524-7312 Fax: 519 519-524-7313 524 7313

Home Hardware Building Centre We’ve got your lumber We • Lumber • Flooring • Windows • Kitchen & Doors Cabinets

519-8887-6277 1-800-881-0030 Brussels www w.mcdonaldhomehardware.com

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024. PAGE 13.

BLYTH Y 519-523-4244

+XURQ7UDFWRU FRP

519-523-4311

www.ruralvoice e.ca

OFA cost-share funding supports farmers’ markets

By Clint Cameron, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture Harvest of all kinds is in full swing in Ontario, from grains and other field crops to a wide range of fruits and vegetables. Many of these crops, particularly produce, are sold directly to consumers at farmers’ markets across the province, along with flowers, meat, honey, baked goods, jams and other items made with locally-grown ingredients.

Ontario’s farmers’ markets are also tourist destinations, attracting visitors from far and wide who are in search of fresh Ontario products, and want to know where their food comes from. In fact, they are arguably one of the strongest direct links between farmers and consumers.

I can speak from my own experience here; this is one of my favourite times of the year, when we can take the opportunity as consumers to experience fresh, seasonal and local product delivered by the personal passion of the individual or family that produced it.

Various initiatives help promote that relationship, whether locally, regionally or provincially. The Farmers’ Markets Ontario (FMO) MyPick® Verified Local Farmer® program, for example, identifies bona fide local farmers selling only what they grow, raise or otherwise produce on their farms. This adds additional transparency to local sellers and local markets and gives

consumers extra confidence in what they’re buying.

At the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA), an organization with which I serve on the board of directors, recent surveys of our farmer members have shown that a growing number of them are interested in engaging more directly with consumers, including by direct sales of their products at venues like farmers’ markets and more.

As well, in responding to the OFA’s most recent Farm Business Confidence survey, our members from all regions of the province indicated that encouraging Ontarians to consume more local food was a top-three priority area for them.

Last winter, the OFA announced a $50,000 cost-share funding project to support marketing activities that promote Ontario farmers at farmers’ markets across the province as a result of its first-ever partnership with FMO. Through the program, participating markets would see up to 50 per cent of their cash contributions to project costs matched to a maximum of $2,500.

According to FMO, this brought the total investment through the program to $100,000 with an estimated economic value of $300,000.

Open to FMO’s approximately 180 member markets, funding was available for marketing and awareness projects to promote and support local farmers who are participating at farmers’ markets.

And demand has been brisk, far outstripping the available funding.

A total of 28 projects were approved out of 46 applications received, covering expenses such as digital and social media advertising, point-of-sale promotions on market days, and special events with a focus on farmers and their products.

In addition to helping promote markets and local farmers, the projects help consumers be able to better access local food options in their communities and gives them the chance to engage in direct

conversations with local farmers.

As well, these efforts are also an excellent complement to the OFA’s Home Grown campaign, which focuses on raising awareness of the bounty of food, fibre and flowers we produce here in Ontario and the need to protect the farmland, resources and infrastructure farmers depend on to do so.

We have a diversity of locallygrown food here in Ontario that is mind-blowing, thanks to the climate, the soil and the passionate people who pull this off. Our

farmers grow, raise and produce more than 200 different agricultural commodities, giving us buy-local opportunities from one end of the province to the other and at all points in between.

So, on your summer holiday and fall weekend travels this year, keep an eye out for local farmers’ markets in the places you’re visiting and stop in to take a look, meet people and try the home grown bounty of Ontario’s fields, orchards, vineyards and greenhouses.

Impressive stuff Over the weekend at the Regional Equine and Agricultural Centre of Huron (REACH) in Clinton, the Ontario Equestrian Vaulting Association set up shop for a competition, bringing together some of the province’s best to strut their stuff in the heart of Huron County, impressing judges and spectators alike.

(John Stephenson photo)

BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK REPORT For the week ending August 23, 2024 Total Receipts: 1,480 cattle; 671 lambs, sheep, and goats Tuesday – Fed cattle sold on a steady market with quality considered. Cows sold on a strong steady market.

Thursday – Veal sold strong at prices $2 - $3 higher. Lambs sold steady. Sheep and goats sold steady.

Friday – Choice calves sold steady; second cut calves sold easier. Yearlings sold easier.

Fed Cattle: There were 110 fed cattle on offer: Choice Fed Cattle: $250 – $260 Second Cut Fed Cattle: $239 – $249 Aged and Medium Fed Cattle: $220 – $238 Holstein Fed Cattle: $195 – $236 Jim S. Wilson of Kenilworth, consigned seven head. Two black fats averaged 1,555 lbs. and sold for an average price of $254.

Paul Martin of Feversham, consigned 12 head. Six charolais fats averaged 1,650 lbs. and sold for an average price of $259.

Cows: There were 225 cows on offer: Beef Cows: $175 – $195 up to $214 Good Holstein Cows: $157 – $177 Medium Holstein Cows: $135 – $156 Bulls: $205 – $250

Dennis and Doug Johnston of Holyrood, consigned one red cow that weighed 1,325 lbs. and sold for a price of $214.

Glen Bowman of Lucknow, consigned three head. One holstein cow weighed 1,270 lbs. and sold for a price of $177.

William Pentland of Goderich, consigned two head. One charolais bull weighed 1,965 lbs. and sold for a price of $236.

Veal: There were 110 veal and 35 bob calves on offer: Beef Veal: $270 – $291 Good Holsteins: $260 – $282 Sl. Heavy Holsteins: $255 – $279 Heavy Holsteins: $220 – $265 Medium Holsteins: $245 – $259 Plain Holsteins: $230 – $244 Holstein Drop Calves: $325 – $950 / HEAD Emanual M. Martin of Elmira, consigned one charolais cross veal that weighed 1,095 lbs. and sold for a price of $290.

Dwaine Forrest of Seaforth, consigned one holstein veal that weighed 715 lbs. and sold for a price of $275.

Van Nuland Holstein Inc. of Monkton, consigned 10 head. Four holstein bob calves sold for $950 / head.

Lambs: Under 50 lbs.: Too few to establish a market 50-64 lbs.: $292.50 – $400 65-79 lbs.: $275 – $382.50 80-94 lbs.: $275 – $332.50 95-109 lbs.: $265 – $307 110 lbs. and over: $259 – $270 Sheep: $135 – $237.50 Gary Haak of Clinton, consigned seven head. Six lambs averaged 69 lbs. and sold for an average price of $382.50.

Top Quality Steers: Under 400 lbs.: Too few to establish a market 400 – 499 lbs.: $370 – $445 up to $482.50 500 – 599 lbs.: $375 – $482 600 – 699 lbs.: $345 – $462 700 – 799 lbs.: $315 – $380 up to $450 800 – 899 lbs.: $316 – $353 900 – 999 lbs.: $310 – $331 1,000 lbs. and over: $289 – $318 up to $321

Goats:

Top Quality Heifers: Under 400 lbs.: $380 – $430 400 – 499 lbs.: $395 – $426 up to $450 500 – 599 lbs.: $255 – $377 up to $405 600 – 699 lbs.: $295 – $361 700 – 799 lbs.: $267 – $355 800 – 899 lbs.: $305 – $329 900 lbs. and over: $273 – $295 up to $319.50

Meat Kids: $400 – $465 Dairy Kids: $340 – $400 Mature Bucks: $300 – $400 Mature Does: $160 – $220

O’Reilleyview Farms Ltd. of Dublin, consigned five charolais steers that averaged 598 lbs. and sold for a price of $482.50.

Allan McEwen of Wyoming, consigned 10 head. Two kid goats averaged 63 lbs. and sold for an average price of $465.

David Allison of Riverbank Carleton, New Brunswick, consigned 52 head. Ten charolais steers averaged 836 lbs. and sold for an average price of $353. Eleven charolais steers averaged 959 lbs. and sold for an average price of $331.

Beau Riegling of Bluevale, consigned eight head. Seven lambs averaged 58 lbs. and sold for an average price of $400.

Dan and Christine Weber of Kincardine, consigned 21 head. Six kid goats weighed 84 lbs. and sold for an average price of $420.

Stockers: There were 1,000 stockers on offer:

Reuben S. Martin of Wallenstein, consigned 27 head. Seventeen charolais steers averaged 1,032 lbs. and sold for an average price of $318.

Josiah Metzger of Drayton, consigned 11 head. Seven black heifers averaged 718 lbs. and sold for an average price of $355.

Tom Inglis of Wingham, consigned 12 head. Six charolais heifers weighed 804 lbs. and sold for an average price of $329.

Marvin M. Martin of Clifford, consigned 31 head. Eight red heifers averaged 913 lbs. and sold for an average price of $319.50.

Nine charolais heifers averaged 889 lbs. and sold for an average price of $321.75.

BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK Division of Gamble & Rogers Ltd.

UPCOMING SALES TUESDAYS 10:00 a.m.

Fed Cattle, Bulls & Cows

THURSDAYS

9:00 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

Call us 519-887-6461

PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024.

Classified Advertising – RATES – 20 words or less only $9.00 + HST Additional words 25¢ ea. + HST

DEADLINE 2 p.m. Tuesday Phone 519-523-4792 e-mail: info@northhuron.on.ca

Articles for sale GERBERS FIREWOOD SERVING you for over 15 years. Your number one source of quality slabwood and bodywood. Delivery available. No Sunday calls. 519-274-1236, 519441-2085.

------------------------------------------Shade trees, Spruce, White Pine, Cedars, windbreaks and privacy hedges, Shrubs, Apples, Pears, Peaches, Plums, Sweet & sour Cherry Trees at (Emanuel E.M. Martin) Martin's Nursery 42661 Orangehill Rd, Wroxeter ON N0G 2X0 ------------------------------------------THE CITIZEN IS AVAILABLE TO purchase at these locations - Auburn Esso, Belgrave Variety, Blyth Food Market, Blyth Variety, Blyth Ultramar, Brussels Foodland, Brussels Variety, Clinton Convenience, Clinton Foodland, Fogal's YIG (Wingham), Wingham Mini Mart, Seaforth Foodland, Fincher's (Goderich), Goderich Victoria St Shell, Goderich PetroCanada Gas Bar, and The Citizen office in Blyth.

------------------------------------------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 519-523-4792 or email info@northhuron.on.ca ------------------------------------------NEW FRESHLY SPLIT Cedar fence rails.

Edward Weber, 385 Whitechurch St., RR 5, Lucknow ON N0G 2H0.

Coming events Start your week with a smile!

Monday morning coffee and conversation! Drop in between 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. Re-starting September 9th. Trinity Anglican Church, Dinsley St. W., Blyth. Everyone Welcome!

------------------------------------------Red Plaid Productions Presents Canada's Celtic Rock Warriors Mudmen in Concert, Memorial Hall, Blyth, Ontario. Friday, November 1, 2024. Tix $35.00 All Ages. www.blythmemorialcommunityhall. com 519-523-9300, Doors 7 pm, Show 8pm. Ex-NHL great Glenn Healy says you won't to miss this show.www.mudmen.ca ------------------------------------------KARATE RETURNS THIS FALL! CLASSES BEGIN SEPT. 11th SCHWEITZER'S MARTIAL ARTS Self-defense, Self-discipline, Selfconfidence. GROUP CLASSES FOR AGES 4 TO ADULT Taught by Renshi Becky Schweitzer, 4th Degree Black Belt and 12X World Karate Champion.

Location Fresh Wind Revival Centre - 21 Lloyd Street, Wingham ONLY $125 +HST FOR 9 WEEKS. Call 519-580-1418 or e-mail becky_schweitzer@hotmail.com www.schweitzersmartialarts.com -------------------------------------------

Coming events ANNUAL YARD SALE at Trinity Anglican Church, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., September 5, 6 and 7. 166 Dinsley St., Blyth ------------------------------------------Join us for our Famous Fish Fry at the Wingham Columbus Centre Friday Sept 6th from 12 pm to 6:30 pm. Eat in $20 - Choice of battered or grilled white fish and a buffet of garden and Caesar salad, french fries, baked potato, mashed potato, gravy, dinner rolls, also coffee and tea. Take out $18 - Fish, potato, coleslaw and dinner roll. We also do chicken fingers for the non-fish lover. Butter tarts $2 or homemade cheesecake and other desserts $5 ea.

Kids are 1/2 price. Taxes are included. Call early to book your fish as we tend to sell out. 519-3571270. We are still making lots of frozen soups and meals. Give us a call or come check them out.

-------------------------------------------

Swap shop Citizen-To-Citizen “SWAP SHOP” ad Call 519-523-4792 or email: info@northhuron.on.ca • Free ad up to 25 words, person to person only (no businesses), items valued at $1,000 or less. Price must be included in your ad.Your ad will run three times unless it sells faster!

• The Citizen reserves the right to limit the number of items or ads per person.

FOR SALE - Like new 29” Brute walk behind snowblower electric start, $1,000.; four white plywood shrub covers, $25. for all; 7’ toboggan, $30. Winter will come, be ready. Wingham 519-357-2768.

35-3 --------------------------------------------FOR SALE - Queen size Sealy Posturepedic Plus mattress. One-year old. $1,500. new Asking $750 OBO. Blyth 519-360-0394 35-3 --------------------------------------------FOR SALE - Tow-behind leaf/grass sweeper, like new, $250; tow-behind aerator, hardly used, $250; Towbehind roller, great condition, $100.

519-482-7440.

34-3 --------------------------------------------FREE - Older model treadmill, variable speeds, works good. 519529-7619.

34-3 --------------------------------------------FOR SALE - Pedestal drill press, $175. 519-450-8216.

34-3 --------------------------------------------FOR SALE - Antique solid wood baby cradle on pedestal stand that can also be set on the floor, with mattress and bedding, $100; antique white wicker baby bassinet with mattress and bedding. Asking $75. 519-5297871.

34-3 --------------------------------------------FOR SALE - 7 ft ladder extends another 7 ft., aluminum, $50; maple coffee table, 40 in. long, $50. 519357-3117.

34-3 --------------------------------------------FOR SALE - Taupe leather couch, $100; computer cabinet for desktop computer, storage/printer space on roll out section, $100.; two sets youth S/M dirt bike chest, arm, neck protective gear, $50 each; Moen Magnetix shower head (new in box), $25. Wingham 519-357-2768. 33-3 --------------------------------------------FOR SALE - Black leather reclining chair with vibration. Bought from Wayfair. Never used-still in box. Cost over $800 with tax. Asking $500.

Wingham 519-357-2768.

33-3 ---------------------------------------------

All word ads in The Citizen classifieds are put on our webpage at www.huroncitizen.ca

Bloom where you are planted Darrell Bergsma, centre, commemorates his Arbor Award win with a tree-planting ceremony at the Londesborough Lions Hall on Aug. 24. Bergsma took home 4-H Ontario’s highest honour earlier this year and on Saturday, Senator Rob Black, Warden Glen McNeil and many local 4-H dignitaries were on hand to celebrate. (John Stephenson photo)

Aylward takes requests PEOPLE AROUND LONDESBORO

By BRENDA RADFORD Call 523-4296

Rev. Jan Aylward led the congregation of Londesborough United Church on Sunday, Aug. 25.

She stepped away from the norm that morning and led a service full of favourite hymns chosen by members in the days leading up to the service. It was a meaningful and light way to worship on a warm summer Sunday.

Jan added several short, related readings between the hymns, such as “Feed My Sheep” by Ann Weims. Her scripture passage was Matt. 11:28-30. In those verses, Jesus told His followers that in Him

there was rest for their souls. Many of the hymns in the service reinforced that promise.

Madelyn Yantzi and Aidan Van Den Assem were married at Londesborough United Church on Saturday, Aug. 24. Their wedding flowers in the narthex and sanctuary added a beautiful touch to the Sunday service. Best wishes to the newlyweds.

These will be busy days in households of young folk of all ages as preparations are made for return to learning institutions of all levels. Everyone will be trying to work in the last of summer activities in these warm late summer days, while also working on plans for fall.

If you notice vehicles at Hullett Central Public School this week, likely they will belong to teachers preparing their classrooms for next week. Drivers will need to be more cautious in the area of the village school come next Tuesday and especially at arrival and departure times for the buses.

The longest-tenured resident of Londesborough experienced a health issue last week. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

NEWS FROM LONDESBORO

Decoration service Hope Chapel held its annual decoration service on Sunday, Aug. 25, bringing together the community for a day of remembrance and fellowship. (John Stephenson photo)

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024. PAGE 15.

Obituaries

MARY CHRISTINE ROBINSON At Wingham and District Hospital on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, Mary Christine (Humphrey) Robinson of Wingham passed away at the age of 97.

The beloved wife of the late Roy Robinson, who predeceased her in 1991, Mary was the loving mother of Len and Doris Robinson, Larry and Janice Robinson, and Steven and Joanne Robinson.

She was the grandma of Mark and Kendra Robinson, Tracy and Mike Mulvey, Tim Robinson and Tracy Hehn, Brad and Krista Robinson, Brent and Tracy Robinson, Sherri and Stu Moffatt, Jeremy Robinson, Nicole and Blaze Pellowski, and Stephanie Robinson and the late Jordan Gilkinson and the greatgrandma of Abby, Preston, Mac, Kaidin, Callen, Kassidy, Koby, Keaton, Roy, Reese, Rex, Seth, Skylar and Rylan.

Mary was the sister of Lorne and Margaret Humphrey. Mary will be lovingly remembered by her many nieces and nephews and their families.

She was predeceased by her parents William and Margaret Humphrey, siblings Freida, Greta, Bill, Harold, Caroline and Lloyd and also by many in-laws.

A private family service was held with interment at Wingham Cemetery, followed by a celebration of life at the Belgrave Community Centre on Tuesday, Aug. 27.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the Belgrave Community Centre would be appreciated and can be done through McBurney Funeral Home.

Online condolences at www.mcburneyfuneralhome.com

DOROTHY BEATRICE “BEA” née IVES SEILI Dorothy Beatrice “Bea” Seili née Ives passed away peacefully at Huronlea Home for the Aged on Sunday, Aug. 25 in her 89th year.

The beloved wife of the late Ellwood (2019) for 64 years, Bea was the loving mom of Joe and Debbie and Jane and Larry of Brussels, Jim and Stacey of Wasaga Beach and Jeff and Michele of Listowel.

Bea was the grandma of 10 grandchildren, 11 greatgrandchildren and one great-greatgrandchild. She was the sister of Murray Loop and Jane Pursel and she predeceased by the late Judy Latronico.

Bea was predeceased by her parents, Harold and Dorothy Ives, brother Tom and Mary Ives, sisterin-law Ethel Loop, and daughter-inlaw Karen.

Bea was a force to be reckoned with, she was a hard-working farmer and mother and ran a tight ship at home. Bea liked the domestic things in life and worked for the Red Cross doing home care, helping others keep their homes tidy. She was the president of the Huronlea Residents Council for 10 years, always ready to fight for residents’ rights. She loved to chat and was always up for a conversation. Her feisty personality will be missed.

A private family visitation and service will be held. Interment will be in Brussels Cemetery.

Friends are invited to a casual celebration of life at the Brussels Legion on Wednesday, Sept. 4 from 1-3 p.m.

In lieu of flowers and as expressions of sympathy, donations to the Huronlea Residents’ Council would be appreciated.

Donations may be sent to Box 340, Brussels N0G 1H0.

Condolences may be left at riversidefuneralhome.ca

STUART SMITH Dad, Pa, Stu, Stuey, Snuffy - you had many names. We said “see you soon” on Aug. 19, 2024. You were surrounded by family and we held you so tight. We miss you immeasurably.

Forever in our hearts, we will never forget you, your wife, Bernadette; your children, Brian, Kevin, Andrea (Frank), Lisa (John), your grandchildren, Loren, Harlen, Jackson, Grace, Madison, your sister, Mary, a few special in-laws, friends, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Please join us Oct. 16 for the visitation from 10-11:30 a.m. at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, Goderich followed by his funeral at 11:30 a.m. and celebration of life to follow.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Alzheimer Society of Huron-Perth or Rotary Hospice Stratford-Perth.

Stu was born in 1937. He lived with his parents Ernie and Letta Smith and sister Mary on a farm in Morris Township.

Stu moved to Goderich in 1959 to work at Sifto Salt Mine. He spent over 50 years working at Sifto Salt and Champion repairing heavy equipment.

Stu lived on a farm with his family in Ashfield Township from 1963 until he returned to Goderich in 1989.

Stu loved tinkering, repairing everything, spending time with his grandkids, playing the piano, going to dances and talking and socializing with everyone he came across. He had the biggest smile, biggest heart and only good things to say about everyone.

Our world misses dad, Stu and Pa. See you soon. Forever in our hearts.

Friends may sign the book of condolences on the funeral home website at www.mccallumpalla.ca.

Extraordinary equine action A young performer demonstrates balance and grace atop a horse during the Ontario Equestrian Vaulting Association’s weekend show at REACH in Clinton on Saturday, Aug. 24. (John Stephenson photo)

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SUDOKU Fun By The Numbers Like puzzles?

Then you’ll love sudoku. This mindbending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your sudoku savvy to the test!

Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve a sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024.

From the Minister’s Study

Mark’s Gospel and the healing power of Jesus

By Rev. JoAnn Todd of the Anglican Churches of Wingham, Blyth and Seaforth Mark’s gospel has some incredible stories of Jesus healing people. Jesus’ healing abilities became quickly well known in his community. And really, not surprisingly. Someone who could perform miraculous healings would become popular anywhere, anytime. Also, not surprisingly, he’s surrounded by crowds of people all the time.

Jarius, a leader in the synagogue, is able to get Jesus’ attention; he has a daughter who is deathly ill. He falls at Jesus’ feet, repeatedly begging Jesus to lay hands on her and heal her. Jesus agrees to go to his home, and the crowds follow them, no doubt wanting to see what will happen. Will he perform another miracle healing?

Now, in the crowd is a woman who has been bleeding for more than a decade; imagine, having a period for 12 years! She’s drained her bank account trying to find a cure, exhausted all avenues of medical care, and I’d imagine was physically exhausted too because she would have likely been anemic.

She would have been often confined to her own home because, in those days, according to Levitical or Jewish law, women who were bleeding menstrually were considered impure and were to be segregated until the bleeding stopped. Any man who came in contact with her or anything that she had been in contact with - even her clothing - was considered “unclean” and would have to undergo the specified purification process (see Leviticus 15). So, this medical issue would have confined the woman considerably.

Even so, she’s heard of this Jesus fellow and of the miracles of healing he’s done. She’s heard that Jesus is back in town and she decides to chance it, and find him; if he has healed all those others, why not her? Because of the purity laws, she’s not to be out in public if she’s bleeding, however, in her desperation she takes the chance; maybe she won’t be noticed in the crowds that are always following him.

She thinks: “Even if I just touch the fringe of his cloak, I can be healed. I won’t even have to touch him, he wouldn’t even know.” You can understand her thinking in a way, if someone touching even her clothing becomes impure, why wouldn’t it work the other way around? So she takes a chance, and

heads out to find Jesus in the crowd.

The streets are packed with people, and she finds Jesus - so many people were trying to get his attention, he’s surrounded with people - that’s good, it will be easy to get close to him and not really be noticed, she’ll be just one more in the crowd, and so she quietly comes up behind him and surreptitiously reaches out, just touching the fringe of his clothing, and tries to slink back into the crowd. And the blood flow has stopped, she knows it immediately; after all she’s been bleeding for 12 years! Before she can fully process the enormity of her healing, Jesus calls out: “Who touched me?”

How could he know? She only touched the fringe of his garment!

But he knows. The disciples think it’s a silly question, many people have jostled him, bumped into him; the crowds were pressing in on him! But Jesus knows this was different, he felt the power leave his body.

Now the woman is scared; if he knows the power left him, maybe he’ll know who it went into if he

sees me! People were looking around, trying to figure out who it was; soon someone will recognize her, she who was not often out in public. She does the only thing she can do, throws herself at Jesus’ feet, and comes clean, telling her story, why she was taking such a risk; so she tells them all, “It was only the fringe of his cloak I touched, and instantly I was healed, the bleeding stopped!”

And she holds her breath, waiting for the reprisals, but how much will it matter what they say or do to her?

She’s healed after 12 long years!

But Jesus doesn’t berate her, criticize or shame her. He recognizes her faith in him, understands the depth of her need, and appreciates her fear and says, loud enough for them all to hear, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, be healed of your disease.” Imagine her relief - not only is she healed, but Jesus knew what she did and it was alright. He called her daughter, told her to go in peace; to calm herself, all was well!

There would be no repercussions for her behaviour.

The Regional Ministry of Sunday Morning Anglican Worship Trinity: 9:00

Parish of the Holy Spirit: 9:30

St. Paul’s-Trinity: 11:00

66 Dinsley St. W, Blyth

12 Jarvis St. Seaforth 519-527-1522

23 John St E Wingham 519-357-4883

revjoann@hurontel.on.ca The Regional Ministry of Hope

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www.holyspiritseaforth.ca

www.regionalministryof hope.com

Service Livestreamed Sundays at 11 a.m. on our facebook page

BRUSSELS S

U United Chu ur urch We hope you en njoyed your summer break!

All are welcome at BRU USSELS UNITED

Sunday, Sunday y,, Sept September tember 1 at at 11:00 a.m.

Brussels Farmer ’s Ma arket, Hospitality Booth August 30 Contact Alex at ministter.brusselsandblythuc@gmail.com y @g Website: b brusselsandblythuc.ca P.O. Box 359,, Brussels ~ 519-887-6259 P.

Services are live-streamed and can be found by searching n “Blyth Christian Reformed Church”

Blyth United Church “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11

119 John’s Ave., Auburn 519-526-1131

Interim Pastor s Elwin Elwiin Garland 250 Princess St., Brussels • 519 887 6388

P Prraise God for th the harvest!

Londesborough United Church 338 King’s Rd., Londesborough 519-523-4225

Worship Time & Sunday School 10:30 a.m.

September 15 - Service at Ball’s Chapel September 22 - Sunday School resumes September 29 - Fellowship and Coffee

Everyone Welcome

at 10 a.m.

Worship and Prayer Time Loving Fellowship Expository Preaching

brusselscommunitybiblechapel.ca

at 9:30 a.m.

To talk to Pastor Mike please email pastormike@huronchapel.com

p Service at 10:00 a.m.

Worship W Co ee Time at 11:00 a.m. ool for all ages at 11:15 a.m. ay Scho S Sunda All A Are Welcome

Childcare and Sunday School provided for children 0 to 8 during the sermon

Sunday, September 1

On-site and online - live.huronchapel.com

Worrship with us at Brruss M Brussels Mennonite Fellowship

BMG Community Centre (upstairs room) 800 Sports Drive, Brussels

Sunday, September 1, 10:30 a.m.

Nursery & Sunday School during worship

(1Kings 17: 17 – 24) After all is said and done, Jesus tries to bring them back down to earth, as it were, with a very practical suggestion to give the girl something to eat!

What incredible stories, told in great detail by Mark, who tends to be rather short, sweet and to the point with his writing. Mark has entwined two stories together to make his points. Both healings happened to females, and, interestingly, Jairus’ daughter has been alive for the same number of years that the other woman has been bleeding! Both healings happened through touch, one initiated by the woman, the other by Jesus.

Two miracles of healing. But, you know, there is always a risk when we hear these stories; the risk of thinking that if we just have enough faith, Jesus will heal us. And if we’re not healed, well, maybe we don’t have enough faith; so, maybe Continued on page 17

Sunday, September 1

Evangelical Missionary Church

Pastor Mike Stanley speaking on Foundations: Confessions and Repentance. (Nehemiah 9)

So, this sidetrack on the way to Jairus’ daughter has delayed them, and folks from Jairus’s house come to find him to tell him his daughter has died. Jairus must have been distraught, because Jesus tells him not to fear, only believe.

They get to the house and there’s a commotion, people are wailing with grief at the death of the 12year-old girl. Jesus tells them she is but sleeping, and they laugh at him.

He takes only the parents and the three disciples into the girl’s room, he takes the girl’s hand and tells her to get up - “talitha cum” which literally translates to “rise up” words that are used elsewhere in the bible for resurrection. And she does, she gets up! This, understandably, amazes everyone there! She, who was dead, is alive!

The similarities to the story of Elijah bringing the widow’s son back to life would, I suspect, not have gone unnoticed by those present who knew their scripture.

Outreach project for North Huron Food Share. (Especially lunch box items).

Join us Wednesday mornings for conversation in the garden starting at 10 am Contact Alex at: minister.brusselsandblythuc@gmail.com

MEL LV VILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS

Sunday, September 1, 2024 9:30 a.m. (Please note time change) We extend a loving welcome to all as we join together in worship, prayer and praise to God. Following the service, there will be refreshments and a chance to visit.

Soup & More 2 Join us every Friday from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. for lunch. This free meal is made possible by the Brussels churches and many volunteers working together to serve our community. c All are welcome!

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

For pastoral care concerns please call 519-524-7512 2

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024. PAGE 17.

Armstrongs celebrate 50th at Four Winds Barn farm on Brandon Road in 1989.

Shortly thereafter, Brian went to teacher’s college and, upon graduation, took an automotive teaching position at Sacred Heart High School in Walkerton. Elaine would continue her work as a food supervisor at Calendar, Brookhaven, Braemar and Huronlea nursing homes at different times through her life, while focusing on raising the family at other times.

Brian and Elaine have four children: David (Stephanie), Chris (Holly), Richard (Stephanie) and Laura (Peter) and 10 grandchildren.

Now that Brian and Elaine are retired, they enjoy spending time with their wonderful grandchildren

and remain active members of the Melville Presbyterian Church family.

Elaine remains involved in organizing Soup and More 2, the free meal program she initiated 14 years ago, while Brian continues to take an active interest in “wheeling and dealing” on Facebook Marketplace, working on projects in his job and serving as the family’s photographer and publicist.

The anniversary celebration took place at the Brussels Four Winds Barn last Sunday from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. To the couple’s delight, a steady stream of guests dropped in, followed by a delicious meal.

Their son David served as the emcee for the night, which featured speeches, cake-cutting and glassclinking. Guests for the evening enjoyed a stream of oldies music and videos, while the children enjoyed the barn’s lower level with toys and games.

Guests travelled to Brussels from Kemptville, Oshawa, Hamilton, Northern Ontario, London and Kitchener, in addition to a number of local guests.

The couple appreciated everyone who took the time to come together for the occasion. It was a wonderful way to celebrate and it will remain a truly memorable day for them.

Jesus is waiting for us to reach out

A strong bond Brian and Elaine Armstrong marked their 50th wedding anniversary at the Four Winds Barn in Brussels last Sunday, welcoming friends and family to the village to celebrate their milestone. (John Stephenson photo) Last Sunday, Brian and Elaine Armstrong celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the Four Winds Barn in Brussels. It was just a few days before the true 50-year mark of their loving marriage.

It was on Aug. 31, 1974 that Elaine Jacklin of Molesworth, the daughter of Lloyd and Twyla, married Brian Armstrong of RR1, Ethel (the Armstrong family farm on Brandon Road), the son of John and Isabel, were married at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Molesworth. Rev. John Brush presided over the service.

Attendants for the day were Ruth (Elliott) Laidlaw, Donna (Brush)

Broome, Verna (Willoughby) Hart, Kimberly Jacklin, Joanne (Jacklin) Stafford and Karen (Elliott) Keppel-Jones and Murray Armstrong, Bruce Wilbee, Don Armstrong, Rex McLory, Larry Jacklin and Joe Jacklin.

The couple travelled to Niagara Falls for their honeymoon before returning to London to allow for Brian to finish his final year of college and to train as a mechanic.

There, Elaine worked as a food supervisor at University Hospital.

In 1977, the couple erected a Royal Home on the 4th of Grey (Browntown Road) before purchasing the Armstrong family

Continued from page 16 it’s our own fault if we’re still unwell. I think that’s really an oversimplification of the message of these and other healing stories.

Now that’s not to say that Jesus didn’t perform healing miracles, or to minimize the role of faith in healing, but I think there is a greater purpose and message behind the writing of these kinds of stories of healing by the gospel writers after Jesus’ death, besides recording the miracles done by the one who was the Son of God. And we must remember that God in Christ uses other people to do God’s work even healings!

Let’s do a quick review: We can assume the Jairus was a man of some means if he’s a leader of the synagogue. So, he probably had the resources to have doctors come to see his daughter, yet now she is at death’s door.

The bleeding woman has exhausted her resources looking for medical help. Even though Jesus is being jostled in the crowd surrounding him, it is only when the bleeding woman very deliberately touches just his clothing that he notices that power has left him.

It is in their deep and desperate

need, and their belief that Jesus can make a difference, that Jairus and the woman reach out to Jesus; in the woman’s case, she literally reaches out and touches him.

So, what is the message in this?

We are most open to God’s grace, to Christ’s healing, to the spirit’s power, when we break through those internal barriers that we all carry; those walls of protection we have within ourselves. It is when we risk being vulnerable to God that we can receive God’s loving presence.

It’s not that God can’t break through those barriers, because we have multiple examples in the Bible that show that God can and does most certainly do that. After all, God is God. But God calls us to come to God as our true selves, unadorned, uncomplicated and in complete trust that God is all there is; God is all we need.

Paul said God’s “power is made perfect in weakness. So I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” (2Cor. 12.9) It is when all the internal “junk” we carry is out of the way, those protectionist walls we’ve spent years putting up, when those come down and we are completely

vulnerable, that’s when we open up completely to God, to Christ, so that the Spirit can come in and fill in those empty places, heal the hurts, the pain. And that’s not easy to do. And while the healings for these two Bible stories are instantaneous, for many, healing is a process and closely tied to our emotions.

It can take time to deal with all that stuff we carry, to break down those walls we put up between us and God and let God in. Like the example in our stories I mentioned earlier: 12 long years.

In reality, for many of us, it takes a lifetime of trying and trying again and it comes in increments, in my experience, a bit like peeling an onion, little bits at a time, and often accompanied by tears too! And Jesus is just waiting for us to reach out, to come to him; whenever we’re ready to reach out to him.

Amen.

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PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024.

Mid 1860’s Blyth Flour & Grist Mills was established on current site of Howson Mills.

Read more in the Blyth Repository of History

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The Citizen, Aug. 14, 2014

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THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024. PAGE 19.

Entertainment & Leisure

Warren Robinson to begin work on Ph.D.

Cultural icons Warren and Eleanor Robinson attend the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Goderich Celtic Roots Festival on Friday, Aug. 9. (Scott Stephenson photo)

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen If you’re involved in Huron County’s creative scene, you’re probably familiar with Warren and Eleanor Robinson. Amidst their long careers teaching at Goderich District Collegiate Institute (GDCI) and raising a family, the Robinsons have somehow found the time to engage with their adopted community in countless creative ways.

The Robinsons are musicians, playwrights, directors, historians, and so much more. They even founded an internationally respected music festival, now in its 32nd year.

It’s hard to picture what Huron County’s creative scene would look like if the Robinsons hadn’t come to town back in 1967 - that’s how ingrained they’ve become in the local art scene. After spending so much of their lives fostering rural creativity and creating magical moments for their community, Warren thinks it’s finally time to take everything they’ve learned together, put pen to paper, and write something definitive about the impact that festivals have on rural communities. Hopefully, he’ll earn himself a PhD in the process.

Warren was kind enough to sit down with The Citizen at his home in Goderich for a discussion about his new scholarly pursuit and what he and Eleanor most value about living the creative life in Huron County.

Warren was out with Eleanor when he decided it was time to further his education. “I was out on a walk with Eleanor a couple months ago, and I was thinking about the fact that both Kingsbridge and the Celtic Festival were, particularly, about community, about working with rural communities. And I thought ‘there’s a thesis in how the arts can help foster, build, and sustain rural communities.” Eleanor encouraged him to go for it.

The main reason he’s decided to write a PhD a bit later in life is a simple one - he wants to share what he’s observed over his lifetime. “I think the information I might come up with might be important to other people,” he explained. While he knows that he’s got something to say on his chosen subject, he’s not sure exactly what the scope of his project should be. “My original idea was to do a hamlet, which is

what Kingsbridge is in terms of population, a village - Blyth, with the Blyth Festival, and a town, which is Goderich. And that still might be what I do. Or I might even focus on just one of them.”

Some days he’s into the idea of a narrow field of research, but other days, it feels very tempting to broaden the scope of the project.

“On the other hand, we have a friend who lives in Scotland who is very big in the art community, and I could access all kinds of data that he has. And I think I could find someone else in Ireland, if I wanted to do it. And somebody else in England. So that might be a possible focus.” Eleanor has also developed a connection to a cultural movement in Thailand that he’s considering.

So far, he’s been examining the annual budgets of numerous rural municipalities. Warren has found that far more money tends to be earmarked each year for sports than there is for the arts. “The numbers, in terms of how many people are involved, are not that far off. But the difference in the budgets is absolutely ‘ginormous’. It’s true in every municipality. You keep the hockey rink going. You keep the baseball diamond. You keep all the soccer fields going. But the population ages, and you can attend theatre until the day you die.”

Both Warren and Eleanor grew up in Sudbury, five hours north of Goderich. When it came time to seek out a higher education, Warren went to Queen’s University and Eleanor attended Laurentian College. They were wed in 1966, and the two young, newly-minted teachers began looking for a place to build a life together. Eleanor was already familiar with the area, as her father had been raised on a farm in Bruce County. She also had

Sudoku Solution

relatives who lived in Goderich, Kincardine and Tiverton. Warren, on the other hand, had never made the trip out to Ontario’s West Coast, and when he finally did make the effort to come, it was a bit of a disaster, as he recalls. “Take-home pay for a teacher at this time was about 380 bucks a month. It was tough.” Warren recalled. One memorable day, the Robinsons decided to splurge for once to celebrate a friend’s birthday. The plan was to actually eat in a restaurant for once, followed by a drive to Goderich. “We had enough money to go out for one meal, and it was a Friday, and we were Catholics, so we couldn’t eat meat.

So we had curried shrimp. And we set out from Kingston to go up from Goderich, and stopped at a service centre along the way to get some gas and have the oil checked.” The attendant had already put an unheard-of seven quarts of oil into their vehicle before he asked them if he was on Candid Camera - a popular television show at the time that would ensnare unsuspecting by-standers in fictionalized scenarios for the entertainment of viewers. Four more quarts of oil later, both the attendant and the daytrippers collectively concluded that their vehicle had sprung a leak.

“There was no way we were going to Goderich leaking oil, so we turned back. Which was very fortunate, because all four people had food poisoning. And to this day, I can’t have curry. Obviously, it was the shrimp that was bad, but the taste I remember was curry,” he recalled.

After missing their chance to visit Goderich, Warren and Eleanor taught in Leamington for a while.

Soon, another opportunity to come to Canada’s Prettiest Town revealed itself in the form of a job offer. “We came in 1967, for three years. That was our expectation. Then, in three years, we said ‘Okay, we’re teachers. We make the same amount of money, no matter where we teach. And we’ll have to pay moving expenses to move somewhere more expensive, that’s not as nice. So, why are we doing this, again?’” And so they stayed.

The Robinsons were both working at Goderich District Collegiate Institute (GDCI) when they first became involved with the town’s historic theatrical institution - The Little Theatre. “We heard they were looking for some people to act. Now, I’ve done all my acting in French up in Sudbury. We didn’t

Happy 95th Birthday Nora (Mom)

Love ~ Your Family (And the Blue Jays)

have an English theatre at the high school I went to, even though we were an Anglophone high school... so we went out for a play called The Fantastics, and we both got parts.

That was 1968, I believe. And we’ve been involved with The Little Theatre ever since.”

Warren spread his love of theatre to GDCI. “The drama club had six people in it when I took over. I started teaching drama, which I did until I became English Head. Then another fellow came in to teach drama. I started writing plays because the drama club was two thirds female, and plays are 90 per cent male. So I wrote plays as a way of having parts for women. And then I had so many people that I started writing large-cast plays.”

One of Warren’s most successful plays was The Great Storm, which was written to mark the 100th anniversary of a devastating natural disaster that struck Lake Huron communities in 1913. The play was just one part of a larger community effort to commemorate local

history. “We won the Governor General’s Award for History that year,” he explained. Warren’s three tips for writing a winning play are as follows: have a big cast, make it a musical, and tell a local story. It’s not a guaranteed formula, but it’s worked for him, time and again.

Eventually, the ongoing success of the Little Theatre attracted the attention of a scrappy young upstart theatre out of Kingsbridge.

“Marianne Hogan phoned us, and asked to drop by. She’d been in various musical groups we’d been in; because, parallel to this, was the whole folk music thing. And we’ll get back to that in a second. You’re going to be sorry you asked. So, she came over, and she said ‘Warren, will you write us a play, to help bring our community together again?’ It was so fractured after the church had been taken away, and the school, and everything else. She said, ‘we don’t care if we make a dime - we just want to bring our community back together.’ So I Continued on page 20

You are invited to

Clarence McCutcheon’s 90th Birthday Celebration Saturday, September 14, 2024 Clarence wants to buy you lunch!

Open House Come and Go 11 am - 2 pm at the Brussels Legion Sandwiches and other goodies Birthday Cake P.S. He has some stories to tell!

He needs nothing but to see your smile and have a chat (absolutely no gifts)

PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 30, 2024.

Huron County art scene inspires academic pursuit

Back to school Warren Robinson is pursuing a Ph.D. to explore the role of the arts in sustaining rural communities.

(Scott Stephenson photo)

Continued from page 19 asked if I could make it a musical, because I knew they were a real singing community.” Kingsbridge: The Musical ended up being a real hit with the local audience, making close to $20,000 in profit, and he was asked to write another.

Eventually, there would be six installments in The Kingsbridge Chronicles. “Every year, people would say ‘I think this is the best one yet,’” he explained. “And then, finally, this year, I said ‘you know why it’s the best one every year?

The cast is getting so much more experienced as actors. That’s what’s making it better.’ Now, I’m very proud of it. The first year, I was kind of going ‘Aren’t they just wonderful singers? Now, there’s some really fine acting as well. It’s quite amazing. But they’ve been in six plays now - it makes a difference.” Even though The Kingsbridge Chronicles came to an end earlier this year, Warren is still writing original work for the unique rural theatre. “I’m working with Mary Murdoch, who I’m mentoring, to write next year’s musical, which is called Saving Harmony. It’s the first one in the non-Kingsbridge series.”

Arguably, the Robinsons’ biggest contribution to local culture is the Goderich Celtic Roots Festival (GCRF). The now internationallyrecognized annual event was born out of the simple desire to honour one of their fellow teachers, George Young, who died in 1992. “In order to set up a scholarship in his honour, we did a fundraising concert - this was in February of 1993,” he explained.

The impromptu Celtic-centric musical event brought in big crowds, which got Warren and Eleanor thinking.

“We looked at each other and said ‘Wow - I think we should start a festival!’”

The two already knew what they liked, and didn’t like, about music festivals. “We’d been longtime folk festival goers - we were at the very first Mariposa Folk Festival, way back in the day,” Warren recalled.

“And I’d done the folk interviews at the Queen’s radio station. People like The Clancy Brothers, Tommy Makem, a group called The Travellers, one of whom went on to become Papa John of The Mamas and the Papas. Another one, Scott McKenzie, had a big hit called ‘If You’re Going to San Francisco, Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair.’

Groups like that. So, a big interest in folk.” At first, they considered spending a whole year planning.

“We laughed at each other, because we’re both Aries - we’re great starters. If we put it off, it’s not going to happen.” The Robinsons jumped right in, and Goderich’s first Celtic music festival went

ahead later that same year.

They were hoping for 500 people, but over 3,500 showed up. “Were we scrambling? Oh my God!” That first year, all of the performers hailed from Ontario, and were compensated with gas money, a place to crash, and a promise that any profits made would be shared. “They all came, because there wasn’t much happening, and all were very surprised when each person got $250, which was pretty good... from there, it just built... by the third year, we were getting international stars, and by the fourth year, we committed to spending a lot of money on sound.”

Besides the excellent sound quality, one of the unique things about the GCRF is the way all the artists and audiences are integrated together over the course of the festival - a feature that was essential to the concept of the Robinsons’ perfect community event. “I always got frustrated at festivals, because the so-called ‘workshops’ were just little mini-performances,” Warren admitted. A desire for a real educational workshop led to the founding of the Celtic College - an immersive musical school that happens annually every year at GDCI in the week leading up to the festival. The college gained popularity every year, and a youthoriented Kids College was also added. “It now has the largest music staff of any one-week college in North America,” Warren boasted.

Having artists mingle with students and audiences also means that everybody is on the same level.

“We have no patience for ‘Star Syndrome’. And we’ve had some big stars - in fact, there’s very few of the top level Irish or Scottish artists and bands that we haven’t had over the years. And for the most part, they’re just wonderful human beings. They love coming here because usually, they fly into a festival, play one day of the festival, and then fly off to another festival. Here, they have eight days, because they teach at the college as well. They teach with their peers, play the evening sessions, and have supper and lunch together. There are all kinds of CDs out there where people are guesting on each other’s CDs because they met here. And several other music camps have come from here.” Some of the early Celtic College teachers went on to form AlgomaTrad - a school focused on Canadian traditional culture located in northern Ontario.

As part of the annual search for new musical acts, Warren became the president of the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals, which is now known as Folk Music Ontario. He was also the vice-president of the North American Folk Alliance for

three years, which is now Folk Alliance International.

The Robinsons won’t be satisfied with just creating a great festival, however - they also want to ensure its ongoing success after they’re gone. That means choosing the right replacements, and writing everything down. “So many festivals, once the founders retire, are gone the year later. One of the biggest ones, the Festival of Friends in Hamilton, was huge. Gone after two years. So I thought, ‘well, if I step back now, while I’m still around to advise who takes over, it’s going to work. We were also one of the very first festivals to come up with a procedures manual,” he explained. “Once people found out about it, it spread all over North America. We’d give people a hard copy, but we wouldn’t give them an electronic copy, because we knew what would happen. Remove ‘Goderich Celtic Roots Festival’, replace with ‘Name of Festival’.

Under the direction of the Robinsons, the GCRF always strove to bring the world of Celtic

music to Goderich. Current Artistic Director Cheryl Prashker has chosen to honour their tireless effort by creating the Warren and Eleanor Robinson Emerging Artist Showcase, which, in a few short years, has already shone a light on fantastic musical acts from Ireland, Japan and Australia.

But, why Celtic music? There’s just something about it. “It’s not like pop music. No one is going to get filthy rich in folk music. Well, I shouldn’t say that - most people don’t. Gordon Lightfoot probably did alright. But he had to cross over into the pop realm to do that.”

Beyond making a solid case for rural festivals, Warren also admits he has something personal to prove by pursuing his PhD. “When I was at Queen’s, I was having a good time. And my marks were not what you'd call stellar. But I always thought to myself that I could have done well if I’d really tried. I never said that - that’s a real cop-out. I coulda been a contender - no. You either did or you didn’t. So, when I went back, it was important for me to do well.”

However he decides to approach his thesis paper, Warren knows it all comes back to one thing: “The Sticky Factor - what keeps people in small, rural environments? That is the question.

“To me, the Kingsbridge area is one of the stickiest I can think of.

So many of the people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s are still in that area. In families that have five kids, four of them are still in the area.

Sometimes they have to work outside the area, but they live there.

They’ll travel 30, 40 miles to work because they want to live in the area. There’s a very, very strong sense of community. And I think having the Kingsbridge Centre, and being in the plays, has really helped that.” Marianne Hogan alone had a sister, two brothers, a nephew, two daughters, and five grandchildren in a single production. “It’s very much a family, community, thing… . You’ll see brothers who, in the general course of things, are farmers. They don’t have a lot of time to hang out, but they’ll come to rehearsal, and when they’re not on, they’ll sit and chat.”

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