The Citizen - February 6, 2020

INSIDE THIS WEEK:

HEART & STROKE - Pg. 9

FINANCIAL - Pg. 11

GALLERY - Pg. 19

Blyth man tells heart attack story to raise awareness

‘The Citizen’ explores the financial world

Stevenson, Dickie, Tetu headline gallery season

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Volume 36 No. 6

Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County

Thursday, February 6, 2020

Ginn now chair of WOWC

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While their classmates were busy playing snow basketball and building snow forts and snowmen, these students were busy preparing for potential future careers in the culinary arts. Artemis Kalou Venardatou, left, Atavia Grandy, centre,

and Savanna Kemp-Wolfe, right, were working at a restaurant of their own creation. The menu, it seems, was a bit restricted, consisting only of snow but with a heaping side of imagination.

(Denny Scott photo)

County of Huron Warden Jim Ginn has been acclaimed as Chair of the Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus (WOWC) during the organization’s annual general meeting in Ingersoll on Jan. 31.

“I am honoured to have been placed in the position of Chair of the Caucus, to represent Southwestern Ontario, and I look forward to helping drive our collective goals forward,” said Ginn. “We have seen significant success over the last year and a half in relation to advocating on behalf of the region and specifically with the SWIFT broadband project. We thank the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Steve Clark and Minister of Agriculture, Ernie Hardeman, for attending the meeting today, engaging in good conversation with us, and demonstrating how they value our perspective. Co-operation among all levels of government in the form of funding and partnership opportunities will continue to foster the future success of Southwestern Ontario.”

Prior to appointment as chair, Warden Ginn served on the caucus in 2017-2020 representing Huron County. As WOWC Chair, Ginn also sits on the Associated Municipality of Ontario Board, County Caucus; and he continues to serve as Mayor Continued on page 18

Many Huron Heat teams return from tournaments The Huron Heat had several teams competing in tournaments over the weekend, making for a busy final weekend of January.

The Midget B Heat went 1-2 in the Brampton Cougars Friendship Festival Tournament, starting and finishing the tournament with losses.

The Heat were bested by the Norfolk Hericanes by a score of 2-1 after beating the Haldimand River Cats 21. On Friday, St. Marys Rock ousted the Heat 2-0.

The Bantam C Heat went 3-2 in the Saugeen Shores Silver Stick Tournament. The squad lost to the Kincardine Kinucks by a score of 20 in the Heat’s last game of the tournament. Prior to that, the team bested the Lambton Attack (3-0), the Saugeen Shores Storm (3-0) and the TCDMHA Rebels (4-1). The Heat opened the tournament with a 3-2 loss to the Tillsonburg Lightning on Friday.

The Bantam BB Heat started strong in the London Devilettes’ 30th annual tournament, posting two wins, but were bested by the Lambton Attack 1-0 on Saturday in the Heat’s final game. Previously,

the Heat had taken down the Ancaster Avalanche (1-0) and the Mississauga Hurricanes (3-0).

The PeeWee B Heat, also in the Devilettes’ tournament, were bested by the Norfolk Hericanes by a score of 2-1 and the Belmont Blazers 2-0.

The PeeWee BB Heat topped the

Burlington Barracudas by a score of 2-1 on Friday in the Devilettes’ tournament, but opened with a 1-1 tie against the Stratford Aces.

In the Devilettes’ tournament, the Atom A Heat had game results that ran the gamut. While the squad’s last game of the tournament was a 3-1

loss to the Stratford Aces, before that they had been undefeated, besting the Devilettes 3-2 and the North Simcoe Capitals 2-1 and posting two ties against the Scarborough Sharks and the St. Thomas Panthers.

The Novice B Heat, also in the Devilettes’ tournament, started with

a loss but ended up going undefeated after that. On Saturday, the squad downed the Woodstock Wildcats 9-5 after tying the Etobicoke Dolphins 3-3. Friday saw the squad best the Flamborough Falcons by a score of 6-3 and losing to the Woolwich Wild 8-0.

Huron East budget begins with $232K hole With provincial funding cuts and rising policing costs, Huron East finds itself in a $232,000 hole before the first draft of the budget has even been presented to council.

Treasurer Paula Michiels spoke to the early days of the budget process at council’s Jan. 28 meeting. She told councillors that the $232,000 hole can be attributed to yet another decrease in Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) money and an increase to the municipality’s Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) costs.

Huron East’s Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) allotment, however, increased by just over $900.

To simply get the municipality

back to where it started at the conclusion of the 2019 budget process, Michiels said, taxes will have to rise five per cent. She did tell council, however, that assessment across the municipality has increased.

Chief Administrative Officer Brad Knight also reminded council that there will be tremendous commitments for the municipality in the public works department this year with the reconstruction of County Road 12, the main street through Seaforth.

As for the other two pieces of Huron East’s three-piece taxation pie, Mayor Bernie MacLellan said the county is currently debating the

implementation of a five per cent tax increase. Michiels said that increase would hit Huron East harder than it does other municipalities due to its size and assessment.

Furthermore, the school tax rates are already set, she said, and Huron County will see a small decrease in those rates.

Deputy-Mayor Bob Fisher worked through the math with Michiels, asking why, if Huron East’s assessment had risen by eight per cent, the municipality didn’t actually find itself three per cent ahead of its 2019 position, rather than five per cent behind. Michiels told him it’s not that simple and it would be unfair to simply punish the growing

tax classes through assessment growth. The process has to begin anew every year, she said, in order to be fair and equitable.

Several councillors, as well as the mayor, were keen to begin budget deliberations with Michiels’ new information at hand, but Knight cautioned them against jumping the gun.

With so much of the 2020 budget dedicated to the Seaforth main street project and other variables yet to be established, he said it would be premature to begin debating budget priorities and tax rate goals before the first draft of the budget had been completed and presented.

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

BIA suggests ambitious Blyth parking plan Sparling said that, while it’s great to have the problem of not enough The Citizen parking, work needs to be done to The Blyth Business Improvement help address the problem.

Sparling presented several Area (BIA) is suggesting some significant changes to Blyth’s suggested changes to the village’s downtown core and the surrounding downtown core and nearby areas to area to address parking and address parking and pedestrian concerns. pedestrian concerns.

MEMORIAL HALL During the BIA’s Jan. 30 meeting, Sparling suggested removing the Chair David Sparling said that asking Queen Street business owners parking spaces in front of Memorial and employees not to park on main Hall and making it a permanent area street, or if necessary, park in front for dropping people off at the hall of their own businesses, may have and making sure the space is open helped parking issues, as could for emergency services.

Currently, the spaces are closed by implementing timed parking at the Blyth Pharmacy, however more the Blyth Festival before, during and after the shows to make sure could be done. emergency services can access the site, but as Sparling explained, calls don't necessarily happen when the hall is being used, so the spaces aren’t always kept open.

Keeping the space clear should solve several problems, Sparling said.

The BIA was in favour of the change after Festival General Manager Rachael King explained that it could solve many problems.

MILL STREET One of the areas with the most proposed changes is Mill Street, including the public works building which will be decommissioned in the future.

Jaxon Yundt, left, and Jake Bromley “Blyth needs to increase its population used their recess time to roll a giant to keep our businesses snowball at Hullett Central Public viable,� Sparling said.

School on Monday. (Denny Scott photo) “That’s the bottom line. If we want our

By Denny Scott

Keep rollin’

businesses to succeed, 1,000 people doesn’t cut it.�

To address the problem, Sparling felt the BIA should recommend the township sell the public works property to be redeveloped as residential space.

Kelly Wharton of Spa Essentials was staunchly opposed to that idea, however, saying it was such a small space that it wouldn’t impact local businesses.

She said that people who live in multi-unit dwellings, which could be built there to house between 16 and 24 people, don’t typically shop local because they are on a budget. She said the space would be better used as parking, which the downtown core needed.

Cat O’Donnell of the Wonky Frog agreed to needing parking, adding it could be paid parking to generate income for Blyth and North Huron.

Wharton went on to say that she didn’t believe people would park at the Blyth and District Community Centre for Blyth Festival shows. She said the public works building, located at the corner of Dinsley and Mill Streets, would be a better place to direct parking. “We need parking,� she said. “Residential [development] is already happening and we aren’t going to get land this close to the main street again. That is a good lot the township owns. If you don’t make it parking, that will be a big mistake.�

No recommendation was made for the property as a result of the discussion.

Sparling suggested the existing sidewalk on Mill Street in front of the United Church be extended north to Drummond Street, and that sidewalks be installed on Drummond to connect to the downtown core. He also wanted to see parking on both sides of Mill Street as part of the project that will

eventually see the entire road and infrastructure under it rebuilt.

Sparling asked Director of Public Works and Facilities Sean McGhee if that were possible. McGhee said it could be done if there was enough space, though it would require the will of council to make changes to the Mill Street project, the next major road infrastructure project set to be taken on by the municipality.

Wharton was concerned about that, however, as she was told, when she moved her business to Blyth in 2005, that Mill Street was the top priority at that time. McGhee said he understood her concern, but, unfortunately, Carling Terrace in Wingham was in worse condition than Mill Street, meaning it took priority.

In the end, the BIA agreed to suggest parking on both sides of Mill Street if possible, as well as extending the sidewalk on Mill Street and Drummond to better connect the downtown core.

SINGLE-SIDE PARKING Sparling said past conversations regarding Dinsley and Drummond Streets indicated that people wanted parking limited to one side of either street and that the parking be marked to make it easier for people to see where, and where not, to park.

He said concerns have been aired by property owners on side streets because the parking on both sides of the streets can result in sightline issues for those trying to see out of their driveways.

The solution the BIA could suggest, Sparling said, is to permanently limit parking to one side of the street with painted lines.

The board was in favour of the decision. “Once the BIA has a plan, it should be brought to council,�

McGhee said. “Some discussion would be had about what could be done. Some of it could be easy.

There is low-hanging fruit in the

plan like putting up signs and painting lines.�

He said council has to give the goahead for the project.

COMMUNITY CENTRE Sparling suggested some changes around the community centre, including a sidewalk on Gypsy Lane between Wellington and Dinsley Streets.

Sparling also suggested four-way stops at the intersections of Gypsy Lane and Wellington Street and Gypsy Lane and Dinsley Street.

Other recommendations included improved lighting on the north side of the arena so people would be more apt to park and walk there.

North Huron Councillor Kevin Falconer said he would also like to see one-side-of-the-street parking implemented on Gypsy Lane, citing the potential problems parking on both sides of the street can cause for emergency services during hightraffic events at the Blyth Campground like the annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association.

The BIA was behind all of the initiatives, with Wharton saying she would love to see parking with improved lighting and demarkation.

COWBELL ACCESS Sparling said the township and the county need to work together to create an opportunity for pedestrians to access Blyth from developments at the south end of the community, especially Blyth Cowbell Brewing Company.

Sparling said the destination brewery welcomed 150,000 in 2019, the same number of visitors as in 2018. “If we’re looking at this from a business perspective, if we can get even 10 per cent willing to walk to the downtown core, that’s 15,000 shoppers coming into our town,�

Sparling said.

Currently, the sidewalks on Continued on page 10

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

Letter to the Editor

Long-time Reeve denied chance to address dam THE EDITOR, The reason for this letter is because I was denied “delegation status” for the Howson Dam Committee as per my request in response to their advertised opportunity to speak.

Going back over 30 years, “Wingham” council of the day realized that the Howson Dam was in a state that was less than ideal.

Rather than do nothing, they put together a trust account for some future council to use for engineering plans to decide its future. While always being looked at as a project by subsequent councils, there was never enough money left as they went through the yearly budget discussions.

The council of 2014-2018 was forced to look to an engineering stability report due to intensified spalling and visible rebar. The council of the day hired a reputable experienced engineering firm to

conduct a professional, unbiased report. The current Reeve of North Huron made a number of unfounded allegations that council had made specific requests to the engineering firm, which is completely erroneous.

When we received the report, we immediately fenced off the entrances to the bridge and dam. Having staff with experience with what happened in Elliott Lake,, this was the only option we had to protect the municipality from the potential of liability, when we knew what was in the report.

The core samples tested were taken down through the bridge deck into the centre of the abutments of the dam. This should have been the best concrete in the structure.

There are many respected people in Wingham, who have said they would like to see the dam fixed. A very high majority of them are senior citizens like myself. They remember what it was like 40 to 60

The cut off The Huron Heat PeeWee HL squad faced off against the St. Thomas Panthers HL team for the third time in just over a week on Sunday. The teams fought to a scoreless tie during that game, after the Heat previously lost to the Panthers and another scoreless tie. (Darlene McCowan photo)

Local Coverage Where You Work, Play & Live

years ago. With Wingham needing a new water tower, I do not want to see the children and grandchildren of these people saddled with the cost of both of these items. Providing potable water for urban residents is a mandated service so we know one will be built. Are our taxes not high enough already?

I hear of the people saying the pond was a reason for moving to Wingham, but not many lately. The new people moving here told me they came for schools, hospital, medical clinics, walking trails nature, the great job done by the Horticultural Society and the high level of services available. The points previously mentioned are pluses, some did mention that one the minuses close to the head of the list was the deteriorating dam and stagnant pond.

As the only living past Head of Council (Wingham), I take exception to the number of times I have heard “Council should have done something sooner”. I was part of the councils that “finished the complex” by doing those things that usually get done during construction because if they had been in the tender if would not have been built.

What I really ask myself is why is “Why is this subject wasting so much time and money of the present council?” The previous council knew we had no money to spend on it or we probably would have started its decommissioning, some of us hoping it would simply fail and be cheaper just to do clean-up.

At the all-candidates meeting in Blyth in October, 2018, all council candidates except one stated that they did not want any municipal tax money used for a fix or repair of this project. With my experience on Maitland Valley Conservation Authority committees, I have seen the opportunities available when dams are removed and rivers are naturalized. The closest to seeing this is go 100 feet past the dam and see how beautiful it is down to Victoria Street.

We have so much in infrastructure, we cannot afford it all. For this reason, we need to let council move forward on projects that are mandated or where they produce many benefits well beyond just looking good.

This is meant to be in addition to

The standard of the world, and the standard of the Lord Jesus—are indeed widely different. They are more than different—they are flatly contradictory one to the other.

Never be satisfied with the world’s standard of Christianity.

A crucified Saviour will never be content to have a self-pleasing, self-indulging, worldly-minded people!

In Print & Online 519-523-4792 or 519-887-9114

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Are you tired of getting a second-hand newspaper?

(J.C. Ryle)

There is a common, worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have enough—a cheap Christianity which offends nobody, and requires no sacrifice; which costs nothing, and is worth nothing.

The Citizen

project, we were assisted generously by federal, provincial, and County of Huron money and services. To rebuild this dam under current codes of practice, we are looking at spending at least twice as much only to have a nice looking pond and very slim chance of assistance either financial or otherwise from any other levels of government.

The next biggest project was the rebuild of the Blyth Memorial Hall to maintain and expand job growth and tourism attraction. The Memorial Hall project also had federal, provincial and Huron County assistance. This project still was only a third of the cost of a new dam. Looking for federal, provincial or Huron County money for this project is about as likely in today’s economy as my chances of winning Lotto Max. Why this issue has been resurrected has me puzzled, as at the Blyth all-candidates meeting for the 2018 election all but one candidate stated that they were opposed to any municipal tax dollars being spent on the Howson Dam. There are a number of other things that make a rebuild more difficult, such as the approximately 1,300acre mostly systemically drained land to the north and west that drain into the river within Wingham that cannot have their outlets flooded.

The councils of the last 30 years realized that they could not show a return on any investment in this dam and were putting their money where there was value for money spent on other projects. There is no option but to naturalize the river corridor when the dam ceases to exist as is being done to provide better flood protection in the majority of other municipalities.

Respectfully, Neil Vincent with input from other Previous Council Members.

The ways, and fashions, and amusements, and recreations of the world “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John 2:15

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my previously written comments (see below) when I applied for delegation status. I have tried not to be seen as passing judgment on the present council, respecting the electorate chosen. Some things just don’t seem right.

Neil Vincent.

The Howson Dam on the North Maitland River in Wingham has been a topic of discussion for over the past three decades for local councils. Just over 30 years ago, the council of the day established a trust fund to assist with planning, engineering, and possibly repairs or refurbishment as seemed fitting.

This dam was built by private enterprise, not as a municipal service, in 1920. One hundred years ago, waterpower was the norm, but as hydro electric power arrived, the flexibility of use spelled the end of water power usage for many mills.

I will use some of my personal insights at this time in relating some of my observations of a bridge built in 1919 over the Maitland River on Belfast Road. This bridge was replaced just over 30 years ago, but I believe the concrete quality was very similar in quality for a structure that had to withstand water, freezing and thawing, as well as, the varying pressures of flooding etc.

In watching the removal of the abutments, I was shocked at the way it crumbled and broke up. The core samples did not adequately show how bad the condition of the concrete was. For this lack of structural integrity, repairs would only be a waste of time and money.

In the recent 12 years I spent on North Huron Council, our biggest project was the complete rebuild of Wingham’s main street. This project was to renew all sewer and water infrastructure, street lights, sidewalks and roadway. In this

It costs something to be a true Christian. It will cost us our sins, our self-righteousness, our ease and our worldliness!

The ways, and fashions, and amusements, and recreations of the world—have a continually decreasing place in the heart of a growing Christian. He does not condemn them as downright sinful, nor say that those who have anything to do with them are going to Hell.

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He only feels they have a constantly diminishing hold on his own affections, and gradually seem smaller and more trifling in his eyes.

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world.” 1 John 5:4 A Grace Gem Submitted by: Immanuel United Reformed Church, Listowel, ON 519-291-1956

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

Editorials & Opinions

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

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Bring accountability back It should be no surprise that the U.S. Senate impeachment trial was a sham. Most knew it would be, but the arguments that President Donald Trump’s defence team put forward were shocking in their hypocrisy.

Alan Dershowitz argued that “If a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment.” But, wasn’t Richard Nixon trying to get re-elected by sending operatives into the Watergate hotel? Surely he believed his election was in the country’s best interest.

Another argument Dershowitz put forward was that the founding fathers had not intended for non-criminal abuse of power to be included as an impeachable offence. The country was founded by declaring its people’s independence from an empire in which they felt the ruler was abusing his (legal) power. So, in fact, isn’t a return to tyranny exactly what the founding fathers were trying to avoid by limiting the president’s power and including a mechanism for impeachment?

While this impeachment trial is not the death knell for democracy itself, it is another firm step towards autocracy in the mindset of a political party and its lawmakers. Any future impeachment trials will refer back to the precedent here. By allowing Trump to continue unfettered, the Republican Party is contributing to the ability of future presidents to further erode democracy by giving them the authority to rewrite laws so they don’t violate them.

Hopefully, the American voters begin to demand some truth and accountability along with representation once again. – DS

Creative accounting Premier Doug Ford’s government has handed down drastic cuts to public health in Ontario and there’s fear even deeper cuts could be on the way after the forced amalgamation of health units last year.

Huron East Mayor Bernie MacLellan, a member of a special Association of Municipalities of Ontario health task force, recently reported back to his council that provincial public health cuts, notched at 30 per cent when first announced last year, could reach as high as 50 per cent. Downloading onto cash-strapped municipalities that can’t afford to pave roads and repair bridges will help Ford keep an election promise but is certainly an irresponsible form of creative accounting if it comes to pass, though Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson insists it’s too early.

Municipalities are already feeling the provincial squeeze. And now they have to worry about Ford and his commitment to his Trumpian “promises made, promises kept” catchphrase. He promised to cut the deficit, but as he finds himself at the bottom of public opinion polls, all while increasing spending, Ford has to get creative.

Ford’s cuts for the Toronto Board of Health equate to over $1 billion over the next decade, beginning with an immediate $86 million hole.

Board of Health Chair Joe Cressy has been blunt, saying “people will die” as a result of the cuts. Bringing those kinds of cuts to communities in Huron County with a fraction of Toronto’s tax base could have catastrophic results. However, having moved budget holes from one pocket to another, Ford can be satisfied that he “kept a promise” while kicking his responsibility to someone less equipped to handle it.

Ford was elected as an alternative to 15 years of Liberal rule that had grown flabby, greedy and tired, complete with its own creative accounting. He’s hardly playing the role he so desires, as the disrupter and reformer, by shoving debt under beds and into closets, shifting it to those unable to pay it all in the name of making himself look good. – SL

Doing more than the minimum With the start of 2020 in the rearview, it’s time to look ahead to the changes we need in the next few years. Between climate change and avoiding World War III, there’s a lot to do, and the Canadian government and some Canadian businesses are moving in the right direction.

In 2021, the federal government will ban single-use plastics, like straws, as a means of protecting nature from the impact of these immortal pieces of fish poison. The change comes after a government report found that the single-use plastics are bad for the environment.

While it’s frustrating a report is needed to show common knowledge for years, this is a moment that should make Canadians proud: the government is making a move benefitting the environment.

Sobeys is also getting in on the action, proving that exceeding the minimum requirements isn’t just possible, but something that should be done whenever possible. The grocery giant removed all plastic bags from its stores last week; 255 million plastic bags out of circulation. The move should help reduce Canada’s contribution to the environmental nightmares that plastic has provided, though more companies need to sign on. Canadians use as many as 15 billion plastic bags every year.

Let’s all follow suit and start cutting single-use plastics out wherever we can and prove that this is what we all want. – JDS

Looking Back Through the Years February 7, 1963 The rink representing Brussels in the Howick Lions Bonspiel placed second in the competition held in Listowel. It would be a team anchored by Carl Schaefer of Teeswater that took first place.

A delegation from the Brussels School Board met with Brussels Village Council at the Feb. 4 meeting of council to discuss options for lighting at the school grounds. At the same meeting, council opted to sell the village’s old snowplow to Glen McKercher for $100.

The Brussels Hi-T group held a dance on Feb. 1 and approximately 70 people were in attendance.

The group was already busy planning its next dance, which would be a Valentine’s Day dance on Feb. 15.

February 10, 1971 The Blyth Agricultural Society held its annual meeting and set its fall fair for Sept. 22 in the village.

Also at the meeting, Murray Scott was named president of the organization, while Cliff Shobbrook was named first vice-president.

A special meeting of the Blyth Municipal Recreation Committee resulted in early plans for an annual broomball tournament in the village.

The third and final game of the PeeWee hockey series between Belgrave and Blyth was set for the Blyth arena on Feb. 11. Blyth had won the first game of the series by a score of 4-3 while Belgrave would win the second game 2-1. Belgrave’s winning goal was scored with just 30 seconds left in the game.

Norma Ball remained atop the Clinton-Blyth Ladies’ Bowling League with 289 points in singles play. Mary Davey was tops in the triples play with 694 points.

February 10, 1999 While Huron County Council had voted to proceed with a contract for policing for the entire county with the exception of the Town of Wingham, some councillors raised doubts that the Solicitor General’s office would allow split policing.

The Blyth and Brussels libraries would see an extension of their Community Access Project (CAP) funding to allow longer terms for their new internet access assistants.

Basil Ho in Blyth and Sarah McMullin in Brussels would be able to continue to provide internet training for members of the public while also developing web pages for community organizations and provide information ahead of the Y2K glitch, all at no charge to users.

The Brussels Bulls looked back on their season with a special awards ceremony and gala. Among the awards handed out that night was one to honour the most penalized player on the team, which went to Grant Jarvis.

Mary Wightman of Blyth celebrated a special birthday with friends and family at Blyth United Church as she marked her 90th year of life. Wightman spent her life teaching, moving to Blyth after selling the family’s farm in East Wawanosh in 1955.

Nicole White, the daughter of Randy and Donna of Brussels, served as the page for the Feb. 4 meeting of Huron County Council.

She was pictured in The Citizen alongside Brussels Reeve Ralph Watson and Huron County Warden Carol Mitchell.

February 11, 2010 Blyth’s Justin Peters fulfilled a lifelong dream the previous Saturday night, debuting in the National Hockey League (NHL) for

the Carolina Hurricanes. Not only did he make 34 saves in a 3-1 victory for the Hurricanes over the New York Islanders, but Peters was named one of the game’s three stars.

Peters had been called up to the team the day before from the Albany River Rats in upstate New York as a result of an injury to starting goalie Cam Ward. He would sit out the team’s Friday night game against the Buffalo Sabres, but the 23-year-old would start the following night.

His parents Jeff and Janice made the trip to Long Island, New York for the game.

“It’s pretty surreal,” Janice said.

“You wait for this. He’s been called up before. When it finally happened it happened so fast. We had to come back to see him play.”

Justin was also emotional about the game, fighting back tears in a post-game interview, saying “I’m overwhelmed. Finding out last night, my family being here, it’s pretty special.”

The accommodation review committee charged with considering the potential closure of several local schools, including Brussels and Grey Central Public Schools, was left with three options to consider.

The first option suggested the creation of a single administration for the Brussels and Grey schools, but to not close any of the affected schools. The second option included boundary adjustments and closing Brussels Public School, while the third option put forward the concept of keeping Brussels Public School open, but closing Grey Central Public School.

The Blyth Atom Rep Crusaders were crowned Western Ontario Athletic Association (WOAA) champions after defeating Ripley in the team’s final series of the year.

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

Other Views

Sometimes slow growth is good

T

his really is an amazing time to be living in Huron County – especially if you have the perspective of having lived here for a few decades.

I read recently that Huron County, along with Perth, Grey and Bruce, had the lowest unemployment rate in Ontario. Older readers may recall when the federal government provided special programs to try to reduce our area’s high unemployment rate. While in the past we worried about where people would find jobs following the closure of employers like Champion or the Blue Water Centre for Youth, the biggest problem for employers these days is finding enough workers to keep their companies running efficiently. Some employers are warning they may have to move to areas of higher unemployment if they can’t find workers here.

Meanwhile, where a handful of new houses going up in a community used to be a building boom, today we have whole subdivisions, and still the lack of housing is one of the concerns for employers trying to attract new employees.

It’s a bit of a shock to the system for oldtimers.

There have been times, however, when I wasn’t sure our slow, almost stagnant, growth didn’t have some advantages. Today, Blyth Memorial Hall is one of the most important and vibrant buildings in the county. If there had been a high demand for land in Blyth during the 1950s and 1960s, however, might the nearly-vacant building have survived until a group of local supporters in the 1970s convinced the village council to invest in the renovations required to make the building safe for use again?

Thanks to that leap of faith, when the Blyth Festival began in the summer of 1975, it had a real theatre in which to perform. Down in Toronto, the young directors and actors were

Keith Roulston From the cluttered desk refashioning old warehouses into makeshift theatres. Toronto had once had a number of actual theatres and vaudeville house in the 1920s and 1930s but they’d fallen into disuse and with the high demand for land they were demolished.

I was reminded of this constant demolition and rebuilding of large cities like Toronto when I read the other day that the huge Delta Chelsea Hotel will soon be coming down, to be replaced by three towers with 1.7 million square feet of living space. I’d stayed at the Chelsea a few times for conventions and meetings and was always amazed that it had all sprung up since I used to live nearby while attending Ryerson University. The article I read on its demise, said part of the building was only 30 years old.

I’ve always been torn about the preservation of older buildings. On one hand, older buildings provide variety in architecture and a constant reminder that we’re part of a timeline of human progress. On the other hand, the practical side of me sees it an extravagant luxury to preserve buildings that no longer have a practical use simply to still have them around.

But with concern about climate change, the practicality of demolishing existing buildings is getting a whole new examination.

Apparently the construction sector, on a global basis, generates 30 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. The trend to build things out of

concrete is a major culprit with the cement industry creating somewhere between four and eight per cent of emissions. Since the new tall buildings are generally made of concrete, with 50 or so storeys in the air and several storeys of parking below ground, that’s a lot of emissions. There are currently 67 skyscapers in Toronto (buildings of 150 metres or higher) with 31 being built and 59 in the proposal stage.

New thinking, due to climate change, is to look at the carbon emissions a building will create during its entire life. What energy does it take to build, operate and demolish it?

“Preserving the existing building is really about avoiding the emissions of a new building, particularly if it is concrete and steel,” Jeff Ranson, the Greater Toronto Area director for the Canada Green Building Council told The Globe and Mail. “There’s a tradeoff between those and the energyperformance savings you might get with a new building.”

It’s one of the hidden factors we don’t necessarily think about when we’re calculating how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Hopefully, it might make people think twice about the impulse to tear things down. There are people in Toronto, for instance, who feel it’s long past time that the Rogers Centre came down. It seems like only yesterday that the opening of the Skydome, with its retractable roof, was hailed as one of the wonders of the world. Since then other cities have built new stadiums that have made Toronto’s baseball fans envious.

The preservation of what’s here versus the excitement of building something new, will always be a tricky balance. If the new environmental concerns give new value to the buildings we already have, however, it could be a welcome rebalancing of the scales.

Outsourcing through ‘exposure’

B

etween friends and friends of friends, as well as the few jobs I’ve put under my belt since graduating post secondary school, I’ve garnered, in my opinion, a pretty great network of people involved in a variety of careers.

Many of them are involved in creative industries like music, writing or graphic design, so I often see people bemoaning the ever-present payment method of “exposure”.

If you’re not familiar with it, “exposure” is when someone expects a creative professional to ply their trade without financial compensation and instead doing the job so their work can be seen in the real world.

Let me be clear from (near) the start here: There’s nothing wrong with doing work for exposure, or mostly for exposure.

If a creative professional approaches someone and says they would like to provide their services for the sake of exposure, that’s fine. Exposure as compensation isn’t a problem when the artist wants it. What is a problem is when people expect someone to do a job for exposure and no other compensations, like the “great” town of Wasaga Beach.

A friend of mine recently shared on social media a contest the town is holding specifically directed at “graphic designers and other creative types” to design a new logo instead of paying a creative firm (which most municipalities do) to do the work. The contest winner gets a Town of Wasaga Beach jacket, a tour of town facilities, lunch with the town’s mayor and “full bragging rights”, otherwise known as exposure.

My friend pointed out that lunch with the mayor won’t pay her rent or fill her fridge, though I’d add she could make the leftovers last, especially if she fills her pockets with breadsticks and condiments.

Denny Scott Denny’s Den

I’ve never really considered myself to be part of “the creatives” so I’ve never had to worry about selling myself on a regular basis.

I’ve just had to convince a few people that I’m worth hiring as a reporter.

Sure, I generate copy every week and take photos, but I’ve always felt that journalism is to creative work is what mobile army surgery hospitals (MASHs) are to proper surgery suites. Granted, my experience with a MASH is limited to the television show of the same name, so maybe that’s an imperfect analogy.

Anyway, in the show, one of the doctors calls the surgery done at mobile hospitals meatball surgery; just doing enough to get injured soldiers to permanent medical facilities.

I’ve always seen journalism like that when compared to other creative endeavours. It’s not lesser by any means, but it does have a different goal.

We don’t write books, we write about people who write books so readers can go find those books. We don’t take pictures to hang in galleries, we take pictures to be put on corkboards or refrigerators. We deal with a more down-to-earth kind of creativity. We create for the masses.

Some may see that as a downside, but I don’t. If the tradeoff is that I’ve got a job to go to every day instead of working in a sector that can be dominated by contract work, like

graphic designers.

Because I’ve got the benefit of a stable job I’ve never had to worry about working for exposure. Sure, I get exposure every time someone opens the paper, but I also get a roof over my head from the work I do.

That reality kind of puts me on the outside looking in (or I guess, in this case, on the inside looking out) when my friends get frustrated about the idea of working for nothing. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t see it as being wrong.

Wasaga Beach did two things wrong here in my opinion. First, organizers tailored this competition to professionals when they specifically asked for graphic designers “and other creative types”. If they asked for the children of the community to submit logos, that would be another story. Lunch with the mayor is exactly the kind of prize that I would expect in that kind of competition (and it would make a great photo opportunity for a local paper).

The second mistake was to get away from what other municipalities do: hiring creative people to do creative jobs.

I’m as tired as anyone else with the number of consultants municipalities have to employ to meet standards for everything from grant applications to major engineering jobs, but for some jobs, like say refreshing a municipal logo, it’s pretty much essential.

It would take a massively large city centre to justify a full-time graphic designer on staff, and even then that might be a stretch. For smaller municipalities, outsourcing a job like that is just the way it has to be done.

When creative jobs need to get done, creative professionals need to be hired to do the job right, and by hired I mean paid for their work, not offered anything in lieu of fair compensation.

Shawn Loughlin Shawn’s Sense

The Loughlin 500

I

t’s been an absolute pleasure and an honour to write in this space for you dear readers, neighbours, friends and supporters 500 times now. I don’t take the privilege lightly.

If you’re saying to yourself, “Hey, didn’t I just read about this last week?” you’d be right.

However, my original intention for this column was a retrospective, but then Jess and I found ourselves expecting and my 500th column seemed like a perfect place to share.

Funny enough, there’s a case to be made that I have two cracks at this. You see, on May 19, 2016 (my birthday, oddly enough) I wrote a column entitled “Face to Face” about how nice it is to sit down with someone to interview them, rather than doing it on the phone, through e-mail or any number of social media sites. It was a great column, so great, in fact, that we published it again on May 26, 2016.

Clearly an internal error here at The Citizen, but it provides an opportunity for a second crack at a 500th column. So, this is 501st time you’ll read one of my columns, but it’s really just the 500th original column I’ve written.

I first thought to tally up my column total about this time last year. That was when I wrote a column entitled “Fahrenheit 451” about the fact that it was my 451st column, rather than the Ray Bradbury novel.

My first full year of writing columns was 2011 after taking over the space in early 2010.

From 2011 on, I wrote 50 columns a year. That total will now jump from 2020 on, as The Citizen has opted to forego its traditional August vacation going forward, so there will be one more opportunity to read us every year.

Based on the nice round number of approximately 600 words per column, with my 500th column I would reach 300,000 words written in those columns (299,400 original words). It’s a milestone that makes me proud.

I began working with The Citizen when I was 24. I was young and looking for a new start for a variety of reasons (my best friend was killed in a vehicular collision and I’d been held at gunpoint during a robbery back in Pickering). Then-Publisher Keith Roulston took a chance on me, an outsider with a lot to learn and that opportunity served to shape me into the man I am today. A proud homeowner in Blyth, married with a baby on the way, who doesn’t long for a life anywhere else but here.

I’ve learned over the years. I’ve made mistakes and written corrections. I’ve made people happy and proud and I’ve made them upset and been threatened with more lawsuits than you might imagine. I’ve formed bonds that will last a lifetime and I’ve got an evergrowing blacklist of people who turn into wild animals when things don’t go their way. Most importantly, it feels I’ve found a home and a community here in Huron County.

While I was born in Scarborough and grew up in Pickering, I go back to those cities and don’t feel any pull of home. My family has moved away and very few of my old friends still live there. Blyth is my home now and it will be the ideal place to raise a child.

When I first started writing this column, I pledged to tackle a topic of interest, whether to me or to the community at large, and through that lens open myself up to the community one column at a time. Whether it be a story about my youth or something that happened to me that week, I saw it as an opportunity to speak to my community and introduce myself over and over again one week after another.

As my position in my home community solidifies further every day and my life is due to get much more interesting, I look forward to writing 500 (or 501) more columns for you all.

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

At the Branch

Branch fields top Zone darter teams

Edged out The Midget Rep Crusaders were downed 3-0 by the South Bruce Blades on Friday night at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre. It was the second game of what would be a three-game sweep for South Bruce. The Blades won in Teeswater on Jan. 29 by a score of 41 and then again on Feb. 3 by a score of 5-2. (Darlene McCowan photo)

By Jo-Ann McDonald It has been another weekend of success for some Brussels Legion Branch members. Attending the Zone Mixed Darts in Exeter in Saturday were eight Comrades all arriving and hoping to be winners.

The lucky dart stars were in their favour and one team came home the winners of the day. Comrades Bob Richardson, Linda Bird, Ron and Daisy Schmidt came home with top honours in team darts. Ron and Daisy also took top spot in mixed doubles for the day. Team Jim, Sandra, Chris Brown and Catrina Josling captured fifth place.

All players will advance to district darts in Durham in March.

Congratulations to all our Branch darters.

The Friday night Catch the Ace draw had Lynn Cronin as the weekly winner. Lynn won $242 and chose envelope number 17. The opened envelope revealed the three of diamonds. The jackpot continues to grow and will be an estimated $3,500 this week.

The Thursday night blind mixed

dart league had 16 darters out for play. The winning team was the duo of Joan Smith and Pete Gray.

Second place went to Louise Poirier and Ken Verbeek. High shot dart honours went to Joan with 132 and Ken with 133. It was a good night of darting. Come out and join the fun.

Teams are by random draw.

Good wishes go to Comrade Cam Ross who is a patient in Kitchener.

Don’t forget public speaking is this Sunday. Doors open at 12:30 p.m. with speeches beginning at 1 p.m.

Everyone is welcome to come out and enjoy the wonderful story telling and speeches by the children in Grades 1-3 and 4-6.

Bell Let’s Talk Day marks 10th anniversary A NOTE FROM BETTY

By Betty Graber Watson Call 887-9231

Keep calm and carry on is a fitting attitude at this time. With so much news available to us, often of the unpleasant variety, it can be difficult to separate your life from the chatter of the world. If you look at the news, as you do Brussels gossip, as you take it in, you should decide, does it affect you and yours? Is it harmful to our community? Is there anything you can do about it?

Keep calm and carry on should

Winner Sophia Burkholder was the winner of the David and Joan Perrie Award, handed out annually by the Brussels Agricultural Society to the person with the most points in the Junior section of the Brussels Fall Fair. The award was presented by the Perries at the society’s annual general meeting last month. (Shawn Loughlin photo)

work nicely on the news front.

In times of stress, common sense has a tendency to fly out the window.

We have no need to mutter about Brexit unless you’re planning to work there. The helicopter tragedy that killed seven this past week is sad but not a direct hit on us. The new virus found in China is an alert for all of us to really wash our hands at least five times a day and that’s all that needs to be done. So be aware of the news and gossip for that matter, but use your common sense and deal with it.

Mental health has often been ignored for a host of reasons. This past week, the 10th anniversary of Bell Let’s Talk Day was noted.

Contact information was shared, stories told and programs noted, all to help people when things are just not right.

As humans we need a healthy balance for our lives. Any imbalance, disease in our body, mind or spirit, is cause for pause. We seek help for fractures, diabetes or toothaches, but seem to think we can look after issues of the mind. Bell Let’s Talk has opened doors to discussion, appointments, research and increased understanding. We still have a piece to go, but it’s a great start to give balance to our lives.

Christine Sinclair is a name of note. From Burnaby, British Columbia, in 290 games Christine has scored 185 goals in soccer games from Argentina to Zambia.

That makes her the world’s best goal scorer in all, yes all, soccer leagues.

In interviews Christine is a true Canadian, skillful and humble, hardworking and dedicated to the team.

To Christine Sinclair, the Toronto Star said it well: “top of the world.”

Change is part of life and the bigger the change, the more adjustments are needed. When home base is the needed change, grief is expected and needs to be embraced.

Sorting, deciding, tossing and saving are part of the deal with sadness

Visit The Citizen online at huroncitizen.ca

thrown in. Lately three friends have made decisions to change addresses and support, respect and listening with love are all we can offer. Grief is a very personal thing and needs to be done in personal time.

Be positive and wash your hands often.

Betty G.W.

NEWS FROM BRUSSELS

Brussels Legion 218 Catch the Ace Weekly Winner Winning Ticket: Lynn Cronin $242 Envelope #17 found the 3 of Diamonds Estimated jackpot for February 7 draw is $3,500

Brussels Royal Canadian Legion Branch 218

Public Speaking Contest Sunday, February 9 12:30 pm - Doors open for registration 1:00 pm - Speeches begin Open to all school-aged children Public Welcome Questions regarding public speeches call Brussels Legion 519-887-6562 Monday to Friday after 4:00 pm

COMMUNITY

BREAKFAST Sunday, February 16, 2020 8:00 a.m. - 12 noon BMG Community Centre

“Let the Lions cook for you!”

Eggs, sausage, toast, coffee, juice...and their famous pancakes served with real maple syrup!

Family Skating from 9:00 to 10:20 a.m. ~ Admission by Donation ~

Proceeds to Subsidize Swimming Lesson Registration at Brussels Pool

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

Atom Crusaders down Stars in back-to-back games

By Denny Scott The Citizen

Fighting back The Blyth Brussels Midget Rep Crusaders were two games down in a series against the South Bruce Blades going into games scheduled throughout the next week. Above, the Crusaders welcomed South Bruce to Brussels on Friday.

(Darlene McCowan photo)

Blyth Brussels Crusaders’ playoff runs were a mixed bag over the past week with teams posting wins and losses in their ongoing series.

The Atom Rep Crusaders started a series against the Minto Mad Dogs with a 5-2 win in Blyth on Wednesday. Prior to that, the squad finished out a two-game series against the Seaforth Stars with a second win by a score of 8-5 in Seaforth on Jan. 27.

The squad had game two in their series against the Mad Dogs on Feb. 3, but a score wasn’t available as of press time. The Crusaders will next take to the ice against the Mad Dogs on Feb. 6 in Blyth with the puck drop at 7 p.m.

The PeeWee Rep Crusaders posted a 5-3 win over the Arthur Vipers on the road on Feb. 1. The squad will take on the Vipers again on Feb. 15 in Brussels with a puck drop set for 3 p.m.

The Bantam Rep Crusaders are set to take on the Wingham Ironmen in Wingham on Feb. 6.

The Midget Rep Crusaders were two games down in a series against

Millian tops local shoot party From Marilyn’s Desk

By Marilyn Craig Call 523-9318

Happy birthday to Evelyn Caldwell who celebrates Feb. 6; Renske Daer, Feb. 10; Shirley Nicholson, Feb. 12; Evelyn Popp,

Feb. 16; Marilyn Craig, Feb. 18 and Christine Hoba, Feb. 19. Have a great day on your special day everyone.

Winners of the Jan. 28 shoot party were: first, Marie Millian; second, June Thomas; third, Peg Parks; most shoots, Edna McLellan and share the wealth, Sharon Freeman, Edna McLellan and Gord Haggitt. The next shoot party is Tuesday, Feb. 11 at Blyth United Church. Doors open at 12:30 p.m. with cards beginning at 1 p.m. Come out and enjoy the laughter and fun. Everyone welcome. If you don’t know how to

play there will be someone there to help you learn. If you can play euchre you can play Shoot.

I can’t believe the winter we are having this year - with temperatures just around the freezing mark. Some days it is above zero and others are just below. The fields are barely covered with snow. We get a little snow one day and the very next day the temperature goes above freezing and takes the snow away. I have noticed that there are a few snowmen and women popping up throughout the town. They too are having a hard time lasting very long.

the South Bruce Blades after a 4-1 road loss on Jan. 29 and a 3-0 home loss on Jan. 31. The squad was set to take on the Blades in the third game of the series on Feb. 3, with additional games scheduled Feb. 4, Feb. 6 and Feb. 9. After that, the squad takes on the BCH Ice Dogs in Brussels on Feb. 11 with puck drop set for 9 p.m.

REGULAR SEASON While some teams are in playoffs, others are finishing off their seasons.

On Sunday, the Novice Local League squad posted a 4-0 win over Goderich on the road, while the Novice Rep squad wasn’t as lucky, losing 4-0 to Goderich on the road.

Saturday saw the Bantam Rep Crusaders take on the South Huron Sabres, but come out on the wrong side of a 7-2 decision in Brussels.

The Atom Local League squad travelled to Wingham and posted a 3-1 win, while the Novice Rep Crusaders posted a 2-1 win over the Ironmen on the road.

The PeeWee Local League Crusaders bested the AEMHA Ice Dogs 2 team 3-1 in Brussels.

On Friday, the Atom Local League squad handed a convincing 7-2 win to the South Bruce Blades Blue squad in Brussels.

Wednesday, Jan. 29 saw the Atom Rep Crusaders post a 5-2 win over the Minto Mad Dogs in Blyth.

The Midget Local League Crusaders bested the Listowel Cyclones by a score of 4-0 on Monday, Jan. 27 in Blyth.

This weekend the PeeWee Local League squad will take to the ice in the Doug Perkes Memorial Tournament starting Feb. 7 with games against the South Huron Sabres and the Tavistock Titans. On Saturday, the Crusaders are set to face off against the Goderich Sailors.

The Midget Local League Crusaders take part in the Ripley Lions Midget Tournament on Feb. 8

with a match against the Goderich Sailors.

Saturday, the Junior and Senior Initiation squads will welcome the Seaforth Stars to Blyth. The Atom Local League Crusaders will host the BCH Ice Dogs 2 team in Blyth while the Novice Rep Crusaders welcome the Seaforth Stars to Brussels.

The Atom Rep squad has the last game of the day against the Minto Mad Dogs in Blyth.

Sunday will see the Novice Local League team host the Seaforth Stars in Blyth. The Midget Local League Crusaders are set to take on the South Bruce Blades that night in Teeswater.

For more information, visit blythbrusselsminorhockey.ca

NEWS FROM BLYTH It All Comes Out In The Wash Blyth Laundromat 191 Westmoreland St., Blyth 519-523-9687

The Blyth Walk-In Clinic Opening Friday, February 7th with Family Physician Dr. Farahnaz Farzadfar Hours: Fridays 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

226-532-9500

BLYTH PHARMACY

Have We Got Your Number?

Wonderful writers The Blyth Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion recognized Hullett Central Public School students who triumphed in the Legion’s annual Remembrance Day creative contests which encourage students to honour Remembrance Day with prose, essays or visual art. Above are the winners of the Junior Essay and Junior Poem competition at the school level. Back row, from left: Damon Shannon (first place poem), Holly Gross (second place poem), Elizabeth Howson (first place essay), Tyler Boven (third place essay) and Legion representative Donna Govier. Front row are left, Cole Mason (third place poem) and Kianna Lehmann (second place essay). (Denny Scott photo)

Growing Project tops $44,000 Last year marked the 30th anniversary of growing projects for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB). At its Jan. 15, 2020 meeting, the committee overseeing the Blyth and Londesborough-area growing project reviewed results of the last three years.

In 2017, a net amount of $14,135

was forwarded to the national office in Winnipeg (including monetary donations of $1,500). In 2018, $18,913 (including cash of $2,676 was raised and in 2019, despite adverse growing conditions, $11,509 was sent (including $3,450 cash).

CFGB Ontario Field

442 Queen St. Blyth, ON

Representative Henry Reinders estimates about 60 per cent of resources are allocated to emergency food relief around the world; these efforts are matched 4:1 by the federal government. Approximately 35 per cent goes to the more longterm conservation efforts typically Continued on page 13

The Citizen is now planning its 2020 Telephone Book.

Is your number correct in the recently delivered Bell Canada phone book?

Do you have a new listing since that book was compiled?

If so, please let us know so we can make our phone book as complete and useful as possible.

Call 519-523-4792.

WANT TO ADD YOUR CELL PHONE LISTING? If you would like your cell number listed in our listings we can add it if you give us the information. You can choose to have either your cell phone or landline listed.

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

Sports Ironmen finish second, Goderich second-last

Chasing it After spending several weeks leading the division, the Wingham Ironmen finished in second place in the North Pollock Division behind the Mount Forest Patriots. Above, the Ironmen ended the season on a high note downing the Walkerton Hawks 4-0. (Darlene McCowan photo)

By Denny Scott The Citizen The Provincial Junior Hockey League’s 2019-2020 season ended over the weekend, leaving the Wingham Ironmen in second place in the North Pollock Division and the Goderich Flyers in second-last.

Leading the league was Mount Forest (33 wins, seven losses, one tie and one over-time loss) with 68 points. Following Mount Forest, in order of finishing, were: the Ironmen (28-9-2-3) with 61 points; Kincardine (24-15-0-3) with 51 points; Hanover (23-16-1-2) with 49 points; Mitchell (21-14-2-5 with 49 points; Goderich (8-32-1-1) with 18 points and Walkerton (6-33-1-2) with 15 points.

Playoff games are set to start next weekend.

WINGHAM IRONMEN The Ironmen ended the season on a high note with a 4-0 win over the Walkerton Hawks in Wingham on Sunday; however, those were the only points they earned over a twogame weekend, dropping a 5-3 decision to the Hanover Barons on Friday.

Against Walkerton, Wingham’s Dawson Fahrer earned the only goal in the first period of the game.

Fahrer’s power-play marker was assisted by Rhys Vollmer and Kyle Stanbury.

The second period saw Wingham score the remainder of its four goals.

First, Justin Donnelly found the back of the net, assisted by Evan Kuhl.

Chase Meurs then scored, assisted

by Corey Restoule.

Donnelly earned the final goal of the game, a power-play marker, assisted by Stanbury and Fahrer.

Walkerton earned six penalty minutes over three infractions while Wingham’s Tanner Reid earned the only penalties for the Ironmen: a two-minute penalty accompanied by a 10-minute misconduct for head contact.

Devon Carson earned the win in net for the Ironmen, stopping 25

shots. Tyler Thomas was in net for Walkerton, saving 30 of 34 shots.

On Friday, the Barons downed the Ironmen 5-2 in Hanover.

The Barons’ Bryan Richardson earned the first marker of the game, assisted by Ryan Goetz and Zack Cameron. Richardson’s goal marked the start of a five-goal run for the Barons. Next, Kyle Detweiler scored, assisted by Tyson Lina and Alex Paylor.

In the second period, Chris Ferri scored, assisted by Brendon Landry.

Ryan Marriage found the back of the net, assisted by Mark Aljoe and Jonathan Bauman. Ferri then marked his second of the game, assisted by Tyler Hooker and Brendon Landry.

Wingham came alive in the third with Fahrer finding the back of the net, assisted by Hayden Robinson and Jett Tokiwa.

Vollmer scored a power-play marker for Wingham, assisted by Donnelly and Stanbury, before the end of the game.

Wingham served a total of 32 penalty minutes on eight infractions while Hanover was assessed 18 minutes on nine infractions.

Landry got the win for the Barons, stopping 37 of 39 shots, while Garrett Golley was in net for the Ironmen, stopping 25 of 30 shots.

GODERICH FLYERS The Goderich Flyers faced some difficult matches in the last week of play in the PJHL, dropping games to Kincardine, Walkerton, Hanover and Mount Forest.

On Saturday, the Kincardine Bulldogs edged out the Flyers 4-3.

The Bulldogs started strong in Goderich, with Bryce McFadden pocketing back-to-back goals. His first goal was a power-play marker assisted by Geoffry VandenBoorn and Logan Freiburger. The second was an even-strength goal assisted

by VandenBoorn and Logan Swanton.

Freiburger scored for Kincardine, assisted by Mike Fiegehen, before the first period ended.

Goderich’s Avery Timmermans

opened scoring in the second period with a marker assisted by Dimitri Carvalho and Trent Michie.

Kincardine’s Josh Traynor responded with a power-play marker assisted by Jeremy Davidson and Jacob Traynor.

The Flyers dominated the third period, scoring two goals, but that wasn’t enough to earn the win.

Jeff Fritzley scored, assisted by Matt Bean and Cody Treble before Michie earned a short-handed marker assisted by Colton Quipp and Bean.

Kincardine served 14 penalty minutes over seven calls while Goderich was assessed 13 infractions totalling 46 minutes.

Sean Andrus earned the win in net for the Bulldogs while Logan Vermunt was in net for Goderich, saving 32 of 36 shots.

The Walkerton Hawks edged out the Flyers 4-3 in Walkerton on Friday night.

Walkerton’s Connor Prins earned the only marker in the first period of the game, assisted by Owen Tichbourne and Reid Vandolder.

The second period saw Owen Torrie score for the Hawks. The power-play marker was assisted by Austin Brown and Austin VanWyck.

Trevor Fischer then scored for Walkerton, assisted by Ethan Visser and Brown.

Goderich’s Bean broke the Hawks’ three-goal streak with a marker assisted by Michie and Fritzley.

Bean earned another marker in the third period, assisted by Griffin MacDonald and Michie.

Walkerton’s Josh Silverman earned an unassisted marker with 30 seconds left in the game, hitting the empty net while his team was shorthanded.

Goderich’s Mitch Fisher earned a power-play goal 10 seconds later, but the Hawks came out with the win.

Vermunt was in goal for Goderich, saving 19 of 22 shots, while Josh

Silverman earned the win for the Hawks, saving 36 of 39 shots.

On Jan. 29, the Barons downed the Flyers 8-6 in a high-scoring affair.

Hanover’s Zack Cameron started scoring in the game with back-toback goals. His first, a power-play marker, was assisted by Derek Cornfield. The second was assisted

by Jonathan Bauman.

Goderich’s Fisher scored next, assisted by Chad Treble and Kaden Hoggarth.

Hanover’s Luke Hoelscher scored next, assisted by Tyson Lina and Bauman. The Barons continued a four-goal run through the second with a marker earned by Quinton Maddock assisted by Cameron. Lina then scored on the power-play, assisted by Goetz and Hoelscher.

Ferri then scored, assisted by Cameron and Goetz.

Fisher earned his second for the Flyers, starting a four-goal run for his squad. The marker was assisted

by Hoggarth and Reid Ramseyer.

Cody Treble then earned a powerplay marker, assisted by Parker Gibbings and Jack Stecho. Michie then earned the last goal of the second, assisted by Bean and Fritzley.

Chad Treble opened scoring in the third with a power-play marker for the Flyers assisted by Cody Treble and Hoggarth.

Hanover’s Marriage then scored, assisted by Hoelscher, followed by Cameron completing his hat-trick, assisted by Goetz and Dean Sealey.

Fisher then completed his own hat-trick for the Flyers, assisted by Chad and Cody Treble.

Brendon Landry earned the win for the Barons, stopping 39 of 45 shots while Spencer Lazarevich faced a lot of rubber in the net for Goderich, stopping 43 of 51 shots.

Hanover served six penalty minutes on three infractions while Goderich was assessed four infractions, totalling eight minutes.

On Tuesday, Jan. 28, the Mount Forest Patriots posted a convincing 7-0 win over the Flyers.

Ryley Cribbin opened scoring with a power-play marker assisted

by Troy Weber and Mason Kameka.

Weber then earned a power-play marker assisted by Cribbin and Parker Miller.

In the second, Nathan Bolger earned an unassisted goal, followed

by Riley Torrie who scored with assists from Blair Jenkins and Blair Butchart.

Jenkins then scored early in the third, assisted by Jack Birkett and Bolger. Butchart found the net next, assisted by Derek Williams and Cribbin. Michael Anselmini scored the last goal of the game, assisted by Parker Miller and Hayden Coulter.

Kameka earned the win for the Patriots stopping 30 shots while Lazarevich once again faced a significant amount of shots, stopping 43 of 50.

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

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Life-changing Greg Sarachman, seen here with his wife Roberta, suffered a heart attack just under 15 years ago and has changed his life substantially since then, taking some lastminute advice he received from one of his nurses at the hospital to heart. (Photo submitted)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen February is Heart and Stroke Awareness Month and it should come as no surprise that heart disease is the second-leading cause of death for Canadians, behind only cancer. Stroke is the third-leading cause.

Many avoid health-related risks of heart attack and stroke thanks to a healthy diet, a manageable weight and regular exercise regime, but more and more are finding themselves at risk of a heart attack or stroke. If a heart attack or stroke doesn’t prove fatal, it could lead to many further health complications down the road.

According to American medical research, just six per cent of those who have heart attacks in nonhospital settings live to see another day. Those who have heart attacks in hospitals still have a low 24 per cent chance or surviving.

One man who has survived a heart attack and continued to improve his health and thrive is Blyth’s Greg Sarachman.

Just under 15 years ago, Sarachman found himself in

significant medical distress he would later understand was a heart attack.

Working in a high-stress pharmaceutical position, Sarachman hadn’t been taking good care of himself. Not only was he working in a high-stress environment, but he was on the road all the time and had been smoking since he was a teenager.

He returned home to Blyth after a four-day trade show, exhausted and longing for home, returning at about 9 p.m.

Sarachman and his wife Roberta had a late dinner and Sarachman was exhausted. He chalked it up to being away for four days, but soon he began experiencing the tell-tale signs of a heart attack.

“I started feeling a bit of pressure, then I felt pain in my chest and down my arm,” Sarachman said in an interview with The Citizen. “The way I’ve described it to people is imagine the worst pain you’ve ever had and then double it.”

The couple knew something was very wrong and began driving to Seaforth in search of the hospital.

Sarachman’s family doctor was located in Seaforth, so it

made sense to head there, he said.

Once they arrived, Sarachman was immediately admitted to the emergency room, where they medicated him and brought his blood pressure down.

While the experience was harrowing and the pain was excruciating, Sarachman was able to leave the hospital after several days with only the help of medication and follow-up appointments. He didn’t need bypass surgery or a stint, but he was given some meaningful advice that has stayed with him ever since.

As Sarachman was leaving the hospital, one of the veteran nurses who had aided him during his stay told him not to be a “cardiac cripple” and to remain active once he returned home.

What the nurse meant, Sarachman said, was that many people who fall victim to a harrowing health episode can often alter their post-episode life to take it far too easy on themselves, leading to a low quality of life or a completely new, less active life. He was being encouraged to get out there and live his life, but in a much healthier way.

Sarachman heeded that advice and pledged to improve his health and remain as active as his body would allow as he recovered.

He would go for walks with his wife, but he wouldn’t do much exercising in the traditional sense of the word. Instead, he would keep active around the house, building things (a passion of his) and getting cardiovascular exercise where he could, shovelling snow or mowing the lawn.

He has stayed committed to that plan, taking an early retirement package from his job, though he remains working on contract and has shed unwanted weight in the process, which has also helped to aid him in his quest for better health.

Not only has he taken that nurse’s advice to heart, but he’s also gleaned some words of wisdom from his daughter and an old figure skating mantra: if it is to be, it’s up to me, used to propel the young skaters towards hard work and success.

Sarachman looked at his life as being up to him and if he was going to have a high quality of life, it was up to him to create that life for himself.

In the years since his heart attack, Sarachman has spoken with others who may be experiencing prediabetes, hypertension or high blood pressure, encouraging them to get tested, to know where they stand and improve their health if it needs improving. It has been his way of paying it forward knowing what he now knows after going through a heart attack himself.

For more information, visit the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada online at heartandstroke.ca.

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

AMO concerned public health split could rise

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen While Huron East Mayor Bernie MacLellan and other members of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) are concerned about public health downloading, Huron-

Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson says it’s too early to speculate.

MacLellan reported to Huron East Council at its Jan. 28 meeting that there have been concerns among AMO members that the recentlyimplemented split, which downloads 30 per cent of public health costs to

municipalities formerly fully funded by the province, may rise even higher, with a 50/50 split floated as a possibility.

While the cost downloading was of concern, MacLellan said, what was even more worrisome was language from the provincial government that

Perfect day Monday was the perfect winter recess day if you ask some students, as the temperature was just cold enough for packing snow. Shown building a fort at Hullett Central Public School are, from left: Kyla Shannon, Summer Shannon, Lucia Dale and Alexis Ansley. (Denny Scott photo)

Pedestrian infrastructure key: Sparling Continued from page 2 County Road 4 that could reach the south end of the village end at McConnell Street on the east side of 4 and Sunward Drive on the west.

Sparling said those sidewalks need to reach the south end of the village.

“Cowbell is the largest draw for people outside of our community,” he said. “Failing to capitalize on that for the want of a sidewalk isn’t acceptable.”

Sparling said that, unfortunately, there is no easy answer to solve the problem, but something needed to be done.

“Cowbell has been there for over two years,” he said. “That’s at least 300,000 people, and we haven’t had 30,000 of them for sure. I would say we probably haven’t had 3,000. This is a free shot we’ve missed. We could be missing out on 45,000 if we don’t act.”

Sparling said the BIA needs to ask the county and the municipality to work together to find a solution to the problem. The BIA was behind asking the county and municipality to work on the project.

Other changes recommended included having pedestrian crosswalks painted at every intersection with sidewalks in Blyth and requesting a second speed-sign to be placed at the north end of the village, mirroring the one on the south end of the village.

Sparling also reported that the Blyth Christian Reformed Church may be able to offer its parking lot when not in use for church functions to help alleviate parking problems.

The BIA board supported the plan with minor amendments, directing Sparling and Vice-Chair Shane Yerema present it to North Huron Council at a future meeting.

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encouraged counties and municipalities to look within their own budgets for efficiencies, which could lead to inconsistent levels of care from health unit to health unit, depending on each area’s priorities.

MacLellan, in an interview with The Citizen, said it’s important to distinguish between public health and health care funding. Public health is often preventative, taking care of vaccination programs, antismoking campaigns, school lunch programs and a myriad of other programs.

He did say that handling outbreaks, like West Nile Virus prevention, does fall under public health, which means the growing coronavirus panic could fall under public health. In fact, MacLellan said, a recent meeting of the new Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) entity, the newly-merged Huron and Perth Health Units, was cancelled due to work being done to prepare for the potential arrival of the virus in Huron County.

MacLellan said that public health provides so many programs in Huron and Perth Counties that he would encourage readers to contact the HPPH for a full list to know what’s at stake.

He also said that under the current structure, the HPPH is autonomous

within the two counties, meaning it would dictate its budget to Huron and Perth County Councils without input. For cash-strapped municipal and county councils, rising costs could become a major concern.

Thompson, however, said any costs above the recentlyimplemented 70/30 per cent split would be mere speculation.

She says ongoing work with AMO regarding public health and several other issues have been going well and she assured readers that figures will remain the same for at least the rest of 2020.

The new funding model, she said, has been implemented to modernize and increase the efficiency of health units. With that in mind, she said the Huron and Perth County Health Units have been ahead of the curve and a model for others, taking things into their own hands and finding efficiencies on their own.

Thompson also pointed to her government’s recent support of rural communities through the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund and the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund as examples of the government’s commitment to supporting rural communities.

She says that any speculation of changes to the cost-sharing model at this point would be premature.

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

Debt a serious problem for North Americans

Debts mean stress Personal debt levels are climbing across North America with many not making enough to cover their bills and debt repayment requirements. (MS photo) MS – Debt can quickly sneak up on a person. However, it can take much longer – sometimes decades – to get out of debt. And that’s a big concern when considering just how much debt the

average person has incurred.

Northwestern Mutual’s 2018 Planning & Progress Study says the average American has about $38,000 in personal debt, excluding home mortgages. A survey from the

insolvency firm MNP Ltd. found that 31 per cent of Canadians do not make enough to cover their bills and 46 per cent are a mere $200 or less away from failing to pay debts at month’s end.

Researchers in the United Kingdom analyzed data from 1.4 million credit card holders and found that people typically choose ineffective methods to paying off debt. These tips can make it easier to get rid of debt.

• Stop the flood: Avoid new debt at all costs. Stop using credit cards, cease taking loans, do not buy any big-ticket items and scale back on general purchases.

• Learn about avalanches and snowballs: The avalanche method is a way to pay off debt. According to NerdWallet, a popular online financial resource, the debt avalanche approach encourages debtors to pay off debts with the highest interest rates first. That seems like an effective way to get out of debt quickly. However, in a

2016 investigation for the Harvard Business Review, researchers found that the snowball method, which prioritizes paying off the smallest debt balance first and then moving on as debt amounts increase, is the most effective strategy. It tends to have the most powerful effect on people’s sense of progress because they gain momentum by watching debts disappear.

• Cut back temporarily: Cut back non-essential spending, such as cable subscriptions or gym memberships for the time being.

Repurpose that extra money to pay off existing debt.

• Get a lower interest rate: Customers can call customer service centres to see if they can lower debt by negotiating a better interest rate, says Credit.com. Since much of a

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While financial planning is essential to achieve long-term goals, planning also can make it easier for people to meet their everyday financial needs.

Managing money is a big responsibility, and many people may need help. A recent survey from Pew Charitable Trusts found that 55 per cent of Americans spend as much or more than they earn. That’s not only compromising their financial futures, but also making daily life more stressful, as the American Psychological Association’s annual “Stress in America” survey routinely finds that money is a top cause of stress among millions of Americans.

Adults who are finding it difficult to manage their money on a day-today basis may benefit from the services of a financial planner.

Financial planners can help people create effective long-term financial

plans, and they also can be vital resources for people who need help managing their money every day.

• Planners can look at things from an unbiased perspective. An honest assessment of monthly expenses is essential when creating a monthly budget.

However, many people tend to be biased when it comes to their monthly expenses. For example, some may feel that three streaming service subscriptions are something they cannot live without. That can make it difficult to trim some of the fat from their monthly expenditures.

A financial planner will begin by examining your monthly expenses and may or may not make unbiased suggestions regarding where you can save.

• Planners have the time. The average household is a hectic place.

Adults with commitments at work and home often cite a lack of time as one of the reasons they aren't more on top of their finances. A 2018 survey from Bankrate.com found that 16 per cent of respondents aren’t saving more money because

they haven’t gotten to it.

Financial planners have the time to help clients save, and over time a planner can be an expense that pays for itself if families are saving more as a result of enlisting the services of a planner.

• Planners have the expertise many people lack. One of the reasons people struggle financially is that it can be hard to navigate the world of investments, insurance and taxes.

Planners have the financial literacy necessary to navigate those waters successfully and can help people realize both their short- and longterm financial goals.

Financial planners don’t just help people plan for retirement. Many planners are equally effective at helping clients achieve their daily financial goals as well.

credit card payment goes toward monthly interest charges and not toward the actual balance, this can be a way to get a handle on debt.

Some people prefer to use a balance transfer to get a lower rate on another card and try to pay off the balance before the promotional rate expires.

• Consolidate or settle: When debt is so substantial that debtors cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel, they might ask a creditor to accept a one-time, lump sum payment to satisfy the debt. Debt consolidation companies also can help by negotiating with creditors and streamlining debt into one payment per month instead of many.

With an effective plan in place, people in debt often can dig themselves out of financial peril.

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

UCW increases catering rates PEOPLE AROUND LONDESBORO

By BRENDA RADFORD Call 523-4296

Making a friend Brooklyn McClinchey, left, and Anna Lapp at Hullett Central Public School enjoyed making a snowman earlier this week.

(Denny Scott photo)

The United Church of Canada recognized the Week of Unity from Jan. 20-26. The theme chosen for the meditation at the Londesborough UCW meeting on Jan. 20 was, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We Are Oneâ&#x20AC;?. The program was led by Harriet Shillinglaw, Laura Scott and Brenda Radford.

A poem read to begin the devotional time was titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;We Are One in Christâ&#x20AC;? and pointed out that in spite of great diversity, through our faith in Christ we are one. The verses read from John 17: 20 - 23 were a portion of Christâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prayer as He awaited arrest at the time of His crucifixion. In those verses He prayed that His disciples

would find comfort among His believers as they continued His work on earth.

Using the example of pieces of fabric coming together to make a quilt to bring comfort to people, the ladies were encouraged to think of themselves as diverse pieces stitched together to bring comfort to each other, to their community and to the world. We are one with everyone in Christ. Each of us with our differences come together like a patchwork quilt in Christ.

By coming together with other Christians, one finds comfort and strength. That unity, that love, despite our differences, makes communities both large and small stronger and more resilient.

Everyone was asked to leave the meeting prepared to serve our neighbours in the spirit of Jesus.

All the women that evening were given a gift, a pretty handmade envelope by Harriet. Inside each was a gift they could share with others.

These gifts were easy things to do, like giving the gift of love, of friendship, music, a smile,

compassion, etc. Seeing the envelope during their daily routine will remind them to gift others.

Harriet and Laura presented a little skit about a telephone operator and a townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bell ringer. It demonstrated how each relied on the other. A Bible jumble by Brenda caused some deep thinking. Joined together, the individual books became the Bible, the teachings of which influence our faith and daily living.

New president, Marie Bergsma, presided over the business part of the evening. Catering prices for both meals and funerals were raised.

Reports were given about upcoming events of interest. Giving the church a monthly donation to assist with current expenses will continue this year.

The group will meet again on Feb. 17.

No service Sunday Londesborough church Another odd expression caught my attention this past week.

I expect many of you have been watching the Netflix series titled The Crown. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t watch the series on Netflix but received DVDs for Christmas of seasons one and two and I am working my way through them.

In one scene, the queen is scolding Princess Margaret for the manner in which she handled the duties of the

crown as deputy. There was obviously friction and rivalry between these two young women.

Elizabethâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s training was evident in the many times and ways she chose to do what was the right thing for the monarchy. Margaret did not receive that training and, as we know, set her own mark many times.

Margaret remarked, â&#x20AC;&#x153;would that you would ever put a foot wrong.â&#x20AC;? I had never heard it stated quite that

way so Googled the expression.

Strictly translated, it means to cause someone to be in a difficult situation by doing something unexpected.

Loosely applied, it means to put a foot wrong as in get off on the wrong foot. It can also mean to catch someone up or on the wrong foot[ing]. Hence comes the term wrongdoer or wrongdoing.

At Londesborough United Church on Sunday, Feb. 2, Susan McIlveen

called her message â&#x20AC;&#x153;Salt and Lightâ&#x20AC;?.

Salt and light are ordinary things that make a significant difference in everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. As Christians we are meant to be different from the bland world around us, to live our beliefs and add spice and light to our world.

Included in her supporting scripture passages was Matt. 5: 1 16, known as the Beatitudes.

There will be no worship service this coming Sunday.

NEWS FROM LONDESBORO

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

519-523-4311

www.ruralvoice.ca

Agriculture

BLYTH 519-523-4244 www.hurontractor.com

Brussels Livestock report

Choice steers hit high price of $162.50 Total receipts for Brussels Livestock for the week ending Jan. 31 were 1,677 cattle and 444 lambs and goats.

On Tuesday fed steers and heifers sold steady. Choice steers and heifers sold $146 to $152 with sales to $162.50. Second cut steers and heifers sold $142 to $145. Cows sold steady. On Thursday veal sold actively at steady prices. Lambs sold slightly higher while sheep sold higher and goats sold steady. On Friday calves and yearlings sold actively at steady prices. Second cut calves sold under pressure.

Art Bos, Blyth, consigned four steers that averaged 1,491 lbs. and sold for an average price of $151.41.

One peid steer averaged 1,405 lbs. and sold for an average price of $162.50. Gerald Kuepfer of Brunner, consigned four head that averaged 1,538 lbs. and sold for an average

price of $141.90. One red steer weighed 1,450 lbs. and sold for $144.

George Hinz of Monkton, consigned five heifers that averaged 1,378 lbs. and sold for an average price of $144.34. One black heifer weighed 1,470 lbs. and sold for $155. Southlore Farms Ltd. of Palmerston, consigned 12 head that averaged 1,445 lbs. and sold for an average price of $141.07. One charolais heifer weighed 1,470 lbs. and sold for $149.

There were 300 cows on offer.

Beef sold $60 to $70 with sales to $92; D1 and D2, $59 to $65 with sales to $67.50; D3, $53 to $58; D4, $48 to $52.

Jim Ginn of Clinton, consigned one red cow that weighed 1,570 lbs. and sold for $92.

There were 12 bulls selling $70 to $119. Allan Lemont of Cargill,

consigned one black bull that weighed 1,645 lbs. and sold for $119.

There were 130 head of veal on offer. Beef veal sold $145 to $190 with sales to $195; good holsteins, $125 to $134 with sales to $136; SL heavy holsteins, $115 to $125; heavy holsteins, $95 to $112; medium holsteins, $110 to $122; plain holsteins, $85 to $95.

Rueben S. Martin of Wallenstein, consigned 17 head. One parthenais cross steer weighed 825 lbs. and sold for $189. One parthenais cross heifer weighed 815 lbs. and sold for price of $189.

Larry Graul of Walkerton, consigned two head. One holstein steer weighed 670 lbs. and sold for $137. Paul Pennington of Mildmay, consigned five head. One holstein steer weighed 650 lbs. and sold for $136.

Lambs 50 - 64 lbs. sold $335 to $345; 65 - 79 lbs., $316 to $334; 80 - 94 lbs., $273 to $286; 95 - 109 lbs., $266 to $282; 110 lbs. and over, $258 to $274.

Sheep sold $125 to $205.

Goats: billies sold $150 to $300; nannies, $100 to $170; kids: meat, $270 to $350; dairy, $230 to $330.

Brian and Craig Salverda of Londesborough, consigned 28 lambs. Eleven lambs weighed 74 lbs. and sold for a price of $320. Heffer Farms of Wingham, consigned 19 lambs. Nine lambs that weighed 100 lbs. and sold for a price of $282.

Donald Geddes of Ripley, consigned 23 head. Twelve lambs weighed 61 lbs. and sold for a price of $335.

Top quality stocker steers under 400 lbs. sold $194 to $260; 400 - 499 lbs., $209 to $260.50; 500 - 599 lbs., $224 to $241; 600 - 699 lbs., $202.50 to $238; 700 - 799 lbs.,

$187 to $209; 800 - 899 lbs., $174 to $202; 900 - 999 lbs., $184 to $198; 1,000 lbs. and over, $172.50 to $186.

Top quality stocker heifers 300 399 lbs. sold $177.75 to $183; 400 499 lbs., $163 to $189; 500 - 599 lbs., $163 to $187; 600 - 699 lbs., $162 to $184.50; 700 - 799 lbs., $168 to $188; 800 - 899 lbs., $166 to $176; 900 lbs. and over, $169.50 to $179.25.

Allan Aitchison of New Liskeard, consigned 78 head. Ten gold heifers averaged 790 lbs. and sold for an average price of $189. Twelve charolais steers averaged 787 lbs. and sold for an average price of $203.75.

Carolyn Kelly of Farrellron, QC, consigned 21 head.

Twelve charolais heifers averaged 644 lbs. and sold for an average price of $182.50. Four charolais steers averaged 620 lbs. and sold for an average price of $238.

Edgar suggests NH adopt new off-road bylaw

By Denny Scott The Citizen North Huron Council will need to make a decision about allowing offroad vehicles (ORV) throughout

the municipality in the near future.

Public Health Promoter and Injury Prevention Officer Laura Edgar explained to council on Monday night that, due to new legislation, the

Heads up In their last game of the season the Wingham Ironmen bested the Mitchell Hawks 4-0, but would still finish in second place in their division, unable to make up enough ground to reclaim first. (Darlene McCowan photo)

decision may be made for North Huron.

Currently, municipalities need to pass bylaws allowing ORVs access to municipal roads and lands and, because North Huron has no such bylaw, the vehicles aren’t allowed throughout the municipality. With the implementation of the Getting Ontario Moving Act, which was passed on June 4 of last year, the municipality will now need a bylaw stating where the vehicles can’t go, as a lack of a bylaw implies that ORVs are allowed on municipal roads.

Edgar started her presentation by explaining that all-terrain vehicles aren’t really all-terrain.

“Despite the name, All-Terrain Vehicles, ATVs, are not an appropriate choice of transportation for all terrains,” she said in an initial letter to council. “One of the terrains the vehicle is not built for is pavement and roadways. There are higher rates of both fatal and nonfatal incidents for off-highway vehicle [later identified as vehicles like dirt bikes] riders on roadways compared to off-roadway.”

Edgar said the traditional image associated with the term ATV, a quad-bike or four-wheeler, is only one of several vehicles the new legislation will cover, so using the term ORV covers more, like dirt bikes, recreational off-highway vehicles and six- or eight-wheeled vehicles like Argos. The Better for People, Smarter for Business Act, approved on Dec. 10 of last year, allows municipalities to differentiate

between the vehicles for the sake of bylaws, which Edgar said was important, especially given the difference between vehicles like ATVs and dirt-bikes.

She explained that, currently, taking ORVs on roads includes many of the same requirements as driving a car, such as a licence, a driver 16 years of age or older and insurance. She also explained that ORVs need to stay on the shoulder of roads when possible and have to follow strict speed limits: 50 kilometres per hour on roads that are signed for 70, 80 or 90 kilometres per hour for automobile traffic and 20 kilometers per hour on roads signed for 50 kilometres per hour for automobile traffic.

Edgar explained that allowing ORVs on paved roads would be a gamble as the vehicles aren’t intended for such use. She pointed to the fact that warning labels on many of the vehicles specifically state that the vehicles won’t operate the same on paved roads and could prove hazardous.

She highlighted specific warnings printed on a general warning label for four-wheelers that states “Never operate... on public roads – a collision can occur with another vehicle” and “Always... avoid paved surfaces – pavement may seriously affect handling and control.”

Edgar explained that ORVs have purposely-lower tire pressure for off-road use, which can be dangerous on paved roads, and the high centre of gravity and narrow wheel base that the vehicles have

CFGB hits $40 million in joint aid efforts Continued from page 7 matched 3:1 by the Canadian government. (Federal matching occurs to a maximum of $25 million).

For illustration, if we apply these typical ratios to the results of the Blyth and Londesborough-area project over the past three years, the total of $44,557 raised mushrooms to $198,278 once government matching is calculated.

This past year, corn was grown in

the 14-acre plot north of Blyth, while the 30-acre field east of Londesborough contained soybeans.

CFGB is a partnership of 15 Canadian churches and churchbased agencies working together to end global hunger by three main avenues: supporting international programs to meet immediate food needs, reduce malnutrition, and achieve sustainable food security; influencing improvements in national and international policies

that contribute to ending global hunger; and increasing and deepening the engagement of Canadians in efforts to end global hunger. For the year ending March 31, 2019, over $40 million in aid was disbursed globally in 36 countries to fight hunger through CFGB in conjunction with the Canadian government, The local committee (John Nesbit, Eric Nonkes, Fred Meier, Ben Driscoll and Ernest Dow) would like

to thank the generous sponsors who donate or provide discounted growing space and inputs, including Canadian Agra, Snobelen Farms, Cantelon Farms, Hensall Co-op, Huron Bay Co-op and Rosebank Seed Farms.

The committee always welcomes donations and offers of volunteer help. Visit foodgrainsbank.ca for more information or call chair John Nesbit at 519-523-9595 or treasurer Eric Nonkes at 519-523-4807.

require more turning space on paved roads that may not be found in standard road design.

Edgar cited research from the United States of America that states that ORV users, especially quad or ATV riders, take greater risks when being on the road.

She said that creating a bylaw now to control ORV use in the future would be wise.

Council, however, wanted to wait to see what staff would suggest as, late last year, an ATV group requested use of roads in Wingham to access the community’s fuel and food businesses. Council decided to allow staff to continue researching that bylaw before tasking them with additional work for a different document.

Welcome Your New Arrival in

The Citizen

Call or email to book your ad today 519-523-4792 info@northhuron.on.ca

BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK Division of Gamble & Rogers Ltd.

UPCOMING SALES TUESDAYS 9:00 a.m.

Fed Cattle, Bulls & Cows

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

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

Call us 519-887-6461

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

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

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

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

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

Citizen-ToCitizen “SWAP SHOP” ad “One person’s junk is another’s treasure”

Let us help you turn that junk into $$ ➨ Free ad up to 25 words, person to person only (no businesses), items valued at $1,000 or less.

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.

Call 519-523-4792 or email: info@northhuron.on.ca FOR SALE – DVD player with four movies; pair of snow tracks, $30. 519-357-9467.

05-3 ---------------------------------------FOR SALE –Bell Expressvu receiver with PVR and remote, not hi-def., $50; JVC 32" TV, works good, $25; bunch of movies on DVD and VHS, $1 each. Take your choice, 519-523-4711. 05-3

Coming events

Help wanted

THE WINGHAM COLUMBUS Centre would like to invite you to our next Famous Fish Fry on Friday, February 7 from noon - 7 p.m. Eat-in $14.99 – grilled or battered white fish or chicken fingers, with a buffet of breads, salads, potatoes. Coffee and tea included. Take-out $13.99 – your choice of grilled or battered white fish or chicken fingers, baked potatoes or fries and a dinner roll.

Add a salad for $1. Homemade desserts are also available for $3.75.

All prices are subject to HST. Our next Catch The Ace draw starts on February 20 – get in on the action from the beginning. Homemade soups and TV-style dinners available all year long. To reserve your fish, (we sold out early last month) or for more information on the draw call 519-357-1270.

06-1 -------------------------------------------COMMUNITY SHOWER FOR Victoria Hinchberger (fiancée of Evan Ducharme), Tuesday, Feb. 25, 7 - 8:30 p.m. at Brussels Library Common Room. Registered at: Walmart, Pampered Chef.

06-3p -------------------------------------------DO YOU HAVE THE JANUARY Blues? Come to the Olde Tyme Jamboree, Royal Canadian Legion, Victoria St., Wingham, February 9, 1-4 p.m. Admission: $5. Dinner: $12. Dinner served at 4:30 p.m.

Everyone welcome. See ya’ll at the Legion.

06-1 -------------------------------------------AUBURN & DISTRICT LIONS Club Valentine Breakfast – Sunday, February 9, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., Auburn Memorial Community Hall.

Adults $8. Pancakes, eggs, toast, sausage and hashbrowns. Maple syrup supplied by Robinson’s Maple Products, RR 2, Auburn. Proceeds for Ronald McDonald House. 06-1

Help wanted

HELP WANTED Wingham Memorials is looking for a full-time self-motivated team member.

Must have valid driver’s licence.

Call Mac Anderson 519-357-5118 for more information

HELP WANTED WEEKEND RELIEF PHOTOGRAPHER The Citizen requires a photographer to work approximately 2 weekends per month on an as-needed basis.

• Experience with 35mm digital camera an asset. (we’ll provide the camera) Apply, providing 3 samples of your work to: Shawn Loughlin, Editor The Citizen PO Box 429, Blyth, ON N0M 1H0 or email to: editor@northhuron.on.ca

The Citizen

In memoriam BRIDGE. In loving memory of Harold who passed away nine years ago February 11, 2011.

Although you are no longer with us, You will live in our hearts forever.

– Lovingly remembered by your family.

06-1p -------------------------------------------KLEMKE. In loving memory of a dear father and “Tatta” Paul Klemke who passed away February 11, 1994.

There’s a bridge of happy memories, From here to Heaven above, We know we share that bridge Dad, It’s called the Bridge of Love.

– Love your family.

06-1p -------------------------------------------MCINNES. In loving memory of Annie who passed away February 8, 2010.

Wow! what a great woman!

– Remembered dearly by Bob, Dale, grandchildren and great-grandchild.

06-1p

Help wanted ROLLING LANDS FARMS IS looking for an enthusiastic, reliable evening milker, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Please call 519-523-4492.

06-3

All word ads in The Citizen classifieds are put on our webpage at

www.huroncitizen.ca

Land wanted WANTED FARMLAND FOR rent for Certified Organic. Good rates. Call 519-955-2746.

47-12

Services FAXING SERVICE We can send or receive faxes for you for only $1.00 per page. The Citizen, 405 Queen St., Blyth. Phone 519523-4792. Fax 519-523-9140. tfn

Straw/hay 4x5 ROUND BALES OF STRAW, stored inside, $60 per bale, Londesborough. Call or text 226222-0707.

04-3p

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

Classified Advertisements Tenders

Tenders

Tenders

Tenders MUNICIPALITY OF CENTRAL HURON REPAIRS TO STRUCTURE H180 ON DUTCH LINE CONTRACT NO. BR305B

SEALED TENDERS for the above contract, addressed to CAO, Steve Doherty, Municipality of Central Huron, 23 Albert Street, Box 400, Clinton, ON, N0M 1L0 will be received by him until: 11:59:59 a.m. (local time), Wednesday, February 26, 2020 for repairs to a 3 span bridge on Dutch Line. The repairs include concrete patch repairs, erosion protection, cleaning of debris from expansion joints and extending the deck drains.

Plans, specifications and tender forms may be obtained from the office of the undersigned after February 5, 2020 upon payment of a non-refundable fee of $40.00, payable to B. M. Ross and Associates Limited, which includes all taxes. Each tender must be accompanied by a certified cheque or bid bond in the amount of $6,000.

Lowest or any tender not necessarily accepted.

Sniff Out a Great Deal in the Classifieds.

Shoppers with a nose for bargains head straight for the Classifieds.

In the Classifieds, you can track down deals on everything from cars to canine companions. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to place an ad or find the items you want, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s used by hundreds of shoppers every day.

Go with your instincts and use the Classifieds today.

The Citizen Classifieds 523-4792 â&#x20AC;˘ 887-9114

B. M. ROSS AND ASSOCIATES LIMITED Engineers and Planners 62 North Street Goderich, ON N7A 2T4 Phone: 519-524-2641 Fax: 519-524-4403 www.bmross.net

Celebrating A Special Occasion?

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

Sympathies offered to local grieving families PEOPLE AROUND WALTON

By Jo-Ann McDonald Call 887-6570 My normal introductory for the news of the past week is about our crazy weather, but my experience of this past week’s weather was hot and sunny everyday. We have just returned from a week’s vacation in Dominican Republic with friends Steve and Marni Knight. It was beautiful, hot weather over 30°C everyday, at a beautiful resort, the Bahia Principe Luxury Bouganville, outside of Santo Domingo. Our typical day was food, sun, pool, food, sand, nap, food, entertainment and sleep, with refreshments on a regular basis. We enjoyed eating at the buffet, snack bar and four of the à la carte restaurants including Italian, Asian, French and Brazilian.

A perfect holiday for the four of us with nothing but relaxing.

It has always been said it is a small world and when travelling you don’t know who you might run into from home. It came as quite a surprise to us on the second night heading into the entertainment area, Rick could hear someone calling his name.

Turning around, he came face to face with his cousin Pat (McDonald) and her husband Mike Parr. We only had the next day with them for a visit before they left, but what a surprise!

Another highlight you could say was on the flight down, Steve and Marni were seated across from David Ortiz. He is the retired Red Sox baseball player (2016) and was

shot while in the Dominican Republic recently. He told those around him that he spends six months a year in Toronto and the other six months in the Dominican.

Looking at his profile it said he lived in Boston, so I am not sure what to believe. Oh well, he was a celebrity!

A few others have been away on vacation and we ran into them on our return flight and in the airport. On our flight were Ken Warwick and his wife and in the airport returning from Cuba were Cathy and Murray McNichol.

Returning from a two-week holiday are Jim and Linda McDonald. They went to Antigua.

They arrived at the Pineapple Beach Club minus their luggage, but it arrived later the next day. Everything was perfect from then on with weather about 29°C everyday. The food was amazing, the ocean was warm, and people were very friendly. They spent lots of time relaxing around the pool. They went on an excursion to swim with the stingrays and it was great.

After a week they went to another resort for the next seven days. It was the St. James Club and was even better than the first. They had a room on the beach and it was like they had their own private piece of paradise.

They took a trip to Nelson’s Harbour and learned about its history and walked around the harbour and saw some huge yachts. It was amazing to see. Antigua was gorgeous and they recommend it for all to see and they definitely will return again.

Some folks travel not for the sun but for family. Graeme and Helen Craig went to Burnaby, British Columbia to see with Helen’s sister, Mary Elliott for an 11-day visit.

They helped her accomplish a few jobs and enjoyed dinner out with a group of Mary’s friends at the

famous Earl’s Restaurant in Vancouver. There was a bit of snow while they were there, but it was gone again in just a couple of days, otherwise it was good weather. They managed to fit a lunch in with Neil McDonald in Vancouver at the Boathouse Restaurant, about a half hour drive from Burnaby. They also went to his home for coffee and a visit.

When the Craigs returned, they had a busy schedule and they enjoyed a night out at the Blyth Inn. They were part of a group of 15 celebrating Fred Uhler’s 75th birthday. Others helping to celebrate with Fred and Karen were Jack and Mary Helen McLachlan, Gerald and Nancy Smith, George and Ruth Townsend, Allen and Karen Carter, Jim and Janet Papple and Nancy Steinbach. Happy birthday Fred.

It is with sadness we learn of the passing of Marjory (MacDonald) Humphries. She will be missed by her family of Roger, Susan (Hugh), Paul, Peggy and Greg (Andrea) and their families.

A wonderful mother, she will be remembered for her welcoming disposition and smile, delicious cooking, her handiwork and crocheting and her straightforward attitude. She was her children’s biggest fan and supporter in whatever they were doing, she was a teacher and babysat many of the babies of Walton born in the 1970s.

She welcomed many a ball team into their home and backyard and fed them all. She would treat them with her famous homemade donuts. She also helped at the Humphries General Store. Marjory was not a Charter member of the Walton Women’s Institute, but was a member for 64 years. Always a hard worker in any project they did, she even helped at the turkey supper held

this past November. She taught me how to crochet years ago and I always loved my chats with her. Our condolences to the Humphries family.

The Cranbrook Dart Club met Wednesday evening and had 18 darters taking aim at the boards.

There were three teams each winning four games each, the team of Lucas Keffer and Peter Lefor, the team of Brad Speiran and Thea Rijkhoff and the team of Murray Keffer and Gail Speiran. The top lady was Annette Lewington hitting 108 and Brad was the top man hitting 133. It was a good night for all.

Our sympathies are extended to the Fraser and Caldwell families on the passing of Lorna (née Caldwell) Fraser. She will be missed by her husband Randy and her children Joe (Heather) and Kathy (Ron) and her six grandchildren. She will be missed by her mother-in-law Melva Fraser and the extended Caldwell and Fraser families.

Our condolences to all.

Groundhog Day was celebrated in Wiarton last weekend and friends of ours said it was a fantastic celebration to attend. An early morning rise to attend, but a gorgeous fireworks display at 7 a.m. started the day and there were many other events to attend as well.

The folklore around celebrating Groundhog Day dictates that if the groundhog sees his shadow, he will get scared and return to his burrow for six more weeks of winter. If he ventures out and it is cloudy and he cannot see his shadow, it suggests it will be an early spring. Across Canada and US., there are eight well-known groundhogs and not all of the creatures agree on the late or early spring. Our local Wiarton Willie forecasts an early spring

which Balzac Billy of Alberta, Manitoba Merv of Manitoba, Punxsutawney Phil of Pennsylvania, Fred la Marmotte of Gaspè Peninsula and Van Island Violet on the West Coast agreeing.

Shubenacadie Sam of Halifax and Lucy the Lobster of Nova Scotia forecast six more weeks of winter.

Weather experts report that the forecasts of the above are about 37 per cent accurate, since records have been kept. However we look at it, March 19 will arrive and it will be spring or not. Let’s keep happy thoughts!

Celebrating birthdays this past week was Mark Wilbee ending the month. Kicking off February are Thys DeJong, Sarah Mitchell, John Braecker, John Driscoll, Marilyn McDonald, Amy Whyte, Pamela Hackwell, Clinton Pryce, Abby McNichol, Arnold den Dekker, Katie Dionne, George Kruse and Catherine Terpstra. Happy birthday to all.

NEWS FROM WALTON

Obituaries BARBARA ANDERSON Barbara Anderson, formerly of Belgrave, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020, one day after her 98th birthday, at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital, Goderich.

Barbara was the beloved wife of the late G. Ross Anderson, who predeceased her in 2016 after 65 years of marriage. She was the loving mother of Richard Anderson and Anne-Catharine Jean, Goderich; Nancy and Rick Ball, Hanover; Doreen Anderson-Roy and Rob Roy, Peterborough and Sheila AndersonCousins and Doug Cousins, Guelph.

Barbara was the cherished grandmother of Matthew and Danielle Ball, Alicia Brewer, Christina Roy, Emily Roy and Stuart David, Daniel Anderson and Kristen Hatherall, Sarah Anderson, Brandon Cousins and Brittany Reidy and

Jordyn Cousins and greatgrandmother of Jackson Ball and Cadance and Josie Brewer.

Barbara was the sister-in-law of Donna Shaw and Lloyd and Eleanor Anderson. She was predeceased by her brother George Michie, special cousin Bob Grasby and her parents Jean (Cole) and James Michie.

After graduating high school, Barbara attended Stratford Normal School and taught school in Brussels, Hensall and Ingersoll.

Following the Second World War, she married Ross Anderson and together they operated the hardware store in Belgrave for 40 years.

Barbara was actively involved in her community and church and enjoyed gardening, quilting, rug hooking, camping, and travel. After Ross passed away, Barbara made her home at Goderich Place Retirement Home where she enjoyed the many activities, outings and visits with friends, new and old. Her family was her pride and joy, and she treasured time spent with her loved ones.

Visitation was held at McBurney Funeral Home, Wingham on Jan. 30 and the funeral service was held at the funeral home chapel on Jan. 31.

Interment will take place in the spring at Brandon Cemetery, Belgrave.

Memorial donations to Knox United Church in Belgrave, Alexandra Marine and General Hospital Foundation or the

Wingham and District Hospital Foundation would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy.

LORNA FAYE FRASER née CALDWELL On Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020, the Lord said, “It is time to come home”.

He took your hand and walked across the final bridge of life.

Lorna Faye Fraser née Caldwell of Blyth, was born in Clinton on July 11, 1957 and graced the world with 62 years.

She was the beloved wife of Randy for 45 years. Lorna was the loving mother of Joe and Heather Fraser and Kathy and Ron AbellRinn. She was the adoring grandma of Candice, Braidon and Matthew Abell-Rinn and Ty, Lilly and Liam Fraser.

Lorna is survived by parents Jack Caldwell and Evelyn Robichaud.

She was the sister of Gail, Trent and Jackie Caldwell and the daughter-inlaw of Melva Fraser and sister-inlaw of Blair and Deb Fraser.

Lorna will be missed by many nieces and nephews.

Lorna was predeceased by her grandparents Earl and Marg Caldwell and Arthur and Gladys Hallam, father-in-law Don Fraser, nephew Karl Ulch, special uncle Gerald Govier, brother Nelson Caldwell and infant brother John Gary Caldwell.

A time of fellowship celebrating Lorna’s life will be held upstairs at the Blyth District Community Centre on Saturday, Feb. 8 from 1-4 p.m. A private family burial will

take place in the spring.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Huron Residential Hospice or the Blyth Lion’s Club would be appreciated.

Cards of sympathy may be sent to Box 194, Blyth, ON N0M 1H0.

Condolences may be left at riversidefuneralhome.ca.

Find past obituaries on The Citizen’s website at huroncitizen.ca

The Citizen Nominate someone you know who doesn’t have a subscription to The Citizen but should!

Riverside Funeral Home will sponsor one new subscription per month.

Call, email or fax your submission to Riverside Funeral Home - include person’s name, complete mailing address and your name and number.

Recipient will be announced in the last paper of the month.

401 Albert Street, Box 340, Brussels, ON N0G 1H0 Phone: 519-887-6336 ~ Fax: 519-887-6438 email: riversidefuneralhome@hotmail.com www.riversidefuneralhome.ca

Promoting our Community

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

From the Minister’s Study

Trust in Jesus, He saves the best for last: Ireland

By Charmila Ireland Melville Presbyterian Church, Brussels According to John, Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine at the wedding at Cana. This miracle is the one that starts things off – the last verse says, “Jesus thus revealed his glory and his disciples put their faith in him.”

Pastors over the years have preached on all the different angles of this miracle. It could be about how it’s always darkest before the dawn and good things are coming, or about Jesus himself, who is referred to as “the good wine.” It could be Jesus showing his approval for earthly celebrations and the institution of marriage. It could also be a link between Jesus and Moses, who turned water into blood in front of Pharaoh. Really, it can be all of the above. However you want to interpret it, the miracle at Cana is typically seen as being about abundance – wine jars filled to overflowing, more than they could ever drink. An abundance of love and an abundance of grace – that is our God. Overall, there are lots of important, moving, wonderful interpretations of this miracle. But I want to stick another adjective on this – unnecessary. This is an unnecessary miracle. For his other miracles, Jesus heals the blind and paralytic, feeds 5,000 people and raises the dead. Those are impressive. Amazing. Useful. He healed ailments, gave sight, filled stomachs and changed grief to joy.

These are big things. Is Jesus skipping an LCBO run and making the wine himself really a miracle?

Jesus coming in and helping people who didn’t plan properly – is that worthy of a miracle – especially Jesus’ first one? I’ve always liked the saying, “A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.”

When a big party runs out of alcohol, people go home. That’s fine.

It’s expected. Eventually you have to get to last call – the famous saying and song – “you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.” That should have been what happened to that wedding party. The wine should have run out, and people should have went home. Not the end of the world. Not really worthy of a miracle.

But that’s not what happened, because Jesus was there. When Jesus is there, the unexpected happens: miracles. Even ones I might so high and mightily judge as being unnecessary. I suppose if Jesus decided it was necessary, then He probably knew what He was doing.

If you look deeper at the miracle, you can see what it might have to say to us.

I think this miracle speaks to most of us who are part of a church. The numbers are in. The statistics have been gathered and analyzed. One of my professors at Knox College, Stuart MacDonald, literally wrote the book on it: Leaving Christianity: Changing Allegiances in Canada Since 1945. Here’s the summary: “Canadians were once church-goers.

During the post-war boom of the 1950s, Canadian churches were vibrant institutions, with attendance rates even higher than in the United States, but the following decade witnessed emptying pews… The exodus that began with disaffected baby boomers and their parents has become so widespread that religiously unaffiliated Canadians are now the new majority…

Canada’s civil society has historically depended on church members for support, and a massive drift away from churches has profound implications for its future.

Leaving Christianity documents the true extent of the decline, the timing of it, and the reasons for this major cultural shift.”

Looks and sounds like the party is over. The wine has run out.

Christians as the dominant religion in Canada have been replaced by the “nones” – no religion at all.

Christian churches are shrinking and closing their doors. Once vibrant congregations are struggling. It’s hard to see. It’s hard to live. It hurts.

There is this pervasive sort of loss of hope, growing as time goes on.

How can we be the church in a society that doesn’t see the value in corporate worship? With people who don’t think they need any God at all?

A good number of people will look

at the statistics and essentially say, “well, the wine is out. You had a good party, but it’s time to go home.

Pack it in.” We are in what many call the post-Christendom era.

Yet, we know how the wedding at Cana worked out. The couple didn’t save the best for last. They ran out.

They were done. But Jesus wasn’t done with them. It was only through the grace and divine power of Jesus that more wine appeared and the party could continue.

We’re in the same place as that couple. We need Jesus. We’re in a moment, an era, where we are being forced to rely on God. We can’t rely on ourselves, or on demographics, or on historical loyalties. We can’t rely on institutional inertia, or the government pushing people towards Christianity. This can feel really painful. Especially when it’s your church that has to amalgamate; then do it again; then close its doors.

The Regional Ministry of Hope These Anglican Churches Welcome You Rev. JoAnn Todd, Rector 519-357-7781 email: revjoann@hurontel.on.ca The­Regional­Ministry­of­ Hope

Trinity

St. John’s

BLYTH

BRUSSELS

9:15 am

11:15 am

St. Paul’s Trinity

WINGHAM

11:15 am

COME WORSHIP WITH US!

We’re in a time of scarcity. The wine is starting to run dry. In these times - when we are forced to look at ourselves and admit that we’ve run dry – those are the times that we turn to God. When we finally admit that it is not by our power, but by God’s power. Not our will, but God’s will be done. We have no more resources of our own, so we must look to the One who created us.

We need to look at our church and recognize, truly and completely, that

it is not ours. It is God’s church. We are the body of Christ, blessed by God through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The modern church in Canada is getting pretty close to running out of wine. The party should be over. A lot of people are writing it off. Yet God’s love overflows in amazing ways. Just when hope seems lost, when there’s nothing else to do, Jesus arrives.

It’s only over when Jesus says Continued on page 18

You’re Invited To Join Us In Worship SUNDAYS Morning Service Evening Service

10:00 am 7:30 pm

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

MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9 We invite you to join our church family in:

Worship & Sunday School - 11:00 am Coffee & Snacks following the service Fridays 11:30 am - 1:00 pm ~ Soup & More 2 - a free community meal held in Melville’s basement, and made possible by the Brussels churches working together.

BRUSSELS

United Church

519-887-6687

Sunday, February 9 Worship Service at 9:30 a.m.

Worship leader, Gayle Coleman All are Welcome

Blyth United Church Sunday, February 9 Worship Service at 11:00 am Guest Speaker:

Gayle Coleman Lunch and Annual Meeting to follow

Sunday, February 9 at 10:30 a.m. & 6:00 p.m.

650 Alexander St. (former Brussels Public School) Sunday School for children 4 to 12 years of age at 9:30 a.m.

Childcare provided for infants and preschoolers during the sermon.

Coffee & cookies after the morning service.

Worship & Prayer Time Loving Fellowship Expository Preaching Sermon Series: 1 Thessalonians: Day of Lord

For additional details please contact Steve Klumpenhower 519.292.0965 Rick Packer 519.527.0173

Evangelical Missionary Church

Sunday February 9 9:30 am Sunday School, 10:30 am Worship Pastor Ernest Dow, “In or Out? Becoming Fruitful for the Father” (Mt.7:13-23)

Tuesdays 7-9 pm Celebrate Recovery Wednesdays 9-11 am Drop-in Pickleball Wednesdays 6:30-8 pm Heirborn, 6:30-8 pm Youth Group Feb. 7-8 IF: Gathering simulcast - sites in Goderich, Wingham, Clinton huronchapel.com huronchapelkids.com huronchapelyouth.com 519-526-1131 ~ 119 John’s Ave., Auburn

Office Hours: Thursday ~ 9:30 am - 2:00 pm blythunited@tcc.on.ca Facebook: Blyth and Brussels United Churches Accessible

OFFICE: 519-523-4224

THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS. OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS: Brussels: St. Ambrose Saturday 6:00 p.m.

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

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

1025 Wallace Avenue N.

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

Wark elected WOWC secretary Continued from page 1 of Central Huron, as he has done since 2010.

Also appointed at the AGM as WOWC officers are: Darren White, Warden of Dufferin County, to the office of Vice Chair; Sonya Pritchard, CAO of Dufferin County, as Treasurer; and Meighan Wark, CAO of Huron County, as Secretary.

In addition, Mayor George Bridge,

Minto Township, was re-appointed as Chair, WOWC Economic Development Sub-Committee; with committee membership to include the following Wardens/Mayors: Mitch Twolan, Bruce; Darrin White, Dufferin; George Cornell, Simcoe; Walter McKenzie, Perth; and Jim Ginn, Huron; and Kristal Chopp, Norfolk, with WOWC member CAOs and Economic

Development specialist staff.

The Western Ontario Wardens’ Caucus is a not-for-profit organization representing 15 upper and single tier municipalities in Southwestern Ontario with more than three million residents. Its purpose is to enhance the prosperity and overall wellbeing of rural and small urban communities across the region. For more information, visit wowc.ca

We are part of Jesus’ church

Win, lose or draw The Huron Heat fought to a scoreless tie against the St. Thomas Panthers in Clinton over the weekend. (Denny Scott photo)

Continued from page 17 it’s over. Jesus decided to reveal His divinity with an unnecessary miracle – making over 100 gallons of wine.

Just when it seemed like the party would have to end, Jesus turned it around through his abundance.

I want us to keep Jesus at the heart of our ministry, because He is what ministry is all about. It’s His church that we belong to and are, His love that we teach, His life given for us, His words that give us purpose. It’s

the Holy Spirit that gives us gifts of teaching, and service, and making.

It’s the Holy Spirit that shapes and changes us. It is God. It is about God. Have faith. Realize that God is bigger and more powerful than demographics and cultural shifts.

That God is more extravagant and abundant than we can even imagine.

That in that moment when it seems like it’s time to pack up and go home, Jesus is there. Jesus is there

with overflowing love and grace.

Jesus lets the party continue. Jesus saves the best for last.

Visit ruralvoice.ca for agricultural news, monthly columns and feature stories

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

Stevenson, Dickie, Tetu headline Art Gallery season Now into its 45th year, the Blyth Festival Art Gallery continues its mandate of presenting quality art work to the Huron County community as well as to visiting theatre-goers, and has announced its schedule of exhibitions for 2020.

The annual Student Show has a well-deserved reputation for featuring the best work from art students in Perth and Huron County secondary schools. It opens April 30 and runs until May 23.

Anyone in the public is invited to submit their art for the annual Community Show, a non-juried (open) exhibition from May 30 to June 20. Work for the show will be accepted at the gallery from 9 a.m. to noon on May 30.

The gallery annually presents three exhibitions of professionallevel art. The first of these, “razing landscapes”, is by Kelly Stevenson, which focuses on the changing rural landscape. Through drawings of mostly abandoned and falling-down structures, the Blyth artist explores not only how that landscape is changing but reimagines a life for the changing buildings that were

A new season The Blyth Festival Art Gallery will mark its 45th season this year, celebrating with talented and young local artists in their professional-level shows. The season will begin with Blyth’s Kelly Stevenson, followed by a ceramic exhibition curated by Seaforth-area artist Rob Tetu and conclude with “Home Grown”, a photography exhibit from Lucknow’s Hannah Dickie. Above is Dickie’s “Morning Light Shining Through” from her Home Grown series. (Photo submitted)

Volunteer! Exercise leader for seniors If you are keen on health, fitness and enjoy meeting people, this is an ideal position

Theo Fleury to speak in Blyth The Blyth Festival is thrilled to announce hockey icon, Olympian and heroic mental health advocate Theo Fleury will be in Blyth on Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. to speak at Blyth Memorial Community Hall.

An invigorating, outspoken public figure, Theo Fleury is perhaps best known for his award-winning time on the ice. But off the rink, his struggles with abuse and coping with trauma through addictive and self-destructive behaviours took their toll. A courageous survivor who has become a passionate advocate for mental health, Theo’s life is an inspiration. He is a true Canadian champion. His best-selling books Playing with Fire and Conversations with a Rattlesnake, encourage openness and healing for those still trying to find their way. A true agent of change, his honesty, vulnerability and compassionate spirit allow others to feel safe.

Theo has been awarded the Canadian Humanitarian Award and the Queen’s Jubilee Medallion. He is a Siksika Nation Honorary Chief and recipient of the Aboriginal Indspire Award. He also holds two honorary doctorates – one in Science from the University of GuelphHumber for outstanding contributions to the mental health of Canadians, and another in Laws

from Brandon University for his work in combating child abuse and promoting healing and recovery.

“We are so grateful Theo is coming to Blyth. His courage, his resilience, his hard-earned wisdom, are transformative. Having him here in Blyth means so much. His message can truly be a gamechanger. We really look forward to helping him amplify his message,” said Gil Garratt, who is artistic director of Blyth Festival.

In 2020, the Festival will present another banner season of five original Canadian plays. The Deeper Roots series, the Festival’s parallel program of panels and guest speakers related to the shows onstage will include four events, over the course of the season. Fleury

is the first speaker to be announced, his speaking event will take place alongside the Festival’s presentation of Playing With Fire: The Theo Fleury Story by Kirstie McLellan Day. Tickets to see Theo Fleury are $40 for adults and $15 for youth 18 and under. Ticket sales begin for Blyth Festival members Monday, Feb. 3 and for the general public Wednesday, April 1. Tickets are available at the Blyth Festival box office, by calling 877-TO-BLYTH or by online at blythfestival.com Theo Fleury’s talk is supported in part by Foxton Fuels Ltd. Foxton Fuels is also a co-sponsor of the Playing with Fire: The Theo Fleury Story playing on the Blyth Festival mainstage from Sept. 9 - 26.

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once iconic parts of the rural Ontario landscape. It opens on June 26 and runs until July 18.

This will be followed by “Shino: Oriental Aesthetic/Contemporary Expression”, an exhibition of ceramic work by eight of Ontario’s master potters. The ancient Japanese technique of Shino pottery will be featured in this show, curated by Seaforth area potter, Robert Tetu. It will open from July 24 to Aug. 22.

From Aug. 28 to Sept. 29, the viewing public will be treated to a show of photography, which aims to string together the influences a rural upbringing has on an individual. As seen through the eyes of a young photographer, Lucknow’s Hannah Dickie, “Home Grown” documents how small-scale agriculture has played a role in her own life. This is an exhibition not to be missed.

All exhibitions are organized by an enthusiastic group of volunteers and are displayed at the Bainton Gallery in the recently renovated Blyth Memorial Hall. The gallery is open the same hours as the Festival Theatre box office.

Red Plaid Productions Presents

MUDMEN Celtic Concert Wingham Town Hall 274 Josephine Street

Friday, February 21 $28.00 All Ages General Seating Tickets at: ticketscene.ca Annette’s Treasures Galore 519-912-1515 Store 519-503-7666 cell

Doors 7:00 pm Show 7:30 pm This is a NON LCBO Event

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Citizen Phone Book Cover

Contest

The Citizen 2019 PHONE BOOK

What does Huron County mean to you in one photo?

LISTINGS FOR: • • • •

AUBURN BLYTH BRUSSELS CLINTON

• GODERICH • GORRIE • SEAFORTH • WINGHAM Photo by Deb Sholdice

The winner will get the coveted cover spot Drop by our office in Blyth or Brussels and check out our wonderful selection of books. We have books for all ages.

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on our 2020 phone book (with credit) and a special North Huron Publishing prize package.

Submit your digital photo to: Citizen Phone Book Cover at: info@northhuron.on.ca Deadline is February 28, 2020

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

Don’t Forget Valentine’s Day

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