The Citizen - July 1, 2022

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• Editorials • Graduation • Obituaries • Theatre

The

THIS WEEK

Citizen

Huron County’s most trusted independent news source Volume 38 No. 26

Friday, July 1, 2022

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Thompson returns to OMAFRA

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

Strength and conditioning Not all baseball practices or work-outs are created equal and while this unorthodox training method on a seesaw may look like play unrelated to baseball, it’s likely a highly-sophisticated regimen that gave the Londesborough Legends a leg up at Baseball Day in Seaforth, hosted by Seaforth Minor Ball, over the

weekend. Seaforth teams from T-Ball all the way up to U15 took to the diamonds, taking on visiting teams from Londesborough, Brussels and Fullarton. Above, the U11 Londesborough Legends team hung around ahead of their game with the Seaforth U11 Wolverines. Londesborough’s U13 Girls team played later that day. (John Stephenson photo)

Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson will again be part of Premier Doug Ford’s cabinet, returning to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Thompson held the position before last month’s election, but was chosen to return to her role as the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs when Ford announced his new cabinet late last week.

Thompson defeated incumbent Liberal Carol Mitchell (who was also the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs at the time) in 2011. After being re-elected in 2014 and again in 2018, Thompson was made the Minister of Education, a post she would hold for nearly a year before she was shifted to the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services in 2019. As the result of another cabinet shuffle, Thompson replaced Ernie Hardeman as the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, a position which she held for nearly a year until this year’s election.

“I am very honoured to be reappointed as the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and to be able to continue to serve the people,” Thompson said in a press release issued on June 24. “I am committed to continuing our Continued on page 20

Morris-Turnberry responds to cross-border proposal

By Denny Scott The Citizen Morris-Turnberry Council spent a significant amount of time reviewing North Huron’s proposed cross-border servicing bylaw and found the document lacking in a number of ways, eventually deciding to have staff try to connect with North Huron staff on the issue.

During Morris-Turnberry Council’s June 21 meeting, staff presented legal and staff reviews of the bylaw, both of which found a number of problems ranging from drafting concerns, or problems with the way the bylaw was written, to issues that Morris-Turnberry Council members had previously stated should not be in the document at all.

In total, the 10-page bylaw generated eight pages of notes from Morris-Turnberry’s legal representation and dozens of Morris-Turnberry staff remarks made throughout the document.

Morris-Turnberry staff said

council could approve the bylaw asis, like North Huron already had, send the document to staff for review or accept the bylaw’s intent, but have staff re-engage North Huron to make corrections to drafting and legal errors.

Council went through the document clause by clause, recognizing which issues were simple draft concerns and which needed to be addressed, starting with the first paragraph of the document, which includes a capacity agreement. North Huron’s proposal to charge for capacity instead of use has been a contentious issue, according to council, since the previous bylaw timed out four years ago.

Chief Administrative Officer Trevor Hallam worked through the document with council, stating that North Huron had a desire to go to a model in which Morris-Turnberry is paying for the capacity it may use instead of paying for use.

Previously, most Morris-Turnberry users paid for use at 1.5 times the

cost of North Huron users.

“That has a financial impact on ratepayers,” he said. “Council will have to decide how to split up [the charge for] 50 cubic metres a day, when, collectively, [existing users are] using eight cubic metres a day,” Hallam said.

He explained that, originally, North Huron had proposed 160 cubic metres, or 30 cubic metres if Morris-Turnberry accepted North Huron annexing the lands around

the former municipal airport. After that proposal fell through, North Huron landed on 50 cubic metres.

Mayor Jamie Heffer said the idea of paying for potential instead of usage has been an issue, and asked Hallam if similar agreements are used elsewhere, Hallam said he wasn’t aware of others, and said that users of Belgrave’s water system, which is owned by MorrisTurnberry and shared, through cross-border servicing, by North

Huron ratepayers, aren’t metered, with both North Huron and MorrisTurnberry users paying the same flat rate. He went on to say that other agreements North Huron recently renewed are not based on capacity either.

Heffer asked what kind of financial impact the move would have, and Hallam said that was up to council. Councillors could decide how to split the charges, but Continued on page 3

Candidates filing for October

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen The nomination period for this October’s municipal elections opened in May and several people have filed their paperwork in hopes of representing their municipalities for the next four years.

Only a few candidates have officially registered, but there is still plenty of time between now

and August, when nominations close ahead of the election in October.

In Huron East, incumbent Mayor Bernie MacLellan has put his name forward to again fill his position, filing his paperwork on June 10. He is not running unopposed, however, as Nancy Craig has filed her paperwork to be Huron East’s next mayor on June 1.

According to the Huron East

website, as of Tuesday, no one had filed for any of the councillor positions.

In North Huron, only incumbent East Wawanosh Councillor Anita van Hittersum has filed. She is seeking the same position.

Ray Berg has put his name forward to be a school board trustee for the Avon Maitland District School Board for the region serving Continued on page 28

PAGE 2. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022.

CH Council removes holding provision on wake park hours

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

Dash to the finish Sunday and Monday were a big two days for Clinton. Not only was the Clinton Raceway buzzing with action on Sunday, above, but on Monday the town’s main street hosted the return of the Mayor’s Mingle, an annual celebration held by Central Huron to bring residents together with their neighbours, as well as their local representatives. As for the raceway, next Sunday is a big one, with the province’s top sired three-year-old filly pacers taking to the track, but it’s also Children’s Day. (John Stephenson photo)

Tigers atop fastball league make their way to Walton for a game against the Brewers.

On July 6, the Brussels Tigers head to Mitchell for a game, while the Wroxeter Rippers make their way to Wingham for a game against the Hitmen.

Mitchell takes on Belmore on the road on July 7, the same day the Walton Brewers head to Milverton for a game, followed by two games on July 8: Monkton versus the Grizzlies in Goderich and Fullarton in Wingham to take on the Hitmen.

For a full schedule and results, visit huroncountyfastball.com.

Central Huron Council has lifted a holding provision on Bluestone Wake Park southwest of Clinton, which will allow it to operate without restriction.

Council held a special meeting to discuss the issue on Monday, June 27, just before the Mayor’s Mingle was set to begin on Clinton’s main street.

This comes after council had granted the new wake park permission to operate, but with a holding provision that limited its hours to weeknights after 5 p.m. and weekends and holidays, so as not to interfere with the operations of Teeswater Aggregate Limited and VanDriel Excavating Limited, both of which operate on the neighbouring property. As a result, the wake park, which is to be owned and operated by Andy Oke, will be able to operate from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week, regardless of its neighbours’ operations, from May until the third Sunday in October.

Huron County Planner Nathan Garland recommended approval of the motion and removal of the holding provision as a result of the successful completion of a noise impact study, a traffic impact study and a dust and air quality study.

He told council that his department had the opportunity to review the completed studies and didn’t have any concerns. He stated that no improvements on either Telephone Road or Parr Line would be necessary, according to the traffic impact study.

He said the noise impact study recommended the removal of a picnic area on the site, direction that was also supported

by the findings of the dust and air quality study.

As a result, Garland recommended relocating the viewing area at the wake park and removing the picnic area, as well as including an eight-foot berm along the property between the aggregate pit and the inclusion of a fence along the Central Huron aggregate operations site.

In speaking with council, Oke said the associated studies were estimated to cost him about $30,000, though he had yet to receive his final invoice, and that the construction of the berm would cost about $20,000.

Several councillors lamented the high costs associated with the studies and related mitigation measures, with Mayor Jim Ginn saying it was cost prohibitive for a young person simply trying to start a new business.

Councillors Alison Lobb and Marg Anderson agreed. In fact, Anderson suggested seeking a delegation at a future conference with provincial government officials to discuss the burdensome nature of the studies and the impact they can have on young people trying to start a new business.

Council approved Garland’s recommendation, clearing the path for the business to operate for the rest of the summer.

After the decision was made, Ginn also thanked Central Huron’s staff for moving quickly on the matter and creating the opportunity to host a special meeting to allow Oke and his business to move ahead. He said that with a seasonal business like a wake park, even a week can make a big difference, so he was grateful that staff was able to speed things along and help a new business.

Unemployment rate increases

Got it!

The Walton Brewers are currently the only team to have beaten the Huron County Fastball League-leading Brussels Tigers, downing them by a score of 8-5 back on June 21. Above, the Brewers hosted Milverton last month, a team they face again on July 7. (John Stephenson

In May, the unemployment rate for the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula Economic Region increased by 0.3 percentage points to 3.6 per cent, now the lowest in Ontario. The provincial unemployment rate remained unchanged at 5.6 per cent, both unadjusted for seasonality.

Overall net employment in the region increased by 1,400, with full-time gains (+2,000) and parttime losses (-600).

The number of goods-producing sector employees increased by net

2,100. The main driving force came from gains in manufacturing (+1,000) and utilities (+600).

Employment in the servicesproducing sector decreased by net 700. Other services (except public administration) experienced the biggest losses (-1,200). Although educational services experienced gains of 1,100, it could not offset the losses, which resulted in a net decrease of 700.

“Many job vacancies continue to be left unfilled as employers face

barriers in attracting and retaining talent. Understanding how a chronically low unemployment rate affects this region will be a critical step to further workforce planning,” says Dana Soucie, Executive Director for the Four County Labour Market Planning Board.

Current job postings for the Bruce, Grey, Huron, Perth region have increased over time since the pandemic and can be found at: www.connect2JOBS.ca. This is updated regularly so visit often.

photo)

With the season now well underway, the Brussels Tigers sit atop the Huron County Fastball League standings with 10 points and a record of 5-1.

The Tigers’ only loss thus far came at the hands of their County Road 12 rivals, the Walton Brewers, who defeated them by a score of 85 on June 21.

The Wingham Hitmen travelled to Goderich on June 26 to take on the Grizzlies and it was the visitors who claimed victory, with Wingham defeating Goderich by a score of 9-3.

On June 24, Sebringville beat Wroxeter by a score of 10-3, while Wroxeter was also in action the

night before on June 23, losing to Milverton by a score of 21-5.

The Fullarton A’s were set to take on the Walton Brewers on Tuesday night, but a score was not available by press time.

On Wednesday, Sebringville was set to travel to Mitchell for a game against the Junior Mets, while the Brussels Tigers were heading to Wingham to take on the Hitmen.

On June 30, Monkton was due to take on the Belmore Stingers in Belmore, while the Fullarton A’s were headed to Milverton.

The action then breaks for a few days over the Canada Day long weekend, with play resuming on July 5 when the Belmore Stingers

Sunday July 3rd 2022 1:30 to 5:30 The top Ontario Sired 3 year old filly pacers will battle for the lions share of $50,000!

Kids Day: bouncy castles, cotton candy, popcorn, face painting and balloon animals for kids to enjoy!

Post time: 1:30 PM.

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022. PAGE 3.

Decision upheld

Jump around The Goderich Children’s Festival returned to the town on Saturday, providing many free activities for the youth from the community and beyond. The volunteer-driven event was themed after an “old-fashioned picnic” this year. One of the busier spots, as always, was the bouncy castles, seen above. (John Stephenson photo)

M-T unimpressed with proposal Continued from page 1 if it were evenly spread across all users, the average user would see a 61 per cent increase in water and/or wastewater costs.

Deputy-Mayor Sharen Zinn asked if the 20-year period proposed was normal, and Hallam said it is if the agreement is fair to both sides.

Some council members questioned why North Huron had included Blyth as a potential site for cross-border servicing, though Hallam said it makes sense if the agreement is in place for 20 years.

Throughout the document, Hallam pointed out that many phrases were used without being properly defined, which he said is common in these kinds of documents. He also said that some terms are used interchangeably with similar terms, which could cause confusion.

Council members also pointed out several concerns with wording that Hallam highlighted for future changes.

Councillors, including Councillor Jim Nelemans, also wanted references to Braemar Nursing Home and the Willis farm development removed from the document because both had outstanding agreements. The former, which is located in MorrisTurnberry, has an agreement for water and sewer directly from North Huron, while the latter is under an agreement between North Huron and Morris-Turnberry.

Several councillors voiced strong opposition to them being included in any final agreement between the two municipalities.

Hallam also pointed out that North Huron was conflicting with its own wishes, as North Huron had wanted to avoid the inclusion of specific properties in the document.

The inclusion of properties belonging to Wescast Inc. were also contradictory to that desire.

Council members also had issues with the fact that, if either municipality decided the capacity needed to be changed, it could only be done through a $50,000 penalty, which Councillor Jamie McCallum called “a slap in the face”.

Hallam also identified issues with the document, specifically where

North Huron wanted MorrisTurnberry to agree to being responsible for maintenance and repair of infrastructure in its municipality, but didn’t provide reporting back on the health of the existing system. North Huron also stated that, as part of outlining how major projects would be funded (with funds from both municipalities), Morris-Turnberry would be responsible for percentage costs on new infrastructure. The implication led Councillor Kevin Freiburger to ask if Morris-Turnberry would then be on the hook for a proposed water tower that North Huron has been pursuing for some time. Hallam said he didn’t know, but it would depend on the timing of the bylaw.

After the discussion, Heffer said that Hallam’s description of several of the clauses as “unconventional” could have been applied to the whole document.

Nelemans agreed, saying it was likely an incredibly complicated document for a simple water system that currently services 19 properties and, at most, could service 33 properties according to staff.

Freiburger asked if North Huron had the document reviewed legally, saying that, if the municipality had, it was surprising that MorrisTurnberry’s own legal team provided an eight-page review.

“There was a failure somewhere,” he said.

Zinn said that, after four years of staff time, she felt the two municipalities had come up with “nothing”. “They’ve made this a final agreement,” she said. “They hand delivered it… I don’t see where they would go much further.

“It’s a total embarrassment for [North Huron to force MorrisTurnberry Council] to ask for 61 per cent more for an essential service,” she said. “I don’t see where we can go any further with this. I think we’ve wasted four years trying to [finalize an agreement].

Nelemans agreed, saying that 61 per cent is not fair, especially since Morris-Turnberry charges North Huron users in Belgrave the same amount it charges its own residents.

He also didn’t like how the

agreement was viewed as a final one without any kind of discussion between the municipalities.

McCallum said that, if this was the agreement North Huron proposed, then Morris-Turnberry would have to consider a similar policy in Belgrave when it came time to review the cross-border servicing Morris-Turnberry provides to North Huron residents.

He also said the agreement represented a “waste of four years.”

Nelemans called the bylaw and the four-year process to arrive at it “childish”.

“The agreement was working before, and it seems like they’re using this agreement to stab us over something else,” he said.

Heffer said he hoped that reviewing the entire document would add some understanding to the public, as he doesn’t want ratepayers thinking MorrisTurnberry is being argumentative.

“The community doesn’t understand why we can’t come to an agreement,” he said. “I hope, with what this presents, we can help people understand. We’re not just saying no because we like saying no. We’re saying no because we can’t say yes to what’s being asked of us.”

McCallum said council members owe it to themselves and the ratepayers they represent to see if staff can try and work on the issue further, but, if the municipality gets a “flat no”, at least council will know where it stands.

Finally, council directed staff to re-engage North Huron staff and further discuss the outstanding concerns regarding the substance of the agreement and to suggest corrections to the drafting errors.

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North Huron Township Council sided with Chief Administrative Officer Dwayne Evans when presented with an appeal against his decision in a recent complaint filed by ratepayer Ranko Markeljevic.

In April of this year, Markeljevic filed a complaint about 8 Queen Street in Belgrave, claiming that a fenced-in garden cover should be considered a building and that the structure is in contravention of the Ontario Building Code and the township’s zoning bylaw.

Markeljevic wasn’t satisfied with the assertion of Evans that township staff deemed there was no problem with the cover. He stated that, because it covered 11.5 square metres and had four walls and cross members at the top, it should be considered a building and was located too close to the property wall. Markeljevic cited the building code, saying that the cover had either a roof and/or a wall, and therefore should be considered a

building and be required to follow setbacks for the property.

Evans explained that staff didn’t discover a building on site, but did note there is a trellis there. Staff returned when Markeljevic submitted his appeal, but again found no building violating any codes.

“The Chief Building Official indicated a building permit is not required for a trellis, so no further action was taken,” Evans told council during its June 20 meeting.

Evans also reached out to another building official for a second opinion, and that official agreed that no building permit would be required, as the trellis isn’t capable of holding snow.

Two chief building officials are advising us there is no violation of the Ontario Building Code,” Evans said.

Council upheld Evans’ decision and directed staff to notify Markeljevic.

Do not forsake me, O Lord!

(Charles Spurgeon) “Do not forsake me, O Lord! Do not be far from me, O my God!” Psalm 38:21 Frequently we pray that God would not forsake us in the hour of trial and temptation; but we too much forget that we have need to use this prayer at all times. There is no moment of our life, however holy — in which we can do without His constant upholding. Whether in light or in darkness, in communion or in temptation — we alike need the prayer, “Do not forsake me, O Lord!”

A little child, while learning to walk — always needs the parent’s aid. The ship left by the pilot — drifts at once from her course. Just so — we cannot survive without continuous aid from God. Let it be your prayer today, “Do not forsake me, O Lord! Father, do not forsake Your child — lest he fall by the hand of the enemy. Shepherd, do not forsake Your lamb — lest he wander from the safety of the fold. Great Gardener, do not forsake Your plant — lest it wither and die! Do not forsake me now, O Lord! And do not forsake me at any moment of my life. Do not forsake me in my joys — lest they absorb my heart. Do not forsake me not in my sorrows — lest I murmur against You. Do not forsake me — for my path is dangerous, and full of snares — and I cannot travel without Your guidance.

Do not forsake me — for without You I am weak — but with You I am strong. Do not be far from me, O Lord, for trouble is near — and there is none to help. Leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation!”

“Hold me up — and I shall be safe!” Psalm 119:115 A Grace Gem Submitted by: Immanuel United Reformed Church, Listowel, ON 519-492-1359

The Citizen office will be closed on

Friday, July 1 for Canada Day The deadline for the July 8 paper will remain the same July 5 by 2:00 pm Drop in, call or email ads 519-523-4792 email: info@northhuron.on.ca 405 Queen St., Blyth ~ 519-523-4792

PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022.

Editorials & Opinions

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The sins of the son In a complicated turn of events, there is an outcry on social media to strip the Muzzo name from Toronto-area hospitals that have received multi-million dollar donations from the billionaire philanthropist family, which includes Marco Muzzo, the drunk driver who killed three children and their grandfather in 2015. The children’s father, Edward Lake, died by suicide late last month bringing the tragedy to the forefront of headlines again and spurring the calls to remove the Muzzo name as a show of support for the remaining Neville-Lake family members.

Muzzo served less than half of his 10-year sentence before being granted full parole in 2021, with some wondering if his wealth and status played at least a partial role in what seemed to be a lenient sentence.

While the victims’ loved ones could find the prominence of the surname triggering, the family’s foundation has been making large donations to community and healthcare organizations for many years. In fact, besides the hospital naming rights, there are also parks and streets named in honour of the family’s generosity, especially Marco Muzzo Sr., the grandfather of the drunk driver, who died in 2005 long before he saw his family name become associated with such a tragedy.

How do we punish the evil and honour the generous? Perhaps, instead of petitions to remove names from buildings, the outcry should be directed towards the sentencing of the drunk driver who took four lives (and likely caused the death of a fifth) and should spend more than five years in jail. – DS

It could happen to you In the eyes of left-leaning people around the world, the U.S. Supreme Court had a rough week. First, it struck down a New York State law that would have restricted gun-carrying rights and then came the long-rumoured overturning of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that preserved a woman’s right to have an abortion. Many have opined that these two decisions, made back-to-back, show that right-leaning Justices on the Supreme Court, as well as many American Republicans, feel that guns should have more rights than women.

Polls have consistently shown in the U.S. that a majority of residents support access to abortion. The most recent poll, conducted

by NPR, PBS News Hour and Marist, showed 56 per cent opposing the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and just 40 per cent saying they supported the decision. While some have chalked this up to the U.S. being the U.S., others in Canada have urged their fellow citizens to not feel so comfortable. A list of Canadian MPs who actively oppose the right to an abortion began making the rounds in the wake of the Roe v.

Wade decision, which includes Huron-Bruce MP Ben Lobb.

Furthermore, Prime Minister hopeful Pierre Poilievre has been deafeningly silent on Twitter since the decision, making some wonder.

In May, when news of the impending Roe v. Wade decision leaked, Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies conducted a poll in the Great White North that showed about four in five supported a woman’s right to an abortion, while just 14 per cent said they were opposed.

These decisions (clearly) are being made by archaic thinkers, regardless of what the public wants. And with many Canadians following Americans as attitudes there travel back in time, many Canadians are rightfully concerned over what the future holds. – SL

Grey areas Recently Mark Powell, the widow of Regan Russell, who was killed during a protest at a Burlington pork plant, made the decision to sue a number of organizations and people he feels are involved in Russell’s death, including some locals. Powell claims the move is because he has lost faith in the court system, which, two years after the incident, still hasn’t set a trial date in regards to the death. He has filed a $5 million lawsuit that is targeting, among others, Brussels Transport.

While most can and should sympathize with Powell, losing a loved one, the question does have to be asked: how much responsibility is borne by those Russell was protesting and how much did she take on herself? Most parents teach their children to stay back from the road, look both ways before crossing and stay as far away as possible from vehicles in operation. The protesting group that Russell was a part of, however, made it their mission to stop trucks full of farm animals from entering a processing plant by ignoring those basic tenets of safety and standing in front of them. Even the police must recognize there was responsibility to be spread around because the incident resulted in a noncriminal provincial offence for the driver. Powell’s own claim posits that the driver didn’t operate safely, not that there was any malice.

So the question remains, who is at fault? Is it a driver who Powell claims didn’t look where he was driving or a protester who may have put herself in a life-threatening situation where a driver might not have been able to see her? The answer may lie somewhere in the middle and, hopefully, everyone recognizes this could have been prevented. – JDS

Looking Back Through the Years July 1, 1965 The official opening of the new hall at the Brussels Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion was held on June 25. The event included a parade of District Legionnaires, led by a mass pipe band featuring members from bands in Brussels, Goderich and Exeter.

Approximately 400 were there to watch Provincial Legion President Gordon Wakefield officially open the new hall.

July 2, 1975 The stage was almost set for the first-ever Blyth Summer Festival, with Memorial Hall due to re-open its doors on July 9. The re-opening ceremony was set for 8:30 p.m. that night, followed by the opening night performance of Mostly in Clover, a play adapted from the work of St. Augustine-area author Harry J. Boyle.

Huron County Warden Anson McKinley said he would initiate restructuring within the county’s governmental system if the provincial government was willing to pass down more authority to the county level of government.

Speaking as the chair of the restructuring committee, McKinley said restructuring or local reform could reduce the current Huron County Council from 45 members down to 29, which would greatly reduce the county’s administrative cost burden.

July 2, 1997 With amalgamation options being left up to lower-tier municipalities in Huron County, several councils from northern Huron County got together to discuss the path forward.

East Wawanosh Councillor Murray Scott chaired the meeting, which brought together elected

officials from Brussels, Blyth, East Wawanosh, West Wawanosh, Grey, Turnberry, Morris, Wingham, Ashfield, Howick and Hullett.

Blyth Reeve Mason Bailey said that while the consensus from a recent strategic planning meeting showed a lack of interest in a single-tier government, he felt municipalities should be working together to benefit all parties and not cause any “range wars” among townships and villages.

Huron County was working to develop a waste management master plan and was seeking input from the public. Three public meetings had been planned for early July in Wingham, Hensall and Holmesville.

Sharon Bakker, who was set to perform in two Blyth Festival shows in the upcoming season, won the Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for outstanding performance by an actress in a leading role for her portrayal of Hagar Shipley in The Stone Angel at Theatre Network/Workshop West in Edmonton.

The awards had been established 10 years earlier to honour those doing excellent work in the Edmonton theatre scene. That season, Bakker was due to star in Quiet in the Land and There’s Nothing in the Paper.

June 28, 2012 Despite the end of the so-named Belgrave, Brussels and Blyth School Fair, the event would carry on in spirit to see its 92nd year as the newly-named Elementary School Fair, set to be held in Belgrave on Sept. 12.

At a meeting earlier in the month, nearly 20 people attended and expressed their support for the fair, wanting to chip in and do their part

in any way they could to ensure the fair’s legacy continued. One such resident was Steve Hallahan, who said he had never participated in the fair before personally, but knew it was important to the community, which is why he stepped up and wanted to help.

A small antique tractor parade made its way down Blyth’s main street on June 22 in an effort to mark the beginning of the new Blyth Festival season, which would open with Dear Johnny Deere, a musical based on the songs of Fred Eaglesmith.

While Central Huron Council had said it had concerns about the ongoing fire protection negotiations between North Huron and some of its neighbours, mainly MorrisTurnberry, North Huron Council refuted that claim, saying their neighbours to the south had nothing to worry about.

North Huron Councillor Alma Conn assured Central Huron councillors and residents that the fire protection agreement between the two would not be affected by any decision made regarding the agreement between North Huron and Morris-Turnberry.

The Huron County Junior Farmers hosted a group of international delegates over the course of the summer, housing them in the Brussels area. The five young people hailed from Australia, Ireland and Switzerland, with two young women coming from England.

The Bluewater Kennel Club was set to return to Blyth for July 5-7 for its annual all-breed dog show and obedience trials, held at the Blyth and District Community Centre. The action was underway after 8 a.m. daily.

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022. PAGE 5.

Other Views

Two neighbours, different paths

T

his is my opportunity (depending on when you receive your copy of The Citizen) to join in the celebration of July 1, Canada Day, the day Canada officially became a country, 155 years ago.

It’s always hard to know if the day will be a celebration or not. Anti-vaccine protesters are planning to show up on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on July 1 and who knows in advance how that will coincide with the expectation of ordinary Canadians seeing their national holiday as a chance to return to some sort of normality by celebrating the holiday.

Meanwhile, there’s the sense in some observers that the Premier of Quebec, François Legault, is trying to provoke federal reaction to his legislation against immigrants and Englishspeaking residents that would stir up separatism again in his province. In Alberta and Saskatchewan, at the same time, some people dream of their provinces separating from the rest of the country that they feel is becoming alien to their extreme views.

So Canada is far from being as united as we might hope for Canada Day. Still, our problems seem tiny compared to those of our American neighbours who celebrate their national holiday July 4. It’s hard to believe, now, that many Canadians once felt they were sort of second-class residents of North America compared to their American neighbours.

Last weekend, protests were held across the U.S. after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the half-century-old decision of Roe V. Wade, thereby allowing states to decide for themselves if they would allow abortions for women in their jurisdictions.

While the Supreme Court said state legislatures should be able to tell women, even those who became pregnant as a result of being

Keith Roulston From the cluttered desk raped, that state legislatures had more right to control their bodies than they did themselves, only a day earlier the same judges had declared that New York State did not have the right to tell owners of firearms that they couldn’t carry a concealed gun outside the home.

Meanwhile, stirred by mass killings in New York and Texas by sick teenaged individuals who were allowed to buy semi-automatic killing machines, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives approved legislation to put at least some restrictions on gun ownership and use. How long will it be, however, before this is challenged in court by the powerful gun industry that already seems to own the souls of many politicians who claim the solution to U.S. gun violence lies in more people carrying guns?

In thinking about the differences between the U.S. and Canada, I’m reminded of the stories of the early years of the North-West Mounted Police, who regularly stopped Americans who were crossing the border to settle in Canada and reminded them that guns could only be used for hunting and protecting their farm animals and that enforcement of the law was to be left to the Mounties.

One of the political gifts of the U.S. system is that the federal party in power gets to name Supreme Court judges. Democrats choose centre-left judges while Republicans choose

right-leaning candidates. The last Republican president, Donald Trump, named three judges in four years, one of them because the Republican legislators refused to pass a nominee of President Barack Obama for nearly a year in expectation that a Republican would become president. On the other hand, knowing Trump might be defeated in November, 2020, Republicans hurriedly approved Amy Coney Barrett to fill a vacancy before his term ended.

If greatness is defined by power, then the U.S. is certainly, as many Americans repeatedly declare, the greatest country in the world. The influence of the American movie and television industry extends around the world. Even in poverty-stricken areas of Africa you’ll see people wearing t-shirts or hats emblazoned by worldwide U.S. companies like Coca-Cola.

But while the American way of life has always been a magnet for many in the world seeking a better life, it is a country that once prospered because of slavery and fought a vicious civil war to end that practice. The echoes of that fight still reverberate in the poor treatment of Black residents, and the same prejudices hinder the progress of other new races.

North of the border, we are certainly not free of problems. It will take many decades, for instance, for the problems caused by our historically poor treatment of the people who occupied these lands when Europeans arrived to resolve themselves. We have many other faults to correct along the way.

But if there’s one thing that should end on this Canada Day, it’s the feeling of inferiority some Canadians have toward Americans. No matter what problems we have, they pale beside those of our neighbours.

What that gules and argent symbol means

D

ue to our new printing schedule here at The Citizen - deadlines are now on Tuesdays, in case you didn’t know some of our readers may not get their hands on this until after Canada Day, which might make the inspiration behind this column a little delayed. The message, however, is a timeless one: remember who we are.

As Canada Day approaches, I look back on what has happened to our country in the last 365 days, the last several years and the last 15.5 decades and I’ve got to say, I think those who came before us might be a tad miffed.

From the hatred that has sprung up between neighbours as a result of the Freedom Convoy and its mixed messages, Canada doesn’t seem to be the same country as it was when we entered the COVID-19 pandemic.

Approaching Canada Day really put that front and centre in my mind because of the idea of the Canadian flag. It wasn’t that long ago that I was trying to convince my wife, when we were newlyweds, that we should sew Canadian flags on our backpacks before our trip to Scotland to distinguish ourselves from our southern neighbours because, at the time, Canada and the United States were different enough countries to warrant that distinction and we should celebrate who we are and what that flag means.

In my mind, the flag has always represented a kind of quiet dignity that has defined our country in comparison to our neighbours. (I mean, before the convoys, we didn’t really see flags widely used as vehicle decorations, and, fortunately, I still haven’t seen anyone make a suit of it.)

The National Flag of Canada, that beautiful argent field flanked by gules borders and adorned with a gules Maple Leaf, has meant a lot of things over the past 58 years. It announced Canadians were coming, which has been a literal lifesaving moment for some people (granted much of that was before the

Denny Scott Denny’s Den flag was officially adopted). It also meant that our legendary politeness was forthcoming.

Sorry if I’m boasting a bit.

In the past year, however, that beautiful symbol has been tarnished and turned into something else. With the divisive politics and unlawful acts of a small, but vocal, group, a flag that was a point of pride has become more of a question mark: are those who are flying it against Premier Justin Trudeau? Against vaccination? Or have they just been a proud Canadian long enough that the flag predated the flag being co-opted by an aggressive protest group?

It pains me to say this, but everything that has happened with the convoys and the division seems to follow in the footsteps of similarly disillusioned groups in the United States and those who believe Canada is just a variation of its southern neighbour are being proven right.

Through all this, however, I’ve remained hopeful. I don’t know that I’ve ever been called an optimist, but in my belief that our nation will come together I will always hope for the best. That was challenged when Quebec Premier François Legault decided his province should be against multiculturalism.

Ignoring the hilarity of the leader of an entire province that demands its existence be culturally different from the rest of the country saying that multiculturalism is something to be railed against, Legault could not have been more of a parody of Canada if he painted himself in the stars and stripes.

“It’s important that we don’t put all cultures on the same level; that’s why we oppose multiculturalism,” Legault said, sounding like some lower-tier politician in an Orwellian dystopia.

He said that new immigrants should “integrate” into Quebec - and I have to wonder just what is being taught in the Quebec education system.

Say what you will about what we teach young people (for example, why was I taught that mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell but not how to do taxes), but one of the most impactful lessons I learned from school is the difference between immigration in the melting pot and the salad (the United States and Canada).

The melting pot of the United States of America took everyone who came in (you know, the tired, the huddled masses, etc.) and they all became part of the same Red-Whiteand-Blue stew. Canada, however, was more like a salad. Sure, there were different parts, and you could identify the individual parts easily enough, but they really worked best all together (except for tomatoes).

It wasn’t saying that Canada was better than our southern neighbour, just that we had very different views on immigration and on welcoming people to our country. Canadians are supposed to respect the beliefs and culture of others while our southern neighbour encourages everyone to follow its national culture and beliefs. That essential difference between our countries has blurred recently and that’s a problem that needs to be fixed.

So if you see this before Canada Day, remember what that flag means and what this country means: acceptance and support of everyone, no matter how different. If you read it after, the lesson is the same, of course, but like a New Year’s Resolutions, it’s just easier if you attach a decision to change (or advocate change) to a memorable date.

Shawn Loughlin Shawn’s Sense

The Blame Game

I

n an old episode of Seinfeld (though, I suppose they’re all old these days), Jerry creates a bit about his Uncle Leo and how he blamed just about everything on antisemitism. From an overcooked hamburger at a diner to losing a bet on a horse, Jerry jokes that his uncle could (and did) blame any minor tragedy that befell him on anti-semitism.

Now, while there’s nothing funny about antisemitism, Jerry was able to make the bit work.

Uncle Leo didn’t think it was that funny, but it got the laughs Jerry so desired and painted a picture of someone who, when anything inconvenienced him in any way whatsoever, he had a boogeyman handy to blame.

On a less humourous (again, careful to point out very clearly that anti-semitism isn’t a hilarious romp) note, I hate that I keep getting a similar feeling from our friends who have not been so keen to roll up their sleeves to do their part to end the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since this vaccine became widely available throughout North America, those who do not believe in the science behind it have swung like Tarzan from vine to vine (theory to theory) in the hopes of landing on solid ground (definitive proof) showing they were right all along and that the vaccines are poison and that they’ve made us all sterile, autistic and/or dead (though the two former two seem slightly less important if you happen to be the latter).

As an avid soccer fan, I grew tired when, last season, a player would collapse on the pitch, seemingly from exhaustion connected to one of the most physically-demanding sports in the world, and in came the vaccination theories.

The nameless, faceless goons on Twitter would ask without asking and say without saying with statements like “are you awake yet?” and “when is enough, enough?”

Even the pride of Perth County was targeted by this kind of behaviour. Both Justin Bieber and his wife Hailey have suffered from unique ailments (for their young age) recently and in both cases the anti-vaccination mob rushed to connect the couple’s conditions to COVID-19 vaccination. Hailey had a mini-stroke, which has been connected to a heart defect (a hole in her heart that didn’t fully close at birth), while Justin has repeatedly had to cancel tour dates due to a worsening case of Ramsay Hunt syndrome, caused by the chickenpox virus in children and shingles in adults.

While tragic, there are simple explanations for both, but never underestimate the ability of the horn-honkers of Ottawa to plumb the depths of depravity when it comes to this stuff.

Disgraced former Lanark-FrontenacKingston MPP Randy Hillier was in hot water late last year for doing something similar. He shared a post on his social media feeds that connected the deaths of 11 people to the COVID-19 vaccine, sparking outrage from the families of the deceased, who sought out the media to tell the stories - the real ones- of their departed loved ones, why and how they died and to decry Hillier’s attempt to use their deaths to further his baseless conspiracy theories. (Hillier would later apologize for the post, but, clearly, the damage was done.)

These are just a few cases. Some folks who have orbited out of their gravitational pull with reality have even suggested that monkeypox is caused by the COVID-19 vaccine (though those same people also allege that the media has made up monkeypox out of thin air; you kind of can’t have that one both ways).

Tragedy befalls many in this world of ours.

Sadly, it’s a part of life, but co-opting a death to prove a point is low. Sadly, again, whether it’s vaccines or guns, that’s part of life too.

PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022.

Firefighters’ breakfast a welcome change of pace A NOTE FROM BETTY

By Betty Graber Watson Call 887-9231

School is out, yippee! A needed break from the frustrating year the kids, teachers and yes, parents, have experienced as the COVID-19 pandemic set the ever-changing rules for gatherings. Enjoy the freedom and all that means to you.

The Grey firefighters had their breakfast on Sunday and of course it was good. Seeing people, their whole face, was a big bonus. It is so good to see the community support

for our two local fire crews and, it lets them know we really do appreciate the hours they give for our safety. Thank you.

Goodbye Mary Thomas. Her farewell service is in Belgrave United on Thursday. Deaths are times for memories and what the person offered to your life over the years. For me, Mary was the night supervisor when I worked obstetrics in Listowel. Her quiet

Breakfast bunch The Grey division of the Huron East Fire Department held its annual breakfast event at the Grey Fire Hall over the weekend. By all accounts, the event was well attended and the firefighters offered a great meal. (John Stephenson photo)

At the Branch

Poutine, cool air brings crowd

By Jo-Ann McDonald The Brussels Legion Branch was staffed by members this past week as Sandra Brown was on holidays.

Our thanks is extended to Deb Ross, Eric Ross, Nanci Ducharme and B.J. Hummel. Weekdays are pretty quiet and the heat brought out more people Friday night to enjoy the inside coolness. Oops!

The air-conditioning was not working, but thanks to Comrade Vern Bridge who had it fixed and working again in no time! Stubby D was in the building Friday night and there was only a small crowd to enjoy the evening. The pub grub was poutine.

The Friday night Catch the Ace draw was conducted by Lisa Glanville, Joan Smith and Deb Ross. The lucky weekly winner was Nancy Bridge who won $188. She chose envelope number 13 and the two of hearts was revealed. The estimated jackpot for the draw on July 1 is $4,600. Get your tickets before everything is closed for Canada Day on Friday.

Saturday was a big day at the Branch as a large crowd of motorcyclists participating in Bike Fest 2022 was expected there. The call on Friday night reported over 350 bikers had registered for the ride on Saturday. It began in New Hamburg and the first participants started for Brussels just before 10 a.m. from the Wilmot Rod and Gun Club. It was a poker rally run and they had to draw their lucky (maybe) card and have it recorded by our volunteers Perry Pearce, Joe Seili, Julie Pearce and Marni Knight and Dominique.

Next, it was time to get a cold drink as it was a very hot day.

Volunteers Linda Bird, Deb Ross and Nancy Bridge and regular bartender BJ Hummel made sure

everyone had their thirst looked after. For those who were hungry, poutine or French fries and gravy were available. Cooks were Randy White and Ken Pennington and fixing the poutine just right were Judy Lee and Tim Nyvolt. Looking after the kitchen and various other jobs was Jo-Ann McDonald. It took lots of members to get all the bikers checked in, watered and fed in just under two hours. The group then headed for Harriston in large groups for a stop and then back to New Hamburg to enjoy a meal.

The streets of Brussels were lined with motorbikes of every make and

model. The municipal parking lot was full, down the west side of main and part way down the east side, out front of the Branch, down the side of Touchstone Therapies,

by Finish Line Auto Body and down Flora Street. It was great to have all the businesses co-operate so everyone could park their bikes.

Thanks! It was a great day for all!

The monies raised from Bike Fest are donated to many children’s charities, including children’s hospitals and the Backpacks for School program, just to name a couple, as well as many local charity groups.

calm manner as a registered nurse was always welcome when mothers were ready to deliver or when all the babies wanted nutrition at once.

I liked working with Mary. We often shared rides with Rene and Hope and a couple of winter drives were memorable. Volunteer hours at 5Rs was another great place to see Mary at her finest; muffins come to mind. When Mary’s kids were young, she was the United Church Sunday school person, leaving lots of memories there with teachers and kids. Bye Mary, you lived a good life.

The quiet life of this house is on hold. Phil, Hark and Weston arrived from Edmonton on Sunday, while Lauren comes with school dismissal on Thursday. The energy and enthusiasm of a two- and fouryear-old is catching, as well as exhausting. Pop-in visits from the Grabers of Listowel keep things entertaining to say the least.

The Barrie crew is expected on Thursday, so a few days of expecting the unexpected is here.

Chris, Curt and Phil and their families are rarely together, so for me this is pretty special. I’m sure I will hear stories that I asked not to hear until they were 40 and so I guess I’ll have to listen now. Chris and Lara bring Jordan, Robyn and

NEWS FROM BRUSSELS Jill. Curt and Julie bring Ella and Sloan to meet Weston and reconnect with Hark, Phil and Lauren. So I’m grateful for coordinating holidays, healthy people and the luxury of travel.

Time to celebrate some more. Get out the red and white and remember our blessings and be grateful, not cynical!

Happy Canada Day! Bye now, Betty G.W.

Brussels Legion 218 Catch the Ace Weekly Winner Winning Ticket: Nancy Bridge $188 Envelope #13 found the 2 of Hearts Estimated jackpot for July 1 is $4,600

Make their day extra special Advertise it in

The Citizen

Call or email us today for the details

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

If you are a former business from Brussels or a family who would love to share their Brussels history, we invite you to be a part of

The Citizen’s Commemorative issue of

Brussels 150th Anniversary in the July 28 edition 1/4 page (6” wide x 6 1/4” high) . . .$187.50 + HST 1/2 page (10” wide x 7.5” high) . . . .$375.00 +HST Please note: This special pricing is for former businesses of Brussels and for families who wish to be a part of this commemorative issue.

Snack time Maitland Valley Camera Club member Liz Allan recently snapped this shot of an oriole having lunch at a table for one. You can share your photos with The Citizen by e-mailing them to reporter@northhuron.on.ca. (Photo courtesy of Liz Allan of the Maitland Valley Camera Club)

You send the story and photos

by July 15 and we do the rest!

Email: info@northhuron.on.ca or mail your story and photo(s) to The Citizen PO Box 429, Blyth, ON N0M 1H0 519-523-4792

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022. PAGE 7.

Take time to enjoy fruits of the season From Marilyn’s Desk

By Marilyn Craig Call 523-9318

Recognition Long-time Scout leader and church volunteer David Cartwright won the 2021 Citizen of the Year award for Blyth and the surrounding communities posthumously after passing away last August. He was honoured for his years of commitment to the youth of Blyth and to the world of Scouting. Above, The Citizen Publisher Deb Sholdice presents the award to Cartwright’s family. Back row, from left: David’s daughter Brittany Cartwright, son Tyler Cartwright and son-in-law Andrew Perry. Middle row: Sholdice, wife Shari Cartwright and daughter Ashley Perry. In the front row are grandchildren Conner and Cameron Perry. (Denny Scott photo)

Locals win accessibility awards The Huron County Accessibility Awards program celebrates organizations and individuals in Huron County working to build a more inclusive community and make a difference in the lives of Canadians living with a disability.

The Award of Merit for BarrierFree Design promotes public awareness of the importance of barrier-free design, and to recognize excellence in accessibility design. Awards are presented annually to owner(s) of a building or facility, whether private business or public sector organization, that has been designed or renovated with special regard to

accessibility for persons with a disability.

The 2022 Accessibility Award winners for the private business sector include: Sweet N’ Treats, Blyth; McDonald’s, Wingham; Deams Holdings Inc. / Blyth Library. The 2022 winner for the public sector category goes to the Huron County Museum and Library.

The selection committee (the Huron County Accessibility Advisory Committee) is comprised of Huron community members and two council representatives, all working to help make Huron County accessible for people of all abilities.

“It’s important to celebrate

organizations and individuals who are working to build a more accessible society,” says Warden Glen McNeil. “I’m proud to live in the Huron County community where our businesses prioritize making sure they’re operating inclusive environments.”

A summary of the efforts put forward by each business and organization, can be found at www.huroncounty.ca/administratio n/accessibility For more information about the Huron County Accessibility Advisory Committee, visit www.huroncounty.ca or contact 519.524.8394 ext. 3257 or email at accessibility@huroncounty.ca.

Sympathy is extended to Edelgard Hoba and family in the passing of her husband Hubert this past week. Hubert will be missed as he always seemed to be out to get the mail at the end of his lane when I would go by on my way to town. I will miss that friendly smile and wave.

Happy birthday to Larry Blake and Karen Webster, who both celebrate July 2; Stephen Thompson, Clinton, July 3; and Brenda Brooks, July 7. Happy birthday everyone and have a good day on that special day.

I hope everyone is enjoying those delicious red strawberries. I know I have had my fair share. This is the time of the year to visit the farmers’ markets in the area to get fresh fruits and vegetables. Farmers’ markets are the greatest place to find all kinds of delicious food and interesting things made by local people in the area.

When you drive through the countryside you can notice that the corn is wanting rain. The muchneeded rain will make the corn

grow knee-high by the first of July.

This is a favourite saying that a lot of farmers believe in today. If the corn is knee-high by July 1, it will be a good crop for the year.

Monday and Tuesday were both very pleasant days to be outside.

Have a safe and good week and give someone a phone call or just say hello when you meet them on the street.

NEWS FROM BLYTH

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

Did someone do something special for you?

Send them a special thank you in

The Citizen Call or email us today for the details

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

PRINTING IS OUR BUSINESS • Colour • Business Printing Forms • Posters • Brochures • Letterheads • Flyers • Envelopes • Carbonless • Business Forms Cards • Labels WE CAN DO IT ALL!

Making it official While the new Fire Department of North Huron/North Huron Public Works building at the north end of Blyth has been in use for some time, the grand opening was delayed until earlier this month. On Thursday, June 23, Reeve Bernie Bailey, centre, officially opened the site with a ribbon cutting. Holding the ribbon are Director of Public Works and Facilities Jamie McCarthy, left, and Fire Department of North Huron Chief Marty Bedard, right. (John Stephenson photo)

BLYTH PRINTING INC. BLYTH 523-9211

PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022.

Johnston retires from Food Share after 18 years

Teamwork The North Huron Food Share recently celebrated the retirement of Joyce Johnston, standing, with a barbecue to mark her 18 years of working with the Wingham-based organization. (Denny Scott photo)

Joyce Johnston marked 18 years as the Operations Manager for the North Huron Food Share earlier this year and celebrated it with friends and fellow volunteers earlier this week.

Johnston, who retired May 31, was the guest of honour at a barbecue at the Food Share in Wingham on Monday, June 27 celebrating with people with whom she had worked for a long time.

In an interview with The Citizen she said the decision to retire wasn’t an easy one, but she felt it was time to move on.

“After 18 years, I knew there were people capable of taking over and I thought it was time,” she said, adding she wanted to spend time with her grandchildren now.

Johnston also said there were health concerns, but she could have worked past those, and instead

wanted to make the decision on her own time.

Johnston said she was approached 18 years ago to volunteer with the organization and suddenly found herself on the board of management before becoming a manager herself.

“It’s one of those things where I showed up at the right place and the right time and was given a job that needed to be done,” she said. “It’s been great and I’ve really, thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ve made some tremendous friends and got to know a great core group of volunteers here. The community support in this area is fantastic, and that helped a lot.

“It always takes a village and it always takes teamwork. It wasn’t just me, it was a whole team and we always have had great support and that’s what it takes.”

ACW Council goes against staff, recommends severance

By Denny Scott The Citizen

Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh Township Council has gone against the recommendation of Huron County Planning and Development and the municipality’s own staff to recommend approval of a surplus farm severance.

During council’s June 21 meeting, council dealt with severance application C55-2022, presented by Huron County Planner Celina Whaling-Rae based on an application made by Mark and Christine Coulthard for their numbered company.

The application requested to sever a home from 36531 Blyth Road, however Whaling-Rae and ACW staff both recommended denial of the application by Huron County Council.

Whaling-Rae’s reasoning for her recommendation was that the Coulthards didn’t, according to the letter of the policies and bylaws, have another farm and because the home isn’t in a habitable condition.

“In the case of the subject property, the residence is not surplus as a result of farm consolidation as neither the corporation who owns the property, [nor the] owners of the corporation own another farm,” she said. “Both planning and building staff are in agreement the residence is not habitable at this time. It is staff’s opinion that either extensive work would be required to make the structure habitable or that it is in need of replacement altogether.

“It is staff’s opinion that the effect of approval of the application would be the creation of a new residential lot,” Whaling-Rae said in her report. “This is not in keeping with applicable planning policies.”

During the open forum portion of the meeting, Mark Coulthard addressed the issue, saying he felt that Whaling-Rae’s assessment was flawed. He explained that, in his opinion, they do have more than one farm property, saying that his business, a pest control service called Truly Nolan, is classified as an agricultural business under provincial legislation and that 50 per cent of the services the company provides are agricultural.

He also felt the assessment of the house as not being livable was premature because it wouldn’t make sense to make it livable or replace it before knowing if a severance would be provided.

He said the change would

increase assessment for ACW and provide a chance for someone else to live in the municipality.

“We can work around [the livability],” he said. “We could have a timeframe put on the severance to have a livable space there.”

Councillor Jennifer Miltenburg said she agreed with Coulthard, saying if the government sees his business as agricultural, it’s not prudent for council to decide what is farming or not.

She also felt that the habitability of the house is a matter of opinion, adding that if the house was in a different part of the community, it could be made habitable very quickly. Other council members agreed, stating that the fact that it doesn’t have indoor water doesn’t necessarily make it uninhabitable on its own.

Whaling-Rae disagreed, saying it wasn’t the absence of a septic system or indoor plumbing that was the issue, but the condition of the house. Building a new house also isn’t an option, she explained, as surplus severances can only be approved for houses that are at least 15 years old.

Deputy-Mayor Roger Watt said habitability is a matter of semantics and that didn’t serve the community well, saying he would recommend approval.

Chief Building Official Brett Pollock said, if council wanted to go against the recommendation, he needed to know how he should address residents making similar applications in the future.

Pollock explained the house has holes in the roof and other issues, and if council wanted to widen the definition of habitable, he would need further direction to do his job as council saw fit.

Councillor Bill Vanstone said that Pollock had provided an accurate classification, adding that he agreed the property wasn’t habitable in its current state, but that it is an ideal spot to be severed.

“I think this has to be a judgment call made by council,” he said.

Pollock said he wasn’t disagreeing with council or questioning them, but that he would guide ratepayers away from a severance application, which costs money, if the property in question wasn’t habitable.

“Those recommendations are based on the policy,” he said, explaining that applicants have to pay for surveyors or plans as part of their applications.

Watt said he would like to see the policy changed to be “suitable for a habitable residence”, but Councillor Anita Snobelen said that anyone can, as Coulthard had, argue for their own application.

Vanstone agreed, saying this is a

unique situation where the lot is a good candidate for severance, whereas other applicants may not have favourable conditions.

After some more discussion, council approved two motions as a result of the debate, first

recommending approval of the severance to Huron County Council and then requesting that Pollock and Whaling-Rae bring back a report on options for the wording of “habitable living” in regards to severances.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING Proposed Official Plan Amendment for a Five-Year Review of the North Huron Official Plan The Township of North Huron has initiated a review of its Official Plan. After ongoing community consultation and revisions to Official Plan policies and mapping, the Council of the Township of North Huron has scheduled a public meeting to gather public input before they may consider adopting the draft amendment.

The North Huron community is invited to participate in an in-person Public Meeting on Monday, July 25th at 6:00pm at the North Huron Town Hall Theatre, 274 Josephine St., Wingham, Township of North Huron. During this time, the Township of North Huron will be considering the Official Plan amendment.

The Proposed Changes: A number of policy and mapping changes are proposed in the Official Plan Amendment as a result of the review. Key proposed changes include: • Permitting additional residential units in both urban and agricultural settings; • Promoting a wider range of residential building types to address local housing shortages; • Updating mapping for urban settlement, agricultural, natural environment, and flood hazard areas.

If approved, these changes would apply across the Township of North Huron.

Have Your Say: Any person may attend the public meeting and/or make written or verbal representation, either in support of or in opposition to the proposed official plan amendment.

1. You may submit comments, objections, or concerns by email to Hanna Holman, Planner, at hholman@huroncounty.ca or to Carson Lamb, Clerk, at clamb@northhuron.ca.

2. You may speak during the public meeting. Individuals are encouraged to submit their comments before the meeting for consideration.

Comments and opinions submitted on the Official Plan Review, including the originator’s name and address, become part of the public record, and may be viewed by the general public and may be published in a planning report and Council agenda. We encourage written comments to be submitted

by July 19, 2022.

Learn More: Further information regarding the Official Plan Review can be found on the Huron County Connects project page at: connectedcountyofhuron.ca/north-huron-official-plan-review

Your Rights: If a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the Township of North Huron before the Official Plan Amendment is adopted, the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision of the County of Huron to the Ontario Land Tribunal.

If a person or public body does not make an oral submission at a public meeting or make written submissions to the Township of North Huron before the Official Plan Amendment is adopted, the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Ontario Land Tribunal unless, in the opinion of the Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to add the person or public body.

Dated at the Township of North Huron This 28th day of June, 2022 274 Josephine Street, Wingham ON N0G 2W0 (519)-357-3550

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022. PAGE 9.

Congratulations Graduates HONOURING THE 2022 GRADUATES OF: F. E. MADILL SCHOOL HULLETT CENTRAL PUBLIC SCHOOL HURON CHRISTIAN SCHOOL SEAFORTH PUBLIC SCHOOL

A SPECIAL KEEPSAKE From

THE CITIZEN

PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022.

F. E. Madill School

Moving on F.E. Madill School’s Grade 8 graduating class included 70 students across three classes, as well as one four-legged friend in the Grade 8B class shown above. Back row, from left: Connor Moran, Ava Bragg, Alex Fehr, Cameron Whitson, Daniel Scarborough, Hayden Jamieson, Luke Fischer, Ellee Power, Breelle Walker and Peyton

Whitfield. Front row: Rayna Johnston, Ashlyn Hills, Addison Drost, Landry Read, Jasmine DeJong, Kaelyn Humphrey, Reed Fischer, Hailey Beuermann, Landis Hayes, Nolan Sanderson-Schmidt, Steven Nicholson, Robert Jefferson and canine grad Guinness Jefferson.

(Denny Scott photo)

Congratulations to all the Graduates!

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Two Locations to Serve You!

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THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022. PAGE 11.

F. E. Madill School

Congratulations F.E. Madill School marked its Grade 8 celebration last week, wishing its three classes of Grade 8 students well as they embark on the next journey of their young lives. Grade 8A graduates included, back row, from left: Karlee Smith, Chloe McCallum, Isla deSwart, Devyn Willie, James Speer, Landon Verbeek, Sarah Hallahan,

atulatio r g n Co Grade 8 ns u d ates! a r G

Preston Robinson, Maisianne White-Wagler, Addison Stevenson and Lacey Heibein. Front row: Adler Shaw, Jakob Schiestel, Briella Campbell, Kian Alolo, Gian Alolo, Trystan Leeman, Lakayla Ounsamone, Emma Carter, Jack Nicholson, Kaden Huffman, Madison Leger and Pedro Wall. (Denny Scott photo)

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PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022.

F. E. Madill School

The next step There was a lot to celebrate last week as students across the area marked their last year of Grade 8. Above, F.E. Madill School’s Grade 8B class, one of three Grade 8 classes, celebrated with friends and family at the school. Back row, from left: Peyton Steep, Nathan Westra, Kaden Wilson, Gulliver Garratt, Sam Hunt, Cierra Cavell, Rylea

McDonald-Inglis, Lily Conley, Haylie Morrison, Nathan Atton, Reid Ward and Broghan Doerr. Front row: Denise McLellan, Kaleigh McCallum, Kaylan Donaldson, Paxten Smith, Ben Weber, Chase Sallows, Mischaela AdamsNoble, Tyler McPherson, Casey Bernard, Aria LeRoux, Mackenzie Howatt, and Morgan Subject. (Denny Scott photo)

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THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022. PAGE 13.

Hullett Central Public School

A new journey Hullett Central Public School’s Grade 8 graduating class included 28 smiling students who are ready to take on the next stage of their life: high school. Hullett’s graduates are, back row, from left: Clara deBoer, Tyler Boven, Elizabeth Howson, Taylor Wharton, Donny Miller, Boden Lyons, Sheldon Lee, Hunter Simonsen, Colton Radford, Lukas

Greidanus, Mackenzie Smith, Eli Baxter, Titus Buttar, Graham Nesbit, Logan Saunders, Mia Greydanus, Carleigh Dale and Peyton Riley. Front row: Bryce Dale, Sophia Spieran, Cohen Lammerant, Emily Josling, Brady Finch, Kianna Lehmann, Quinn Cox, Keira Hoekmeijer, Ben Hubbard, Lily Richter and Dylan Cowan. (Denny Scott photo)

Hullett students honoured with special distinctions On June 21, Hullett Central Public School held its annual Grade 8 graduation ceremony, handing out a number of awards to students who

went above and beyond in the 2021/2022 school year.

Logan Saunders was named the school’s Valedictorian, an award

that is sponsored by the Blyth Legion.

The rest of the night’s recipients were: Academic Distinction Award,

Congratulations and Best Wishes to the Grade 8 Graduating Classes

sponsored by the Londesborough Lions Club, Logan Saunders (male) and Elizabeth Howson (female); Amy Bosman Music Award,

sponsored by Al and Barb Bosman, Makenzie Smith; Art Award, sponsored by the Radford family, Continued on page 14

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PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022.

Hullett Central Public School Valedictorian Saunders looks back on a decade

By Logan Saunders Hullett Central Public School Good evening Hullett staff, parents and fellow graduates. I’d like to welcome everyone to Hullett’s 2022 graduation ceremony.

We finally made it. After 10 long years of hard work, we finally have something to show for it. Most of us are probably glad to be moving onto high school, but I think I speak for everyone's parents when I say that it went by way too fast.

It all started about 10 years ago.

Getting dropped off at school for the very first time, barely making it down the bus stairs. Taking your first few tiny steps into your brand new classroom and having absolutely no idea what you just signed up for. Everything was so big and intimidating. No matter where you went, you were always discovering something new. Soon enough, you were already making friends and making memories. Little did you know, some of these people would end up being life-long friends who would be by your side no matter what.

Now, this is usually the part where I start going on about my past 10 years at Hullett, but since I haven’t been here anywhere close to that long, it’s going to be a bit different.

My experience here at Hullett started on Feb. 1 of last year (2021).

First day at a new school and I could already tell it was going to be great.

Having people come up to me and ask to be my friend, you can’t tell me that’s not one of the greatest feelings in the world. Within the first few weeks I got to know everybody and was already making friends.

Playing football in the middle of winter was always the best, but, of course, all good things eventually come to an end.

Right back to online schooling, which wasn’t really that surprising. I don’t think that anyone could be prepared for that, but apparently this was the “new normal”.

Then we move onto this school year and I think we can all agree that it’s been pretty interesting. Let's start off with the random alpaca that was brought to the school for Mental Health Week. I’m not really sure what an alpaca would have to do with someone’s mental health, but I do know that it was still quite the experience; especially with having to dodge its headbutts. Oh and we can’t forget about Mr. Park’s cheesy jokes. Although the majority of them leave the class clueless, the ones that do make sense have the class howling for a good portion of the morning.

Last, but certainly not least, it finally happened! No, I am not talking about another lockdown. We were able to take our masks off, finally see each other’s smiles and it felt like the first day of school all over again! I think that alone made this year pretty awesome!

Moving on, I would like to thank the families of the graduates for raising us into the people we are today, and eventually into the people we will become. With your support, we will be capable of doing anything

and everything. Thank you all for the encouragement, discipline and inspiration. Truly, this was the hardest part of the speech to write as there are not enough words to describe how much, and I think I could speak for all the graduates when I say, we appreciate you.

To Mr. Park and the rest of Hullett’s staff, I would like to thank you for putting up with the most… umm… interesting set of students for as long as you have and I wish you luck with your future classes.

Without your guidance and commitment, we wouldn’t be where we are today. What I’m pretty much saying is thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to our future.

On behalf of this year’s graduates, I would also like to thank all of the parents and staff members who volunteered to help out with putting together this wonderful graduation ceremony. Without your help, this would just be an ordinary day with nothing to acknowledge this huge milestone in our lives, so we would like to thank everyone for all of their much appreciated effort that was put into making this event happen.

And to my fellow classmates, we made it through eight grades and apparently we have some more to go. No matter how much more we have ahead of us, we have already made it this far.

Whether you were at Hullett for your first day of Kindergarten or just started a week ago, Hullett will always be an important part of our lives. Hullett is a community; we all work

together to accomplish our goals.

As we move forward, as we leave this part of our journey behind, let’s look to the future and see all that is ahead of us. So let’s take all the adventures, all the ups and downs, and make history as one of the most resilient generations. You can throw online learning, virtual assemblies, masks and cohorting at us and we will face it with a sense of boldness and confidence. The next stage of

our lives is just around the corner. I think I can safely say that some of us are a bit scared about high school, but I am sure we can do this.

Everything we have been through and have been taught has prepared us for what is ahead.

So, to conclude, it does not matter how long you have been here or where you will be going after graduation, Hullett will be a big part of all of our lives and we will always “go for gold”.

Hullett students recognized Continued from page 13 Emily Josling; Bruce Power Science Award, sponsored by Bruce Power, Clara deBoer; the Design and Technology Award, sponsored by Howson Mills, Cohen Lammerant; the French Award, sponsored by Hullett Central Public School, Tyler Boven and Elizabeth Howson; the Geography Award, sponsored by the Londesborough Co-op, Tyler Boven; the Heart of Gold Award, sponsored by the Parent Advisory Council, Bryce Dale; the History Award, sponsored

by Hullett Central Public School, Cohen Lammerant; the Kim Hunking Memorial English Award, sponsored by the Hunking family, Kianna Lehmann; the Male and

Female Athlete Award, sponsored

by Hullett Central Public School, Colton Radford (male) and Mia Greydanus (female); the Mathematics Award, sponsored by Drew and Liz Allen, Sophia Spieran; the Ontario Principals’ Council Student Leadership Award, sponsored by the Ontario Principals’ Council, Clara deBoer; the Overall Academic Improvement Award, sponsored by Nature’s Nest, Hunter Simonsen, Keira Hoekmeijer and Donny Miller and the Student Council Awards, sponsored by the Optimist Club of Clinton, were given to Clara deBoer, Elizabeth Howson, Kianna Lehmann, Emily Josling, Bryce Dale and Tyler Boven.

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THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022. PAGE 15.

Huron Christian School

Another move After moving (with their school) from Clinton to Vanastra and back due to major renovations at Huron Christian School, the students of the school’s graduating class are likely that much better prepared to be moving on to high school next. The Grade 8 class included, back row,

from left: Alexis Den Hollander, Paige Bruinsma, Alanna Poortinga, Morgan Jurjens, Brooke Jurjens, Isabelle Ridder, Jocelyn deLange and Elyse Meinen.

Front row: Landon Den Hollander, Sam Vanderlaan, Conner Little, Thebe Heyink, Noah Goodburn and Ian Poortinga. (Denny Scott photo)

HCS Valedictorians celebrate the journey to grad

By Alanna Mederios-Poortinga and Sam Vanderlaan Hi, I’m Alanna Poortinga, and I'm Sam Vanderlaan, and we are the class of 2022 valedictorians. Waking up that morning, eating our Fruit Loops and putting on these strange clothes that mom called our “uniform”. We were ready… ready for this new adventure called school. And we’d like to thank you staff, parents, audience and fellow graduates for coming here today to celebrate that wonderful adventure.

Every great group of adventurers has a leader, whether that's Moses leading the Israelites, or perhaps Noah leading all the Sam Vanderlaan and Alanna Mederios-Poortinga animals on the ark for a 40-day adventure

on water. Well, for us, we had many leaders, but it all started with Mrs. Cameron in Junior Kindergarten. Well… she led us for half the year… until we had to say goodbye because of that big lump in her stomach, which I later found out was a baby! Then we got Ms. Heykoop, who we got to paint lions with and make hand turkeys and many other fun crafts. The best field trips in Junior Kindergarten were going to the fire station and picking pumpkins at the pumpkin patch together.

In Senior Kindergarten we were introduced to our new leader, Mrs. Soer, and man, she straightened us up! This was the year that we met our new classmate

Annabella, who quickly became Elyse’s best friend. We loved having big teddy bear picnics and bragging about our teddy bears to see who’s was the best. Mrs. Soer loved her penguins so she made black and white day! Apparently Landon was so excited that he wore black and white the week before.

Grade 1 was a big step in our adventure.

We had to go to school for five whole days in a row. The leader back then was Mrs. Vanwyk, and she got the fun job of teaching us how to read. We had some new key members for our adventure join us this year, like Thebe and Thomas. This was the Continued on page 16

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PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022.

Huron Christian School Prank wars, soccer games highlight fun years at HCS Continued from page 15 year that we got to have a prank war with the Grade 6 Class,which resulted in our desks ending up outside one day. In Grade 1 we got to learn about the cycle of a butterfly, and we found a caterpillar which became our class pet as we watched it turn into a butterfly.

In Grade 2, sadly the characters of this adventure had to split up.

Some with Grade 1 and Mrs. Vanwyk, others with Grade 3 where the leader was Mrs. Kuyvenhoven, although back then she was known as Miss. Blydorp. This was the year that Thomas said goodbye to our class. In Ms. K’s class, we got to have a “Fun Friday” where we went on a Timmies run and watched movies outside. We all remember how fun this day was, and Mrs. Kuyvenhoven is legendary because of it.

Grade 3 was a great year. We had a brand new leader no one had ever had before. Her name was Miss.

Jurjens. We had even more new members added to our adventure, Conner and Sam S. The adventure went to lots of different places, from the Junior Kindergarten room to the student services room and to the staff room, where we loved to hide behind the printer. This was the year that we learned our math times tables, and guess what? After completing our times tables, we all got ice cream sundaes from Ms. Jurjens!

In Grade 4, many fond memories came with Ms. Norg, who was our new leader. Our class remembers watching The Magic School Bus whenever we got the chance and starting French classes for the first time in our lives. That year, our big adventure was brought to Wawanosh Conservation Area, where we got to learn about omnivores, carnivores, and herbivores, and Camp Menesetung, where we learned how to rock climb. But I must say, there was one specific thing that Ms. Norg was notorious for… her furniture! If we needed a comfy and inviting place to work independently, Ms. Norg’s big orange couch was waiting for us. Every morning when we did DLR, we knew there was a spot waiting for us on Ms. Norg’s cushioned crates. Oh and Sam, remember the red table? Back in

tions a l u t ra Cong uates!

Grad

Grade 4, the girls and the boys desired to eat lunch at a special table in Ms. Norg’s classroom. Who would have thought just an ordinary rectangular red table would be such a big deal? But it was!

In Grade 5, our adventure changed locations to the one and only Vanastra Christian Reformed Church. We had many opportunities this year, like when we went swimming at the Vanastra Pool for gym class and then our hair freezing on the walk back to school, and climbing up the big icy hill behind the Vanastra Church. In every group of adventurers, you need to be able to work together, and that year was an opportunity for our class to practise teamwork.

Every recess, we would play soccer, winter or summer, rain or shine; we loved soccer. We also played capture the flag in the bush, keep away and kickball. All these memories and opportunities were led by that year’s leader: Ms. Wubs.

Although having school in a church is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, we were glad to be back to our new and improved Huron Christian School in Grade 6.

But that didn’t mean we had a normal school year. This year was a split class, meaning our adventure group got to split, and go with new groups of adventurers. Half of us went with Mr. DeBoer and his Grade 7 class, and the other half went with Mrs. Wubs again and her Grade 5 class. This was the famous year that we were told our March Break would be prolonged “just two weeks” for COVID but that soon turned into the rest of our school year. We had to learn from home and spend most of that year remotely.

In Grade 7, we were all united again with our new leader Ms. Petrusma. Ms. Petrusma was known for her easy ability to get distracted with storytelling. We all loved it not just because we got to miss out of class times, but also because of the interesting stories she would tell us.

We got to learn about some of her most embarrassing moments, her past classes, and her time living in Vancouver. This was the year that Paige took her adventure to her house, and spent the year with her family, homeschooling. Grade 7 was the year that we got in some

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competitive soccer games with the Grade 8 class with Ms. Petrusma as our number one cheerleader, who was very invested in our games.

Lastly, our Grade 8 year, led by Mrs. Scott, was a fun-filled and memorable one. This year was the year that we were to participate in sports teams and extracurriculars like battle of the books, after taking a break from these for two years.

We did hands-on work this year too as we helped the school build the outdoor classroom which allowed us to serve our Huron Christian School community. This year we had the opportunity to take our adventure out of Huron County, all the way to Toronto for a trip with the Grade 7 students where memories like going to a Blue Jays game, shopping at the Eaton Centre, and a lot of walking was made. This was a year where close friendships, many laughs, and lots of hard work were achieved.

These are just a few of the memories that we have from our adventure. As a class we were able to be joyful with each other when one of us succeeds, and encourage and pray for each other when one of us falls, and this is all because of the unique personalities that each of us brought to this class.

There’s Paige who is sure to correct all of our grammar mistakes, that is, if she isn’t busy talking about horses.

There’s Jocelyn, who you will usually find with her nose in a book.

There’s Alexis, who is either diligently working in class, or thinking about her puppy, Blue.

There’s Landon, who always has a hockey stick in his hands, and a puck on the ground.

There’s Noah, who is either scrolling through a truck auction in class, or talking about his latest project.

There’s Thebe, who is either trying to make people laugh, or hurting himself in crazy ways.

And then there’s Brooke, who is always d o o d l i n g mushrooms in class.

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There’s Morgan, who’s either zoning out in class, or dribbling a soccer ball in the field.

And then there’s Conner, who’s just always fixing his hair.

There’s Alanna, who’s always getting fouls in sports or always talking about how cute those kids are.

There’s Elyse, who is probably drawing in her binder during class.

There’s Ian, who’s always being the class clown.

There’s Izzy, who is probably giggling at every joke, even if it’s not funny.

Lastly there’s Sam, who can always be found on the soccer field, both playing the game, and reffing… or at least trying to.

We are sad to say that this adventure has come to an end, but are overjoyed for the people we have all become because of the spiritual influences that we have had. Many wonderful relationships were made in our class, and we

were always able to laugh together, even at the most random things.

This adventure together is over, but high school will bring many new obstacles, rewards and opportunities.

This is a time of new beginnings, so may we all continue to trust in the Lord as he leads us on this new journey.

On behalf of the graduates, we would like to say thank you to all the leaders who helped us get through this adventure, while showing us the love of Christ, and helping us grow in our relationships with Him even when it wasn’t easy.

As we leave here tonight, may we look back on these years at Huron Christian School with a smile on our face, as we remember all of our stories, our little competitions, and our inside jokes, and may those shape you throughout the hills and valleys of your future. Thank you!

HCS students recognized On June 23, Clinton’s Huron Christian School held its annual Grade 8 graduation ceremony, handing out a number of awards to students who made their 2021/2022 school year one to remember.

Alanna Mederios-Poortinga and Sam Vanderlaan were named Valedictorians, an award sponsored

by Excalibur Insurance.

The rest of the night’s winners are as follows: Top Female Athlete, sponsored by Investors Group and Paul Vandendool, Morgan Jurjens; Top Male Athlete, sponsored anonymously, Conner Little; the Service Award, sponsored by the Clinton Optimist Club, Jocelyn deLange; Top Scholar, sponsored

by Investors Group and Paul Vandendool, Alanna Mederios-

Poortinga; the Bakker Scholarship, sponsored by Willem and Johanna Bakker and family, Brooke Jurjens and the Art Bursary, sponsored in memory of Bethany Blanchard, Morgan Jurjens.

Paige Bruinsma, Alexis Den Hollander, Landon Den Hollander, Brooke Jurjens, Morgan Jurjens, Alanna Mederios-Poortinga, Elyse Meinen and Isabelle Ridder all made the Honour Roll, while Paige Bruinsma, Jocelyn deLange, Alexis Den Hollander, Landon Den Hollander, Noah Goodburn, Brooke Jurjens, Morgan Jurjens, Conner Little, Alanna Mederios-Poortinga, Elyse Meinen, Ian Poortinga, Isabelle Ridder and Sam Vanderlaan were all awarded the Memory Work Memorization Award.

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THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2021. PAGE 17.

Seaforth Public School

Smiling faces Seaforth Public School’s Grade 8 class was all smiles just before their graduation ceremony held at the Seaforth and District Community Centre last week. The ceremony, held on June 21, marked the end of an important journey. Graduates included, back row, from left: Nate F., Richie A., Owen F., Ryker M., Avery S., River C. and Logan J. Third row:

Mr. Hundey, Ron H., Arick B., Isabella A., Leah C., Tyler S., Brayden R., and Mr. Dunsieth. Second row: Mrs. Dawe, Mrs. Gregus, Rory W., Connor M., Colin M., Kyle F., Sam M., Brayden R., Braedyn D., Mrs. Zembashi and Mrs. Gerber.

Front row: Abby M., Sydney D., Hannah G., Savanna C., Angelina M., Layla P., Sadie C. and Trudy B. (Denny Scott photo)

Smale, Moyer look at previous chapter of life

By Tyler Smale and Colin Moyer C: Good evening family, friends, teachers, mentors and, of course, the graduates of 2022. This is amazing! We never thought this day

would come when Tyler and I would be standing up here as our school’s valedictorians.

T: I see today as the end of a chapter. There is still so much to look forward to, but, before we turn

the page, let us take a look back on the last 10 years at Seaforth Public School. This year we have a very unique group of young people. On the behalf of Colin and my classmates, we have all had our

unique and special experiences at Seaforth Public School. I think I can speak for all of us when I say, they were all amazing and memorable!

C: We would like to start off by

thanking our parents for their love and support, and for enrolling us at this great school! We would not be the individuals we are today, or have the people we do, or created Continued on page 18

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PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2021.

Seaforth Public School Seaforth Valedictorians enjoy Camp Celtic trip

Colin Moyer and Tyler Smale there have been many teachers who Continued from page 17 such lasting friendships and have helped us through the years. memories if you hadn’t chosen this Like our French teacher, Mrs. Zembashi, or our very talented school for us.

T: We would not have been able music teacher, Mrs. Dawe. We to do this without our amazing would also like to thank our Grade 7/8 teachers: Mr. Hundey principal Mrs. Gregus for her and Mr. Dunseith. The two of you positive attitude and new ideas to have helped us to become a better make our school a great learning version of ourselves over the past environment. Also, thank you to all two years, so, thank you. In fact, of the staff who have helped us

through the years and some of the hardest times of our lives.

C: We start our 10-year look back in Kindergarten.

When Kindergarten first started, it was so easy. Between having naps and having play time, we were living in paradise. Then Grade 1 hit and we got to go to the second floor, the “Big Kid Floor”. This was the start of our journey. Grade 1 was when we started math, English and reading.

T: Then Grade 3 came around and we were forced to pick up the pace we learned science and social studies. This was also the year Colin fell into a mud puddle at school and he was covered from head to toe in mud. Then when he went to wash up, Arick tried to take a photo of him and chased him down the hallway. After that Colin had to wear girl’s bright pink jogging pants for the rest of the day.

That was a good laugh.

C: Grades 4 and 5 were full of fun and great learning. We also went to Camp Kintail, which sparked our love for camping. Then Grade 6 happened, the year of

COVID. That year was a scramble for everyone during that time at home. Everything changed. From not getting to talk to our teachers, family and friends face-to-face and learning about Google Meet and having to do school from home, I think I speak for all of us when our parents, “gave us things to do”, we knew what you were up to.

T: Then Grade 7 started. Just when we thought we knew everything about COVID, it was just getting started. It got a little harder and we were forced to stay home and school work was coming in hot, but we powered through it.

C: Now, we are in Grade 8, where everything is so nerve-wracking because we want to be prepared for high school, but once again, we powered through with the help of our teachers, parents and friends.

But for sure, this year beat them all and it was sure to be full of fun and laughter.

T: Most of us have been together since Kindergarten and have been a big part of each others’ lives; through the crazy fun times and also some difficult times. But, after all of

these years, we still come together and have a great time, whether it’s on a volleyball or basketball court, in a club, jamming in the music room, working together in the classroom, or camping together for four days at Camp Celtic! Some of us were maybe a little unsure about the trip at first. Four days without WiFi! Boy were we wrong! That week was the bomb! It was a great time and I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we would go back again.

C: Overall, Seaforth Public School has been one of the most important parts of our lives. I think everyone should love this school and have fun when you are at it, because I am sure going to miss it.

We will carry with us all the memories and wonderful friendships we have made here at Seaforth Public School. As we go onto high school to an unfamiliar, and for some of us a scary place, we will keep these memories with us, as we experience a new world of opportunities.

T: Congratulations, class of 2022 and have a good night

Seaforth students recognized with numerous awards On June 21, Seaforth Public School held its year-end Grade 8 graduation ceremony and handed out a number of awards to students who excelled over the course of the 2021/2022 school year.

Tyler Smale and Colin Moyer were named Valedictorians of the class. The awards are sponsored by the Seaforth Lions Club.

The rest of the night’s winners were, as follows: the Spirit Award, sponsored by Georgina Reynolds, Tyler Smale; the Positive Role

Model Award, sponsored by Carolyn Griffin, Isabella Alexander; the Barb Elston Memorial Award for Sportsmanship, Avery Skinner and Leah Carnochan; the Environmental Award, sponsored

by Nancy Kale, River Cannon; the J.W. Talbot Award for Academic and School Contribution, sponsored

by J.W. Talbot, Arick Beuerman and Leah Carnochan; the Rachael Broome Memorial Award for Art, Hannah Gowan; the Edna

Waddington Bursary for Most Improved English, Savanna Caldwell; the Friendship Memorial Award, Colin Moyer; the Bruce Power Science and Technology Award, Arick Beuerman; the History Award, sponsored by Seaforth Public School, Arick Beuerman; the Geography Award, sponsored by Seaforth Public School, Leah Carnochan; the French Award, sponsored by Seaforth Public School, Isabella Alexander; the Music Award, River

Cannon; the June Boussey Communication Award, sponsored

by June Boussey, Tyler Smale; the Sheila Morton Bursary Award for the person who makes the school a better place, sponsored by Sheila Morton, Richie Allen; the John Jew Citizenship Award, sponsored by John Jew, Ryker McGregor and Isabella Alexander; the Ontario Principals’ Council Leadership Award, sponsored by the Ontario Principals’ Council, Colin Moyer; the Athletics Award, Avery Skinner

NEW CONSTRUCTION AGRICULTURAL RENOVATIONS RESIDENTIAL

Congratulations to all the Graduates Best wishes on all your future endeavours!

and Leah Carnochan; the School Council Positive Attitude Award, sponsored by the Seaforth School Council, Colin Moyer; the Most Improved Math Award, Abby Mitchell; the Doug Perkes Memorial Award, Colin Moyer; Excellence in English Award (84 per cent), Leah Carnochan and Arick Beuerman and the Excellence in Mathematics Award (90 per cent), Tyler Smale and Arick Beuerman.

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Congratulations Grads!

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THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022. PAGE 19.

Huron East to consolidate waste management

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Huron East is consolidating its waste management operations, ensuring consistent service under the same provider throughout the entire municipality.

Council made the decision at its June 21 meeting, which was held virtually via Zoom, based on a report presented by Chief Administrative Officer Brad McRoberts regarding waste collection in the Seaforth, Brussels and Tuckersmith Wards.

As a result of the tendering process, all wards within the municipality will now have biweekly waste and recycling

collection provided by the Bluewater Recycling Association beginning in September. Collection contracts with Waste Management Inc. in Seaforth, Brussels and Tuckersmith (with the exception of recycling in Seaforth), were due to expire at the end of June. However, in order to allow the request for proposals process to play out, the company agreed to extend the current contract until the end of August, according to McRoberts’ report.

Current service levels for the municipality see all wards with biweekly recycling collection. The three rural wards, however, also have biweekly waste collection, while Brussels and Seaforth had

weekly waste collection.

McRoberts said that, in advance of presenting a recommendation to Huron East Council, he asked for input through the municipality’s new engagement platform, Huron East Asks Residents (HEAR). The municipality received 165 responses, three-quarters of which came from the urban areas of Seaforth, Brussels, Vanastra and The Bridges neighbourhood in Seaforth.

“When urban areas were asked if they would be willing to consider biweekly garbage collection if it meant being provided wheelmounted bins, 45 per cent were willing to accept biweekly waste collection, 34 per cent wanted to

keep weekly garbage collection and 20 per cent wanted to remain with existing manual collection methods,” McRoberts stated in his report.

He added that 71 per cent of respondents from Tuckersmith said they wanted wheel-mounted bins and that 76 per cent of Grey and McKillop residents were satisfied with their service, though 59 per cent of respondents said they were not satisfied with the size of their bins. McRoberts noted, however, that a larger or smaller bin can be requested and that the municipality had to do a better job of communicating that to residents.

“Based upon the survey findings, a significant majority do want to be

able to use the wheel-mounted bins and a majority of those are willing to consider biweekly waste collection if the cost of implementing the wheel-mounted bins with weekly waste collection exceeds the current budget,” McRoberts said in his report.

Several councillors, including Councillor Justin Morrison, however, cautioned McRoberts presenting the information as though a majority of Huron East residents had provided an opinion one way or another. Morrison said that 165 responses hardly represented the entire municipality with a population of over 9,000.

McRoberts agreed, saying no one Continued on page 23

Locals mark graduations, wedding celebrations PEOPLE AROUND WALTON

By Jo-Ann McDonald Call 887-6570

Well, many fields of corn will make the “knee high by July” mark because of the hot humid weather we have had. A nice rain will help even more for all the crops. The dust is flying on laneways and in the fields for those who are scuffling or rotary hoeing their crops. Haying went well for most farmers and spreading manure on the fields was a hot, stinky job – all part of the joys of farming!

Our condolences to the Thomas families on the passing of Mary Thomas. She will be missed by Bob, David and Dianne and their families. Mary was a multi-talented lady who loved her nursing career, her musical abilities to sing, play the bagpipes and others, her sense of adventure to be a private pilot and her homebody passions of knitting and quilting, or whatever she turned her hand to. She had a lovely smile she shared with many and was a special sister to the Procters –Charlie, Ross, George and Ruth and their spouses. Our sympathies to all the families.

Congratulations to Murray and MaryAnn Bone on their daughter Christine’s graduation. Christine graduated with her Doctorate of Philosophy from the University of Guelph on June 22. Christine was dedicated and worked very hard for 10 years to achieve her undergraduate degree, her Master’s and now her Doctorate. She is a professor and could teach, but has chosen to be a researcher at the University of Guelph.

Congratulations Christine!

Congratulations to Amanda Morrison on receiving a scholarship from the 2017 IPM Trust Fund for continuing education in university.

Amanda is one of six recipients from Huron County. Hunter McCullagh was also an area recipient. Congratulations to all.

The McDonald clan of our area including Marilyn, Jim and Linda, Rick and Jo-Ann and Karen from Calgary attended the wedding

celebration of Bruce McDonald to Linda Yenssen in Hanover on Saturday.

It was great to touch base with other cousins, including Dave and Angela Huether, Gary and Joan Ritchie, Heather and Ron Clarke, Cathy and Paul Flaxbard, Pat and Mike Parr and Jeanne and Rob Dionne and a few of their children.

A lovely surprise was the attendance of the “Speirs” relatives from Saskatchewan. Bob and wife Sue and Mac and wife Maxine made the trip and it was wonderful to be able to catch up with them. It was a wonderful evening and our congratulations to Bruce and Linda and a fantastic celebration after two postponements due to the COVID19 pandemic.

The party weekend wasn’t over for Rick and me as we celebrated our grandson Logan’s second birthday the next day. It was a quieter affair, as Kelly’s family was

down with the cold and did not want to share with us, and Craig’s brother’s family also had other commitments. Scott’s family and us, Craig’s mom Nana Judy, and neighbours GG (Georgina) and Dave Reynolds helped the little man party. He loved his Peppa Pig book, his new bubble machine and his new tricycle! It was a fun day for the little man.

As I finished this article on Monday evening, school is over for the children and bus drivers, but one more day for the teachers. I drove my bus back out to Seaforth immediately after dropping the last students off, so my yard looks funny without the big yellow bus. I will get over it and in 10 weeks, it will be back!

The month of June birthdays end with Kendra Wilts, Quinn Driscoll, Ryan Martene, Nora Humphries, Stephen Todd, Norah Schlosser, Ken McCallum, Sandy Terpstra,

Kevin Huether and Caden Lee. Happy birthday to all.

NEWS FROM WALTON

37th Annual Citizen of the Year Award Nominations Open

Local Coverage Where You Work, Play & Live Pictured from left, Zoey Onn being presented her 2021 Citizen of the Year award by North Huron Publishing member Ralph Watson.

There are so many people out there who do so much to improve their community.

This is your opportunity to show your appreciation for all they do.

Each year a committee chooses an outstanding citizen from each of the Blyth and area and Brussels and area communities to receive an award for contribution to the community. If you know someone you think should be honoured, please fill in the form and send it in. You may attach a longer explanation of why you think your nominee should win, if you like. If you have nominated someone before and they didn't win, we encourage you to submit again.

Emailed submissions can be sent to Shawn Loughlin at editor@northhuron.on.ca I nominate ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Catch up on sports, shopping deals, restaurants, events, new businesses, politics, job openings, homes for sale, cars for sale and more with your local newspaper!

Subscribe Today!

The Citizen In Print & Online 519-523-4792

www.huroncitizen.ca

as Citizen of the year for

q

Blyth & area

q

Brussels & area

q

Huron County**

** New this year! Due to requests from the wider community we have added a category for Citizen of the Year Huron County to recognize outstanding citizens from beyond Blyth & Brussels.

I feel she/he deserves this award because ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Nomination Deadline September 30, 2022.

Name and phone number of nominator Fax: 519-523-9140 Box 429, Blyth, ON N0M 1H0

PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022.

Syrian family celebrates Canadian citizenship held since he started there, saying that proved their faith and their excitement to be a part of the community.

Abeer also spoke thanking everyone for their efforts in helping her family out.

“We wouldn’t be here without you,” she said. “You have made us safe and happy. Thank you.”

She said their new family in Huron County was amazing, adding that they love where they live and they love Canada. Sharif echoed his wife’s sentiments saying it was wonderful to be in Canada.

The Tuckersmith Resettlement

Project isn’t done with Sharif’s family yet, either, with hopes of bringing his sister Sonia to Canada in the near future. Anyone looking to help can contact the four churches listed above.

As for Canada Day, Sharif, Abeer and their family plan to mark the occasion as they have in the past: with gusto.

“We decorate outside with a huge Canadian flag and have a big celebration,” she said. “We will go to the [Seaforth firefighter’s] breakfast, local fireworks celebrations and go to the beach.

We’ve always done that to celebrate Canada as best we can.”

Big day While the rest of his family had received citizenship earlier this year, Tuesday, June 28 was a memorable day for Sharif Al Massad, in white, as he and his family were able to officially mark becoming Canadian citizens. Just before a special ceremony, hosted by the Tuckersmith Resettlement Project, Al Massad passed his own citizenship test. From left: Al Massad’s wife Abeer Allias, her mother Wedad Al Hassad, children Joseph and George Almassad, Al Massad and Huron East Mayor Bernie MacLellan, who congratulated the family on the milestone. (Denny Scott photo)

By Denny Scott The Citizen For one Egmondville family, this will be a very special Canada Day weekend, marking the first they celebrate as Canadian citizens.

Sharif Al Massad and his wife Abeer Allias, their children George and Joseph Almassad and Abeer’s mother Wedad Al Hassad had a lot to celebrate this week as Sharif passed his Canadian citizenship test, the last member of the family to do so after the other four members of the family passed their citizenship tests virtually in March.

To mark the occasion, the Tuckersmith Resettlement Project

(formerly the Tuckersmith Refugee Project) held a get-together at Egmondville United Church to celebrate one of Canada’s newest families.

The group, which came together thanks to representatives from four local churches, brought the Al Massad family from Syria in 2016 and has done everything it can to help the family make it to this point.

Since arriving in Canada, Sharif has started working at General Coach, a trailer manufacturer, in Hensall in 2017 while Abeer has completed early childhood education training at the Fanshawe College campus in Clinton. After having worked in some local

Workforce needs to grow says Thompson Continued from page 1 good work to support the province’s agri-food sector and rural Ontario.”

In that press release, Thompson stated that she intends to “inform a collective vision for a strong and vibrant agri-food sector”.

“The success of the agri-food industry and rural Ontario is inextricably linked to growing the agri-food workforce, growing Ontario’s processing capacity, capitalizing on new technologies and innovation, building the right infrastructure in

the right place, strengthening the supply chain, supporting local food and reducing red tape while maintaining the highest level of food safety,” the release stated.

Thompson, a native of the Belgrave area, is a graduate of the University of Guelph who worked as both the general manager of the Ontario Dairy Goat Co-operative and as a rural community advisor for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs before being elected Huron-Bruce MPP in 2011.

huroncitizen.ca

daycare centres, she became an educational assistant for the Avon Maitland District School Board, most recently working in Seaforth.

Willi Laurie, a member of the project, explained that the churches, the Brucefield Community United Church, Egmondville United Church, Vanastra Christian Reformed Church and the Clinton United Church started working together to help the family and the congregations were happy to be able to help relocate of the family to Huron East and help them become Canadian citizens.

The celebration featured special guest speakers like Huron East Mayor Bernie MacLellan, Bill Strong representing Huron-Bruce MP Ben Lobb and speakers from the four churches as well.

Minister Brian Hymers of Egmondville United Church spoke, welcoming the family and saying that they had been a part of every event and fundraiser the church has

Like father...

Just like their father Sharif Al Massad (not shown), George, right, and Joseph Almassad received their citizenship certificates during a special ceremony in Egmondville last week. Presenting the certificates is Bill Strong representing Huron-Bruce MP Ben Lobb.. (Denny Scott photo)

Municipality of Morris-Turnberry 2021 Financial Statements The Municipality of Morris-Turnberry’s 2021 Audited Financial Statements, Auditor’s Report, Current and Previous Years Tax Rate information is available at no cost to any taxpayer or resident of the municipality. Digital or alternative formats are available upon request.

For further information, please contact the undersigned: Sean Brophy, Treasurer Municipality of Morris-Turnberry 41342 Morris Road, PO Box 310, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0 Telephone: 519-887-6137 Ext. 233 Fax: 519-887-6424 Email: mail@morristurnberry.ca

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022. PAGE 21.

Agriculture

519-523-4311

www.ruralvoice.ca

BLYTH 519-523-4244

www.hurontractor.com

Brussels Livestock report

Fully steady prices for fed steers, heifers at sale Total receipts for Brussels Livestock for the week ending June 24 were 1,310 cattle and 807 lambs and goats.

On Tuesday, fed steers and heifers sold actively at fully steady prices.

Choice steers and heifers sold $185 to $194 with sales to $194.25.

Second-cut cattle sold $179 to $184.

Holstein steers and heifers sold $145 to $176. Aged and medium-fed steers and heifers sold $110 to $178.

Cows sold steady.

On Thursday, veal, lambs and goats, all sold steady. Sheep sold higher.

On Friday, calves and yearlings sold on a strong active trade at

steady prices.

Joe E.M. Martin of Chesley, consigned 22 head. One grey steer weighed 1,410 lbs. and sold for a price of $194.25.

Dave Inglis of Clifford, consigned four head. One black white-faced heifer weighed 1,465 lbs. and sold for a price of $194.

There were 200 cows on offer.

Beef sold $97 to $133; good holstein cows, $96 to $120; medium holstein cows, $86 to $112.

Bulls sold $128 to $165.

There were 130 head of veal on offer. Beef veal sold $160 to $214; good holsteins, $160 to $172; SL heavy holsteins, $139 to $154;

heavy holsteins, $115 to $160; medium holsteins, $140 to $159.

Bennewies Livestock Inc. of Bornholm, consigned five head. One holstein steer weighed 720 lbs. and sold for a price of $172.

Sidney M. Bauman of Wallenstein, consigned two head.

One gold heifer weighed 915 lbs. and sold for a price of $214.

Lambs under 50 lbs. sold $285.50 to $355; 50 - 64 lbs., $279 to $340; 65 - 79 lbs., $278 to $343; 80 - 94 lbs., $273 to $288; 95 - 109 lbs., $273 to $279; 110 lbs. and over, $246.50 to $260.

Sheep sold $100 to $275.

Goats: billies sold $150 to $400;

nannies, $100 to $300; kids: dairy, $300 to $410; meat, $375 to $450.

Bill and Suzanne Howe of Walkerton, consigned 18 head.

Three lambs averaged 76 lbs. and sold for an average price of $307.50.

Top quality stocker steers 400 499 lbs. sold $229.25 to $293; 500 599 lbs., $254 to $270; 600 - 699 lbs., $210.50 to $256.50; 700 - 799 lbs., $228.50 to $243; 800 - 899 lbs., $195.75 to $214; 900 - 999 lbs., $200.50 to $209.25; 1,000 lbs. and over, $188 to $200.25.

Top quality stocker heifers 500 599 lbs. sold $195.75 to $217; 600 699 lbs., $203 to $211; 700 - 799 lbs., $185.75 to $206; 800 - 899 lbs.,

$192.50 to $196.75; 900 lbs. and over, $167.50 to $185.50.

Tollgate Line Inc. of Clifford, consigned 24 head. Fourteen charolais heifers averaged 884 lbs. and sold for an average price of $196.75.

Satchell Farms Ltd. of Gadshill, consigned 43 head. Nine black heifers averaged 711 lbs. and sold for an average price of $200. Nine simmental steers averaged 705 lbs. and sold for an average price of $243.

Flynn Farms of Clinton, consigned 227 head. Elevent charolais steers averaged 900 lbs. and sold for an average price of $209.25.

OFA working to differentiate between crossings

By Jackie Kelly-Pemberton, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture Three years ago, Transport Canada updated its Grade Cross Regulations with new amendments that all public and private railway crossings in Canada must follow.

The goal is to improve safety by

bringing sightlines and grade levels into compliance with the new standards.

Private railway crossings are those where there is no public use of the crossing, and the same individual or farm business owns the land on both sides of the tracks.

The crossings were put in by the

rail company when the lines were originally built so that landowners wouldn’t be cut off from their own land by the rail line.

There are a significant number of farm properties across the province that have an active railway line passing through their land, which means they have a private level

Aiming with precision The Roping Association of Ontario was in Clinton on Sunday for an event that included tie-down and team roping round-robin competitions at the Regional Equine and Agricultural Centre of Huron (REACH). The group is due back in the area on Sept. 3 for another event at REACH in Clinton. (John Stephenson photo)

crossing over the rail line that serves as the farmer’s only way of access to fields on the opposite side of the tracks.

Earlier this year, farmers and rural landowners with private grade crossings on their properties began receiving letters and contracts from railway companies regarding these private crossings. The contracts outline proposed maintenance work that rail companies – like Canadian Pacific and Canadian National – will complete, how much the property owner will have to pay for this work, and a requirement for the landowner to buy liability insurance.

Historically, these types of crossings that were used for farm purposes were designated as farm crossings and their maintenance had always been the responsibility of the railway. Now, that distinction is no longer being made. Instead, all farm crossings are being classified as private crossings – with the costs for upgrades and maintenance being downloaded to farmers and landowners.

Depending on the crossing, those costs – and the liability insurance farmers are now required to have – can be substantial and far beyond what is considered an affordable expense.

When the amendments to the regulations were first announced three years ago, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) began drawing attention to the importance of the differences between private and farm crossings, and the need to validate and verify crossing to establish their status.

Based on the correspondence farmers have been receiving, this important ground-truthing step did not take place, and farmers are now left on their own to try and have the railway designate their crossings as farm crossings.

After first hearing about this from farmers in my region of Eastern Ontario through the local county federations, I met with both my Member of Parliament, Eric Duncan of Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry, and Michael Barrett of Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes to raise this issue with them. They’ve both indicated that they’re trying to work with

farmers to rectify the problems.

The issue is also starting to attract some media attention and I’ve participated in some interviews on the subject this spring too, which has helped raise awareness of the situation. Farmers need these crossings to ensure they are able to access their own land and aren’t cut off from it by the railway tracks running through their property.

In fact, landowners of farm crossings have a statutory right to a crossing at the railway’s expense.

That’s why the OFA is encouraging farmers to raise this issue with their MPs, as well as contact the railway to validate their crossing as one that is for farm use and therefore exempt. Farm crossings are typically only used seasonally or for agricultural activities, and are not available for public use or access.

It’s important to note that not all crossings on a farm will be considered as “farm crossings”. For example, farm crossing designation does not apply if the land in question was severed by the railway line before 1888, or a person doesn’t own parcels of land on opposite sides of and adjoining each side of the railway, or the land title is severed into two separate parcels.

The OFA continues to work on this issue, and monitor its process and implementation to help reduce the significant financial burdens the farming community is facing over this situation.

BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK Division of Gamble & Rogers Ltd.

UPCOMING SALES TUESDAYS 10:00 a.m.

Fed Cattle, Bulls & Cows

THURSDAYS

9:00 a.m. Drop Calves 10:00 a.m.Veal 11:30 a.m. Lambs, Goats & Sheep

FRIDAYS

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

Call us 519-887-6461

PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022.

Classified Advertisements – RATES – 20 words or less only $7.00 + HST. Additional words 20¢ each + HST.

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

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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, Auburn Esso, Belgrave Variety, Blyth Variety, Blyth Food Market, Blyth Ultramar, Brussels Foodland, Brussels Variety, Clinton Convenience, Clinton Foodland, Dean’s Valu-Mart in Wingham, Wingham Mini Mart, Seaforth Foodland, GT Mini Mart in Seaforth, Fincher’s in Goderich, Goderich Victoria St. Shell and The Citizen Blyth.

Card of thanks PEPPER. The family of the late Mervyn Pepper of Clinton, would like to thank friends, relatives and neighbours for attending the graveside funeral service at Maitlandbank Cemetery, Seaforth, on June 3, 2022. Thanks goes out to the doctors and nurses, and support staff who visited, keeping him at home where he wanted to be. Thank you to Haskett’s Funeral Home for their assistance and guidance during this difficult time. A special thanks to Bruce Whitmore for the heartfelt words and personal inputs. (Merv would have been proud to be your bodyguard). Thanks to Katie for printing off his race programs which he so looked forward to and that kept his mind engaged. To all who journeyed back to Murray and Sandra Pepper’s farm for the Celebration of Life (party), thank you. It’s what Merv told us many times that’s what he wanted after doing the same for his beloved Joy. To all who helped in any way with the lunch, your assistance was truly appreciated. It was so nice to chat with everyone, hearing all the stories and personal happenings they’d shared with Merv. He would have liked to have been able to be here and enjoy the social time, but I’m sure, in his own way, he was. Merv asked for the most perfect day and God gave it to him. – Murray and Sandra and family, Marlene and Bill and family.

26-1 --------------------------------------------

Card of thanks Help wanted Help wanted In memoriam SIERTSEMA. The family of the late Hebo Siertsema would like to thank relatives, friends and neighbours for the kind thoughts and words, cards and donations. The support our family received during this difficult time will always be remembered.

Thank you to Wingham and District Hospital and staff, Riverside Funeral Home, Rev. Charmila Ireland and Melville Presbyterian Church ladies.

– Jean, Alan, Ken, Bruce and families.

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Garage sale GARAGE SALE, 19 JORDAN Drive, Belgrave, Friday, July 1 and Saturday, July 2 from 8 a.m. to noon.

26-1p

Help wanted Maitland Conservation is currently accepting applications for the position of:

GIS Specialist This is a permanent, full time position.

The deadline for applications is Tuesday July 5, 2022. The full position description and the application details are posted on our website at: www.mvca.on.ca

Northside United Church, Seaforth is currently looking for an

Organist/Pianist This is a part-time paid position Please contact Bryan Vincent at 519-527-2204 or by email bryan@teamvincent.com

is seeking

Seasonal Box Office & Front of House staff More details available at www.blythfestival.com/employment

The Municipality of Huron East EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

DEPUTY TREASURER

MANN, Sarah Aileen.

Remembering with love our Sarah who passed away July 4, 2006.

Beautiful, you’re beautiful, As beautiful as the sun.

Wonderful, you’re wonderful, As wonderful as they come.

The Smashing Pumpkins

Loving and missing you always Sarah – love Mom, Dad, Jessie, Shawn and Tallulah. XO 26-1p

The Municipality of Huron East is a progressive and growing municipality of approximately 10,000 residents. Located in beautiful Huron County, Huron East is a blend of vibrant urban areas, rural communities, and productive farm land. Located 30 minutes west of Stratford and one hour north of London, Huron East provides an impressive level of services and opportunities for our residents.

Notices

The Municipality of Huron East is seeking a motivated and dedicated individual for the position of Deputy Treasurer. The Deputy Treasurer position is responsible for completing financial analysis, developing, implementing and maintaining the municipal asset management program, the accounting for municipal drains, bank reconciliations and in-house IT trouble shooting.

Personals

Qualifications: • University degree or three year diploma in accounting, finance or related field. Certification in Asset Management will be considered an asset.

• Working knowledge of regulatory requirements, asset management standards and O. Reg. 588/17.

• Minimum two years of experience with similar responsibilities, preferable in a municipal environment.

• Thorough knowledge of applicable legislation, acts, statutes and regulations.

• Strong computer and records management skills • Ability to deal effectively, courteously, and tactfully with the general public.

• Well-developed oral communication skills, writing skills, and organizational skills with an attention to detail • Ability to work with constant interruptions and under pressure.

• Strong sense of confidentiality The annual salary range for this position is $79,700 to $92,400.

The Municipality also offers a comprehensive benefits package.

THE VILLAGE BARBER WILL be closed until the last week in July.

26-1p

IF YOU WANT TO HEAR FROM God, open your Bible at random. See what jumps out at you and read between the lines.

26-1p -------------------------------------------POST ABORTION HEALING. Are you suffering from the emotional aftermath of an abortion?

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

Take control of your arthritis 1 in 6 Canadians have arthritis

A complete job description is available at www.huroneast.com.

Please submit your résumé and cover letter by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, July 18, 2022: Municipality of Huron East Attn: Brad McRoberts, MPA, P. Eng., CAO 72 Main Street South, PO Box 610 Seaforth, Ontario, N0K 1W0 Email: cao@huroneast.com We thank all who apply, however, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted

That’s nearly 4.5 million people living with the pain and disability of arthritis

Call the Arthritis Information Line at 1.800.321.1433 or visit our website at www.arthritis.ca to get the support and information you need.

You can join the FREE Arthritis Registry to get updates on Society programs and events.

Commit to a world without arthritis

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

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022. PAGE 23.

Londesborough UCW seeks recipes for cookbook

Sylvia Browne suggests, “If you feel bored – do something, for there is always something to do, see or explore in this world. Keep in mind that boredom can also cause

depression, so get out there and live!”

The Londesborough United Church Women took advantage of a warm longest day of the year on June 20 and began their monthly meeting outdoors at the church.

President Catherine Allen conducted the business part of the gathering. She encouraged the ladies to submit tried and true recipes for a UCW 60th anniversary vintage cookbook. Recipes can be submitted to Erin at luctreasurer2022@gmail.com.

It is hoped members will reach out to friends for recipes as well.

The book will be for sale in the fall when the group will lead the congregation in an anniversary service.

At this meeting, plans were set in motion for an old-fashioned picnic potluck on July 23. The congregation (including spouses) is invited to enjoy a social time at the home of Leo and Linda Horbanuik that Saturday.

The Londesborough UCW will meet again on Sept. 19.

Knox United Church Auburn held its largest service in many months, perhaps years, on Sunday, June 26.

The sanctuary was full that

Tradition Through rain, sleet, snow, hail and beautiful sunny days, students at Hullett Central Public School have and will likely continue to turn to soccer as a way to have some fun, just like these students did at recess during the last week of school. (Denny Scott photo)

HE waste collection to change Continued from page 19 ever gets 100 per cent uptake on a survey, but that he felt that the responses represented diversity throughout the municipality and a good cross section of residents.

He also felt that his own observations supported the view being presented in the survey results.

“Considering current waste collection on the non-recycling weeks, less than half of the residents appear to place waste at the curb. Our cost for collection on these days is based upon all households and not the number of actual stops on the non-recycling week collection,” McRoberts said in his report. “While residents may not wish to collect waste and let it sit over a two-week period, especially in urban areas due to the smell, it appears that the wheelmounted bins would alleviate that concern to a certain extent.”

The municipality received two proposals, one from the Bluewater Recycling Association and one from Waste Management Inc. for the three potential options. Council chose to move forward with the third option, which would be uniform biweekly waste and recycling collection for the three wards in question (Tuckersmith, Brussels and Seaforth), bringing them in line with the other two wards (Grey and McKillop). The Bluewater proposal would be $423,123 for the rest of the year, which would fall within the 2022 budget, which is just under

$510,000. All other options, including Waste Management’s figure for the third option, would have exceeded the municipality’s current budget.

As a result of accepting the third option, the municipality will abandon the current bag tag revenue system to be replaced with a per-bin residential rate to apply the cost of waste collection through taxation, which is what was done in both the Grey and McKillop Wards.

Furthermore, McRoberts said there are potential budgetary

savings of $86,800 per year under the third option, while other options would have meant budgetary increases of between $90,800 and $199,600.

Before council made its decision, Councillor Zoellyn Onn asked if the decision would result in the removal of the communal recycling bins in Brussels and McRoberts told her that it wouldn’t and that the bins would remain in the village as they are now.

Council accepted McRoberts’ recommendation.

Showing them around Last month local accessibility expert Julie Sawchuk, at front, showed the progress made in accessibility in Blyth to local planning officials, council members and other accessibility experts. (Denny Scott photo)

afternoon for the closing service for this congregation and church. After more than 100 years the congregation finds themselves unable to sustain themselves as a United Church. Changing times and a shrinking congregation are some of the reasons small rural churches such as Auburn find themselves in this untenable situation.

Although it was essentially a sad day for the people who have been attending this church in recent years, they got pleasure sharing stories of happier times.

Throughout the service memories and stories were offered by those whose family religious history has been with the Auburn church Linda Plaetzer, Bill Seers, Nancy (Anderson) Park, Shelley (Grange) Worsell, Bernice and Anita Gross and Daryl Ball.

Giving voice to these memories probably gave them the strength to face this final service. They spoke of social events, meals together, Sunday school, Canadian Girls in Training (CGIT), Mission Band, choirs, Bible study, Christmas concerts, etc. and revelled in the fun times and the learning that happened along the way.

Reminiscing about the past years caused one speaker to admit it was hard to be the generation that found it necessary to make the decision to close.

The entire congregation, led by members of various groups within the congregation participated in the Litany of Thanksgiving.

Holly Gross read Ecclesiastes 3:1-15, the “time for” scripture passage which contains the words: “a time to keep and a time to cast

away.” Peter Postill, a former member of Auburn United’s choir, sang “Bless This House” accompanied by organist Nancy Park.

Guest speaker for the service was former minister Rev. Paul Ross. His story time, as he called his message, included some memories he has of his 12 years as Auburn’s minister.

Even Charley Horse, the puppet, had a cameo appearance.

Another former minister, Rick Hawley, also offered a few thoughts from his time with this congregation.

Rev. Randy Banks representing Western Ontario Waterways of the United Church of Canada spoke the words of closing and led the Litany of Thanksgiving and the declaration of closing.

NEWS FROM LONDESBORO

Citizen-To-Citizen “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. Price must be included in your ad.Your ad will run three times unless it sells faster!

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

Call 519-523-4792 or email: info@northhuron.on.ca FOR SALE - boy’s bicycle “Evolution” Ozark trail bike, silver grey colour, 5 gears, height 31", recently tuned up, $120. 519-4825648.

26-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE - one male, one female purebred golden retriever puppies born February 21. They have been vet-checked and dewormed. They are great around kids, love to swim and very calm dogs. Asking $850.

Call or text 519-721-5732. 26-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE - brand new, hamdmade Shillcraft yarn, hooked rugs, very beautiful. All sizes, colours and patterns, starting at 5'x7'. Prices starting at $40 and up or best offer; All hooked wall clock, $20. 519-612-1112. 26-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE king-size upholstered bed frame, beige canvas headboard, footboard and sideboards, adjustable slat support, removable and washable covering, asking $100. Call Paula 519-3418667, Brussels.

26-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE - Olhausen 4'x8' snooker table with two sets of balls, triangle, cues and scoreboard, $700 firm. 519-887-9615 25-3 ------------------------------------------

FOR SALE - Wingham area. Lots of books, including a few children’s books. Little girls’ clothing. Make a deal. All proceeds to Wingham Hospital Auxiliary. Phone 519-3572768.

25-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE - Men’s right-handed Ping G20, 4 to PW; stiff shaft with 1" extension. Clubs and grips in very good condition, $400. 519528-2284.

25-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE - 1,000-piece puzzles, mostly Cobblehill puzzles, some Bits and Pieces, $10 each. 519-4825762.

25-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE - Janome sewing machine Model 625E, seldom used, mint condition, $400. 519-3452401.

24-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE - lawn tractor, 16 HP, 42" cut, new battery, new belt, good condition, $1,000 or best offer.

519-482-9645 after 6 p.m. 24-3 -----------------------------------------WANTED to Buy: a small, gas powered, push lawn mower. 519523-9671.

24-3 ------------------------------------------

PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022.

Obituaries

MARY VERDA (née Procter) THOMAS Mrs. Mary Verda (née Procter) Thomas passed away peacefully at Huronlea Home for the Aged in Brussels on Tuesday, June 21, 2022.

She was in her 92nd year.

She was the proud mother of Bob (Debbie) Thomas, David (Maureen) Thomas and Dianne (Roy) Sidders; the loving grandmother of Amy (Rob) Burkholder, Jamie Thomas, Sean (Toni) Thomas, Laura (Jordan) Hussey, Liesa (Joe) Switzer, Ashley Thomas, Matthew (Sara) Sidders, Neil Sidders, Scott (Yanling) Sidders and Troy (Nas) Sidders and the adoring greatgrandmother of Emily, Sophia, Sean, Jenson, Evie, Elena, Knox, River, Austin, Carter, and Mary.

Mary was the sister of Charles (Grace) Procter, Ross Procter, George (Elizabeth) Procter and Ruth Alton and she will be missed by many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Mary was predeceased by in-laws Mary Louise Procter, Ken Alton, and special friend Ross Smith.

Mary spent a lifetime in nursing, starting in Wingham and then moving to Listowel, all the time staying the night supervisor. She was the Sunday school superintendent at Brussels United Church for many years, singing in the choir and taking care of the children in the congregation. She then attended Knox United Church in Belgrave again singing in the choir.

She was known for her strawberry jam and maple syrup, which bore her name “Granny Mary”. She was an avid quilter and belonged to a local quilter’s guild.

She loved to fly and was a private pilot. She enjoyed knitting and would take on any project, no matter how challenging.

Her love of music shone in her ability to play the autoharp, accordion and the bagpipes. This love of playing the bagpipes led her to join the Brussels Legion and, in turn, the Legion Pipe Band, which allowed her to play in Edinburgh,

Scotland as part of a massed band.

Mary was a Legion member for 25 years, where she was known for her generous donations of unique items and busy hands, making pies and sandwiches for any occasion.

Mary had a special friend in her life who let her dream big, and they ran a gift store together in Russeldale called the Country Spire. She loved to be busy and that included spending as much time as possible with her children and grandchildren. She insisted on morals and values that instilled trust and honesty. She was exceptionally proud of her family. She will be sadly missed by many.

A private, family funeral service took place on Thursday, June 30 at Knox United Church in Belgrave.

Bruce Whitmore officiated.

In lieu of flowers or as expressions of sympathy, donations to Knox United Church (Belgrave) or the Alzheimer Society of Huron County would be appreciated.

Cards of sympathy may be sent to Box 558, Brussels, N0G 1H0.

Condolences may be left at riversidefuneralhome.ca.

to the Belcher Islands, Northwest Territories.

When he left the university, he started a construction company and also started a fish farm, Hedley’s Trout Farm. David and his wife Gloria raised rainbow trout, cleaning, filleted and vacuum packing them to sell to grocery stores, restaurants and at the door.

He also stocked private ponds and had a fish-out pond. He had wonderful customers.

David also loved music and dancing and enjoyed going to the Kincardine Pavilion to dance to the “Lighthouse Big Band” and to patios to listen to a band called “The Howling Dogs”. He loved getting together with friends to play cards.

At David’s request, cremation has taken place. A celebration of David’s life will be held at a later time. Donations may be made in David’s memory to Huron Residential Hospice. Friends may sign the book of condolences at www.mccallumpalla.ca

many nieces and nephews.

Ricky was predeceased by his parents Richard and Pearl (Bell) Weatherhead, his sister Vivian Charles, brothers Robert and Douglas Nesbitt, sisters-in-law Mary Nesbitt and Pam Scotchmer.

A private family service will take place. Interment of ashes to be with his parents in the Greenhill Cemetery, Lucknow.

STRATFORD MEMORIALS Creating Memories in Stone for Over 95 years

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Goderich/Clinton Michael Falconer Memorial Counsellor www.stratfordmemorials.com

Remembering your loved one Honour your loved one by placing their obituary in

DAVID DENNIS HEDLEY David Dennis Hedley passed away on June 17, 2022, surrounded by his loved ones at the Alexandra Marine and General Hospital in Goderich. He was 80.

David had a very full and happy life with his loving wife of 36 years, Gloria. He was stepfather of Terry, Les and Michael and adopted son Andy. David is also survived by his loving sister Margie Kirkorian, sister-in-law Margaret and brotherin-law Goldie. He will be missed by many nieces, nephews and friends.

David was predeceased by his parents Eldon and Aileen Hedley, his first wife Fern Nethery, brother Albert and sister Jackie.

David had a very colourful life.

He graduated from Beal University with an Architectural Drafting Diploma. He worked at the University of Waterloo for quite a few years. While there he became interested in flying and became a pilot, flying Cessnas. He flew in Canada and the U.S. including a trip

HUBERT HOBA December 18, 1926 – June 22, 2022 Hubert Hoba passed away on Wednesday, June 22, 2022 at Huron Hospice at the age of 95. Hubert was born in Fuersten-Ellguth, Germany, the youngest of Lorenz and Katharina Hoba’s seven children.

Hubert met Edelgard Kopp in Wehdem, Germany, and they planned a new life in Canada.

Hubert emigrated in 1954, and immediately began work at Howson & Howson Flour Mills as a miller, a job for which he had trained and been employed in Germany.

Edelgard followed later, and a week after she arrived, they were married in Toronto on March 15, 1956.

Originally living in Blyth, they purchased a 50-acre farm just north of Blyth and made it their home.

Hubert was the loving father of Ralph, Michael (Jane), and Mark (Andrea) Hoba; the proud grandfather of Andrew and Christine; the step-grandfather of Kristie and Dan, Amy and Darcy,

Majestic WI to host display

By Bev Craddock The Brussels Majestic Women’s Institute met at the home of Doreen Marks in Belgrave on Wednesday, June 8 at 1 p.m. Eight members attended.

The meeting opened with “The Ode” and “Mary Stewart Collect”.

Doreen Marks read from Chicken Soup For the Gardeners Soul and all enjoyed a wonderful pot luck lunch.

Arrangements were made for the Women’s Institute’s 125th anniversary celebration which was

Meagan and Bruno, and Opa of four great-grandchildren.

He is survived by Edelgard, as well as brother-in-law and sistersin-law Erhard and Erika Kopp, British Columbia, and Helga Kopp, Germany.

As Hubert wished, cremation has taken place. Family and friends were received at the Blyth United Church, on Wednesday, June 29, followed by the funeral service.

Interment of ashes was at Blyth Union Cemetery.

As expressions of sympathy, memorial donations to Blyth United Church or Huron Hospice would be appreciated.

Messages of condolence are welcome at falconerfuneralhomes.com RICHARD “RICKY” LEWIS WEATHERHEAD Richard “Ricky” Lewis Weatherhead peacefully passed away on Friday, June 3, 2022, at his home in Calgary, Alberta. He was in his 68th year.

Ricky is survived by his siblings, Bonnie and Loris Savegnago, Beamsville; Floyd Nesbitt, Brussels; Carl and Lena Nesbitt, Auburn; Donna and Ross Jacklin, Cambridge; Bill and Joan Scotchmer, Seaforth; Pat and Bruce Schoenhals, Bayfield; sister-in-law Mildred Nesbitt, Wingham and

held June 15 in Atwood.

For homecoming this summer, members will be setting up a display in the Brussels Library to be monitored by members. The September meeting date will be changed to Sept. 21 due to Brussels Fall Fair.

The business portion of the meeting was completed. A motion to pay bills was passed. Doreen took members on a walk to see her beautiful garden and koi pond. The floral gardens are growing strong, and the fruits, vegetables and herbs

are well on their way. Although it is a lot of work, it is also a calm, quiet place to relax at the end of the day.

Thanks to all who attended and enjoyed the wonderful food and friendship.

MAY MEETING Eight members of the Majestic Women’s Institute met on Wednesday, May 11 at 11 a.m. at the Brussels Library for a mystery tour.

The tour began with lunch at the Continued on page 28

The Citizen.

This is a free service provided by The Citizen. We encourage you to share the story of your loved one in a special remembrance of their life.

Cards of thanks can be placed in our classified section, starting at just $7.00.

The Citizen

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SUDOKU Fun By The Numbers Like puzzles?

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

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

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022. PAGE 25.

From the Minister’s Study

The good news of the gospel? God makes us holy

By Gary van Leeuwen Blyth Christian Reformed Church There are some words in the Christian vocabulary that often need explanation: justification, sanctification, atonement. As I deliver the message on a Sunday morning, when I use these words, I am conscious of the fact that if I use them, I must define them.

We don’t use these big words very often in everyday speech.

There is, however, a word that has its origins in Christianity that we use quite often, but I suspect that many of us would have some trouble defining it if asked. That word is, “holy”. The word has been emptied of its meaning in our common speech as we use it in exclamatory expressions. “Holy cow!” is a common expression of surprise heard daily.

But what does the word, “holy”, mean? In the Bible, God is said to be holy, but when we use that expression of God, what are we saying? Perhaps the most wellknown verse in the Bible relating to God’s holiness is found in Isaiah 6:3 where the prophet Isaiah sees a vision of seraphim (a kind of heavenly being) calling to each other, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord Almighty.” When Isaiah saw this vision, he responded with the words, “Woe is me! I am ruined, for I am a man of unclean lips.”

Isaiah’s understanding of himself was that he had sin in his life, and that sin made him unclean and, therefore, unholy.

Throughout the Bible, we find that holiness is the opposite of sinfulness or uncleanness. We might say that holiness is completely untainted by anything incomplete, dirty, sinful or broken.

God, unlike this world, has no brokenness, no dirtiness, no sinfulness. He is entirely what he should be: perfect in every way.

When the seraphim used the word, “holy”, three times over, they were saying that God is completely and absolutely holy in every way.

We also learn from the Bible that God will not let his holiness be tainted in any way. He will not, under any circumstances, allow something that is less than perfect into his presence. He guards his holiness from anything that is unclean or sinful or dirty or incomplete. Thus, in the Old Testament, when we read a description of the temple in which we find the Most Holy Place, God’s dwelling place here on this earth, we discover that it is kept separate

from the rest of the world by a thick curtain and high walls. God is understood to come and dwell on this earth by living in that room in the temple, the Most Holy Place, but he will remain only if broken, tainted, dirty people do not enter into his presence. God will not let anyone threaten or endanger his holiness.

The prophet Isaiah, in the vision he had, realized that he was being asked by the holy God to speak God’s words to the people. He was terrified of this, for he knew that he would be taking holy words on his lips, and his lips were sinful. Isaiah knew that he had lied or gossiped or hurt others with his lips, with his words. He believed himself to be ruined, because when God’s holiness touched his sinful lips, that holiness would destroy them and him. He was well aware that holiness and sinfulness do not mix, and because God was far more powerful than he was, he would not survive the encounter with God’s holiness intact. In the vision he had, however, his lips were purified by a burning coal from the altar in the

temple, and with that completed, he was able to take holy words on his lips.

We have trivialized the concept of God’s holiness and, although we use the word, holy, often, we may not understand what it means.

Because we are tainted, incomplete, sinful, dirty, unholy, we are unfit to enter into the presence of a holy God. For as long as God has been making himself known to humanity, this has been true, and it will always be true. The problem we must confront is this: how do we who, tainted by imperfections and dirtiness and sin, enter into the presence of a holy God? If heaven is God’s dwelling place, will we ever be welcome there? This is the problem every single person faces.

God will not, under any circumstances, allow himself to be made unholy by being tainted by sin, so will we ever be welcomed into heaven?

The answer is, “We will not.” We cannot get to heaven, and we won’t be welcomed into heaven if there is any sort of stain or brokenness or sin clinging to us in any way. But

Weekly service live-streamed at 10:30 a.m. on our facebook page or on youtube @St. Paul’s-Trinity Anglican Church Wingham.

The­Regional­Ministry­of­ Hope www.regionalministryofhope.com 519-357-7781 email: revjoann@hurontel.on.ca

Trinity

St. John’s

BLYTH 9:00 AM

BRUSSELS 12 NOON

St. Paul’s Trinity

WINGHAM 10:30 AM

Come Worship with Us!

BRUSSELS

United Church

Brussels Mennonite Fellowship SUMMER MESSAGE SERIES

Come Worship With Us Sundays at 10:00 am All Are Welcome (Masks are optional)

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

Sunday, July 3 at 10 a.m.

BMG Community Centre (upstairs room) 800 Sports Drive, Brussels **Please note our new location** Childcare provided for children aged 0 to 4 during the sermon

Join us for our 10:00 am and 7:30 pm services

Visit Melville Presbyterian or another local congregation.

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

Pastoral Care needs 519-887-6259 Website: brusselsandblythuc.ca P.O. Box 359, Brussels ~ 519-887-6259

MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS

All are Welcome! Service at 11:00 am July 3rd, 10th, 17th and 24th

519-357-5273

All are welcome to join with us in joyful worship to the Lord!

Blyth United Church Blyth United Church is on vacation for the month of July.

Services to resume August 7th at 9:30 a.m.

"When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground. May the glory of the LORD endure forever..."

(Psalm 104:30-31)

In-person and online! live.huronchapel.com

Contact Alex at: minister.brusselsandblythuc@gmail.com

119 John’s Ave., Auburn 519-526-1131

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

Worship and Prayer Time Loving Fellowship Expository Preaching

For additional details please visit: brusselscommunitybiblechapel.com

Brussels United on Summer Break in July No Sunday Worship Services

Evangelical Missionary Church

Nursery available during worship

is God who makes us holy, and when we are made holy, we are also welcomed into his presence.

We use the word, “holy”, often, but we may not always be aware of what it means. God is holy, and we are not. God will not let his holiness be compromised by anything that is less than perfect. Thankfully, he changes us, making us holy, through faith in Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. When we believe in Jesus, the problem that is created by God’s holiness in contrast to our sinfulness disappears, for God makes us holy.

This is the good news of the gospel.

The Regional Ministry of Hope

Welcome to our United Church friends this month!

In August Melville will be closed to join the United Church for worship.

Sunday, July 3, 10:30 a.m.

Guest Speakers JASON & ERIN BAAN, Ethnos Canada

that does not mean we are without hope. Isaiah’s lips were cleansed with a coal from the altar, and that altar was the place where sacrifices for sin were made. The gospel (which means good news) is this: that God cleanses us from sin through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Through the death of Jesus, who makes atonement (makes amends by taking our sins on himself), we are justified (made to be sinless in God’s eyes) so that we are sanctified (made holy). In other words, if we believe that Jesus died for our sins, we are cleansed of those sins, and we are made holy. It

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

THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH

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

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

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

1025 Wallace Avenue N. Facebook: Search for St. Joseph/Sacred Heart/St. Ambrose Live Sunday Mass, Sundays at 10:00 a.m.

PAGE 26. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022.

ers t t e L THE TO

TOR I D E Writer thanks Bailey, council THE EDITOR, As a 35-year resident of Wingham and area, I was so proud that North Huron Council, led by Reeve Bernie Bailey, responding to the request of a group from our local high school, decided to raise the Pride flag at Wingham town hall. And then the reaction set in.

Thank you Shawn Loughlin for taking a strong and principled stance in calling a spade a spade in your editorial “You’re uninvited.”

For naming the anti-gay pride sentiment for what it is: hateful and uninformed intolerance, “bigotry cowering behind the shield of religion”, and homophobia.

When our children went to F.E. Madill School some 30 years ago, the harassment of those perceived to be gay was rampant, both in the halls and after school in the parking lots. How many of the suicides at Madill and other high schools have been the direct result of this endless bullying, ostracizing, and violence, now amplified by postings on social media? It must end! Shame on Councillor Chris Palmer. Shame on

MP Ben Lobb too for voting against the bill that would ban conversion “therapy”. The recent (2021) documentary Pray Away shows the abusive nature and tragic results of this so-called “therapy”.

Being LGBT is not a sin. It is not a sickness. It is not a choice. It is a part of the wonderful diversity of what it means to be human. As my sister has said about her son with Down Syndrome, “God doesn’t make junk!”

In my family history research, I have uncovered many examples of ancient prejudices that were harmful and even deadly to those who were different in some way or other. Left-handed people were persecuted and said to be sinister, demon-possessed, at one time. My mother’s ancestors in 1640s New Haven, Connecticut witnessed the execution of an eccentric pigkeeper who had a bad eye. After one of the sows in his care bore a stillborn, deformed piglet that had only one eye in the middle of its forehead, superstitious villagers noticed that the eye looked like the pig-keeper’s bad eye and accused him of having intercourse with the sow. He was endlessly harangued and interrogated, thrown in jail, and when he refused to acknowledge his “sin” of bestiality, was hanged, just as the Bible demanded in Leviticus.

But first they slew the sow right in front of him with a sword!

Others of my mother’s ancestors lived near Salem, Massachusetts, where a prominent Christian minister, Cotton Mather, instigated the persecution of “witches” between February 1692 and May 1693. More than 200 people were

accused. Thirty were found “guilty”, 19 of whom were hanged and at least five people died in jail.

Nonsense and mass hysteria, but justified by Mather as God’s will. In November, 2001, years after the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the trials, the Massachusetts legislature passed an act exonerating all who had been convicted and naming each of the innocent. There comes a time when past error, ignorance and evil must be acknowledged and called out for what they are.

Are the complainant to North Huron Council, Mr. Kikkert, and Councillor Palmer aware of the origin of the taunt “fag,” that, in the past, gay men were considered nothing better than faggots fit to start a fire? Are they aware that many Christians and other people of faith do not agree with them?

Then there is the letter written by Ms. Toth to The Citizen. It claimed that Reeve Bailey’s actions prove that he is “not for equality but for promoting and encouraging gay pride over straight pride”. This is sheer, self-serving obscuring and wilful blindness to the persecution of the LGBT community that has gone on for so long. Just like the fear-mongering towards the Chinese and the imposition of a head tax after they built our railways in western Canada well over a century ago. Just like the way Canada turned a blind eye, turning back a shipload of Jewish refugees in the late 1930s, condemning them to an unbelievably cruel fate in Nazi Germany. Just like those who, when

they see “Black lives matter”, complain that “All lives matter; why should Blacks get all the attention?” Recognizing the rights and value of an oppressed minority in no way lessens the value and rights of the dominant majority. It is a dark and grim day when we turn a blind eye to human suffering!

In the late 18th century, Irish statesman Edmund Burke said,

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Thank you to the gay-straight alliance at F.E. Madill, Shawn Loughlin, Gil Garratt, Bernie Bailey, and so many others who have spoken up for the right; all good people who do not choose to turn their heads and do nothing.

Brent Bowyer, Wingham.

Don’t look up Liz Allan of the Maitland Valley Camera Club recently captured this image of a local squirrel looking upwards, (Photo courtesy of Liz perhaps with its eye on some food.

Allan of the Maitland Valley Camera Club)

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THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022. PAGE 27.

Entertainment & Leisure

Healey’s ‘The Drawer Boy’ comes home to Blyth

Learning the ropes The Drawer Boy, originally commissioned by the Blyth Festival in the late 1990s, tells the story of a fictionalized version of famed theatre actor and director Miles Potter travelling to Huron County to research for what would become The Farm Show. It would go on to become one of the most celebrated Canadian plays of all time. From left: Jonathan Goad as Morgan, Randy Hughson as Angus and Cam Laurie as Miles. (Terry Manzo photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen The Drawer Boy is one of those shows that is spoken about reverentially in Blyth Festival circles, along with the one that started it all, The Farm Show, and others like The Outdoor Donnellys.

In speaking with playwright Michael Healey about the success of his play, which premiered in Toronto in 1999, followed by productions in Blyth in both 2000 and 2002, he says The Drawer Boy is in a different place now than when it premiered all those years ago. When it first hit the stage, there were no expectations before it would go on to find audiences all over the world. Healey had written an intimate, contained story for the Blyth Festival audience. Now, however, the play has a reputation and many, myself included, had never seen it, but have always been told about how good it is. It has almost resulted in the play taking on a second life; one before expectations and one after.

Both Blyth Festival patrons and Healey will be happy to know that The Drawer Boy, after nearly a quarter-century, delivers on the promise it first made back in 1999.

There are many things to like about The Drawer Boy on the Blyth Festival Harvest Stage this summer (including everything Cam Laurie’s Miles wears, which perhaps says more about me than it does about costume designer Jennifer Triemstra-Johnston, seeing as how the play is set more than 50 years ago, but everything looks great).

The cast is established and excellent. Stage veterans Randy Hughson as Angus and Jonathan Goad as Morgan are both great and strike Healey’s perfect balance of heart-wrenching sadness, deep and profound friendship and that quick farmer wit and sense of humour Blyth Festival audiences know and love, both on and off stage.

Laurie is the relative newcomer with just two Festival credits to his name (2013’s Falling: A Wake and

Our Beautiful Sons: Remembering Matthew Dinning in 2016, in addition to being a member of the Young Company in the early 2000s). He has the bounce in his step of a young, up-and-coming actor - which is great, because he is one, in addition to playing one - and he fits with the other two men in the imperfectly perfect way the story requires.

Artistic Director Gil Garratt, who also directed the show after playing Miles in the Festival production years ago, made the decision to bring in accomplished musicians Anne Lederman and Graham Hargrove to play throughout, in addition to before the play and during intermission. That decision truly lifts The Drawer Boy to another level.

The play is not traditionally produced with live music, but Garratt went out on a limb with this choice, paying homage to The Farm Show in the year of its 50th anniversary, a show in which music played an integral role. The work of Lederman and Hargrove, in the open air of the Harvest Stage, is a magnificent addition to the show.

In The Drawer Boy, Healey tells the story of a fictionalized version of Miles Potter, the well-known actor, director and cast member of The Farm Show in 1972. Potter came to Huron County with Paul Thompson and his team of Theatre Passe Muraille actors to spend

Sudoku Solution

weeks with local farmers, living with them and learning from them.

The result was The Farm Show, a show that would forever change the world of Canadian theatre and lead, more or less, to the creation of the Blyth Festival.

Healey has created the home of Angus and Morgan in The Drawer Boy, two friends who live and farm together after Angus suffered a debilitating brain injury in World War II. Miles lives with them for a few weeks, pitching in to the best of his ability (he’s an actor from Toronto, after all) and learning what he can about life on the farm and bringing it back to rehearsal.

For those of us who know the history of The Farm Show and the Blyth Festival, after 50 years (in the case of The Farm Show) we’ve learned that actors and farmers aren’t that different after all. The relationship between the Festival and its community is a testament to that, but all relationships have to start somewhere.

Laurie is engaging and wide-eyed as Miles; a perfect sponge, eager to soak up as much as he can from Angus and Morgan for his play.

Hughson and Goad are both

powerful, yet warm in roles originated by theatre titans David Fox and Jerry Franken, respectively.

The story is so touching that it’s easy to find yourself in any or all of the three men on stage at different times during the show. It’s at once hyper-local and universal, which is surely the impossible balance that has made The Drawer Boy one of the country’s most successful plays ever written.

Garratt’s direction is simple, yet effective. He really leaves it up to Hughson, Goad and Laurie to tell the story with minimal interference, with the exception of atmospheric Continued on page 28

Breelle Walker

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PAGE 28. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 1, 2022.

Anderson hopes to be Deputy-Mayor in Central Huron

Celebration On Monday night, there was plenty to celebrate in Central Huron. While the main street had officially reopened after extensive rejuvenation work both on the surface and below it, the Mayor’s Mingle served as an unofficial welcome-back to the street. It also represented the return of the Mayor’s Mingle, which had been put on ice for a few years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The gathering, which included children’s activities and a free meal, was well attended by residents. (Denny Scott photo)

Continued from page 1 the Township of North Huron.

Long-time Central Huron East Ward Councillor Marg Anderson has put her name forward to be the municipality’s next deputy-mayor.

Jared Petteplace is also running for deputy-mayor.

He ran unsuccessfully for the position in 2018.

Incumbent West Ward Councillor Michael Russo and East Ward Councillor Danny Colquhoun have both filed paperwork to return to their positions again this fall.

(In its June 24 issue, The Citizen reported that incumbent Central Huron Mayor Jim Ginn planned to run for the position again, an announcement he made at Central Huron Council’s June 20 meeting.

However, according to the municipality’s website, he has not yet filed his paperwork, making it official.)

‘Drawer Boy’ opens new Festival season Continued from page 27 musical support from Lederman and Hargrove that only heightens the impact of what’s happening on stage in a way you don’t even realize is happening.

Additionally, the Harvest Stage is an ideal home for the show, both in terms of the music and for the production itself. It just serves to enhance the local nature of the story being told and the people being portrayed. It feels like a Huron County story that has come home for the summer.

Before the production, Garratt said the show has been dedicated to two instrumental figures in the Huron County theatre world: Ray

Bird, a long-time supporter of the arts who owned the barn in which The Farm Show was first performed, and the aforementioned Fox. The show feels like a fitting tribute to them and to all of the other professionals and volunteers who helped get the Festival to where it is today.

The Drawer Boy ends its run on July 16. It is followed by Drew Hayden Taylor’s Cottagers and Indians (July 21 to Aug. 6), Marie Beath Badian’s The Waltz (Aug. 1127) and Cheryl Foggo’s John Ware Reimagined (Sept. 1-24).

For more information, a full schedule of performances or to buy tickets, visit blythfestival.com.

Institute takes tour Continued from page 24 Sunnyside Grill in Wingham.

Lunch was delicious and the service was excellent. After lunch, members had a quick meeting, wrapped up business and headed off to a mystery location.

North of Wingham, the group stopped at Wright’s Blooms greenhouse, owned and operated by Amy Wright, the group located on the Wright family farm. Amy has taken horticultural courses in Guelph, specializing in beautiful hanging baskets seen throughout the community. She also carries a variety of vegetable and garden starter plants.

Starters first grow in large trays with small holes and as they grow the starters are trimmed and replanted in individual pots for

sale. They now have two greenhouses and are looking at possibly a third. Thanks to Amy and the staff for the tour. After a few plant purchases, the group headed back to Brussels.

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In the Township of AshfieldColborne-Wawanosh, Mayor Glen McNeil is hoping to return to the position for a second term. DeputyMayor Roger Watt has also filed to return to his position, as have Councillors Jennifer Miltenburg and Anita Snobelen.

Sylvie C. Barbeau-Chmielewski of Sarnia has put her name forward to be the area’s French-language Separate School Board Trustee for the Conseil Scolaire Catholique Providence.

As of Tuesday, according to the municipality’s website, no one had filed paperwork in MorrisTurnberry for any position.

Keep watching The Citizen for updates as more candidates put their names forward ahead of this fall’s municipal election, which is set for Monday, Oct. 24. The nomination period closes on Friday, Aug. 19.

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