The Citizen - July 28, 2023

4 • Editorials 8 • Sports 15 • Obituaries 19 • Theatre

The

THIS WEEK

Citizen

Huron County’s most trusted independent news source Volume 39 No. 30

Friday, July 28, 2023

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Tigers claim tourney victory

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

Back at it The Tanner Steffler Foundation was part of what was a great day for Seaforth on Saturday, as the Seaforth Summerfest took over the town’s main street, followed by the return of the foundation’s Six String Music Fest

in the parking lot of the Seaforth Legion. The foundation brought young bands to the masses during Summerfest and then began its main stage show in the evening, featuring the likes of Haley McNeil, above, and others. (John Stephenson photo)

Not only did the Brussels Tigers host another successful tournament for the 51st time in their history, but the team again found itself in the winner’s circle, claiming the A Championship.

The tournament took place last weekend and brought several squads from far afield to Brussels for the festivities. There were also many fans at each game who kept the village buzzing throughout the weekend.

The Tigers won the final game of the tournament, beating the Simcoe Rostock Braves by a score of 7-0 in the A Championship final. The Tavistock Merchants beat the Georgian Bay Giants by a score of 12-4 to claim the B Championship title, the Hamilton Pirates claimed the C Championship over the Kitchener Selects with a 2-1 victory in the final and the Harwood Corners beat the Delaware Highlanders by a score of 9-0 to claim the D Championship title.

In the semi-final round, the Harwood Corners beat the Monkton Muskrats by a score of 54 to punch their ticket to the D Championship final, while the Delaware Highlanders defeated the Continued on page 9

Seaforth home proposal concerns council, residents

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Huron East Councillor Ray Chartrand is sounding the alarm bells about the potential closure of the Seaforth Manor Long-Term Care Home.

Chartrand raised the issue at council’s July 18 meeting - though it wasn’t the first time he has expressed concerns about the future of the home in the town - and said he had attended a public meeting at which many locals expressed their concern and confusion about the home’s situation.

He cited documents from the Ontario Long-Term Care licensing public consultation registry, stating that a new home in Exeter to be built by Southbridge would take on beds from both Seaforth and Hensall, also owned by Southbridge, and close both homes.

The new home would have 160 beds in Exeter and the proposal is listed as already being closed.

On the Ontario government’s website, the proposal includes: The development of 37 “new” longterm care beds, allocated by the Ministry of Long-Term Care to be included in the proposed

development project, subject to meeting all licensing requirements under the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021; the transfer of 60 existing long-term care beds from the Queensway Long-Term Care Home, subject to receiving approval for the transfer under the act; the transfer of 63 existing long-

term care beds from Seaforth LongTerm Care Home, subject to receiving approval for the transfer under the act; the closure of the two homes, Queensway Long-Term Care located in Hensall and Seaforth Long-Term Care located in Seaforth, following the redevelopment of the replacement

home, and the issuance of a new licence with a term of up to 30 years for the operation of 160 “new” beds at the replacement home, following the development.

Chartrand said he felt as though he and council were being left in the dark, as neither council nor the Continued on page 12

By Shawn Loughlin

of service to its residents, and it was evident throughout the budget process that it is important to council that we maintain this level,” Grenier said in her report to council. “As included in the approved 2023 budget, specific capital expenditures are to be financed for the short term. In order to meet this requirement, an amendment to the borrowing bylaw has been prepared to increase the

amount by $1 million. This will provide Huron East with sufficient funds available to move forward with the projects that are budgeted for this year and in future years.”

Several councillors were concerned with the amount of borrowing the municipality has been doing, including Bob Fisher and Larry McGrath, who felt that, surely, the funds could be found within the municipality’s coffers.

Grenier insisted that the move is necessary and that the municipality needed sufficient cash flow for the projects, including the ongoing renovation and expansion of the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre, until taxes were completely collected.

While several councillors continued to protest, feeling there had to be a better way, council passed the amendment.

Huron East increases borrowing ceiling The Citizen

Huron East Council has approved an amendment to its annual borrowing bylaw, increasing the overall amount by $1 million, for a total of $3 million.

Council made the decision at its July 18 meeting based on a request from Treasurer Stacy Grenier.

“Huron East provides a high level

PAGE 2. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2023.

New look for Lucknow’s Me 2 U Thrift

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen

These days, shopping secondhand has never been more popular, and Lucknow’s Me 2 U Thrift Store’s frequently rotating selection and reasonable prices is quickly making it a favourite amongst locals and visitors alike. The store may look small from the outside, but looks can be deceiving - there’s never a shortage of huntable bargains to be found within, both practical and unusual.

Owner Mistica Boel only took over ownership of the longstanding Lucknow institution in January, but she’s already put her own unique stamp on the space.

She’s been giving the shop a little bit of an update in recent months, adding change rooms, a debit machine and accessibility ramps, as well as a searchable database of the inventory on the Me 2 U website.

She uses her well-trained eye to scour garage sales and yard sales, choose consignment items she knows will sell, and pare down her stock to make room for new items.

The store also recently added a “fill a bag of clothes for $5” rack, which has quickly become a smash hit. It’s not unusual to find reliable brands like American Eagle or Gap on the rack mingling with one-of-a-kind vintage pieces just looking for the right fashionista to give them a home.

One of the many new things she has on the go this year is participating in the Huron County Thrift Store Trail - one of the many interesting area initiatives intended to increase community engagement in local business and events. The trail is a “Make Your Own Route” crawl through the hidden gem thrift stores of the area. You’re not going to find old standards like the Goderich Goodwill or the Wingham ReStore on this list - it’s only got the deepest deep cuts of the county, from Noah’s Ark and Dove’s Nest in Exeter to 5R’s Thrift Store in Brussels. Zurich’s Community Store also made the cut, as did Of Rack and Room in Clinton and IODE in Goderich. If you go to any of the shops on the trail, you can ask for a stamp card, and get one stamp for every purchase over $25.

Collect enough stamps and you get 50 per cent off your next purchase, up to $50. The stamps are valid at all of the stores along the trail.

And how has the trail been working out for Boel’s shop? “A lot of people are taking stamp cards - I think we’ve had two or 300 printed just for this store alone!”

But it’s not really about the stamps - it’s about the thrill of bargain hunting, and the search for affordable necessities.

So, how does a first-time store owner like Boel manage to keep things running so smoothly? She’s been training with a master since she was a child, of course. The master in question is Jeanette Porrier, the previous owner of Me 2 U and Boel’s grandmother. “I first started here in Grade 7 or 8 during summer vacation… I just started coming to Jeanette’s [Me 2 U Thrift Store], and asked her if I could help out for the day, and I ended up liking holding the door open for people and seeing them smile - it just made me happy, so I kept on volunteering.” Her early dedication to service has only deepened over the years, which comes in handy frequently - her storefront tends to fill up at a moment’s notice with shop regulars, looky-loos and everybody in between. Boel knows

Family business Mistica Boel, above, took over Lucknow’s Me 2 U Thrift Store from her grandmother Jeanette Porrier in January. Among other changes, Boel has introduced a “Fill a Bag for $5” promotion, improved the store’s accessibility, and has taken a different approach to creating displays. Boel’s daughter Parker, below, is in line to continue the family’s thrift store dynasty some day in the future. (Scott Stephenson photos) everybody’s name, their dog’s name and what kind of item they’re looking for. Sometimes the customer questions, barking and musings from her daughter Parker all happen at the same time, but Boel wouldn’t have it any other way. “The customers are the best part of the job,” she confirmed.

When Jeanette was the owner, the Me 2 U was a labyrinth of a store located on the other side of Campbell Street. Boel remembers that location fondly. “Across the street, we had this three-in-one store building that would just go and go and go.” That iteration of Me 2 U was perfect for Jeanette’s chaos-theory thrift store style, and her unique shop was a local legend, well-known for its massive selection and her dedication to the needs of her customers. Most people just called her shop “Jeanette’s,” and many community members depended on it for work clothes, gifts, footwear and home essentials. Christmas on a budget was always a little bit easier when the store would hold its annual, December-long 50 per cent off everything in the store sale.

Boel has taken this consumercompassionate approach to heart for her business as well, and adapted it for the post-pandemic era. Rather than consult the internet for the latest fluctuations in pricing (a trend that has led some larger thrift stores to move to a bruisingly high pricing system), “I worked with Jeanette for 15 years, so she gave me the rundown on how she usually does it, and I also go off my own judgment with the customers. I know how it is with COVID - you just can’t sell things for ridiculous prices. People can’t afford it.” To aid parents for the ever-important back-to-school season, Boel is going to be having a sale on kids’ clothing, school supplies and other essentials. She hopes to change the minds of parents on a budget who are hesitant to make the jump into thrifting. “A lot of the time parents don’t go into thrift stores, they go to dollar stores, but those are so

expensive now that it’s cheaper to come here,” she explained. The environmental benefits and higher quality of shopping second-hand is an added bonus.

Having a smaller space requires a lot more curation, which is exactly in Boel’s wheelhouse. Clothing is examined for any stains, flaws or tears before being washed and steam cleaned. Keeping the rest of the stock in order requires a lot of infrastructure, and organization is key - secret shelves, well-anchored hooks and a multitude of compartments help keep all the art, books, light fixtures and kitchen implements in line, while colourcoded stickers help keep track of her rotating sales.

Another one of the young entrepreneur’s passions has been turning the shop’s cluttered window displays into a series of interesting vignettes

for locals and visitors to enjoy.

“Jeanette likes to put a lot in the windows, so she gave me some training, but I went my own way…

I like to have a specific viewpoint, with items that are all connected to each other.” The displays have had people in town talking, and musthave items on display don’t last long.

Boel’s personal thrifting philosophy is a simple one. “I think a thrift store should be more about family than anything else.” Seeing her daughter Parker lining up a variety of toys on a little table by the door makes it easy to think that Lucknow’s thrifting dynasty is perhaps just beginning.

The Me 2 U Thrift Store is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and accepts interesting donations and consignment offers whenever the shop is open.

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2023. PAGE 3.

‘Art Hike’ event celebrates area’s natural beauty

Take a hike The Friends of Balls Bridge and Little Lakes activist group hosted an ‘Art Hike, Lights and Open Mic’ event to raise awareness about the potential expansion of local aggregate mining operations. Large-scale prints from artist Elizabeth Van Den Broeck adorned the trail for participants to enjoy. (John Stephenson photos)

Technical difficulties interrupt ACW council meeting

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen

The township council of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh (ACW) met for a regular meeting on Tuesday, July 18. Technical difficulties caused a 15-minute delay to the meeting’s beginning and also resulted in an unplanned 15-minute break. *** Engineer Jeremy Taylor of R.J Burnside & Associates Ltd. presented a report on planned improvements for the Wylds Municipal Drain. The report addresses plans to improve poor drainage, repair infrastructure and soil and water investigations, as well as assessing project costs.

Landowners were invited to make public comments on the report. *** Roger Watt of The Huron Sands Cottage Association made an appeal to council in regards to last year’s changes in the water connection bylaws. The area water system became year-round while removing permission for property owners to close township-owned curbstop valves in the fall.

Members of the association are requesting a change in the wording of the water connection bylaw so that people on unassumed roads with no winter maintenance are permitted to operate the curbstop valves themselves to drain water lines before winter arrives. *** ACW Council received an auditor’s report from Clinton’s Seebach and Company in regards to the municipality’s 2022 finances. It assessed the municipality’s tangible assets, costs, contracts and surpluses in accordance with Canadian auditing standards. *** Council voted to support a proposal to broadcast its meetings on Hurontel’s Channel One, which currently airs Goderich Council Meetings on Saturdays.

*** Chief Building Official Brett Pollock submitted a report on ACW’s building permit activity this year compared with 2022. Overall in 2023, up until the month of June, 105 building permits have been issued for a combined work value of $12,939,975, down considerably from the same time period last year when 169 permits were issued for a combined work value of $36,314,648. *** Chief Administrative Officer Mark Becker provided information to council that he sourced from a presentation by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) at a recent Huron County Clerks and Treasurers Association meeting. ACW ranked second amongst Huron County’s lower-tier municipalities in terms of new growth assessment. South Huron came in first with $31,530,600, followed by ACW at $26,364,000, and then Huron East rounding out the top three at $17,691,731.

The total new growth assessment in 2023 as of June for Huron

County is $111,881,131. *** Becker put forward a recommendation for council to support an increase in the compensation to township staff for vehicle mileage from 50 cents per kilometre to the current Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) reasonable allowance rate of 68 cents per kilometre. Mayor Glen McNeil advocated in favour of keeping current with compensation trends rather than falling behind and requiring larger future increases.

The recommendation failed to receive the support of council, however, and the rate will remain unchanged. *** ACW’s 2023 budget includes $6,000 for an annual Christmas party but Becker put forth a recommendation to instead host team-building events in lieu of a formal dinner.

Council was agreeable to the suggestion but were hesitant to commit to the full $6,000 allocation. A compromise of $3,000 was reached and approved. ***

ACW approved the use of $84,000 from the COVID-19 reserve and $250,000 from the Lucknow fire truck reserve to cover the township’s share of the purchase of a new pumper truck for the Lucknow and District Fire Department. *** Council accepted the tender for the construction of a new washroom facility at Ashfield Park from Arcadia Custom Living Ltd. for a

price of $287,020, inclusive of H.S.T. *** Council accepted the tender from Roubos Farm Services Ltd. in the amount of $3,693,313.47 inclusive of H.S.T. for improvements to Wellington Street from Russell Street to South Street in Port Albert.

The work aims to improve drainage in the area by installing storm sewers and altering the elevation of the road’s surface.

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(Edward Griffin) “Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1 “How can a young man keep his way pure? Psalm 119:9 Let the fear of God always be before your eyes. This will hold you back from a thousand evils! To feel that you are in the presence of your Maker, that an omniscient eye is upon you—is the best preservative against sin!

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account!”

Hebrews 4:13 “You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue—You know it completely, O Lord!”

Psalm 139:2-4 A Grace Gem Submitted by: Immanuel United Reformed Church, Listowel, ON 519-492-1359

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PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2023.

Editorials & Opinions

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

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Everyone needs it A recent CBC News article highlights the critical need for high-speed internet in rural Ontario and confirmed that the recent provincial government announcement of another $1.4 million for the SWIFT (Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology) project in Huron County is an investment in the agricultural economy in the area.

Technology and data management are becoming integral to modern agriculture and helping farmers to maximize yields to meet the demands of growing populations while also stewarding the environment.

High-speed internet might have seemed like a luxury item even a decade ago, but now, with remote-controlled tractors that use GPS to sow seeds and spread fertilizer and cows that wear Fitbit-like devices to monitor health, access to computer power and connectivity is becoming a basic need for today’s farmer.

Ethan Wallace, a local farmer who serves as the Huron director for the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, was interviewed for the article and compared the need for the government to invest in high-speed internet to the priority to bring electricity to rural Ontario a century ago.

We can no longer think of farming as a bucolic way of life stuck in another era. Agriculture is a high-tech business and requires investment in infrastructure in order to produce more on less land. – DS

Looking ahead We here in Huron County stand on the precipice of a very exciting time for this community and there is plenty to look forward to.

Last week, The Citizen detailed the last weeks of preparation as this year’s Huron County Plowing Match approaches. Pete and Leisa Albers will be hosting this year’s match just northeast of Brussels. The well-known local family was supposed to host in 2020, the year that nothing went ahead as planned due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This annual celebration of all things rural and Huron County marks the unofficial beginning of a special season here. Soon after, the annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association will take over Blyth, celebrating the past and the future of agriculture.

Then, once the steam engines have quieted for another year and the fiddle music has died down, it will be fall fair season. Brussels, Seaforth and others will welcome people to the community to celebrate the harvest season. Crops, livestock and more will be on display, showing off all of the hard work locals have put in throughout the year.

It’s a special time for a region such as ours. So many have worked so hard, battling the elements and working day and night when the time was right and now it will soon be time for us all to come together again.

Through the pandemic, some organizations went virtual, while others hosted modified events. They all struggled to retain volunteers while some moved on and others aged out of their positions. This fall should be a celebration not just of community, but of perseverance. – SL

Don’t speak for everyone Whether you reside in the bustling heart of a cosmopolitan city or the quiet solitude of a remote rural village, there’s an undeniable truth: some people are jerks. This reality becomes evident when examining the actions of American country musician, resident of the city of Nashville, and aspiring right-wing troll Jason Aldean. Aldean recently made headlines with the release of a controversial song titled “Try That in a Small Town,” accompanied by a problematic video.

Critics have pointed out that Aldean’s song appears to glorify violence and advocate for vigilantism. The lyrics adopt a threatening tone, ostensibly contrasting chaos resulting from social unrest in city centres with what Aldean postulates to be a willingness among smalltown inhabitants to take preemptive and unsanctioned measures to protect their communities. Adding to the controversy are allegations of racism. Some of the video’s imagery was recorded at a location with a dark history, including a lynching in 1927 and a race riot in 1946. The incorporation of this footage alongside scenes recorded at Black Lives Matter protests across the U.S. has intensified the accusations.

The underlying view perpetuated by the song insinuates that cities are intrinsically violent and chaotic, while small towns are unwelcoming to outsiders and also intrinsically violent. Such generalizations are deeply insulting to both sides of the urban-rural divide, oversimplifying the complexities and nuances of diverse communities.

Ironically, Aldean’s personal experience as a survivor of the tragic violence at the 2017 Route 91 Harvest Music Festival should have perhaps inspired a different message. Instead of implying that violence is a solution to violence, he could use his platform to discourage its perpetuation and advocate for peaceful alternatives.

At best, this controversy could be attributed to careless songwriting, lacking thoughtful consideration of the potential impact. However, at its worst, it raises concerns about the song’s potential role as a violent and racist dog whistle. – SBS

Looking Back Through the Years July 28, 1966 The Daer family gathered for their traditional annual reunion on a sunny Sunday, July 24. The event took place at the warm and welcoming residence of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Campbell. With joyous spirits, 40 family members attended the reunion. The highlight of the day was a delightful dinner, where everyone savoured the delicious spread. Following the satisfying meal, Mrs. Peter Campbell and Mrs. Louis Blake took charge of organizing various sports and games for the guests to enjoy.

Before their departure from the community, around 50 friends and neighbours came together on a Saturday evening to honour Mr. and Mrs. George Pollard at their residence. The occasion marked their upcoming move to Monkton, where they intended to establish their new home. The evening commenced with a lively game of progressive euchre. Afterward, it was time for a heartwarming farewell ceremony. The guests expressed their fondness for the Pollard family by presenting them with gifts.

The previous weekend, a heartwarming surprise awaited a beloved family in Brussels as a large gathering of relatives came together to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. The occasion brought families from Guelph, Woodstock, Mitchell, Seaforth, Brodhagen, and neighbouring communities to the home of Mr. and Mrs. George Wesenberg. The evening was filled with delightful activities, including playing cards and engaging in friendly contests.

July 28, 1976 The recent sale of materials salvaged from the demolished

Blyth Arena proved to be a remarkable achievement for the Community Centre Building Fund.

After covering expenses and retail sales tax, the substantial amount of $9,667.53 was added to the fund.

When combined with the funds raised through canvassing efforts, the total amount surpassed the impressive milestone of $40,000.

Sacred Heart Catholic School in Wingham was the site of a summer religion school from July 19-23.

One hundred and fifty children attended from the following parishes: St. Michael’s, Blyth; St. Joseph’s, Clinton; Sacred Heart, Wingham; St. Ambrose, Brussels and Sacred Heart, Teeswater.

Miss Doreen McClinchey was honoured on the previous Saturday with a bridal shower at the home of her aunt. Pink, yellow and green flowers and a yellow umbrella decorated the room. Doreen thanked everyone for their gifts.

July 29, 1998 On July 20, the Brussels U9 II soccer squad secured a thrilling victory against the visiting Newton team with a close score of 4-3.

Scott Somerville emerged as the star player, contributing significantly to the team’s success with an impressive hat-trick of three goals. Jake Van Beek-Coultes also made a crucial impact by scoring a goal. Coach Lori Coultes expressed her delight and pride in the team’s performance, stating, “The team played amazingly well.

They showed great determination by double shifting and maintaining their strength throughout the game.

The combination of outstanding goaltending and a persistent defense kept Newton at bay, providing ample opportunities for the half-backs to support the

forwards and centre in scoring positions.”

On July 24, the Blyth Mite Boys delivered a stunning blowout to their hosts in Holmesville, triumphing with a commanding 245 victory. The team displayed exceptional skills and teamwork, and several players contributed significantly to the onslaught.

Standout performances came from Benjamin Caldwell, Jeff Elliott, Anthony Peters, Josh Albrechtas, Blake Hesselwood, Eric Caldwell, Darcey Cook, Nicholas Dale, Justin Rinn, and Adam deBoer.

Albrechtas, Peters and Cook excelled on the mound for Blyth, skillfully keeping the opposition at bay during the game. Earlier, on July 20, a similar story unfolded in Walton, where the visitors once again showcased their dominance, sealing a resounding 15-5 victory.

Cook and Albrechtas took turns handling the pitching duties in this contest, displaying their prowess on the mound and contributing to the team’s impressive triumph.

July 25, 2013 The Blyth U8 soccer tournament took place at the Sparling’s soccer fields, located just south of Blyth.

Organizer David Sparling expressed his satisfaction with the day’s proceedings, stating that the weather was “perfect” for the event.

The tournament format focused on fostering a fun and enjoyable experience for all participants. Each team had the opportunity to play three games, and while there was no official winner, the real victories were the camaraderie and sportsmanship on display throughout the event.

In total, the tournament successfully hosted 10 teams, comprising a total of 135 players.

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2023. PAGE 5.

Other Views Living through a summer of crisis

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s this is written, early in the week, weather forecasters are predicting that by the time this paper is published, Ontario will be sizzling under a heat alert with high temperatures made worse by high humidity. This certainly has been one of the most extreme summers I can remember in seven decades.

This heat has seeped northward from the southern U.S. where it has been setting records for weeks. Similarly, China and Japan have been suffering under extreme heat and, in the tourist hotspots of southern Europe, such as Italy and Greece, tourists can only see sites from ancient history in the early morning, because they are closed in the heat of the day.

But, as this heat dominates world headlines, Canada’s news is dominated this weekend by stories of terrifying floods, as some places in Nova Scotia received three months’ worth of rain in 24 hours and people are missing in cars lost in the floodwaters. This is the same province that began our long string of forest fire stories earlier this spring with frightening blazes across the south of Nova Scotia.

Quebec has had similar extremities. A while back, flooding in southeastern Quebec was driving people from their homes at the same time as people in the north of the province were wishing for rain to protect their communities and the forest on fire around them.

I can never remember a year when tinder-dry forests in the north of most provinces have burned at the same time. Forestry analysts say Canada has lost more acreage of forest to fire this year than at any time in recorded history.

People in these northern areas have to wonder, as they watch the news, why can’t they get a little of the rain falling on Nova Scotia or southern Quebec or British Columbia, but instead they get dry thunderstorms with the

Keith Roulston From the cluttered desk lightning starting even more fires. So far, nearly 900 wildfires are burning across Canada - and we’re just coming into what is traditionally the worst season for wildfires.

And that doesn’t even account for the smoke from those fires. Areas of southern Canada have been suffocated by smoke, with a nineyear-old boy from the community of 100 Mile House, British Columbia dying because his asthma couldn’t withstand breathing in wildfire smoke.

The smoke has sunk well below the border, bringing one of the few times when Canada makes the U.S. headlines as we get blamed for their pollution. Smoke has prompted about 2,500 air quality bulletins since April 1, according to Environment Canada.

Globe and Mail columnist Marsha Lederman writes that human-caused climate change is heating up the planet. Paired with the return of El Niño this year, the results have been disastrous. This is very bad for the economy, as well. According to Forbes magazine, extreme heat could cost the U.S. economy $100billion U.S. annually - with impacts on not just health care, but also infrastructure and transportation.

Climate change has been spoken and written about for years, yet we’ve done comparatively little to combat it. Government legislators have done too little, yet, what little they have

done has been opposed. The federal government brought in a climate tax on gas to discourage us from driving too much, but the Ontario government reduced its gas tax to counteract the move. Conservative provincial governments across the country have opposed feeble federal moves to reduce the human effect on the planet from climate change.

Federal Conservatives under Pierre Poilievre promise to reverse climate change policies imposed by the Liberals.

People my age have contributed a distressingly high amount to the problem.

When I was young, I remember only two families that took southern vacations in my village. Now, I have many relatives who take one, two, three or more vacations a year especially those who have retired on well-paid retirement plans from jobs that helped promote our modern economy.

I remember when nearly all the foods we had on our menu were grown at home, except for oranges, grapefruit and a few other tropical fruits to keep us healthy in winter. Today, we have television shows by the dozen teaching us the pleasure of eating exotic imported foods.

Watching TV the other day, at the end of a newscast about the damage done by floods in Nova Scotia and fire and smoke in British Columbia, I was struck by a feature on fear of the future among Canadian teenagers. One girl, who said she dreams of becoming a mother, worried that she shouldn’t bring children into this world of suffering.

Looking at human history, it seems that we have escaped from so much human suffering in our history or in other parts of today’s world, yet, strangely, we haven’t been wise enough to know when enough is enough. We must begin to live environmentally responsibly if humans can continue to populate the Earth.

Scram, Elton John! Rocketman 2.0 has arrived

G

reetings, Earthlings and extraterrestrial enthusiasts! Today, we take you on a wild ride through the whimsical wonders of the universe as I, your intrepid columnist Scott Stephenson, venture beyond the blue skies and into the great expanse of outer space. Strap on your tinfoil hats and grab your anti-gravity umbrellas, for this column promises to be a joyous jaunt into the realm of the ridiculous!

Now, you may be wondering how I managed to secure a space ticket on a rocket ship given my (questionable) lack of astronaut training.

Well, let’s just say that a certain billionaire space tycoon mistook me for an intergalactic ambassador of wit and wisdom. Who am I to correct such a cosmic misunderstanding?

As the rocket engines roared to life, I clutched my notepad tightly, determined to jot down celestial insights that no one else had dared to discover. The countdown began, and my heart pounded louder than a malfunctioning warp drive. But fear not, dear readers, for my cosmic courage proved unwavering!

The moment of liftoff arrived and we soared into the boundless abyss. After binge-watching a few episodes of ALF, we finally reached our first destination: the majestic rings of Saturn.

A bit too touristy for my liking.

Next on the itinerary was a pit stop on Mars, where I encountered some Martians who had an uncanny resemblance to the aliens from Mars Attacks! (kudos Tim Burton). They offered me "Mars-tinis" – a delightful concoction with a dash of stardust and a sprinkle of Martian mirth. I don’t really remember what happened next, but obviously there was some pretty aggressive probing.

We then embarked on a sightseeing tour of the Milky Way, but unfortunately I forgot to bring my lactose-free snacks. Note to self: In

Scott Stephenson The Chaff the vastness of space, lactose intolerance knows no bounds!

In a quest for even more intergalactic excitement, we ventured to a black hole carnival, where time warped and roller coasters looped through multiple dimensions. I won a stuffed nebula toy, which now adorns my desk.

Alas, dear readers, my spacefaring escapade couldn’t last forever. As the cosmic clock struck “The End,” we hurtled back to Earth, leaving behind the cornucopia of cosmic craziness.

As the space dust settles and I return to the familiar confines of our beloved blue planet, it’s time to address a serious undertone that looms beneath the whimsy of this interstellar adventure.

As I floated weightlessly through the void of space, surrounded by galaxies and stars, a humbling thought crept into my consciousness. The colossal expense of this mission could have been harnessed to address urgent and critical issues here on Earth.

Indeed, with the price tag of the cosmic carnival we embarked on, a multitude of possibilities lay before us. Clean water, a basic necessity for survival, remains an unfulfilled dream for many communities around the world. The funds used to fuel my rocket of fancy could have been channeled to bring this life-sustaining elixir to parched lands, quenching the thirst of countless souls.

As I gazed upon the dazzling tapestry of stars, I couldn’t help but think about those still yearning for a place to call home. The unhoused, the displaced and the destitute seek shelter and warmth amidst the cold indifference of the universe. The expense of this cosmic caper could have sheltered those in need, offering them a sanctuary amid the chaos of life’s cosmic dance.

Food, the essence of sustenance and comfort, continues to be a distant dream for many facing the harsh reality of hunger and malnutrition. The astronomical costs that fueled my expedition could have instead been dedicated to cultivating fertile lands and nourishing those whose bellies echo with emptiness.

While I jest and joyously jive through these cosmic tales, it is vital to remember that the choices we make as a society determine the trajectory of our collective journey. The allure of space exploration and discovery is undeniable, but we must not lose sight of the pressing challenges that beckon us back to Earth’s doorstep.

These musings cannot alter the course of past decisions. However, I do hope that my lighthearted escapades among the stars can serve as a gentle reminder - a shooting star streaking across the sky - that we mustn’t forget our earthly responsibilities as we venture into the celestial unknown.

So, as we bid farewell to this whimsical voyage, let us hold the lessons of compassion and empathy close to our hearts. Let us remember that in the vastness of space and time, it is our actions on Earth that truly define us.

Until our paths cross again, dear readers, may we continue to seek laughter, love and understanding in both the cosmic and mundane corners of existence.

Shawn Loughlin Shawn’s Sense

It’s not your fault

G

rowing up, I was raised Catholic. We didn’t go to mass too often, but I did attend Catholic elementary school and high school. The one thing I took away from my years of studying Catholicism? Guilt!

Yes, Catholics are among the guiltiestfeeling people you will ever meet. Catholic guilt even has its own Wikipedia page. That’s when you know something’s for real. To this day, I internalize a lot and blame myself for things I have no business taking the blame for, or things over which I have no control.

Remember that scene in Good Will Hunting when Sean (Robin Williams) experiences a breakthrough with Will (Matt Damon) character? Sean tells Will over and over again that his trauma associated with child abuse is not his fault. It’s one of the most famous scenes in the movie and it’s the key to moving forward for Will. “It’s not your fault.”

I’m starting to think that some businesses and definitely some in high political offices should employ an it’s-not-your-fault guy. (I suppose Sean in Good Will Hunting is actually a psychiatrist, but to have a little bit of fun, we can keep calling it an it’s-not-your-fault guy.)

Our pal from CTV, Scott Miller, recently filed a great story about the closing of Wescast in Wingham (for three years, so say the owners). It not only connected with people who had worked with the company for years, but provided some historical context for the company and its history in the community.

In the comments on the Facebook post (which is where I go for the most intelligent exchanges of the day), it didn’t take long at all for many to blame this Chinese company’s decision on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Doug Ford (or, in some cases, both as we all know, Trudeau and Ford are well known for always being on the same page).

Now, I’m not necessarily known for sticking up for Trudeau and I’m certainly not known for sticking up for Ford, but can we all just agree at a certain point that we can’t possibly blame everything bad that happens on these two men? If a company decides to make a decision that will hurt a community like Wingham and change the lives of hundreds of families in the area, it’s devastating - there’s no way around it. But, is it Trudeau’s fault? Is it Ford’s fault? And, are we not letting the company slide for its decision by trying to blame leaders like Trudeau and Ford?

Hopefully their it’s-not-your-fault guys are well rested and ready to help as this kind of behaviour ramps up. There is plenty to blame either of those politicians for, but we can’t blame them for everything.

On the weekend, I shot a too-bad-to-report score at Royal Ontario Golf Club in Milton.

Then, on the way to the restaurant for dinner, my GPS took me on a route that didn’t make a whole lot of sense. I had a pretty tough time finding a parking spot and then, when we got to the restaurant, they took a few extra minutes to get our table ready. Tough not to blame Justin Trudeau and Doug Ford for these things.

This can pretty quickly become a boy-whocried-wolf situation. If you blame someone (or something) for everything, it becomes hard to take you seriously and approach your thoughts and ideas in a reasonable manner. If you blame a politician every time you burn a piece of toast, for example, I believe the joke is on you.

So, let’s all band together and collectively agree to a New Year’s Resolution (in July) that we’ll blame those who are to blame for things moving forward. There are plenty of people putting together sub-par careers out there, but we can’t pin the sadness of the world on them.

PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2023.

At the Branch

Adams marks 95th birthday at Brussels Legion

Man about town George Adams has been well-known in Brussels for many years now. He is one of the village’s most charitable residents, as well, as he has made it part of his life to give back in many ways. He welcomed nearly 200 people to the Brussels Legion to mark his 95th trip around the sun. (John Stephenson photo)

BY JO-ANN MCDONALD The week was quiet, but the

weekend wasn’t. We start with Friday night and the Catch the Ace

draw. The lucky winner of week number nine was Marlene Fischer.

Christmas in July a success A NOTE FROM BETTY

By Betty Graber Watson Call 887-9231 Every season is my favourite when we’re in the middle of it. So, all the good things of summer are on my mind as we move along in July.

The growth and development in the fields and gardens is so evident you just have to stop. The ever changing colours in the flower beds, from the wee ones to the flashy tall ones while displaying many of the colours of the rainbow, are just a marvel. Fresh produce with a bit of dirt intact probably tops my favourite things of summer.

Enjoy the moments.

The folks involved with the Brussels Tigers Tournament on the weekend are relaxing just a little as they review the weekend. It was another good year. The good work

for this tournament started many years ago and it is still relevant and continues to interest teams from many communities from southwestern Ontario. Good job folks.

Brucefield Community United Church offered a little fun and lots of music on Saturday evening. The Canadian Foodgrains Bank was the focus of the proceeds, a named top10 charity for several years. The church was festive with all the pretty things of Christmas, including the tree, wall hangings and all things Christmas. Mary

Moffatt is the choir director and she gathered lots of area talent to share the joy of music. Rev. Randy Banks kept the music going and, as a final favour, encouraged attending the Farmer’s Dell to enjoy an ice cream to finish a very nice evening.

Keep alert to all the good things we have available in the summer months. Attend what you can, as the time flies. Pool time, theatre participation, beach outings, library events and community gatherings are all part of our summer. So, be sure to enjoy.

Bye now. Betty GW

John Alex and Susan with him to celebrate. Friends from as far away as Saskatchewan even arrived to share the day with George. A light lunch of sandwiches, squares, veggies and pickles was topped off with birthday cake and ice cream.

There were about 175 friends, family, neighbours and others who dropped by to extend birthday wishes to George. He received many, many beautiful cards.

The hall was decorated beautifully by Comrade Deb Ross and everyone exclaimed how nice it looked. George was very pleased with the many people who came and had a visit with him and he was a very happy man when the afternoon was over. George had his large collection of bird houses on a trailer outside the Legion and many of those attending made a donation for Prostate Cancer Research and received a birdhouse. Always thinking of others, that’s George.

Congratulations George and happy birthday again from Branch 218!

NEWS FROM BRUSSELS

Brussels Legion 218 Catch the Ace Weekly Winner Winning Ticket: Marlene Fischer, $140 Envelope #8 found the 3 of Spades Estimated jackpot for July 28 is $2,000

Planning an Event?

Don’t miss potential guests!

Run your ad at least two weeks prior to the date or deadline to make sure everyone sees it.

The Citizen

info@northhuron.on.ca www.huroncitizen.ca

Correction In last week’s issue of The Citizen, the sponsor of the watermelon-eating contest at the Brussels Market was mistakenly omitted.

The Brussels Leo Club hosted a food booth at the market and held the contest at the market, which included a number of prizes for the young participants.

The Citizen apologizes for the omission.

She chose envelope number eight and the three of spades was revealed. She won $140. The estimated jackpot for week 10, July 28, could be over $2,000. Get your tickets and watch the pot grow and you could be our next weekly winner.

Saturday morning was a time for preparation ahead of an event on Sunday. It can take a couple of hours easily to set the room and tables, cut carrots and celery, boil, shell and grate dozens of eggs, organize the trays and fancy plates, and find all the plates, cups, glasses, etc. There were seven Comrades working hard and they had the work done in just under two hours. Great job by Perry and Julie Pearce, Nancy Bridge, Kathy Burkholder, Mabel Glanville, Allyson Cardiff and Jo-Ann McDonald.

The event for Sunday, July 23, was the celebration of Comrade George Adams’ 95th birthday.

Daughters Carol and Susan and George brought lots of memories to display on Saturday morning and finished up with decorations on Sunday morning. The work crew of Comrades on Sunday morning got to work mixing fillings, making sandwiches, filling pickle bowls, vegetable trays, cutting squares and filling trays, making punch, coffee and doing plenty of other jobs. The sandwich crew included Linda Bird, Marni Knight, Judy Lee, Deb Ross, Nanci Ducharme and Jo-Ann. It was time for the party to start and the serving crew arrived in the form of Zoellyn Onn, Brenda Linton and Janice Machan, as well as Jo-Ann, Judy and Marni. There were 15 members dividing up the work on the three shifts, so no one had to give up their whole weekend.

Teamwork is great!

It was a great afternoon for George, who was happy as he could be to have his family of Jean, Carol,

PO Box 429 Blyth, ON N0M 1H0 519-523-4792

Solid contact On Sunday, the Brussels Tigers left no room to escape in the A Championship of their tournament, shutting out the Simcoe Rostock Braves in the final and winning by a score of 7-0. (John Stephenson photo)

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2023. PAGE 7.

North Huron beefs up childcare staffing complement

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen

On a scorching hot summer’s evening in Wingham, North Huron Council proceeded at a hot pace through their regular meeting on Tuesday, July 4, needing less than half an hour to conduct the municipality's affairs. *** Councillor Mitch Wright had a few comments off the top, leading with a request for clarity on the bylaw report presented as part of the meeting’s consent agenda.

Wright noted that only complaints received were listed in the report and resolved complaints were nowhere to be found. Wright said, “For future reports, it would be good to have [resolved complaints] information.”

Next, Wright addressed other departmental reports, starting with the financial report. “I found that valuable in a lot of ways because, primarily, you could tell if you’re on plan or not, right? Like, we’ve gone through half the year, you know, if you’ve spent a bit above 50 per cent or a bit below 50 per cent, you know you’re going on plan… .There’s a lot of information provided - the information that was provided was good - but it didn’t actually have any context, it didn’t say whether we’re on plan or not for the year…. It’s really important to me to find out, are we actually on track or are we behind schedule.”

Wright praised the clerk’s report for its inclusion of specific timelines for achieving upcoming projects. *** It was noted, by Wright, that a tennis courts capital project has been deferred and the councillor wanted an answer as to why.

Director of Public Works and Facilities Gregg Furtney spoke to the question. “The reason is the amount of money that was set aside was about three and a half times less than what was necessary for the project. So, we’re actually in the process of determining whether we can get some future funds for the project, either through GrantMatch [Government Funding Specialists] or other funding opportunities, so for right now we’re holding steady until we can go through the process again.”

“No further comments,” concluded Wright. *** Councillor Chris Palmer expressed concern over $103,000 in reserves associated with the airport, asking the Director of Finance Chris Townes, “I was just wondering when is that leaving that position?” Townes said, “The report that you’re looking at is year-end, 2022, as per the audited financial statements. So, all of the consolidation, several consolidations and renaming of reserves, amalgamation of reserves,

et cetera, we will all see that in 2023.”

Satisfied, Palmer said, “Okay, okay. That’s good.” *** Palmer next spoke about the cemetery bylaw up for adoption that night, sharing concerns that local funeral service providing businesses, dubbed by Palmer as “partners”, may not have been adequately consulted because their names do not appear in the final draft. Furtney rose again to explain that consultation had taken place with the Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO) and local industry players and that it is not unusual for specific businesses to be excluded from a bylaw. Palmer wondered if more explicit indications of industry consultation with “partners” could be implemented in the future. Furtney was amenable to the suggestion. *** A report on childcare staffing levels recommended council transition three part-time early childhood educator positions into three full-time early childhood educator positions. Reeve Paul Heffer invited questions from council about the report, to which Wright replied, “Not so much a question, but just a comment, just in case, you know, people watching this are not aware that these staff positions are wholly funded by the county. Right? So, they’re not taxpayer-funded because I know a similar item came up last meeting and I voted against it, but this is, this is different. It’s county-funded, they run a surplus annually. So, you know, I just wanted to make it clear why I plan to vote a different way this time.”

Palmer expressed concern that there may be unseen future costs associated with this decision. Chief Administrative Officer Dwayne Evans was unable to speak to the details of childcare funding and noted that the childcare manager was on vacation, but assured Palmer that the combination of county funding and the collection of user fees typically results in a surplus that carries over from year to year. Evans said 2022 produced a surplus of $95,000, but that wasn’t included in the approved 2023 budget, but will be carried over.

Palmer agreed that the current childcare budgetary situation appears to be sufficient, but was still incredulous about future years, saying, “Can we be certain that there will be a surplus? Like, maybe not $95,000, but something? Like, you’re right about the money for now, for any increase we do now for numbers, salaries, but next year? I worry. I always worry about, okay, what about next year, and the next year? How is that going to be funded? So, I’m just hoping that there will be a surplus, but are we ever guaranteed or not?” Evans said that childcare is not currently at

capacity and as more children are taken into the program, the revenue levels increase correspondingly.

“It’s a good situation that we’re in,” concluded Evans before Heffer brought the decision to a vote, which passed unanimously. *** The Fire Department of North Huron requested approval from council to utilize reserve funds for unplanned equipment maintenance.

The 2008 frontline engine in the Wingham Station, Engine One required work on the brakes, turbo, transmission and foam pump to ensure safety. The total cost of Engine One repairs was $21,881.94, including HST. The 2002 aerial device in the Wingham Station, Ladder Two required a rebuilding of the hydraulic struts that stabilize the truck when the aerial ladder is in use for a total cost of $13,826.82, bringing the overall total of both to $35,708.76, inclusive of HST. The vote was unanimous in favour of approving the request. *** Residents and visitors in Wingham are one step closer to having eight new places to sit down as council approved the purchase of eight classic heritage benches from Mississauga-based business Classic Displays. The project is an initiative of the Wingham Business Improvement Area (WBIA) and recently received confirmation of partial funding being awarded from the Rural Economic Development (RED) program as part of the revitalization of Cruickshank Park.

The total cost of the benches is $18,907 plus applicable taxes, which will be invoiced to the WBIA, minus the RED contribution.

Heffer asked for questions from council, with Wright replying, “Yeah, actually more of a comment.

I’d just actually like to thank one of the members of the [WBIA] who did a lot of work. He actually took the time to go visit the manufacturers, and tried out the benches; see them in person to make sure they were good. I’d like to thank the [WBIA] for the effort they’re putting into it.”

Palmer asked why other cheaper quotes were not satisfactory to the WBIA. Economic Development

Officer Demetri Makrakos informed Palmer that the aesthetic design and limitations from an accessibility perspective reduced the desirability of other possible benches. *** Council approved a request from the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association to proclaim its annual reunion this September to be of municipal significance, clearing the way for an application to be made for a temporary bar. *** While reporting on Reeve activity, Heffer said, “We had a meeting with Westario and there’s been some questions going on the last while. The board has come up with a new CEO. And it seems that the people are quite confident what is going to be going on. They have to correct some deficiencies and making capital investment and communication was one of the big things that was missing and I think a lot of that stuff is going to be corrected. So, I know you’re going

to be seeing their CEO, he made that clear to our CAO up there the other day. Again, the dividends are going to be shortened for a period of time. But, hopefully it’s going to be short notice, short timeframe, and so it was overall and they’re just looking at moving the thing ahead. We all know what the cost has gone on with things escalating up and they just, some things are getting at their age where they have to be corrected. So that’s what they’re facing with and it looks like they’re going forward strongly with that.”

Palmer requested clarification about what Heffer meant by shortened dividends. Heffer said that Westario is intending to temporarily reduce the dividend that the township receives by 50 per cent and instead devote the withheld 50 per cent to fund infrastructure improvements. Evans added that the dividend is typically around $60,000 and the company is expecting the reduction will last for the next two years, at least.

Harvest continues From Marilyn’s Desk

By Marilyn Craig Call 523-9318

Happy birthday to Kelsey (Kerr) Van Wyk on July 28, Brooklyn Bromley of Belgrave and Doug Craig of Atwood on July 30, Emily deCorte of Zurich on July 31 and Rick Elliott on Aug. 1. Hope everyone enjoys their special day.

Happy anniversary to Eldon and Elaine Chamney, who will celebrate their anniversary on Aug. 2.

Don’t forget to come out on Wednesday morning from 10-11:30 a.m. to the garden at Blyth United Church for coffee and conversation with some fun and laughter mixed in. Bring along your lawn chair.

This week has been a hot and dry week. The corn fields are beginning

to tassel out and the farmers are busy taking off their wheat.

Stay safe this coming week and enjoy the Civic Holiday weekend.

Give someone a phone call and let them know you are thinking of them.

NEWS FROM BLYTH

MAITLAND VALLEY CAMERA CLUB

Photography by Clara Blake - a bird that needs a pedicure

PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2023.

Sports Tigers keep firm hold on HCFL second place

Down the middle After their first and only loss of the season, the Brussels Tigers have not looked back, polishing their 10-1 record game by game. Last week, they hosted the Milverton Millwrights in Brussels and sent the visitors home on the wrong end of a 9-6 score, which gave the Tigers their seventh straight win. (John Stephenson photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen The Belmore Stingers and Brussels Tigers have continued their winning ways and continue to pull away from the pack in the Huron County Fastball League standings.

The Stingers are still undefeated, boasting the perfect record of 12-0 and 24 points with just 10 games left to play in their season. The Brussels Tigers are in second with 20 points and a record of 10-1 with 11 games left to play.

The Sebringville Sting and Wingham Hitmen sit in third and fourth place, respectively, both with 14 points. The Sting have a record of 7-4 with 11 games left to play, while the Hitmen are 7-5 with 10 games left to play.

The Milverton Millwrights are in fifth place with a record of 6-3 and 12 points with a league-leading 13 games remaining on their schedule.

The Mitchell Mets are 5-5 with 10 points in sixth place and 12 games left to play, followed by the seventh-place Fullarton A’s with eight points and a record of 4-7 and 11 games left to play.

The Goderich Grizzlies are in eighth place with a record of 4-9 and eight points with nine games left to play. The Monkton Muskrats have eight points and sit in ninth place with a record of 4-6 and 12 games left to play, followed by the

Brussels Bangers in 10th place with a record of 2-8-1, five points and 11 games left to play, the Walton Brewers in 11th place with a record of 2-7-1, five points and 12 games left to play and the 12th-place Wroxeter Rippers, who have just four points and a record of 2-9 with 11 games left on their schedule.

The Wroxeter Rippers were due to play the Milverton Millwrights on July 20 in Milverton, but that game was postponed and will be made up at a later date.

On July 19, the Tigers won their seventh game in a row, beating the Millwrights of Milverton in Brussels by a score of 9-6. Also that night, the Mitchell Mets hosted the Fullarton A’s, but it was the A’s who won the game by a score of 8-4.

The Walton Brewers hosted the Belmore Stingers on July 18, but fell to the league leaders by a score of 10-0.

Three tight games went ahead on July 16. The Wingham Hitmen fell to the Sebringville Sting by a score of 7-4 in Wingham, while the Brussels Tigers beat the Wroxeter Rippers by a score of 6-4 in Wroxeter and the Milverton Millwrights beat the Fullarton A’s in Milverton by a score of 7-6.

On July 23, the Goderich Grizzlies were in Wroxeter to play the Rippers, which Goderich won by a score of 9-8, followed by a July 25 contest between the Monkton Muskrats and Walton

Brewers in Walton, but a score for that game was unavailable at press time.

On July 26, the Belmore Stingers were due to put their perfect record on the line with a game against the Mitchell Mets in Belmore. Also that night, the Brussels Tigers were set to host the Fullarton A’s and the Monkton Muskrats were in Wingham to play the Hitmen, but scores for those games were unavailable at press time.

The Brussels Tigers were in action again the following night, taking on the Millwrights in Milverton, but a score for that game was unavailable at press time.

There are three games scheduled for July 28. The Sebringville Sting will host the Belmore Stingers in another “Sting-off” (the July 5 contest between the two teams went the way of Belmore by a score of 50), while the Goderich Grizzlies will host the Wroxeter Rippers and the Brussels Bangers will host the Walton Brewers.

There are five games scheduled for July 30. First, the Brussels Bangers will host the Wingham Hitmen in a game that was

originally scheduled for June 23, but had to be postponed. Also that day, the Sebringville Sting will welcome the Walton Brewers to their home diamond, the Milverton Millwrights will be in Belmore to play the Stingers, the Brussels Tigers will travel to Goderich for a game with the Grizzlies and the Fullarton A’s will host the Monkton Muskrats.

To start August, on Aug. 2 the Walton Brewers will be in Mitchell to play the Mets and the Brussels Tigers will host the Belmore Stingers in an epic clash between the league’s first- and second-place teams.

On Aug. 3, the Milverton Millwrights will host the Monkton Muskrats in a match-up that is destined to be difficult to say five times fast. The Millwrights are then in action again the next night, playing the Brussels Bangers in Brussels.

Then, on Aug. 8, the Walton Brewers will host the Goderich Grizzlies.

For more information or a full schedule, visit the league’s website at huroncountyfastball.com.

Bang-bang play The Walton Brewers had their work cut out for them last week, welcoming the leagueleading and undefeated Belmore Stingers to Walton. The locals would fall by a score of 10-0. (John Stephenson photo)

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THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2023. PAGE 9.

Sports Tournament a great weekend for baseball: Daw

Cruising Not only are the Brussels Tigers 10-1 in the Huron County Fastball League standings, second only to the undefeated Belmore Stingers, but they won the A Championship in their own tournament once again. The hosts beat the Simcoe Rostock Braves in the final game of the tournament, above, to clinch the A Championship by a score of 7-0. (John Stephenson photo)

Continued from page 1 Brussels Bangers by a score of 2-1 to get there.

The Kitchener Selects earned a 31 victory over the Sebringville Sting to earn their spot in the C Championship final and the Hamilton Pirates beat the Fullarton A’s by a score of 10-0 to get there.

The Georgian Bay Giants beat the Dundalk Smoke by a score of 6-1 to get to the B Championship final and the Tavistock Merchants defeated

the Elmira Expos by a score of 8-1 to get there.

The Brussels Tigers showed no mercy in their 10-0 defeat of the Walton Brewers to get to the A Championship final and the Simcoe Rostock Braves beat the Owen Sound Selected by a score of 5-3 to set up the final game of the tournament against the hosts.

Early tournament action saw the Brussels Tigers beat the Harwood Corners by a score of 2-0 to open

Catching air The A Championship game of the Brussels Tigers Tournament over the weekend was far from the only game in town. The Tavistock Merchants took on the Georgian Bay Giants in the B Championship and it was the Merchants who claimed victory by a score of 12-4.

(John Stephenson photo)

the tournament, followed by a 3-2 win for the Dundalk Smoke over the Kitchener Selects and a 5-1 for the Elmira Expos over the Brussels Bangers.

The Georgian Bay Giants won their first game of the tournament, beating the Sebringville Sting by a score of 6-2 and the Walton Brewers came out flying with a 7-0, shutout victory over the Monkton Muskrats.

The Fullarton A’s fell to the Owen Sound Selects by a score of 15-3, followed by the Simcoe Rostock Braves beating the Hamilton Pirates by a score of 5-2, the Tavistock Merchants blanking the Delaware Highlanders 11-0, the Kitchener Selects shutting out the Harwood Corners 3-0 and the Brussels Tigers beating the Dundalk Smoke by a score of 9-1.

The Sebringville Sting beat the Monkton Muskrats by a score of 41, while the Walton Brewers edged out the Georgian Bay Giants by a score of 4-3.

The Owen Sound Selects would then beat the Elmira Expos by a score of 2-1, the Fullarton A’s beat the Brussels Bangers by a score of

8-3, the Hamilton Pirates would shut out the Delaware Highlanders by a score of 10-0 and the Simcoe Rostock Braves beat the Tavistock Merchants by a score of 10-7.

In an e-mail to The Citizen, Shawn Daw of the Brussels Tigers said the weekend proved to be a great time for baseball in Brussels and that all went well. He said all members of the team pitched in to make it a success, which really helped with the organization of the tournament.

The refreshment tent was well managed and tended to by volunteers and there were no issues of note, he said. As for the tournament itself, he said there was a great mix of teams that were both new to the tournament and familiar with it, which made for a nice roster this year. He also noted that the 2024 tournament has already been scheduled for the weekend of July 19-21, 2024.

As well, he thanked the team members and fans for coming out and supporting the tournament, saying that support is why the tournament has been a success for more than 50 years.

U17 Legends beat Innerkip

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen The Londesborough Legends minor ball teams are now looking ahead to the end of July and moving into the late stages of summer as the local baseball season continues.

Last Monday night, the U17 Girls hosted the Innerkip Junior Eagles and beat the visitors by a score of 11-8. Also that night, the U11 Boys travelled to Mildmay and the U9 team hosted the Wingham Orange team, but scores for those games were unavailable at press time.

On July 20, the U13 Girls were in Clinton to play the Mustangs 2 team, but lost by a score of 16-13, while the U17 Girls hosted the Exeter Extremes and won by a score of 10-9. Also that night, the T-ball team hosted Brussels, but a score was unavailable

at press time for that ball game.

The U11 Girls were in Seaforth to play the Wolverines on July 18, but came back on the wrong end of a 15-5 score, while the U13 Girls also lost that night, falling by a score of 14-13 to the Exeter Extremes 1 team on the road.

Also that night, the U7 team hosted Mildmay Grey and the U11 Boys travelled to Wingham, but scores for those games were unavailable at press time.

On July 17, the U17 Girls travelled to Fullarton and beat the A’s by a score of 16-4. The U11 Boys hosted Brussels that night and the U9 team played Lucknow Gold in Auburn, but scores for those games were unavailable at press time.

The U13 Girls were in Goderich to play the Seahawks Lime team on July 14 and came back with a win, triumphing by a score of 15-13.

The U17 Girls lost to the Listowel Legends in Listowel on July 13 by a score of 21-15. Also that night the U7 team was on the road to play Mildmay Red and the U9 team was in Lucknow to play Lucknow Black, but scores for those games were unavailable at press time.

On July 12, the U11 Girls hosted the St. Marys Rockies and lost by a score of 16-10, while the U13 Girls were on the road in Seaforth to play the Wolverines and they also lost by a score of 20-12.

On July 10, the U13 Girls lost to the Clinton Mustangs 1 team in Holmesville by a score of 11-7.

Also that night, the U11 Boys hosted Benmiller A and the U9 team was on the road to play Ethel Yellow, but scores for those games were unavailable at press time.

The U7 team was scheduled to Continued on page 11

PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2023.

Youth teams aim to capture Tigers’ magic

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

With the success of the Brussels Tigers men’s team, both in their own tournament over the weekend and in Huron County Fastball League play, the minor teams are hoping to capture some of that magic as July turns to August.

Tonight, on July 28, the U11 Girls will play host to the Exeter Extremes 1 in Brussels.

On July 31, the U7 Red team will host Wingham Blue, while the U11 Girls will travel to Mitchell to play the Hornets 2 team, the U11 Boys will be in Mildmay, the U13 Boys will host Mildmay in Brussels and the U17 Boys will be in Wilmot for a game.

The next night, Aug. 1, the T-Ball Red team will be in Belgrave, the U11 Girls will be on the road to play the North Middlesex Skeeters, the U9 team will host Benmiller and the U15 Boys will host Sebringville.

The U11 Boys will be in action on Aug. 2, welcoming Wingham to Brussels, while the U13 Girls will host the St. Marys Rockies and the U7 Black team will be on the road to play Mildmay.

On Aug. 3, the U13 Boys will be on the road to play Wingham Blue and the U17 Boys will travel to take on the St. Clements Twin Centres.

On Aug. 7, the U13 Girls will play the Sting in Sebringville, while the U7 Black team will host Ethel

and the U13 Boys will host Wingham Blue.

On Aug. 8, the U11 Girls will host Lucknow 1, the U7 Red team will be on the road to play Mildmay Grey and the U9 team will be in Lucknow to play Lucknow Gold.

The U11 Girls will be in action again on Aug. 9, taking on the Mitchell Hornets 1 team on the road, while the U9 team will be in Londesborough and the U13 Girls will host the Sebringville Sting.

On Aug. 11, the U11 Girls will host the Mitchell Hornets 1 team, while three other Brussels teams will begin their year-end tournaments. The U17 Boys will be in Stratford and the U11 Boys will be in Wingham, while the location of the U15 Boys’ year-end

tournament that weekend has yet to be determined.

On Monday, July 24, the U7 Red team hosted Belgrave, the U11 Boys were in Benmiller, the U15 Boys hosted Wilmot 1, the U9 team was in Mildmay and the U17 Boys hosted St. George, but scores for those games were unavailable at press time.

On July 20, the T-Ball Black team was in Londesborough, but a score was unavailable at press time.

The U17 Boys were handed a tough loss on July 19 as they lost to Elmira by a score of 13-0. Also that night, the U11 Boys welcomed Benmiller B to Brussels, the U9 team was in Wingham to play Wingham Blue and the U13 Boys were in Mildmay for a game, but

scores were unavailable at press time.

On July 18, the U9 team hosted Ethel Yellow, but lost by a score of 6-5. Also that night, the U7 Red team was in Benmiller, but a score for that game was unavailable at press time.

On July 17, the U13 Girls beat the Mitchell Hornets on the road by a score of 18-5. Also that night, the U13 Boys hosted Wingham Orange and beat the visitors by a score of 13-11 and the U17 Boys lost to Elmira in Brussels by a score of 108.

The U11 Boys were in Londesborough that night, while the U7 Black team hosted Mildmay Red, but scores for those games Continued on page 11

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THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2023. PAGE 11.

Brussels U13 Girls defeat Elma Express Continued from page 10 were unavailable at press time.

The U13 Girls took on the Elma Express on the road on July 13 and won by a score of 9-7.

On July 12, the U11 Boys hosted Mildmay in Brussels, but lost by a score of 15-10. The U9 team lost to Ethel Black in Ethel that night, while the U11 Girls beat Lucknow 1 on the road by a score of 12-10.

On July 11, the U11 Boys were in Mildmay and came back with a 147 loss. The U9 hosted Lucknow that night as well, but lost their contest by a score of 12-11 and the U15 Boys lost to Tavistock in Brussels by a score of 15-1. The U7 Black team played Ethel on the road that night, but a score was unavailable at press time.

On July 10, the U13 Girls beat the Tavistock Athletics on the road by a

Legends ready for year-end tourneys Continued from page 9 play Benmiller and the U11 Girls were to host the Brussels Tigers on July 25, but scores for those games were unavailable at press time.

On July 26, the U9 team was scheduled to be in Wingham to play Wingham Blue, the U11 Boys were in Mildmay, the U13 Girls were in Zurich to play the Thunder and the U17 Girls hosted the Wilmot Thunder, but scores for those games were unavailable at press time.

The next night, the U11 Girls were set to play the North Middlesex Skeeters on the road and the U17 Girls were due to host the Shakespeare Falcons, but scores for those games were unavailable at press time.

Looking ahead, the U11 Boys will play Benmiller A on the road on July 31. That same night, the U11 Girls will be in Mitchell to play the Hornets 1 team and the U9 team will host Ethel Yellow.

On Aug. 1, the U11 Girls will host the Zurich Thunder, while the U17 Girls will be in Shakespeare for a game with the Falcons.

The U13 Girls will host the Clinton Mustangs 1 on Aug. 2, followed by home games for the U11 Girls and U17 Girls, who will be welcoming Lucknow 1 and the Listowel Legends, respectively, to Londesborough.

On Aug. 8, the U11 Boys will host Benmiller A in Auburn, while the U11 Girls will welcome the Seaforth Wolverines to Londesborough. The U17 Girls will be on the road that night for an exhibition game with the Goderich Seahawks.

The U9 team will host the Brussels Tigers on Aug. 9, while the next night the U11 Girls will be in Mitchell to play the Hornets 2 team.

That weekend, from Aug. 11-13, the U17 Girls will be in Wilmot for their year-end tournament and the U11 Boys will be in Wingham for their year-end tournament.

For more information or a full schedule of games, visit online at londesborominorball.com.

score of 13-10, while the U17 Boys lost to Wilmot 1 at home by a score of 17-7 and the U15 Boys tied Wilmot 2 at 14 on the road. The T-Ball Red team hosted Wingham and the U7 Red team hosted Wingham Orange that night, but scores for those games

were unavailable at press time.

On July 25, the T-Ball Black team hosted Belgrave, the U11 Girls were in Londesborough to play the Legends, the U9 team hosted Mildmay and the U13 Girls played the St. Marys Rockies on the road, but scores for those games were

unavailable at press time. The U15 Boys and U17 Boys were both due to play Wilmot teams on the road, but those games were cancelled.

On July 27, the U17 Boys were scheduled to play Fingal on the road, but that game was cancelled.

Also that night, the T-Ball Red team

was due to travel to Wingham and the U13 Girls were scheduled to play the Flames in Stratford, but scores for those games were unavailable at press time.

For more information or a full schedule, visit the Tigers’ website at brusselstigersfastball.ca.

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PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2023.

Walton WI members embark on mystery tour PEOPLE AROUND WALTON

By Jo-Ann McDonald Call 887-6570

Harvest has begun! There are several farmers who are busy taking off the winter wheat crop in the area. A fall-planted crop, it takes months of hope by farmers that it makes it through the winter and then finally to harvest and a payday 11 months later!

There seems to be lots of straw and the balers were busy on Saturday. I heard some folks comment it is a good thing because, in the west, their crops are struggling and there will be very little straw.

The harvest moved into full swing on the weekend and the highway was busy with farm machinery, combines, tractors and wagons, tractors and balers and

everything needed to take off the crop. Just a reminder to all: farm machinery is very large and slow, slower than the speed limit. So, slow down, show some patience, watch for turn signals and drive safely.

The Walton area has grown by one! Congratulations to Cody Higgins and partner Sierra who have welcomed a beautiful baby boy to their lives. The handsome little man that they have named Jack is a very sweet fellow. Proud grandparents are Ken and Kim Higgins and I believe that is grandchild number three.

Congratulations to all.

The Walton Hall held its second Coffee with Friends on Saturday and had about 17 folks drop by for coffee, muffins and a visit. There were less folks there than there were at the first one, but we had 12 new folks dropping in. It was great to see new faces and catch up with them. Coffee hour will be held again in August on Aug. 12 and 26, so mark your calendars today.

The Walton Women’s Institute went on a mystery tour last week.

There were five members, plus

Care essential to Seaforth: Steffler

Continued from page 1 residents and employees of the Seaforth home had been officially notified of any potential changes being made in Seaforth. Councillor Bob Fisher agreed, saying a neighbour of his, an employee of the home for several decades, came to him looking for answers and he was dismayed to not be able to provide them.

Mayor Bernie MacLellan again cited a meeting he had with HuronBruce MPP Lisa Thompson and others several months ago regarding the potential for long-term care expansion in Huron East, but repeated his position that he could not share the details with council, even in a closed-to-the-public session, as he was asked to keep the details to himself. He did say the meeting was promising, however.

MacLellan also reiterated the nature of long-term care in Seaforth, saying that it’s a private business and it’s not council’s place to make decisions for it. He said that, sad as it is, if residents and employees are left looking for answers about the decisions being made by the owners of a private business, they need to seek those answers with the owners of the business, not council.

Councillor John Steffler, while acknowledging the home as a private business, said that maintaining long-term care in Seaforth is an economic development concern for council and the well-being of residents should always be a concern of council. He suggested that the municipality’s economic development officer begin working on attracting more long-term care investment to the community as an idea to be considered.

Furthermore, Chartrand said he was concerned that the provincial government wasn’t even following its own guidelines in this scenario, which calls for a certain degree of public consultation. With this surprising so many members of the community, including long-term residents and employees, he felt

something was being missed.

No direction came out of the discussion, as councillors admitted that they have no control over the actions of a private business, though several councillors voiced their concerns over losing the home.

Mary Elliott, on the excursion.

The first destination was to see the Chambers family near Tavistock. They were showing their garden, which is a container garden.

They use big plastic barrels and they are kept in a barn foundation.

They also have a collection of different fowl feathered friends, including peacocks, pheasants and guinea hens and others.

The next stop was at Quehl’s restaurant for a delicious buffet lunch in Tavistock. Heading west again on Highway 8, they stopped at the historical Fryfogel Tavern.

The old building dates back to 1854. It’s only open in the summer and allows tours. It was very interesting. They painted the tile to look like marble because it was too rough to transport it from the city back then. The same with glass. The panes are all very small because they could be packed and shipped easier.

The mystery tour was back on the road and headed to Organic Oasis on the Brodhagen Road. They raise free-range pigs. The ladies enjoyed the talk. They headed back to Walton and to Helen Craig’s home to chat and hold their meeting.

Sounds like it was a great day away and some interesting sites in Perth and Huron Counties.

The Walton Hall was busy again on the weekend on Sunday. It hosted the Shortreed family reunion. There were about 30 attending and they enjoyed a delicious potluck lunch. It was a very nice day, a great time for visiting and there was a wide range of young and old visiting that day.

The relatives attending came from Shelbourne, Stratford, Mitchell, Bayfield, Atwood, Blyth and the Walton area.

The annual bike trip for the Zwep men and friends was held a couple of weeks ago. George, Harry and Jerry were joined by Hank Pardys and Ray Rammeloo for the journey.

They travelled just under 4,000 kilometres to the midwest of the U.S. They travelled through a number of states, which included Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. They crossed the Mississippi River several times and saw several barges carrying cargo down the river. They stopped to see the base of the American Pickers and toured through a couple of their warehouses. They also visited the site of Field of Dreams. It was a great trip and they saw fields and fields of corn and soybeans. They were back in plenty of time to get ready for the wheat harvest!

We have some very active and destructive young people out and about at nights these days. There have been quite a few mailboxes taken or destroyed over the last week, so these kids can drive. In the town of Brussels, they have destroyed property, flower boxes and are ringing doorbells in the night. A stop sign was knocked down, which can be very dangerous for drivers. There is video of the offenders in town by doorbell cameras and hopefully they will be caught. Do you know where your children are at night?

Our sympathies are extended to the McCutcheon families on the passing of Lois McCutcheon. She will be lovingly missed by her children Karen, Wayne and Steven and their families, along with four grandchildren. She will be missed by her four siblings and a very large extended family, including the Fitch and McCutcheon families.

Lois was a quiet lady and loving

wife and mother. A dedicated member of the Brussels United Church, she will be missed by many. Our condolences to all.

Celebrating birthdays this past week include Karin McDonald, Mike Warwick, Andrea Taylor, Bradley Fraser, Laura Godkin, Alivia McCall MacBain, Charles Gulutzen, Lanette Todd, Jim Blake, Kathy Elliott, Jayne Ross, Tina Driscoll, Dorothy Kelly, George Townsend and Tyler Eckert. Happy birthday to all!

NEWS FROM WALTON Celebrating A Special Occasion?

Advertise it in

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

38th Annual Citizen of the Year Award Nominations Open Pictured on right, Karen Webster being presented her 2022 Citizen of the Year award by North Huron Publishing editor Shawn Loughlin.

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 and wider Huron County area 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 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ as Citizen of the year for

q

Blyth & area

q

Brussels & area

q

Huron County

I feel she/he deserves this award because ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Nomination Deadline September 29, 2023.

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

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2023. PAGE 13.

BLYTH Y 519-523-4244

+XURQ7UDFWRU FRP

519-523-4311

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Brussels Livestock report

Over 2,000 animals on offer at weekly sale

Total receipts for the Brussels Livestock for the week ending July 21 were 1,345 cattle and 689 lambs and goats.

On Tuesday, fed steers and heifers sold steady. Choice steers and heifers sold $235 to $249.50; second-cut cattle, $220 to $234; aged and medium-fed steers and heifers, $200 to $219. Cows sold steady.

On Thursday, veal sold barely steady. Lambs and sheep both sold

steady. Goats sold higher.

On Friday calves and yearlings sold steady.

George Hinz of Monkton, consigned seven head. Two limousin heifers averaged 1,470 lbs. and sold for an average price of $249.50.

There were 225 cows on offer.

Beef sold $140 to $186 with sales to $198; good holstein cows, $140 to $169; medium holstein cows, $110 to $139.

Bulls sold $150 to $173.

There were 140 head of veal on offer. Beef veal sold $220 to $239; good holsteins, $200 to $219; SL heavy holsteins, $195 to $212; heavy holsteins, $180 to $192; medium holsteins, $190 to $199; plain holsteins, $180 to $190.

Joan Vincent of Wingham, consigned two head. One limousin heifer weighed 1,005 lbs. and sold for a price of $236.

Bennewies Livestock Inc. of

Bornholm, consigned three head.

One holstein weighed 705 lbs. and sold for an average price of $219.

Lambs under 50 lbs. sold $214 to $235; 50 - 64 lbs., $232.50 to $295; 65 - 79 lbs., $250.50 to $285; 80 94 lbs., $257 to $290; 95 - 109 lbs, $245 to $260; 110 lbs. and over, $231.25 to $235.

Goats: Billies sold $150 to $350; nannies, $100 to $200; kids: meat, $400 to $500; dairy, $300 to $410.

Luke and Alana Witzke of Harriston, consigned eight head.

Five lambs averaged 62 lbs. and sold for an average price of $295.

Kevin Howatt of Auburn, consigned 14 head. Seven lambs averaged 100 lbs. and sold for an average price of $260.

Bonnie Beuerman of Dublin, consigned seven head. Two kid goats averaged 56 lbs. and sold for an average price of $500.

Top quality stocker steers, 500 599 lbs. sold $344.75 to $374; 600 - 699 lbs, $ 353 to $380; 700 - 799

lbs., $354 to $383; 800 - 899 lbs., $323 to $333.50; 900 - 999 lbs., $295.50 to $310;1,000 lbs. and over, $272.50 to $297.25.

Top quality stocker heifers, 500 599 lbs. sold $323.50 to $372; 600 - 699 lbs., $292 to $360; 700 - 799 lbs., $274 to $310; 800 - 899 lbs., $266.50 to $271; 900 lbs. and over, $253.50 to $275.

Helen and Dale Orr of Kincardine, consigned six head.

Five charolais heifers averaged 906 lbs. and sold for an average price of $275.

Brian Vanbenthem of Nanticoke, consigned 13 head. Eight charolais heifers averaged 904 lbs. and sold for an average price of $269.75.

Hillcrest Acres of Ailsa Craig, consigned seven head. Five black steers averaged 859 lbs. and sold for an average price of $333.50.

Franken Farms of Teeswater, consigned 23 head. Thirteen charolais steers averaged 997 lbs and sold for an average price of $293.

Over-80 birthday party celebrated PEOPLE AROUND BELGRAVE

It’s official From July 19-23, Brandon, Manitoba played hosted to this year’s World Clydesdale Show. At the show, the late Aubrey Toll (2005), formerly of Blyth, was posthumously inducted into the Clydesdale Hall of Fame. His son Vaughn and his wife Marlene were on hand to accept the honour on Aubrey’s behalf from the reigning Queen of the Clydesdale Horse Association of Canada. Vaughn and his sons are now the fifth and sixth generations of the Toll family to breed and export Clydesdales in East Wawanosh. (Photo submitted)

Morris-Turnberry supports Bluevale 170th Homecoming

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen

Morris-Turnberry Council is providing a variety of support for the Bluevale Homecoming Committee in advance of the 170th celebration being planned for next year.

Council received a letter of intent from Jason Breckenridge, Chairman of the Bluevale 170th Homecoming Committee, detailing preliminary plans for the festivities, set to take place from Aug. 9-11, 2024. Planned activities include a parade, local entertainment, a car show, kids’ events and a church service.

In the letter, Breckenridge requested confirmation from council that the municipality is willing to support the event before further planning continues. The support requests include providing assistance with lottery licensing, arranging for parade road closures, providing a loan or grant to get

started, choosing a councillor to attend homecoming meetings and providing surplus history books for fundraising sales.

Chief Administrative Officer Trevor Hallam provided a report to council on the matter. In the report, Hallam says Morris-Turnberry has supported similar events in 2004 and 2014, and recommended council support next year’s edition as well.

Hallam said that Deputy-Mayor Kevin Freiburger is already council’s representative on the Bluevale Community Committee and that Councillor Jamie McCallum, who has already been attending Bluevale Homecoming Committee meetings, could be ratified as a council representative by resolution.

Referencing consultation with Director of Public Works Mike Alcock, Hallam said road closures may not be needed for the parade, depending on the scope. Further discussions will

then take place to determine necessity.

McCallum said that in 2014, council approved an interest-free loan of $7,500 to homecoming organizers that was repaid within 30 days of the event. He noted that Bluevale is the only MorrisTurnberry community that exists strictly within the municipality’s borders and he thinks that it’s a good idea to support the event and to provide a loan commensurate with previous municipal contributions.

Councillor Sharen Zinn suggested that $7,500 may be insufficient in 2023. Mayor Jamie Heffer proposed a revised figure of $10,000, to which council was agreeable.

Zinn motioned to support the Bluevale Homecoming, provide an interest-free $10,000 loan to be repaid within 30 days of the event, donate history books and provide staff to assist organizers. McCallum seconded and the motion carried.

By Linda Campbell Call 357-2188

On Sunday, July 23, Kate Monk was the guest speaker for the Knox United Church service which was held at the pond of Lila and Ken Procter.

Susan Barnett, Licensed Lay Worship Leader will be the guest speaker on Sunday, July 30. There will be lunch following this service.

This is the last service at the pond.

There are no church services at Knox United Church for the month of August.

The over-80 birthday party was held in the Knox United Church basement on July 19. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic we haven’t had it for a few years.

Prelude music was supplied by Frank Hallahan, Ron McBurney, Paul McLaren and Gladys Van Egmond.

Connie Shiell welcomed everyone and she entertained with readings and everyone sang a few songs accompanied by the group of four. A time of fellowship with cake, ice cream and tea followed.

We were favoured with more music.

An enjoyable afternoon was had by all.

The community coffee break was held on Tuesday, July 25 at the Community Centre. It was well attended with everyone enjoying coffee, snacks and fellowship. The next coffee break will be on

Tuesday, Aug. 8 from 9:30 - 11 a.m.

Everyone is welcome.

Birthday greetings are extended to Andrew Campbell on July 30.

Enjoy your day.

NEWS FROM BELGRAVE BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK Division of Gamble & Rogers Ltd.

UPCOMING SALES TUESDAYS 10:00 a.m.

Fed Cattle, Bulls & Cows

THURSDAYS

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

FRIDAYS

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

Call us 519-887-6461

PAGE 14 THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2023.

Classified Advertising – RATES – 20 words or less only $8.00 + HST Additional words 20¢ ea. + HST

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

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

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 519-523-4792 or email: info@northhuron.on.ca 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, Fogal’s YIG 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 In memoriam ADAMS. Thank you to the ladies and gentlemen of Brussels Legion Branch 218 and my family for all their work to make my 95th birthday party such a wonderful success.

Thank you, George.

Coming events BCB DRIVE-THRU FISH FRY Saturday, July 29, 4:30 to 7 p.m., Blyth Lions Park, two pieces of fish, french fries, rutabaga coleslaw, tartar sauce, roll, butter and dessert, $25.

For tickets contact Theresa Kolkman 519-301-9292 or any BCB Member or visit BRǾD Bread and Pastry.

Garage/yard sale YARD SALE AT 39747 Londesboro Rd., Friday, Saturday, Sunday (July 28-30). 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Something for everyone. Household, automotive, kids’ stuff.

ELLIOTT. Reta Johnston Elliott passed away July 27, 2022.

The home is quiet and lonely since you have gone out of my life, But your memories will live on, Forever in my heart and mind.

– Love you forever, Bob. -------------------------------------------KLEMKE. In loving memory of mom, nana and great-nana, Helen Klemke, who passed away July 24, 2017.

It’s so strange that those we need and those we love the best, Are the ones God calls away and took them home to rest.

But every time we think of her we seem to hear God say, “Have faith and trust my promise”, You’ll meet her again someday.

– Love, your family.

Striking a chord

Personals

Huron East Council will hold its Tuesday, Sept. 19 meeting at the Brussels Library to coincide with and accommodate the Brussels Fall Fair.

Council discussed the meeting at its July 18 meeting, noting that, due to the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre renovation and expansion project not due to be complete by the time of the fair, council needed to rethink its meeting plans for that night.

Historically, that meeting has been moved and/or had its start time changed in order to work around the fair and allow council members to be part of the event.

Clerk Jessica Rudy offered up a number of suggestions, including hosting the meeting in Seaforth early at 4:30 p.m. or cancelling the meeting outright.

Several councillors noted the meal that will be taking place before the opening ceremonies of the fair that night and said an earlier start date would preclude councillors from taking part in or helping at the meal.

As a result, council has moved the meeting to the Brussels Library that night with a start time of 7:30 p.m. As a result, however, Rudy noted that there will be no Zoom or YouTube capability for that meeting due to its location, so it will be a strictly in-person affair. *** At council’s July 18 meeting, council heard from David Schlumpf, who is working to renovate a building in Ethel.

He noted that he received a building permit for the project from Huron East, but, after consulting with Hydro One, is facing over $115,000 in potential costs to relocate a number of hydro poles if the project goes ahead as proposed.

He was seeking help from the municipality.

Mayor Bernie MacLellan told Schlumpf that there isn’t much the municipality can do and that Hydro One and the provincial government have their own authority in such matters. However, he said the municipality could

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FOR SALE - two Myers jet well pumps, one with double propeller, with pipe and new foot valve, best offer; parts for Massey Ferguson balers, 124-10-12-9-3; three wagon running gears, $150-$300. Call 519395-2225.

30-3 ------------------------------------------FOR SALE - antique cosmetic table, $25; large granite roasting pan with lid, $15; display case, $15; two folding lawn chairs, $10 and $15. 519-482-9868.

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After a hiatus caused by COVID-19, the Six String fundraising concert returned to Seaforth’s Legion on Saturday, July 22 to raise money for the Tanner Steffler Foundation. (John Stephenson photo)

Huron East Council to hold Sept. 19 meeting at library

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

make some inquiries on his behalf and see if a more affordable solution could be found. *** Councillor Ray Chartrand has asked staff to prepare a report on all of the outstanding loans, debentures and other ongoing financial commitments for the municipality.

He said the report would not only be helpful for some of the newer councillors, but paint a clear picture of the money being borrowed by the municipality, the terms of those loans and the interest being paid.

Chief Administrative Officer Brad McRoberts said staff could produce that report for council to be presented at a future meeting. *** Huron East Chief Building Official Brad Dietrich presented council with the year-to-date building report, chronicling the first six months of development in the municipality in 2023.

By the end of this June, the municipality had issued 100 building permits for a total value of just over $23 million. At the same time in 2022, the municipality had issued 114 permits for a total value of just under $30 million. *** Mayor Bernie MacLellan said he wanted staff to look further into the wages being paid at the Vanastra day camp.

He said he has been told that the camp is continually battling staff issues and that other area day camps are paying more to their employees, which may be contributing to the problem.

MacLellan also noted that the camp was building a reputation of not having as many opportunities or activities as some of the other area camps.

He said he didn’t want the municipality to have a “bad reputation” regarding paying its employees and wanted to ensure that the camp remained relevant for users.

Staff did note that this concern would be the kind of thing to be tackled by the recently-approved pay equity review, so council could await those results. However, staff would be looking into it.

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

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2023. PAGE 15.

Obituaries

DOUGLAS WESTFIELD RILEY November 7, 1939-June 27, 2023 It is with sadness that the Riley family announces the peaceful passing of Douglas Westfield Riley in his 84th year at the Stratford General Hospital on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 after battling complications of congestive heart failure.

Doug taught elementary school for 37 years, beginning his career when he was 17 in a one-room school at Number 2 Blanford near Woodstock. Due to a teacher shortage at the time, he was able to take summer courses and teach for two years before going to Stratford Teachers’ College in 1958.

Upon graduation, he headed to the big city and taught for 10 years in Scarborough and Ajax.

Doug was a country boy at heart so, in 1968, he and his young family returned to Huron County, bought his little farm south of Winthrop and he finished his teaching career in 1993, spending many rewarding years at Hullett Central Public School in Londesborough.

Doug had a great love for horses and during his life he was involved with almost every facet of the equine business from showing to gaming, farrier work, breeding and when that became too much for him he hired a trainer and got into standardbred racing.

Besides his interest in horses, Doug was a good athlete who enjoyed playing and watching baseball, hockey, curling and golf.

He loved to play euchre and cribbage with friends and looked forward to his winter vacations in Pompano Beach, Florida.

He is survived by his beloved wife Barbara, children Kim (Dean)

Ellerbrock, Orchard Park, New York and Greg, Waterloo, Ontario and stepchildren Lori (Jan) Giec, London and Mark (Heather) Livermore, Exeter. He was the proud Papa of Mackenzie and Sam Ellerbrock, Maddi, Ryder and Charlie Livermore and Jordyn and Kelsee Giec. His furry friend Rosie is lost without him Doug was predeceased by his parents Mary (1996) and Frank (1985) Riley; mother of his children Norma (1991); sister Grace (2020) and brother-in-law Bob Woods (2023) and daughterin-law Julia (2019) At Doug’s request, cremation has taken place.

A casual celebration of life will be held on Saturday, Aug. 5 from 14 p.m. at his home at 81457 North Line, Huron East. A short tribute is set for 3 p.m. Friends and neighbours are welcome to join Doug’s family to celebrate a life well lived.

As expressions of sympathy, memorial donations to the Canadian Lung Association or the Kidney Foundation of Canada or a charity of your choice would be greatly appreciated.

Funeral arrangements entrusted to Falconer Funeral Homes Clinton.

LOIS MAY (née Fitch) MCCUTCHEON Lois May (née Fitch) McCutcheon passed away peacefully at Jessica’s House Residential Hospice on July 23, 2023 in her 81st year.

The beloved wife of the late Mel McCutcheon for 57 years, Lois was the loving mom of Karen and Bruce Taylor, Wayne and Kathleen

Yo Y our voice, e your comm community ommunity ty, your neews.

McCutcheon and Steve and Holly McCutcheon.

She was the grandma of Kirkland (Victoria), Carson, Nolan and Ava, the sister of Elwood (Lynda), Sharon McClory, Arthur (Jenifer), and Kevin (Kathy) and sister-in-law of Marg (Bernell) Smith, Esther McCutcheon, Betty McCutcheon and Jeanette McCutcheon.

Lois will be missed by many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends, and especially missed by her furry friend Ola. Lois was predeceased by parents Carl, Audrene and Erma Fitch, grandson Patrick, in-laws Casey, George and Barb, Bill, Lorne, Fred and Mary, Bob, Jack, Anne and Lorne Bryans, Berva and Jack Rice, Gwen McCutcheon and Rex McClory and niece Lisa Boylan.

An informal visitation will be held at Riverside Funeral Home Brussels on Saturday, July 29 from 1-3 p.m. A private family burial will take place at St. John’s Cemetery.

A celebration of Lois’s life will be held at a later date at the Brussels United Church. Please join via livestream on the funeral home’s Facebook page.

In lieu of flowers and as expressions of sympathy, donations to the Brussels United Church or Jessica’s House Residential Hospice would be appreciated.

Cards of sympathy may be forwarded to Box 252 Brussels, Ontario.

Condolences may be left at www.riversidefuneralhome.ca ALICE DIANE RADFORD Alice Diane Radford, of London, Ontario, formerly of Blyth, passed away on June 23, 2023 while on vacation in Mexico.

Diane was born on July 4, 1942 to George (1981) and Lila (2005) Radford. She was married to Doug Scrimgeour (2020) for 24 years and, together, they enjoyed their life together in Blyth, Florida and Mexico.

Diane is survived by Rick,

Christene and Rhonda Scrimgeour and their families, and by Valerie Kramberger and Shelly Dorssers and their families.

Cremation has taken place and a private interment at the Blyth Union Cemetery will take place at a later date.

At Diane’s request, no funeral service will be held.

EDITH PEARL (COOK) WALKER Peacefully at Woodstock Hospital, on Monday, July 24, 2023, Edith Pearl (Cook) Walker of Woodstock, and formerly of Wingham and Goderich, passed away in her 95th year.

Edith was the beloved wife of S.J. “Jack” Walker, who predeceased her on Jan. 17, 2019. They were married Dec. 10, 1947 in Belgrave.

She was the loving mother of Pat Stewart (Greg) of Phoenix, Arizona, and David Walker (Stella) of Woodstock, the dear grammy of Carley and Tim Welch, Scott Stewart, Amanda Height, all of Arizona, Jennifer and Jason Church, Adam Walker (K. Leigh), all of Woodstock and the special great-grammy of eight.

Edith was predeceased by parents Frederick and Etta (Black) Cook, brothers Harvey Cook (Grace), and Albert Cook (Jean), sisters Margaret Robinson (Ross), Zella Crawford (Ernie), and Alice Nicholson (Garner), parents-in-law Russel and Agnes (Stonehouse) Walker, and sister-in-law Dawna Sproule (Bob).

Visitation was held at McBurney Funeral Home, Wingham (formerly S.J. Walker Funeral Home) on Wednesday, July 26. The funeral service was held in the funeral home chapel on Thursday, July 27.

Interment will take place in Wingham Cemetery. A reception followed at the Wingham United Church.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to a charity of choice would be appreciated.

Online condolences at www.mcburneyfuneralhome.com.

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

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 $8.00.

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PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2023.

From the Minister’s Study

Jesus’ rewards far outweigh life’s passing troubles

By Ernest Dow, Executive Pastor, Huron Chapel Evangelical Missionary Church, Auburn Would you say you go through your days more hopeful, or more doubtful? Do you tend more toward optimism or pessimism? If you answered “hopeful”, what is the source of your being upbeat? Is it based just on abilities or circumstances or personality traits inherited from a parent, or something else?

Leon Joseph Suenens admitted: “I am a man of hope, not for human reasons nor from any natural optimism, but because I believe the Holy Spirit is at work in the church and in the world, even when His name remains unheard.” Suenens saw a divine dimension to life that made him a man of hope.

No question that there are lots of things that prompt frustration in the world around us. Equipment breaks down in the middle of the wheat harvest. The doctor books a special test because he spots something of concern. Grocery prices seem to keep on climbing.

Frustration is felt on a cosmic level in the world at large, “out there” as a result of “The Fall”.

Because Adam sinned, consequences were felt by the world and all that was in it. Paul the apostle describes the outcome of this in Romans 8:19f. “The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it....” The Greek term Paul uses for “frustration” can also mean emptiness, vanity, futility (NRSV) - a sense of pointlessness.

“What’s the use?!” we exclaim as we throw up our hands. When we run into roadblocks, we become frustrated, exasperated, we don’t seem to be getting anywhere.

Paul adds, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” (Rom. 8:22) Earthquakes, floods, hurricanes cause catastrophes and destruction on a massive scale. Epidemics kill multitudes. There is great agony associated with such events; Paul uses a term meaning “labour pains”.

When life seems pointless, futile, leaving us “groaning inwardly”, we sigh at our lack of purpose. We’re left asking, “Why?” and questioning the wisdom of the One who subjected creation to such frustration and decay. Can God

Evangelical Missionary Church

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

Special Outdoor Service at Auburn Riverside Retreat Pastor Mike Stanley, “The Gospel Message” (Eph. 2:1-10) Testimonies, and Baptisms in the Maitland River!

possibly have any purpose for us when things go so wrong?

But existence is not hopeless. The apostle reminds us that things have not always been like this, and they will not always remain like this. In the past, “Creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice” but this was done by God’s will with a definite purpose; read on! “…In hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” (Rom. 8:20B-21) This is a future event, not yet accomplished, awaiting the return of our Lord Jesus through whom all things were made (1Cor. 8:6).

Note the terms carefully.

“Liberated from its bondage... glorious freedom”. There is a releasing from captivity and being bound-up that’s going to happen.

This freeing is both ours, and cosmic.

Similarly, as Jesus describes it in John’s gospel, “I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live... a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out - those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.” (John 5:25,28f) We have God’s promise that, trusting in Jesus, we will hear the trumpet, we will hear the voice of God’s Son and rise to life everlasting!

These present physical bodies which are susceptible to illness and aches and breakdown will be

marvelously transformed to be like Jesus’ own post-Resurrection body.

Won’t that be wonderful?!

But the effect of Jesus’ return will be much larger than just our own personal renewal. This “glorious freedom” will also extend to the rest of creation, which will be purged of evil, refreshed, renewed as when Adam and Eve first experienced it in the Garden of Eden before The Fall.

There will be a cosmic shift. As Adam’s sin brought a curse upon the earth, so too the cosmos will be dramatically redeemed by its Maker. “...The creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” (Rom. 8:21) We wait patiently. There’s a time delay, we don’t have it right away, so we must be patient. “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” (Rom. 8:24-25) Next time some person is rude to you or bullies you or makes you wait longer to be served, remember your ultimate future, the prize God has waiting for you, and respond patiently.

St. Francis de Sales said, “The virtue of patience is the one which most assures us of perfection.”

Ulrike Ruffert put it this way: “Patience is the ability to put up with people you’d like to put down.”

Hope in everlasting life with God through Christ doesn’t just help in

BRUSSELS S

U United Chu ur urch Hymn Sing/Commun nion Joint Service at Blyth United Sundayy, July 30 at 11:00 a.m.

the next life: it helps already in this earthly life. Growing evidence links a belief in God to better physical health. In 22 studies, frequent churchgoers had lower rates of many illnesses, from hypertension and heart disease to tuberculosis and cervical cancer. Scientists aren’t sure why.

Jeffrey S. Levin at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, notes, “It might be that being more religious fosters a healthier lifestyle, offers greater social support or provides a buffer against stress. Or it could be that hope and optimism somehow bolster the immune system.”

For example, when doctors examined men over 65 who’d been admitted to a veterans’ hospital in Durham, North Carolina, they found those who said religion was “very important” to them were less likely to become depressed - a feeling that, by itself, can hinder recovery.

So, keep waiting, with hope, for future glory - despite your present frustrations and groans! It’s good

medicine. Jesus has a reward stored up for those who trust in Him that far outweighs this life’s passing troubles.

Celebrate your special someone!

Advertise it in

The Citizen Call or email us today for the details

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

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

Trinity

The Regional Ministry of Hope www.regionalministryofhope.com 519-357-7781 email: revjoann@hurontel.on.ca

BLYTH 9:00 AM St. Paul’s Trinity

WINGHAM 10:30 AM

Come Worship with Us!

Brussels Mennonite Fellowship Current Sermon Series...

Come Worship With Us

Brussels United is closed for the month of August.

We are invited to Worship att Melville Presbyterian Church at 9:30 a.m.

Contact Alex at ministter.brusselsandblythuc@gmail.co y @g om Website: brusselsandblythuc.ca b y P.O. Box 359, Brussels ~ 519-887-6259 P.

Sundays at 10:00 am All Are Welcome 250 Princess St., Brussels • 519 887 6388 • Pastor Ken Gazley

MEL LV VILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS Melville is closed for the month of July. We are pleased to be worsh hipping with our brothers and sisters in Christ at the Brussels United Church at 9:30 a.m.

“May the good Lord bless and keep you, whether near or far away”. a See you in August.

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

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

Sunday, July 30 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

For additional details please visit: brusselscommunitybiblechapel.com

Blyth United Church Sunday, July 30 at 11:00 a.m.

"If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” Colossians 3:1 Outreach project is monetary support for Victim Services

live.huronchapel.com 119 John’s Ave., Auburn 519-526-1131

Join us Wednesday mornings for visits in the garden starting at 10 am Contact Alex at: minister.brusselsandblythuc@gmail.com Facebook: Blyth and Brussels United Churches blythunited@tcc.on.ca ~ 519-523-4224

Worship and Prayer Time Loving Fellowship Expository Preaching

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

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2023. PAGE 17.

ers t t e L THE TO

R

TO I D E

Resident concerned about long-term care

Turning the page Cindy Norgate, a Blyth-based supply and summer school teacher with the Avon Maitland District School Board, top right, has been carrying out “Summer Saturdays with Cindy” at the Blyth Library, a free program for young people involving reading and crafting. The reading begins at 9:30 a.m. each Saturday morning. (Courtesy photo)

THE EDITOR, Last Monday, July 17, I came to the disturbing revelation that Southbridge Care Homes has proposed to restructure 63 long-term care beds from Seaforth Long-Term Care Home and 60 long-term care beds from Queensway Long-term Care in Hensall to their proposed Southbridge Exeter Long-Term C Homecare home, which is slated to be built by 2025.

This is confirmed in a post on Ontario’s long-term care licensing public consultation registry. It states that the Ministry of Long-Term Care conducts ongoing consultations to gather public input before deciding on a licensing proposal for a long-term care home.

Licensing transactions may include, for example, transferring a licence to a new owner or location or issuing a new licence post-development.

These consultations are for anyone, including long-term care residents, families, staff and other community members to provide their opinions on a proposed licensing transaction relating to a long-term care home.

As part of the ministry’s review, the direction under the Fixing the Long-

Term Care Act of 2021 will consider submissions before making a final decision.

No one was ever given that opportunity. Huron East Mayor Bernie MacLellan and Chief Administrative Officer Brad McRoberts met with Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson and the owner of Southbridge Homes, but no councillors were privy to attending any meetings. Nothing was shared, despite requests from councillors to divulge information from the meeting. No one was aware - long-term care residents, families, staff and community members.

As a community, we must appear complacent, but nothing could be further from the truth. It is vital that long-term care remains in our community.

Listed under “Closed Consultations and Decisions”, Southbridge Exeter is listed and it discloses that 37 new beds will be allotted to that facility by the ministry, subject to meeting all licensing requirements. Planned closure of the two homes - Queensway Long-Term Care in Hensall and Seaforth Long-Term Care will follow redevelopment of the replacement home.

In the provincial government’s quest to get long-term care homes built, it has many initiatives, one is leveraging hospital-owned land to build urgentlyneeded homes in large urban centres.

There is hospital land and plans to build on it in 2020 never materialized. Surely that would be appropriate for a new long-term care home.

There are many unanswered questions regarding long-term care continuing to be an important part of Seaforth. We need answers and an opportunity to voice our concerns.

Joyce Ribey, Seaforth.

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PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2023.

In 1972, Walter S. Scott the oldest man born in Brussels unveiled an historical plaque located in front of the library to commemorate the founding of the village of Brussels.

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THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2023. PAGE 19.

Entertainment & Leisure

‘St. Nicholas Hotel’ continues to tell Donnellys tale This is another stellar achievement from Garratt and company, as we reach the bloody middle of this local, historic epic.

As we approach the end, with characters we’ve come to know so well, our minds can’t help but wonder, curious about what the final chapter of the story has to tell.

It’s great storytelling that both refers back to what came before it and hints at the story to come later the challenge of the middle show in a trilogy - all while standing on its own as a monumental achievement - St. Nicholas Hotel won the

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Back to the story St. Nicholas Hotel is the second installment in The Donnellys: A Trilogy and it delves into the rising tensions and increasing severity of the animosity between the Donnelly family and their neighbours, including the infamous stagecoach wars. (Terry Manzo photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen The title of the first installment in The Donnellys: A Trilogy is Sticks and Stones, evoking the wellknown, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” In St. Nicholas Hotel, it’s clear the hostility towards the Donnelly family has progressed beyond name-calling and petty disagreements.

First off, it must be said that this production of St. Nicholas Hotel was moved into Memorial Hall due to an impending thunderstorm.

Many of the productions, planned for the Blyth Festival’s outdoor Harvest Stage, have been moved indoors as a result of the erratic weather of late. This contingency plan is new this year - in place of a simple cancellation of the show and offers a modified version of the production.

The show follows the Donnelly children into adulthood as they make their own way through life, still in the unfriendly confines of London-area Lucan Biddulph, as they still find themselves in an adversarial relationship with those around them.

The story of St. Nicholas Hotel is far more tragic than its predecessor, though all of the seeds had been sown there in Sticks and Stones. We begin to lose members of the Donnelly family in St. Nicholas Hotel and this is where the multishow format of the trilogy begins to pay off, as these are characters we have come to know and love, dating back to their origins in Sticks and Stones.

James Reaney has written plays with a deep understanding and affection for the Donnellys, as adapted and abridged by Artistic Director and the shows’ director Gil Garratt. So, we can’t help but side with them as they take on the seemingly never ending conflict

with their neighbouring farmers.

The show begins with the famous stagecoach wars. The Donnellys and others were turning one dollar into two by ferrying people from the north to the south and back again. Meanwhile, a healthy mix of Irish feuding and straight-up business competition led to more than competing prices through an era of damaged coaches, injured and killed horses and stables being burned to the ground.

The recreation of stagecoach rides on stage is well done with trunks and a lot of physical acting that rings true even in the indoor setting. You really feel - pardon the pun - along for the ride as they travel past the township lines that made up their routes, going faster and faster as they race to destinations, determined to best one another.

These escapades only deepened the divide within the community, as the Donnellys continued to be no strangers to law enforcement.

As part of the natural progression of the shows, the younger generation of actors take centre stage in St. Nicholas Hotel. Randy Hughson and Rachel Jones - James and Johannah Donnelly - are used sparingly, though they shine when they are asked to step up. Hughson takes a particularly gruff and humorous turn as a hired private detective whose methods of research and infiltrating a community know no bounds.

Steven McCarthy as Will Donnelly, Mark Uhre as Michael Donnelly and Geoffrey Armour as James Donnelly Jr. all get their chances to shine as the next generation of Donnelly men take centre stage. Their notable and menacing presence in Sticks and Stones is now elevated in St. Nicholas Hotel, giving them a chance to really connect with the audiences through their characters and the challenging lives they

prestigious Floyd. S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award in 1975 - and a story wholly belonging to this area.

St. Nicholas Hotel continues alongside Sticks and Stones until Handcuffs premiers on Sunday, Aug. 6. There will then be opportunities to see all three shows on consecutive nights several times throughout August as, after Handcuffs premieres, the shows will begin running in three-day clusters on Tuesday through Thursday and again on Friday through Sunday until Sept. 3.

ultimately lead as the years go on.

Masae Day is also a real standout in St. Nicholas Hotel as she shares both jubilation and heartbreak with the audience over the course of two-and-a-half hours.

Her infectious smile and enthusiasm demands the audience crack and smile along with her, while, when she suffers loss, your heart can’t help but break for her.

As the story moves along, it’s clear that tension is building for the Donnellys. The “sticks and stones” of the first show and frequent conflicts associated with the stagecoach wars, religion and politics are clearly building to an outcome that will not be good for the Donnelly family. It’s hard not to feel the building dread.

Then, Armour’s James Carroll shows up and we know he’s someone we have to keep our eyes on, not just in this show, but in the show to come. He has vowed revenge and Armour’s menacing performance demands that the audience takes him seriously.

James Dallas Smith, Hallie Seline, Cam Laurie and Paul Dunn all do a great job filling out the ensemble, keeping the stage bustling and busy for the entire show.

Following the characters from show to show has been rewarding as well, and you can start to see the pay-off audiences will have when they see all three shows in three consecutive nights later this season.

Even seeing Johannah Donnelly in her familiar dress from Sticks and Stones evoked a feeling of comfort and familiarity with characters we remember well from a few weeks earlier.

The storm clouds are gathering for the Donnellys and, from what we know from history, they are unlikely to break in favour of sunny skies as we approach the final of the three shows, Handcuffs, which begins early next month.

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SUDOKU Fun By The Numbers Like puzzles?

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

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

PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2023.

Ironmen granted exemption

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen

On display Local artist and potter Rob Tetu, front, spoke to those in attendance on Friday night as the pottery exhibit he curated, entitled “Smoke and Fire”, opened at the Blyth Festival Art Gallery, bringing the work of nearly 10 Ontario potters to Blyth. (John Stephenson photo)

Changes add up

Here are some more random thoughts for the week ahead.

Apparently the management of Major League Baseball’s Seattle Mariners took exception to the stadium’s pro shop in Seattle displaying Toronto Blue Jays merchandise during their recent series in that city. Their city and team, so it should only be their merchandise, they said. It made me wonder if the Jays shouldn’t invest in a “pop-up kiosk” that can travel with them, especially to cities close to the border between the two nations. The stands in Seattle were full of Jays fans and a similar thing happens wherever the Jays play, particularly in cities just south of the border.

And the Jays have agreed to uniform advertising recently with the TD bank symbol on their sleeves. Perhaps these measures could help lower the price of seats in the newly-configured stadium.

It is sad to drive through the countryside and see so many dead or ailing trees. Climate change and weather extremes are likely to blame. Unfortunately, the removal of a tree is another of the tasks to be handled by our already-busy farmers and road crews.

And speaking of climate change, America’s most crucial waterway, the Mississippi River and some of its tributaries, are facing record low water levels, creating havoc for freight routes. About 64 per cent of the American midwest is experiencing record drought.

Barges are bottoming out or carrying lighter loads just to keep the economy along the river running. There is concern about salt water reaching further upstream, which would adversely affect the ecological makeup of the river, necessitating the erection of sills or levees as preventatives.

Over the past 20 years of study, half of the world’s oceans have changed colours due to climate

change, according to satellite data that has been studied. Tropical regions near the equator show the most colour change having become steadily greener. The article I read notes that an ocean’s colour results from the eco-system that is close to the surface.

The changes are felt to be a direct result of burning fossil fuels. Climate changes to oceans have already killed half of the world’s coral reefs and the melting of Arctic ice will have an adverse effect on the polar bear population.

Our province continues to struggle with the problem of homelessness, which is already becoming an issue for more rural areas like Huron County. One present solution has been to break up encampments, but these people only relocate. And it takes time for the various levels of government to find more permanent, but affordable housing. What we need are some viable short-term solutions with attached social services.

Like climate change, homelessness is something the general population did not see coming and now both situations are like a flower in full bloom. Now both are emergencies.

Although one can wonder what difference we can have making small changes in our own surroundings and communities, more and more we realize we are part of a global community and all the little changes do add up.

North Huron Council met for a regular meeting on Monday, July 17. A petition was put forth by landowners and accepted by council for drainage work to be done on the Robinson Municipal Drain. Council instructed Clerk Carson Lamb to send notice to the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs, and to the petitioners. Dietrich Engineering Ltd. will prepare a report to fulfill the requirements for the area requiring drainage, repairs and improvements. *** Council received a report on an updated Records Management and Retention Policy from Clerk Lamb.

Lamb was directed to prepare a bylaw for the Aug. 8 regular council meeting, when council will consider an updated Records Management and Retention Policy and repeal Bylaw No. 942016. *** The Wingham Ironmen made a

request for an exemption to the North Huron Ice In/Ice Out Policy for the 2023/2024 season, allowing the season to extend from Sept. 5, 2023 to March 31, 2024 in Wingham.

The exemption was granted and staff was directed to continue gathering, monitoring and analyzing ice time data and report back to council if an amendment to the North Huron Ice In/Ice Out Policy is warranted. ***

Council awarded the purchase of a tandem plow truck to Altruck International in the amount of $389,600, inclusive of taxes; and authorized the Director of Finance/Treasurer to carry over $185,000 from the 2023 capital budget into the 2024 capital budget and authorized pre-budget approval for the remaining $204,600 to be available and split in the approved 2024 ($102,300) and 2025 ($102,300) capital budgets to complete the purchase.

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