The Citizen - July 29, 2021

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• Editorials • Farms to Tables • Obituaries • Throwback

The

THIS WEEK

Citizen

Huron County’s most trusted independent news source Volume 37 No. 30

Thursday, July 29, 2021

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Brussels Market to return

By Denny Scott The Citizen

Without reservation The Brussels, Morris and Grey Pool, built by the Brussels Lions Club years ago, is finally completely open to the public after requiring reservations or preregistration since it opened earlier this year. Free swims, as of July 22, are open to 25 swimmers, firstcome first-served. While the restrictions have been lifted that required pre-registration, there are still

COVID-19 guidelines to heed, including staying six feet away from other people in the pool, wearing a mask outside the pool and coming dressed for swimming, as the changing rooms aren’t open. Above, two of the four lifeguards for the year, Tory (top) and Taylor Daw, posed for a photo on Sunday before the free swim started at 2 p.m. Absent were the other two lifeguards, Anna Fear and Emma Peel. (Denny Scott photo)

HE to assist with Logan’s Mill purchase

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Huron East Council has voted to assist the Huron East/Brussels Community Trust in the acquisition of the Brussels Mill property, for use by the Maitland Mills Association.

The specific motion details the lands named in the deal, which include the Brussels Mill building and its immediate surrounding property, but excludes the Brussels Dam, the land it immediately sits upon and the lands lying north and east of the Middle Maitland River.

This came after the Trust passed a motion at its May 26 meeting, authorizing the Trust to purchase the Brussels Conservation Area and the dam. The motion specified that the Municipality of Huron East would assist with the current provisions, which include lawn maintenance, garbage removal, insurance, grant/funding applications, dam stop log installation and

removal, charitable donation assistance and decommissioning of the dam (when applicable).

In his report to council, Chief Administrative Officer Brad McRoberts said he and municipal staff had concerns about purchasing the land from the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority as a whole, specifically the dam, as the municipality doesn’t have the resources to manage the dam itself.

“Staff undertook a site visit and confirmed that the structure itself is substantial. While the dam may not be serving its original purpose as it is related to the historic mill, the same has evolved into the retention of the mill pond, which provides aesthetic and recreational use,” McRoberts said in his report. “The dam also serves to ensure that sufficient water is retained to maintain base stream flows to the Middle Maitland River, which is important to aquatic life within the downstream portions of the river. “[The Maitland Valley

Conservation Authority] has staff and resources to monitor the conditions of the watershed and respond to seasonal conditions accordingly. These resources are not within existing Huron East resources.”

McRoberts said he recommended splitting the properties to ensure clear ownership of the mill with the Maitland Mills Association and ownership of the dam with the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority.

“The acquisition of the parklands on the north side of the river, excluding the dam and the property it sits upon, can be pursued at a later date,” McRoberts said in his report. “The municipality provides limited maintenance to the parklands, including grass maintenance and deadfall removal.

Huron East also provides resources to assist the [Maitland Valley Conservation Authority] in removing/setting the logs in the dam. This would

continue in its current form.”

Council approved McRoberts’ recommendation.

The Brussels Farmers’ Market will be returning to the community this year, though with a reduced time frame, according to organizer Zoellyn Onn. The market, which was held in the Four Winds Event Barn, was discontinued this year by the barn’s staff, which Onn said led to an outcry in the community.

“People were sad about that,” she said. “I decided to do something about it.”

Onn will be running the event three times this summer from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Richmond Square, the space that held the market before it was moved to the barn.

The market will be held on the last Friday of the next three months, beginning with this Friday, then Aug. 27, and Sept. 24.

Onn said getting the market going was no mean feat, as it required planning with Huron Perth Public Health resulting in a site plan and a COVID-19 exposure plan.

This year’s market will be simple, she said, with the vendors responsible for everything they need, including tables, tents and electricity, however no vendor fees will be charged for the three market dates.

“People can come set up and we’ll see how it goes,” Onn said.

“We’ve got live music as well.

We’re just going to feel it out and see how it goes. If it does go well, we’ll try something more frequent next year.”

For more information or to register as a vendor, contact Onn at 519-887-6336.

No new Huron cases

By Denny Scott The Citizen For the first time in months, there have been no new COVID-19 cases reported in Huron County in the past seven days, though there have been seven new cases reported in Perth County.

Huron and Perth Counties, according to Huron Perth Public Health, have 1,937 cumulative cases of COVID-19, up from 1,930 since last week, since the pandemic began in March of 2020.

New cases have been reported in Stratford, where six new cases brought its total to 472, and North Perth, where one new case brought its cumulative total, since the beginning of the pandemic, to 429.

Other municipalities across the area stayed at their cumulative totals from last week, including Perth East (171 cumulative cases), South Huron (155), Huron East (148), Central Huron (88), North Huron (77), West Perth (66), Morris-Turnberry (64), Bluewater (52), Howick (50), Perth South (49), St. Marys (48), AshfieldColborne-Wawanosh (37) and Goderich (31).

There are eight active cases across the area including three in Stratford and one each in Goderich, Huron East, North Perth, Perth South and St. Marys.

Likely acquisition continues to be driven by household- and outbreakrelated cases, with 29.8 and Continued on page 2

PAGE 2. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021.

Fall Fair decision based on deadlines

By Denny Scott The Citizen

‘Let’s Get Growing’ The Hensall 4-H Let’s Get Growing Club recently held its first meeting at the pavilion at the Hensall arena. After electing the executive, the group participated in plant-based guessing games before planting some growths for group members to take home and take care of as part of the members’ educational experience. (Photo submitted)

Portions of this year’s Brussels Fall Fair have been cancelled for several reasons according to Brussels Agricultural Society President Zoellyn Onn. The group announced the cancellation late last week in The Citizen and online. In a follow-up interview, Onn explained that committee members didn’t think they or the people who would contribute to the fair would have enough time to meet deadlines after the 18 months of uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We didn’t know if people had actually been preparing for the fair,” she said. “Even though the book is out, we didn’t know if that was at the forefront of people’s minds.”

The Agricultural Society wasn’t fully prepared for the fair, she said, and could have waited closer to the date of the fair but didn’t want to make a decision so late as to leave the society or people involved with the fair in the lurch.

While events like the parade and photo contest are set to run, with the latter being expanded in an effort to encourage participation, Onn said there were too many variables to consider for the inperson aspects of the event.

She said the expansion of the photo contest is great news because it’s going to reach out to everyone who may have contributed to the fair.

“Each section is going to come up with a title they would like to see,” she said. “The canning section, for example, will be ‘preserving our generations’, and people can interpret that how they like. The photos need to tell a story, and it’s open to all ages.”

Submissions will be accepted digitally, she said, and will be judged based on the content of the imagery, with the intent that everyone from those shooting on an iPhone to those with photography equipment will be able to compete.

“We wanted to make it more creative,” Onn said. “We’re not looking for the same kind of things we look at for the [traditional] photography contests. We want kids to take pictures on their phone.

We’re just looking to make it as easy to participate as possible.

As a result of the cancellation, the 2019 ambassadors will continue to serve for another year, which is good, Onn said, as they didn’t really receive a full year in the position and, ideally, they will be able to attend events in the future to represent the Agricultural Society.

Events that will go ahead include the annual parade which will start at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 19; a drive-thru barbecue dinner from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 19 (which may include dine-in options and entertainment if COVID-19 restrictions allow it); the home and business decorating competition and the photography competition.

More information is available online at brusselsfallfair.ca.

Full vaccinations continue rising in Huron-Perth Continued from page 1 25.3 per cent of cases reported being tied to those kinds of exposures, respectively. Close contact with known cases is responsible for 19.2 per cent of outbreaks while travel is responsible for one per cent.

Unknown vectors are listed as the likely causes for 24.7 per cent of cases.

There are currently 37 isolation orders active across the two counties for a cumulative total of 5,617 orders since the pandemic started.

During her weekly teleconference last Wednesday, Dr. Miriam Klassen weighed in on the importance of vaccination as Huron and Perth Counties continue to see small increases in first doses while fully-vaccinated statistics continue to climb steadily.

When asked about local hockey leagues potentially looking for billet families for players, Klassen weighed in on the debate of whether vaccines should be mandatory in such cases.

“Vaccinations are the number one achievement of public health and maybe all of medicine,” she said.

“I’m a strong proponent of vaccines. I take every vaccination for which I qualify and my family, including my children, parents and grandchildren and all my friends, are encouraged to receive their vaccinations.”

She said vaccinations have saved millions of lives since their inception and pointed to the fact that, in Ontario, vaccines are free as a reason for people to pursue them.

She then said she hopes that measures like proper information will convince people to get

vaccines and not make a mandatory vaccination rule necessary.

The number of people in Huron and Perth Counties with both doses is climbing steadily, having reached 77,944 as of Monday, representing 61 per cent of the eligible population. Those numbers are up from 68,869 and 53.9 per cent the week earlier.

The number of people with single doses, however, increased by less than 2,000 from 96,530 to 98,389, or from 75.5 per cent to 77 per cent of the eligible population.

Specific age demographic information for first COVID-19 shots is below: • 12-17: from 5,592 (59.2 per cent of eligible recipients) to 5,768 (61) • 18-24: from 6,711 (57.5) to 6,917 (59.3) • 25-29: from 5,308 (57.2) to 5,454 (58.7) • 30-39: from 10,690 (60.6) to 10,991 (62.3) • 40-49: from 11,378 (70.8) to 11,615 (72.3) • 50-59: from 15,497 (79.7) to 15,773 (81.1) • 60-69: from 19,324 (89.8) to 19,630 (91.2) • 70-79: from 14,025 (96.9) to 14,221 (98.2) • 80+ from 8,005 (96.8) - 8,020 (97) Fully vaccinated statistics, by demographic, are as follows: • 12-17: from 845 (8.9 per cent of eligible recipients) to 1,898 (20.1) • 18-24: from 3,354 (28.8) to 4,378 (37.5) • 25-29: from 2,908 (31.3) to 3,651 (39.3) • 30-39: from 6,246 (35.4) to 7,670 (43.4)

• 40-49: from 7,027 (43.8) to 8,519 (53) • 50-59: from 10,956 (56.3) to 12,802 (65.8)

• 60-69: from 16,337 (75.9) to 17,548 (81.5) • 70-79: from 13,374 (92.4) to 13,598 (93.9)

• 80+ from 7,822 (94.6) to 7,880 (95.3) For more information, visit hpph.ca.

July Self-Care Weekly Draws

Log onto our Facebook or website and tell us about someone you know who is selfless and needs some pampering or what you are doing to take care of yourself, so you are able to give to others. Each comment/tag here gets an entry for nominee and nominator.

If you nominated yourself get rewarded with 2 entries. You can nominate once per day!

Share ideas so we can all be better at this. ** Weekly winner announced the following Monday.

Each lucky winner will receive a $15.00 pamper box from Touchstone ** ** Grand draw will be announced July 31st!! Grand Prize will be a 1/2 hour treatment and a $50.00 pamper box for nominee and a 1/2 hour treatment for the nominator.

Let’s be good to ourselves this month.

Touchstone Therapies 625 Turnberry St, Brussels (226) 889-5654

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021. PAGE 3.

Opposition to proposed ACW gravel pit persists

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen A controversial gravel pit planned for a property along Little Lakes Road, just west of Ball’s Bridge, passed through another hurdle Monday night, holding a public meeting, allowing nearby residents to voice their objection to the proposal.

Held as a special meeting of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh Council, the meeting began with a presentation by Huron County Planner Celina Whaling-Rae, followed by comments from Melanie Horton, president of Esher Planning Inc., agent for the applicant Lobo Sand and Gravel. In order for the pit to move ahead, council has to approve a rezoning that would rezone portions of the property in question from agricultural (AG1) land to extractive resources (ER1) before it

can move on to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry for approval.

Whaling-Rae detailed the project, which is a proposed gravel pit just west of Ball’s Bridge and just east of an existing gravel pit, called the Fisher Pit. If approved, the proposed pit would allow for a maximum of 500,000 annual tonnage to be extracted from the site, some of which will come from below the water table. With upwards of 4.3 million tons of gravel anticipated to be located on the site, Whaling-Rae said the site would then be expected to be operated for between 10 and 15 years.

The proposed hours for the pit, according to Whaling-Rae would be between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday to Friday and between 7 a.m. and noon on Saturdays, though Whaling-Rae noted that the property owner has said Saturday

operations will be “occasional and infrequent”.

Gravel extraction, according to Whaling-Rae, will work on the site in a phased approach, moving from east to west as the years go on. A new entrance has also been proposed, working its way through the Fisher Pit, which is owned by the same company, onto Londesborough Road. This will ensure that no truck traffic will travel on Little Lakes Road or Ball’s Bridge, just standard vehicular traffic and potentially emergency service vehicles.

She also filed a number of documents to support the application, including a hydrogeological assessment, a natural environment report, an archaeological assessment, a noise impact study, several site plans and several application forms.

Whaling-Rae then detailed a number of concerns expressed by

Rita’s in good hands Rita Rutabaga, the fictional creation of Wild Goose Studio’s Cindy McKenna, left, was the focus of two creative Kids’ Art Clubs events at the studio over the past two weekends. Above, students get hands-on with some art projects while McKenna watches over them. (John Stephenson photo)

CH Council eyes hybrid meetings

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Central Huron Council is eyeing a return to in-person meetings in early September, provided nothing changes in regard to public health guidelines and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Councillors raised the issue at council’s July 19 meeting, which was held virtually using Zoom.

Chief Administrative Officer Steve Doherty said that he felt it was still unwise to hold in-person council meetings until the province proceeds

beyond Step 3, which is where the province currently sits. If the province opens further as Step 3 ends, it’s possible that in-person meetings could resume, perhaps for council’s first meeting of September.

With 25 people allowed to meet indoors, with physical distancing in place, Doherty said having a council meeting would be difficult with the number of councillors and staff members.

Clerk Kerri Ann O’Rourke said she plans on continuing a hybrid model for council meetings moving forward for that exact reason. If

there is a cap on how many people can attend, council can get into trouble with the Ombudsman if people aren’t permitted to attend, so giving them an option to watch the meeting online if capacity limits have been reached, ensures the meetings remain open to everyone.

This discussion comes after several councillors, Alison Lobb and Alex Westerhout among them, have expressed a desire to return to in-person meetings.

Doherty said staff would prepare a report and present it to council at a future meeting for consideration.

neighbours and residents, including one letter from the Friends of Ball’s Bridge and Little Lakes (an evolution of the Friends of Ball’s Bridge group, which sprung up years ago when the historic bridge was facing demolition), representing its 160 members.

She also said the Maitland Trail Association, which oversees a trail that runs right through the proposed gravel pit property, has filed concerns, but is willing to work with the new owner to find a solution for the trail if it is affected by any land use change on the property.

Whaling-Rae recommended that council open the floor for public comments and then pass a motion receiving the report for information. Council would not make a final decision on the rezoning application, she said, until a policy review, written responses to public comments and a formal planning recommendation could be provided to council at a future meeting.

Horton then detailed the project from Lobo Sand and Gravel’s perspective, saying the company is family-owned and has been operating in Huron and Lambton Counties for 50 years.

She also said that the company has been lauded for its progressive rehabilitation efforts at other pits the company has operated, which is what is planned for the proposed pit as well.

One point of contention, she said, is that the company has been alleged to have not sufficiently consulted with local Indigenous groups, which she said is not true.

The company has circulated plans for the pit to Kettle and Stony Point First Nation, Chippewa of the Thames First Nation and the Saugeen Ojibway Nation.

Then, Mayor Glen McNeil opened the floor to members of the public who wished to speak.

President of the Friends of Ball’s Bridge and Little Lakes Rebecca Garrett said she was concerned that those who will be most affected by the project, neighbours and members of the community, have not been consulted. As a result, she said over 150 letters have been written to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

in objection to the proposal.

Garrett said the group is dedicated to protecting what is valuable and irreplaceable, which is what the sensitive environment around Ball’s Bridge and the Little Lakes is.

Sarah Mainguy of North-South Environmental Inc., who was brought on by the Friends of Ball’s Bridge and Little Lakes, was the next to speak, saying her review of the natural environment report for the pit alleged a number of shortcomings, including no information from local residents, incomplete amphibian surveys and more.

In her report, Mainguy suggested that the significance of the river corridor has “likely been underestimated” and that the 10metre buffer along the Maitland River should be expanded to at least 30 metres to be in line with other highly significant features in the province.

Daryl Ball, whose family is the Ball’s Bridge namesake, suggested that a study should be undertaken to establish the effect of the potential for increased vibration as a result of the pit on the bridge structure. He also noted the bridge’s Ontario Heritage Trust award and gold and blue plaque of historical significance, saying the area must be protected.

Several others spoke about their personal connections to the Little Lakes community and that they felt a gravel pit should be constructed elsewhere in the county and not in such an environmentally-sensitive area.

Council thanked the residents for their comments and passed the recommended motion, receiving Whaling-Rae’s report. Council will receive more information and a recommendation from the Huron County Planning and Development Department at a future meeting.

Whaling-Rae also reminded council and the members of the public in attendance that the Ministry of Natural Resources regulates the licensing and operations of gravel pits in Ontario through the Aggregates Resources Act and that Ashfield-ColborneWawanosh Council only has decision-making authority over the rezoning application.

He saw that they were in serious trouble!

(J.R. Miller, “Miller’s Year Book — a Year’s Daily Readings”) “Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side. After leaving them, He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves.

About three o’clock in the morning He came to them, walking on the water.” Mark 6:45, 46, 48 Jesus did not come immediately; indeed, it was almost morning when He came, and the disciples had been struggling all night in the storm. Yet He had not been indifferent to them meanwhile. From the mountainside where He was praying, He kept His eye upon them. “He saw that they were in serious trouble.” All that dark night, He kept a watch upon that little boat that bore His disciples in the midst of the waves.

There is something very suggestive in the narrative. This ‘boat in the storm’, is a picture of ‘Christ’s friends in this world, in the storms of life.’ Sometimes we think we are forgotten — but from His place in glory, Christ’s eye is always on us! He sees us struggling, battling with the waves, beaten, and distressed. He has full sympathy with us in all our struggles. It ought to be a great strength and comfort to us in trial, to know this. Jesus intercedes for us in our distresses!

It may not be best always to deliver us immediately — but His prayer continually ascends, that our faith may not fail in the struggle. This also should encourage us.

Then, He always comes in time. He may delay long, but it is never too long. If we call upon Him in trouble — we may be sure that He hears and sees us, and knows just how hard it is for us to endure; that He prays for us that we may not fail, and that He will come at the right time for our deliverance!

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

PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021.

Editorials & Opinions

Founding Publisher: Keith Roulston Publisher & President: Deb Sholdice Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny Scott Advertising Sales: Brenda Nyveld • Heather Fraser The Citizen is published 51 times a year in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $40.00/year ($38.10 + $1.90 G.S.T.) in Canada; $190.00/year in U.S.A. Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion of the advertisement will be credited.

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Double standards It’s hard to believe that in 2021 we are discussing a dress code for sports that is not tied to performance, but the European Handball Federation (EHF) recently fined the Norwegian women’s team 1,500 Euros after they dared to wear athletic shorts for their bronze-medal game, rather than the required bikini bottoms.

The EHF’s oddly specific rule dictates that the women must wear bikini bottoms “with a close fit and cut on an upward angle toward the top of the leg. The side width must be of a maximum of 10 centimetres”.

It’s hard to imagine that this rule serves any purpose other than the sexualization of the players. At the same time, Paralympian long jumper Olivia Breen was told that her shorts were too short at the English Championships, creating even more confusion as to what is socially acceptable for athletes, and female athletes especially.

Men’s athletic wear has always been about comfort and performance, with little to no attention paid to how well it shows off their bodies.

But, we may see the standards begin to be changing. The German gymnastics team decided to wear unitards to the Olympics, choosing to counteract sexualization in sport and making it an individual choice to wear whatever makes the individual the most comfortable to compete in.

Unless there is a reason tied to safety, performance or decency, athletes should be the ones making the decision about clothing. – DS

Make Canada American again To mark 20 years since the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, Paul Tetreault of Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. is staging a free return to live theatre on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial this September.

Speaking to The Washington Post, Tetreault said he wanted the event to acknowledge a time in which the U.S. was “really together and united”, adding that the country is “so divided” now. The performance will be Come From Away, the smash hit Broadway musical that tells the story of thousands of people from all over the world being accepted into the lives and homes of the residents of Gander, Newfoundland.

No need to dust off that atlas. Newfoundland is, in fact, in Canada.

And Gander residents are, in fact, Canadians. So Tetreault, though surely good-intentioned, aims to look back glowingly at a time of American unity and acceptance with a story about Canadians doing the uniting with and accepting of those from around the world. While some U.S. citizens were uniting, flying flags and grieving losses together, Islamophobia was also taking hold across the nation. According to the FBI, nearly 500 hate crimes against Muslims were reported in the U.S. in 2001, compared to 28 in 2000. (They have remained high ever since, staying between 105 and 160 between 2002 and 2014.)

If the shoe was on the other foot, would Americans have been as welcoming? Hard to say. Some likely would have. Others would not.

Americans have a history of turning everything American, and this is yet another example. The story of Gander in September of 2011 is one of Canadian kindness and embracing common humanity and it belongs to this country. It’s not to be used as American propaganda of an idealized past that may never have existed in the first place. – SL

A rock and a hard place In what could be the least surprising announcement at a North Huron Council meeting in some time, staff told council members that nonresident user fees may be having a negative impact on program and facility attendance. Director of Recreation and Services Vicky Luttenberger, in a report to council, said that users who select a preauthorized recreation payment plan are down significantly and, while that could be due to COVID-19, complaints filed with the department and the municipality led her to believe it could also be due to nonresident user fees that council implemented recently. Luttenberger said there had been 10 complaints of varying severity lodged with the municipality and staff over the fees, indicating a significant issue.

Council shouldn’t be surprised by the report for two reasons. The first is because the resistance to the change had been noted by staff and council at previous meetings. Secondly, anything that creates a “twotier” system based on location is going to frustrate the people involved.

That said, council doesn’t really have much of an option, as Reeve Bernie Bailey pointed out when Luttenberger presented the report on July 19. He said that Morris-Turnberry was paying out additional funds to other community centres to help with COVID-19 expenses while, last year, the neighbouring municipality had reduced payments to North Huron, again citing COVID-19. Luttenberger is now concerned that programs may be reduced or open only to North Huron residents. Those programs are supposed to be run on a cost-neutral basis so as to not impact taxes, meaning with fewer users and less outside funding, and, as a result, there may be a reduction in services.

Regardless of Bailey’s worry that North Huron is being portrayed as “the bad guy”, council had to know this wouldn’t be very popular. – JDS

Looking Back Through the Years July 23, 1964 Several Brussels Public School students passed their exams at the Toronto Conservatory of Music, including Ann Oldfield, who passed Grade 8 piano and Grade 2 theory; Mary Gibson, Joyce Huether and George Vallance, who passed Grade 7 piano and Grade 2 theory and Kathaleen Krauter, who passed Grade 7 piano.

The Brussels 4-H Tractor Club held its July meeting at McGavin’s in Walton with 14 members present.

Dave Wheeler of the club thanked Neil McGavin for hosting the club.

D.H. Miles, Huron County’s agricultural representative, said that corn and white beans throughout the county were seeing excellent growth. However, in some areas of the county, both the army worm and the Mexican bean beetle were affecting crops.

July 24, 1974 While the provincial government had proposed an overhaul to the delivery of healthcare in Ontario, Huron County Council voiced its opposition.

With the proposed district borders, Huron County would be included with Perth, Middlesex, Oxford and Elgin Counties, meaning the 50,000 people living in Huron County would be part of a total population of 550,000. If that were the case, Huron County would be “swamped” and unable to have an effective voice on the District Health Council, said Administrator John Berry.

The Huron County Junior Farmers Association was set to mark its 25th anniversary in 1974.

The formation of the countywide association came after local groups, which existed as far back as

1920, felt there was a need for a county organization.

It was in 1949 that the South Huron, Clinton, Colwanash, Howick and North Huron clubs came together to form the county group.

July 24, 1996 Over 1,200 people attended a celebration to mark the 60th anniversary of McGavin Farm Equipment and Farm Supply Ltd. At that event, President Neil McGavin announced that he would soon be stepping back so his sons Brian and Jeff could take over.

West Wawanosh Township was facing provincial charges relating to its local dumping site. Residents were busy fighting against a proposed Huron County dump in the township and, through that process and letters of inquiry sent in regards to the potential new site, two existing offences under the Provincial Offences Act were discovered at the existing site.

The charges alleged “the discharge of drainage water that had been in contact with garbage in the domestic waste landfill trench, to the wetland on the property owned by the township” and for “improper covering of domestic waste in the landfill trench.”

Due to overwhelming demand, the Blyth Festival season opener, Barndance Live!, was being held over, with five new performances being added.

Blyth Village Council was handed an unpleasant surprise when councillors were told the village would have to pay back over $15,000 to the Ministry of Environment and Energy for an overpayment of a sewage works program.

July 28, 2011 A by-election had been called by

Huron East Council to fill the Brussels Ward Councillor seat left vacant after the sudden resignation of Councillor Joe Seili, which had been officially accepted at council’s July 19 meeting.

Council had several options, among them appointing Frank Stretton to the position, as he was the only person to run for one of the two seats other than eventual winners Seili and David Blaney.

Mayor Bernie MacLellan, however, suggested that with three years left in the term, a by-election was the way to go, leaving it up to voters, though he did not disagree with Stretton’s competence.

Huron East Council was among four Huron County municipalities that found themselves named in a Superior Court of Justice challenge to split the county down the middle.

A lawyer representing AshfieldColborne-Wawanosh, Bluewater, Goderich, Howick and MorrisTurnberry was taking the decision to retain the size of Huron County Council to court. Huron East, North Huron, Central Huron and South Huron had all been named as respondents in the case.

The Walton Brewers were unable to repeat as champions of the Brussels Tigers annual fastball tournament, with the Kitchener Selects defeating the Harwood Corners team to win the crown.

The Brewers also had a tough time in regular Huron County Fastball League action, as they fell to the Stratford Memorials by a score of 4-0. The locals managed just five hits in the shutout loss.

They did manage a win against the Belmore Stingers, however, by a score of 13-4, in a game that was scheduled for May 25, but was postponed due to bad weather.

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021. PAGE 5.

Other Views

Not everybody thinks the same way

O

ne thing that the pandemic has reminded us about is that not everybody thinks the same way. While this may be frustrating in times of crises, this sort of diversity of opinion has its good side as well.

Fighting COVID-19 infections has been made more difficult by people who can look at the same facts the rest of us see, yet resist wearing masks, physical distancing and getting vaccinated, thereby prolonging the danger we’re all facing, vaccinated and unvaccinated alike.

Yet the fact some people think differently has also led to many of the advances that ease our modern lives. Thomas Edison imagined light from electricity, Alexander Graham Bell thought voices could be transmitted long distances through wire and pioneering scientists created vaccines for polio, smallpox and, now, COVID-19. If they hadn’t had a different twist of thinking, we’d never have had those sorts of breakthrough.

Closer to home, we’ve had smaller but significant projects which most of us would never have conceived of that are making a difference.

I must admit I shook my head in doubt when I heard of the late Bryan Morton’s plans to move an old timber barn into the middle of Brussels’ downtown business district. But he knew more than I, and until the pandemic shutdown threw a wrench in the works, the Four Winds Wedding and Event Barn had brought crowds to the village’s main drag.

When the Canadian Pacific Railway announced it was discontinuing rail service on its line from Goderich to Guelph, through Auburn, Blyth and Walton, and taking up the rails, I was among many who were upset. Still, when I heard that a Goderich committee had

Keith Roulston From the cluttered desk organized to save the huge trestle that spanned the Maitland River just north of the harbour, I doubted the viability of the project. But those visionaries achieved their goal and I have many times joined the hundreds of thousands who have trekked across that bridge since it was saved to enjoy the spectacular view.

Farther inland, although I’d read, and been intrigued by, articles about other former railway rights of way being turned into hiking trails, I didn’t have the vision (and drive) of Walton’s Chris Lee and others along the CPR line who worked for years to turn it into the Goderich-to-Guelph Rail Trail, which now attracts thousands of hikers and bikers and adds to the economic vitality of the area. (If only there had been visionaries to save Auburn’s tressel across the Maitland and the underpass under County Rd. 25 west of Blyth.)

Recently we had a family reunion, following the pandemic shutdown, at my daughter’s farm south of Blyth. Periodically helicopters would choppity-chop overhead, delivering customers to the Cowbell brewery on the southern edge of Blyth. When the brewery was first proposed, I had no doubt it would have some success given the business experience and resources of the founding Sparling family, but I could never have foreseen the crowds it has drawn.

I’ve been part of a couple of these “it shouldn’t work” moments. Back in 1975,

James Roy had an idea for a summer theatre festival in his hometown’s Blyth Memorial Hall. In those days, summer theatres were only located in summer resort towns like Grand Bend and Gravenhurst, where there were plenty of city visitors. These theatres also generally performed famous Broadway and West End hits. James was going to depend on attracting local rural and town audiences by telling stories (and therefore new plays) of people like them. He not only succeeded in starting an iconic theatre that’s still thriving nearly 50 years later, but he inspired theatres to spring up in other non-tourist locations like Drayton and Millbrook.

In 1985, with both Brussels and Blyth no longer having community newspapers, a group of people conceived the idea of a newspaper to serve both villages, to be owned by shareholders from the community. The late Sheila Richards, co-founder of The Citizen, loved to tell the story of the comment by the President of the Ontario Community Newspaper Association (OCNA) at the time who was asked by a reporter for the Kitchener-Waterloo Record about the new newspaper’s chances.

The man wished the new newspaper good luck but it was clear he gave it little chance.

Of course, 36 years later, the communityowned Citizen has the biggest editorial staff of any newspaper in the county. The OCNA President who was quoted, later sold his newspaper to a large chain. His town no longer has a newspaper after the chain amalgamated his former paper with others nearby that the chain owned.

So here’s to all the people who think differently – at least those who put that different sort of mind to work in a positive way. We need diversity of thinking, even if at times such thinkers are a pain in the neck.

My pitch: Why we can’t have nice things

F

or years I’ve wanted to be involved in more creative endeavours in my downtime like writing a book (likely in the fantasy or sci-fi genres), working on a play or writing for a television show. I think I’ve finally figured out my pitch: a TV show called This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things.

Undoubtedly, it would be so popular it would be shortened to its initials, TIWWCHNT, as the kids are wont to do nowadays, or just Nice Things, and then I’d be able to say I wrote a television show. (I mean, sure, television writers get paid a bit more than small-town journalists, but I love what I do, so I’d do it more for the experience.)

The premise of the show would be to focus on both the people who ruin things for the rest of the world and the people who try to clean up the mess. There are plenty of examples of very bad situations ruining things for everyone else, like the “All Lives Matter” crowds (not that all lives don’t matter, but they’re kind of missing the point of the rallying cry they’re trying to subvert), the Brexit campaigners and, even here in Canada, the both new and long-time anti-vaxxers keeping the rest of us and our health system at risk.

However, the show wouldn’t always have to focus on the big issues, sometimes it could just focus on other problems, like penises.

Boy, there’s a phrase I’d never thought I’d type for print, but, thanks to what I recently read about the Tour de France, I know now that giant, graffiti penises (alongside other imagery) are a huge problem for the race.

It’s such an issue that the company responsible for the advertising initiatives that follow the race around (and often outside) the country has had to hire its own superhero team, The Eraser Men, to tackle the issue.

The Eraser Men, better known as Patrick Dancoisne and Joël Gautriand, have a

Denny Scott Denny’s Den hallowed duty every morning of the race: driving the route and cleaning up any kind of graffiti that may be found, which includes a large number of phalluses.

Early in the morning, the duo find themselves in a vehicle driving from “tagged” spot to spot, transforming everything from needles (mocking some racers for following Lance Armstrong’s shortcut to winning: steroids) to political slogans into more palatable images.

Penises, for example, apparently become very convincing butterflies.

The duo travel the route in a van twice: once backwards from the end of the race to the beginning, transforming political slogans into gibberish, syringes into ladders and penises into butterflies, owls or cycles. Then they go from the beginning of the race to the end to catch any graffiti that may have popped up since they started their run.

Their record is pretty good, if you consider the number of people with spray paint and too much time on their hands, as there has rarely been a penis show up during the televised race, which is supposed to be a family-friendly event.

Carrying nothing but buckets of paint in their vehicle, Dancoisne and Gautriand do their best to protect the eyes of the world from portrayals of penises and, if I ever do get my show off the ground, I’d make them the pilot episode. Why? Because I’ll wait a few

episodes before I get into the heavier topics I mentioned earlier.

Another reason The Eraser Men would be the first episode would be because of the pair’s pithy moniker and the fact that their very existence proves that, as a race, humans really can’t have nice things.

We have this wonderful bicycle race, even if it has been marred by allegations of steroid use, that people can’t see without thinking, “You know what would make this really interesting? An anatomically-incorrect penis in bright yellow spray paint.”

Okay, seriously, that’s the last time I’m referring to male genitals in this piece. I promise.

The point here is, however, that no one can have anything in this world without people trying to tear it down, often just because they don’t want someone else to have something.

That’s why the idea for the show is so solid.

We can all point to an example where a couple of bad apples ruined everything for everyone else. You could point to these graffiti artists defacing a race people work years to compete in, or the people burning the brush pile here in Blyth (which led to it being closed until a security system was put in place) or even the near-universal experience that parents have of uttering the phrase, “this is why we can’t have nice things” when a child inevitably wrecks/ruins/stains something by not listening. (Not that we parents have anyone to blame but ourselves in that situation.)

Maybe the show would mainly be depressing looks at how racists, bigots and science deniers tend to make things all about themselves and how poorly their privileged behinds have been treated, but every once in awhile we’d get to focus on people like The Eraser Men and their endless quest to rid the world-famous race of drawn penises.

Shawn Loughlin Shawn’s Sense

Why am I doing this?

F

or those of you who read my column as yet another chapter in an absolutely gigantic novel I’m writing, here is Chapter 577 (which is actually Chapter 576 for those of you who really follow the column and know that one column was accidentally repeated). But, those of you who were expecting “Nature is Healing III” will have to wait at least one more week, if it ever comes.

In the past few weeks I’ve been reflecting on some of the things I have to do now as the editor of this fine newspaper. This won’t be a laundry list of complaints, but rather an inventory of the things we do here that weren’t covered for me as I sat in Etobicoke over 15 years ago, taking notes in journalism school.

I remember, when I first started working at The Citizen and Jill Roulston was still at the helm of the front desk (and the phones) and she would get frequent calls from people in search of a phone number or an address. While not exactly in her job description, Jill would often help whoever was on the other end of the phone, thumbing through our phone book and providing an answer to the person’s question.

The local newspaper isn’t exactly 411, but she was willing to help. In fact, I believe we still get those calls today sometimes, but it’s Deb, Dianne or Joan who fields them.

That’s just one quick example, but a smalltown newspaper is there to help, as evidenced by our staff fielding those calls and handing out phone numbers to those who need them.

I’ve been there as well over the years, aiding people in their search for a story or a picture that appeared in our newspaper decades ago.

While that time and effort won’t necessarily make what you find in the pages of The Citizen any better, it will mean the world to that person looking for a picture of a grandparent or a story about a long-forgotten ancestor.

What I have much less time for is something that didn’t even really exist when I graduated from Humber College over 15 years ago.

Deb, Denny and I are all moderators on The Citizen’s social media accounts and lately one of the more unsavoury aspects of that task is keeping our eye out for racial slurs, profanity, homophobia and general unpleasantries being used by you, our dear readers (though it’s very possible that there is little crossover between those who read The Citizen on paper and those who scan our social media and complain).

Indeed, there have been two topics that have ignited our readership in very passionate ways in the past few months: North Huron Council’s decision not to fly the pride flag and the Gypsy Lane renaming proposal.

Every time we post a story about one of these two topics, all three - Deb, Denny and myself - of our phones vibrate consistently for the rest of the day. Whether it’s calls of racism, cancel culture, Liberal takeover, history and heritage, or people simply telling other people to shut up, we receive notifications. All three of us. And, we have to stop what we’re doing, whether it’s at work or spending time with our families, to ensure no one has crossed the line.

No, journalism school didn’t teach me about the dread of having to take time away from my wife and daughter to pick up my phone and hope a reader didn’t hurl an ethnic slur or that some sort of Warriors-esque battle has been arranged on our page (‘Woke’ vs. ‘Unwoke’ on Gypsy Lane, no doubt, to “reclaim” it).

I’ve been educated to listen intently, report accurately, write clearly and, yes, find truth.

Some of the other tasks, frankly, I’m figuring out as I go - and I resent them. Monitoring a comment section isn’t journalism at all, it’s babysitting - only with supposed grown-ups.

PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021.

Huron East supports Leo Club’s dog park proposal

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Huron East Council is moving forward with the Brussels Leo Club

to construct a new dog park in Brussels, with a project that’s scheduled to be completed in three phases.

The club proposed the park at a

previous meeting of council, but, at council’s July 20 meeting, which was held virtually via Zoom, council heard more about the specifics of the park,

Jump in!

The Brussels, Morris and Grey Pool is officially open to the public. As of July 22, reservations were no longer necessary and up to 25 swimmers could jump in the water for a free swim. Provided swimmers follow the rules, including staying six feet away from each other and wearing masks outside the pool, those rules will remain says the Brussels Recreation Committee. Public swims are scheduled daily 2-3:30 p.m. with an additional swim Mondays to Fridays 6-7:30 p.m. (Denny Scott photo)

Local church marks last service A NOTE FROM BETTY

By Betty Graber Watson Call 887-9231 Yippee! I got to touch the Alberta boys. Being in the same space as Hark and Weston and, oh yes, Phil and Laurena was a pretty fine way to spend some fun days in Alberta.

FaceTime is a great substitute, but getting hands-on with hugs and giggles was well worth the wait.

Swoop out of Hamilton with Brother Bill taxi got us to our flight to Edmonton where the Clif cab at

the other end took over. I think you already know I have good brothers.

So, masks on, distance when possible and getting on with life seemed to work well in all the spots we checked out. So a good visit and good to be home.

Olympics like no other are now underway. The whole world had an opinion on the games, whether they should go ahead or not. The decision was made and the opening ceremonies happened. Now we can watch the work and dreams of the athletes.

I really liked the parade by country, their uniforms and their demeanor. The population of each country and the number of athletes on site was shown, while a little globe in the corner of the television screen showed exactly where the country was situated. Burkina Faso,

Gabon, Eswatini, Palau and Kiribati were new countries to me, so I truly appreciated seeing where they fit in the world. By the way, Canada has 370 excellent contestants in 30 sports in Tokyo. This is a time to dream of a better world.

I attended a celebration in Dungannon on Sunday. The United Church held its last worship service, reminding those in attendance of the legacy of the last 138 years. Like a funeral with the history and the remembering, the congregation was reminded by Brian Hymers of the good work done by their presence and the work that they will continue to do in a new way. Well done to the United folks of Dungannon.

Enjoy these summer days. Be safe. Be kind.

Bye now, Betty G.W.

including estimated costs and a timeline.

According to the club’s report to council, the first phase would consist of fencing around the area, which will be located at the grassed area adjoining the Richmond Square parking lot on the main street of Brussels. The first phase would also include two “poop and scoop” stations, as well as signage.

The second phase would include the installation of a waterdispensing fountain and a dog water fountain, while the third phase would be landscaping and the installation of picnic tables and benches.

The club said, in its report, that it intends to begin the first phase of the project this summer and move on to subsequent phases as funding allows.

New Chief Administrative Officer Brad McRoberts presented the club’s report at council’s July 20 meeting, saying he conducted a site

visit to understand the lay of the land. He said one of his few suggestions what that the fence gates be wide enough to accommodate any municipal lawn maintenance equipment, as Huron East will be responsible for cutting the grass.

In the Leo Club’s report, cost estimates (which the club notes are “very rough” at this juncture) list fencing and gate installation at $12,000, the fountain at $10,000, two “poop and scoop” stations at $1,000, a sign at $2,000 and beautification at $2,000, meaning that the project is estimated to cost $27,000.

Council was in favour of the project, authorizing the Leo Club to move ahead, however, Mayor Bernie MacLellan suggested loaning the club the money to complete all three phases at the same time to save money. No final decision was made on that suggestion, but staff will return with a report.

At the Branch

‘Ace’ tickets for sale

By Jo-Ann McDonald We are officially open at the Brussels Legion Branch and it is great to have folks dropping in for a visit. The patio is being very well received with lots of folks enjoying it. We have a busy weekend coming up on Aug. 7-8. If any of our members can free up some time to help at two different fish dinners, please call the Branch today.

The summer is moving along and it is time to think about joining the Legion. Stop in and pick up an application form and come join the Legion family. New members are always welcomed.

The Catch the Ace draw will start on Aug. 6. Tickets are available at McDonald Lumber, Brussels Pharmacy and Brussels Variety.

They are also available at the Branch.

Information on the VIP program is available at the Branch as well. VIP supporters of the Catch

the Ace must enroll in the program

by Sept. 1.

NEWS FROM BRUSSELS

The Citizen Offices will be closed

Monday, August 2 for Civic Holiday The deadline for the August 2 paper will be

Friday, July 30 at 2 pm

Bubbling, babbling brook Local photographer Liz Allan of the Maitland Valley Camera Club snapped this photo of some peculiar bubbles showing up in a local creek. Submit your photos to The Citizen by e-mailing them to reporter@northhuron.on.ca. (Photo courtesy of Liz Allan of the Maitland Valley Camera Club)

405 Queen St., Blyth 519-523-4792

541 Turnberry St., Brussels 519-887-9114

info@northhuron.on.ca

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021. PAGE 7.

North Huron Council eyes return to in-person events

By Denny Scott The Citizen

North Huron Township Council approved its “Roadmap to Reopening” during its July 19 meeting, and the document includes

in-person council meetings resuming next month.

The report, which is based on the province’s reopening plan, says that with Step 3 of the province’s reopening plan being reached, council could approve facilities and

services reopening, as well as inperson meetings.

As part of the plan, the town hall will reopen on Aug. 3 and council’s first meeting after that, set for Aug. 9, will be held in-person in the Town Hall Theatre, directly above

the former council chambers.

Local business improvement areas, located in Blyth and Wingham, will also be able to hold meetings in person starting in August, according to the plan.

Chief Administrative Officer Dwayne Evans, who presented the plan, explained that there would be a phasing-in approach for services and facilities, as the municipality is currently facing a shortage of parttime staff.

Evans also reported on the

municipality’s daycare services, saying the main daycare program has remained operational through the last wave of the pandemic and adjustments have allowed the number of children permitted at the site to increase. Going forward, he said the before- and after-school programs would run, provided schools resume in-person classes.

With all the changes, Evans said there would be measures in place for staff and council to make sure the reopening is handled safely.

Council supports Howson expansion

By Denny Scott The Citizen

A popular lunch spot Every Thursday the Blyth Community Market operates in the village’s downtown with vendors set up throughout the commercial core. Above, volunteers from local churches provide meals as a fundraiser. Other booths offer fresh produce, coffee and pastries, children’s activities and retail shopping opportunities. (Denny Scott photo)

Market offers meals, kids’ events From Marilyn’s Desk

By Marilyn Craig Call 523-9318

Happy birthday to Brooklyn Bromley, Belgrave and Doug Craig, Atwood, who will celebrate July 30; Emily deCorte of Zurich, July 31; Rick Elliott, Aug. 1 and Eldon

Chamney, Aug. 2. Hope everyone has a good day.

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

The summer is passing us by really quickly. The list of birthday congratulations is already into August and that means summer will soon be gone.

On Monday, the temperature was over 30°C., which is warmer than we have had in the last few days.

Don’t forget the Blyth Community Market on Thursday, July 29. Come out and see what the

vendors have to offer. Blyth United Church is offering to please your taste buds with turkey and apple crisp for lunch. If you would like a take-out order, please call 519-5259421 for orders and deliveries intown.

There is also a booth for children to go to sponsored by the churches in the area. Come and see what they are offering this week. The market runs from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Stay safe this coming week and give someone a phone call to let them know you are thinking of them.

North Huron Township Council has supported a site plan agreement at Howson and Howson Limited that will see the company’s Blyth facility expanded.

Council ruled on the issue during its July 19 meeting, saying that the expansion of the industrial complex made sense.

The expansion will see the loadout portion of the site, on the south side of the facility, graded and expanded.

The only suggestions from the Huron County Planning and Development Department were to ensure the expansion did not result in any additional dust or noise once operational, and planner Monica Walker-Bolton said that could be achieved by making sure that entrances to the new expansion were kept closed when not in use.

Feeling Dirty?

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

Council voted to support the site plan with little discussion.

NEWS FROM BLYTH Follow The Citizen online through Facebook, Twitter or our website at huroncitizen.ca.

Locally owned and serving Huron County for 14 years

New this year offering pest control for spiders, cluster flies and other creepy crawlers, as well as mice and rats.

Book now for your lawn fertilizer and weed control package.

Call or text Todd at 519-357-7580 e-mail walkerspropertycare@gmail.com

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!

Take a load off Local photographer Darlene Greydanus of the Maitland Valley Camera Club found this little slice of peace and quiet in a local space recently. Share your photos by e-mailing them to reporter@northhuron.on.ca. (Photo courtesy of Darlene Greydanus of the Maitland Valley Camera Club)

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 8. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021.

Wet weather puts local harvesting on hold PEOPLE AROUND WALTON

By Jo-Ann McDonald Call 887-6570

What a great week it has been with good weather for the wheat harvest. The farmers are hard at it and it seems to be going well. After the combine leaves the field, the balers move in and the fields are covered with bales. Keep your eyes open and have some patience when driving, there are lots of big farm machinery on the roads. The rain on Saturday put an end to

harvest for the time being, but many will be anxious to start back.

It is also great to see stores open and folks out and about. The folks that I see are wearing their masks, which is the right thing to do.

Folks may see some familiar faces around Brussels in Brent Wheeler and Brooklyn Wheeler Raney. Brent and wife Caroline and boys Blake and Luke are here for a

Open to the public The Clinton Raceway is welcoming physically-distanced crowds to the site for its weekly races with post time set for 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. (John Stephenson photo)

Experience Ontario all over again.

There’s so much to rediscover in Ontario. From endless parks and trails to bustling cities and local businesses.

Let’s get back to exploring Ontario.

Get started today at destinationontario.com

family visit from Grande Prairie, Alberta for a couple of weeks.

Brooklyn is here from New Hampshire but unfortunately her husband Bill and son Landon couldn’t cross the border for the family visit. She will be here for a week or so. Brianne will hopefully make it for the family picnic held at the Knight cottage on the weekend.

Congratulations to Cole and Jessica McLean on the arrival of a beautiful baby girl they have named Lila. Excited grandparents for a second time in a matter of weeks are Keith and Pam McLean.

I heard sad news this week about the passing of a customer of mine.

Nel Bentinck was a resident of the Highland Apartments for about the past five years. She was born in Holland and lived through the hard times of the Nazi occupation and Second World War. She came to Canada and she and her husband settled in Hanover. She moved to Brussels about 15 years ago and lived in the “Kerr” apartments. She was a lovely traditional lady who always wore a dress. She loved to walk and did so almost everyday of her life. Nel was 101 years of age.

Our condolences to the Fischer family on the passing of Ralph Fischer. Ralph will be missed by his wife Frances and family of Laurie, Starr, Joy, Gaye and Mark and daughter-in-law Debbie and the many members of their families, as well as his stepchildren Paul and Vanda and their families.

Ralph was a long-time farmer in McKillop Township and loved to visit with folks from Walton. Ralph and Frances moved to the Ritz Villa in Mitchell a few years ago.

My mother was also a resident there. We had some great visits with Ralph and Frances

when I would go to Mitchell.

Our condolences to the families.

Celebrating birthdays this past week were Bradley Fraser, Laura Godkin, Alivia McCall MacBain, Charles Gulutzen, Lanette Todd, Jim Blake, Kathy Elliott, Jayne Ross, Dorothy Kelly, George Townsend, Tyler Eckert, Donna Blair, Jeff Bouwman, Cathy Flaxbard and Tyler Leslie Ribey.

Happy birthday to all.

NEWS FROM WALTON Going camping this weekend? Heading out on the boat? Send photos fo your Civic Holiday weekend to reporter@northhuron.on.ca for a chance to see them in print in The Citizen.

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021. PAGE 9.

519-523-4311

www.ruralvoice.ca

Agriculture

BLYTH 519-523-4244

www.hurontractor.com

Brussels Livestock report

Cows sell at actively steady prices at weekly sale Total receipts for Brussels Livestock for the week ending July 23 were 1,075 cattle and 419 lambs and goats.

On Tuesday, fed steers and heifers sold actively at steady prices. Choice steers and heifers sold $155 to $161.50 with sales to $163. Second-cut cattle sold $145 to $154. Aged and medium-fed steers and heifers sold $125 to $135. Holstein steers and heifers sold $73.50 to $115. Cows sold at actively steady prices.

On Thursday, veal sold actively at stronger prices. Lambs, sheep and goats all sold steady.

On Friday, calves sold on a steady market. Yearlings sold

actively on a slightly higher market.

John Vanloo of Bluevale, consigned three head. One charolais heifer weighed 1,420 lbs. and sold for a price of $160.50.

Steve Lobsinger of Palmerston, consigned one simmental steer that weighed 1,320 lbs. and sold for a price of $161.

There were 180 cows on offer.

Beef sold $85 to $114 with sales to $119; good holstein cows, $83 to $96; medium holstein cows, $77 to $82; plain cows, $65 to $75.

There were 115 head of veal on offer. Beef veal sold $148 to $185 with sales to $190; good holsteins, $120 to $138 with sales to $140; SL heavy holsteins, $115 to $137;

heavy holsteins, $110 to $126; medium holsteins, $105 to $118; plain holsteins, $81 to $100.

Henry M. Martin of Teeswater, consigned one charolais steer that weighed 900 lbs. and sold for a price of $190.

Grant Bergsma of Londesborough, consigned three head. One holstein steer weighed 695 lbs. and sold for a price of $140.

Lambs under 50 lbs. sold $254 to $300; 50 - 64 lbs., $284.50 to $291; 65 - 79 lbs., $271 to $288; 80 - 94 lbs., $254 to $257; 95 - 109 lbs., $248.50 to $259; 110 lbs. and over, $225.50 to $255.

Sheep sold $150 to $250.

Goats: billies sold $150 to $400; nannies, $150 to $250; kids: meat, $275 to $415; dairy, $275 to $360.

Herman Ramaker of Clinton, consigned seven lambs that averaged 101 lbs. and sold for an average price of $259.

Dan and Christine Weber of Kincardine, consigned 20 head.

Seven kid goats averaged 62 lbs. and sold for an average price of $415.

Top quality stocker steers, 500 599 lbs. sold $232.50 to $254; 600 699 lbs., $226.50 to $232.50; 700 799 lbs., $198.75 to $212; 800 - 899 lbs., $193 to $211; 900 - 999 lbs., $180 to $186; 1,000 lbs. and over, $165 to $187.50.

Hensall Co-op awards two grants Hensall District Co-operative, Inc. (Hensall Co-op) announced the winners of its Strong Communities Initiative last week.

The Strong Communities Initiative was launched earlier this year to support projects that boost the resilience of rural communities.

Projects were open to registered charities and were judged by Hensall Co-op on specific criteria that measured the impact on the local community and the sustainability of the project.

In speaking about the initiative, Brad Chandler, CEO of Hensall Coop, stated, “We are passionate about protecting our local communities which is why we direct the bulk of our sponsorship investment to supporting rural healthcare and healthy living initiatives, agricultural societies and the education of rural youth. The Strong Communities Initiative grew out of our commitment to the communities we serve. We were extremely pleased with the quality of the submissions we received although it made selecting a winner very difficult for our team.”

Two projects were selected as winners in the inaugural year of the initiative. The winners will receive $10,000 towards their projects.

Both projects support wellness and family activities. The selections committee considered this to be vitally important as the community rebounds from the COVID-19 restrictions.

The Miami Parks Board in Miami, Manitoba will receive $10,000 to build a pavilion in its camping park. The pavilion will be available free of charge to all members of the community for a variety of events, including a weekly summer concert series and other small band performances, as an outdoor classroom for the local school, as a drama stage and as a venue for summer recreation program participants.

Heather Imrie, Chairperson of the Miami Parks Board stated, “The members of the Miami Parks Board were thrilled to have been chosen for Hensall Co-op’s generous grant.

We are very excited about the opportunity to offer this versatile community facility in our park space and we look forward to the

many events we will host in our new pavilion for years to come.

Many members of our community will find new ways to enjoy our park. Many thanks to Hensall Coop for your investment back into our community.”

The Optimist Club of Moorefield in Moorefield, Ontario will receive $10,000 towards its project to build a roof over its outdoor rink and recreation pad. The roof structure will reduce the amount of snow, freezing rain and sunshine that

impacts the skating surface to increase the amount of time the ice is available to the community. In the spring, summer and fall months the roof structure will allow for more outdoor events to be enjoyed by members of the community.

Jeremy Culling, Vice President of the Optimist Club stated, “This generous grant has put our campaign into overdrive, and we look forward to continuing our fundraising so that we can begin construction. Our Optimist Rink

has been a place for our families to gather and our youth to meet with friends. It has been a place where many of our youth have learned to skate for the first time and has assisted in helping our youth build valuable social skills and confidence in many of the things they do. An improved structure will have an even stronger impact on our community.”

Applications for the 2022 Strong Communities Initiative will be available in April, 2022.

Top quality stocker heifers, 400 499 lbs. sold $136 to $200; 500 599 lbs., $199.50 to $201; 600 - 699 lbs., $192 to $200; 700 - 799 lbs., $172.50 to $175; 800 - 899 lbs., $159 to $161; 900 lbs. and over, $154.50 to $161.50.

Abram G. Martin of Wroxeter, consigned 15 head. Ten charolais steers averaged 1,132 lbs. and sold for an average price of $173.

Flynn Farms of Clinton, consigned 121 head. Eighteen black steers averaged 1,080 lbs. and sold for an average price of $173.25.

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

36th Annual Citizen of the Year Award Nominations Open Pictured from left, Citizen editor, Shawn Loughlin presenting Annie Sparling, 2020 Citizen of the Year award recipient.

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

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

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

Emailed submissions can be sent to Shawn Loughlin at editor@northhuron.on.ca I nominate ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ as Citizen of the year for

q

Blyth & area

q

Brussels & area

I feel she/he deserves this award because ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Nomination Deadline September 30, 2021.

Name and phone number of nominator Fax: 519-523-9140 Box 429, Blyth, ON N0M 1H0 or Box 152 Brussels, ON N0G 1H0

PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021.

Huron Farms to Tables

Huron Farms To Tables ~ Green’s is back and growing ~ A taste of the County ~ The County’s roadside gems

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021. PAGE 11.

Green’s Meat Market back in action after fire They passed the test kill, but the plant needed more work before they could begin operations again.

“On May 11 we had our first official beef kill where we slaughtered 12 beef for our local producers,” she said. “This was a very special day for us, as it was exactly 50 years to the day that our grandpa had his first ever kill operating as Green’s Meat Market in 1971.”

The next day, OMAFRA meat inspection signed off on the rest of the building making Green’s Meat Market fully operational again.

The family and staff worked in the plant while keeping the retail store closed so they could get used to the new building, train new staff and ramp up production. There was a delay with the arrival of their fresh meat counters, so the family pivoted to curbside pickup in June.

Once the meat counters arrived,

the doors were fully opened to steady flow of customers once again. “Seeing how pleased everyone is with the new building has made us incredibly proud of all the hard work,” Shaelin said.

The grand opening was held on July 10 and the family held a community barbecue featuring their well-loved products and some sale specials that were exclusive to the event.

“We are happy we chose to go with the more of a soft reopening route as it has helped us work through many of the kinks,” she said. “We are definitely most proud of the new cutting room and our new smokehouse.”

The expanded space has allowed the business to set up equipment and a cutting room floor, which is more efficient. One new feature that has received a lot of Continued on page 12

SELL IT IN THE CLASSIFIEDS! Turn those unwanted items into quick cash with a single phone call or email.

CALL 519-523-4792 or 519-887-9114 info@northhuron.on.ca

Hard at work Green’s Meat Market, an abattoir and retail site in Morris-Turnberry, was gutted by a fire in June of 2020. The business recently reopened with a special grand reopening weekend during which employs had to work hard to keep up with customer orders.

(Amanda Brodhagen photo)

By Amanda Broadhagen Special to The Citizen

After a devastating fire last year, Green’s Meat Market in Wingham has been rebuilt.

On June 24, 2020 a fire destroyed the Green’s Meat Market processing facility and forced the family business to relocate their retail offerings to Lucknow while they rebuilt. This year marks 50 years in business, with the next generation taking over the reins with the sudden passing of John Green last fall.

Spokesperson Shaelin Green, the granddaughter of founders John and Arlene Green, says the series of events since the fire has made their family and team of employees stronger.

Stop in and see our great selection of Canadian-made Gourmet Foods!

“Shelby and I specifically have learned many new skills from the rebuilding phase and are now learning more and more about the business through reopening,” said Green.

The granddaughters, Shaelin and Shelby, have been instrumental in seeing the build through from start to finish and their brother Spencer has rekindled his interest in the family business and has helped through all the phases as well.

Opening the doors happened gradually, said Shaelin. On April 27, 2021 they had their test kill with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) inspection where they processed two beef and a lamb in order to have their license reinstated.

Rick and Marg Steele

• Grass Fed Freezer Lamb • Honey Garlic Sausage • Pepperettes 38689 Moncrieff Rd., R.R. #3 Blyth, Ont. N0M 1H0

Castings Public House

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Open Tuesday - Saturday 10-5 Open Theatre nights until 6:30

398 Queen St., Blyth 519.523.4276 www.mapleandmoose.com

The Citizen

Steele Wool Farm

We started our business in 2021 with one goal in mind: providing an enjoyable dining experience to the rural areas of Huron-Perth and Bruce Counties.

Specialty Honey / jams & wine jellies Maple syrup & pancake products Fine mustards/ horseradish & garlic products Specialty teas / coffees & cider Smoked salmon & pates Local cheeses Gourmet cookies / crackers & granola Rubs / sauces & dips Chocolate bars Charcuterie boards Custom gift baskets

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PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021.

New business space drawing interest, compliments Continued from page 11 compliments from customers is looking through the glass window behind the meat counter where you can see the cutting room.

Other benefits include the smokehouse.

“The smokehouse has been running very efficiently and the product has been turning out amazing. Our further processing manager Jonathan has enjoyed the quicker smoking times and the beautiful colouring and flavour the new smokehouse is producing,” she said.

The good news for area farmers looking for a place to send their animals to get processed is that Green’s Meat Market still has some availability for 2021. Shaelin warns that the spots are filling up quickly and they’ve already started accepting bookings for 2022.

“One of our obstacles at the moment is finding more meat cutters and butchers. Once we have more [staff] hired and trained we would be able to increase our capacity for 2021 and 2022 even more,” she said.

Shaelin says staffing has been one of the most stressful, yet rewarding, aspects of the reopening.

“It has been very rewarding for us though to start at the beginning of the process and now seeing our new employees thriving in their new roles,” she said. “We are incredibly grateful for their resilience and willingness to work through the kinks of reopening with us.”

The response to the reopening has been positive, but it’s also made it nearly impossible for the Greens to keep their existing products on the shelves and fully stocked in their Lucknow retail store as well. In the future, they hope to expand their product range, which might include making cold cuts in addition to their famous summer sausage.

“We are so grateful for the outpouring of support from our community and local producers who have allowed our family’s business to grow over the last 50 years, and who are the ultimate reason for our decision to rebuild,” she said.

Fresh, unpasteurized honey!

Back in business Shaelin and Shelby Green, granddaughters of John and Arlene Green, recently took on active roles at Green’s Meat Market, an abattoir and retail space in Morris-Turnberry that was founded by their grandparents. The site was recently rebuilt after a devastating fire destroyed much of it in 2020. (Amanda Brodhagen photo)

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021. PAGE 13.

Roadside food attracts the masses to Huron

Another roadside attraction In the era of COVID-19, roadside food is the perfect way to enjoy a quality bite to eat from the comfort of an outdoor picnic area or your car. And Huron County has plenty of roadside culinary attractions, like Seaforth’s Freeze King, above. (File photo)

By Deb Sholdice The Citizen Huron County has long supported the drive-in restaurant, or hamburger stand concept. In fact, two restaurants that popped up in the 1950s are still going strong today.

In an era when franchises with drive-throughs are much more prevalent, these independent operators are still thriving by serving quality food and providing fast, friendly service.

In fact, while food trucks are the hottest trend and we rave about our local chefs creating tasty menus with local ingredients, these entrepreneurs are quietly feeding the masses on steamy summer evenings when no one wants to turn on a stove at home.

Huron County is home to six drive-in restaurants that are each decades old. Come along for the tour: Our first stop is the Farmer’s Dell, just south of Brucefield, which first opened in 1956. Current owner, Jeff Oesch, had the dream of owning it for over 20 years, and

when the chance came up again last year, he jumped at it.

He describes his menu as a “bit different” than the standard burger joint. His menu tries to keep local ingredients prominent. “We have to make this fun and give people a real reason to travel to Brucefield,” he says. You will find a different special on the menu every weekend, such as Irish nachos and deep-fried cheesecake. Customers make the trek to Brucefield just for the London Ice Cream Company’s hard ice cream that Farmer’s Dell serves, but don’t forget to try the Angry Farmer Wrap while you are there (shaved ribeye, fried onions, chipotle mayonnaise and jalapeno peppers). Or, if you’re up for it, you might order the barnyard burger (six-ounce patty, four-ounce breaded chicken burger, bacon, fried egg and onion rings on a bun).

6 London Road, Brucefield.

Woodland Drive-In has sat on the edge of Bayfield for over four decades. The current owners have been building their menu since 2003, and now serve everything from burgers and wraps to fish and chips. They have frozen yogurt, as

well as the traditional soft and hard ice cream.

While their burgers are legendary (especially the Woodland Burger), owner Jennifer Fuller notes that their poutine is definitely gaining in popularity. “You absolutely have to try the buffalo chicken poutine or our bacon cheeseburger poutine!”

17 Mill Street, Bayfield Sky Ranch is nestled next to the Goderich airport, right on Highway 21 just north of the bridge. This family-owned drive-in restaurant has been serving the same great fare by the same great family since 1967. Josh and Jodi Nurse purchased the business from his father Paul 10 years ago. Their extensive menu features top-of-theline meats, 52 flavours of soft ice cream and 11 flavours of hard ice cream. The Sky Ranch Burger, cheese fries and a vanilla soft serve ice cream have become a Sunday night summer staple for many locals! 81669 Bluewater Highway, Goderich.

Frosty Queen has been a fixture in Wingham’s downtown since Fred Templeton and Murray Taylor

decided to jump on the burger stand bandwagon back in 1957. It seemed pre-destined for John Frieburger to be in the drive-in business when he purchased the business in 1994.

Their menu is based on the longstanding successful model of serving traditional food well: hamburgers, french fries, chicken fingers, fish and footlongs. But the piece-de-resistance is the soft serve ice cream. They still use real ice cream in their machine, and it makes all the difference. Their restaurant is also seeing a surge in the popularity of poutine. Their secret? Shredded cheese. “It’s more flavourful”, John says. “Customers only think they want cheese curds,” he adds, with a laugh. Over the years, the restaurant has expanded to feature a dining room and now they’re also becoming known for their pitas. 143 Josephine St, Wingham.

Freeze King in Seaforth has been around since 1966. While they are a burger stand, the real attraction here is the fish and chips. What makes their fish stand out? Rumour has it Continued on page 15

MASSE FRUIT & VEGETABLE FARM

C/O MIKE AND DIANNE MASSE 35291 Zurich Hensall Road, Zurich, ON N0M 2T0 Phone: 519-236-7907 Email: massepumpkins@hay.net Open daily

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Like us on Facebook for up-to-date info

Farm To Cup! We hand roast in small batches, strictly fresh for order.

Our goal is to discover incredible coffees, build trusted relationships with coffee producers and bring you an unparalleled Coastal Coffee experience.

We take immense pride in the quality of our Wagyu beef.

We know that once you have tried our Wagyu you will be hooked on the incredible taste of this special product.

Available in 10­18 lb. variety boxes

For product details, availability and pricing contact us.

Web: grazingmeadowswagyu.com Email: tim@grazingmeadowswagyu.com 519­357­5807

Shop online or stop in to see us 86252 Kintail Line, Goderich 519-671-4118 Our Coastal Café is OPEN Friday and Saturday 9 am - 1 pm ~ Patio Seating outdoors The NEW Coffee Bean Stand is OPEN daily.

Self serve cash honour sales.

For a list or retail partners and to shop online anytime

www.coastalcoffee.ca

PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021.

Castings now serving Wingham

The Natural

Choice For Healthy Eating

• Vitamins & Supplements • Dairy, Wheat and Gluten-free foods • Bulk and organic foods • Body care and “green” products • Protein powders and bars

A new era in Wingham Castings Public House in Wingham is looking to expand on the culinary offerings in the town, with hopes of a traditional smokehouse in the restaurant’s future. With the backing of veteran entrepreneurs Danielle Sutton and Murray Simpson, the hopes are high for this new place to relax and enjoy some food and a beverage. (File photo)

By Deb Sholdice The Citizen

One of the newest eateries in the area has taken up residence in a building with a long commercial history in Wingham’s downtown core. Castings Public House, which recently opened its doors (beginning with its take-out window, thanks to the COVID-19 restrictions), is a joint venture between Danielle Sutton and Murray Simpson, both veteran entrepreneurs.

The pair has renovated the space for accessibility and function, while paying homage to the industries that have sustained Wingham for decades. The building has housed many businesses over the years, including a sewing factory, a dairy and a restaurant. The decor can be best described as “industrial chic” with artifacts such as a local foundry stove serving as a sideboard in the front area of the dining room and old barn vents finding new life as light shades.

Sutton has assembled a core team of employees who have worked together for a long time, which provides a

great base for a new restaurant.

The menu is barbecue with a smoke flair, as a traditional smokehouse is something that Sutton has always hoped to be able to have and is still in the works for future expansion plans. The pandemic has modified both their opening plans and the menu, as they could only offer take-out at the beginning, but the menu has proven a hit with locals. The buttermilk fried chicken sandwich has quickly gained fame in the region, along with the “to-go” version of Combat Juice, a fresh and fruity cocktail with a bit of a kick.

As the region begins to reopen, the expanded patio area is sure to be a popular place to spend a warm summer evening. The team has plans to bring live music in and have already begun a list of local artists to feature once they are allowed.

Get information on Huron County attractions with Stops Along The Way at stopsalongtheway.ca

222 Josephine St., Wingham 120 Inkerman St. E., Listowel

519-357-3466

519-291-4920

www.pandoraspantry.ca

G. L. HUBBARD LIMITED GROWERS AND PACKERS OF QUALITY RUTABAGAS Owned and operated by the Hubbard family

Blyth • 519-523-4554

Special thanks to our farmers who provide food for our tables.

We truly live in a vibrant agriculture community.

Buy local and buy fresh!

Honey - A Natural Sweetener

J.R. Fear Apiaries Inc. • Fresh Honey • • Creamed Honey • • Pure Unscented Beeswax Candles • • Gift Baskets • RR#2 Wingham • 519-357-3656

The Township of North Huron 519-357-3550

northhuron.ca

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021. PAGE 15.

Roadside food a pleasant surprise in Huron County history under its eaves. The current owners, Jason and Gillian Potter, are not new to the fast food business, as they were long-time owners of a Harvey’s franchise in nearby Goderich. They were looking for a new venture where they could flex their entrepreneurial muscle and capitalize on Gillian’s marketing expertise. They found that in Willy’s, a successful drive-in restaurant that has been a summer staple in Clinton for generations now.

While the menu is very

BON VIVANT CATERING

A secret no more

The Area’s Premier Catering Service

Perhaps for too long the excellent roadside food of Huron County was its best-kept secret. Now the word is out and people are travelling from near and far to indulge in the county’s roadside culinary experiences, one of which is Willy’s Burger Bar in Clinton. (File photo)

Continued from page 13 that it’s the fresh-dipped batter. It keeps their customers coming back, week after week, all summer long.

If you’re not a fish person, be sure to try the Breastwich King Sandwich - breaded chicken breast topped with bacon and cheese.

Freeze King is set in a lovely treed area with picnic tables, and white twinkling lights in the trees to provide a unique, relaxing outdoor dining area. 42566 Huron Road, Seaforth.

Willy’s Burger Bar is our last stop on this whirlwind fast food tour, and actually the youngest of the stands with only 35 years of

Celebrating A Special Occasion?

Advertise it in

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

Getting Married?

Announce your upcoming wedding in

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

traditional, the key to the everpopular Willy Burger is the barbecue grill that charbroils both patties before they’re piled on to three buns and loaded with bacon, cheese and all the toppings. Fish dinners and wraps are equally famous, but you might be pleasantly surprised if you try the Sammy Dog or upsize it to a Super Dog (also has cheese and bacon, but in a foot-long version). You can’t miss it - it has a giant moose welcoming patrons to the premises! 267 Huron Street, Clinton.

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

‘Straight From The Farm To You’

519-335-6352 43269 Amberley Rd. on Hwy. 86 between Wingham & Listowel

Maple Candy Maple Butter Gift Baskets Maple Sugar

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Ph. 519-233-7233 Email: chef@tcc.on.ca Website: www.bonvivantchef.ca

Trained Professional Chef - Devin Tabor

Come to our on-farm Brewery!

7143 Forest Rd. Plympton-Wyoming (4 km South of Forest)

stonepickerbrewing.com

PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021.

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

In memoriam

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

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

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

Garage sale INDOOR SALE, 39213 HULLETTMcKillop Rd., 1 1/2 blocks west of Hwy. 4. Large quantity milk bottles and cases, pop bottles, blue and clear Crown jars, antiques, household items, bedding, lamps, Christmas, furniture, etc. Two days – Saturday, July 31 and Monday, Aug. 2, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

30-1

Help wanted The Municipality of Morris-Turnberry is looking to hire a Landfill Attendant. www.morristurnberry.ca

Help Wanted Part-time cleaner for Boutique Hotel in Blyth $30 an hour, mostly weekends References required Phone Annie 519-524-0609

WHITFIELD. In memory of our parents, Herman July 21, 1996 and Muriel July 11, 2015.

If we could write a story, It would be the greatest ever told, Of kind and loving parents, Who had hearts of gold.

We could write a million pages, But still be unable to say, Just how much we love and miss them, Every single day.

– Sharon, Lois and families. 30-1p

Talk to us instead.

TO L L - F R E E

1-877-513-5333

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

Let us help you turn that junk into $$

The view from below Joan Perrie of the Maitland Valley Camera Club recently captured this hypnotic farm scene looking upwards; a scene whose beauty many who grew up on farms may have taken for granted. (Photo courtesy of Joan Perrie of the Maitland Valley Camera Club)

• Free ad up to 25 words, person to person only (no businesses), items valued at $1,000 or less. Your ad will run three times unless it sells faster!

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

Call 519-523-4792 or email: info@northhuron.on.ca FOR SALE handmade cherrywood, two-piece fold-up quilt frame, 28"x36", $50; two-shelf bookcase 30"x28"x7" deep, $25.

519-606-2170.

30-3 ------------------------------------------FOR SALE - special occasion decor; milk bottles, half pints, pints and quarts with dairy names or without, $5 and up; old canning jars, clear glass or blue, many sizes; glass lantern globes, two sizes, $5 and $10; old splint wooden baskets, 6 qt., 11 qt. or bushel, $3 and up.

519-523-4711.

30-3 ------------------------------------------FOR SALE - cargo carrier 20"x54" steel frame, hooks on trailer hitch, excellent condition, $75 firm. 519606-4849, Clinton.

30-3 ------------------------------------------FOR SALE - two doll houses, $50 and $25; framed slate chalkboard, $25; Culligan water cooler, $25.

Phone 519-357-9249.

30-3 ------------------------------------------FOR SALE - 2 furrow Dearborn plow, $375; tractor chains, size 1028, $100. 519-887-9083.

29-3 ------------------------------------------FOR SALE - Hobnail milk glass pole lamp, $40; two dozen Mason pint jars, $12; two dozen jam jars, $10; eight blue crown quart jars, $45; two cow bells, $20. Phone 519-524-1138.

29-3 -------------------------------------------

FOR SALE - New (7) bundles of dark grey roof shingles; also collection of assorted VHS tapes: Disney, etc. plus CD and cassettes, price is very negotiable on both articles. Call Bill Brown Sr. at 519522-1006. Please leave a message.

29-3 ------------------------------------------FOR SALE - 3 pth woodsplitter, upright, 4" cylinder. 519-357-3117.

29-3 ------------------------------------------FOR SALE - power chair, complete with charger, $100. 519524-7891.

29-3 ------------------------------------------FOR SALE - four furry animal Halloween costumes, toddler size, $2 each; box of crib sheets and blankets, $1 each or make an offer on the box, Wingham, 519-3572768.

29-3 ------------------------------------------FOR SALE - King sander, belt and disc, $300. Call 519-887-9615.29-3 ------------------------------------------BARN KITTENS - Ready for a new home. Call Lloyd McClinchey 519-526-7591.

28-3 -------------------------------------------

14 EV chargers to be installed The County of Huron, along with the Town of Goderich, Municipality of Huron East, and the Township of North Huron recently received funding through the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP), an opportunity offered through Natural Resources Canada, to install electric vehicle chargers in Huron County.

The County of Huron partnered with SparkPark and ChargerCrew, organizations that install and operate electric vehicle chargers, to submit an application in June of 2020 for the second round of ZEVIP funding, which focused on installing electric vehicle chargers at workplaces.

ChargerCrew offered to lead the ZEVIP application on behalf of the county and local municipalities, and SparkPark is providing the capital to install the chargers, as well as operate and maintain the infrastructure for 10 years.

Huron County will be receiving 14 Level 2 electric vehicle chargers with 26 individual charging ports distributed across various locations within the municipalities. While the locations of the chargers were limited by the funding stream, consideration was given to making sure the chargers were placed in ideal locations for public use, including municipal parking lots close to community centres and

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

www.huroncitizen.ca

libraries. Installation of the chargers is expected to begin in late summer or early fall of 2021.

“Installing additional electric vehicle chargers in our community is essential to our local infrastructure,” said Huron County Warden Glen McNeil.

“Partnerships like these enable us to offer our residents and visitors greener options and means we’re better prepared to meet the challenges of climate change.”

The County of Huron is also partnering with Wellington County to complete a feasibility study to explore the development of a regional electric vehicle charging network that would bridge the gap of charging infrastructure between Highway 401 and the Lake Huron and Georgian Bay areas. The opportunity to create a network in this region has been identified as an opportunity for tourism, economic development, and the acceleration of electric vehicle adoption.

The feasibility study would allow municipalities across the region to have a co-ordinated approach to planning and installing electric vehicle chargers, allowing them to be strategically located to reduce the distance between chargers and to support local tourist destinations.

An application for funding to complete the feasibility study is currently underway.

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021. PAGE 17.

Council directs staff to decline tax refund request

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen At its July 19 meeting, Central Huron Council declined to directly address a letter from a resident requesting a refund on his property taxes, simply directing staff to send him a letter of polite refusal.

Resident Dennis Valenta penned a letter to council asking what he had received for his property taxes in the past 18 months.

In his letter, he said that he has no problem paying for programs for the greater good, like schools, though he made note that he doesn’t agree with what’s being taught in them. However, he said that over the past year-and-a-half he had been

denied use of services and locations in the municipality, paid for by his taxes, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the end of his letter, he requested a full refund on his property taxes as a result.

Though council did not discuss Valenta’s letter, Mayor Jim Ginn directed staff to respond to Valenta politely, refusing his request for a refund. *** Central Huron Mayor Jim Ginn said there are likely a number of crucial issues to be considered at the Regional Equine and Agricultural Centre of Huron (REACH) in the months and years ahead.

The most pressing issue, he said, is one that has been raised at the council table before, which is the stark reduction in available student housing in the weeks leading up to the coming semester.

Because of the rising housing costs, Ginn said there is a “severe” housing shortage in Clinton for incoming students and the school is facing a real challenge with just weeks remaining before the start of the new semester.

He encouraged everyone in the community to consider bringing a student into their home, though he acknowledged it would be much more difficult with the COVID-19 pandemic remaining active in the province.

The second issue, he said, is the inevitable expansion of the site, which he felt should be discussed by council sooner, rather than later.

He explained that the school building would need to be expanded very soon to allow for more space within the facility, an issue that should likely be addressed by council.

He said the REACH committee, including General Manager Matt Lee, would work to put some numbers together and present them to council at a future meeting. *** Central Huron Council’s ad hoc promotional video committee awarded the contract for the project to Brampton-based firm Winged

Whale Media, which council approved at its July 19 meeting.

The contract is valued at $49,789.13, including HST and will be funded from the municipality’s Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) reserve fund. *** Central Huron Council has authorized the closure of King Street in Clinton between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. every Sunday between Aug. 1 and Sept. 26 for the new King Street Market, authorized by the Clinton and Central Huron Business Improvement Area (BIA).

During those times, King Street will be closed between Isaac and Mary Streets.

Obituaries Friday, July 23. A graveside funeral service took place at Blyth Union Cemetery on Saturday, July 24.

Rev. Jeff Hawkins officiated.

In lieu of flowers and as expressions of sympathy, donations to the Blyth Legion Ladies Auxiliary or the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario would be appreciated.

Condolences may be left at riversidefuneralhome.ca

EDYTHE LILLIAN MARGARET (née Walker) GLOUSHER Edythe Lillian Margaret (née Walker) Glousher passed away peacefully at Braemar Retirement Centre, Wingham on July 20, 2021.

She was in her 83rd year.

Edythe was the loving wife of the late Stanley Glousher (2007) for 45 years and the proud mom of Debra (Albert) Stryker, the late David Glousher (1966), Michael Glousher and Donna (Scott) Young. She was the grandma of Shawna (Tim) Pavao, Jason (Dana) Stryker, Nick (Dakota) Stryker, Katie (Matt) Starzecki, Jessica and David Young; the great-grandma of 10 and the great-great-grandma of seven.

Edythe was the sister-in-law of Carol Walker, Doris (Harold) McClinchey and Marjorie Battler.

She was predeceased by her parents Lorne and Lillian Walker, brothers Elmer in infancy and James Walker (2012), in-laws Wilmer, Jack and Lloyd Glousher and Thelma Deveau.

Edythe was a proud member of the Blyth Legion Ladies Auxiliary for 45 years and the Blyth Legion for 39 years. She loved to bake and was famous for her tea biscuits and elderberry pie, which she prepared for many Legion events, and many Thresher Reunions, in which she also loved to participate.

Her biggest love was for her family, which showed in her dedication to them. She enjoyed watching the Toronto Maple Leafs and cheering them on loudly to whomever would listen. She played crib and Lost Heir and watched old western movies, especially if they had John Wayne in them.

She had a sweet smile that hid her feisty spirit, and a heavy foot on her scooter. Edythe was a large part of the Blyth community, and she will be remembered and missed greatly.

Visitation took place at Riverside Funeral Home Blyth Chapel on

LORRAINE MARY HALLAHAN Lorraine Mary Hallahan of RR 3, Blyth, passed away at Stratford General Hospital, with her family by her side, on Monday, July 19, 2021. She was 72.

Lorraine was the beloved wife of Jim Hallahan and the loving mom of Laura and Rodney Nicholson, Parkhill; Shannon and Tony Billings, Oshawa; Patrick and Alicha Hallahan, Belgrave; Jamie and Laura Hallahan, Brunner and Ryan Hallahan, Belgrave. She was the devoted grandma of Brennan, Cole and Jake Nicholson, Brayden and John Billings and Kailey,

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Landyn, Colyn, Ayden, Avery and Callum Hallahan; the dear sister of Jim and Linda Schurter, Listowel; Michael and Joan Schurter, Kitchener; Linda Kieffer, Bluevale and Marian and David Kuntz, Walkerton and the sister-in-law of Betty Ann Eghoetz, Stratford and Mike and Agnes Hallahan, Greenock.

Lorraine will be lovingly remembered by her many nieces, nephews, extended family and dear friends. She was predeceased by her parents Ralph and Anna (Weiler) Schurter, brothers-in-law Bill Kieffer, Jim McGregor, Elton Ehgoetz, sister-in-law Mary Ellen Hallahan and niece Lisa Schurter.

Lorraine was born in Walkerton on Dec. 19, 1948. She was a dedicated teacher, who began teaching at the age of 19 at Sacred Heart School in Teeswater. Lorraine met and married her husband Jim in 1970 and together they raised five amazing children on their dairy farm in Blyth.

She returned to teaching as her children grew older and loved the many generations of students that she taught throughout her career; especially the little ones in Kindergarten. In addition to teaching, Lorraine was an avid reader, and enjoyed fishing and time at the cottage, affectionately calling it her “wee slice of Heaven”.

She volunteered for many years at

the Huron Pioneer Threshers Reunion. She most enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, whom she adored; playing card and board games, having campfires and watching their sporting events.

Lorraine will be remembered for her heart of gold, warm smile, cheerful laugher, and her love and commitment to her family.

Visitation was held at McBurney Funeral Home, Wingham on July 24. A Mass of Christian Burial was held at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, Wingham later that day. A come-and-go celebration was held at the farm following the burial at St. Michael’s Cemetery, Blyth.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to Ronald McDonald House, Shriners Hospital for Children or the North Huron Food

Share would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy.

Online condolences may be left at www.mcburneyfuneralhome.com

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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 $7.00.

PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021.

Letter to the Editor

Garratt proposes ‘Roma Road’ as renaming solution THE EDITOR, In 2008 I had the incredible privilege of taking a play that I wrote overseas to perform it at a small theatre in the city of Consenza, in the province of Calabria, (the toe of the boot) in Italy.

Like so many cities in Europe, Consenza has a very deep history.

Lucky for me, when I was there, the city had really embraced its remarkable past; there was a series of downtown building sites where, in the process of excavation, builders had uncovered past constructions, and below those even more. There were cities under cities. The people of Consenza preserved some of this by installing giant plexiglass windows in the ground, with lights going deep down, revealing layer upon layer of the city over the centuries. This was amazing to see. Buildings built on

buildings, built on buildings, going back hundreds of years.

I stayed in a hostel in the old part of the city. The owner was a lovely old man who told me the building where the hostel was housed had been in his family since the 1400s.

It was a beautiful stone tower with a courtyard that had lemon trees and its own olive grove.

This man very much wanted to preserve the history of his family’s building. The traditional stonework that held its stories together was complicated and required expertise and artistry. He wanted to do this the old world way. In order to accomplish this, he hired a group of Roma stone masons.

Over the weeks that I was there, I watched these folks work tirelessly, day and night, restoring the stone, high on scaffolds, chiselling and repointing, disassembling archways and building them back up.

The owner told me about how the Roma had been in Calabria at least since 400 AD. He told me about how their villages were sacked and burned, about how they lost their homes and had to rebuild, only to be sacked again, and again in the bloody history of conquest that spilled over the shores of that part of the world. He told me about how the Roma had been stateless, dispossessed and driven from the region over and over across more than a 1,000 years. I found it ironic in a way, that they were the crew refurbishing this historic building.

On my last night in town, the owner threw a huge party and invited the Roma workers and their families. There was a giant barbecue, meats and smoke, and the Roma arrived in traditional garb, with vests and beads and they brought a fiddler (and a giant boom box with a CD, playing Roma

dance hits). All of the artists working on the play were dragged up to dance these whirling circle country dances, traditional to these folks. The owner even got out multiple bottles of his homemade limoncello. It was a night to remember.

I learned a lot during that trip, and just a little about the Roma. I like to think I came away from that encounter a little bit richer. We, the actors, were strangers, from another country, and these folks were all too happy to link arms with us, and teach us how to dance.

The plight of the Roma all over Europe, and the world, has been largely a grim and desperate one for more than a millennium. This is not simply history either. Sadly, even in 2018, the Italian government cracked down on Roma encampments throughout the country, tearing them down and

burning them to the ground, vowing to expel the Roma from the country, (just as France had done five years earlier). This persecution is ongoing. Not to mention the Holocaust; nearly a quarter of all Roma were killed by the Nazis, as part of their horrors at Auschwitz.

I bring all this up to the readers of The Citizen because of how it impacts my own thinking about the proposed renaming of “Gypsy Lane”.

I have to admit, for years, I didn’t give much thought to it. I started living and working in this community in 1999. I would cringe a little when I saw the signs, I have known for a long time that “gypsy” was a widely recognized racial and ethnic slur. I guess I just thought it didn’t matter very much. So I looked the other way. I recognize my complicity in doing that. I knew Continued on page 24

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021. PAGE 19.

From the Minister’s Study

Rejoice in being called a Christian: van Leeuwen

By Rev. Gary van Leeuwen Blyth Christian Reformed Church Naming a building or a street or a school after an individual serves as a spotlight that shines on the person after whom the structure or road is named; usually because they have been a significant contributor to the community, city or nation. That city or street or building becomes a monument to the one after whom it is named. It is generally true that they did make positive contributions that have made this world a little better, but unfortunately, spotlights do not shine light on the good only; they also bring to light flaws and imperfections.

Thus, Dundas Street in Toronto is set to be renamed because Henry Dundas, who was a Scottish politician, is remembered for several shameful actions, including efforts to delay the abolition of slavery. (In my rather cursory research, I could not find any significant positive contributions made by Dundas to Toronto or even Canada, so, perhaps, it might be better than his name fade into obscurity.)

In the last decade or so, there have been many discussions about the names given to significant landmarks in our nation, and there has been a movement to eliminate

some of those names from history because of the moral and ethical flaws that have been revealed in those who are memorialized. While we do not want to deny history, at the same time we do not want to honour those who have done harm to others.

In the Bible, the name or title, “Christian,” appears only three times. (I was surprised by that as well.) Twice “Christian” appears in Acts (11:26 and 26:28) and once it appears in 1 Peter (4:16).

Those who have done research on the name (or title), Christian, have discovered that it was not first used by those who followed Jesus Christ but, rather, by those who belittled or mocked the first believers. After all, in the eyes of most people who didn’t know the full story, Jesus’ death by crucifixion was a story of failure and defeat. Who would want to be associated with such a person?

“Christian” was considered a derogatory term and was originally meant to insult those who followed Jesus Christ.

Perhaps, at first, the early Christians wanted to avoid being addressed by this title, but very rapidly they came to understand that it was a good thing, and they embraced the name as their own.

Rather than focusing the attention on themselves, the name focused

attention on the one they believed in: Jesus Christ.

There are two things that we can learn from this. First, for those who take the name, “Christian,” let us be aware that we are highlighting Jesus, not ourselves. What people see of Jesus, therefore, is what they see in us. As Paul says in Ephesians 4:1, we are urged to live lives “worthy of the calling we have received.” That means that we are called to live in obedience to Jesus Christ, honouring Him in everything that we do. He becomes the Lord of our lives, meaning that we live by His will and now our own. What people know about Jesus, if they have not read the Bible, is what they see in us, so we must make every effort to make Jesus known by how we live and what we say. We ought to strive to be like Jesus, for that is our best witness to who He is.

Second, for those who do not call themselves Christians, let me encourage you to look beyond the Christians you may meet to Christ, to Jesus himself. It is true that people who call themselves Christians are not always the good kinds of people that they should be, and sometimes we make pretty big mistakes. In that, we are no different from anyone else. That being said, please don’t judge Jesus Christ by those who call themselves

Rice to rep. federal Liberals The Liberal Party of Canada has acclaimed James Rice as its candidate in Huron-Bruce for the next general election.

“I am honoured to be joining a strong team and look forward to running a dynamic campaign whenever that time comes,” said Rice, noting that he would bring a fresh perspective as Huron-Bruce’s Member of Parliament. Speaking from the family farm of his partner, Katie Rice, outside of Walkerton, Rice thanked everyone who has reached out to express support for his candidacy and said he is excited to get to work. “I look forward to listening to the concerns of people across Huron-Bruce, gaining their trust, and acting on their priorities as their next Member of Parliament.”

Having grown up in Bruce County, Rice graduated from the University of Guelph with a degree in Criminal Justice and Public Policy before continuing to law school at the University of Windsor.

During his time in law school, Rice worked in the Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities

Program at the Ministry of Community and Social Services Continued on page 23

Brussels Mennonite Fellowship We’re Back!!!

Worshipping Jesus Together All Are Welcome Sundays @ 10 am ­­ Face masks & social distancing in effect

Sunday August 1, 10:30 am

Blyth United Church

Sunday, August 1 Joint service at the Brussels Conservation area at 10:30 am Lawnchairs and masks required.

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"Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” (Galations 6:9)

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

MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Pastor Ernest Dow, “Discipleship Keywords #2: To Bless or Not to Bless?” (Luke 10:29ff) In-person and online! huronchapel.com/videos Thursdays - Check out area churches’ kids ministry at Blyth Farmers’ Market! huronchapel.com 119 John’s Ave., Auburn 519-526-1131

Jesus. I am confident of this, that if we would name a monument after Jesus, even if we look long and hard at everything He did, we would not find a flaw in Him. He is not like all the others who have monuments named after them, who have flaws that could even cause us some embarrassment.

There is nothing about Jesus that would make those of us who call ourselves Christians want to rename ourselves. Jesus came to this world to give His life for us so that we could become like Him. For those who believe in Him, the best monument we can give to Jesus is our faithful living so that others can truly know who He is and what He has done for us.

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Christians. Get to know who He is first. As Christians we know that we are not perfect, and we don’t pretend to be, but we want to live like Him. That is our greatest desire. Therefore, to think that Jesus is like us is to wrongly discredit Jesus, for He is not like us; rather see us as striving to be like Jesus.

Personally, I rejoice that by God’s grace I am called a Christian by others, and I am happy to call myself a Christian. I hope that in some way others may see Jesus in me, for I want you to know Him. If I fail to highlight who Jesus is and what He calls me to be as perfectly as I ought, please know that this should not reflect your view of

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PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021.

Huron East approves grant for NH Food Share

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Huron East Council has voted to grant $1,800 to the North Huron Food Share for 2021 to aid in its work of feeding the hungry in the northern portion of Huron County.

Council approved the request for funding at its July 20 meeting. The request had come in earlier, but council requested further research or a delegation from the Food Share to help councillors understand usage rates among Huron East residents.

Roxane Nicholson of the Food Share spoke with council at its July 20 meeting, saying that 86 of the 280 families served by the Food Share had Brussels addresses,

meaning that just under a third of users were coming from Huron East. However, as one councillor pointed out, those with a Brussels address could be coming from Morris-Turnberry, but Nicholson said those users would be rare.

Many Brussels-area users, Nicholson said, in her experience, come from the “low-income” housing in the village. This also falls in line with usage she’s seeing from throughout the region, with people coming from the area’s urban centres. That has a lot to do with the rising cost of farmland and lack of available rental property in rural areas.

She said the vast majority of the Food Share’s clients come from Brussels, Blyth, Wingham and

Lucknow, based on a five-year analysis of those using the Food Share. Users from the Brussels area, she said, have risen substantially during that period.

Nicholson also said there has been an alarming rise in senior couples from the area using the Food Share, which she says is concerning for a number of reasons.

She also detailed the past yearand-a-half of operations at the Food Share. She said food donations were decreased as a result of many organizations that would normally donate - like schools and churches being shuttered due to the COVID19 pandemic. In addition, the devastating fire at Green’s Meat Market had an impact on the Food

Share, as many area farmers had been known to donate an animal from their farm, but no longer could have that animal processed by Green’s as a result of the fire.

During the pandemic, she said the Brussels and Walton areas have been hard hit and the Food Share has seen increased usage from those communities. Furthermore, she said the joint shuttle to the community, shared with the Salvation Army, will be concluding next month, so users will have to find their own way to the Food Share.

After Mayor Bernie MacLellan asked about the expectation for the grant, specifically if it would be a one-time payment or if it would be paid annually, Nicholson said she expected the board would renew its

request every year, leaving it up to council to approve or deny it that particular year.

Nicholson also said that, while the Food Share has served to supplement some families’ grocery haul in a month, she’s also seeing increased usage from the same families, saying the Food Share is becoming their grocery store. In addition, she said it’s very common to see families using several area food banks in the same month.

One bright spot, Nicholson said, has been the extensive CKNX food drive every year, which she said has really “floated” the Food Share in recent years.

Council voted to approve a grant of $1,800 to the Food Share for the year.

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021. PAGE 21.

Early Presbyterians around Auburn met in a log school until 1860-62 when the first church was built at a cost of $250.

Rev. Archibald Currie was the first minister.

Read more in the Blyth Repository of History.

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#ThrowbackThursday

Leadership in energy and environmental design

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The Citizen, July 14, 2011

The Citizen, July 10, 1996

The Citizen, July 17, 1996

The Blyth Standard, June 19, 1974

Did you know that...

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PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021.

N. Huron considers food waste device partnership

By Denny Scott The Citizen North Huron Township Council directed staff to explore a relationship with Food Cycle Science Corporation, which wants to empower residents to reduce food waste.

The corporation creates both countertop and commercial-grade devices that, through heat, remove the liquid from food scraps, reducing the amount of space and weight that kind of waste takes up in both curbside garbage and the landfill.

Christina Zardo and Alex Hayman of the corporation explained how North Huron could

partner with the company and the province to help make the devices available to North Huron residents at a reduced cost as part of a pilot project for the company.

Currently, the corporation is working with eight municipalities across Canada, Zardo said, and is hoping to tackle the problem of food waste. Zardo reports that 63 per cent of food waste is avoidable and between one quarter and one half of food waste is organic in nature. Ninety per cent of the weight in food waste is liquid, she said, and when that breaks down, it produces methane, which is 25 times more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide.

“One ton of food waste [rotting in

a landfill] is equivalent to one car on the road for one year,” Zardo said.

The answer, according to her company, is the FoodCycler, a countertop unit about the size of a breadmaker. Residents would put the waste in the receiver bucket of the device, turn it on and, within four to eight hours, reduce the water content of the waste and turn it into a soil amendment instead of household waste. The device can handle one kilogram of waste, Zardo said, costs less than 10 cents per cycle to operate and, after being asked, she explained the device releases the liquid removed in a clean vapour through activated charcoal filters.

The units cost $500, Zardo said, however with the Impact Canada Pilot program, half the value of each unit could be subsidized. She then suggested the municipality subsidize $100 of the purchase price of each unit as it will represent a cost savings for North Huron, specifically in the longevity of the landfill, leaving residents to pay $150 for each unit.

Zardo said there had been significant success in other municipalities, pointing to North Glengarry, where after receiving 100 units for the pilot program, the municipality had to order 150 more due to the popularity of the project.

Deputy-Reeve Trevor Seip said the project is an innovative way for municipalities to think about food waste and agreed with Zardo about the significant amount of food waste going into landfills.

Seip said that, while green bins, or bins for food waste, work for larger municipalities, North Huron just doesn’t have the infrastructure in place for that kind of project. He said anything that could reduce the amount of waste, and thus both the environmental impacts of food waste and the number of times residents have to buy bag tags, would likely be welcome.

“I’d like to see staff have a recommendation or plan,” he said.

“This is an important idea, and it’s definitely an inventive way to look at where we’re going [with food waste and its] environmental impact.”

Zardo agreed, saying one of the byproducts of the device is that people consider reducing food waste.

Reeve Bernie Bailey said North Huron wouldn’t be able to

contribute much staff time to marketing the programming, asking Zardo how that would be handled.

“It’s okay to say we’ll fund 150 of them, but how do people get to know about them?” he asked.

Zardo said the company’s existing municipal partners have assigned staff to handle the rollout and issues, though the company has been investigating a “concierge service” that would manage payments, send out flyers and ship units to the municipality. She said she would advise North Huron of movement in that discussion.

Councillor Chris Palmer asked how long the units last and who could fix them, and Zardo said the life span is five to seven years, while some of their devices from their earliest partnerships have been operational for over seven years.

She said there are extended warranties available on the units. As far as repairs, she said the company partners with local technicians for troubleshooting and repairs.

Seip said it was an important question because residents would want “no-fault, no issue” devices and that it could result in a negative backlash if there were problems.

Council then directed staff to further investigate and provide a recommendation on a partnership with the company.

Sudoku Solution

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Your Local News Just the way you like it!

Cheering her on Julie-Anne Staehli, an Olympic hopeful from the Lucknow area, has the support of her home community and beyond, including Edgar’s Feed and Seed outside of Wingham.

The Edgars built a statue of Staehli, shown here with Coye Edgar, to show their support for the long-distance runner. Staehli’s event, the women’s 5,000-metre race, has qualifying heats starting at 6 a.m. tomorrow, July 30. (John Stephenson photo)

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Knox service set on diamond PEOPLE AROUND BELGRAVE

By Linda Campbell Call 357-2188

There are no church services for Knox United Church until Aug. 8.

On Sunday, Aug. 8, the service will be held at the Belgrave ball diamond. For the remaining Sundays in August the service will be held at Ken and Lila Procter’s pond. The service is at 11:15 a.m.

Please bring a lawn chair and wear a mask. If it rains the service will be held in the church.

Congratulations to Adam and Erin MacDonald on the birth of their twin daughters, Sutton Nicole and Brexley Marilyn.

Sympathy is extended to Ruth Gordon in the loss of her husband Bob and to Robert (Lori) and Margie (Matt) in the loss of their father, and to his grandchildren.

If you haven’t been fully vaccinated, do so as soon as possible and help to keep the spread of the COVID-19 virus down. By doing this we can enjoy being together with our family and friends and get closer to leading a normal life again.

We need to all do our part – wear a mask, keep your distance, wash your hands and sanitize. Together we can do this. Stay safe and enjoy your Civic holiday weekend.

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021. PAGE 23.

Construction value doubles over small permit gain

By Denny Scott The Citizen Morris-Turnberry is seeing a boom in building value in 2021, which may be in part due to the increasing price of construction materials.

During council’s July 20 meeting, Chief Building Official Kirk

Livingston said that, with only 16 more permits than at the same time last year, the value of construction to date is more than double what it was last year.

As of the meeting, there had been 71 building permits issued in Morris-Turnberry with a construction value of $8,836,097.

At the same time last year, there

were 55 building permits issued worth $4,160,650.

Livingston said the 2021 numbers would likely continue to increase, as there were still submitted applications that had yet to be approved.

“I’m familiar with a couple very large projects anticipated to be coming in September,” he said. “It’s

looking to be a very successful year for Morris-Turnberry.”

Councillor Jim Nelemans asked what would result in that kind of value increase and Livingston said increased construction material prices could be to blame, though he said it was settling right now, which could mean even more building value increases.

“That could contribute to an influx of buildings in the next few months,” he said. “It will certainly be better for individuals seeking permits for a project.”

Nelemans said it was amazing that, despite the price of materials increasing, every contractor seemed to be busy.

Livingston agreed, saying that some have the whole year booked, while others are 10-12 weeks behind because they’re waiting on supplies that are in high demand.

Council received Livingston’s report.

PROPERTY STANDARDS Livingston also presented the property standards report for the month to council, saying there were four new complaints being addressed.

He said the handling of new complaints were progressing well, but several outstanding complaints remained as well. He said staff has been dealing with property owners before having the properties cleaned up at the ratepayer’s expense.

“As long as we see success or improvement, we will work with them,” he said, explaining that, with courts not hearing cases, there was no real rush to push for litigation.

“We might as well work with the landowners, and work in a positive way.”

Letter to the Editor

New space not needed

A distanced dip As of July 22, the Brussels, Morris and Grey Pool in Brussels opened its free swims to everyone without pre-registration necessary. COVID-19 protocols, including keeping six feet apart in the pool, are still in effect. (Denny Scott photo)

Bruce’s Rice nominated for Liberals Continued from page 19 before beginning a clerkship at the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories. There, Rice developed a deep appreciation for what makes Canada a great country while also being made aware of the wide array of challenges that rural and remote communities face.

Currently serving as an Assistant Crown Attorney with the Ministry of the Attorney General, Rice is passionate about social justice. As a former crown ward, he understands the need to advocate for those whose voices too often go unheard and has served with the Bruce-Grey Child and Family Services and the Children's Aid Foundation of Canada.

Before his career as a prosecutor, Rice was also involved with the Tiverton Agricultural Society and is a strong advocate for rural excellence. He understands the needs, hopes and desires of youth and seniors alike and the importance of building a strong economy that works for everyone.

A father himself, Rice cited a desire to improve the lives of families in Huron-Bruce as his primary motivation for running in the next election.

“The pandemic has shown the importance of strong leadership when it matters most. Whenever the next election occurs, voters face an important decision about Canada’s post-pandemic future ⎯ one that is forward-looking, progressive and focused on building communities up, or one that is remains focused on the past,” he said.

Individuals seeking to support James Rice's campaign to be the next Member of Parliament for

Huron-Bruce can find him on social media or contact him via e-mail at Jamesriceforhuronbruce@gmail.com

Happy 60th Anniversary Gerry & Bernice Edwards July 29, 2021

THE EDITOR, What is wrong with this picture?

North Huron has no money; we’re selling, closing, demolishing to save money. Suddenly we need a new council chamber and more space for additional staff. Granted, it’s a request from staff, which is not surprising; all staff want bigger offices.

There is nothing wrong with the present council chambers.

Council meets twice a month for a total of four hours each night after office hours. We have high enough taxes and a new council chamber will do nothing for the people of North Huron. How many citizens have ever set foot in the present chamber?

We live in an age of technology, staff do not have to be in the same building, even the COVID-19 pandemic proved that. Not even the provincial or federal government staff are in the same building.

Get with technology and move the staff to the complex or even East Wawanosh or Blyth.

Verna Steffler.

Come & Go Bridal Shower for

Janelle Durrer Fiancée of Ryan Baker on

Sunday, August 8 1 to 3 pm at the home of Liana Baker 42607 Cranbrook Rd., Brussels

Congratulations to Barb and Terry Richmond on their 50th Wedding Anniversary July 31st

Love, your family Love always, your family OXOX

“I Love You More Than Yesterday...”

Happy 60th Anniversary

Earl and Elsie Jenkins Love your Family

Happy 75th Birthday George Townsend Handling tires from an early age, he never seems to “TIRE”!!

July 27th, 1946

PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 29, 2021.

Artist Alley grand opening this Fri.

By Denny Scott The Citizen

Setting the stage Progress continues with the construction of the Blyth Festival’s new Harvest Stage at the Blyth Campground. This week, workers are laying down the stage, which is a major milestone in the project. The Festival season is due to begin soon, with the first preview performance scheduled for Aug. 11 and opening night on Aug. 12. The Citizen will have a special issue for the Festival season in its Aug. 5 issue. (John Stephenson photo)

New name posited Continued from page 18 the local Blyth story, the history that the naming of the street was meant to capture, and so I accepted it was there, and thought best to leave it alone. In retrospect I know it was wrong to do that.

This year, as Blyth Festival prepares to welcome an audience back to town, we have been redrawing maps to help guests, patrons, and tourists find our new outdoor Harvest Stage. The address is 377 Gypsy Lane.

Well. This gives me pause.

In his recent column, Keith Roulston, in reflecting on the proposed name change in town, half-jokingly suggested the name “Roma Road”. I have to say, I think it’s perfect.

If the thing we as a community are claiming we are so attached to about “Gypsy Lane” is the sliver of town history it was intended to preserve, then why wouldn’t we embrace the name “Roma Road”?

Or “Roma Lane”? Or “Roma Street”? Or “Roma Terrace”? Isn’t it exactly what we want?

I think it’s all fairly simple. If this history is important to us, and the history we want to preserve is a history of our town’s interaction with traveling Roma traders, and we now know that the word “gypsy’ is potentially hurtful and disrespectful to those people and their descendants, why wouldn’t we leap at the chance to change it, especially if the new name can better honour the very people we claim we want to celebrate? Isn’t that a win/win?

The call to change the name of “Gypsy Lane” is a gift to the Village of Blyth, and we should open ourselves to it. We are being offered something too few communities ever get. What we have here is a wonderful opportunity to change the name, and by doing it, acknowledge a disenfranchised people who have been dispossessed all over the world. We have a chance to say that this is a wonderful part of our history, we truly want to celebrate it, we are grateful for the role these people played and so we will call them by the name we know affords them the most respect possible.

Isn’t that the kind of town we want to be? One that respects people as much as possible?

No one is trying to erase a piece of Blyth’s history. From my perspective, this is us as a town choosing to preserve our unique history, and choosing to show as much respect as we can to the people who have contributed to it.

Several times over the weeks that this has been contemplated I have heard people in town ask “how many gypsies have ever complained about this name?”

Their argument is that somehow the name shouldn’t be changed because not enough people have been hurt yet? Are we saying we shouldn’t change it until more people are hurt first? Do we want to wait until we hear more complaints first? How many complaints from hurt people is enough? Why would we choose to wait for that? Also, shouldn’t this be a great thing? Wouldn’t it actually be wonderful if we could change the name before any Roma people, or their descendants, saw it or were hurt by it? Wouldn’t that actually be ideal? Wouldn’t that be the best possible outcome?

I know there are some people in town lately who are hearing the calls for similar changes and seeing only negativity and criticism, but I would honestly ask you: as someone who loves this town, who loves it with a big open heart, why wouldn’t we want to make our community as welcoming as possible to as many people as we possibly can?

If we truly love Blyth, don’t we want to do everything in our power to make sure anyone who wants to love Blyth can do so without reservation? Isn’t that exactly what we all want? Don’t we want to tell everyone that Blyth, Ontario is a welcoming and wonderful place that cares about everyone? I always thought that was the plan.

All to say: I think Keith Roulston coined it first and I would love to second it and stand behind it. Let’s call it Roma Road and carry the history forward, while showing we are willing to learn, and open to change. Isn’t that what makes Blyth so great?

Gil Garratt.

Clinton’s Artist Alley, a temporary outdoor art gallery designed to entice people to the alleys behind main street businesses during the road work in Clinton, will officially open tomorrow, Friday, July 30.

The creation of the alley started last year as Clinton Community Improvement Co-ordinator Angela Smith reached out to anyone interested to create art on large sheets of plywood to beautify the alley east of Clinton’s main street.

Izzy Siebert, assistant to Smith, told The Citizen that the event will include free food, musical entertainment and a chance for everyone to contribute to one last piece of art.

The last piece of art will be a final piece of plywood that everyone who attends can contribute to in some way, Siebert said.

Smith has said she’s received artist panels from all over the province, which is encouraging.

The grand opening, according to Siebert, which runs from noon until 2 p.m., will show off all the art pieces, which total over 150, a number which surprised and impressed both her and Smith.

“Angela thought we’d get 30 to 50 pieces if lucky, but the amount we’ve received has been amazing,” Siebert said. “The community reaction has been really positive.”

The event will also feature local musician Ava Dawe providing live entertainment.

Siebert said she spends time in the alleyway and it’s really rare to not see a family walking through, someone checking out the art or someone driving slowly while they take in the installation.

The alley is also the best way to visit some of the downtown stores, Siebert said, as they’ve opened up their back doors to customers.

Enjoy the best of summer with a good book!

CANADA FOR KIDS In this patriotic celebration of Canada’s superlatives, complete with 300 colour photographs, kids are presented with thousands of unique facts, figures and feats that make the country unique.

From inventions to statistics to amazing geography, this book will keep the whole family flipping pages for unique Canadian trivia. $17.95

110 NATURE HOT SPOTS IN ONTARIO Informative introduction to some of the province’s best-kept secrets. A fresh look at destinations that have made Ontario famous. If you’re looking for a day trip or a weekend getaway, this book will appeal to you. $29.95

PARENTING WITH PATIENCE Positive discipline has to begin with positive stress management. Author Judy Arnall offers realistic advice for handling the stress of parenting and understanding the steps of normal child development $19.95

PEACHES and Other Juicy Fruits 150 recipes for using sweet and savory peaches, plums, nectarines and apricots. Nutritional information on each fruit plus recipes that take you from breakfast to salads and sandwiches to main courses to desserts. $13.95

CANADA FOR KIDS PARENTING WITH PATIENCE PRESERVING THE SEASON 110 NATURE HOT SPOTS IN ONTARIO PEACHES A PADDLER’S GUIDE TO WEEKEND WILDERNESS ADVENTURES Prices subject to change with increases in wholesale prices, postage, taxes, etc. Please refer to current issue for correct figures.

Incorrect payment will delay delivery.

A PADDLER’S GUIDE TO WEEKEND WILDERNESS ADVENTURES IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO You don’t have to travel north to have happy adventures on the water. They’re as close as the Beaver River or the Bruce Peninsula. $19.95

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PRESERVING THE SEASON 90 delicious recipes for jams, jellies, preserves, chutneys, pickles, curds, condiments, canning and dishes using them. $24.99

Send cheque or money order for full amount to: Books: North Huron Publishing P.O. Box 429, Blyth, ON N0M 1H0 or call and pay by credit card 519-523-4792

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