The Citizen - June 10, 2021

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• Centennial • Editorials • Agriculture • Obituaries

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Thursday, June 10, 2021

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Volume 37 No. 23

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0

$3.4 million grant makes BMG project a reality

By Denny Scott The Citizen

A banner day for Brussels Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson was in Brussels on Monday for one of the biggest grant announcements in recent memory for the area. The federal government will contribute $1.9 million to the renovation and expansion of the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre, while Thompson’s provincial government will nearly match those funds with $1.5 million. The remaining $1.2 million will be covered by Huron East

and Morris-Turnberry. The project has been years in the making since the striking of a pair of committees that proposed a bold reimagination of the centre, making it bigger, more accessible and more modern. On hand for Monday’s announcement were, from left: Huron East Councillor John Lowe, Mayor Bernie MacLellan, Thompson and committee members Doug McArter and John Van Vliet. (Denny Scott photo)

Brussels 150th Homecoming progresses

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Planning for the Brussels 150th Homecoming, set for the summer of 2022, is ramping up, beginning with the release of its official logo, slogan and theme today (June 10).

The planning committee held a contest for the residents of Brussels, asking for a theme, logo and slogan for the event. Co-Chair Dan Fritz says the contest was very successful with plenty of worthy entries, but in the end, it was Michelle and Aliya Dauphin of Brussels who were crowned the winners.

In addition to their theme and slogan, the Dauphins also submitted their proposed logo in black and white. It was then colourized free of charge by Heather Logan and her company H-Creates Graphic Design with shades of blue and black, which will serve as the colours of the event.

The theme is a candle in the window, the sight of which from a distance had been a sign of

“welcome” to those wishing to visit. It also represents a sign of good news, friendship or a beacon for weary travellers. The slogan will be, “Let’s Light It Up”.

For winning the contest, Fritz says the Dauphins will receive a Homecoming merchandise prize pack, which will contain one of every single item the committee

will have for sale once merchandise has been created.

In an interview with The Citizen, Fritz said the committee has been meeting regularly via Zoom, tackling many of the “boring” elements of planning an event of this size, like being made a committee of Huron East Council and other tasks they must complete.

As members approach the oneyear-out mark, things will ramp up and the fun will begin, he said.

The event is scheduled for the Civic Holiday weekend of 2022, running from Friday, July 29 to Monday, Aug. 1.

A special Zoom community meeting went ahead on Wednesday Continued on page 10

In what Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson says is the largest Investing in Canada Fund expenditure in Huron-Bruce, the federal and provincial governments are investing $3.4 million in the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre (BMGCC).

Thompson announced the funds for the expansion and renovation of the BMGCC on Monday alongside Huron East Mayor Bernie MacLellan, Councillor John Lowe and members of the BMGCC building committee Doug McArter and John Van Vliet.

To cover the multi-million dollar project, the federal government is investing over $1.9 million while the provincial government is providing over $1.5 million. The remaining $1.2 million for the project will be covered by Huron East and Morris-Turnberry, which MacLellan says will be split according to existing ownership percentages.

Thompson said it was a pleasure for her to announce the funding, saying she was thrilled for the uplifting opportunity it provides.

She said the funding will see the site expanded to allow for new dressing rooms that meet the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and the creation of an enhanced fitness centre, as well as renovating and expanding the existing kitchen and auditorium facilities. The funding will also enable the replacement of the facility roof.

Thompson said the community makes great use of the facility, so it’s a valuable project. She said she looks forward to the community centre renovation and rehabilitation before commending the committees behind the project, specifically McArter and Van Vliet, who were second-to-none in terms of championing the project.

MacLellan said that many people deserve credit for the success, including the BMG Recreation Committee, where the project Continued on page 8

Reopening on horizon in Huron-Perth

By Denny Scott The Citizen Between the end of the lockdown and the start of the province’s reopening plan, Dr. Miriam Klassen is encouraging all Huron and Perth residents to follow public health suggestions.

While in “limbo” between the lockdown order and reopening, Klassen said that COVID-19 case numbers are still moving in the right direction, which will create the conditions necessary for gradual reopenings.

Klassen addressed the issue during a Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) teleconference last week.

Residents of Huron and Perth Counties still need to follow public health measures, she said, including staying at home even with mild symptoms.

“There is pretty much nothing else circulating except COVID-19,” she said. “What could be mild for you could be deadly for someone else.”

She said people also need to take their earliest opportunity to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, which

allows the province to move through the recovery stages.

During the teleconference, she also spoke to the fact that schools will remain closed to in-person learning for the rest of the current school year, saying that schools should be among the last to close and the first to open, as school closures can have a negative impact on families and students.

She also said the HPPH has the ability to help with contact tracing for schools, so employees are ready.

“I do recognize the government must weigh the risks and benefits

during the pandemic,” she said.

“It’s their decision to make [but] we will continue to work to prepare for the safest opening possible, whenever that will occur.”

As far as local numbers, there were 22 new cases of COVID-19 reported in the area over the past week, making a total cumulative count in Huron and Perth Counties of 1,838. This week, most of the new cases were in Huron County with 19 of the new cases being in Huron County municipalities.

New cases were reported in Continued on page 15

PAGE 2. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021.

A century of Memorial Hall in Blyth marked of the hall when it opened to great fanfare on June 5, 1921.

That tower had been replaced as part of a renovation in 1974 that made the upstairs theatre of the hall available for use again after engineers had found a design fault in the roof structure of the original building that made the upper storey unsafe.

After much debate in the village as to whether repairing the building would be a wise investment of taxpayers’ money, village council had decided to spend $50,000 to replace the old roof structure with a safe new one. A simplified, square bell tower replaced the original elegant, six-sided tower.

The tower and courtyard are just the most outwardly visible of the changes that have their origin in 2013 with the formation of a community group called 14/19 Arts and Cultural Initiative made up of forward-thinking individuals and representatives of local groups such as the Blyth Legion, Legion Ladies Auxiliary, the Lions Club and the Blyth Festival. The group’s big plans included renovation of the hall,

finding a new use for the former Blyth Public School which had been closed in 2012, and creation of a community trust fund for the village’s future needs.

Over the next couple of years the group went to work raising money including a gourmet dinner for 1,419 diners that filled two blocks of Blyth’s main street in the summer of 2014. Various grants including an essential $3.3 million contribution from the Ontario government finally meant the renovation could go ahead as soon as the 2016 Blyth Festival season ended.

The changes were literally from top to bottom: from the bell tower and repairing the flat-roofed sections of 1980 and 1990 additions to tearing up the floor in the basement meeting room to solve moisture issues that have long plagued the building. Improvements ranged from cosmetic such as a new wrought-iron railing in the theatre’s balcony to the practical need for new heating and air conditioning equipment.

New seats (yet with a period look to match the building’s heritage) and lighting were installed in the theatre

along with the most modern audiovisual equipment. The biggest changes, however, are in the downstairs meeting room. Gone are the washrooms in the front corners of the room built during the 1980 renovation to meet the needs of swelling crowds at the Blyth Festival. They had been replaced by enlarged washrooms in the 1990 link addition.

The kitchen has been moved from the rear of the original hall into the 1980 addition and given the latest in commercial-quality equipment. The original support pillars, which were insulated and covered during the 1980 renovation to meet fire codes, have been revealed again, now meeting fire regulations through a thinner insulating method.

All these changes to Memorial Hall, nearly a century after community members first dreamed of building a living memorial to the area’s First World War veterans, would have made the original planners proud. Back then there was no place in Blyth to hold large events, the best options being Continued on page 3

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A day to remember Blyth Festival Artistic Director Gil Garratt dusted off his kilt and bagpipes on Saturday to mark the 100th anniversary of the opening of Memorial Hall, the home of the Festival. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a large gathering wouldn’t have been permitted or safe, but Garratt and his team still wanted to mark the occasion.

In addition to Garratt’s performance from the roof of the hall, staff also rang the bell 30 times to honour the 30 men from Blyth who died in World War I, followed by a moment of silence. (Shawn Loughlin photo) Over the weekend, members of the Blyth Festival staff marked the 100th anniversary of Memorial Hall, the Festival’s home and the living cenotaph on the village’s main street.

With the COVID-19 pandemic still active, there was no official celebration or gathering. However, Festival Artistic Director Gil Garratt dusted off his bagpipes and kilt and performed from the roof of the hall at noon on Saturday, June 5.

In addition, Festival staff then rang the bell at the hall 30 times to honour the 30 men from Blyth who died in World War I, followed by a moment of silence for their memory.

Festival General Manager Rachael King had discussed marking the anniversary in some way for months, but with the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and government-issued measures to stop the spread of the virus, she was unsure what the Festival would be able to actually do when the day finally arrived.

The seeds for Memorial Hall would be sown in 1919 when residents of Blyth and Morris, Hullett and East Wawanosh Townships worked together to raise funds to pay tribute to the local lives lost in World War I. They chose to work towards the construction of a memorial building, rather than a monument like many other local communities.

The local Women’s Institutes purchased the land and a committee was established to work towards the construction of a “Memorial Hall” that didn’t require any tax money to be built.

It took the committee less than two years to raise the $25,000 needed and, on Sunday, June 5, 1921, a dedication ceremony officially opened the building to the world. The opening event boasted a full house, both in the auditorium and the basement, with a large crowd standing on the front lawn listening as speakers delivered speeches.

Below is a story on the history of Memorial Hall, written by Citizen Founder Keith Roulston in 2017 for The Citizen’s special issue celebrating Blyth’s 140th anniversary.

Former Blyth residents returning home for 2017’s 140th anniversary will see something familiar, yet different, in the village’s most iconic landmark. In the past year Blyth Memorial Hall has undergone a $4.2 million renovation that has both modernized it, and returned it to its original appearance.

For the passing visitor the most visible change will be the courtyard in front of the building, redesigned to better accommodate crowds before theatre performances and during intermissions. But look way up, and you’ll see the bell tower replicates the original that was part

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021. PAGE 3.

Memorial Hall celebration marks 100 years

Back again After millions of dollars in improvements, Blyth Memorial Community Hall reopened to the public on May 19, 2017. Members of the public gathered for a special group picture and then the doors were opened for a tour of the new and improved facility. It marked a major milestone in the journey of the hall, which has been so important to Blyth for now over 100 years. (File photo) Continued from page 2 halls above stores such as Industrial Hall.

There had been discussion as early as 1910 about the need for a community hall but it gained momentum after the Armistice of Nov. 11, 1918 finally ended the bloody World War I. While other communities planned to build statues to honour local soldiers who had lost their lives, groups such as the Blyth Women’s Institute rallied the community to build a hall.

Momentum grew as the village and surrounding areas of East Wawanosh, Hullett and Morris Townships were canvassed for donations. The WI purchased the Queen St. property on which the hall could be built.

On June 6, 1919, $2,000 was raised for the project by, among other events, offering rides on two new-fangled airplanes. That brought the total raised to $8,000.

On July 28, 1920 the cornerstone for Blyth Community Memorial Hall, a $20,000 building, was laid.

The architect was W. Murray of London. The builders were a local team, Cockerline and Floody. The building would house a theatre/concert hall upstairs holding more than 500 people, a meeting space downstairs and the village fire hall at the back on the southern side.

On Sunday, June 5, 1921 an opening ceremony and dedication of a memorial plaque was held. A reported crowd of 1,500 attended, filling the theatre, the basement and the lawns around the building.

Over the coming years the building would become the heart of the community with visits from the Chautauqua circuit and locallyorganized events like cantatas and minstrel shows. The downstairs was kept busy with meetings of

community groups and dances.

By 1946, there wasn’t enough room in the building’s fire hall for the modernized fire department so it moved to a new location. That year the village council called tenders for a new addition of 16 by 20 feet on the south side of the building to house the village library. A kitchen and washrooms were built in the old firehall.

As times changed, the downstairs hall continued to be busy with meetings and dances but as people turned to television for entertainment, the glory of the building, the upstairs theatre, got less and less use. It still hosted the village’s Remembrance Day ceremony but by the 1970s, little else.

In the summer of 1972 two events coincided that would radically alter Memorial Hall’s future. First, the Blyth Agricultural Society asked the Blyth Board of Trade (BBT) to host the first-ever Queen of the Fair pageant and Helen Gowing, the BBT president, felt Memorial Hall was the place to do it. Her call for helpers to clean and redecorate the theatre was answered by a group of volunteers who swarmed over the hall dusting, washing and repainting.

That same summer, a small troupe of then-unknown actors from

Toronto’s Theatre Passe Muraille gathered west of Clinton to visit neighbouring farmers and collect stories for what would become The Farm Show, one of the most formative productions in the history of Canadian theatre. The troupe’s leader, Paul Thompson, originally from Listowel, met one of the Blyth volunteers who tried to interest him in making Memorial Hall a summer base for his theatre.

But by now the eager volunteers for the pageant had begun to discover Memorial Hall’s age and how much things like fire regulations had changed. Hearing of the work renewing the hall, the village’s fire chief realized the building required another fire escape to meet code – though he allowed the pageant to go ahead.

The volunteers had no money for a fire escape so they turned to the village council for help. Next came concerns about the building’s archaic electrical service. Despite its age, this passed muster but then one councillor worried about a sag in the roof he’d noticed. An engineer’s report confirmed that there was a fault in the roof structure.

The escalating price tag to repair the problems left councilors in a quandary about whether or not to proceed. But public support,

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building in 1979-1980 that finally gave the actors proper dressing rooms and the technicians backstage storage for sets and provided the Festival administration with an office on ground floor (which would become the village’s library in the 1990s and the kitchen in the new renovation).

A decade later the Festival’s continued growth led it to add the “link” on the south side of the building between the original Memorial Hall and the Festival’s own administration building and rehearsal hall. That addition included more washrooms, more lobby space, a box office and The Bainton Gallery, home for the Festival’s art gallery.

All the improvements turned Memorial Hall into the region’s premier art centre, home not just to Blyth Festival and local productions, but also touring theatre and musical acts as diverse as classical guitarist Liona Boyd, opera singer Maureen Forrester, pop groups like Blue Rodeo, comedian Red Green and the Wingfield series of comic plays.

Since the theatre was put back into service with the 1974 renovation, more than a million people have attended events in the hall. Certainly those who dreamed of Blyth Community Memorial Hall and worked so hard to get it built would be proud to see their efforts have truly created a living memorial.

History When Blyth Memorial Community Hall opened to the public on June 5, 1921, there were hundreds of people in attendance - far more than the hall could accommodate, resulting in a large overflow group gathered on the front lawn. (File photo)

My times are in Your hand!

“Every Day!” Author unknown “My times are in Your hand!” Psalm 31:15 Is not this truth a joy to you, my soul?

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

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including from groups such as the Legion and the senior citizens club, convinced council to spend the money. By the fall of 1974 work was ready to begin, removing the entire roof structure and replacing it with a new design that reduced outward pressure on the walls that had caused the original problem.

By then, however, Theatre Passe Muraille had found a new summer home at Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia. But as the repairs went on over the winter of 1974-1975, a young director, recently graduated from York University’s theatre program, did some work for Theatre Passe Muraille. When James Roy revealed to Paul Thompson that he wanted to start his own summer theatre, Thompson told him about Blyth – which just happened to be Roy’s home community before his family had moved away when he was still young. Roy made contact with Blyth volunteers, the first Blyth Festival production opened on the Memorial Hall stage and a new era began for the building.

That winter a group hired through a government winter works grant made more cosmetic improvements: painting seats and walls and stripping and refinishing the woodwork. In 1979, audiences gained relief from the summer heat in the packed theatre when the Festival installed air conditioning.

The theatre’s rapid growth led to an addition on the north side of the

It would be a sorry thing for me, if my times were in my own hands – and it would afford me little satisfaction, if my times were in an angel’s hands. How restful should I be in knowing that my times are in my precious Saviour’s hands!

He sees the end from the beginning.

He knows how to apportion my sorrows and my joys.

He knows what to give – and what to withhold.

He knows also when to give – and when to take away.

But, alas! how often is my heart mistrustful – how often have I murmured under the trying dispensations of His providence! O my soul, be ashamed and confounded – be humbled in the dust that you should ever call in question the wisdom or kindness of the dealings of Him who loved you as to give His only Son for your redemption!

Help me, O God of my salvation, henceforth, with childlike confidence and peaceful trust – to yield all to You, and to rejoice in the assurance that “My times are in Your hand!”

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My Father’s hand will never cause His child a needless tear!” newsmediacanada.ca

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

PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 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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Taking a hand The global pandemic that has sent the country into repeated lockdowns has caused many businesses to teeter on the edge of survival.

Both the federal and provincial governments have initiated various measures for many to try to stave off bankruptcy and permanent closure.

In fact, Air Canada negotiated a $5.9 billion bailout in April to ensure the company would be able to continue operations. This was in addition to $656 million that it received in federal wage subsidies in 2020.

No one would claim that the airline did not suffer catastrophic losses because of the pandemic, nor that a federal government bailout was not necessary to ensure its survival, but last week it was revealed in its annual proxy circular to shareholders that $10 million in bonuses were paid to employees. After a public hue and cry, Air Canada released an announcement that its senior executives would repay their bonuses to try to mitigate the damage to their image due to “public disappointment”.

For the thousands of small businesses experiencing the same level of devastation to their revenues, but don’t have the clout to negotiate a bailout, it is disheartening to watch this play out. For many companies who carefully balance wage subsidies and any other funding, there is barely enough to keep their payroll going. Taxpayers can be convinced of the need to provide funds to keep businesses afloat, but funding any bonuses during such a time is a little tough to swallow. – DS

A nation mourns For most Canadians alive today, the very concept of a mass grave is nearly impossible to comprehend. That people could be viewed as so disposable that they didn’t even warrant individual grave markers is incongruous with how the majority of us view the world. And yet, another chapter of Canada’s national shame is being written with the discovery of the remains of 215 children at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, which operated between 1890 and 1978. Now, there are calls to use ground-penetrating radar to probe other residential school sites and many fear what they will find.

This discovery came just days before the second anniversary of the final report from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and at a time when many First Nations communities are still without clean drinking water. The Kamloops discovery represents a horrific chapter of history, and yet the country still has a long way to go to achieve modern-day equality and, what we so often hear from the federal government, truth and reconciliation.

This may very well be just the first of many discoveries that confirm what we’ve been told about the residential school system and what it did to First Nations communities. Some estimate that the system took over 6,000 lives, while irreversibly damaging so very many more.

Most of us will never understand the effect the residential schools had on First Nations communities, from loss of language and culture to tearing families apart and loss of life, but things can change moving forward. We can’t change the past, but we can certainly help shape the future for all Canadians and acknowledgment of the extent of the horror inflicted at these schools is a crucial step forward. – SL

The arrival of hope As part of the easing of restrictions in Ontario, long-term care residents will finally, after months of isolation, be able to go out into the world, have visitors and even have “brief” hugs.

The announcement followed the expiration of the provincial lockdown last week. This week, fully-immunized residents of long-term care facilities can now leave their homes for day-long or overnight outings, thanks in part to the high level of vaccination in the long-term care sector. Residents who can’t leave home due to mobility or health concerns, and can’t go outside either, will be allowed to have one visitor indoors alongside their essential caregiver. The government has also approved “brief” hugs for residents regardless of their vaccination status.

Many long-term care residents haven’t been able to see friends or family, except through glass, for the majority of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some areas were able to have visitors in the late spring and early summer of last year, but since then, due to the COVID-19 situation, and its associated variants, there hasn’t been much time for residents to see anyone outside of their homes.

The move may seem like a gamble, given the alarming reports of how many long-term care sites remain in outbreaks and other alarming reports about low uptake on vaccination among long-term care employees. However, it’s a necessary gamble, according to some, as the isolation that has accompanied the pandemic is a significant health concern, though not as much as COVID-19 and its variants.

These kinds of milestones will become more important in getting back to normal. Provided everyone who can gets fully vaccinated as soon as possible, more control measures will be removed and the province and the country will get back to pre-COVID-19 reality. – JDS

Looking Back Through the Years June 5, 1974 Blyth property taxes were on the rise, with an increase of 10 mills coming for 1974. The rise in the Huron County tax rate for the year was listed as one of the biggest factors. There was also an increase in assessment. The education rate, however, dropped slightly in 1974.

The Huron West District of Women’s Institutes held their annual meeting in Belgrave. Mrs. Betty Bride of Fordwich served as the event’s guest speaker.

The executive committee of Huron County Council was in the midst of conducting a study on the policing needs of Huron County.

The action stemmed from a report by the Task Force on Policing in Ontario, which suggested that all municipalities with a population under 15,000 be policed by the Ontario Provincial Police, recommending that all other police services be disbanded. If that recommendation were to be made into legislation, police forces in Huron County’s five towns would be disbanded as a result.

June 5, 1996 Brussels Village Council reluctantly approved a resolution to renew its fire agreement with Morris Township. This came without the inclusion of an amendment concerning fire protection for homes on the edge of Brussels, but in Morris Township.

Blyth Village Council approved a motion allowing Animal Control Officer Bob Trick to shoot any dog found to be at-large and running loose that he could not apprehend.

Reeve Mason Bailey reiterated that he had every confidence that Trick would use good judgment in

exercising the new right bestowed on him.

The Brussels Lions Club was set to celebrate its 50th anniversary and to mark the occasion, the club was planning one of the biggest and most extravagant elimination draws in its history.

In addition to a full program of entertainment, $7,500 in prize money would also be up for grabs as part of the event.

The cast had assembled in Blyth for Ma Belle Mabel, the second production of the 1996 Blyth Festival season. The play, written

by Cindy Cowan, was a love story about inventor Alexander Graham Bell and his wife Mabel Hubbard.

June 9, 2011 Huron County Council took a definitive stance on wind turbine developments, saying it would support a moratorium imposed by the provincial government on further developments in Ontario.

This came after a presentation by Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh resident Anita Frayne, who asked council to stand with residents against further wind turbine development in the community.

And while some councillors were concerned that council was stepping beyond its authority, others felt it wasn’t about authority, but rather to communicate how the community felt about wind turbines and putting that opposition on the record.

After a panel discussion held at the Blyth and District Community Centre, several members of the community opted to move ahead with the creation of a Blyth Business Improvement Area (BIA), but needed the approval of North Huron Council to move forward.

Blyth United Church’s Rev. Gary

Clark was named the President of the London Conference of the United Church of Canada, which meant he would be the spiritual leader for eight presbyteries within the region.

Huron-Bruce MP Ben Lobb was at Grey Central Public School to talk about government with the Grade 4/5 class. He covered topics such as how a bill is made into law, the composition of the House of Commons and the federal budget.

The Brussels Tigers played the first game of their Huron County Fastball League season, but the Tigers were unfortunately handed a loss by the Blyth Barons by a score of 7-6.

June 4, 2020 A small group of “Quarantine Fairies” were out and about through Blyth and Brussels spreading joy and treats by leaving care packages on the porches of unsuspecting friends and family members. The initiative was spearheaded by Margaret Schiestel and her daughter Maraya.

The Rolling Car Show, a creative spin on the car show adapted for the COVID-19 pandemic, was set to make its way through communities like Blyth and Auburn with an estimated 100 cars making the trip throughout the county. The route was announced in advance so people could plan for the show and be ready when it entered their town.

Firefighters’ breakfasts, held annually throughout the county, had been cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The process began with the annual Father’s Day breakfast in Brussels being cancelled, followed by a number of other meal events doing the same.

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021. PAGE 5.

Other Views

Canadian music was heard at last

P

opular music is forever changing, so the sort of music that was celebrated at the Juno Awards, broadcast last Sunday night, is much different than the music of my youth. Thus, I wasn’t watching as I would have years ago, but I’ll bet the program was an education for younger viewers who were.

You see, the program was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Juno Awards, which celebrates the Canadian music industry, and the role that government played in the establishment of a billion-dollar business.

While the awards are nominally named for the Roman goddess, they actually honour Pierre Juneau, who set requirements that music produced by Canadian artists must be played on the nation’s radio stations. Until then, it was rare for Canadians to be heard on our own radios, as station managers happily went along with playing the same American or British artists as stations south of the border.

Nobody likes to be told what to do, of course, especially when some government agency tells you how you must run your business. So there was backlash when Juneau, as chair of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), ruled that AM radio stations must devote 30 per cent of their playlists to music by Canadians.

Predictions of doom and gloom filled the airwaves and the business-oriented press.

There wasn’t enough Canadian music to meet the content requirement, some argued. Inferior artists would be getting airplay just because of their birth certificate. Listeners would turn the dial to be able to listen to the foreign stars they wanted to hear rather than the Canadian performers stations were forced to play.

But Juneau’s decision created a Canadian

Keith Roulston From the cluttered desk music industry. As Brad Wheeler wrote in The Globe and Mail last week, “Before the quota took effect in 1971... there was hardly a Canadian record industry to speak of. Though the foreign-owned major labels had branch offices in Toronto, their commitment to Canadian talent was negligible.”

He quoted Alexander Mair, who colaunched the independent label Attic Records in 1974: “To them, the offices were here just to distribute American and British hits.”

Sunday’s show included performers and presenters who are now international stars: people like Justin Bieber, Jann Arden, Jully Black, Shania Twain, Michael Bublé, Alessia Cara and The Tragically Hip with Leslie Feist.

But as Wheeler writes: “It’s easy to say now that we’d listen to those artists regardless of their passport. But without Cancon helping to build the industry over the past 50 years, their careers were anything but inevitable.”

Canada’s music industry may have exploded thanks to Canadian content rulings, but that doesn’t make the regulations any more popular today than they were 50 years ago.

Now the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) wants the quota cut to 25 per cent (down from the 35 quota per cent that was adopted 25 years ago). According to the CAB, Canadians listen to 10 to 12 per cent Canadian music on streaming services. A reduction in required Canadian music would bring the

percentage closer in line with those listening habits, the CAB argues. “It’s still substantial airplay,” the group’s president Kevin Desjardins told The Globe and Mail.

Technology and consumer preferences have changed over a half-century. Terrestrial radio is losing audience share to streaming platforms such as Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music, which operate in this country without those Canadian content rules. To close that gap, the Liberal government is proposing Bill C-10 to update the Broadcasting Act in an effort to regulate online streaming services.

I grew up in a time when it was almost impossible to buy a record by a Canadian singer or musician. CBC, on both radio and television, did its best to give Canadian performers like The Guess Who, David Foster and Anne Murray an audience, but it could only go so far.

After Canada’s Centennial celebrations raised pride in our country, there was a new hunger for things Canadian, from music to theatre. The emergence of Pierre Trudeau, a young Prime Minister with international star power after what seemed like an eternity of bickering old men, also gave Canadians new confidence. It was the current Prime Minister’s father who encouraged Juneau to set the quota. (Huron County native Harry J. Boyle was Juneau’s vice-chairman at the CRTC.) Many people have lost faith in government to really change things for the better. Others want government to just get out of the way and let the creativity of business leaders flourish.

The 50th anniversary of the Juno Awards, however, shows how smart government decisions can also allow creators like the nation’s musicians also get a chance to prove their worth.

Finishing your hits or finishing a career?

I

n back-to-back series, the Montreal Canadiens have seen the two kinds of hits that can end a career: the accidental collision resulting in injury and the intentto-injure hit that leads little doubt as to what was going through the head of the offender.

The Habs have been on either end of the two collisions: last month, Cory Perry did everything he could to avoid hitting Toronto Maple Leaf Jonathan Tavares’ head after Tavares got knocked down directly in Perry’s path; this month, Winnipeg Jet Mark Scheifele’s intentional hit on a vulnerable Jake Evans of the Canadiens resulted in Evans being taken off the ice on a stretcher.

It’s a tough thing to weigh in on because, while I may not look it now, I was a pretty intense hockey player (left defence) in my youth. I wasn’t short when I first entered body contact leagues, but then everyone else kept growing and I just kind of plateaued. Despite that, I played a pretty physical game and I know that the difference between playing the puck and playing the body usually comes down to emotion because, if you can, playing the puck is always a more effective way of playing defence.

Let’s deal with Perry first: For those who didn’t see it, during the May 20 game of the Habs-Leafs series, Ben Chiarot knocked down Tavares, which wasn’t a problem (despite what some diehard Leaf fans have claimed).

While on the ice, however, Perry, who was trying not to hit Tavares, ended up connecting his knee with Tavares’ head.

Tavares doesn’t remember the hit and, as of writing this, hadn’t watched the video. That tells you how bad of a situation it was. That could have easily been a career-ending collision, or worse. Fortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

It was a gut-wrenching spectacle to watch

Denny Scott Denny’s Den and I’m sure I must have seen the hit a dozen times in replays and news programs the night of and the day after the hit. Each time it was nauseating.

Fast-forward to last week, however, and you have the other kind of collision: the one where another player is doing his damndest to hit his opponents so hard that it might end their career.

Winnipeg’s Scheifele skated nearly the entire length of the ice before the hit on June 2, his feet left the ground as a result of his momentum and, even if he was coasting, he had a full head of steam when he caught Evans. Evans was wrapping around the Jets’ empty net and, as the puck was entering the net, he was decimated by Scheifele.

There’s a lot that can be argued about this hit: did his elbow intentionally come up? Did he charge? Did he leave his feet? You could argue any of the above points and no one except Scheifele will be able to know the actual truth.

What can’t be argued, however, is the fact that Scheifele didn’t attempt to play the puck. Evans hadn’t completed the play, wrapping the puck around but not quite scoring the goal until just as the collision occurred. I can tell you, as a somewhatexperienced hockey player, if I see an opponent attempting a wrap-around on my empty net, I’m going to be diving towards the net in hopes of either knocking the puck away or creating just enough confusion to make it

harder for the referees to call it a goal (sure, maybe that’s not on the level, but you do what you do to win, not to hurt people). I’m not going to be moving my stick away from the puck to line up a vengeance hit like Scheifele did. That’s emotion driving you, not logic or sense.

Both Tavares and Evans have an uncertain future ahead of them, especially since both have previously suffered injuries that could prevent them from getting back on the ice.

So what’s the point, readers may ask? Well, I’ve always had this belief of a pseudo-eyefor-an-eye punishment when it comes to these illegal hits. If a player injures another player as a result of an illegal play, illegal equipment or some other rule-breaking-situation, their (unpaid) suspension should be exactly as long as the injured player is off the roster. The point is that if you hurt someone else, you suffer as much time off as they do.

That becomes a tough penalty during the playoffs because, if the Jets win and Evans doesn’t get a chance to skate until next season, well then neither does Scheifele, regardless of how nice a guy he may be. The way things are, which resulted in a four-game suspension for Scheifele, proves something needs to change. I’m all for good, hard hits, but what Scheifele did was irresponsible and reprehensible.

Final Thought It is not what you do for your children, but what you have taught them to do for themselves, that will make them successful human beings.

– Ann Landers

Shawn Loughlin Shawn’s Sense

Behind the headlines

L

ate last week I watched Broadcast News for the first time. The 1987 film is credited as being very prophetic about where the world of news collecting would go in the coming years. But, as I watched it, I found it really captured some of the real behind-the-scenes world of news collection.

As I write this column - full disclosure - I hadn’t even finished watching the movie.

(Between parenting duties, cooking dinner nightly and work, Jess and I are lucky to watch a movie together over three nights.) However, within the first half-hour, I’d seen parts of my life, as a veteran of the news world of nearly 15 years (this October), reflected back at me.

We’ll get the resentful one out of the way first. Holly Hunter’s character, a television news producer, on her way into the office, buys every newspaper on the street to find stories. No offence to those in the world of radio and television (some of my best friends are broadcasters), but that’s the view from the newspaper office, anyway: we do the dirty work and someone with nice hair in a suit reads it that night, grabbing all the glory.

Second was the chaos behind the scenes to get a story to air (in Broadcast News, on a VHS tape and physically brought to a studio and inserted into a machine). Hunter and the reporter create the piece, racing against the clock of a live broadcast, and then a woman has to take the tape and run it to the studio, getting it to a man who inserts it into the VCR seconds before the station would have had to broadcast dead air. The movie then cuts to executives watching the smooth transition from one segment to another, oblivious to the mayhem it took to make that happen.

Like a duck floating peacefully on the water, the world of news collection may look easy to those who consume news, but there is a lot of leg-kicking happening under the water.

Third was the confession of William Hurt’s character that, frankly, he doesn’t understand the majority of the news he’s tasked with reading. Now, Hurt’s character is meant to be a bit of a mimbo (male bimbo) in the film, but that one hit home for me too.

It happens. Denny and I have both been tasked with reporting on topics that, frankly, we couldn’t explain if pressed. You do your research and examine reports, but when push comes to shove, sometimes you just quote the experts and hope for the best.

The fourth and final one came just after a jovial conversation between characters played

by Hunter and Albert Brooks. In separate hotel rooms, they flirt over the phone and schedule a meeting in the lobby in 30 minutes to go over a segment they’re producing together. Smiling widely, Hunter hangs up the phone and then unplugs it (back when phones had cords) to have a good, yet brief, cry. She gets it out of her system and then prepares for her meeting.

No doubt we’ve all had days like this, but sometimes, after presenting a brave face to the world, you just need to calmly, safely and quietly break down for a bit. And the world of news collection, for many reasons, can offer plenty of provocations resulting in a good cry.

Late last year, I wrote a handful of columns about the behind-the-scenes world of life here at The Citizen. I heard from a number of people who were happy to learn more.

Watching Broadcast News, it was good to see that there are some universal truths to this profession I’ve chosen and been lucky enough to retain for all these years; that it’s not always Woodward and Bernstein bringing down a president in spectacular fashion, sometimes it’s crying alone in a crappy hotel room.

PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021.

Leo Club proposes off-leash dog park

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

Quite the celebration Lyn Jutzi’s family recently celebrated her birthday with a fireworks display which her son Tyler caught for posterity and sent to The Citizen. E-mail your photos to reporter@northhuron.on.ca (Photo submitted)

The Brussels Leo Club is proposing the creation of an offleash dog park for the village with the help of Huron East Council.

The park would be created on part of the Richmond Square parking area, which is owned by Huron East.

The park is recommended to be located on the small, grassed area at the east end of the municipal property and south of the property formerly known as The Ark, owned by Daniel Hilker.

In a report presented to council at its June 1 meeting, Chief Administrative Officer Brad Knight said the club has identified an offleash dog park as a needed amenity in the village. He also said the club has indicated that it is willing to raise funds for the project as well as operate and maintain it.

In his report, Knight noted that several years ago Huron East’s animal control officer Bob Trick said the village should have an off-

leash dog park, recommending the Brussels ball park as a site. At the time, however, there wasn’t a group actively pushing for the creation of the park, so the recommendation was shelved, according to Knight’s report.

Knight made a handful of recommendations in his report, saying it may only have to be fenced on three sides, with The Ark building sitting on the property line, that a gate to access the park should come in from the parking lot, rather than the street, to encourage use of the parking lot, and that the gate should be wide enough to allow for Huron East grass-cutting equipment to access the site.

He also suggested that council may want to invite the Leo Club to a future council meeting, asking members to present a proposal for the park and associated costs, how it would be funded and how it would be maintained.

Council agreed, extending an invitation to the club.

Plans start to form as reopening looms A NOTE FROM BETTY

By Betty Graber Watson Call 887-9231 June: the mid-point of 2021. We are now into the 15th month of coping with COVID-19. There are plans for the transition of the school groups. We can see the growth of vegetation in our locality. The list of thoughts on June could go on and on. A very pleasant month to be sure.

Plans are bubbling as the

COVID-19 numbers decrease and the vaccine is getting where it needs to be. Many have received their second dose. Anticipation is a very nice thing as the possibilities of increased socialization are getting nearer. We’re still at the waiting stage, but even that feels pretty good right now.

We had a front row seat last week to watch our neighbour, John, shear some sheep. Like all new experiences, it was fascinating to watch the efficient and purposeful moves of John and the sheep. Very little noise or chat was heard as he moved the sheep about for their trim; quick, purposeful and all business until the job was complete.

Another job in life that I can appreciate and not ever want to do.

As the news of the 215 bodies

found at the residential school in B.C was released last week, the sadness and sickness for many returned. This is not news – it’s confirmation of what has been said and ignored for years. Once again white settler attitude has questioned the worth of anyone who looks and acts differently.

Maybe now we can do something right. The United Church of Canada has had a Healing Fund since the 1980s that has been used over the years to address Native issues caused by the tearing apart of families and culture. Books have been written and stories told, but power and control is held elsewhere, so not much is done.

Maybe this time, we’ll really hear and know, it happened in many places. We need to do better and we

At the Branch

Fish Fry crew serves 240 meals

By Jo-Ann McDonald The Brussels Legion Branch Comrades had a fish fry in Clinton last week. They cooked for 240 people last Friday night. Comrades Jo-Ann and Judy thawed the fish and the crew heading to Clinton included Deb Ross, Sandra Brown, Judy Lee, Kathy Burkholder, Murray Lowe, Randy White, Linda Bird and Jim Brown. The crew did a fine job as usual.

Happy birthday to the Poppy! The Poppy has been widely recognized as the symbol of remembrance, and was officially recognized on June 5, 1921, 100 years ago. The Poppy was made famous by the poem written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae M.D. in 1915, while serving on the front lines. From the dirt and mud of the fields of France and Belgium battlefields, grew the beautiful red poppies. It came to symbolize the blood shed during battle, following the publication of the poem “In Flanders Fields”. The Poppy has been worn to demonstrate our gratitude to those who served and gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy.

On Nov. 11, 2018 we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I with the Bells of Peace

celebration. Bells rang out across England and other countries when the Armistice was signed, Nov. 11, 1918. The world relived that moment in 2018 at sundown and bells rang out across the countries.

Brussels was part of the celebration with a service in front of the Legion and many of our area organizations and churches and individuals rang a bell at 5 p.m. The names of the World War I veterans were read, those who gave their lives and those who served and came home.

We now have the opportunity to celebrate once again. The Brussels Legion is looking to acknowledge all veterans of all wars who gave their lives, who came home to Brussels and those who joined the Royal Canadian Legion to support those who have served. Our celebration will be in conjunction with the Brussels Cemetery decoration service. We are asking for your help in making sure we have an accurate list of Legion members buried at Brussels Cemetery. If you have a loved one who was a Legion member, of any Branch, buried in Brussels Cemetery, please call the Branch at 519-887-6562 and leave a message with the information as soon as

possible. We thank you in advance for your assistance.

How are we celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Poppy? The Branch is going to place a white stone with a painted Poppy on it at every gravestone of a veteran or Legion member in Brussels Cemetery. They will be in place before the end of June and cemetery decoration service on June 27. They will not be large or in the way and will be removed and stored at the Branch for the winter in the fall.

Members of the Poppy committee had seen this idea and thought they could do this to recognize veterans and Comrades who have passed.

There were six Comrades that gathered and had a paint party last weekend. Comrades Sandra Brown, Kathy Burkholder and Jo-Ann McDonald went stone picking earlier in the week and then they were joined by Judy Lee, Catrina Josling and Marni Knight for the paint party. The assembly line of work went well and well over 300 stones were painted. Phase one is almost completed and now phase two is finding all the gravestones.

Comrades will be walking the cemetery most days during the next Continued on page 16

can if we listen.

We live in a pretty impressive part of the world and sometimes we use the excuse that we don’t have experience with other groups.

When we hear the stories and cry with the news, put yourself in that picture and feel the hopelessness that is part of others’ daily lives.

Respect and concern need to be available in our attitudes. We all have the same DNA. We are all made the same. Our awareness of our words, attitude and actions needs to show this, very clearly. We can do better.

Enjoy the outdoors.

Be kind. Be safe.

Bye now, Betty G.W.

NEWS FROM BRUSSELS

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SUDOKU Fun By The Numbers Like puzzles?

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

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

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021. PAGE 7.

Parade event planned

By Denny Scott The Citizen

The Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association will be hosting another antique tractor drive on June 26, following a successful parade set last year in the absence of the association’s annual reunion.

The parade will set out from the Blyth Campground after having met at the site at 9:30 a.m. The association traditionally holds its annual reunion at the campground, however it had to be delayed last year due to COVID-19.

Joe Hallahan, a member of the association executive, said the parade, which is being organized by himself, Edgar Daer and Gerald

Benninger, is a means of having the association and its members stay active and in front of the community.

“Last year’s parade was a success and we just wanted to try it and see how it would work,” he said.

“Hopefully all goes well this year like last year and we have another successful event.”

He said he received a lot of positive feedback after the parade, and this year should be even better, as members are getting more notice so more people can plan for travel and participate, making for more of a spectacle.

For more information, visit the association on Facebook or call Hallahan at 519-441-2844.

Locals mark birthdays From Marilyn’s Desk

Planning ahead Earth-moving machines moved into the Blyth Campground earlier this week to start the process of clearing space for the Blyth Festival’s outdoor performance space at the natural amphitheatre above. Festival Artistic Director Gil Garratt took some time before ground broke to visualize what the project would look like once complete. (Denny Scott photo)

NH flag policy to be reviewed

By Denny Scott The Citizen

North Huron Council’s adherence to its 11-year-old flag policy, which resulted in a decision to not fly the pride flag for June, which is Pride Month, generated feedback from locals asking for a change.

During council’s last meeting of May, it didn’t act on a request from the Huron County Museum’s Elizabeth French-Gibson to fly the flag, with council members attributing the decision to its flag policy, set in March of 2010, that says no flags other than the municipal, provincial or federal flag be flown.

Council received two letters during its June 7 meeting, one from Jen Elliott and one from Erin Gaunt, both concerned about the decision.

The letters pointed to other councils, including Huron East and Huron County, which chose to fly the pride flag to show support for the LGBTQ2S community and encouraged North Huron to do the same. Both writers encouraged North Huron to change its flag policy.

Reeve Bernie Bailey was the first to speak to the issue, saying there had been a “lot of controversy” and “a lot of ‘carrying on’ about this.”

He suggested council consider a motion to have staff review the flag policy and support Pride Month through its website and social media pages.

Deputy-Reeve Trevor Seip thanked one of the writers, Elliott, by name, saying she had consistent messaging dating back from when she contacted him to when she put forward the letter to council. He thanked her for following “the proper channels to make things be reviewed.”

Seip said that, as an individual member of council, he supports everyone and said he was simply following the North Huron flag policy that was in place.

“As one person on council, I am with that group,” he said. “I’m not here to discriminate or make people feel uncomfortable. That is not the

intent of that policy. I completely support what this request is asking.

I will do everything in my power to support this group and all other groups.”

Bailey offered a similar sentiment, saying he represents all of North Huron, not just sections of it. He then said some of his longtime friends were upset by the decision, but he rebutted, saying he was friends with them before becoming a politician and will be a long time after.

Bailey then said politicians shouldn’t be attacked, referencing the local media, for their actions.

Councillor Chris Palmer, who voted against reviewing the flag policy, said he believes people are equal and should respect the fact that the Canadian flag “was designed to make everyone equal underneath it.”

“It’s the united concept,” he said.

“The writers of these letters, in their words, they said these groups feel marginalized. If they do, I can’t help it. I can feel marginalized sometimes in how I feel or conduct

myself in council. It’s easy to be that way.

“It’s up to them, or any other group, to be part of society,” he said. “We’re not against anyone here.”

Palmer went on to say flying one flag could open the door for a multitude of others.

“We have [three flags]: federal, provincial and municipal,” he said, adding he isn’t against anyone by not flying their flag. “How many flags do we want to fly?”

Palmer finished by saying that there are hundreds of flags to fly, asking if council wants to see a “Hot Wheels” flag flown on a North Huron flag pole.

Councillor Anita van Hittersum respected Palmer’s position, but said it’s a “sign of the times”, adding that people need more than the Canadian flag and that symbol may not be as uniting as some people think it is.

Council approved having staff review the policy with Palmer and Councillor Paul Heffer voting against the move.

Local grad details set Hullett Central Public School’s Grade 8 class is taking its graduation celebration on the road later this month due to the COVID19 pandemic.

The graduation will take place on June 22 and include many of the hallmarks of a non-COVID-19 graduation, including celebrations, photographs and the long walk to receive diplomas, according to the plan recently approved by Hullett Principal Dree Park. However all those graduation staples will be done with public health guidelines being observed.

Grade 8 graduates will meet at the Blyth and District Community Centre in their “Just Graduated” vehicles and a parade will travel towards Londesborough, where the parade will end at the school.

Graduate parking spaces will be reserved and graduates will remain in their vehicle until called, at which point each graduate will

receive their diploma and graduation package. The students will then have their photograph taken, in a safe manner, with a photographer. Attendees can honk and cheer for each student before they head back to their vehicle.

After the graduation service, a drive-through meal will be set up beside the Londesborough Community Hall, just across the street from the school. The meal will feature Pineridge Barbecue quarter-chicken meals with coleslaw, roast potatoes, baked beans and a bun and be available for families to order, with the graduate’s meal being covered by the school.

Graduates will then head home for dinner and watch a virtual addition to the graduation ceremony.

For more information, contact Hullett Central Public School at 519-523-4201.

By Marilyn Craig Call 523-9318

warm days. June is turning out to be a warm month for Ontarians with 30°C weather. We have waited a long time for this warm weather to return.

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

Happy birthday to Jim Howson, Goderich and Ron Howson who both celebrate on June 10; Carson Bromley, Belgrave and Mark Nesbit will both celebrate June 11; Scott MacDonald will celebrate June 12; John Elliott, June 14 and Emily Phillips, Myrtle Badley and Amy Caldwell and Garret Caldwell will all celebrate June 16. Happy birthday everyone.

I hope everyone is enjoying these

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

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PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021.

Knight thanked for his work on funding application said, is something to be proud of and shows what the community is capable of.

As with all projects, MacLellan said, the bottom line is the price tag and he said the community didn’t

Continued from page 1 started. He said the Brussels Fall Fair, held at the site, shows how a facility like the community centre can be fully used for great community events. The fair, he

shy away from that with a fundraising study showing the community of Brussels could pledge as much as $2 million. “That shows the desire for this project,” he said.

Breaking ground Construction of the Blyth Festival’s outdoor stage, which will allow performances despite COVID-19 restrictions, began earlier this week as equipment and crews moved on to the site to start preparing the grounds for the ambitious project. (Denny Scott photo)

Hullett graduation tour set PEOPLE AROUND LONDESBORO

By BRENDA RADFORD Call 523-4296

The newest resident in the village is more than likely making sure her parents, Eric and Halee Radford, are not sleeping through the night.

Paige Noelle was born on Friday, May 29. Welcome to Paige and congratulations to dad and mom.

I dropped by Hullett Central School on Friday to see how the Grade 8 students were going to mark their graduation to secondary school. There are plans moving forward so the graduates are not too disappointed after a year fraught with COVID-19 issues. So many celebration in recent months have been drive-bys and this celebrations will have that feature as well on June 22.

Because many students from Blyth attend Hullett, the graduates and their parents will be meeting in Blyth and make a car tour of that village to be congratulated by friends and relatives there before making their way to Hullett school.

School representatives will be present at the school to greet and say farewell to the students while handing out diplomas and awards to each. A photographer will be distanced but each graduate will have a picture to mark the day.

COVID-19 thought for the week: every time I look in the mirror I despair about when I might be able to get a haircut. But then I watch the news and realize John Tory, Justin Trudeau and a certain newscaster are wondering the same

thing. Soon, please Mr. Ford!

W. Clark Kent, who was born in London, ON, is president of a technology company, Relay Medical Corp. that is on the cusp of manufacturing a rapid testing system for COVID-19. In the early trial stage it is hoped that this device, similar to a rapid pregnancy test device, will eventually make its way into airports, workplaces, schools, outdoor performance venues, etc. It gives a result in 30 minutes saving the worrisome wait people are experiencing now.

Shocking news out of Kamloops, B.C. last week. Canadians have long felt sorry about the residential school system to which our Indigenous Canadians were subjected. Hopefully this latest development will get a fire lit under the federal Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Unfortunately, many feel it will take months to uncover all the nastiness across the nation.

Small places like Londesborough seem to have a frequent turnover of residents.And I learned this week that Tom Nott and Christine are bidding farewell to us. They have been residing in the lower apartment in the former corner restaurant since last fall. Shortly after their move to the village the couple became custodians for Londesborough United Church.

Consequently with their departure the church is again in need of

custodians. If you or someone you know would be interested in this job please contact Dave Whyte at 519-955-0928 for information.

Licensed Lay Worship Leader Sue Barnett led the worship for Sunday, June 6. Her chosen scripture passage was Mark 3: 2035. Her questions to persons watching the service were “What is happening in your house? Are you loyal to your family members, including God?” Sue will lead the worship next Sunday as well.

MacLellan said soon-to-retire Huron East Chief Administrative Officer Brad Knight was instrumental in putting the grant application together that saw the more than $3.4 million coming from the federal and provincial governments. He also said the project isn’t isolated, pointing to nearby residential developments Huron East council is supporting, showing that the new facility really ties into the sustainability of the community.

Finally, MacLellan thanked Morris-Turnberry Council for their support alongside the federal and provincial governments.

McArter then spoke on behalf of the building committee for the project, one of the two committees behind the project, with the other handling fundraising. McArter said the project has been ongoing for several years and the announcement was appreciated.

He said the project has been a group effort, and he also thanked Knight for his work on the application, saying that Huron East Council and staff have supported the initiative throughout.

McArter said the committee couldn’t be happier about the announcement.

When asked, Thompson said there was no timeline on the funds for the project, saying that COVID19 has created uncertain times and prices for construction materials and projects, and that the provincial government wanted to make sure, when the time was right, the project

could move forward at “full steam”.

McArter explained the project will be tackled in two stages, first with the new addition at the east and southern parts of the building including the new dressing rooms, fitness centre and foyer. The second phase will see the kitchen and auditorium renovated with the existing western entrance changed to be part of the enhanced kitchen.

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BELGRAVE COMMUNITY CENTRE invites

NOMINATIONS for the

Jim McGee Community Volunteer Award Submissions are to be completed by June 30, 2021 For more information please contact Kendra Robinson mandkrobinson@gmail.com 519-357-4040 for an information package

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021. PAGE 9.

NH hears pleas for Howson Dam

By Denny Scott The Citizen

On guard Blyth Festival Artistic Director Gil Garratt played the bagpipes from the roof of Memorial Hall on Saturday to mark the 100th anniversary of its opening. The brief ceremony also honoured the 30 men from Blyth who lost their lives in World War I. (Shawn Loughlin photo)

Bailey disappointed in M-T cancellation

By Denny Scott The Citizen

During North Huron Council’s June 7 meeting, several council members voiced discontent and frustration with Morris-Turnberry deciding to cancel a shared service agreement.

During the meeting, Chief Administrative Officer Dwayne Evans explained that MorrisTurnberry Council had given notice it would be cancelling the shared building department service between the two municipalities.

Evans said Morris-Turnberry Council had followed the requirements set out in the agreement by providing six months notice of the cancellation, but that this would leave a hole in North Huron’s staff services come the end of the year.

Reeve Bernie Bailey was very frustrated with the issue, saying Morris-Turnberry Council didn’t notify North Huron, but instead issued a press release on Friday, May 28.

“I had two local papers call me for a response on Saturday [May 29],” Bailey said.

“I’m disappointed with how this was handled, but not surprised.”

Councillor Kevin Falconer didn’t dwell on the announcement, instead saying North Huron needs to forge ahead with either establishing its own building department, which also handles drainage and property standards issues, or looking to partner with another neighbouring municipality.

He said the complexity of drainage issues and the increased amount of private development requires that North Huron has a knowledgeable staff person in the role soon, or else it could result in delays. He said that, since North Huron didn’t hire Chief Building Official Kirk Livingston (as he is a Morris-Turnberry staff

member providing service in North Huron), North Huron was at a disadvantage as a result of the announcement.

Councillor Chris Palmer said he was extremely disappointed with Morris-Turnberry’s actions, but said North Huron played a part in it, adding that he thought this issue was going to be dealt with by the cross-border committee.

“What did the committee do about it?” he asked. “There was a timeline looming.”

Deputy-Reeve Trevor Seip said the issue was discussed by the committee, and the committee was under the impression the shared building department agreement would follow the water and sewer agreement - the primary focus of the group - and has remained that way for several years.

“We… believed at that time that water and sewer services were more important [to reach a deal on] than the building department,” Seip said of the committee.

Palmer said North Huron had a “terrific deal” with the cross-border servicing agreement and, while he wasn’t against finding someone to do the job, it would be a difficult task.

While Palmer said the agreement was an economic boon to both municipalities, Bailey wasn’t convinced, saying he had already asked staff to prepare a report on what it cost North Huron to have its own department head, since North Huron had already provided office space and staff hours to the building department.

Council approved a motion prepared by staff that accepted the notice of termination of the shared services building department agreement with Morris-Turnberry and directed Evans to investigate potential options “for the delivery of services provided through the terminated shared building services agreement.”

During North Huron Council’s June 7 meeting, council discussed another community request regarding the future of the Howson Dam and Bridge site, though council didn’t immediately act upon it.

The request, which came from local Chris Moore, requested that the existing Request for Proposal (RFP) to decommission the Howson Bridge and Dam be amended to allow for the construction of another facility and that another committee of council be allowed to form, this one dedicated to fundraising for the project.

The request comes after a nearlyyear-long committee of council suggested council look at rehabilitating the dam if possible, but, if not, decommissioning it. A follow-up engineer’s study showed the existing infrastructure wasn’t rehabilitatable, leading council to direct staff to issue an RFP for the removal or naturalization of the site, with hopes that the current water level could somehow be maintained in a fiscally responsible manner.

After a detailed presentation Moore made his request, which included a new engineering study for the replacement of the structure, the forming of the fundraising committee, a fundraising feasibility study and then determining a new path forward based on the results of the above studies.

He explained that, as part of the process, it may become infeasible to either replace the existing structure or to raise the money necessary, and either of those could result in the termination of the process.

Moore said the project could cost $3-$6 million and that fundraising would be the only option

considered to maintain the pond.

Moore said he wasn’t arguing for the existing structure, saying he was focused on the pond created by the dam as it was what needed to be saved, not the ailing structure.

Councillor Chris Palmer said Moore’s presentation was a “mirror image” of what was provided by the committee of council, which had since been disbanded, and Palmer wanted to wait for a report from Director of Public Works Jamie McCarthy before moving forward with any kind of changes to the RFP process.

McCarthy said that some of Moore’s requests were already part of the RFP, saying the option was presented to contractors to prove a “safe, cost-effective” and economically sustainable way to provide ecosystem management for the pond.

Deputy-Reeve Trevor Seip said the term cost-effective meant different things to different people, and asked what kind of criteria McCarthy had sent out.

She said the issue wasn’t just any upfront costs, including decommissioning of the site, but also about the future, making sure that any of council’s greatgrandchildren wouldn’t be facing a similar situation with infrastructure in need of replacement or repair.

She didn’t, however, put any kind of criteria in regarding what that meant, saying she didn’t want to limit the feedback provided by consultants.

Councillor Kevin Falconer said Moore, and by extension council if they followed the request, was falling into patterns of previous organizations who picked one part of a report and ignored the rest. He said, with every engineering report, there is some mention of what could be done to repair or rehabilitate the structure and “everyone hangs off [that] little piece.”

He said council shouldn’t go backwards in time on the project because progress had been made.

Falconer was also concerned about the cost of the structure, saying that, if every one of North Huron’s 10,000 residents contributed $1,000, that would still only provide $1 million, a fraction of the expected costs.

Seip disagreed, however, saying Moore’s request wasn’t “the same road” council had travelled before because the existing dam and bridge will be decommissioned regardless of what is done to maintain the pond in the future.

“I can assure you [Councillor Falconer] that structure is going,” he said of the existing dam and bridge. “Nobody should be hanging a hat on any engineering.”

Council took no immediate action as a result of the presentation and discussion.

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The Name Says It All!

Sweets N’ Treats

Is excited to announce that living in Blyth is about to get a whole lot sweeter!

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June 19th & 20th from 10 am - 6 pm 413 Queen St., Blyth Wingham location closed during Blyth’s Grand Opening (p) 519-357-3663 Email: info@sweetsntreatschocolates.ca Website: sweetsntreatschocolates.ca

PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021.

Homecoming to mark a reprieve from COVID-19

Looking ahead As part of the planning for the Brussels 2022 Homecoming, which will mark the 150th anniversary of the founding of the village, the above logo was selected from numerous submissions. The candle is meant to be a sign of welcoming for those returning to the village for the celebration. Michelle and Aliya Dauphin of Brussels crafted the image. (Image submitted) Continued from page 1 night, bringing local community groups, churches and other organizations into the planning process and giving them first crack at sponsoring an event or a meal at the Homecoming.

He said that while the world continues to tangle with the COVID-19 pandemic, he and his fellow committee members have been encouraged by looking ahead to such a grand celebration next summer. By then, he said, the hope would be that the pandemic will have subsided and vaccination would be widespread, so there won’t be cause for concern

regarding the virus and that community members will be ready for a party.

While Fritz and the rest of the committee have been working on a loose framework regarding events they hope to host at the Homecoming, there is still some work that needs to happen before those details can be released to the public.

Some preliminary work has also been done on merchandising for the event, which he hopes will be released soon.

He encourages people to check the event’s Facebook page and The Citizen as more details emerge.

Millions of people across Ontario have received their COVID-19 vaccine.

Do your part.

Get your shot.

Health Canada-approved vaccines are conveniently available at hospitals, doctors’ offices, pharmacies and mass vaccination sites. And every dose brings us closer to what we’ve missed.

Book your appointment today at ontario.ca/bookvaccine or call 1-888-999-6488 for help in 300 languages.

And hold it Local photographer Liz Allan caught this avian aerobics session recently and shared the photo with The Citizen.

It’s no stretch to say that photos submitted to reporter@northhuron.on.ca may show up in The Citizen just like Allan’s snapshots. (Photo courtesy of Liz Allan of the Maitland Valley Camera Club)

Paid for by the Government of Ontario

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021. PAGE 11.

Celebrate Dad! Farm To Cup!

Books For Dad!

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RUSTY RAILS A photographic record of the branchline railways in Mid-western Ontario from 1961-1996. Many of these rail lines are gone now, but their memory lingers, as does their effect on our history. (softcover) $34.95

HAVE MERCEY My First Sixty Years Making Music An autobiography of the music career of Larry Mercey and the award-winning Canadian Country Music group, The Mercey Brothers. $25.00

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The Citizen

Visit our online Marketplace at huroncitizen.ca for more rural living books and local authors.

Check out www.coastalcoffee.ca for list of retailers and restaurants.

Don’t Forget Dad! Special Father's Day Menu available June 19th and 20th Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates

Check out our facebook page for Father’s Day specials

• Call to inquire about custom catering options

• New-Life • Floradale • Jones • Purina • Speare Seeds • Maizex • Secan A collaborative marketplace showcasing Huron County’s creative artisans.

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PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021.

Multicultural Association assisting locals with vaccines India, the home of Hira Dhariwal, another association volunteer, are not nearly as encouraging.

Wordofa says he and his team have made themselves available 24 hours a day if necessary. While they have been focusing on assistance related to the COVID-19 vaccine as of late, he says they really are there just to help those who need it.

Whether it’s groceries on a short month or any other kind of help, he said they are there if needed.

They were recently in Blyth going door to door hoping to help and they would soon be doing so in other communities as well.

To reach out, call the association at 1-888-910-1583 or visit its website at maph.ca.

Blackmore acclaimed The Huron-Bruce Provincial Liberal Association has nominated Shelley Blackmore as the Liberal Party of Ontario candidate for the riding of Huron-Bruce. In a virtual nomination meeting held on Saturday, June 5, with Ontario Liberal Leader, Steven Del Duca in attendance, Blackmore was acclaimed to the position.

“Politics and public office,” Blackmore says, “are all about service to the community, and the interests of the riding. It’s my job to see to it that government policy ensures the communities of Huron-

Bruce have their needs met from cradle to grave.”

To Blackmore, this means a comprehensive scope of services, ranging from affordable childcare, a robust public education system, well-funded medical and mental health care, supports for innovation and small business, and a safe and dignified long-term care system.

As a long-time resident of HuronBruce – Shelley and her family have lived in Howick Township for over two decades – she understands the needs and interests of her Continued on page 19

Reaching out The Multicultural Association of Huron-Perth has recently focused its attention on assisting new Canadians in getting their COVID-19 vaccines. Whether it’s help with booking an appointment or getting to one, the association is doing what it can to help those in need. Dr. Geza Wordofa, founder and president, right, and Hira Dhariwal, left, were recently in Blyth in an effort to help a local family. (Shawn Loughlin photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen The Multicultural Association of Huron-Perth has recently begun stepping up its efforts in northern Huron and Perth communities to help residents receive their COVID-19 vaccine.

Dr. Geza Wordofa, president and founder of the association, said he and his small team have been focusing on communities like Wingham, Listowel, Blyth and others in recent weeks. They have been reaching out to those who might need help booking a vaccination appointment, getting to their appointment or overcoming

vaccine hesitancy in new Canadians.

Wordofa, in an interview with The Citizen, said residents of Canada are so lucky to have what they do. Whether it’s free travel throughout the province (before the enacting of the stay-at-home order) or free access to healthcare and vaccinations, he said living in Canada is such a privilege and that is especially evident in times like those we’re experiencing now.

Between grant funding for the organization and volunteers who are keen to reach out to the community of new Canadians in the region, Wordofa says the organization is ready, willing and

able to help residents wherever and whenever they can. They have a vehicle to transport people to and from their appointments, if necessary, and they are taking extreme precaution to avoid spreading the virus, thoroughly sanitizing the vehicle between uses, wearing masks and more.

He said that living in such a wonderful country as Canada, it’s integral that people give back, which is what he feels he and his team are doing by connecting with other members of the community.

Wordofa also said that people are lucky to have free and ready access to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Situations in his native Ethiopia or

’s her Fat ay D

Deadline June 11

WHO’S LOOKING AT YOU?

de 8 Gra uation d a r G

Deadline June 25

Put your business in front of the RIGHT eyes!

The Citizen has special interest issues coming up.

Tragedy Gemma James Smith was one of several who gave their time last week to aid in the Blyth Festival’s creation of a shoe memorial at Memorial Hall to honour the memory of the 215 children whose remains were found at a former residential school site in British Columbia. The shoes remained in place for several days, through the weekend, when the hall marked its 100th anniversary. (Shawn Loughlin photo)

th Bly ival t s e F

Deadline July 5

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s on Hur Table To s Farm

Deadline July 23

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021. PAGE 13.

519-523-4311

www.ruralvoice.ca

Agriculture

BLYTH 519-523-4244

www.hurontractor.com

Brussels Livestock report

Sheep sell steadily, goats higher at weekly sale Total receipts for Brussels Livestock for the week ending June 4 were 1,760 cattle and 909 lambs and goats.

On Tuesday, fed steers and heifers sold on a good demand with prices $1 to $2 higher. Choice steers and heifers sold $150 to $158.50.

Second-cut cattle, $138 to $149.

Aged and medium-fed steers and heifers sold $120 to $140. Holstein steers and heifers sold $85 to $117.

Cows sold steady.

On Thursday, beef veal sold steady. Holsteins sold on a lower market. Lambs sold lower. Sheep sold steady and goats sold higher.

On Friday, calves and yearlings sold on a very active trade at higher prices.

John Vanloo of Bluevale, consigned three head. Three charolais heifers averaged 1,608 lbs. and sold for an average price of $155. Larry Reinhart of Mildmay, consigned 12 head. One black steer weighed 1,360 lbs. and sold for a price of $157. Jamie Schipper of Palmerston, consigned three head.

One bwf steer weighed 1,500 lbs. and sold for a price of $157.

There were 200 cows on offer. Beef sold $86 to $99 with sales to $107; good holstein cows, $83 to $87; medium holstein cows, $77 to $82; plain cows, $73 to $76.

There were 130 head of veal on offer. Beef veal sold $145 to $172 with sales to $173; good holsteins,

$114 to $122 with sales to $131; SL heavy holsteins, $105 to $112; heavy holsteins, $85 to $110; medium holsteins, $90 to $112; plain holsteins, $71 to $100.

Eli Martin of Teeswater, consigned three head. One gold steer weighed 970 lbs. and sold for a price of $173.

Lambs under 50 lbs. sold $339 to $402; 50 - 64 lbs., $316 to $340; 65 - 79 lbs., $293.50 to $320; 80 - 94 lbs, $270.50 to $281; 95 to $109 lbs., $266 to $275; 110 lbs. and over, $267.50 to $270.

Sheep sold $110 to $260; goats: billies sold $220 to $450; nannies, $100 to $225; kids: meat, $500 to $532; dairy, $420 to $519.

Chloe Meadow Farms of

Teeswater, consigned two kid goats that averaged 54 lbs. and sold for an average price of $522. Bob Copeland of Mount Forest, consigned six head. Three kid goats averaged 51 lbs. and sold for an average price of $532. George Snell of Blyth, consigned one lamb that weighed 60 lbs. and sold for a price of $315.

Top quality stocker steers under 400 lbs. sold $236.50 to $246; 400 499 lbs., $240 to $260; 500 - 599 lbs., $228 to $256; 600 - 699 lbs., $218 to $234.50; 700 - 799 lbs., $199.75 to $211; 800 - 899 lbs., $188.50 to $198; 900 - 999 lbs., $173 to $186.25; 1,000 lbs. and over, $157 to $174.

Top quality stocker heifers, 400 -

499 lbs., sold $150.50 to $229; 500 - 599 lbs., $191.50 to $215; 600 699 lbs., $179.50 to $197; 700 - 799 lbs., $150 to $177; 800 - 899 lbs., $166 to $173.75; 900 lbs. and over, $158 to $170.25.

Satchell Farms Ltd. of Gadshill, consigned 46 head. Eight black heifers averaged 656 lbs. and sold for an average price of $190. Eight black steers averaged 759 lbs. and sold for an average price of $210.25.

Stewart Farms of Douglas, consigned 74 head. Twenty charolais heifers averaged 949 lbs. and sold for an average price of $163.25. Twelve charolais steers averaged 935 lbs. and sold for an average price of $179.

NH denies further extension

By Denny Scott The Citizen

A new day The Blyth Business Improvement Area’s new banners for the village’s main street are now up and looking fresh. North Huron Public Works crews were hard at work erecting them recently. (Shawn Loughlin photo)

North Huron Township Council has stood firm on its decision to not support an extension for the 10year-old Wingham Creek development, despite councillors being urged to change their minds during council’s Monday night meeting.

Jeff Medina, representing the 614 co-investors in the development, said council should support the requested extension for draft plan approval, which was set to go before Huron County Council this week.

Medina provided a history of the development, starting in 2011 when, according to Medina, A2A, the company originally responsible for the project, bought 90 acres of land, which is part of North Huron, for $1.6 million, then turned around and sold it to the 614 co-investors for $11.6 million.

According to Medina, a draft plan of subdivision was approved in 2014, and then extended in 2017. In 2018, Medina said the project was “apparently abandoned” by A2A, despite the fact that no official information was disseminated to the co-owners.

In 2019 and 2020, the co-owners attempted to sell the project to another firm, SZAM, however there wasn’t enough traction among the

co-owners to make the move, Medina said, resulting in the project being derailed.

Over the following year, other requests came forward and fell through before Medina was finally appointed by the co-owners to represent the group going forward.

Medina explained working with so many co-owners was a taxing project, but was the only way the group would be able to dictate how the development goes forward.

He then said that the most recent estimations, if the draft plan extension was approved, would see properties being sold for development at “fair market value” by the end of the year.

Medina said he understands how frustrated council members are, saying that the co-owners are similarly frustrated. He also said if the approval isn’t granted and the land reverts to farmland, he expected it would be difficult to get the co-owners to agree on a plan of action for the land, which is needed for residential development in the area.

Deputy-Reeve Trevor Seip said that, while he agrees with the timeline presented, he had heard all of the information and promises before.

“We haven’t seen movement here,” he said. “We’ve asked for one thing: a draft plan of

Unemployment rate drops significantly In May, the unemployment rate for the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula economic region decreased by two percentage points from 6.1 per cent to 4.1 per cent. This is the largest drop in the unemployment rate since the beginning of the pandemic and also represents the first time the unemployment rate has fallen below five per cent for the same time period. At the same time, the provincial unemployment rate increased to 8.9 per cent, with both rates unadjusted for seasonality.

Overall net employment in the region increased by 2,900, with full-time gains (5,900) and parttime losses (-3,000).

This

employment change shows a steady and continued recovery of the local labour market with the third provincial lockdown still in effect.

The number of goods-producing sector employees increased by net 1,900. The main driving force came from positive gains in agriculture (800) and manufacturing (900).

Manufacturing has experienced its fifth consecutive monthly increase in employment in 2021, showing its resiliency to the public health measures.

Employment in the servicesproducing sector also increased by net 900. The greatest gains came from business, building and other

support services (1,200) and professional, scientific and technical services (900). These gains offset the losses in other sectors such as other services (except public administration, -600), wholesale and retail trade (-400) and finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (400).

“Both our unemployment rate and labour force numbers indicate that we are moving in a positive direction pointing to steady recovery. For the first time since the pandemic the unemployment rate has dipped below five per cent and we have noted a trend of increasing

labour force activity,” says Gemma Mendez-Smith, Executive Director of the Four County Labour Market Planning Board. “We continue to recognize that not all sectors are experiencing the same level of stable recovery.”

Current job postings for Bruce, Grey, Huron, Perth Counties have increased overtime since the pandemic and can be found at www.connect2JOBS.ca. This is updated regularly, so visit often to see the job opportunities. The region’s monthly average for job posting continues to be 2,000.

Check out the latest Job Demand Report for more details.

subdivision agreement. That’s been on the table since 2019.”

He said he understands it takes time to produce a document like that, but he was hesitant to support any extension due to the history of the project.

Seip also questioned what “fair market value” was, since the coowners had already paid 10 times what the property cost in acquisition 10 years ago.

Medina said the group wanted to recover their investment, but was ready to be realistic about it.

“We found out much later [in the saga] that… the land was oversold to us at a very high price,” he said.

“We understand we [have to be] realistic.”

Council took no action as a result of the presentation.

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BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK Division of Gamble & Rogers Ltd.

UPCOMING SALES TUESDAYS 10:00 a.m.

Fed Cattle, Bulls & Cows

THURSDAYS

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

FRIDAYS

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

Call us 519-887-6461

PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 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

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

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

01-50p -------------------------------------------REPRINTS OF PHOTOS taken by Citizen photographers are available to purchase. All are in colour. 4x6 – $5.00, 5x7 – $6.00, 8x10 – $10.00. Phone to order 519523-4792 or 519-887-9114. tfn -------------------------------------------THE CITIZEN IS AVAILABLE TO purchase at these locations – Auburn Co-op, Belgrave Variety, Blyth Variety, Blyth Food Market, Blyth Ultramar, Brussels 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 and The Citizen Blyth.

Card of thanks DALE. The family of the late Gordon Howard Dale would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the many friends and families who have reached out with their loving acts of kindness and sympathy to help comfort us in our time of sorrow. We cannot thank you enough for the meaningful cards, flowers, food and charitable donations.

The condolences and support we have received truly touches our hearts and comforts us, knowing how loved and cherished Gordon will always be. – Margaret Dale and family.

23-1p

Coming events BLYTH LEGION LADIES Auxiliary Take-out Luncheon, June 17 - Ham and Scalloped potatoes, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., $10 (includes dessert). Limited meals available – so book early. In-town deliveries only. To order call 226-523 -5888 (Jane) or email: blyth420@yahoo.com by June 15.

23-1 -------------------------------------------SUE’S FAMOUS FISH FRY Take-Out Style! Friday, June 18 – noon to 7 p.m., Wingham Columbus Centre, grilled or battered white fish or chicken fingers. Take-out $16 (fish, fries or baked potato and a dinner roll) 1/2 price for kids! Add $1.50 for Caesar or garden salad.

Add $2 for a butter tart or $4 for cheesecake, HST included in all prices. Call 519-357-1270 to order your fish and to reserve a pick-up time. Pay by e-transfer, credit card, debit or cash.

23-1 --------------------------------------------

Coming events Help wanted In memoriam Notice BRUSSELS LIONS CLUB presents “Kickstart 2021!” More than 40 prizes to be won worth $6,200. Tickets are $25 each and can be purchased from a Brussels Lion or email: tickets@brusselslions.ca 21&23nc

Help wanted

WHYTE BROS. FARMS LTD. IS hiring for a full- and part-time position. We are a fifth generation family farm near Seaforth. Duties include cleaning and disinfecting barns, pressure washing, maintenance and repair. Most weekends off.

Extra hours during planting and harvesting. Competitive wages based on skills and experience. Will train. Must be willing to learn, followed instructions, be a team player, have a full G licence and a mature attitude. Please email résumé and solid work references to wbfl@tcc.on.ca or mail to Whyte Bros. Farms Ltd., 41992 Bridge Road, RR 2, Seaforth, ON N0K 1W0.

22-2 --------------------------------------------

Full-Time Farm Workers 24-month position

Brussels Livestock, Div. of Gamble & Rogers Limited has two positions available for full-time farm workers for a 24-month period.

Job Start Date: on or about June 15, 2021 End Date: on or about May 14, 2023 Rate of Pay: $14.39/hour Hours: 40-80 Hours / Week. (Working hours are variable due to position being dependent upon weather conditions) Number of Vacancies: 2 Terms of Employment: 24 months, full-time Job Location: Brussels, Ontario Job • • • •

Description: Feed and tend livestock Plant, fertilize, cultivate, spray, irrigate and harvest crops Operate and maintain farm machinery and equipment Follow food safety and security and animal bio-security procedures • Detect disease and health problems in crops, livestock and poultry • Set and monitor water lines, air flow and temperature in barns, and pens • Maintain or assist in the maintenance of facilities and farm infrastructure including cleaning stables, barns, barnyards and pens

Work Conditions and Physical Capabilities: • Inside and outdoors • Fast-paced environment • Work under pressure • Tight deadlines • Repetitive tasks • Handling heavy loads and physically demanding • Attention to detail • Combination of sitting, walking, or standing for extended periods of time • Work any shift: days or evenings; including weekends and holidays Personal Suitability: Flexible, organized, team player, effective interpersonal skills, works well with others, but also should be able to be independent and take initiative.

Skills Required: • Fluent English speaker • Tending to livestock • Planting, hoeing/weeding, grading/sorting, harvesting crops • Property/farm maintenance • Ability to safely operate farm equipment Education: None required.

Experience: Experience is an asset; but willing to train.

Work Eligibility: Only applicants legally eligible to work in Canada will be considered.

Equal opportunity Employer: Brussels Livestock is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

Applications can be emailed to: Cindy Ferraro: cindyf@brusselslivestock.ca P.O. Box 59, Brussels, ON N0G 1H0 Canada

DOHERTY. In loving memory of Gwen Bernard Doherty who passed away June 10, 2019.

Grief never ends...

But it changes.

It’s a passage, not a place to stay.

Grief is not a sign of weakness, Nor a lack of faith...

It is the price of love.

– Remembered always, Mom, Mary Ann, Dianne, Cindy and families.

23-1p

Personals POST ABORTION HEALING. Are you suffering from the emotional aftermath of an abortion?

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

Pets FOR SALE – KITTENS, LITTERbox trained, tabby, white and grey, black kittens with white bibs, 10 weeks old, playful, friendly. Call for details, Harriston, 519-338-2688.

23-1b

in the Estate of Margaret Hallam late of Tillsonburg and formerly of RR #3, Auburn, Ontario All persons having claims against the Esate of the above-named who died on May 4, 2021, are required to file full particulars thereof with the undersigned on or before the 30th day of June, 2021, after which date the assets will be distributed having regard only to the claims of which the undersigned shall then have notice.

Dated at Clinton, Ontario this 19th day of May, 2021.

Philip B. Cornish Barrister and Solicitor 35 Ontario Street P.O. Box 190 Clinton, Ontario N0M 1L0 Solicitor for the Estate Trustee

Wanted SUNROOF CANOPY FOR JD 2350 - 2750 tractor. Harriston, 519-3382688.

23-1b

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

Let us help you turn that junk into $$ • Free ad up to 25 words, person to person only (no businesses), items valued at $1,000 or less. 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 - a large assortment of used books – something for everyone, price negotiable. Call 519-357-1691.

23-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE - lawn tractor, Yard Machines, 12.5 HP, 38" mower deck, good condition, $350; antique cast iron stove, 18"x12", $150; one ton block and tackle chain hoist, $40. 519-887-9270.

23-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE - metal suitcase, $20; metal butter churn, $20; wooden rocking chair, $60; dome top steamer trunk, $20; metal wash board, $20; hand crank laundry clothes wringer, $50. Phone 519524-1138.

23-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE - Honda gas-powered lawn mower (21" cut), $125. Phone 519-357-2388.

23-3 ------------------------------------------

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

www.huroncitizen.ca

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

FOR SALE - premium exterior vinyl century board and batten siding, nickel colour, four pieces 10 feet long and one piece six feet long, $40 for all of it. 519-3574600.

22-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE - 10,500 BTU Danby window air conditioner, $140; 8,000 BTU Frigidaire air conditioner, $100, both run well and include remote. 519-357-4040.

22-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE - Brunswick Cavalier II pool table, snooker and reg. balls, $800. Phone or text 519-530-9546.

22-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE - two Thor dirt bike protective chest/arm protectors, size S/M, like new, $100 each o.b.o.; one pair shinguards, $10; box canning jars, make an offer.

519-357-2768.

21-3 ------------------------------------------

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021. PAGE 15.

Healthcare Alliance resumes surgeries, procedures Continued from page 1 Huron East, up to 134 from 126; Central Huron, up to 79 from 74; Bluewater, up to 51 from 48; North Huron, up to 68 from 66 and Goderich, up one to 30.

Morris-Turnberry (59 cumulative cases), Howick (48) and AshfieldColborne-Wawanosh (32) remained at the same case counts as the week before.

In Perth County only North Perth (up to 420 cumulative cases from 418) and Perth South (up one to 48 cases) reported new cases. Stratford (444 cumulative cases), Perth East (167), West Perth (58) and St. Marys (47) remained at the same case counts.

Huron County has 23 of the 31 active cases across the area with active cases reported in Huron East (10), Central Huron (six), Bluewater (five) and one each in Goderich North Huron. In Perth County, there are active cases in North Perth (four), Stratford (two) and one active case each in Perth South and West Perth.

Acquisition of COVID-19 in the Huron and Perth communities continues to be driven primarily by household exposure (29 per cent of cases) and outbreak exposure (26.1 per cent of exposure). Close contact with known vectors is responsible for 18.8 per cent of cases, while travel is responsible for 1.1 per cent. The remaining 25 per cent is attributed to unknown vectors.

Incidence rates (the number of positive results in 100,000 tests) in Huron and Perth Counties have been on a downward trend for the past four weeks, with a rate of 29.3 as of Monday, putting the region in the orange zone. The county’s per cent positivity also dropped to 1.29 per cent, also in the orange level.

While the majority of Ontario Health West was in the red categories or worse last week, many are now in the yellow or orange range with Grey Bruce having the best record currently, with 4.7 incidence rate, which is in the green

zone of the response framework, and per cent positivity of 0.59 per cent, in the yellow zone.

There are currently 191 isolation orders placed as a result of the pandemic, according to the HPPH, with a total of 5,257 orders issued since the start of the pandemic.

May proved to be the highest month for COVID-19 case count in Huron and Perth Counties since the conclusion of the second wave earlier this year. With 229 confirmed cases, May was significantly higher than April (163 cases), March (80) and February (104).

VACCINATION RATES Vaccination rates continue to increase steadily in Huron-Perth with 7,845 more individuals receiving their first COVID-19 vaccine for a total of 72,007, bringing the percentage of HuronPerth residents with at least one vaccination shot to 65.7 per cent.

There are currently 8,169 people fully vaccinated in Huron and Perth County, up over 2,000 from last week, representing a total vaccination percentage of 6.7 per cent.

As far as demographics, all age groups vaccination rates have increased over the past week: • 16-54 - 31,224 (47.1 per cent) up from 24,551 (37 per cent) • 55-59 - 8,169 (74.8 per cent) up from 7,759 (71 per cent) • 60-64 - 9,142 (81.3 per cent) up from 8,886 (79 per cent) • 65-69 - 9,282 (90.3 per cent) up from 9,164 (89.2 per cent) • 70-74 - 8,286 (95.8 per cent) up from 8,217 (95 per cent) • 75-79 - 5,493 (94.3 per cent) up from 5,477 (94 per cent) • 80+ - 7,884 (95.4 per cent) up from 7,856 (95 per cent) Fully-vaccinated numbers, by age demographics, are as follows: • 16-54 - 2,768 (4.2 per cent) up from 2,177 (3.3 per cent) • 55-59 - 604 (5.5 per cent) up from 486 (4.4 per cent) • 60-64 - 626 (5.6 per cent) up

Sweat equity The Blyth Lions Club recently completed a major overhaul at the Blyth Lions Park, installing mulch onto the bed of the park. The undertaking took help from many club members, including Devin Jenkins, who chipped in. (Photo submitted)

from 460 (4.1 per cent) • 65-69 - 515 (5 per cent) up from 378 (3.7 per cent) • 70-74 - 624 (7.2 per cent) up from 359 (4.1 per cent) • 75-79 - 617 (10.6 per cent) up from 367 (6.3 per cent) • 80+ - 2,415 (29.2 per cent) up from 1,914 (23.2 per cent) SECOND DOSES HPPH, following the directions of the provincial government, is accelerating second doses of COVID-19 vaccine for individuals aged 70 or older.

As of Monday, June 7, individuals over the age of 70 as well as anyone vaccinated on or before April 18 are permitted to book their second vaccinations.

“We know that many people are eager to receive their second dose of vaccine,” said Klassen in a press release late last week. “We will not be able to book second dose appointments for these groups until Monday, June 7 when our booking system is updated.”

The release also stated that second doses don’t need to be at the same location as the first, and that those who received an AstraZeneca vaccine can choose to have another of the same or switch it to one of the mRNA-based vaccines provided

by Pfizer or Moderna.

Unneeded appointments or

appointments that can’t be attended need to be cancelled, which Klassen had talked about during a HPPH teleconference last week.

She said that “no-shows” are having a “significant impact” on HPPH clinics.

Each missed appointment, she said, results in medical professionals and volunteers waiting and someone else not getting their vaccination.

Klassen encouraged everyone to cancel their unneeded vaccination appointments if possible.

For more information, visit hpph.ca/vaccinebooking.

SURGERY SCHEDULING The Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance is planning for the resumption of surgeries and procedures delayed by the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a press release sent out last week, the organization said that surgeries and procedures postponed due to the third wave of COVID-19 are resuming.

“On May 19, the Ontario Government rescinded its directive issued on April 20 for hospitals to cease all non-essential and elective services,” said Andrew Williams, President and CEO of the HPHA, in the release. “We began surgeries that were not expected to require patients to stay overnight or use

critical resources to maintain the ability to respond to increases in COVID-19 hospitalizations.”

According to the HPHA, the reduction in COVID19 cases, hospitalizations and ICU admissions has continued, which has allowed hospitals to resume surgeries.

However, according to the June 4 press release, local intensive care units’ usage is still above its prepandemic levels.

“Our intensive care unit is still operating above our normal capacity with 10 Level 3 beds, requiring the ongoing use of staff from other areas of the HPHA to provide care and this remains a factor in our surgical resumption planning,” Williams said. “We will also need to take into account pandemic recovery plans for our team members who have been going non-stop for over a year. We anticipate being back to full service capacity by September and will ensure regular communication with our community as our planning moves forward.”

HPPH said patients will be contacted by their surgeons’ offices to advise of new surgery dates, while also providing any preoperative information necessary.

For more information, visit hpha.ca.

Obituaries

DOROTHY MARGARET (FRASER) COX Dorothy Margaret (Fraser) Cox of Listowel passed away at Caressant Care, Listowel, on Thursday, June 3, 2021. She was in her 93rd year.

Dorothy was the beloved wife of John ‘Jack’ Cox for 72 years and the mother of Ken and Carol Cox, Palgrave; Larry and Nancy Cox, Waterloo; Murray and Sylvia Cox, and Jim and Lynn Cox, all of Listowel; Brian and Susan Cox, Henfryn; Bruce and Karyn Cox, Atwood; Dianne Cox and Carolyn Dixon, Barrie and Karen and Albert Tiw, Burlington. She was loved by her many grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.

Dorothy was predeceased by her parents D. Milton and M. Luella (Shaw) Fraser, and brother Robert Fraser.

Born January 26, 1929 in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Dorothy moved to Canada at age four when her parents bought a farm in Morris Township near Bluevale. At age 20, she married Jack and moved to Grey Township until they retired from farming in 1981.

They moved to Atwood, and finally Listowel.

Through a shared life with Jack, filled with family, faith and farming, Dorothy's endless energy found outlets in her other many joys. She loved her church,

knitting, quilting, baking, dancing, traveling, playing cards and of course, cheering for her beloved Blue Jays, but nothing filled her heart with more joy than spending time with her many children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.

A private family visitation took place at the Eaton Funeral Home, Listowel, on Sunday, June 6, followed by a private family funeral service. Ruth Long officiated. Interment was at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Ethel.

Memorial donations to Canadian Cancer Society, Calvary United Church, Listowel, or Caressant Care Residents’ Council would be appreciated.

Online condolences may be left at www.eatonfuneralhome.ca VELMA MAY ELLIOTT Velma May Elliott, our beloved mother and grandma, passed to her next journey on June 4, 2021 at St. Joseph’s Health Care Centre in Guelph. She passed as she lived, with passion, grace, and dignity.

She was surrounded by love and music.

Velma was predeceased by her sons Ted and Robert Jr., her parents Charles and Myrtle Nicholson, and her brother Gordon. She is survived by her daughter Linda and granddaughters Ashley and

Alexandra, Ashley’s husband Erik and Alex’s partner Tom. We miss her greatly. She is also survived by her sister Shirley and her family.

Her dear friends Kit and Cathy were much beloved by her, and it was mutual.

Cremation has occurred. We will celebrate her life daily. In her honour, please take a moment to notice a flower, watch the birds or pet a dog.

STRATFORD MEMORIALS Creating Memories in Stone for Over 95 years

We are now open but by appointment only and following government recommended protocols to ensure the safety of all visitors and our staff. Please call or email us to set up an appointment.

519-524-8457 email: mfalconer@stratfordmemorials.com

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

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

The Citizen.

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

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

PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021.

M-T to proceed with proposed safety plan

By Denny Scott The Citizen

Outdoor fun Chrissy Dignan snapped this shot of her daughter Hannah and their pony Honey. Hannah enjoyed a beautiful day to ride late last month. Submit your outdoor activity photos to reporter@northhuron.on.ca. (Photo submitted)

Despite a lack of direction from the province regarding the mandatory program, local experts have been able to put together a municipal safety plan for adoption by councils later this month.

Called the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan, the document is required under Bill 175, the Safer Ontario Act, according to MorrisTurnberry Deputy-Clerk Kim Johnston, who spoke to the issue during Morris-Turnberry Council’s June 1 meeting.

In her report, she explained the document initially needed to be approved by Jan. 1, however the deadline has been extended to July 1.

The document, which was presented in draft form during Morris-Turnberry Council’s June 1 meeting, is the product of over one year of effort by a working group formed in late 2019, Johnston reported. The working group included representatives from each lower-tier municipality in the county. From there, other groups evaluated the data with an advisory committee, working under the United Way’s Social Research and Planning Council to formulate the plan.

The document focuses on four priority areas, Johnston said, including mental health and addiction, housing and

homelessness, domestic and family violence and, lastly, community security.

While there has been significant research put into the project, Johnston said changes may be necessary as a result of very little provincial direction.

“It should be noted that, while the plan creation was mandated by the [Ontario] Ministry of Solicitor General, no information has been provided with respect to the role of the plan moving forward,” Johnston said in her report. “There has been no indication that funding for the plan will be made available by the province and no direction as to the ‘end goal’ for the plan. More information is likely to be released following [the] adoption of the changes to the Police Services Act in 2022.

“While at this time, the plan itself is broad and there are uncertainties, the plan brings the right players to the table and allows for meaningful discussion about the identified priority areas,” Johnston concluded in her report.

Council approved the motion to have it brought back for final adoption, with Mayor Jamie Heffer saying that the lack of oversight, direction and funding was “interesting”.

Planting season nears end, first cut started PEOPLE AROUND WALTON

By Jo-Ann McDonald Call 887-6570

It is getting harder and harder to write an article with so little going on. Kudos to the staff at The Citizen to still find lots of interesting articles and stories and great pictures being submitted by lots of folks.

The planting season has almost come to an end with maybe some white beans still to plant, but there is still lots to do to keep a farmer busy. The first cut of hay has started. Cut it, dry it, rake it, blow it or bale it and then spread manure on the field. Anytime you look out the window, there seems to be a sprayer going by. They are spraying corn for weed control, soybeans for the same and wheat with fungicide for disease. Rain is needed for everything to get a good drink for growth. The heat has been great, and as my late father-in-law would

say, “when it is hot at night, you can hear the corn growing”.

The weekend sure had lots of heat both day and night, so I guess it is growing, but we need the rain.

We are walking on the trail heading west these days, with more open space and a nice breeze blowing and very few mosquitos.

The weekend was very busy with lots of bikers both days. On Saturday we could see headlights coming at us and thought right away that ATVs are not allowed on the Goderich-to-Guelph Rail Trail.

We were going to stay on the trail so they would have to slow down and then take their pictures, and they did. Surprise! It was two OPP officers on ATV patrol of the trail.

We had a nice chat with them and then they continued on their way.

Look for the signs for the Brussels recreation fundraiser.

They are hosting a drive-thru rib dinner on July 13. There are three time slots and you can contact John Lowe, Zoey Onn or Dan Fritz just to name a few. Book early, as these things sell out fast. It’s only $20 and proceeds are to the Brussels Recreation.

Our condolences to the many Cox families on the passing of Dorothy Cox. She will be missed by her

Brussels cemetery service being planned Continued from page 6 week to find them and make a map of where they are. Only a couple of weeks to accomplish our goal, but I am sure we will.

The Brussels Cemetery decoration service is in the planning stages, still with the

uncertainty of the provincial reopening and potential attendance limits.

Plans for a livestream service are also being organized in case it can not be held because of restrictions in numbers. Stay tuned for more information.

husband of 72 years John and their children Ken, Larry, Murray, Jim, Brian, Bruce, Dianne and Karen and spouses and their very extensive family of grandchildren and great grandchildren. The couple retired to Listowel after raising their family in the Ethel area. Our sympathies to all.

Our condolences to the McCutcheon families of the area on the passing of Bob McCutcheon of B.C. Bob moved to the west when he was young and became a mechanic. He loved cars, as it seems all the McCutcheon men did.

He had an infectious smile and it was always a pleasure to speak with him when he came home to Brussels. Our sympathies

are certainly extended to all.

Celebrating birthdays this past week were Scott Dalton, Jillian Houston Csöff, Amanda McClure, Merle Hackwell, Sarah Tipple, Jacob McGavin, Sharon Stephenson, Kennedy Strong, MacKenzie Strong, Ashley Williamson, Bonnie Glanville, Chris Humphries, Rob McClure, Trisha McClure, Anita Storey, Rick McInroy, Roger Humphries, Shawna O’Neill and Nicole Bernard. Happy birthday to all.

NEWS FROM WALTON

Follow The Citizen online through Facebook, Twitter and our website at huroncitizen.ca

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021. PAGE 17.

From the Minister’s Study

Connect with God, leave languishing behind

By Pastor Ernest Dow, Huron Chapel EMC, Auburn As the pandemic wears on, it’s been getting more difficult to keep our hopes up. A news item featured Toronto psychotherapist Sarah Ahmed talking about the phenomenon of “languishing”.

That’s the term that’s been used to describe pandemic doldrums – you’re not exactly feeling depressed, but as Ahmed says, “Languishing is essentially described as a feeling of emptiness, numb, feeling stuck, feeling as though we have no motivation, no ability to focus, tasks take longer...”

Being a psychotherapist with an active practice, she warns that people’s mental health may end up being affected in the long run if our feelings are left unattended. It helps to identify and acknowledge our feelings, as a start.

Languishing is prompting some folks to have their so-called “midlife crisis” earlier than they might have otherwise. Ahmed explains, “It’s forced people to stop and take a look at what’s going on,... that kept me so busy, that kept me so occupied, and why do I feel like this?” It begs the question of purpose and long-term goals – “Is this really what I want to be doing with my life?”

The article is not written from a religious perspective, so there’s no mention of reflecting on your life in the light of eternity. To be convinced our daily existence actually matters and has significance requires validation from outside ourselves; the Bible points to God our Creator and Redeemer as the One who ultimately judges our life’s worth.

If you’re languishing, if you’re experiencing “pandemic fatigue”, there’s no better time than the present to reflect on your life goals and priorities, to weigh your activities in the light of Scriptural truth and the Lord’s calling for you.

In Ezekiel 37, the prophet is given a vivid object lesson that visualizes people’s need to receive God’s enlivening Spirit when all seems lost or futile, and hope has vanished. At this juncture in Israel’s history, judgment has happened: Jerusalem has been reduced to a heap of rubble, exiles have been removed in successive waves from their homeland. How devastating and crushing all this must have felt for the Jews! The beautiful temple of Solomon has been destroyed.

Ezekiel, being both prophet and priest, must have felt deeply the loss of the temple where sacrifices

were offered and people gathered to worship. Now here he was stuck in Babylon, some 2,700 kilometres away.

So, we might say Ezekiel and the Jewish people were languishing. All hope had been lost. They were a defeated and exiled people, strewn abroad to the four winds. They were done for – or so it seemed.

The Lord deposits His prophet in a valley of dry bones. “He asked me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ I said, ‘O Sovereign LORD, you alone know.’” (Ezek.37:3) Does that valley of very dry bones reflect your situation today? Are you up against some seemingly impossible obstacle? Are you frightened by the global pandemic with its new variants cropping up?

Has your business been curtailed because of lockdown measures? Do you just miss your relatives, being able to give hugs, it seems all too long since we could go about life as “normal”? Those feelings the psychotherapist described of being “empty” and “helpless” are very real.

As Ezekiel is led back and forth amongst these great many very dry bones, the Lord tells him to prophesy to them. As he does, bones are connected, flesh comes on them, and eventually they stand on their feet like a great army. Then, the Lord interprets the vision to Ezekiel. He has been aware of their languishing, their sense of defeat and hopelessness. Here their feelings and emotions are identified. “Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our

hope is gone; we are cut off.’” (v.11) But God has not forgotten or abandoned them; disciplined them, yes, and provided the Promised Land its missed “sabbath years”.

But God’s plans and purposes for the nation are not over.

There is a wonderful promise in verse 14 – “I will put my Spirit in you and you will live… .” The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, shows us how grieved the Lord is by our trespasses and rebellion, and moves us to turn to Him in confession and new patterns of living. The Spirit opens our eyes to God’s holiness, our shortcomings, and pierces us to the heart so we become receptive to Him. Paul describes this remarkable turn around the Holy Spirit makes possible this way to his co-worker Titus: “But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”

(Titus 3:4-7) ‘Justified’ means put right with God in His sight – by grace, what Jesus has done for us – so that followers of Jesus are now heirs, inheritors of all that awaits us, having “the hope of eternal life” – not left languishing hopelessly, no matter what pandemics or losses or challenges this life may bring us.

An old-timer who’d lived all his

Brussels Mennonite Fellowship God Is Good, All The Time, All The Time, God Is Good His Love Is Never Shut Down!!!

“God’s love is like an ocean.

You can see its beginning, but not its end ‐ Rick Warren No in­person services until further notice

Blyth United Church

Check out our LifeGroups online!

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

United Church Connect with our weekly worship service via YouTube “Brussels and Blyth United Churches “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him” (Romans 15:13) Contact Alex at minister.brusselsandblythuc@gmail.com Website: brusselsandblythuc.ca P.O. Box 359, Brussels ~ 519-887-6259

The Regional Ministry of Hope Join us for worship on our facebook page or on youtube @ St.Paul’s-Trinity Anglican Church Wingham.

Rev. JoAnn Todd, Rector 519-357-7781 email: revjoann@hurontel.on.ca The­Regional­Ministry­of­ Hope

Trinity

St. John’s

BLYTH

BRUSSELS

St. Paul’s Trinity

WINGHAM

COME WORSHIP WITH US! Join us for our 10:00 am and 7:30 pm livestream services.

Video services can be found by searching on YouTube “Blyth Christian Reformed Church”

BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH

"You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.” (Acts 2:28)

THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH

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

BRUSSELS

Wednesdays 7 p.m.

Youth Group / Prayer Meeting (Zoom)

BRUSSELS

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

MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Pastor Ernest Dow, “How to Stand Rock-Solid” (Acts 4:5ff)

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

Stay home. Stay safe. Follow our services via YouTube “Brussels and Blyth United Churches”

Contact Alex at: minister.brusselsandblythuc@gmail.com Watch HuronChapel.com/Videos Sundays 10:30 a.m.

Sunday June 13

woodpile, the salesman pulled the cord, and as the motor roared to life, the customer leaped back and exclaimed, “What’s that noise?”

Trying to saw wood without the power of the chainsaw motor is like us attempting to live without the daily empowerment of the Holy Spirit. We very much need His divine breath to connect us with God and help us stand on our feet, having renewed hope, leaving languishing behind.

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

The June outreach project is financial support for camp Menesetung

Evangelical Missionary Church

life way back in the bush by himself went into a hardware store early one morning and asked for a saw.

The salesman took a chain saw from the shelf and commented that it was their “newest model, with the latest in technology, guaranteed to cut ten cords of firewood in a day.”

The old-timer thought that sounded pretty impressive, and bought.

The next day the customer returned looking exhausted.

“Something must be wrong with this saw,” he moaned. “I worked as hard as I could and only managed to cut three cords of wood. I used to do four with my old-fashioned saw.” Looking confused, the salesman said, “Here, let me try it out on some wood we keep over here out back.” They went to the

Search on YouTube for "St. Andrew's and Melville Sermon" for a new virtual worship every Sunday morning.

Stay safe and healthy!

Brussels Soup and More 2 is cancelled until further notice.

519-357-5273

OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES

ARE CANCELLED

UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.

Brussels: St. Ambrose Saturday ~ 6:00 p.m.

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

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

1025 Wallace Avenue N.

PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021.

CFH saved 255 jobs through fed. funding

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Community Futures Huron distributed federal funds from the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund, infusing over $1.6 million into local businesses and maintaining over 250 jobs.

This was some of the good news presented as part of the Community Futures Huron annual general meeting, held late last month. The Brussels-based organization was hand-picked to distribute the federal funds from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021, which was the organization’s 27th year in operation.

Not only were funds distributed to local businesses that needed help as the COVID-19 pandemic wore on, but the organization also worked to provide advice to businesses on how to adapt and thrive during the pandemic.

Community Futures Huron distributed $1,663,291 in Regional Relief and Recovery Fund loans to 82 enterprises throughout the pandemic. As a result, 255 jobs were maintained in the county.

Forty-five of those loans went to sole proprietors, while 35 went to main street businesses, followed by 13 tourism operators and one social enterprise.

Twenty-four per cent of the loans went to retail businesses, followed by accommodation and food services at 16 per cent. Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, manufacturing and professional, scientific and technical services each represented eight per cent, followed by arts, entertainment and recreation and healthcare and social assistance at six per cent each.

Wholesale trade represented five per cent, while transportation and warehousing was at four per cent, real estate and rental and leasing was at three per cent and

construction represented one per cent. Eleven per cent of the loans went to other services, which did not include public administration.

Nearly 200 entrepreneurs received a total of $568,000 worth of professional business advice, while $699,488 was provided to sole proprietors, $605,431 went to main street businesses, $411,350 went to tourism operators and $683,860 went to female entrepreneurs.

According to a press release, Community Futures Huron also continued its support of local community groups and not-forprofit organizations. The work included partnering with the Huron Manufacturing Association on the Careers in Manufacturing Virtual Bus Tours and Student Scholarship program, working with the Bayfield Centre for the Arts to develop its branding and marketing strategy, assisting the Blyth Festival in shifting to an outdoor theatre

delivery model for upcoming seasons, encouraging the next generation of entrepreneurs through the Huron Student Honey project, providing staffing support for the Bayfield Historical Society and Archives, helping Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health to develop new revenue-generating programs and services and sponsoring the multiple awardwinning Seaforth Back Alley initiative.

Over the course of the year, Community Futures Huron stimulated over $16 million in economic development activity, supporting over 300 farms, businesses and social enterprises and nearly 525 workers in the local economy.

In an interview with The Citizen, Community Futures Huron General Manager Paul Nichol said those who came to Community Futures had to be turned down by the Canadian Emergency Benefit

Account (CEBA) to qualify. If they did, Community Futures could then hand over a loan of up to $60,000 in an interest-free loan that wouldn’t have to be paid back until the end of 2022. If paid back by then, 25 per cent of the loan would be turned into a grant, Nichol said.

He said that, for him and the other members of the board, it felt really good over the course of the last year to assist businesses along that needed help.

“I said this at our [annual general meeting] that we never felt as relevant in a very long time,” Nichol said. “It felt good.”

This also came after being told that Community Futures organizations would have no role in post-pandemic recovery from the federal government.

Nichol said that in April of 2020, those involved with Community Futures organizations across the country were told they wouldn’t be Continued on page 19

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021. PAGE 19.

Virtual Munro Festival a success

By Denny Scott The Citizen

A sure sign Nature is back and active as spring has sprung and the weather has it feeling like summer in Huron County.

Here, a bee is working its way into a peony, courtesy of Liz Allan, a member of the Maitland Valley Camera Club. The club’s members have graciously been sharing their photography with The Citizen for now over a year, as the COVID-19 pandemic has worn on. (Photo courtesy of Liz Allan of the Maitland Valley Camera Club)

The Alice Munro Festival, which went virtual this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, may continue to incorporate streaming opportunities thanks to the success it had this year.

Rick Sickinger, the Festival Programming Chair and Acting Tourism Development Officer for Huron County, told The Citizen the event went very well.

“We had a very successful and well-attended event this year,” he said. “We also received great feedback this year.”

Nine events were held virtually as part of the festival, including two master classes, six author readings and the annual short story contest awards, which were held over the weekend, Sickinger said.

While entries in the contest were on par with previous years, which normally see more than 200 entries, the numbers for other events seemed to be on par until Sickinger saw the increased reach the Festival was having through streaming, local cable and on Facebook after the fact.

“The numbers were really good through Zoom,” he said, talking about the author reading events.

He said the readings typically get 50 to 80 people for in-person events, but the Zoom meetings brought 60 to 90 participants each.

While those numbers were

Howick woman nominated Continued from page 12 communities. Shelley has been an active volunteer in the region for many years, including time serving on the Board of Directors of the Huron Perth Centre for Youth and Children, and as Chair of the North Perth Community Committee, championing the development of a Social Services Hub in North Perth.

Even before her extensive work volunteering in Huron-Bruce, Blackmore gave over 30 years of

service to the betterment of Ontario’s youth. First with the Perth County District School Board, as a teacher, and then as a principal with the Avon Maitland District School Board. She is passionate about education and youth, and brings a wealth of experience and wisdom from the field.

“Shelley is the strong advocate that Huron-Bruce needs, and understands the importance of improving our education system to

Loans continuing in Huron: Nichol Continued from page 18 involved. He said he was despondent, thinking there was hardly a better organization to help out than Community Futures, so he was happy when that decision was reversed.

Once the program was open for applications, Nichol said there were some weeks when they were approving between three and four loans a day, up drastically from the number of loans they would approve in a week before the pandemic.

Nichol said it’s great to be able to quantify the impact of the program in the community with numbers and statistics, but the way he has always

presented it is that there are people, businesses and families behind all of those numbers.

He also said that while the grants aided businesses with money when the owners needed it most, one of the lasting legacies will be the business training and advice that came as a result of the program as well.

Community Futures Huron isn’t done, either. Nichol said there is still about $100,000 that could be loaned to local businesses that need it, though the deadline for applications is the end of the month.

For more information, visit cfhuron.ca.

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give our children the best possible start in life,” said Liberal Party Leader Steven Del Duca. “She will be an excellent voice for her community at Queen’s Park, and I’m glad to have her on our team.”

Huron-Bruce Provincial Liberal Association President Ian Burbidge agreed, saying “We’re very excited to have Shelley as our candidate, and she is going to be a great representative for Huron-Bruce.”

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slightly higher, he said there were between 150 and 200 people watching the events streamed on Facebook at the same time, as well as several hundred tuning in through local cable company’s channels, achieved with the help of FauxPop Media.

“We were reaching another 300 to 500 people using the virtual platform and local channels,” he said, adding the streams have been posted to Facebook and each one has been viewed several hundred more times just since the weekend.

“Switching to a virtual platform allowed us to reach a larger audience than in-person events.”

The master classes, Sickinger said, also saw changes as a result of utilizing Zoom, he said.

“I talked to participants of the master classes and a lot of [them] were from other parts of Ontario and, in some cases, other parts of Canada,” he said. “To get that kind of exposure for the Alice Munro Festival to external audiences, and make people aware of Huron County, is a significant development.”

He said the festival, alongside other groups that have held successful virtual events, have likely realized the demand for streaming and virtual participation won’t go away, but will add to the experience for those who can’t make the live events.

“We know people want a personal connection with the

authors,” he said of the readings, “so we hope the audience comes back in person. However, we imagine there will be some aspects of streaming for people who can’t travel or usually couldn’t attend.”

He said it only made sense to push that kind of experience with Alice Munro’s international fanbase, so the Festival should reach as far as possible to honour it.

The Alice Munro Festival for Kids was also a huge success, Sickinger said, with four children’s authors talking about their work with over 1,100 students in the Avon-Maitland District School Board.

“It was really amazing,” he said.

“We heard back that the authors and teachers and some of the moderators felt the event was really successful and it went really well. It will be great to be able to do that again…. It was a huge thing for us.”

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PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021.

The NWMO and South Bruce Learning together

JUNE 2021

Introducing the new South Bruce team

Borehole drilling and testing

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) team in South Bruce is expanding as we continue to build our local capacity and conduct in-depth studies and engagement with communities. The work supports ongoing efforts towards selecting a site for a deep geological repository for used nuclear fuel; South Bruce is one of two locations under consideration.

Dr. Tareq Al-Zabet joined the NWMO as the Site Director for Southern Ontario in January 2021. He has 30 years of multidisciplinary experience in public administration and government relations, with a focus on sustainable development, environmental impacts assessment and water management.

Dr. Al-Zabet also has extensive experience in establishing partnerships and managing major infrastructure. Prior to joining the NWMO, he held leadership positions at Infrastructure Manitoba, and the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. Dr. Al-Zabet is based out of the Teeswater Learn More Centre.

In March, the NWMO also officially welcomed Lise Morton, a long-time resident of Bruce County, as the new Vice-President of Site Selection.

Ms. Morton is an accomplished leader with decades of experience in nuclear operations, maintenance, engineering, and leadership roles, including more than 20 years in the area of nuclear waste management.

Engaging with the Indigenous and municipal communities involved in the site selection process is one of her top priorities, along with building community partnerships and demonstrating confidence in the project’s safety.

In April, the NWMO welcomed Jonathan Zettel as the Regional Communications Manager. Mr. Zettel brings nearly 10 years of experience in communications, media relations, journalism, and municipal politics. As editor of the Walkerton Herald-Times, he helped the community understand several complex and emotional issues, and more recently, he developed communication strategies for the Municipality of West Grey.

Martin Sykes, NWMO Senior Geoscientist, marking the spot where the NWMO’s first borehole in South Bruce will be drilled.

Along with the team members above, the NWMO also welcomed two Field Managers to the South Bruce borehole drilling program – Peter Thwaites and Pete Miller – as well as two Developmental Students – Dane Cronin and Basil Leahy.

Borehole drilling and testing is part of the work the NWMO is doing to ensure we can be confident that the potential deep geological repository will safely contain and isolate used nuclear fuel.

Work at our first borehole site in South Bruce is currently underway. The NWMO’s contractors have set up the equipment, offices and services, and have installed casing to protect groundwater aquifers. Rock coring and logging have recently begun. The NWMO will share updates about our geological studies and what we are learning as the work progresses.

To learn more about the borehole drilling and testing process, please visit www.nwmo.ca/borehole.

The health and safety of all people, including our employees, contractors, communities, and those with whom we interact, remains our top priority. We are ensuring all safety precautions are in place as this work is underway.

The path to site selection: 2023

Community surveys

The NWMO is working to identify a single preferred site for a deep geological repository in 2023 as part of Canada’s plan for used nuclear fuel. South Bruce and the Ignace area in northwest Ontario are the two remaining sites under consideration.

There are many factors that go in the site selection decision, each grouped within three main categories: partnership, safety and transportation.

The NWMO needs confidence: That the location is a safe place to put a repository; That we can develop a safe, secure and socially acceptable transportation plan to move the used fuel to the site; and That we can build strong partnerships with the community, including its First Nation and Métis neighbours.

In January 2021, the NWMO and the Municipality of South Bruce launched a second survey of community households to better understand people’s interest in learning about the findings of environmental, technical and socio-economic studies. With over a 40 per cent response rate, the survey showed very high levels of community awareness of the NWMO and of South Bruce’s involvement in the site selection process. Over half of the respondents (52 per cent) were very familiar or somewhat familiar with the 36 guiding principles that were endorsed by the South Bruce Council to assess the project’s potential contribution to community well-being, and community willingness to host the project. To read the survey results in full, please visit www.nwmo.ca/SouthBruceSurvey.

The NWMO and South Bruce – Learning together is a community-focused newsletter designed to encourage learning and discussion about Canada’s plan for the safe, long-term management of used nuclear fuel and the site selection process. We welcome your questions.

Please forward them to askthenwmo@nwmo.ca or call us at 1.866.249.6966.

We thank South Bruce residents for continuing to engage with us as we undertake this vital and transformative project. @nwmocanada /company/nwmocanada

www.nwmo.ca

© 2021 Nuclear Waste Management Organization