The Citizen - June 7, 2024

Huron County’s most trusted independent news source

Laying

it down

Bunting to get on base is a time-honoured tradition in baseball that very often will catch the defence flatfooted and out of position. It must have worked for the Brussels Tigers, however, as they ended their contest

with the Walton Brewers last week on the right end of an 8-2 score. The win came despite two solo home runs hit by Walton’s Shawn Bromley, accounting for both of the team’s runs that night. (John Stephenson photo)

Festival alumni up for Doras

By Shawn Loughlin

Last week, the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA), announced the Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations for the 2023/2024 theatre season and Blyth Festival fans may recognize a number of names among the nominees.

The Master Plan at the Crow’s Theatre is nominated for a number of awards in the General Theatre category, including Outstanding Production and Outstanding New Play for playwright Michael Healey, the man behind The Drawer Boy

Jesse LaVercombe, who starred in 2016’s Our Beautiful Sons: Remembering Matthew Dinning, is part of a trio that is nominated for Outstanding New Play for King Gilgamesh and the Man of the Wild by Soulpepper Theatre Company and TRIA Theatre. He is nominated alongside Seth Bockley and Ahmed Moneka.

Festival regular set designers Joanna Yu and Ken MacKenzie are both nominated in the Outstanding

on page 15

NH won’t pay Columbus Centre repair invoice

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen

Ongoing complications regarding a sizable unpaid invoice from the Wingham Columbus Centre was addressed at Monday’s North Huron Council meeting. There has been, in the past, confusion surrounding two separate, but intertwined organizations - The Knights of Columbus and The Columbus Centre - which are both involved with the management of the municipal-owned community hall located in the Wescast Community Complex.

In 2019, North Huron applied to the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) in order to fund renovations to, among other things, the community hall in the Wescast Complex. The upgrades included the installation of energy-efficient lighting, which was budgeted at $35,000, and the installation of a sound system with acoustic panels, which had a budget amount of $55,000. Both those

approved projects have been completed, and their invoices have been paid by North Huron, using ICIP funds.

The township received an additional invoice, in the amount of $74,145.91, for additional work done at the Wingham Columbus Centre Hall. North Huron staff determined that these works were not part of the original ICIP project, and were not authorized or approved by council. The invoice has remained unpaid up to this point.

Staff recently met with the members of the Columbus Centre that had initiated this additional work, in order to get to the bottom of the situation. The members explained that they believed the additional works were part of the initial grant, as they had received approval from North Huron staff members that are no longer employed by the township. The current staff conducted an internal audit, and found no documentation of any kind to support their claim.

The Columbus Centre also had no documentation of such an approval. There has also been no money in the budget allocated for this additional work, and it does not align with North Huron’s bylaws

relating to the purchasing of goods, services and construction.

Staff looked to council for direction on the matter.

North Huron could either choose to not financially support the

additional work, or support the additional work and direct Townes to pay either some or all of the invoice, using funds from the Wingham Columbus

Faux Pop’s Lobb wins CSA

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen

This year’s 2024 Canadian Screen Awards honoured Matt Johnson’s film BlackBerry with nominations in a number of categories, and it ended up taking home the prize in 14 of them, including Best Picture. The impressive tally makes it the most awarded film or series in the awards’ history.

The technological cautionary tale, set and shot in Waterloo, also netted Johnson the award for Achievement in Direction, and both star Jay Baruchel and supporting

actor Glenn Howerton won for their performances in the film. Other prizes were awarded to this humorous retelling of a recent chapter in Canadian history for its casting, cinematography, art direction, costuming, score, sound and screenplay - which is a real testament to the strength of the team that brought this story to the big screen.

Huron County’s own Curt Lobb was one of BlackBerry ’s big winners at the gala award ceremony on Friday, May 31 - he was given the award for Achievement in Editing for the work he did on the film, which was done entirely at

FauxPop Studio in Goderich. Lobb accepted the award on stage with humour and grace, thanking, among other people, his wife, his editing team, Central Huron Secondary School teacher Stephen Oliver, who fostered Lobb’s love of editing at a young age, and his cousin Randall Lobb, one of FauxPop’s founders.

The overall success of BlackBerry has been a real win for Canadian cinema, and the work done by Johnson and Lobb in Goderich is proof that filmmakers don’t need to limit their search to cities when seeking out awardworthy editing work.

The Citizen

BMGCC plays host to donor appreciation night

Inspiring our future

Donors who significantly contributed to the “Inspiring Our Future” campaign received a special preview of the nearly completed Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre (BMGCC) on May 29. Community leaders

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen

Donors who contributed significantly to the “Inspiring Our Future” campaign received a sneak peek of the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre (BMGCC) to see the results of their munificence firsthand at a special event on Wednesday, May 29. Renovations are nearing completion at the BMGCC and campaign organizers took the opportunity to show gratitude for the generosity that helped bring the project to near fruition.

Huron East Chief Administrative Officer Brad McRoberts welcomed benefactors to the shiny and refreshed community hub that still has that new arena smell. “Thank you, everybody, for coming,” began McRoberts. “We have a great turnout. It is wonderful to see this

new wonderful building. A lot of work has gone into it and certainly some appreciation should be given to all the donors.”

Huron East Deputy-Mayor Alvin McLellan spoke about the importance of the facility.

“Community centres and arenas are an important part of any community, and this being true, we stand here tonight. Be it a big hockey game, spring auction, elimination draw, fall fair; where do we meet? We meet here.”

McLellan continued by highlighting the work of volunteers who contributed to the effort.

“There’s many hours spent, many nights that people didn’t get paid for to bring this project to life.”

Concluding his remarks, McLellan said, “So, thank you again. This will give Brussels a shot in the arm for the next 50 years.”

McRoberts returned to the

welcomed benefactors to the revitalized hub, expressing gratitude for their generosity. They highlighted the facility’s importance and the community’s long-standing support for such initiatives. (Scott Stephenson photos)

microphone to welcome the mayor of neighbouring municipality Morris-Turnberry, Jamie Heffer. Morris-Turnberry also made significant contributions to the gargantuan undertaking as one of the facility’s partner municipalities. “Thank you for the opportunity to come and to be part of this evening,” Heffer began. “On behalf of council and the residents of Morris-Turnberry, I just want to shout out and say thank you to all of you that have participated in this project. It’s one thing to have a vision, but when we can come tonight and see this vision come to a conclusion like this, it’s pretty good.”

Heffer took a historical perspective, saying that the community of Brussels has always been ready to support initiatives like this and, “here we are, over 100 years later, and I think we

It’s good to see such a strong community.”

While Heffer was making his comments, former BMGCC facility manager Abi Corbett discreetly adjusted the volume on the public announcement system. McRoberts acknowledged the assistance, saying, “thanks Abi for turning up the volume.” Corbett received an ovation with cries of “Yay, Abi!” emerging from the crowd.

McRoberts offered a few words of appreciation of his own. “A couple of things I want to say on behalf of me as the CAO and all of the staff that worked with this project: I have to give kudos to both [Building Committee co-DeputyChairs Doug McArter and John Van Vliet]. They were my advocates, they were my ‘pain in the…’ at times, but they were good. A lot of this, a lot of the work, a lot of the vision that we're seeing here today has a lot to do with these two gentlemen.”

McArter addressed the assembly, adding to the chorus of gratitude. “We want to welcome all of you people here who were instrumental in this place taking effect. Welcome to our soft opening for the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre, celebrating you, who, without your generous gifts, this facility probably wouldn’t have been able to happen.”

can still say the same thing.”

In closing, Heffer said, “for those of you who have donated and contributed in that way, we certainly have a building that’s going to last for many years to come and serve us well. So again, on behalf of Morris-Turnberry council and residents, thank you.

McArter, on behalf of himself, co-Deputy-Chair Van Vliet, Campaign Co-ordinator Roxane Nicholson, “Inspiring Our Future” Chair Brian TenPas, all the members of the building and fundraising committees and pastmembers of the Brussels recreation committee, offered thanks to the assembled donors who were instrumental in achieving this lofty goal. “Because it was such a combined effort, I won’t mention everyone. We appreciate all who were involved in this project. Their names are listed in the lobby on a plaque, just outside the door where

Continued on page 3

Wednesday, June 19

Teeswater Fairgrounds

Gates open 5 pm ~ Food trucks on site

Opening Ceremony 6:15 pm

Pre-Show: Superdogs

Musical Ride: 7:30 pm

Meet & Greet 8:15 pm with RCMP riders and horses & dog show dogs and owners

Event serves as ‘soft opening’ for facility

Showing appreciation

The evening featured acknowledgments of volunteers, committee members and staff who played crucial roles in the renovation project. (Clockwise from upper left) Huron East Deputy-Mayor Alvin McLellan, Morris-Turnberry Mayor Jamie Heffer, Huron East Chief Administrative Officer Brad McRoberts, campaign Co-Deputy Chair Doug McArter, former BMGCC Facility Manager Abi Corbett. (Scott Stephenson photos)

Continued from page 2 you go into the rink. If you read those names and see [those people], be sure to thank them.”

McArter also thanked the municipalities of Huron East and Morris-Turnberry for “sharing our vision for the renovation of the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre.” He highlighted the efforts of past Huron East CAO Brad Knight, who successfully co-ordinated grant applications, and McRoberts for seeing the project through to the present day after Knight retired.

Reminiscing about the project’s origins, McArter described an early meeting with TenPas that took place in a garage around a wood stove. At that meeting, after some convincing, TenPas agreed to be chair of the capital committee.

McArter noted that the time elapsed since the first committee meeting was five years, six months and three days, or “48,264 hours since we started this thing. Mind you, we did have a little COVID thing that interrupted us for a time, but it has flown by.”

McArter summed up the magnitude of the fundraising accomplished by their team. “Our fundraising committee, with your help, raised an astounding $2,552,743.52.”

Special mention went to committee members Michelle Blake and Marnie Knight, who spearheaded the donor signage wayfinding that, McArter noted, is

displayed on the walls of the BMGCC.

Before concluding his address, McArter invited Corbett back to the front to receive a framed picture of the BMGCC as a gift for her contributions.

Wrapping up his remarks, McArter added, “We do have a grand opening planned for Nov. 16, 2024. We’re scheduling events all through the day on that Saturday and this place will be hopping….

It’s going to be the perfect opportunity to show off this place and what it can do.”

Before ending the formal portion of the evening, McRoberts provided gifts from Huron East to McArter and Van Vliet. He then encouraged attendees to indulge in the catering provided by Brussels’ own Cardiff Catering, visit the bar, and to wander around the facility to observe all of the improvements for themselves.

Editorials

Founding Publisher: Keith Roulston

Publisher & President: Deb Sholdice

Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Scott Stephenson

Advertising Sales: Brenda Nyveld

Opinions

The

fight for airplay

Advertising Deadlines: Tues. 2 p.m

Sometimes a headline doesn’t do the story justice. A recent story on CBC News had the headline, “Women have been underplayed on Canadian radio for last decade, new study shows”. While concerning, it definitely wasn’t surprising. However, delving into the report definitely raised a few eyebrows when the statistics laid bold the misogyny of the country’s airwaves.

The study was a collaboration between the University of Ottawa, the National Arts Centre and Women in Music Canada and it looked at the top 150 songs played on Canadian radio between 2013 and 2023 across six mainstream formats. While Top 40 and Mainstream Adult Contemporary have low representation for women, hovering just under 30 per cent of airtime for each, Country at just 12 per cent and Alternative Rock with only eight per cent are absolutely dismal at representing female artists. The study also found that racialized women, especially in those genres, are virtually absent with only 0.7 per cent across those formats and doing only slightly better in Mainstream, Adult Contemporary and Top 40 where they averaged 6.5 per cent.

Radio has always been the easiest way for artists to get exposure and distribution, making it an important component of an artist’s career. Hopefully, female artists in the modern era can find their audiences through the internet, social media and music festivals, while radio, traditionally programmed by white men, becomes less relevant. – DS

Making history

The authors of these pages would be remiss if they we didn’t write about and acknowledge the absolute historic nature of the first felony conviction of a former U.S. President in American history. Donald Trump, who is also the presumptive Republican nominee for this fall’s election, was convicted on 34 counts in New York. He will be sentenced on July 11. How the rest of it shakes out is anyone’s guess.

Many Trump opponents are happy he’s finally facing the music, but quick to not spike the football, leery of everything from a bump in support for Trump to a Trump victory this fall to another civil war. Meanwhile, many Trump supporters see this as another attempt to derail the work of someone finally doing some political good.

While some Canadians no doubt support Trump, in the majority he simply inspires head-shaking. And for those who remember the politics of years gone by, it’s astonishing to think that a convicted felon is considered one of the two best options to lead the country.

However, whether it be this conviction or the election still to come, all Canadians must wonder what the Trump journey will mean for them. If Trump is elected, people have speculated that the revenge tour could lead all the way to World War III in addition to a further erosion of democracy (surely after this ordeal, if he regains power, he will do everything he can to never lose it again). If he doesn’t, perhaps the civil war we discussed earlier, which, with the passion and loyalty among his supporters, is not an outlandish idea.

Only time will tell, but, for now, the 45th President of the U.S. Donald Trump is a felon awaiting his sentence. That will all play out before a single vote is cast this fall. – SL

Welcome to all

“We’re already welcoming, we don’t need to fly a flag,” grumbles one local councillor. Another says it’s none of her business. “If we fly this flag, where does it end?” asks a third who then bemoans “all the letters” that represent those within the 2SLGBTQI+ community.

Hate crimes involving sexual orientation rose this year by 12 per cent over last year, according to Statistics Canada. That comes after a nearly 30 per cent jump from 2022 to 2023. So, in the last two years, there has been about a 40 per cent increase in homophobic crimes committed.

As Pride groups have become so audacious as to ask that their local businesses and governments consider flying Pride flags, so too have these businesses and councils exercised their right and said no.

This editorial board has been outspoken in its support for those whom Pride celebrates, decrying the bigotry that lies under discussions like the somewhat-fictional one above or letters from closed-minded writers. That’s why the newspaper now flies its own version of the Pride flag on the front page in June for Pride Month. If the newspaper was telling others they should do it, the paper then too should be walking the walk.

As the world turns inwards both politically and ideologically, it does not go without saying that everyone is welcome in every community. Any marginalized population will confirm that prejudice, be it big or small, is part of their daily lives. Resistance to this movement is one’s right, yet, it’s delusional to not accept that resistance for what it is.

While this editorial board likes to think that most support the Pride movement, or are at least not actively against it, there is a vocal sect of people who hate it. And while they may be loud, they may be brash and they may be aggressive, the hope is that they are also the few. – SL

Looking Back Through the Years

June 11, 1969

Fifty-two firemen from various departments in Huron County were guests of the Blyth Fire Department at a mutual aid meeting on Monday evening.

Mr. Ray Smillie, from Bell Telephone Company of Canada, was the special guest at the meeting. He brought a laser beam and demonstrated some of its potential applications in communication, industry and medicine.

Bill Knox had an unfortunate accident while handling a two-yearold stallion racehorse owned by his son, Charlie.

Knox was leading the horse with a rope and halter when the animal reared its head, knocking him off balance. The fall resulted in a broken bone in his right shoulder.

His many customers at the local barbershop hoped to see Knox back in action soon.

Blyth was well represented at the spring fair in Clinton last Saturday. The Blyth Lions entered a float in the parade and took home the $20 first prize.

Mrs. Don Glousher showcased her expertise in the domestic science class, winning top points and the silver trophy.

Other local winners included Mrs. George Watt from Blyth, Mrs. Ron Gross from Auburn and Mrs. William Dolmage from Londesborough.

June 8, 1977

Bill Bremmer of Walton had delivered a lot of mail in his lifetime. On Tuesday, he was presented with a pin commemorating his 25 years of service as a rural mail carrier. Bremmer began delivering mail in 1952 with a horse and buggy and a

sleigh. He had even made his rounds by tractor when the roads were particularly bad.

At a special meeting on May 31, the Brussels Council set a 1977 budget of $231,000. The mill rate was established at 134.11 for residential properties and 153.42 for commercial properties.

Congratulations went out to the young people from the Brussels area who participated in the recent 1977 Huron County 4-H Livestock and Feed Crop Competitions: John Van Vliet of R.R.2 outperformed 12 competitors in the Senior Division and received the Blatchford Feeds Award for the highest score in the competition, and Bruce Codkin of RR1, Walton, placed first in his category.

June 7, 1989

Faced with statistics indicating that Huron County would run out of landfill space by 1996, county councillors quietly approved participation in the second phase of a Waste Management Master Plan Study.

Despite the study’s contentious history since its authorization in April 1988, costing over a quarter million dollars, the motion to proceed to phase two saw very little discussion. The council also voted to accept the Stage 1 final report, which collected data on the current state of waste management in the county.

Brussels Village councillors decided not to issue licences for a north-end business to operate a poolroom and arcade after a large delegation of neighbours complained about the noise from an unlicensed pool room and arcade already operating at the site.

Councillors also voted to instruct Art Crossman, owner of The Sea-

Hut Coral, to remove the arcade and pool room immediately. Congratulations went out to Margaret Elizabeth Vincent, daughter of Neil and Joan Vincent, for winning a silver cup as the top baby in the baby show at the Clinton Spring Fair on Saturday, June 3.

June 10, 2004

Backwards, forwards, arms crossed and doubles were just a few of the creative ways students at Brussels Public School made skipping more fun during the Jump Rope for Heart campaign, in partnership with the Heart and Stroke Foundation. The students raised $2,855.62 by collecting sponsors from the community.

Twelve individuals from Brussels had a vision to revitalize the neglected Logan’s Mill into a magnet for both residents and tourists alike.

Instead of seeing a mill overrun by carpenter ants with unsafe floors, they envisioned a renovated building that celebrated the community’s rich arts and culture. They imagined it as a place where people could explore a museum dedicated to local history and enjoy time in a waterfront coffee shop that was proposed to become part of the structure.

Blyth Public School’s annual Festival of Arts showcased a range of musical styles, from classical piano to modern dance beats. The event featured performances by the school’s concert band, directed by Kendra Pearson, and a newly formed guitar band.

Additionally, also students demonstrated their talents in dance routines and piano performances, adding diversity and vibrancy to the festival.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada. We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright

Other Views

The unjust war in the Middle East

While yesterday, June 6, marked the 80th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy during the Second World War, we’re currently witnessing thousands die in a war in the Middle East that also owes its origins to another war.

A recent article in The Globe and Mail by Raja G. Khouri, co-author of The Wall Between: What Jews and Palestinians Don’t Want To Know About Each Other, explained that the roots of the current war lie in a decision made far back - on Nov. 2, 1917 - when Lord Arthur Balfour, then the British foreign minister, issued a declaration that stated, “His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.” At this time, Jews made up 10 per cent of the Middle Eastern population. The British would soon begin facilitating the transfer of European Jews to Palestine, and, between 1922 and 1935, grew the Jewish population in Palestine to nearly 27 per cent of the total.

Most of us know the horrid tragedy of the Jewish people under the frightening rule of Adolf Hitler, as six million were executed in the gas chambers he set up for exactly that purpose. After Hitler was defeated, what was the fate of the surviving Jewish population? Thousands moved to what is now Israel. But why had they left Israel in the first place? If you’re familiar with the Bible, you’ll understand that the long history of the Jewish people has seen them exiled before, and returned to their native land, such as under the Egyptians. The land of the Jewish people often seemed to be occupied by one world power or another. After they rebelled against the Roman Empire, they were cast out again in the second Jewish exile. Since the Roman Empire was so large, the Jews

Keith Roulston

From the cluttered desk

were scattered across the whole western world. And so they were in countries from Russia to Holland when World War II broke out. But those who survived the war, when they moved to what is now Israel, dislodged the native Palestinian population which, in turn, many generations earlier, had inherited the land when the Jews were expelled. In the war of 1947, the first of the (recent) bitter conflicts in the Middle East, Israel won independence and 750,000 Palestinians fled or were forced out by Jewish militias, and none were allowed to return.

Israel further established itself in wars in 1956, 1967, 1973, 1982 and 2006. As well, Israel has widened its control, establishing settlements in Israeli-controlled Palestinian territory.

The Gaza Strip has been governed since 2007 by Hamas, a radical Islamist militant group. Hamas began the current conflict with a surprise attack on Israel, killing hundreds of innocent civilians. Israel struck back with the Palestinian death toll recently standing at 37,000. Much of Gaza’s infrastructurehospitals, schools and universities - has been demolished, and more than 70 per cent of homes have been destroyed.

The harsh toll on Palestinians has led to student protests at campuses across North America, demanding our governments do

something to stop the harsh war. As of this week, U.S. President Joe Biden proposed a new ceasefire. As this is written, right wing cabinet members have been threatening to quit Israel’s government if it agrees. Hamas’s reaction is unknown.

I was a student once, though long ago (as in four Middle Eastern wars). On one hand, I understand where our students come from. They want to save the Palestinian people, and so blame Israel. They see things simply, and so forget the Hamas killing of all those Israeli civilians that started the war.

While generally our government stood with Israel at the beginning, there’s no doubt they’ve had critical second thoughts as Israel’s counter attack killed thousands.

Canada’s support of Israel is relatively new. Author Allan Levine, in his book Seeking the Fabled City, writes about how antisemitism was part of Canada’s cultural fabric. “During the period from the early 1880s to the early 1960s, anti‐Semitism was ingrained in the fabric of Canadian society, imposed and practised openly, usually without hesitation, qualifications or shame. Shopping at a Jewish‐owned store or using the services of a Jewish tailor was tolerable for most gentile Canadians. But it was not acceptable to have Jewish work colleagues, Jewish neighbours or, worst of all, Jewish members at private sports and social clubs. That was just the way it was.”

Yet today Canada has the fourth largest Jewish community in the world, with a population of over 390,000. On the other hand, we also are home to 1.8 million Muslims.

It’s impossible to find a “right” side to support in the Middle East. Somebody is going to lose. All we can hope for is some sort of peaceful resolution, quickly.

Blocks beware! You’re about to be busted

Whoopsies! The Chaff has gotten itself into a bit of a dangerous situation this week. We were supposed to be writing an insightful column about an issue that is relevant to the community - what we're known for - but instead, we started watching the 1994 actionpacked classic Keanu Reeves film Speed While fully engrossed by the three-decadesold Sandra Bullock blockbuster, a Dennis Hopper-esque terrorist rigged The Chaff to explode if our readers read fewer than 50 words an hour, or stop reading it altogether. Whatever you do, don’t stop reading or we are all going to go KABLAMO!

First of all - don’t panic. If you start panicking, then we’ll start panicking. If we start panicking, then none of this will make any sense and then some of our readers may start to lose patience. The Chaff prides itself on always making perfect sense, so, for the love of gourds, keep reading!

The Chaff may not have the captivating star power of Reeves, Bullock, Hopper, Jeff Daniels, or even character actor Alan Ruck, but what we do have is local reporter and failed child actor Scott Stephenson. Although Stephenson amounts to next-to-nothing, nextto-nothing is not nothing, and that’s not nothing. For any of our readers with a Disney+ subscription, check out the turn-ofthe-century bowling comedy gutterball Alley Cats Strike to see Stephenson’s uninspiring turn as Bobby Nagurski (credited as Booth Stephenson). His bit-part performance is nothing special, but at least a young Kaley Cuoco from The Big Bang Theory is there too.

We’ve just received a warning that up ahead in this column, a segment of the writing is under construction and there is a gap in the prose. Our only option is to

Scott Stephenson

The Chaff

accelerate and attempt to jump over the breach. As stated, The Chaff prides itself on always making perfect sense, and this is the only sensible option we have in this scenario. Hold onto your hatches and batten-down your hats. We are now going sofastthatthereisnotimeforspacesbetweenwor ds!Herecomesthejumpnow….

…Phew! We made it, but just barely. It will probably be smooth sailing for us until we get to the end of this week’s Chaff. We just need to keep it steady, continue writing, so you can keep reading, and we’ll all get through this safely, together. Simple!

Uh-oh… one thing we didn’t consider is writer’s block. We thought doing this halfbaked parody of the movie Speed would be easy, but now that we’ve introduced the concept and used the “gap jumping” gimmick, we’re pretty much out of ideas.

Pop-quiz, hot shot! How else can we incorporate ideas from the movie Speed into this Chaff?

Oh, here’s a thought - SPOILER ALERTin the movie, the heroes loop a video feed that the villainous character, played by Hopper, is using to observe his victims on the bus. That’s how they are able to successfully evacuate everyone safely without the bad guy’s knowledge.

Shawn’s Sense

Just remember...

Long-time readers of this column - and I  know there are dozens of you - will never grow tired of my Seinfeld references. Even as young people try to make the claim - erroneously - that Friends is the superior show, Seinfeld still reigns supreme here in the Shawn’s Sense corner of the world. One of my favourite George Costanza scenes of all time is when Jerry asks George, the show’s ultimate liar, how he might be able to beat a lie detector test. George says it’s a skill he was born with and cannot teach. But, as Jerry leaves, he imparts what wisdom he can to his friend in trouble. “Jerry, just remember... it’s not a lie if you believe it.”

In this scene, George is meant to be the show’s World Heavyweight Champion in the fine art of Scumbaggery. What he says to Jerry is meant to frame him as being about as low as it goes in the universe of the show and that’s what he says to him in that moment.

Perhaps looping might work here too.

…Phew! We made it, but just barely. It will probably be smooth sailing for us until we get to the end of this week’s Chaff. We just need to keep it steady, continue writing, so you can keep reading, and we’ll all get through this safely, together. Simple!

Pop-quiz, hot shot! Did it work? It seems like it didn’t because it’s still ongoing. Darn! Bullock’s character in Speed is integral to keeping the bus driving safely. We know that we don’t have access to Oscar-winning actor Bullock, but we do have someone that may actually be even better - the Sandra Bullock of The Citizen office, editor Shawn Loughlin. It’s Shawn’s job to make sure the wheels of The Citizen bus don’t fall off, so it’s worth a shot. Some may argue that The Citizen wheels did start falling off when Loughlin authorized The Chaff in the first place, but those voices must be ignored. As Taylor Swift once said, “Haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate,” and she’s the voice of a generation. We’re going to be just fine!

The climactic scene of the movie takes place on a subway train. Hmmmm, there aren’t really any subways around these parts, so it will have to be a metaphorical train - The Blyth Festival - an unstoppable train of Canadian theatre. As the Festival builds momentum for its 50th anniversary season, it is the perfect force to knock the head off of our antagonist, which seems to be this Speed parody Chaff itself. Yeah, that makes sense! This Chaff is the villain who rigged this Chaff to explode. What a twist!

So that’s it. Check out The Citizen’s special Blyth Festival preview that arrived with this paper. Be sure to thank it for knocking the head off The Chaff!

Also, watch out for the sequel to this parody: Speed 2: Chaff Control!

That was all the way back in 1995. Things were different then. They were more respectful and the office of the U.S. President was a holy place that no one would ever sully with lies. **Someone taps Loughlin on the shoulder and whispers a tidbit in his ear about who exactly was the president in 1995.** Backspace.... OK, not a great set-up, but still, it’s a valid point. The way George lived his life (regarding lying and believing those lies in order to get him through the day and make looking at himself in the mirror a tolerable experience) was silly and undignified at the time. Now there are people who treat it like their religion. Back to that most Oval of Offices, we have Donald Trump, who was just found guilty in a high-profile hush money trial. He is the first president to ever be convicted of a crime and many on the left have declared that a porn star has saved democracy. What a time to be alive. Anyway, Trump subscribes to the Tao of Costanza. He believes his lies so hard that he wills them to be true. Meanwhile, those who support him - in between dead baby signmaking sessions and Klan rallies - believe those lies too. And, just like their dear leader, they believe them hard enough that they really think that they’re true.

The whole phenomenon of fake news and alternative facts trades in this currency as well. Inconvenient truths are shunned in favour of ones that better fit the narrative of the speaker and, because some things are true and others are not, they’re framed as opinions that, slowly but surely, get reshaped into facts. And when I  say facts, I mean facts as the speakers sees them. Remember Joe Rogan, it’s not a lie if you believe it.

Then there’s all that claptrap that I hesitate to bother with, but I will. Medical evidence, scientific experts and the good of the world... are no match for a meme your wacky cousin shared on Facebook. It’s a picture that has words on it. Something like that’s gotta be true.

And, getting back to Costanza, the thing about it is that it’s not viewed as something to look down upon anymore. It’s accepted. The President of the United States and other major politicians around the world are actively lying and making things up, but, because it fits a certain narrative that some people like, it shape-shifts from an offensive opinion to some kind of a fact. And, if you yell about it loud enough, other people will just back down, further proving your point.

Jerry’s lie detector test concerned whether he watched Melrose Place or not. While it may have been hot-button at the time, the stakes for this behaviour now are much, much higher.

A busy weekend

There was plenty to see and do in Brussels over the weekend, which, in turn, brought many visitors to the village. Above, the Brussels Legion cooked dinner for about 150 people on Saturday as a fitting capper to Brussels Ball Day in the village, a day the culminated with an 8-5 for the Brussels Bangers over the Walton Brewers. Meanwhile, below, the Brussels village-wide yard sale brought out bargain-hunters and those with an eye for the vintage over the course of the weekend as well. (John Stephenson photos)

Pride Month is here

The dust is settled again. It doesn’t take long for the fields to dry and blow, so the nice rain on Sunday will hopefully settle things and give the gardens a boost.

A pretty fox took a leisurely stroll down our west side one day, checking things out as she went. Her possible mission took her across the soccer field and out of sight. A little later, the return trip was made and we haven’t seen her since. It truly was one of those nice nature moments.

June is Pride Month: a time to recognize the many people who make up our communities. A long history of treatment and attitude

brought us to this point in time and it’s always good to know the story of anything we encounter. Just ask. Celebrations for gender equality and sexual orientation are happening this weekend in Goderich. Organized by Huron County Pride, 18 organizations have signed up for a booth on South Street, so just a short walk about from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. will be fun and educational.

When plastic bags were no longer being given out for free in stores, the folks at 5R’s wondered about our bag supply. Again, be careful what you worry about. Now we need people to find another place for the bags they buy at stores. We have more than we ever had of the plastic ones. The pretty ones are made of a mix of plastics and cloth and are not recyclable. Perhaps take them shopping with you every time. Better yet, bring your bag to the market as it starts on Friday.

Camping is the theme for the day, so wear your camping garb and enjoy the vendors and visitors.

Bye new, Betty GW

At the Branch Cadets to wrap up season on June 11

By Jo-Ann McDonald

The week at the Branch began with the general meeting for the month of May. There were nine Comrades in attendance.

The Branch accepted another application for a new member. Inventory will be done this weekend, as it is the Branch’s yearend as of May 31.

In sports, Eric Ross and Bob Richardson will advance to the district golf tournament in Fergus after doing well at the zone golf competition in Kincardine. They are still looking for volunteers to help at the track and field event in Kincardine on June 15 - call the Branch if you are interested in helping.

The house reports that the patio is up and running and the base is ready for the electronic sign.

Seniors’ visitation had Eric Ross visiting with Comrade Glenn Bridge at Huronlea Home for the Aged. There were 26 submissions to the Military Service Recognition Book. There are three dates for catering in June at this time.

The Cadets will celebrate 45 years as a Corp sponsored by Branch 218 and they will have their annual celebration with special guests on June 11.

There is entertainment scheduled for the patio on July 14 and again at the end of the month. The Branch moved to give Huronlea funds towards the electric duet bike/wheelchair bike. They also moved to give funds to the Foundation of Education for the F.E. Madill rugby team for hosting the OFSAA competition in Stratford.

Decoration Day for the Brussels Cemetery will be June 23, so mark your calendar now.

The Friday night pub grub was burgers and fries for a good crowd. The Catch the Ace weekly prize was won by Darlene Oldfield and she received $172. Her envelope of choice was the number 43 and the four of hearts was found. The

estimated jackpot for this week is $3,000.

The evening continued with the musical talents of Stubby D and folks with good voices. They had a great time singing some great tunes.

Upstairs, the duo of Judy and JoAnn were busy thawing fish for the weekend fries. On Saturday, the Branch was on hand for Brussels Ball Day to provide food over the supper hour. It was a fish fry with about 150 folks enjoying fish and fries, poutine or just fries. Comrades working included Eric Ross, Lisa Glanville, Joan Smith, Nanci Ducharme, Nancy Bridge and Jamie Mitchell. They did a great job and had some fun.

On Sunday, the fish fry crew went to Atwood to serve about 250 folks. The helpers for that day included Chris Brown, Judy Lee, Jody Houston, Barry O’Krafka and Eric and Deb Ross. They did a good job and were very glad that the rain stopped before the meal. There are three more fish fry dinners this month, so if you can help, call the Branch and volunteer.

Winning Ticket: Darlene Oldfield, $172. Envelope #43 found the 4 of Hearts. Next estimated jackpot is $3,000.

Brussels Legion 218 Catch the Ace Weekly Winner

A good read

The Blyth Repository of History and its dedicated team of volunteers rolled out the organization’s annual used book sale over the weekend at Trinity Anglican Church. The sale serves as the group’s biggest fundraiser of the year, which is especially important now as it embarks on the journey of writing a new history book for the village in the coming years. (Deb Sholdice photo)

When I am preparing to write this feature, my process is to sit quietly and think about anything that has piqued my interest during the week, in particular. Well, here it is: snails, bugs, and slimy worms. Doesn’t that sound lovely? Before you say I’ve gone insane, let me share something with you that I’ve been thinking about this week. There is so much that children can learn from creepy, crawly things in nature. In keeping with our theme of active play, I wanted to discuss how children can be involved in play, but also learn some of life’s lessons from the natural world.

In my research this week, I came upon an article from illinoisearlylearning.org titled, “Discovering the World of Insects on the Playground” by Kendra Nenia and Denise Fenn (2016). Kendra and Denise completed a sixweek study at a Northern Illinois daycare centre with two- and threeyear-olds.

The Reading Web

with Cindy Norgate

I found the reasoning behind the project very interesting. According to the article, “Because the children in our classroom are as young as two with a few new three-year-olds, they did not have a lot of prior knowledge or experience with insects. Therefore, we sought out every opportunity to interact with the insect world, keeping it interesting, safe and inviting. We wanted to spur on the children who showed some interest in the insect world and encourage them to dig a little deeper. We were hopeful the children who were less interested would start to notice the insects around them and not be repulsed.”

One of my favourite games Kendra and Denise played with the children is called “I Wonder”. I thought you might enjoy playing it with your child as well. When the group went outside, into the garden, the children would say, “I wonder”, and finish it with such thoughts as, “I wonder if bugs have bones?” or “I wonder how many legs a spider

has?” The options are endless here, but it sparks interest in learning more. Once the children asked questions, the teachers took the opportunity to find books or research answers. I would also recommend purchasing a child’s magnifying glass for this activity, which could allow the young scientist to have a closer look on the ground, under a stump or at a pond. For our reading this week, I chose, Hello World! Kids’ Guides: Exploring Insects by Jill McDonald (2023). According to Amazon, “In Exploring Insects, readers can learn all about bugs, pollinators like bees and butterflies, incredible rainforest insects, and even an insect that uses its bum to warn off predators! Insect fans will also find fascinating details about bugs and how they help the environment.” This book is appropriate for children aged three to seven.

As I leave it here for this week, I hope you will leave your inhibitions behind and allow your child to

Planting season almost finished

By Deb Hakkers

It’s hard to believe that it is June already and that planting is almost finished. My yard is almost ready for summer, but there is always more to be done and not enough time to do it.

The kids are getting excited for summer and school is winding down with year-end trips and all the festivities that go with the end of the year. In fact, this fall’s Kindergarten students have already had their bus-training session at Hullett Central Public School.

This week we wish happy birthday to Cindy MacDonald and Rylee Chalmers June 9, Jim and Ron Howson June 10, Carson Bromley and Mark Nesbitt on June

explore the world of snails, bugs, and slimy worms. It is interesting to me how many of the fears that adults have stem from birth versus from the environment in which we live. I suppose that is one thing which is amazing to me about young children. They seem uninhibited and unscathed by the world around them. Why not take that opportunity for special teachable moments! One thing is for sure, you won’t regret it and it is never time wasted.

“Nature is a tool to get children to experience not just the wider world, but themselves.” - Stephen Moss

11, Scott MacDonald on June 12 and Roger Bieman on June 13. We also wish Barry and Cindy MacDonald a happy anniversary on June 8. We hope everyone enjoys their special day! If there is anything you would like mentioned in this column, please e-mail mcraig1@tcc.on.ca or call 519-525-8640 (evenings only please). Until next week, take care of yourselves and each other and enjoy the lovely weather.

Photography by Joan Perrie

Sports

Bangers beat Brewers in Brussels Ball Day game

Put it on the board

After a day full of minor baseball action in Brussels, dubbed Brussels Ball Day in recent years, the Brussels Bangers took on the Walton Brewers in a Huron County Fastball League regular season contest, beating the visitors by a score of 8-5, above. Meanwhile, last Tuesday, the Brewers welcomed the Brussels Tigers to Walton and, despite two home runs from Shawn Bromley, seen at right, the Brewers lost by a score of 8-2. (John Stephenson photos)

By Shawn Loughlin

In the very young Huron County Fastball League season, the Belmore Stingers are in first place with a perfect record of 2-0 and four points.

The Brussels Bangers are in second place with two points and a record of 1-1, followed by the thirdplace Brussels Tigers and fourthplace Goderich Grizzlies, both with records of 1-0 and two points each.

The rest of the standings are as follows: the Mitchell Mets are in fifth place (1-1), Monkton Muskrats in sixth (1-1), Sebringville Sting (1-0) in seventh, Wroxeter Rippers (1-0) in eighth, Elmira U20 (0-2-1) in ninth, the Fullarton A’s (0-1) in 10th and the Walton Brewers (0-3-1) in 11th.

Neither the Milverton AW  Millwrights nor the Wingham Hitmen have played their first game of the season yet, with a full schedule of 20 games remaining.

On May 28, despite two solo home runs from Shawn Bromley, the Walton Brewers fell to the Brussels Tigers in Walton by a score of 8-2. The next night, Mitchell shutout Elmira in Linwood by a score of 7-0.

Two of the three games played on May 31 went the way of the home teams. The Sebringville Sting welcomed the Walton Brewers to town and beat them by a score of 90, thanks in no small part to a nohitter thrown by Chad Fink. The Fullarton A’s played the Grizzlies in Goderich, only to fall to the home team by a score of 8-1. Meanwhile, in Monkton, the Muskrats lost to the Belmore Stingers by a score of 9-2.

On June 1, as part of Brussels

Ball Day, the Brussels Bangers delighted local audiences with an 85 win over the Walton Brewers, putting the cherry on top of a great day of local baseball for the Brussels fans.

The June 2 contest between the Belmore Stingers and the Sebringville Sting in Rostock was postponed due to the rain and will be made up at a later date.

On June 4, the Mitchell Mets visited the Walton Brewers and, the next night, the Wingham Hitmen played their first game of the season

in Brussels against the Tigers and the Goderich Grizzlies travelled to Elmira to play the U20 team, but scores for those games were unavailable at press time.

Tonight, Friday, June 7, the Mitchell Mets will be in Milverton to play the AW Millwrights, the Brussels Bangers will host the Fullarton A’s and the Brussels Tigers will be in Wroxeter to play the Rippers.

There are three games on the schedule for Sunday, June 9, with the Belmore Stingers hosting

Swimming Lessons

June 5th

available from June 5th until 14th.

Milverton, the Wingham Hitmen travelling to Wroxeter to play the Rippers and the Fullarton A’s hosting the Monkton Muskrats.

On June 11, the Walton Brewers will host Milverton. The next night, the Belmore Stingers will travel to Linwood for a game with Elmira, the Goderich Grizzlies will be in Mitchell to play the Mets and the first face-off between the Brussels Tigers and Bangers will be played with the Tigers serving as the home team. Then, on June 13, the

Mitchell Mets will play the Stingers in Belmore.

There are four games on the schedule for June 14. The Fullarton A’s will host the Wingham Hitmen, Milverton will travel to Sebringville to play the Sting, the Brussels Tigers will play the Muskrats in Monkton and the Walton Brewers will head to Wroxeter to play the Rippers. For more information and a full schedule, visit the league’s website at huroncountyfastball.com.

Sports

Home teams flourish in Brussels Ball Day games

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

Brussels Ball Day was a successful one for many of the local teams in action, all the way down to the Brussels Bangers, who defeated the Walton Brewers by a score of 85 in their Huron County Fastball League contest that evening.

The day kicked off with a trio of local games, with the U5 Black and Red teams taking on each other in the T-ball division, followed by the

U7 Red and Black teams playing one another and a contest between the U9 Red and Black teams.

The U11 Girls then posted the only local loss of the day, as they fell by a score of 8-5 to the Listowel Legends Fowler team. The U11 Boys then won their exhibition game against Seaforth by a score of 7-6, followed by a 20-4 win by the U13 Girls over the Elma Express 2 team, a 14-4 exhibition game win for the U13 Boys over Wingham and a 15-14 victory for the U15

For the fences

Under a blazing sun, Brussels Ball Day was a success for the village once again, with nine games being played over the course of the entire day. It was punctuated with draws, food and a Brussels Legion fish fry. Above, the U5 Red and Black T-ball teams squared off, while below, the U13 Girls posted a 20-4 victory over the Elma Express. (John Stephenson photos)

Girls over the Seaforth Wolverines. Back on May 29, the U11 Boys welcomed Wingham to Brussels and beat them by a score of 12-10, while the U11 Girls, also in Brussels, beat the Mitchell Hornets Broughton team by a score of 1411. One day earlier, the U9 Black team beat Lucknow in Brussels by a score of 16-3, while the U15 Girls, also at home, lost to the Listowel Legends by a score of 12-11.

The U13 Boys were scheduled to play Benmiller on the road on May 27, but that game was cancelled.

Looking ahead, there are five games on the schedule for Monday, June 10. In Brussels, the U7 Red team will play Wingham 1, the U13 Girls will play the Seaforth Wolverines and the U17 Boys will play Fullarton. Meanwhile, on the road, the U11 Girls will play the Legends Beirnes team in Listowel

and the U15 Girls will play the Mitchell Hornets Vosper team.

The next day, the U7 Black team will play Wingham 2 and the U17 Boys will play Sebringville, both on the road, while the U9 Red team will play Wingham Blue and the U15 Girls will play the Mitchell Hornets Eisler team, both at home in Brussels.

There are four away games on the schedule for June 12. The U9 Black team will play Wingham, the U11 Girls will play the Mitchell Hornets Broughton team, the U9 Red team will play Ethel and the U13 Boys will play Wingham.

The next night, the U11 Boys will play Lucknow on the road.

On June 6, the U11 Boys travelled to Wingham and the U15 Girls were in Elma to play the Express 1 White team, but scores for those games were unavailable at

press time. One day earlier, the U13 Girls played the Listowel Legends Johnston team on the road and the U11 Boys played Benmiller at home, but scores for those games were unavailable at press time.

On June 4, the U9 Black and Red teams played one another in Brussels, while the U15 Girls welcomed the Goderich Seahawks Lime/Black team to Brussels, but scores for those games were unavailable at press time. On June 3, the U11 Girls played the Listowel Legends Fowler team on the road, the U7 Black team was in Ethel for a game, the U13 Boys hosted Wingham and the U17 Boys welcomed the Wilmot 2 team to Brussels, but scores for those games were unavailable.

For more information or a full schedule of games, visit the Tigers online at brusselstigersfastball.ca.

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Clinton Spring Fair attracts large crowds

Chris Murphy, Sloan

Patrick Pentland, Sloan Owen Riegling

Neil Osborne, 54-40

Dave Genn, 54-40

Owen Riegling, Sloan and 54-40 impress fans

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen

The Clinton Spring Fair has been unofficially kicking off Huron County’s agricultural fair season for 170 years now, and it’s safe to say it’s mastered the art of bringing people together to celebrate everything that makes Clinton, and the surrounding area, special. Its annual demolition derby is one of the season’s best smash-ups, its livestock display shows off some of the county’s best edible animals, and its homecraft exhibition is home to some truly competitive pies.

There’s always a ton of great entertainment at the Clinton Spring Fair, but this year, organizers went big by booking three fantastic musical acts for Saturday night that were certain to appeal to a wide swath of fair-goers - Owen Riegling, Sloan, and 54-40. Concert organizer Peter Meades, of The Run Room in Clinton, was surely pleased to see what a tremendous turn-out there was for the show. The crowds came out in force, lining up early outside the Eastlink Arena, and lingered at the end, shouting for a second encoreboth signs of a successful event.

First up was the pride of Mildmay - up-and-coming country star Owen Riegling, who had recently returned to the area following his first big tour. Concert-goers like high school student Tanner Brooks had come just to see Riegling’s act, and there were more than a few fans in the audience who felt the same wayyou could tell from all the people wearing t-shirts with Riegling’s name on them. His crowd may have skewed to the younger demographic, but folks of all ages got into his country-rock vibe. The young singer-songwriter opened with his newest song, “Moonshines”, which is already on its way to becoming a big hit, and went on to play all the tunes he’s become known for, including “Old Dirt Roads”, his biggest song to date. At the end of his performance, Riegling finished off with one of his trademark moves - asking anybody and everybody over to his merch table so he could meet them.

Iconic Canadian rock band Sloan came on next, delivering one hit after another with the polish and stage presence one would expect from the band that concert-goer

Connor Brooks described as “the Canadian Beatles”. Sloan is based out of Toronto, but several of its members, including frontman Chris Murphy, originally hail from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Halifax wasn’t a huge draw for musical acts back in the day - both Murphy and band member Jay Ferguson remember how much it mattered to them when there was a big show to attend. “Everybody would go,” Ferguson recalled. Murphy confirmed how much a great band’s presence in town meant to him as a young person in Halifax. “You’d just love them forever.” Sloan’s longtime tour manager, Mike Nelson, has traveled with the band to gigs all over the country, and has always found that there’s something special about taking the rural route. “Sometimes, the most memorable shows are often kind of on the periphery of things.” And a memorable show it was! Sloan has released so many incredible songs since the early 1990s, and it seemed like they played all of them on Saturday. From “Coax Me” to “The Good in Everyone” to “The Rest of My Life” to “Money City Maniacs” and so many more, it’s impossible to deny the infectious rock-and-roll excellence of one of Canada’s best bands. They certainly made more than a few young people into fans with their performance.

54-40 got their start in Tsawwassen, British Columbia, and has been rocking the airwaves since the 1980s. Over the years, they’ve had four albums go platinum, and been nominated for eight Juno Awards. A lot of Huron County’s 54-40 fans came out to Clinton dressed in well-worn t-shirts they’d acquired at one concert or another over the years - a clear indication they were ready to party. Founding member and bassist Brad Merritt explained before the show why the band still gets excited to bring music to the people. “We’re grateful for the experience,” he said. “I still approach what we do from a fan’s perspective. You look for community, you look for your tribe. You look for like-minded people. We’re all in this together.” 54-40’s tribe certainly came out to Clinton on Saturday. After their encore, which included mega-hit “I Go Blind”, people were still shouting for more, only leaving the arena after the house lights had come up and the bar had begun shutting down.

Way more in 2024

The Clinton Spring Fair had something for everyone this year, hosting a demolition derby on Friday and a rock concert on Saturday.

(Demolition Derby - John Stephenson photos; Concert - Scott Stephenson photos)

Sloan

Sloan 54-40

Owen Riegling

By Drew Spoelstra, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture

Ontario farmers know better than most that this province is home to some of Canada’s richest and most fertile farmland.

It’s where we grow food and feed for people and animals alike, but, in addition to sustaining us, it also helps support climate change mitigation, benefits water and air quality and supports our environmental biodiversity.

At the same time, we know that Ontario needs growth to keep its economic engine going, expanded transportation networks to support the flow of people and goods, and housing for an increasing population.

Farmland is a finite, but diminishing resource, and the availability of prime agricultural land is fundamental to Ontario’s future. It’s been a long time since our grocery store shelves were empty, but we only have to look to other regions of the world to understand that a country’s ability to feed its own population is an important pillar of a wellfunctioning and sustainable society.

That’s why we have long been strong advocates for farmland preservation and keeping this fertile soil in agricultural production - it’s the fundamental building block of

Total Receipts: 1,815 cattle; 1,207 lambs, sheep and goats.

Tuesday – Fed cattle sold steady. Cows sold steady.

Thursday – Veal sold strong and steady. Drop calves sold steady. Lambs and sheep sold steady to the week’s decline. Goats sold steady.

Friday – Calves choice yearlings sold steady; second cut yearlings sold easier.

Fed Cattle: There were 125 fed cattle on offer.

Choice Fed Cattle: $245 – $261

Second Cut Fed Cattle: $230 – $244

Aged and Medium Fed Cattle: $215 –$235 Holstein Fed Cattle: $185 – $221

Dwayne Dickert of Ayton, consigned four head. One fat weighed 1,590 lbs. and sold for $261.

Greg Higgins of Brussels, consigned 11 head. Three fats averaged 1,625 lbs. and sold for an average price of $254.

Cows: There were 225 cows on offer:

our food and farming systems.

Unfortunately, the analysis of the latest Census of Agriculture statistics paints a bleak picture of what is happening in Ontario - the province is permanently losing an average of 319 acres of farmland a day or the equivalent of nine family farms from agricultural production every single week.

Although urban expansion isn’t the only cause of this loss, it’s undeniable that development is putting intense pressure on Ontario farmland and pushing up against urban-rural boundaries. The most current example is the ongoing farmland situation in the Waterloo Region municipality of Wilmot Township, where landowners are being threatened with expropriation for an as-of-yet undisclosed industrial development.

Although Ontario is a large province, only about five per cent of our land is suitable for growing crops or raising livestock. Much of northern Ontario can’t be farmed because of the cool climate and the rocky Canadian Shield, and towns and cities dot much of the southern Ontario landscape.

Ontario farmers understand that our province needs to be able to attract and accommodate growth, and that we need solutions to the housing shortage. We aren’t opposed to urban growth and

development - after all, we also want housing options to support youth, seniors, families, workers, and newcomers in our communities.

But we believe the answer lies with responsible land-use planning that prevents further farmland loss, encourages ongoing investment in farms and farm-related businesses, helps communities intensify their built-up areas and supports greater density in new development.

This includes directing growth to urban and rural settlement areas where residential and commercial needs can be met in serviced areas, using much less land. It also ensures efficient use of municipal infrastructure investments and reduces costs to provide services.

We’re urging all levels of government to use a long-term, strategic approach to land-use planning and a commitment to meaningful increased density of population within urban boundaries and around public transportation hubs so that we’re building in the right places.

We’re encouraging transparency, dialogue and collaboration so we can collectively find solutions where farmers are part of the process and can make meaningful contributions.

Let’s not forget that agri-food is also a cornerstone of Ontario’s

Ontario’s farmland must be protected: OFA

economic prosperity. This sector, which is built around productive agricultural land, contributes $47 billion to the provincial economy and $20 billion in agri-food exports annually, and employs about 10 per cent of Ontario’s work force, supporting more than 750,000 jobs.

Without a thoughtful and

strategic approach to farmland preservation, land-use planning and economic development, we are putting Ontario’s future at risk. For Ontario farmers, the goal is to ensure a future for our province, our communities and our families that includes food and farmland as well as jobs and growth.

Giving back

Newly-crowned Elementary School Fair Ambassador Revel Beck donated her proceeds from her yard sale, lemonade stand and bake sale over the weekend to the Belgrave Playground Project, represented by Katie Cottrill. (Photo submitted)

BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK REPORT

Beef Cows: $140 – $175

Good Holstein Cows: $137 – $155 up to $169

Medium Holstein Cows: $120 – $136 Bulls: $171 – $221

Isaac Stutzman of Lucknow, consigned four head. One simmental cow weighed 1,600 lbs. and sold for $175.

Terpstra Farms Ltd. of Brussels, consigned nine head. One holstein cow weighed 1,320 lbs. and sold for $169.

Bruce and Heather Ribey of Paisley, consigned three head. One black bull weighed 1,185 lbs. and sold for $220.

Veal: There were 150 veal and 40 bob calves on offer.

Beef Veal: $270 – $315

Good Holsteins: $220 – $237

SL Heavy Holsteins: $210 – $225

Heavy Holsteins: $185 – $226

Medium Holsteins: $210 – $219

Plain Holsteins: $190 – $209

Holstein Drop Calves: $425 – $1,250 / HEAD

Soloman A. Martin of Priceville, consigned five head. One veal weighed 975 lbs. and sold for $315.

Bennewies Livestock Inc. of Bornholm, consigned four head. One holstein veal weighed 705 lbs. and sold for $237.

Lambs: Under 50 lbs.: $315 – $355

50-64 lbs.: $312 – $333

65-79 lbs.: $323 – $335 up to $350

80-94 lbs.: $321 – $346

95-109 lbs.: $326 – $339 up to $350 110 lbs. and over: $260 – $300

Sheep: $145 – $230 up to $275

Brian and Craig Salverda of Londesboro, consigned 89 head. Eleven lambs averaged 84 lbs. and sold for an average price of $346.

Dennis and Donna Thompson of Walkerton, consigned five head. Two lambs averaged 95 lbs. and sold for an average price of $350.

Goats:

Quality Heifers:

and sold for an average price of $350.

Bob J. Phibbs of Jarvis, consigned 11 head. Four limousin heifers averaged 945 lbs. and sold for an average price of $309.

Jonathan Weber of Wallenstein, consigned 20 head. Five charolais heifers averaged 995 lbs. and sold for an average price of $294.50.

A-J Acres of New Liskeard, consigned 74 head. Thirteen charolais steers averaged 838 lbs. and sold for an average price of $373.

Leo Webster of Parkhill, consigned 11 head. Seven kid goats averaged 56 lbs. and sold for an average price of $630.

Ryan Van Miltenburg of Staffa, consigned five head. Three kid goats averaged 55 lbs. and sold for an average price of $635.

Stockers: There were 1,275 stockers on offer.

Oscar B. Bauman of Wallenstein, consigned 158 head. Twenty charolais steers averaged 901 lbs. and sold for an average price of $345.50.

Paul Murray of Ripley consigned 10 head. Ten black steers averaged 1,032 lbs. and sold for an average price of $314.50.

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.

James Houser of Cayuga, consigned 15 head. Six red heifers averaged 690 lbs.

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info@northhuron.on.ca e-mail: Phone 519-523-4792

CountyParamedicsIn-Home would also like to recognize Huron e We gotten. kindness will never be for W along with their compassion and getic enthusiasm upbeat and ener Their cheerful smiles, three years. helped care for Irene for the past .s who .S.W gratitude to One Care P like to express their deepest urner would T The family of Irene memories." Anonymous walk beside us in our hearts and our , they y, "Those we love don't go away (February 1931 to May 16, 2024) Tuurner TURNER - Irene Florence T

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Continued from page 1 Centre Reserve Account, which currently contains $127,070.

An arrangement was made previously in which payments pledged from the Knights of Columbus would be collected by North Huron, and deposited into the Wingham Columbus Centre Reserve Account, with the intention that those funds would be used towards improvements at the Wingham Columbus Centre, subject to council’s approval.

$160,000 was theirs with which to work. They also claimed they had never been provided with the written agreement between the township and the Columbus Centre that stated otherwise. Palmer felt that there had been errors on both sides, as it is North Huron’s responsibility to properly disseminate information, which in this case, he feels, it failed to do. Falconer asserted that the Columbus Centre’s defence is based entirely on hearsay.

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glass front and sides, 2 drawers at - Beautiful china cabinet, FOR SALE 23-3 525-1863 or 519-441-7217. negotiable. Pickup in Blyth. Call 519, $100; all prices are a corner and chair desk (52” wide x 26” deep) will fit in volt/120 volt plug in, $60; computer Trroncooler-has12 $25; Kool a T , - Light weight cart/dolly FOR SALE

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501-3289. . Londesborough 519- fffer make an of fer; quantity of 1/2” used plywood, offf 10 or 220. Make an can be used with 1 water resistant extension cord 12/3; , - 150 ft. heavy duty FOR SALE 22-3 887-9083. gan FREE; carpet 8x8 FREE. 519- or $90; Electone 2 keyboard electric illiams antique sewing machine, W charis with cushings, $190; New mattresses, $200; patio table with 6 - Bunk beds and FOR SALE

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Councillor Anita van Hittersum was not in favour of paying the invoice. “You can’t spend money you don’t have without asking first... we can’t start doing things like that - it’s inappropriate.” She brought forth a motion that North Huron not pay the invoice. DeputyReeve Kevin Falconer agreed with her, and seconded the motion.

Councillor Chris Palmer, who is the council representative for the Columbus Centre, urged that all sides of the story be considered before voting. “We’re not doing a good job if we don’t know everything,” he said. “These are reputable people.” Palmer went over some of the details he’d learned at the meeting, explaining that the Columbus Centre members had believed that they had been given verbal confirmation from two unnamed members of staff that they should go ahead with the work.

“Unfortunately, those individuals are not with us today, so we can’t check,” Palmer lamented. Of the over $800,000 North Huron had received from the ICIP, the Columbus Centre members claim they were led to believe that

Councillor Mitch Wright agreed that there is no evidence to support one side or the other, but also wanted to explore the viability of the second option. “What is the purpose of the Knights of Columbus reserve fund?” he asked. “And what is the appropriateness of using it for these improvements?” Clerk Carson Lamb explained that those funds can be used for capital projects to improve the Columbus Centre, after they’ve been approved by council. Wright summarized the complications of using the reserve to pay the funds, saying “it is an appropriate use of funds, but perhaps an inappropriate process was followed.”

Van Hittersum’s motion was brought to a recorded vote. The votes in favour of not paying the invoice came from Falconer, van Hittersum and Councillor Ric McBurney, while Palmer, Wright, and Councillor Lonnie Whitfield voted against the motion. The tie was broken by Reeve Paul Heffer, who voted “yes”, which means that the Columbus Centre will have to find another way to cover the $74,145.91 worth of work.

Growing Project corn

is now in

the ground

Wedding anniversary greetings to Paul and Dorothy McLaren on June 5 and to Mike and Debbie Jardin on June 14. Enjoy your day.

Birthday greetings are extended to Heidee Lebold on June 11 and to Hudson Cottrill June 16, on his first birthday. Have a fun day.

Worship leader Rev. Colin Snyder was welcomed by Knox United Church congregation on his first Sunday, June 2 as the full-time minister at Knox United Church in Belgrave. Mackenzie Wightman and Lila Procter played prelude and postlude music and accompanied all the hymns.

Rev. Snyder read scripture lessons from Deuteronomy 5:12-15 and Mark 2:23-36. His reflection was entitled “Keeping Sabbath Holy.”

On Tuesday, Jun 11, the coffee break is at the community centre from 9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. Everyone is welcome.

Cards will be played at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 14

centre. Everyone is welcome. The Belgrave Community Growing Project corn crop for the 2024 season was planted on May 16. Byway of update, this is the 23rd year in which the Belgrave group has participated in the Canadian Foodgrains initiative. We are well into another growing season and are hoping and praying for another successful crop. The 20 acres of corn is planted on George and Elizabeth Procter’s farm, but the project relies on the support of the entire community for its success.

North Huron establishes new refund policy

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen

On Monday, North Huron Council discussed a proposed refund policy for the township that was presented by Director of Finance Chris Townes. The report explained that North Huron currently has no set policy that addresses how refunds are handled in the event program cancellations and overpayments, leading to a situation in which, in many cases, the cost associated with

administering refunds has been significantly higher than the actual monetary value of the refunds themselves.

The draft refund policy is both intended to create an open and transparent system of administrative procedures for returning money owed to North Huron citizens and to standardize the rules surrounding refund eligibility for things like recreational programs offered by the township. The report explained that North Huron often incurs

additional costs when things like recreational programs have participants drop out, cancel or withdraw on short notice.

Townes’s report explained that program costs are recovered through user fees, and that the minimum number of participants needed to keep a program from being canceled is defined by the number of participants required to fully recover the costs of that program. The formal refund policy would require program registrants to provide advance notice if they

Winner announcement June 24

Continued from page 1

Scenic/Projection Design category, Yu for Three Sisters and MacKenzie for Sizwe Banzi is Dead

Peter N. Bailey, who has a long history with the Blyth Festival from 2007’s World Without Shadows to last season’s The Real McCoy, is nominated for Outstanding New Play in the Independent Theatre Division for Tyson’s Song at the Pleiades Theatre. It is also nominated for Outstanding Production in the Independent Theatre Division, among numerous other nominations.

Philip Akin, who directed The Wilberforce Hotel at the Blyth Festival in 2015, is nominated for Outstanding Direction in the Independent Theatre Division for Heroes of the Fourth Turning, a coproduction of Crow’s Theatre and The Howland Company. Furthermore, Cameron Laurie and

Hallie Seline, who are members of this year’s Festival company, are co-founders of The Howland Company. They are also members of the Heroes of the Fourth Turning cast, which is nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in the Independent Theatre Division.

Steve Lucas, a set design regular at the Festival, is nominated, alongside Rebecca Morris, in the Outstanding Scenic/Projection Design category in the Independent Theatre Division for Appropriate Lucas is nominated individually for Outstanding Lighting Design for the same production.

Deanna Choi, another Festival regular, is nominated alongside Michael Wanless for Outstanding Sound Design/Composition in the Independent Theatre Division for Appropriate Michelle Ramsay, who worked on lighting design for Ipperwash in

2017, is nominated in the Outstanding Lighting Design category of the Independent Theatre Division for The Tempest Britta Johnson, who wrote Alligator Tears for the Festival’s Young Company, which was then remounted on the Memorial Hall stage the following season, is nominated, alongside Sara Farb, for Outstanding New Musical or Opera in the Musical Theatre or Opera Division for Kelly v. Kelly. The show is also nominated for Outstanding Production and in a number of other categories.

Nicole Joy-Fraser, who spent several seasons as an actor with the Blyth Festival, is nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in the Opera Division as a member of the cast of Canoe The winners will be announced on June 24 at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre in Toronto.

Obituaries

SHARON DAVIS

Peacefully at Wingham and District Hospital on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, Sharon Davis of Blyth and formerly of Waterloo, passed away, surrounded by her family, at the age of 77.

Sharon was the cherished aunt of Kevin Davis, Mark Davis, Shane Davis, Stacia Collier (Steve), Tracey Winkler, Randy Bowman (Janine), Sue Boettcher (Rich), Tammy Blanchard (Andy), Sheryl Murray (Bob), Kerri Weber (Wade), Rick Cleghorn (Shannon), Stephanie Herrera (Yudel), and the great-aunt and great-great-aunt of many.

She was the loving grandma of Candace Rempel and her children, and sister-in-law of Sharon Tyron Davis.

Sharon was predeceased by her partner Diane Cousineau, parents Harold and Iva (Scott) Davis, brother Scott Davis, sisters Joan Bowman Earl) and Bonnie Cleghorn (Ronnie)

and niece Kimberley Cleghorn.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, June 8 at the Wingham Columbus Centre at 11 a.m. with visitation one hour prior. Interment will take place at Parkview Cemetery, Waterloo.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the Canadian Cancer Society, Cystic Fibrosis or Epilepsy would be appreciated.

Online condolences at www.mcburneyfuneralhome.com

CORNELIS (CON) VAN  VLIET

Cornelis (Con) van Vliet passed away at Huron Hospice in Clinton in his 87th year on Friday, May 31 with family by his side.

Born in Nieuwerkerk, Holland on Feb. 5, 1938, Con immigrated to Canada on Dec. 1, 1956. Con’s passions were his family and friends, gardening and his pond, reading, playing cards and completing puzzles.

will be dropping out or withdrawing from a program. This notice would allow staff to cancel any program that has an insufficient number of participants to recover its costs.

While nobody disagreed with the actual refund policy, which was passed by council later on in the discussion, Councillor Mitch Wright brought up some issues regarding the township’s current policy on program cancellations. He recalled a survey done last year that gave the people of North Huron the choice of cutting recreational programs, raising taxes, or funding those programs through increased user fees. “What got the most support was raising user fees,” he said, “but the comment in this report was that some rec programs have to be fully funded with user fees, or they could be canceled. That amounts to the same thing that Option A was. Option A was to cut a program so we don’t spend tax money on it, right? Well, requiring a program to be fully funded with user fees, and canceling it if it is not, is the same thing, right?... It takes the user fee thing too far.”

Recreation Director Kelly Steiss responded to Wright’s concerns, saying “The current practice is to have staff submit a proposal that outlines what would be the minimum number of participants we require to run the program so we do not achieve a loss in that program... but we do a lot of

advertising to try to get those numbers up…. We’re not looking to cancel programs, we’re looking to find ways to make sure we have good representation, and a minimum number of participants, so that there is no cost impact to the taxpayer.”

Wright disagreed with that approach to recreational programming. “I don’t see that as an alignment with anything council has provided, and I don’t see that as an alignment with our strategic plan, which was to raise user fees but not cut programs. I see this as a mismatch.”

Councillor Chris Palmer weighed in on the issue. “I have trouble with thresholds. They’re great in a lot of areas, but not here, because we’re offering a service to people.” Palmer pointed out that frequent program cancellations might make recreation centre users go elsewhere, like Listowel or Goderich. “Then we’ve lost them. We need to be thinking of that as well. So tread carefully when your staff is deciding what the threshold is. It would be very good to make a profit, or at least hit our line for costs, but it’s a service. We have to think of the users, the people, the taxpayers.”

While council and staff did not come into alignment regarding a program cancellation policy, the matter at hand - implementing the refund policy itself, was brought to a vote and passed.

Con was the beloved husband of Lois Evelyn (Cunningham) van Vliet and the dear father of Kim and Nick Sauro of Windsor, Kent and Gob Yothasari of Thailand and Todd of Toronto. He was the loving grandpa of Ryan Tolton of Windsor, Alexandria and Charli Anobile of Tecumseh, Michael and Adriana Sauro of Waterloo, Laura and Nick Magyar of Amherstburg and loving great-grandpa of Roslyn Anobile and Giulietta Sauro. Con was predeceased by his wife Lois; father Gerrit van Vliet and mother Cornelia (Verburg) van Vliet; sisters Annie, Nel and Wil; brothers Koos, Gerrit and Jan.

He leaves seven brothers to cherish his memory in Holland: Leo, Wim, Maarten, Has, Rien, Bas and Rene.

In the Cunningham family, he was predeceased by his father-inlaw Vere Dorval Cunningham and mother-in-law Ethel Mary Brown; brothers-in-law Elwin, Lorne, Lavene, Ford and Garth and sistersin-law: Doris, Joyce, June and Eunice (Ford). He leaves to mourn his passing brother-in-law Burt (Anne) and sisters-in-law Ruth (Garth) and Lois (Laverne.)

The funeral service was conducted at time of interment at the Blyth Union Cemetery on June 5 at 1 p.m. with Rev. Alex Jebson officiating. As an expression of sympathy, memorial donations to the Blyth United Church or the Huron County Library in Blyth would be appreciated by the family. Messages of condolence for the van Vliet family may be forwarded to falconerfuneralhomes.com.

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!

Farmers check off items on springtime to-do lists

By Jo-Ann McDonald Call

We had another good week of weather for the farmers. Many farmers are still planting soys and white beans. We have many who have moved onto cutting hay and putting in silage, spreading manure and spraying the wheat. There is always lots to do in the spring!

The Walton Hall has been made beautiful with the flowerbeds redone. Our Good Samaritan and gardener Paul Humphries has been working there this week. He planted a rose bush for the family, in memory of his mom, Marjory Humphries. She was a member of the Walton Women’s Institute for many years and was active in keeping the hall up to date. We thank the family for the addition to the flower bed and await the first blooms of the rose.

The Walton Ball Park has started playing host to games with the Brewers and the ladies slo-pitch league having games. On Tuesday and Thursday nights, there are usually games going on, so, stop by

And the award goes to...

After performing as part of Clinton’s Spring Fair on Saturday, Mildmay’s Owen Riegling clinched Male Artist of the Year and Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the Country Music Association of Ontario Awards in Mississauga on June 2. (Scott Stephenson photo)

and cheer on the Walton teams.

The plans are in progress for a fundraising barbecue for the Walton Brewers team that is heading to Surrey, British Columbia to participate in the International Softball Congress World Tournament this August. The Brewers won the opportunity to go by winning the Ontario Challenge Cup, played in Chepstow last September. To help cover expenses, the Walton Ball Park and Hall Board committee and members of the team are hosting a smoked pork chop barbecue on July 7 at the hall. It is drive-through or eat-in at the hall.

We have to revisit a story from last week and make apologies to the newlyweds Emily and Brian Brophy. They were married on Emily’s parents’ farm of Tim and Donna Prior last Saturday. A mixup in the Brophy names by me should have said, the parents of the groom are Bill and Vickie Brophy. My apologies to all and my congratulations to Emily and Brian!

There were many folks at the soft opening of the addition of the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre last week. The contributors who made the project possible toured the facility and listened to a few words by the Inspiring Our Future Committee Co-Chair Doug McArter. The donor wall is very nicely done and the signage for the areas really stands out for all to see. They also had the old memorial board from the 1977 opening of the arena redone and it is hanging in the old foyer and looks great. The facility is very spacious and bright and we should enjoy it for many years to come. Former facility manager Abi Corbett was presented with a small gift. Her retirement has been tough on her, as she suffered a fall (prior to that night) and has hurt her wrist. It was a busy weekend at our home with Rick busy in the field and our three grandchildren from New Hamburg here for a visit. We had them at the Legion for supper

Policy held up by semantics

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen

As Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh (ACW) Council continues to work its way towards a set of service standards for dealing with members of the public, they’ve found that settling on the specific wording of the proposed policy has been a tricky process.

There has been much said about the contentious use of the word “customer” when referring to the people of ACW, but alternative terms have also been found lacking. This policy hopes to achieve several things that will benefit residents, including an increase in satisfaction with customer service, an improved effectiveness in addressing queries, and more timely and effective resolution of complaints.

It is also intended to create a formal complaint policy, and provide guidelines to council and staff as to how they should handle the recent increase in unruly behaviour from complainants, both in and out of chambers.

In the public comment section of Tuesday’s meeting, ACW resident Paul Bollinger spoke up about his displeasure at being referred to as a customer. “We are not customers,”

he said. “We are people. We generate a lot of income through property taxes to the municipality... I’d like to ask council today to get away from this ‘customer’ name - I hate that.”

Member of the public Anita Frayne also addressed the use of "customer” during public comment, suggesting that it be replaced with “resident/visitor” or “member of the public”. Frayne stated, “The term ‘customer’ suggests that residents and visitors could potentially take their business elsewhere if they choose to. That’s not the case when it comes to paying taxes, applying for severances or zoning variations, or involvement in other municipal obligations or services.”

When it came time for council to discuss the issue, Mayor Glen McNeil suggested that the comments made during the public forum were an indication that the policy should go back to staff for adjustment. Councillor Evan Hickey agreed with the idea, recommending that both “customer” and “complaint” be excised.

Councillor Jennifer Miltenberg defended the use of the term customer, citing several dictionary definitions to back up her argument.

and then they went to the Clinton Spring Fair demolition derby with Aunt Alicia and cousins. On Saturday morning, it was up and at it and into Brussels to watch cousins Nate and Wes play ball. Before Wes was done, we were off to Michell for ball hockey for them. There were games at 11 a.m. and then 2 and 3 p.m. with lunch after the first game. We were home again for supper and then into Brussels to watch Uncle Scott play ball. On Sunday morning it was sleep-in time and, after lunch, they had a playdate with McDonald cousins and then mom and dad came for supper and to take them home. A busy weekend for grandma! It will be a little different at Foodland starting Monday. Julie Jutzi has retired from being the fulltime bakery manager after 35 years. She was always the bright-andearly girl into the store and had fresh baking ready for opening. The owners and workers gave her flowers and cupcakes to share with customers on Friday. Julie was always helpful and accommodating when I would forget to order rollspleasant and with a smile. She was a great worker and we are lucky we will still see her. She will still be there, but with reduced hours at a different position. We hope she enjoys the new task ahead and is still able to see her many friends and customers. Thanks for your years of delicious service and Good luck and congrats to Julie!

Congratulations to Chris and Candace Riley on the birth of a son they are calling Tanner. He will be welcomed home by big sisters Evlyn and Emmalee. Happy grandparents are Jayne Ross and Keith White and Eric and Deb Ross. Candace has suffered some complications and was in hospital several days, but is now out and baby Tanner is doing very well. I was lucky to bump into the

Dennis family in Seaforth one day last week. Peggy and Olene were in the store when I was and when I asked about Murray, they said he was waiting in the car. While they continued on with some errands, I sat and had a visit with Murray. He is doing very well and walks everyday around the yard in good weather and up and down the house hall in bad weather to keep his legs limber. Murray will be 95 in the fall and his mind is as sharp as ever. We chatted about his family and farming and my family and had a great visit. Nice to see you Dennis family!

Celebrating birthdays this past week were our June 1 babies - Scott Henderson, Neil McGavin and Kyle Pryce - followed by Patricia Andrades, Ernie Lewington, Bo Gordon, Shelley Coleman, Scott Dalton, Jillian Houston Csoff, Amanda McClure, Sarah Tipple, Jacob McGavin, Sharon Stephenson, Kennedy Strong, MacKenzie Strong and Ashley Williamson. Happy birthday to all.

“A ‘customer’ is a person or organization that buys goods or services from a store or business. The ‘customers’ here do use services, even if they don’t pay property taxes. They use garbage pick-up, they have police, they have fire, just to name the top three. So they are ‘customers’... until the dictionary changes the definition, ‘customer’ is correct.”

Deputy-Mayor Bill Vanstone advocated for the word “ratepayer”. “These are ratepayers. They live in this community, and this is where their tax dollars go.” Miltenberg took issue with the limitations of the suggested word.

“The problem that I have with the word ratepayers is that it does not encompass all the people that come through the door. What if they are renters?” Vanstone rebutted that, if they are renters, they are renting from a ratepayer.” Miltenberg sought to strike a compromise, suggesting both customer and ratepayer be set aside in favour of Frayne’s suggestion of member of the public. “We can’t use ‘ratepayer,’” she asserted. “It excludes people that might walk through the door.”

The proposed policy is being sent back to staff for further consideration.

The chimes of time

Glimpses

Inner workings

Doug Conley, a local member of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, is seen here among the internal workings of the Wingham clock tower, right, winding it diligently every week and making repairs (and building parts to facilitate those repairs) to the historic timepiece when the need arose. (Photos courtesy of Doug Conley)

Just as Toronto has the iconic CN Tower to identify its cityscape, so too does Wingham with the stately twin sentinels that guard its main street. Quite visible from the southern approach to town are the bell tower of the Town Hall and the clock tower of the old post office.

Until 1861, the earliest settlers had to travel west to Zetland to receive their mail. At that time, Wingham’s first postmaster, Edward Farley, located a post office in his store.

For the next almost half century, the post office’s location moved around in Lower Town and in Wingham until 1904, when the Dominion Government paid

$30,800 to have a red brick twostorey building, with an offset tower, erected at 273 Josephine Street. The structure was completed in 1907 with postmaster, Peter Fisher and his family living on the top floor. However, the building just didn’t seem to be complete until a clock could be installed in the tower that was located on the south of the main building.

Dr. Chisholm, the Member of Parliament for East Huron, secured a clock from the W. F. Evans and Sons Soho Clock Company in Birmingham, England. When the clock arrived, it was found that the tower needed to be higher than it

weight. The running weight, that of 150 pounds, powers the time sequence and the striking weight of 350 pounds controls the 25-pound gong, which strikes the 800-pound brass, copper and zinc bell which is housed one floor below the controls.

Each second of the day is marked by visible movement of the working mechanism. To make the clock run and keep time, the cables for the weights must be wound up weekly. It takes 20 minutes a week just to wind the cables back up. The movement of the clock is regulated by a 50-pound pendulum. Then, as the clock mechanism ticks away and the hourly chime sounds, the weights gradually descend once again in their shafts, located in the corners of the tower. Slim rods extend from the central workings of the clock to each dial face to move the hands, thus telling the time. These faces are five feet, six inches (165 centimetres) in diameter and the hands are likewise large with the hour hands being two feet long (60 centimetres) and the minute hands measuring two feet, eight inches (80 centimetres) in length.

Through the years, many volunteers have climbed two flights of stairs and two ladders to access the unlit, unheated tower. The Jan. 17, 1979 edition of the Wingham Advance-Times highlights the efforts of volunteer Doug Foxton and town employee, Gordon Carter, to maintain the clock. Because 1979 was Wingham’s Centennial year, extra effort was made to have the clock once again chiming out the hours and keeping track of the time after a period of inactivity.

Again, in 2001, when North Huron was amalgamated from the municipalities of Blyth, East Wawanosh and Wingham, council members thought it would be fitting to have the clock running once again to mark the occasion. In 2002, Doug Conley, a local member of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, was approached to take on the task, one that he diligently undertook for over

20 years. During that time, he crafted replacement parts for worn or damaged ones and solved the problem of the striking cable needing 45 feet of drop to run for a week by installing a pulley in the 30 feet available, thus extending the time needed to rewinding the cable from four days to a week, matching the winding time of the running cable.

As can be imagined, parts for a clock of its era are difficult to find. Because the town clock in Listowel is the same model as the one in Wingham, it has been handy at times to compare the two to figure out how to make a new part for one that has become worn or broken.

Over time, there have been problems with the clock that have silenced it. One such incident involved the striking weight plunging down to the bottom of its tower causing the crank handle to fly off, narrowly missing a volunteer and then breaking through the north face dial. Another problem was that vandals threw snowballs through the Josephine Street side dial, causing it to break. On another occasion, high winds blew out a clock face. The dial face covers have since been replaced by two sheets of plexiglass ingeniously fitted to once again protect the clock and its working parts.

The clock marks the hours, day and night, by striking the appropriate number of chimes in a way that has been described as a melodious addition to Wingham’s downtown. Much appreciation to Doug Conley for information on the town clock.

was and H. J. Deyell was commissioned to rebuild the tower several feet taller. This was accomplished by removing the top of the tower and placing it on the flat part of the building’s roof. The tower was then built up enough in height to accommodate the new clock. After the top of the tower was replaced, local jeweller, A. M. Knox, installed it in 1914. The clock consists of a working mechanism that is housed in a frame in the centre of the top floor of the tower. This mechanism is powered by gravity. There are two cables attached to the central working system and on each cable is a

How are these “communityminded” people going to solve our issues if they can’t even be considerate to the people and businesses in our community?

Dana Weber.

THE EDITOR,

Was the “Thrive” conference really focused on positive change?

I am writing this letter to express my frustration with a conference that was held at Blyth Memorial Hall on May 1415. This was put on by the Huron County Economic Development Department.

During their two-day event, people met to discuss the challenges facing our small towns and businesses. Yet, those same “community-minded” people chose to park in front of every business (all day, for two days), including our post office and pharmacy. The local people who support our businesses and want to do their business in Blyth couldn’t get near us!

As a business owner on the main street of Blyth for almost 21 years, this is an ongoing issue. However, the disappointment from this particular event is a slap in the face.

THE EDITOR,

As a 71-year-old retired senior citizen who has lived in Ontario all my life, I had the privilege of visiting Windsor many times over the years, as I had a cousin who lived there and worked in the automotive industry.

The automotive industry is the lifeblood of Canada’s manufacturing sector, accounting for much of our wealth and many thousands of jobs. The workers in this industry are the very heart and soul of our manufacturing. It’s the same in the United States.

But, thanks to Chinese imports, our domestic manufacturing economy is scraping the bottom of the barrel. We’ve been here before, but this time we are face down in the mud in a dark hole. Collectively, we need to decide whether it is worth it to clean ourselves up and start the slow climb out, or to just give up. Personally, I believe the struggle to be worth it.

We need to ban the import of Chinese-made vehicles, vehicle parts and tires in both Canada and the United States. We cannot afford to have China dominate and

steamroll our domestic automotive industry. Enough is enough. We are already foolishly far too dependent on Chinese-made products, to the detriment of our own domestic North American manufacturing, which the Chinese government then leverages.

I am proud of the dedicated workers in this valuable industry, We need to do the best we can to protect their employment and the factories of the many investors in our automotive industry, So, let’s contact our unions and elected representatives and tell them “no” to importing Chinese-manufactured vehicles, vehicle parts and tires into Canada and “no” to Chinese assembly plants here.

We need to be manufacturing self-reliant and kickstart our economy back to life. Plus, we are the “True North”, strong and free. Let’s keep it that way. Michael Loker.

THE EDITOR,

Your excerpt from the Ontario government’s “Sunshine List” was quite revealing, especially in reference to the County of Huron salaries of over $100,000, with the Chief Administrative Officer at $220,000 per year and other department heads scurrying not far behind.

Also revealing is the fact that in

the United States, a member of the Federal Cabinet can make no more than a Congressman.

At present, the Secretary of Defence in the Biden administration, General Lloyd Austin, makes $235,000 a year administering an annual budget of $847 billion. Let’s go over that again. Salary of $220,000 looking after $100 million and a salary of $235,000 for looking after $847 billion. Do we have to go over that comparison again?

This is quite a dichotomy, to use a

$100 word. Any cheaper word, under the circumstances, would be lacking in the county’s elevated, perhaps inflated, thinking and priceless discourse.

A county taxpayer might innocently ask, “Was county council smoking weed when they approved these platinum-plated salaries, given the bureaucratic recipients’ relatively puny responsibilities when compared to those of the American Defence Secretary?

Peter Sturdy.

Faster, higher, stronger

Late last month, Hullett Central Public School students took to the track, as well as the field, for their annual track and field meet. Left, Rileigh Cox took part in the shot put, while Emma Howson, right, gave it her all in the running long jump. (Scott Stephenson photos)

Mitchell performs at church

On Sunday, May 26, Thomas Keith Van Miltenburg took the first step in his faith journey when his parents, Emily Allen and Jeff Van Miltenburg, presented him at Londesborough United Church for baptism. Assisting Rev. Aylward with the sacrament were Robert Hunking, representing the Londesborough congregation, and Kim Roetsicoender on behalf of the United Church Women (UCW). There were many family members present that morning to witness the event. Thomas, dressed in a lovely christening gown, was unperturbed by the significance of the whole affair and slept through it all.

Rev. Aylward’s scripture passage for Trinity Sunday was Matt. 7: 2129. That passage offered guidelines for living the best life one can live, built on the rock that is God of hope, care and love. The senior choir sang the hymn, “Water Flowing from the Mountain” as their anthem.

Licensed Lay Worship Leader Sue Barnett led the morning worship at Londesborough United Church on Sunday, June 2. Psalm 139 was the responsive Psalm. In the verses from the Gospel of Mark 2: 23 - 3:6, Jesus is rebuked by the Pharisees for not observing the laws of the Sabbath. Sue cautioned against administering justice. Instead she noted that God asks that

we celebrate with others in joy, compassion and love. and showing mercy.

Mark Mitchell offered two songs from the play Where Do We Go from Here? , which is currently being presented at St. Joseph’s Kingsbridge Community Centre.

Mark is one of the cast members of the play. Mark sang “The Life of a Farmer” and “Back Home” with permission from the composers, Warren and Eleanor Robinson. The choir sang back-up for his second number.

Choir director Barb Bosman will be looking for persons to be in a ladies’ chorus on June 16, Father’s Day, a twinning of the men’s chorus on Mother’s Day.

The UCW will meet on June 17 at 7 p.m. The group presenting the program that evening is offering a twinning with last month’s program. For June, the ladies are asked to bring along a picture of their father.

The comedy that is Donald Trump continues to play out in the country to our south. If I wasn’t so

worried about how it may affect our own country eventually, I would dismiss it as a farce and a waste of air time and newsprint. Why would any citizen waste their hard-earned money, to the tune of $59 million, contributing to his campaign? This man claims to have a personal fortune and was found guilty of fraud and felony.

Hidden on the back page of section one of Saturday’s Toronto Star was a ridiculous item out of North Korea. Leader Kim Jong Un is dialing up tensions with South Korea ahead of the U.S. election to help former President Trump return to the White House.

Currently, Kim’s government is floating hundreds of huge balloons into South Korea. The balloons are filled with trash; manure, cigarette butts, scraps of cloth, old batteries, diapers, etc. More and other provocations will likely be launched in the coming months.

The word childish comes to mind, not for the first time in recent weeks of justice in the U.S.

U21 Legends win

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

While the Londesborough Legends U13 Girls and U21 teams had been scheduled to be part of Mitchell’s annual Fastball Fest tournament last weekend, the rain never let up and the tournaments were cancelled.

On Monday night, the U13 Girls team was on the road to play the Mitchell Hornets Gloor team and won by a score of 20-3. Also that night, the U21 team was in Wilmot to play the Thunder and won by a score of 21-5 and the U31 Boys hosted the Twin Centre BB team, but a score for that game was unavailable at press time.

On May 30, the U9 team was scheduled to play Elma AA in Atwood, the U13 Boys were supposed to play Wilmot 33, also on the road, and the U21 team was due to host the Fullarton A’s, but those games were cancelled due to the rain.

On May 29, the U11 team was scheduled to play Shakespeare on the road and the U13 Boys were set to play Fullarton, also on the road, but scores for those games were unavailable at press time. The previous night, the U9 team welcomed Elma BB to Londesborough and won by a score of 2-1.

Looking ahead, the U13 Girls are scheduled to play the Elma Express 1 team on the road on June 10 and the U13 Boys will host the Wilmot 33 team.

There are three games on the schedule for June 11. The U7 Purple team will play Benmiller on the road, the U9 team will play the Sebringville 22 team at home and the U13 Boys team will play the Twin Centre AA team on the road.

The next night, the U9 team will play Elma BB in Atwood, the U11 team will host Elma BB and the U13 Girls will welcome the Listowel Legends Snider team to Londesborough.

On June 13, the U7 Yellow team will host the Wingham 2 team and the U21 team will play the Listowel Legends, also in Londesborough.

Then, on Saturday, the Seaforth Wolverines will be hosting a full day of baseball at the Seaforth and

District Optimist Park with 10 games on the schedule. Londesborough Legends teams will play in four of them. The U7 Purple, U9 , U11 and U13 Boys teams will all play their counterparts from Seaforth that day. On June 4, the U7 Yellow team travelled to Benmiller and the U9 team hosted Seaforth. The next night, the U11 team played Elma AA in Atwood and the U13 Girls played the Clinton Mustangs at home and, the next night, the U7 Purple team welcomed Ethel to Londesborough, but scores for those games were unavailable at press time.

For more information or a full schedule for the Legends, visit londesborominorball.com.