The Citizen - March 18, 2021

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• Editorials • Obituaries • Mental Health • Agriculture

The

THIS WEEK

Citizen

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Thursday, March 18, 2021

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Volume 37 No. 11

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Vaccine window expands

By Denny Scott The Citizen

Coming in hot Soccer was on the slate of activities last week at Hullett Central Public School, as the weather had warmed after weeks of frigid conditions and relentless snowfall. Now the cold temperatures are back, but the ground is clear of

snow, for the most part. Here, Hudson Greydanus, left, tried to put his foot into this ball, while Markus Heinrich gets handsy in trying to block it. Whether a red card awaited him for a handball or not, we’ll never know. (Denny Scott photo)

Central Huron moving ahead with budget

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen The 2021 Central Huron budget is moving ahead with a proposed three per cent increase to its municipal tax levy. The total draft levy is just over $7.7 million and the proposed increase represents an injection of an additional $330,458 into the budget.

When all three budgets (municipal, Huron County, school board) budgets are factored in, Central Huron’s proposed budget equates to a 1.81 per cent tax rate increase for Central Huron residents.

That is an increase of $22.36 per $100,0000 of residential property assessment.

Treasurer Jeff Boyes presented his first draft of the 2021 consolidated municipal budget at a special budget meeting held on March 9. He also took the opportunity to detail Central Huron’s general operating levy of over $6.6 million, which is nearly $1.8 million higher than it was in 2020.

Boyes is also proposing taking more out of Central Huron’s

reserves than the municipality is putting back. In 2021, Boyes recommends transferring just over $1.5 million to reserves, while taking just under $2 million back out.

The municipality is entering the year with a surplus of over $1.6 million, though taxation revenue left the municipality with a small deficit of $43,700.

Boyes also detailed a number of effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the municipality, including lost revenue at municipal facilities of just under $175,000, an increase in YMCA costs of over $82,000 and lost casino and gaming revenue of over $200,000. The municipality has, however, received a Safe Restart grant of $52,000 and COVID-19 Recovery grant funding of over $77,000.

He added that, because it has been so difficult to tabulate, he is unsure of exactly how much the municipality has saved as a result of the pandemic, so he couldn’t provide a fair comparison between the gains and losses the municipality

has experienced due to the pandemic.

Some of the large operating increases for the year include a 1.5 per cent increase to salaries, which results in an additional $42,020 needed in the budget. The municipal drains budget will see an increase of over $162,000, insurance will increase by nearly $79,000 and Albert Street communication costs will cost $36,500. This is all in addition to a decrease of nearly $410,000 in grant funding and a decrease in the municipality’s surplus of just under $520,000.

Boyes also detailed the rise in levy requirements in the coming years, saying levy requirements in 2022 and 2023 are estimated to be nearly $8 million, which is over $210,000 greater than the requirements in this year’s proposed budget and considered one-time adjustments that have been made to the 2021 budget that are unlikely to continue.

Though no one can know for sure, Boyes also told council the budget is planning for a return to prepandemic revenue levels for

recreation facilities, casino and gaming revenue and the YMCA at the Central Huron Community Complex.

Within the proposed reserve transfers, Boyes is recommending that nearly $370,000 be put away in the municipality’s roads reserve to repave Hullett-McKillop Road.

However, with several councillors critical of the shape that road is in, they would eventually recommend putting away more money for the project in the coming years.

Specifically, council identified $231,042 for a base coat on Tipperary Line as something that could wait in lieu of redirecting those funds to Hullett-McKillop Road.

Council didn’t make an official decision on that change, but asked Boyes to return to the next budget meeting with some options to consider.

Boyes also detailed over $5.5 million in capital expenses that will be carried into 2021 because the money wasn’t spent last year. The Continued on page 20

Huron and Perth Counties have their second presumptive positive variant of concern (VOC) COVID19 cases though confirmation of the cases may not come.

During a Huron Perth Public Health press conference on Monday, Medical Officer of Health Dr. Miriam Klassen said the cases are identified by a test for a marker with a low chance of false positives, however the genomic sequencing needed to confirm a presumptive VOC can take up to two weeks. She said the province is no longer researching every possible VOC case, but HPPH is treating each case as if it were, employing enhanced screening and contact tracing measures.

Klassen said that as Ontario’s percentage of cases that have VOCs or mutations continues to increase, it’s important that people follow the rules set out. She said she had noticed people ignoring some rules and wants to reinforce that the public needs to stay the course to weather the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said people are allowed more freedom under the Yellow level of the province’s framework that Huron and Perth Counties are in, but people need to continue to wear masks and stay physically distanced.

Klassen also provided an update on vaccines, saying there are now numerous groups who are eligible to receive the vaccine that weren’t able to before. The list includes adults 16 years of age and older who are chronic home care recipients and frontline healthcare workers in specific outpatient and ambulatory areas such as: • Primary care, including walk-in clinics, community health centres and nurse-practitioner-led clinics • Adult day programs for seniors • Community-based specialty clinics, including medical and surgical specialties • Death-investigation professionals • Dentistry • Gynecology/obstetrics, midwifery and birth centres • Contract nursing agencies • Pharmacies • Assisted living, group homes, residential facilities, supportive housing • Correctional settings • Hospices and palliative care settings • Shelters • Laboratory services.

Klassen also spoke to the province Continued on page 3

PAGE 2. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021.

Council takes steps to sell NH airport

By Denny Scott The Citizen

Despite some concerns that North Huron Council was putting the cart before the horse, council members has voted to proceed with a plan to sell the Richard W. LeVan Airport plus 15 additional acres of land.

During Monday night’s meeting, members discussed a proposed motion that would see the 77-acre airport property, alongside an additional 15 acres, declared surplus to the municipality’s needs. The declaration would allow North Huron to proceed with selling the lot. The additional farmland around the airport, which spans nearly 400 acres and is also owned by North Huron, wasn’t part of the discussion, however council members remarked if someone wanted to buy all of it, the township would entertain offers.

Some councillors, however, felt council should wait until a severance was approved for the 92 total acres of land before pursuing selling the property. Councillor Anita van Hittersum was the lone vote against the move, simply saying council needed to make sure the severance was approved first.

The motion called for staff to negotiate terms and conditions of potential offers and to utilize the assistance of a professional agency to get the best sale price for council.

That information was set to be brought back to council at a future council meeting.

While van Hittersum voted against the move, Councillor Chris Palmer shared her concerns, though he didn’t vote the same way.

He questioned whether the municipality would need permission from Morris-Turnberry before moving ahead with the severance to allow the purchase.

Reeve Bernie Bailey felt it wasn't necessary, saying that North Huron is just another property owner that pays taxes to Morris-Turnberry for the land. He said he had hoped to “swap the land” or adjust the border so the farmland and the airport would be added to North Huron, but said Morris-Turnberry wasn't in favour of the move. The change, he said, would have been accepted in lieu of costs for the water and sewer infrastructure that North Huron uses

to provide services to MorrisTurnberry ratepayers.

Bailey also stated the move was a necessary one as Morris-Turnberry Council had declined to provide air space protection around the airport, meaning that neighbouring property owners could erect silos directly in the approach vectors for aircraft using the site.

“No one in North Huron uses the airport,” Bailey said. “There is a whole field of reasons we should be unloading it.”

Director of Public Works and Facilities Jamie McCarthy somewhat backed up those claims, saying there were a total of four uses of the airport, outside of Apex Helicopters, which operates a business at the site.

While most of council was ready to sell the property, Deputy-Reeve Trevor Seip was against a recommended $6,000 study prior to the sale of the property. He said the property has been the focus of enough studies over the years that the township should just be able to hand those reports to a potential buyer and encourage them to look through them.

Palmer, however, wasn’t convinced, saying he “wasn’t satisfied yet” with the information presented.

“Technically, anyone can wish to sever anything they want,” he said, speaking about the severance process property owners use to divide lands into separate properties.

“You still need permission from [the host] township. I’m trying to protect us and alert us to the fact we have this issue.”

Despite his concerns, Palmer did vote in favour of the motion.

According to the recommended motion, staff will also prepare a report for council’s consideration regarding the future of the farmland the municipality owns around the airport.

During council’s Monday night meeting, council also approved a motion to have a woodlot management plan for a portion of the airport property created and implemented by G.W.G. Resource Services. The funds from the woodlot harvest are to be added to the airport reserves, according to council’s motion.

Seeking high ground Recent rain and snow melt situations have caused rivers and streams across the area to break their banks, resulting in scenes like the one local photographer Liz Allan captured above. See your photos in print by sending them to reporter@northhuron.on.ca. (Photo courtesy of Liz Allan of the Maitland Valley Camera Club)

A harmless coffee break can do more harm than you think.

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Paid for by the Government of Ontario

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021. PAGE 3.

Bailey says M-T called for non-resident fees

By Denny Scott The Citizen Despie concerns regarding North Huron’s non-resident fees, Reeve

Bernie Bailey wants to hold the course, saying other councils have forced the issue.

During Monday night’s North Huron Council meeting, a letter

from Dixie Lee Arbuckle, a MorrisTurnberry resident, said the 25 per cent non-resident user fees North Huron has recently started charging on soft services like childcare,

Back at it There’s seldom a recess that goes by that students at Hullett Central Public School aren’t playing soccer, even in the dead of winter. However, the icy sheen on the snow earlier this month dissuaded a few games. Students were back at it as soon as the ground was clear.

Shown playing are, from left, Clay Hoggart, Linc Bolinger and Rodney Ansley. (Denny Scott photo)

Klassen addresses clotting issue Continued from page 1 launching a service to book vaccinations, which Huron and Perth County residents will not use as HPPH has its own system. She explained HPPH decided to stay with its own for several reasons, the first of which was it launched prior to the provincial one. “[The provincial system] wasn’t ready quick enough,” she said.

“We’ve been booking appointments [for patients] over the age of 80 for some weeks now.”

She said the provincial system also doesn’t allow flexibility, saying if HPPH completes all the vaccination appointments for those 80 years of age and older and wants to move on to people 75-80 years old, it couldn’t be done under the provincial system.

Finally, she said other health units have reported the provincial system is being overwhelmed, whereas the HPPH’s system is a local solution that Klassen said likely wouldn’t crash due to use.

Klassen also responded to a question about clotting issues potentially associated with an AstraZeneca vaccine, saying it shouldn’t be a concern for Huron and Perth residents for several reasons.

She said the decision to use the vaccine happens at the federal level, and that’s only after the vaccine’s producer has demonstrated the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.

Furthermore, she said she was under the impression there are two different manufacturers of the AstraZeneca vaccine: one in India which is where Canada’s doses are coming from and another that is providing the areas in Europe where concern is being raised regarding clotting issues.

She also mentioned that, when

vaccinating millions of people, there is the chance that these clotting cases would have happened regardless of the vaccine, however due to the high level of monitoring going on, every issue needs to be considered.

“So far, the cases of blood clotting seem to be coincidental and not causal,” she said.

For more information or to book a vaccine appointment, visit www.hpph.ca/booking or call 1-833753-2098. Klassen said assistance and transportation can be set up through Community Support Services Network as well by calling 1-844-482-7800.

As far as local cases go, there are currently 1,386 confirmed COVID19 cases in Huron and Perth Counties since the pandemic began, up 22 from last Monday. There are also 22 active cases as of Monday.

In Huron County, new cases were reported in Bluewater, bringing its cumulative total number of cases to 34, up one from last week; Central Huron, where one new cases brought its total to 52; Huron East, where three cases were reported for a total of 101 cases and South Huron, where one new case brought the municipality’s total to 101.

Other Huron County municipalities remained at their cumulative case counts from last week, including North Huron (46), Morris-Turnberry (45), Howick (35), Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh (23) and Goderich (19).

In Perth County, Stratford saw 15 new cases over the past week, bringing it to a cumulative total of 344 cases. Perth South saw one new case, bringing its cumulative total to 38.

North Perth (34), Perth East (138), St. Marys (32) and West Perth (30) remained at the same cumulative

case counts as last week.

Active cases in Huron County can be found in South Huron, which has two, and Bluewater, Central Huron and Huron East which each have one case.

In Perth County, Stratford has 16 active cases, while North Perth and Perth South each have one.

One workplace outbreak has been declared in the past week, though no further information was provided on that situation.

There are currently no active advisories from the Avon-Maitland District School Board and two active cases in the Huron Perth Catholic District School Board, neither of which have resulted in outbreaks, class closures or school closures.

Both cases were posted on March 3.

One involves a student at St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School while the other involves a student from St. Michael Catholic Secondary School.

Both schools are located in Stratford.

There are currently 136 people in isolation across the counties, with 3,914 total isolation orders being issued since Aug. 13, 2020, when that information began to be reported.

There are currently three people hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Huron and Perth Counties, with 55 total people having been hospitalized in the counties since the pandemic began.

Outbreak-related exposure continues to be the most likely way people in Huron and Perth Counties are being exposed to COVID-19 with 29.7 per cent of cases being tied to it. Household contact accounts for 26.7 per cent, close contact 16.9 per cent and travel at 1.2 per cent. With 25.5 per cent of cases, unknown exposures continue to make up onequarter of cases.

facility use and recreational programming would have a detrimental impact on North Huron communities.

The letter states that the move “is not only unfair, it’s short-sighted and smacks of pettiness and vindictiveness.”

Arbuckle says that she is a member of the North Huron Wescast Community Complex and has formed relationships with numerous people through both pool and fitness classes. She said those people come from areas outside of North Huron including the east side of Belgrave, Teeswater, Brussels, Howick and Listowel.

“I imagine many of them will not renew their memberships,” she said, citing the 25 per cent non-resident user fees. “Council doesn’t seem to understand, or care, that there are lots of other recreation and fitness opportunities available, both inperson and online. This surcharge could very well result in a net loss, not an increase in revenue.”

She said she’s considering travelling to Kincardine or Goderich for fitness opportunities, which means she will likely shop in those communities as well. Arbuckle noted the surcharges could have a “ripple effect” impacting local businesses.

Finally, she said she volunteers with groups in Wingham and Blyth and will reconsider those commitments as well, saying she questions contributing her time, energy and finances to a municipality that penalizes her for living outside its borders.

The letter was part of council’s consent agenda, meaning it could have been received alongside a number of other reports without comment, however Councillor Chris

Palmer felt the issue needed to be discussed. He asked how much input was needed before council considered the policy.

Bailey, however, said the issue wasn’t with North Huron but with Morris-Turnberry, saying MorrisTurnberry’s Chief Administrative Officer Trevor Hallam has said his council would prefer a user-pay system.

“They, not us, say users should pay,” Bailey said. “Let’s get that straight. We have it in writing.”

Deputy-Reeve Trevor Seip took a less confrontational approach, saying that, if council received information that supported changing the policy, council could review the issue.

“At this point, I’m not seeing any councillor requesting reconsideration,” he said.

Council took no action as a result of the letter or subsequent discussion.

BELGRAVE COMMUNITY CENTRE invites

NOMINATIONS for the

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

It will soften a stone!

(Thomas Watson, “The Mischief of Sin”) “The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin!” 1 John 1:7 Christ’s blood is a SOFTENING blood.

There is nothing so hard, that it cannot be softened by this blood. It will soften a stone!

Water will soften the earth — but it will not soften a stone; but Christ’s blood mollifies a stone. It softens a heart of stone. It turns a flint into a spring. The heart, which before was like a piece hewn out of a rock, being steeped in Christ’s blood — becomes soft, and the waters of repentance flow from it.

“They will look on Me whom they have pierced and mourn for Him as for an only son.

They will grieve bitterly for Him as for a firstborn son who has died.” Zechariah 12:10 How was the jailer’s heart dissolved and made tender when the blood of sprinkling was upon it! “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Acts 16:30. His heart was now like melting wax. God might now set whatever seal and impression He desired, upon it.

“I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart.” Ezekiel 36:26 A Grace Gem Submitted by: Immanuel United Reformed Church, Listowel, ON 519-492-1359

PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021.

Editorials & Opinions

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Is it time to move on?

Watching the royal family drama play itself out over the past couple of weeks is a bit like watching the final few episodes of a reality television show. With the alliances forming and secrets rolling out, the sideshow could have been hosted by Jeff Probst (of Survivor fame) instead of Oprah Winfrey. These current generations of the royal family are slipping into the trope of celebrities famous for being famous.

The print and television reporters who chased and hounded Princess Diana are now joined by throngs of social media users, each with an opinion and the ability to post it. The royals are a larger-than-life dysfunctional family destined to remain a media feeding frenzy.

With the monarch only a figurehead in the government of the commonwealth, perhaps it is time to rethink the relevance of the royal family as it relates to the public in modern times. The position itself is merely a symbol of the past, giving speeches and making public appearances and, although she is briefed on state matters, the Queen does not weigh in on political matters, nor is any final decision in her hands.

As the Queen slowly fades from public view in her senior years, the rest of the family has demonstrated little ability to give any leadership.

There is much history behind the throne that can be honoured through museums, artifacts, documentaries, literature, etc., without having the next King adorn our currency or provide the largely ceremonial royal assent for our laws. Surely our nation is grown up enough to safeguard its own rights, freedoms and democratic system of government. – DS

Priorities Premier Doug Ford’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has polarized Ontarians. Most but his most die-hard supporters, likely had to pick their jaws off the floor when they heard that help was there for the province’s long-term care homes, but rejected as being too expensive.

What came out during a commission on the impact of COVID-19 on the long-term care system in Ontario has been damning for Ford’s government. Infectious disease specialist and member of Ontario’s science advisory group Dr. Allison McGeer said a number of proposals were made and all were said to be “too expensive” by the Ministry of Health. McGeer was one of several doctors to testify before the commission and the group was clear that the province chose not to hire thousands of additional staff members, like Quebec had done.

Ontario’s long-term care system needs help. This was laid bare by an inquiry after the Elizabeth Wettlaufer murders, all of which occurred in long-term care settings, and the state of homes has again taken centre stage due to the pandemic. And yet, as medical professionals offered solutions that could save lives, they were seen as cost-prohibitive.

Politicians – from the Prime Minister down to local councillors – have to make tough decisions every day and some things have to suffer because there will never be enough money to go around. But when the age-old question is asked – How much is a human life worth? – this testimony will be a tough pill to swallow for those who lost loved ones, knowing that things could have been different if the provincial government had applied another set of priorities. – SL

On the inside looking in While it can be funny to look back at television shows and see what they thought of the future, it can also get a little unnerving when those predictions come true. Sometimes,when that happens, the laughs stop.

A recent situation in Canada has seen Admiral Art McDonald step down as Chief of Defence over misconduct accusations. This comes as his predecessor, Chief of Defence Staff General Jonathan Vance, has also been named in similar accusations. So, what show predicted this? Well none. Not in the way that, say, The Simpsons predicted the Donald Trump presidency, and the failure that resulted with unnerving accuracy.

The Simpsons did, however, see a future where heads of the U.S. Navy were all embroiled in scandals and thus unable to punish the series patriarch Homer for his misconduct as a result. Homer stands before a tribunal and each member excuses themselves for being investigated in some kind of scandal. The scene seems to be playing out in Canada.

While The Simpsons played the situation for a joke, no one should be laughing in Canada. Vance, who took the position in 2015, spent his time as Chief of Defence trying to confront sexual misconduct, only to find himself accused of the same act. At the same time, former military investigator Retired Sergeant Jesse Zillman is saying the investigation and prosecution of such cases need to be handled by a third party because the Armed Forces’ own system clearly isn’t working. He has told the media that commanding officers have interfered with the kinds of investigations that McDonald and Vance find themselves facing.

While everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty, it may be time to follow Zillman’s advice and deal with these issues outside the forces. After all, they protect us, we need to return the favour. – JDS

Looking Back Through the Years March 19, 1964 The Brussels PeeWee hockey team upset Atwood by a score of 5-1 to beat their opponents and win the league championship.

The Brussels men’s broomball team won the Peter Baker Memorial Trophy, coming out on top of the year-end tournament with a win over Belgrave, shutting out their neighbours by a score of 2-0.

March 13, 1974 McKillop Mutual marked its 97th year by reporting a profit of $19,000 at its annual general meeting.

At a meeting of the Huron-Perth unit of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association in Seaforth, Huron MPP Jack Riddell, a former teacher and Huron Board of Education trustee, said teachers should “improve their professional image” if they wanted to continue to receive the “respect and support” of the community. He said that while the teachers certainly had a right to strike, that should only be used as a last resort.

He told the nearly 100 teachers at the meeting that much of the public saw them as “overpaid and underworked” and they had to work to convince Ontarians that they should have the same rights as those “essential to the health and safety of society” even though they were not officially deemed “essential” by the provincial government.

March 13, 1996 Urban municipalities in Huron County, already facing a 25 per cent rebate loss on the portion of taxes they pay for the county road levy, were due to lose another five per cent in each of the next three years as a result of a decision by Huron County Council.

Huron County had traditionally rebated 40 per cent of that levy to

urban municipalities and while some members of council wanted to see the entire rebate cancelled in 1996, others favoured a phased-in change.

In a feature story in The Citizen, elected officials and public employees expressed their concern with the possibility of amalgamation down the road.

Blyth Councillor Doug Scrimgeour said he wasn’t thrilled with the idea of amalgamation, but felt it would be best to be prepared, saying that if towns, townships and villages didn’t have a plan, that the provincial government would make changes for them.

Brussels Clerk Donna White said that her feeling from a recent seminar was that bigger wasn’t always better. What she had heard at the seminar was that amalgamation wasn’t so much about municipal restructuring as it was about sharing services in order to further cut costs.

As local organizers of the 1999 International Plowing Match began working on the event, they heard from Jack Cummings, chair of the 1993 match in Bruce County. With plans firming up, over 30 committees would be working together to bring the match to life.

March 17, 2011 The debate over industrial wind turbines raged on at Huron East Council, with members of Huron East Against Turbines (HEAT) getting into a passionate discussion with councillors on a number of aspects of the ongoing situation.

Not only was the group requesting that council appoint someone to represent the municipality on the Inter-Municipal Turbine Working Group, but HEAT members were also curious about a letter sent to the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation. The letter

inquired as to whether proximity to an industrial wind turbine would affect property values, but council had not yet received a response.

Ball’s Bridge, a historic bridge that spans the border between Central Huron and AshfieldColborne-Wawanosh (ACW), would be receiving a heritage designation in the coming months.

ACW Reeve Ben Van Diepenbeek made the announcement, saying the bridge would be recognized for its heritage value, despite recently being denied a Trillium Grant.

Duff’s United Church in Walton would soon be releasing a centennial cookbook to mark its 100th anniversary. Work continued on compiling recipes for the book.

Huron East Council raised its annual grant contribution for the Brussels Agricultural Society as the organization was preparing to hold its 150th anniversary Brussels Fall Fair that September.

Huron-Bruce NDP representative Grant Robertson was honoured by the National Farmers’ Union with its Grassroots Award – given annually to a recipient from each region of Canada for their dedication to furthering the interests of farmers in their region and across the country.

Ellen Balmain decided to step down as the executive director of the United Way Perth-Huron after over 11 years, to pursue a job with the City of Stratford.

It was a good first year on its own for the Belgrave Community Centre Board, according to Bruce Higgins and Jonathan Van Camp.

Paul Thompson, theatre legend and familiar face to Blyth Festival patrons, would be awarded the Governor General’s Award for lifetime achievement in the arts.

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021. PAGE 5.

Other Views

Pandemic has taught us lessons

E

xperts tell us that there are some things that will never go back to pre-pandemic normal when the COVID-19 crisis finally ends. One of the changes is likely the death of the dream of automated education.

Back in 2019 B.C. (before COVID), Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government announced plans to require students to take a minimum of four elearning credits to graduate. While it was an experiment, you could almost see the wheels turning inside the heads of government officials.

In a province facing a soaring debt, education is the second biggest budget item and the biggest part of education’s price-tag is teachers’ salaries. In the private sector, when wages and salaries get too high, they’re reigned in either through off-shoring manufacturing or through technology. Since today’s students are the most tech-savvy in history, why not try technology? It would also centralize education, eventually leading to the replacement of local boards of education and, as a delicious side-effect, would give the Premier the upper hand in his long scuffle with teachers’ unions.

The pandemic, and the need to close schools to help limit the spread of the virus, sped up the experiment as students of all ages were forced to take classes online.

Certainly the ad lib nature of this hurried transition made it harder for remote education to be successful, but the warnings of critics about automated education have certainly been borne out.

For one thing, remote education has spotlighted the inequities in our society. Many families simply couldn’t afford computers or tablets. Schools and school boards often found ways to get their students computer devices,

Keith Roulston From the cluttered desk but there was still the problem of connecting to the internet. Many families couldn’t afford the monthly fee. Even if they could, the quality of connection matters. If there are several students in the household trying to take remote lessons at the same time, the system may freeze. And then there’s the many rural homes that have no access to high speed internet.

Even if the technical issues are overcome, there are still problems. In recent years students with special needs were integrated into regular classrooms. Initially, educational assistants (EAs) provided special assistance to them. As budgets tightened, however, the EAs disappeared and teachers and special needs students were left to fend for themselves. This is difficult in a classroom, but impossible in internet learning. “You can’t program separately,” a teacher explained to me.

While in the long term of online education it might not be a problem, during the recent emergency experiment teachers have often had to pause their lessons to show some of their students how to do things through their computers or tablets.

Concern for the different abilities of students to cope with distance learning has always been a criticism of those who opposed the plan, but even high-performing students have been experiencing problems. One bright

student I know complains of getting depressed when she can’t get help if there’s something she can’t understand. There’s no going up to the teacher after class to get clarification. Even students who regularly have high grades have seen their marks drop during remote learning.

Then there’s the problem of the exhaustion that comes from staring at a screen all day (something experienced by anyone who has meetings via Zoom). Often, the student said, you can think you’re concentrating but you realize after a while that you’ve drifted off and missed something.

And then, of course, there’s the break in social connections that has resulted from kids not being able to attend school with their friends. There’s more to learning than just assembling facts. Kids learn important socialization skills in the hallways and lunch rooms.

The dream of bringing “efficiency” to education ignores the need for person-toperson contact, whether among students and friends or between students and their teachers.

Humanity has been stripped out of many industrial processes, such as assembly lines in large meat processing plants or the conveyor belts of Amazon warehouses.

One thing we should have learned from the isolation enforced on us by the pandemic is that people need people. What is the point of efficiency if we miss out on the things that matter to us most?

Governments need to remember that, but then the rest of us need to be willing to pay the price for those human connections that matter so much, as we’ve been reminded. When we pressure governments for the lowest possible taxes so we can buy bigger cars or take vacations, there are other more important things we may be sacrificing.

Canadian cultural ‘misappropriation’ ast week The New York Times shared a “Nanaimo Bar” recipe on its Instagram account which got some Canadians, especially some west-coasters, a little hot under the collar, and justifiably so.

The post read as follows: “Canadians, this one's for you. Get the recipe for classic Nanaimo Bars…” however the image that accompanied it didn’t look like any Nanaimo Bar I’ve ever seen, and a lot of people shared the same concern.

The base layer was too thick, the custard was non-existent and the chocolate on the top looked way too thick. It was basically a little custard surrounded by way too much chocolate.

Why am I picking up on this? Is it because I love Nanaimo Bars? No. First, I don’t love them. I like them. They’re good. But I don’t love them and even if I did, I’m not physically fit enough to complain about food without looking just sad.

The reason that I’m focusing on it is because, as a proud Canadian, I’ve noticed a trend lately: people are appropriating our culture.

And while some people may say Canadians don’t have a culture, they’re wrong. We’re more than just polite versions of our southern neighbours. Canadians have their own food, their own cultural norms and, just ask Ontario comedian Russell Peters, our own accent. Oh, and music. We definitely have our own music.

We have a culture and it’s being borrowed from.

I’m not against that. Really. I think it’s great that people find out how good Nanaimo Bars (or Nanaimo-style Bars, if you’re a Corner Gas fan) are. I think we should share poutine with the world and no one does maple syrup quite as well as we do. It’s great to share what makes us unique with the world. Also we know how to make butter tarts.

L

Denny Scott Denny’s Den So why have I taken umbrage? Because it needs to be done right. I’m not against people enjoying Canadian culture, and even incorporating it into their own (poutine pizza anyone?), It has to be done right, though.

So The New York Times screwed up Nanaimo Bars, but where else have I seen this trend? Well, recently one of my editor Shawn Loughlin’s guilty pleasure television shows, The Bachelor, messed up poutine.

A contestant from Toronto introduced the titular character to Canadian traditions (and if you don’t know the premise, one guy chooses between dozens of women who want to get married… it’s really weird). As part of the experience, they sat down to a meal of Canadian food, including “poutine”, and while it had the ingredients, it certainly wasn’t appealing. Normally, the date would have happened in the contestant’s hometown of Toronto, but, due to COVID-19, the show’s creative team sought to recreate a Canadian experience, including the food and a one-on-one hockey game.

The contestant is from Toronto so maybe she bears some of the blame for not calling out the mistake, but The Bachelor really doubled down on angering Canadians by posting a Twitter survey asking which of four Canadian delicacies people would choose: Nanaimo Bars, Beaver Tails, peameal bacon or poutine.

The images that accompanied it were horrible

and none of them looked right, except the Beaver Tails, but only if you were squinting.

One very observant person said the poutine, which was made with chunks of dry-looking cheese curds and greying gravy, asked why the dish looked like vomit. (Okay, their word wasn’t vomit, but I’ve tried to clean it up).

Like I said, I’d be happy if The Bachelor introduced a bunch of people outside of Canada to some great Canadian food, but they missed the mark and owe our country an apology.

While we’re dolling out the “you should apologize” memos, one needs to go to Seattle chef Matt Broussard who, last August, shared his homemade recipe for “poutine”, and, once again, those quotation marks are intentional.

What’s wrong? Well the better question would be what’s right? It had potatoes in it, so I guess that’s technically right, but that’s about where Broussard’s attempt at the dish falls off the rails.

His is a creamy potato dish combined with scallions, which is not poutine no matter how you slice it.

It also had onions in it. I love onions. I put onions on everything that isn’t supposed to be sweet, but even I would never put them on poutine.

We need to claim our culture, as hidden as we may think it is, and make sure it’s represented well. Can we stop The Bachelor or Broussard from showing bad poutine or The New York Times from showing poorly-crafted Nanaimo Bars? Probably not. But we can certainly make sure that when people do look to Canada, they see our cultural mainstays in the best light.

We need poutine to look fresh and appetizing, Nanaimo Bars to be created correctly and butter tarts to either have or not have raisins in them… the jury is apparently still out on that one.

Shawn Loughlin Shawn’s Sense

A year since normal he day last week’s issue of The Citizen came out (March 11) marked one year since the last normal thing I did. Yes, on March 11, 2020, Jess and I took a trip to Toronto and the world has certainly changed in the 12 months that followed.

We were aware of the COVID-19 virus at the time and had seriously contemplated not going. However, we figured that if we were cautious and washed our hands regularly (physical distancing and masks weren’t really things just yet) that we would be alright, even though Jess was rather pregnant at the time.

We had bought tickets to see a lecture by Irish chef J.P. McMahon at George Brown College’s Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts. There, he spoke for a while, signed copies of his new cookbook and then the centre’s culinary students shared their versions of some of the food from the book with us.

Jess and I ate at McMahon’s MichelinStarred restaurant Aniar in Galway on our honeymoon in Ireland, so we really wanted to meet him. I think we’re both happy we did it, but, knowing what we know now, some of the stuff that went ahead, namely the shared food scenarios, was bonkers. It’s no one’s fault, of course, we just didn’t know as much then.

In the next few days, the severity of the virus came to light as the world shuttered country by country and we felt a little foolish for heading to Canada’s most populous city the very day a worldwide pandemic was declared. We’d both be lying if we said we weren’t counting down that now-ingrained period of two weeks, hoping to get to March 25 without falling ill.

The last year has been full of different milestones for us, as we became parents for the first time. We’ve been thinking more about our daughter gaining the right amount of weight every month, rolling over, and sleeping and eating well, but to look back on things now, it really has been quite a ride.

It feels like a lifetime ago that we could congregate in an (albeit, small) auditorium and listen to a speaker and eat food together. But then again, and maybe this has to do with our preoccupation with other things during this time, it almost feels like it’s flown by. Most of the people I know quickly and easily adapted to our new way of life and are keen to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

But it does feel like an anniversary that’s worth marking. Jess and I did so much of what we cherish that day. We spent a lot of time together, of course, but we ate and drank (Jess didn’t drink anything alcoholic, of course) at a great restaurant, walked around a beautiful city and then took in something interesting.

How long it will be until we can do that again – now, for a number of reasons – is anybody’s guess, so I suppose that’s a big piece of this puzzle as well. If we knew it would be the last time (for a while, anyway), would we have enjoyed it more? Perhaps. Perhaps not.

Thinking back to March 11, 2020, it would have been hard to know what awaited us over the course of the next 365 days. As someone who lived in the Toronto area during the SARS outbreak, I certainly didn’t think this would happen. But that’s another aspect of our lives through the pandemic – we learned to adapt and roll with the punches like never before.

Everyone likely remembers their last “normal” day before the COVID-19 pandemic struck and changed everything.

Those anniversaries will be coming up. Be sure to reflect and think ahead to life after the pandemic, because that time will come and we’ll all be able to reconnect and our days will again be normal, albeit different.

T

PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021.

March an adventure A NOTE FROM BETTY

By Betty Graber Watson Call 887-9231

Helping out Despite the pandemic putting the ongoing Catch the Ace fundraiser at the Brussels Legion in a perilous position, the event still raised enough money over the past year to make several donations to local organizations. Above, Legion Branch President Jamie Mitchell, left, and Catch the Ace committee member Kathy Burkholder, centre, donate $500 to Brussels District Fire Chief Max McLellan. (Photo submitted)

At the Branch

‘Catch the Ace’ returns Friday

Community booster The Brussels Legion recently donated $500 from its ‘Catch the Ace’ fundraiser to the Brussels Leo Club. Savannah Chambers of the club received the cheque. Shown are, from left Chambers, Catch the Ace committee member Deb Ross, Legion President Jamie Mitchell and Catch the Ace committee member Lisa Glanville. The Legion also made several donations to other organizations recently thanks to the fundraiser. (Photo submitted)

Neews depends endss on facts. ts. Where Whe are you our facts ts coming com ng from? ro News Media Canada is a passion ssionate advocate for the news industry. We support our mem mber m publications in their pursuit of quality journalism nalism.

Wee believe that when society has factss they can W trust, better decisions will be made.

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By Jo-Ann McDonald The week at the Brussels Legion Branch began with the Brussels Lions Club holding its first dinner meeting of 2021. There were 24 members sitting physically distanced at tables placed around the room. They enjoyed a roast beef dinner. Waitresses served everything to them during the course of the meal. Working for the Branch were Judy Lee, Kathy Burkholder, JoAnn McDonald, Marni Knight and Deb Ross.

Comrade Deb Ross was busy around the Branch last week doing some odd jobs in her capacity as House Chairman. She repaired a cupboard in the kitchen, reorganized some dishes, went outside and trimmed the tree and disposed of the trimmings. Deb is always busy doing something.

Don’t forget the first Catch the Ace draw is Friday night and there will be a wing night as well. Preorder for drive-by pick-up or up to 50 can eat in at the Branch. Look for details in our advertisement this week.

BUY? SELL? TRY CLASSIFIED

Don’t you just love March? Each day is a new adventure with the weather leading the charge into spring. The joy of each changing season is the variety of weather that occurs daily; only a peek out the window tells your full story. The weather people do a fine job with general suggestions or warnings of what may happen, but each home holds a unique spot and only you will see the happenings for you that day. Enjoy all the changes and keep your wardrobe flexible so you’re ready.

So many people see aging as a negative – not here. Only old people get to enjoy the perks of being greatgrandparents. So, we had our first audience with Miss Addison Renee Watson as her adoring parents Nathan and Chelsey supervised the event. Ah, the circle of life is a magical thing.

Graduation plans are in progress for Jordan. Well, pictures are here, anyway. Memories come flooding back as the various expressions on her graduation face are there for the viewing. Of course all the choices are lovely and then the wonders begin. What world will be open for this new degree, what changes will happen to make this world better. Oh yes, the wonders remain as this good news is anticipated and celebrated with awesome wonder.

In reality, our world is what we make it. We do our best in our wee

spot and it catches on, and spreads.

We watch the news in horror and if you let it, your outlook on life can be tarnished.

This life is yours, make it good.

Your job is to show respect and kindness to all those you meet. In our privileged spot in the world we do not have enough experience to know the hurts of others who look, act and think differently from us. We see and hear of the hurts of Indigenous people, we watch the Black Lives Matter movement and we hurt for the LGBTQ community.

This is wrong, very wrong. We do not understand but we need to learn.

We are all here together and we are all made of the same stuff. So be kind and respectful at every encounter. You have no influence on the virus or wars or murders, but your treatment of those in your midst is the only, and best you can do.

Keep safe. Be careful. Be kind.

Bye now, Betty G.W.

NEWS FROM BRUSSELS

Brussels Legion 218 Catch the Ace Draw begins March 19th at 7:15 pm We are celebrating our re-opening and the start of the Catch the Ace Draw with a Wing Night Wings will be available from 5:30 - 7:30 pm. (seating capacity allowed for 50 people - max. 6 per table - masks must be worn when not seated at your table)

$12.00 per order (includes 8 wings, sauce, carrots/celery and dressing)

Take-out available by pre-ordering.

Call 519-887-6562 Catch The Ace tickets available at Brussels Variety, Brussels Pharmacy, McDonald Lumber and Brussels Legion.

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021. PAGE 7.

Goderich Bike Shop opens Blyth satellite location

By Denny Scott The Citizen The Goderich Bike Shop is opening a satellite rental and repair shop in Blyth by taking over the Blyth Bike Tours business behind the Blyth Studio Suites on the village’s main street.

Goderich Bike Shop owner Brendan Sowerby said the changeover followed a partnership between the owners of the site, the Sparlings, and his company.

“Annie Sparling contacted us, as she was interested in our fat bike fleet and getting them up to Blyth,” he said. “She wanted to rent them out for [use on] the [Goderich-toGuelph (G2G) Rail Trail]. From

there, we decided to amalgamate the rental fleets.”

Sowerby said there will be a new rental fleet being operated under the name of Blyth Bike Shop, which will be operated by his company.

The operation will be very similar to the rental business that has been behind the suites as part of the Blyth Bike Tours business, he said, with a few more amenities.

“There will be contactless bike repair available,” he said, adding that people will be able to fill up their tires there. “We’ll be selling parts for people that need repairs and making it a drop-off site for people that need their bikes looked at.”

While the rental aspect of the business will be self-service,

Sowerby does plan on having someone at the site a couple days a week for on-site repairs.

He said having an operation in Blyth is an intentional move because it has a unique culture and it’s the last community on the G2G trail before detours are required to reach Goderich.

Sowerby said he plans on operating tours and historical tours of Blyth as the Sparlings did before him, and is also planning on offering snowshoe and paddleboard rentals as a way to make more activities accessible for the area.

For more information, visit the business on Facebook or contact it at 519-955-5100 or by e-mail at contact@goderichbikeshop.com.

Letter to the Editor Writer unhappy with council Open up shop Goderich Bike Shop owner Brendan Sowerby says that Blyth’s location makes it an ideal location for a bike rental/repair station, so when the chance came to buy an existing bike rental business in the community, he jumped on it. He hopes that the success of the fat bike rentals, like the one shown above on the Goderich-to-Guelph (G2G) Rail Trail, which runs through Blyth, can continue. (Photo submitted)

THE EDITOR, I am not happy with the performance and attitude of some members of the North Huron Council. They should be replaced.

I am referring to the disagreement about service hook-ups. A multimillion dollar business wants to hook up to our water and sewage system, but have been refused.

Council members should remember that this business employs taxpayers from North Huron and also brings other related business to Wingham.

Once connected they will be a North Huron customer for water and

sewage for years to come. The business was rebuilt in good faith, figuring that a hook-up would not be a problem, council should welcome them with open arms, but instead they have been rebuffed.

This is petite politics at its worst.

No wonder it is tough to get industry and businesses to locate here; it seems nobody is welcome when you put unnecessary roadblocks in the way.

Small businesses have a hard time surviving in the best of times; they need to be encouraged not discouraged.

I was on council many years ago when Dewitt Miller was the mayor.

He went out of his way to be welcoming to any businesses that wanted to locate in Wingham. Small communities need all the businesses they can get. We are on the way to nowhere, so wake up council, change your attitude and do the job you were elected to do or quit and let someone else do it.

I can’t wait for Green’s to reopen!

Yours truly, North Huron taxpayer, Tim R. Willis, Wingham.

N. Huron stays with online, phone voting

By Denny Scott The Citizen North Huron Township Council voted to continue with telephone and online voting for the 2022 municipal election.

The issue was brought before council during a meeting last month, at which Clerk Carson Lamb suggested retaining online and phone voting, citing financial benefits, security and ease of use.

Lamb stated the move in 2018, which was made by all Huron County municipalities working as one group to realize financial benefits, had proven to be a successful initiative, citing his own experience as a student ahead of the 2018 election.

“It helps with residents who live out of the area,” he said, saying as a student he was able to vote without coming home.

He said it’s also more accessible

and promotes physical distancing.

“While the election may seem far away, the pandemic [has proven to be] unpredictable and, quite frankly, we don’t know how long it may last,” he said. “Council may find it prudent to prepare for an election in a COVID-19 environment.”

Lamb also said online and phone voting resulted in increased voter turnout with the 2018 election seeing local turnout higher than the provincial average.

Lamb also touted the election process as a means to limit spoiled ballots, saying that in tight

municipal races, spoiled ballots can make a difference.

He also said that security and integrity, the speed of tabulating and releasing the results and reduced voter confusion were all highlights of the program.

Council approved a motion authorizing the use of telephone and internet-based voting for the 2022 election and also authorized staff to participate in a county-wide election working group to establish policies and procedures and issue a joint request for proposals to provide the voting service.

Signs of spring abound From Marilyn’s Desk

By Marilyn Craig Call 523-9318

been doing it for years and some are doing it for the first time.

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

NEWS FROM BLYTH Feeling Dirty?

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

CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF NORTH HURON

TAXES DUE

Fabled fun Briony Bosma learned about St. Patrick and snakes through a craft program at Wild Goose Studios in Blyth last weekend. The program continues this weekend. (Denny Scott photo)

Happy birthday to Kathy McNichol, who celebrates March 18; Ashley Bromley, Belgrave and Grace Hallahan, March 20, and Taylor Wharton, March 22. Happy birthday everyone.

What a beautiful week we have had with sunshine almost every day.

The snow that we had has gone away with little flooding. The tundra swans are back, which is a sign of spring, and the calendar is telling us that it will officially be spring this coming week on March 20. The birds are singing in the mornings to welcome the sun. Many people are tapping the trees and making maple syrup. Some have

The first 2021 tax installment for the Township of North Huron is due on Thursday, March 25, 2021. Interest at 1 ¼% per month, or any part thereof will be charged on unpaid accounts as of March 26, 2021 and the first day of each month thereafter.

NOTE: Persons who have acquired properties and have not received a tax bill should contact the Municipal Office. Failure to receive a tax bill does not relieve a taxpayer from responsibility for payment of taxes, nor from penalty for late payment.

Please contact the Treasury Department in regards to the various payment options available. Pre-authorized payment sign-up forms are available at www.northhuron.ca or at the Town Hall.

Donna White Director of Finance Township of North Huron

PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021.

The HUB to open new site at former Janet’s location

A glimpse While the Seaforth site for The HUB won’t have a secondstorey patio like The HUB’s Stratford site, shown above, it will share a lot of features with it. (Denny Scott photo)

By Denny Scott The Citizen

Later this year The HUB Patio and Pub will open its third official site at

the former location of Janet’s Country Donut Café on Seaforth’s main street.

Julie Dubblestyne, the marketing manager for The HUB, which has

Obituaries LIN (DELLOW) STEFFLER Lin Steffler of Seaforth and formerly of Walton, passed away peacefully with family by her side at London Health Sciences Centre, University Hospital, London on Thursday, March 11, 2021. She was in her 75th year.

Lin was the cherished wife of Joe Steffler for over 53 wonderful years and the loving mother of John and Heather Steffler, Seaforth. She was the adored nana of Davis (Troy), Charlee, and the late Tanner Steffler (2017), and the great-nana of Rya. Lin was the dear sister of Andy and the late Ellen and the dear sister-inlaw of Anne Doherty and the late John, (2003), Goderich; Clem Steffler (Phyllis), Calgary; Verna Steffler and the late Jim, (2018), Wingham and the late Louis (1948).

Lin will be fondly remembered by her nieces and nephews.

Lin was a proud member of her community, serving as Reeve of Seaforth and the first Mayor of Huron East. Lin had great pleasure in cooking and baking and Joe gratefully took on his role as taste tester. She also enjoyed her years of singing with the Seaforth Harmony Hi-lites.

A private funeral mass was held at the St. James Roman Catholic Church, Seaforth on Monday, March 15. You may view the service at

your convenience by visiting www.facebook.com/haskettfh.

Cremation with interment in Saint Ambrose Cemetery, Brussels will be held at a later date.

A celebration of Lin’s life will be held in June (following COVID-19 protocols). Arrangements have been entrusted to Haskett Funeral Home, Seaforth.

Donations to the Tanner Steffler Foundation would be appreciated by the family. Online condolences may be forwarded through www.haskettfh.com.

THOMAS “MASON” TELFORD BAILEY (1925 - 2021) Thomas Mason Telford Bailey, born near Sarnia on Nov. 27, 1925, passed away peacefully at Huronlea Home for the Aged, Brussels on Thursday, March 11, 2021. He was in his 96th year.

Mason was predeceased by his wife Hazel of 61 years, brothers James and William, daughter Mavis, son Clifford, and granddaughter Charlotte. He is survived by his sister Isla of London. Mason was the proud father of Larry Bailey, Valerie Leibold, Dan (Sandy) Bailey, Bonnie Linton, and Thomas (Gail) Bailey.

He will be fondly remembered by several grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.

Mason was a respected businessman for many years and served on several boards, including those of the Clinton Public Hospital and Clinton Community Credit Union. He also served on the municipal council of Blyth, including two terms as Reeve.

Cremation has taken place. There will be a short graveside service at Blyth Union Cemetery at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Blyth Legion would be appreciated.

locations in both Stratford and Mitchell, said that while each site of the restaurant/butchery will be unique, the Seaforth one will feature a lot of the amenities that the Stratford site includes.

“There will be a large outdoor patio,” she said. “Construction will begin as soon as the ground is thawed. We’re hoping to have open doors the second week in April for take-out, delivery and dine-in.”

Currently, the company is working on the site to bring it in line with the existing two HUB locations. After taking possession of the property in mid-February, the company, through its Facebook page, explained the changes would include the aforementioned patio, a butchery counter, draft beer and live music.

“We are doing construction on the structure,” she said. “The HUB is known for funky, industrial style and having beer on draft. We are going to go with the same feel.”

She said part of the draw is that local beer will be on draft, which

joins the rest of the locally-sourced menus.

“All of our products are sourced locally,” she said. “Our burgers, from the butchery, for example, have no filler and are sourced from a local farm. Our number one goal is to sustain local businesses in and around the communities we are in.”

She said the Seaforth location will feature similar specials to the other two sites, with specific meals being discounted on specific days.

As for why they moved to Seaforth, Dubblestyne said The HUB had found success with opening in Mitchell along with great support in the community. She said it made sense to pursue an option in Seaforth and, working with the former owner of Janet’s, the opportunity was too good to pass up.

She also said that working with small communities and municipal councils is nice because both are very welcoming and excited for new businesses.

What will make the Seaforth site of The HUB unique, she said, is that it will be the first site to serve breakfast. Dubblestyne explained the decision to offer breakfast is due in part to the fact that Janet’s had a breakfast menu and, after speaking with Seaforth residents, having a breakfast option would be a very popular move.

The HUB butchery will also be offered in the site, Dubblestyne said, offering the chance to buy bacon, sausage, steak, chicken, jerky and burgers. She said having a breakfast option, much like Janet’s Country Donut Café had, would just make sense.

“It just made sense to continue with that tradition,” she said. “It will be scaled down, but will all still be available.”

Dubblestyne said the business is currently hiring for all positions, and for more information on that process and the construction process in general, she said the best place to start is on The HUB Seaforth’s Facebook page.

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021. PAGE 9.

Junior Farmers host mental health webinar

Do More Adelle Steward, above, was part of a special mental health panel hosted by the Junior Farmers of Ontario and Farm Credit Canada late last year that focused on addressing mental health and asking tough questions, something she’s no stranger to with her work with the Do More Agriculture Foundation, which is based in Saskatchewan. (Courtesy photo)

By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot The Rural Voice Farm Credit Canada and the Junior Farmers of Ontario both launched webinars late last year focusing on mental health to help farmers and the agricultural community understand why and how they might be at risk, and how to take care of their own mental health.

Adelle Steward admits she did not know a lot about mental health.

Before working in the agricultural industry and even just starting in it, her own naturally high level of resilience protected her from mental illness.

Then she started working with the

Do More Agriculture Foundation in Saskatchewan and her understanding grew. But it really became personal when her bipolar cousin posted, “Mental illness.

Breaking hearts since who knows when” on a social media account in 2014.

“I thought something must be wrong but I did nothing.

Unfortunately, my uncle found him in the calving barn the next day as he had taken his life by suicide,” revealed Steward while speaking to Junior Farmers during the group’s mental health webinar, hosted by Junior Farmers of Ontario President Arin Douglas.

His post received less than 10 likes and three people commented on it,

but only after the suicide. “He passed because we did not know how to help. I cannot help but wonder how it could have been different if we had asked him how he was; if we weren’t afraid to ask people how they are with mental health.”

Mental health does not have boundaries across professions, but it is different in agriculture. “People who live and work in agriculture are experiencing mental illness at higher rates than the general population,” she said.

She explained that farmers have deep roots of strength and community. Those roots allow them to deal with the hardships of day-today life on the farm. However, they

also lead to farmers thinking they have to be strong all the time.

Invincible, even. The subliminal message is, if you can’t handle farming, get out of it. There is still a stigma to mental illness in the farming community so they keep working in isolation. This can lead to burnout and emotional exhaustion.

Lack of awareness is also an issue.

“It’s really important to spread the message within the industry so we can work together to change the stigma [around] mental health in agriculture,” said Steward.

Statistics from a national survey on farmers’ mental health conducted by the University of Guelph discovered that 35 per cent met the criteria for depression classification; 45 per cent were classified as having high stress and 58 per cent met the criteria for anxiety classification.

Steward said she is often asked about what has changed in agriculture that has resulted in so many dealing with some level of mental illness. Are we talking about it more? Are there really more mental health issues? Or is there more awareness?

When looking at statistics in agriculture, the exponential rate of growth of farm size is astonishing, said Steward. Looking back 150 years, we now grow 14 times as much wheat, 10 times more pork and five times more cattle. Tractor prices have risen from $200 to over $200,000 or way higher. “This is extremely daunting for young producers.”

Plus, advances in technology have been rapid. “We have seen more change in technology in the last 150 years than in the last 1,000 combined. There are studies that show mental health and stress claims rise when a company implements a new IT system.”

Understanding stress is also important. People need moderate stress to be alert, engaged and challenged for optimal performance.

Too little stress leads to low motivation, while too much stress leads to high anxiety and poor performance.

Farmers really need to start paying attention to themselves, their family members and employees. When they are angry, they can’t make decisions and they can’t sleep.

Chronic sleep deprivation can be equated to having a blood alcohol

level of up to 0.10. “Our ability to focus and our critical thinking skills are greatly reduced,” said Steward.

To stay well, Steward had this advice: • Find a life balance: “Most people think this is a 50/50 ratio but that isn’t true. Some people can take a larger workload while some need a weekend away without the kids. It’s different for each individual. So if you and your neighbour are going through the same thing, they may handle it differently than you and that’s okay.”

• Reach out to your friends and family: “Campaigns say to reach out if you’re struggling. But I think we need to notice the change in our friends and family and do the reaching out.”

• Ask more: “Ask someone about their mental health. Ask them how they are handling things. You might comment that you have noticed they are dressing differently, or their tone is different or they haven’t been coming to coffee. If they are willing to share, then listen nonjudgmentally. You can take workshops to learn how to do this.”

Steward said farmers can access resources from the Mental Health Commission of Canada, the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention. Steward works with the Do More Agriculture Foundation, which is a not-for-profit agency focusing on mental health in agriculture across Canada. More information can be found online at domore.ag/about-us *** Purpose is the precursor to passion and knowing your purpose is key to preventing burnout and compassion fatigue says child psychologist, Dr. Jody Carrington of Alberta.

Speaking to the agriculture community via a webinar offered to Farm Credit Canada clients and their families, Carrington said we all have one primary purpose: “to walk each other home.”

The phrase was coined by Ram Dass, an American spiritual teacher, psychologist and author who passed away in 2019. The idea of “walking each other home” by way of kindness, connection and helping each other self-regulate was a theme Carrington wove throughout her entertaining and practical Continued on page 10

Huron Perth

www.hpph.ca/vaccine

COVID-19 Vaccination

COVID-19 vaccine available to

adults 80+ and Indigenous adults 55+ • Book an appointment online at www.hpph.ca/vaccine or call 1-833-753-2098

A new focus Dr. Jody Carrington of Alberta was one of the speakers at a webinar hosted late last year that focused on mental health and well-being on the farm. (Courtesy photo)

• Online booking preferred due to high call volumes • For vaccine updates, listen to a recorded message at 1-888-221-2133, press 1.

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

Carrington provides strategies to avoid burnout Continued from page 9 presentation. She said farmers, in particular, need to hear it because they are genetically wired to face the world with a negative attitude to protect themselves against all the difficulties a farmer faces.

“If you were raised by a farmer, you will find all the shit that is going wrong. I never heard a farmer once say, ‘Hazel, it’s going to be a good year!’” said Carrington. “We come from multiple generations where they have prepared for the worst.

There never was a time they could let their guard down and it would be okay.”

The issue with that is if you only think about the bad stuff, you can’t feel the good stuff. While people are capable of holding two emotions in their head at one time, only one will take precedence, explained Carrington. “So when you are so busy planning for all the bad stuff, you cannot feel the joy. And know this, no amount of preparation will prepare you when something bad does happen. Joy and happiness are two different things. You can be unhappy and still deserve joy.”

Joy is a tricky thing, however, when someone is approaching burnout. According to her research,

Carrington said burnout consists of three things: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and a decreased sense of accomplishment.

“Honestly, I have not met many people who are not feeling burned out. Part of what we need is acknowledgment,” said Carrington.

She suggested that the next time we are at a hockey game, we should tell the mom or dad we sit beside how great their kid is. Tell them what a good job they are doing parenting.

Wave at your neighbour, praise their crops, say something to acknowledge who they are and what they are doing. “Because when we acknowledge each other, we rise,” said Carrington.

Emotional disconnect is another big issue and something Carrington is particularly worried about during COVID-19. She asked listeners to imagine their grandparents’ house packed full of children. If someone came home in a bad mood, everyone knew because they lived in such close proximity. Now, people have large houses and often more devices, making it more difficult to connect.

“It’s critical that you look and see each other and acknowledge your spouse and your kids,” she said.

In her work as a psychologist with Carrington Services, her Alberta-

based counselling practice, Carrington says during virtual staff meetings, her counsellors have the option to turn their cameras off. “I don’t let them. It doesn’t matter to me if you don’t have your bra on… this is a global pandemic.” She needs and wants the connection with her staff.

As part of the process of “walking each other home”, Carrington believes it is critical to model selfregulation. “Babies cry. They lose their friggin’ minds. The job of us big people is to soothe and walk them home. The more I co-regulate with a child in my presence, the more I give them the skills to do that when I am not there,” she explained.

“Never in the history of yelling at people to ‘calm down’ has anyone calmed down. You don’t tell them, you show them.”

Now, we are all getting “chippy” admits Carrington. “We are all feeling emotion that seems to have nowhere to go. You may have noticed we are all a lot chippier.

That’s because chippiness is contagious and it makes us shut down so that we have very little compassion to give away,” she said.

We are putting up armour. She says we are perpetuating the disconnect and our “burnout will be a fallout”

unless we stay connected to each other.

With that admonition, she offered these five strategies to avoid burnout and stay connected during stressful times: • Reconnection: “Reconnection is an important word to me. It’s not always hard to connect with new people but it can be really hard to reconnect to our own people. It’s easier for me to be kind to other kids.

If they ask for help, I’ll say ‘sure, honey, let me help.’ My own kids ask for help and I’m yelling at them to do it themselves! Well, we need to serve the people we were given too.

That goes to people in our community too. We are responsible for each other’s mental health.”

• Purpose: “Passion is sexier to talk about, but [I’ve] never met a person who is passionate about something who is not clear on their purpose. It’s not about finding passion, it’s about finding your purpose.”

• Rest: “The data is phenomenal on this. You should be resting 10 hours a day. When I do a mental health assessment, one of the first questions I ask is how are they sleeping. Sleep is the most significant predictor of your ability to regulate emotion. Think of what

happens when a two-year-old misses her nap... it’s a disaster! You are the same way!”

• Joy: “I think joy is a choice.

Something happens with laughter.

When was the last time you laughed with your babies? When was the last time you danced? We are wired to do the hard stuff but we were never meant to do it alone or without joy.”

• Gratitude: “This is a practice.

Just like your golf shot or the capacity to judge a pen of heifers, it takes practice. If you do not practise you will not be good at it. We need to focus our attention on all the good things that happened today and they don’t have to be big things. Be conscious. I might say at this moment, today, I am grateful I have a bottle of white wine in the fridge at home. This is the antidote, or at least the Bandaid, to burnout.”

Other tips she offered included: • Drop your shoulders: “When you drop your shoulders it sometimes leaks out of your eyes.”

• Give someone a compliment: “It is never too late, never once, to give someone a compliment.”

• Be careful what you consume: “Misery loves miserable company. It doesn’t enjoy optimism so be careful who you plug into on social media.”

H-P to use local site for vaccines

Fun times Lisa Nicholson, not shown, sent The Citizen this photo of Edyn, Bentley, and Blake Beyersbergen, who spent the day at Blyth Creek Maple Farm recently, taking in a tour of the operation. The trio highly recommends that others take advantage of the program which involves live animals, a wagon ride, historical demonstrations and maple butter tarts. (Photo submitted)

The province launched a provincial booking system and customer service desk to support COVID-19 vaccination appointment bookings on March 16. However eligible residents of Huron and Perth Counties will continue to book their COVID-19 vaccinations through Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH).

Ontario is supporting its public health units with the implementation of the new provincial booking system in the ways that best suit local needs. HPPH has a selfestablished booking tool and call centre and will continue for the time being to book appointments for COVID-19 vaccination clinics.

A list of those currently eligible is available at www.hpph.ca/vaccine.

For those eligible, appointments can be booked through www.hpph.ca/vaccine or through the HPPH booking line at 1-833-7532098. We highly encourage online bookings as call volume is high.

Eligible seniors can ask a trusted individual to book on their behalf.

Several local agencies are also assisting eligible seniors to book online using the HPPH booking system. Contact the Community Support Services Network at 1-844482-7800 to be connected to a local agency near you that can assist you.

Through that number, accessible rides can also be scheduled where needed.

OPP lays abduction charge Huron County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have charged a resident of Markham with Child Abduction following an incident that took place in Central Huron last week.

Police say that, shortly after 7 a.m. on Wednesday, March 10, officers learned a child had been abducted from a residence located near Bayfield.

Police launched an investigation and shortly after 11 a.m., the OPP say the abducted child was safely located in the City of Toronto.

Additionally, with the assistance of York Regional Police and Toronto Police Service, the accused was

taken into custody without incident.

A 30-year-old resident of Markham has since been charged with Abduction of a Person under 16 years of age, according to police.

The accused remains in custody with a court appearance scheduled for March 15 at the Ontario Court of Justice in Goderich.

If you have any information about this incident, please contact Huron OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or 519-4821677.

Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online at www.p3tips.com , where you may

The HPPH phone line and website are updated regularly advising whether appointments for future clinics are available to book. Please do not call your primary care provider or pharmacy for more information on appointments.

Appointments at this time are only booked through HPPH. Vaccinations for those born in 1941 or earlier. The province has confirmed that vaccination eligibility for those 80 and older applies to any individual who will be turning 80 or older in 2021 (born in 1941 or earlier). If this applies to you, please follow the booking

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021. PAGE 11.

Looking back at one year of the COVID-19 pandemic PEOPLE AROUND LONDESBORO

By BRENDA RADFORD Call 523-4296

March 11 marked the anniversary of the day the World Health Organization declared a worldwide pandemic due to COVID-19. It would be an unusual year for every person regardless of age, culture, health, residence, etc. It touched, and

continues to affect, each and every one of us.

How naive we were at the beginning of that first lockdown to think the situation would only last a few weeks. And this week some areas of Ontario entered their third lockdown. Could even the experts have foreseen the far reaching effects of the pandemic on every aspect of global life?

What have you learned from these months in isolation? Because I believe it has been another personal learning experience. Nothing we experience in life passes without giving us a lesson. For example many of us have been forced to embrace technology or lose out on

contacts entirely; or planned meals better to optimize our forays to the grocery store; learned to lose ourselves in the pages of a good book; appreciated a good walk; spent more time in a hobby.

As the months have passed, many of us have settled into a pattern which allows us to deal with, dare I say this, new reality. That’s not to say we don’t wish for more freedom, but we have reached a type of acceptance that should help us until this is over. How often have you heard, stay positive? Or look forward with hope; a sunny perspective rather than a negative outlook? The weather of late surely improves that outlook!

Pump it The playgrounds at local schools, including Hullett Central Public School, changed dramatically over the past week. Earlier this month, students were contending with snow and ice, while last week it was hard to find any ground cover. Above, enjoying the warmer weather, are Chloe Pope, left, and Lilly Fraser. (Denny Scott photo)

Mind you, it will not be over just because the case counts dip or those of us who wish it get vaccinated. The world will likely take years to completely recover and our children's children will be paying for Canada's expenses. It has been a nasty blip in history to teach us not to get complacent in our lives.

Minister at Londesborough United Church Susan McIlveen included in her weekly service a liturgy and a time of silence in solidarity with persons around the world who are dealing with the pandemic. The liturgy, prepared by Archbishop Anne Germond of the Anglican Diocese of Ontario, was based on John 11:32-35 and offered in churches across the province.

Susan spoke about events of the last year and how they have affected our faith community. She noted that the year can be symbolized by two hands. One hand has held the darkness of the past year. But the other hand holds the resiliency, the sacrifices and efforts of many and the compassion of others. Susan reminded through references to the Israelites under Moses that we are not the first peoples to have our faith tested. Her scripture reference was Num. 21:4-9.

Another anniversary to consider is that 2021 is the 50th anniversary of the first e-mail. History states that Ray Tomlinson declared his invention would completely change the way people communicate. A 2018 study found that half of users checked their messages and e-mails every six minutes. Although that sounds excessive to me, I have watched other people and some are pretty much attached to their smartphones – to the detriment of social skills.

Personally, I find sending an email to be less obtrusive than a phone call when the other party has a busier schedule than I do. And some reasons for contact only need a short reply that is easily satisfied in an e-mail. However messaging and e-mailing are essential and quick for the business world. And what would the educators of the world have done without that virtual technology?

Just as I wonder what Henry Ford would think about the automotive aspects of modern life (this as I watch a NASCAR race), I consider how amazed Ray Tomlinson would

have been at how his invention has changed our world.

Something to discuss around the dinner table or with friends online these days comes as a result of last week's interview between Oprah Winfrey and Harry and Meghan Markle. Commentators here and across the pond have offered opinions ad nauseum. Perhaps more people in the public eye should adopt the practice of Queen Elizabeth and never give interviews.

I watched. Did you? What is your takeaway from the conversation?

One thing that blew my mind was learning that Meghan’s complete attire was worth about $20,000!

I looked out the kitchen window on Saturday and saw my first robins of the spring. Not just one but five cheeky fellows were braving the cold wind on my back lawn. Geese went honking over one day recently as well. There are reports of tundra swans stopping in southern Ontario on their migration travel.

The maple syrup producers are busy making that sweet treat in this up-and-down spell of weather. Yes, the sun has lifted our mood of late but the wind is cold. And I can't believe we are done with winter already.

And don’t forget to wear a little green on Thursday in honour of St. Patrick. I heard someone remark the other day that there are more St. Patrick’s Day celebrations around the rest of the world that day than there are in Ireland.

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PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021.

Perrie’s photography honoured with provincial award painting, the 4-H competition and the educational program best.

As for the competition, Perrie says she was very happy when she found out she had won. To have that many people from Brussels vote for her photograph, she said, made her quite proud.

It’s also nice to have the winning photograph be of McNeil’s parade

car, she said. So much so that she hopes future awards will take into account the story behind the photograph, because the story behind McNeil’s car is as interesting as how it looks.

The car is a 1928 Model A Ford that has been at over 60 Brussels Fall Fairs and countless other local parades and events.

A winning shot The above photograph, which was taken by Joan Perrie of the Brussels Agricultural Society in 2006, was recently honoured with the people’s choice award at the annual conference of the Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies, held earlier this year. Perrie has been the society’s unofficial photographer for years, capturing everything from the Ambassador competition to the parade for the society. (Photo courtesy of Joan Perrie)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Joan Perrie of Brussels has been honoured provincially as the winner of the people’s choice photography award at the Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies’ annual conference late last month.

Perrie is the unofficial photographer for the Brussels Agricultural Society, namely documenting the Brussels Fall Fair year after year. The award-winning photograph was taken in 2006 during a particularly rainy fair parade. It features Don McNeil’s famous parade car, a staple of the Brussels Fall Fair parade for decades.

In an interview with The Citizen, Perrie said that, to her, the picture represents family, agriculture and community involvement.

Ahead of the competition, directors of the Brussels Fall Fair chose the picture to be entered into the competition. Perrie didn’t choose it herself, but the fair directors felt it represented the village well.

As part of the competition among

the agricultural societies within District 8 of Ontario, Perrie’s photograph was one of several that was up for voting. In the end, after receiving over 1,000 votes, Perrie’s photograph was named the winner.

It then moved on to the next stage, in which it took on winners from other districts, inviting those attending the conference to vote on their favourite and it was chosen then as well as the people’s choice award winner.

Perrie has been interested in photography for as long as she can remember. She is now a member of the Maitland Valley Camera Club and she certainly has more time for the hobby since she retired in the late 1990s.

Beginning her teaching career in North York, she taught there for 10 years before marrying her husband

David. When she moved to Huron County, she continued teaching, spending time in Exeter before the last eight years of her career at Brussels Public School, which has since closed.

The Perries have been members of the Brussels Agricultural Society for decades, even handing out an annual award in their name. Being an amateur shutterbug, she was always taking pictures at the Brussels Fall Fair or the annual Ambassador competition, and soon enough it was almost as if she had an unofficial job documenting the society’s work every year.

She loves taking pictures at the fair every year, with many of the children’s activities serving as her favourites. While Perrie’s awardwinning effort was from the parade, she likes taking pictures of the face-

A long history Don McNeil’s parade car has been the stuff of legend for decades, appearing in dozens of Brussels Fall Fair parades and other parades across the province. Above, McNeil, right, takes Dorothy Cummings, centre, and Joan Perrie, left, for a ride as McNeil marked 60 years of being part of the Brussels Fall Fair parade. (File photo)

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Brussels Livestock report

Lambs sell high at Thursday’s market Total receipts for Brussels Livestock for the week ending March 11 were 1,905 cattle and 558 lambs and goats.

On Tuesday, fed steers and heifers sold steady. Choice steers and heifers sold $138 to $145. Second-cut cattle sold $130 to $137. Aged- and medium-fed steers and heifers sold $110 to $113. Cows sold actively.

On Thursday, veal sold steady.

Lambs sold higher. Sheep and goats sold steady.

On Friday, calves sold on a very active trade with steady prices.

Yearlings sold with a good demand with prices slightly easier than last week.

Henk DeJong of Fordwich, consigned seven head. Two black steers averaged 1,590 lbs. and sold for an average price of $144.50.

Dougall Farms of Exeter, consigned seven head. One charolais heifer weighed 1,600 lbs. and sold for a price of $144.50.

There were 325 cows on offer.

Beef sold $70 to $90 with sales to $107; good holstein cows, $72 to $77 with sales to $105, medium holstein cows, $68 to $71; D4 cows, $57 to $67.

There were 150 head of veal on offer. Beef veal sold $138 to $187 with sales to $218; good holsteins, $120 to $126 with sales to $136; SL

heavy holsteins, $108 to $118; heavy holsteins, $100 to $115; medium holsteins, $110 to $118; plain holsteins, $85 to $110.

Emanuel M. Martin of Elmira, consigned two head. One blue heifer weighed 795 lbs. and sold for a price of $218.

Lambs under 50 lbs. sold $456.50 to $500; 50-64 lbs., $469 to $486; 65-70 lbs., $426.50 to $470; 80-94 lbs., $354 to $391; 95-110 lbs., $334.50 to $342; over 110 lbs., $322 to $324. Sheep sold $150 to $280.

Goats: billies sold $150 to $375; nannies, $100 to $250; kids: meat sold $440 to $460; dairy, $375 to $440.

Andreas and Petra Aeberhardj of Neustadt, consigned 15 head. Eight lambs averaged 60 lbs. and sold for an average price of $218.

Heffer Farms of Wingham, consigned 17 head. Seven lambs averaged 65 lbs. and sold for an average price of $445.

Top quality stocker steers 400 499 lbs. sold $241.75 to $269; 500 599 lbs., $239 to $260; 600 - 699 lbs., $204 to $224; 700 - 799 lbs., $197 to $206; 800 - 899 lbs., $187 to $191.50; 900 - 999 lbs., $173.50 to $178; 1,000 lbs. and over, $155 to $176.

Top quality stocker heifers, 400 499 lbs. sold $186.50 to $196; 500 -

599 lbs., $185 to $204; 600 - 699 lbs., $176.50 to $195; 700 - 799 lbs., $171 to $186.50; 800 - 899 lbs., $158 to $167.50; 900 lbs. and over, $149.50 to $169.

Anna Enever of Williamsford, consigned 46 head. Eleven limousin steers averaged 726 lbs. and sold for an average price of $199.75.

Ben Snyder of Beachburg, consigned 84 head. Sixteen charolais heifers averaged 625 lbs. and sold for an average price of $190.50.

James Frey of Tara, consigned 42 head. Nineteen black steers averaged 954 lbs. and sold for an average price of $178.

NH calls for support for meat processing

By Denny Scott The Citizen

Awarded When the Huron County 4-H Association handed out its annual awards late last year, Emily Bieman was the recipient of several of them. She placed first in the Intermediate Project Book competition, she won the Stan Jackson Award for the Huron County Beef Club member with the highest number of points and the High Intermediate Award at the Huron County Judging Competition. Presented Bieman with her awards was Curtis McNeil, president of the Huron County 4-H Leaders’ Association. (Hannah Dickie photo)

North Huron Township Council, at the request of the North Huron Economic Development and Recovery Committee, has requested additional provincial and federal funding for meat processing services.

During council’s March 1 meeting, council discussed a recommendation from the committee calling for council to direct staff to submit a letter to provincial and federal officials, as well as Huron County Warden Glen McNeil, to ask for additional funding to increase meat processing capacity. The request came as a result of the growing demand for abattoir services across the province.

Reeve Bernie Bailey said it was an important issue because some producers are sitting on livestock for one or two years before they can be sent to slaughter, which costs money.

He also cited the fact that Green’s Meat Market, a Morris-Turnberry business, had not been able to access government funding.

Councillor Anita van Hittersum,

who is on the committee and made the motion, said that Ontario is underserviced for local meat and slaughterhouse capacity, due partly to increasing costs and regulations.

She said local abattoirs are already booking into 2022.

While funding will soon be available, she said, her concern is it will go to larger plants that have staff who can navigate the application process.

Councillor Chris Palmer asked if groups like the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario and the Huron County Federation of Agriculture had been contacted, and van Hittersum said the information was made publicly available.

Palmer felt the groups should be directly contacted, and, as a result, when council approved sending the letter, staff were directed to send the letter to those groups as well.

Visit huroncitizen.ca for photos, news, editorials and special features.

NH to allow cannabis retail sites

By Denny Scott The Citizen

After revisiting the issue years after taking an initial stance against cannabis locations opening in North Huron, council has reversed its stance, opening the municipality to the industry.

The move comes after The Green Cloud Cannabis approached North Huron to revisit the issue, citing more information being available since council had originally opted out in 2019.

Deputy-Reeve Trevor Seip agreed with the company’s assessment, putting a notice of motion forward early last month to have the issue revisited in light of how far cannabis sales had proceeded in other municipalities.

On Monday evening, council voted 5-2 to opt in to the provincial cannabis retail store program,

allowing companies to consider opening in North Huron.

Councillors Paul Heffer and Chris Palmer voted against the move.

As part of the staff review that led to the change, a submission from The Green Cloud Cannabis outlet, a site located in Listowel that is considering expanding to North Huron, was discussed on Monday night.

In the letter, the company states it wants to locate on Wingham’s main street, specifically at 296 Josephine Street. It highlighted the fact that with competition in Goderich, Hanover, Walkerton and its own storefront in Listowel, there was little in the means of competition, and that the new site would service Blyth, Brussels, Bluevale, Belgrave, Lucknow, Belmore, Teeswater and other communities.

After reviewing an extensive staff report that showed nearby

municipalities hadn’t faced any problems with cannabis retail outlets after they had opened, council voted to go ahead with the motion.

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PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 18 2021.

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Births

Coming events

Help wanted

SUE’S FAMOUS FISH FRY take-out style, Friday, March 19, noon to 7 p.m., Wingham Columbus Centre, grilled or battered white fish or chicken fingers. Take-out $16 (fish, fries or baked potato and a dinner roll), 1/2 price for kids! Add $1.50 for caesar or garden salad.

Add $2 for a butter tart. HST is included in all prices. Call 519-3571270 to order your fish and to reserve a pick-up time. Pay by etransfer, credit card, cash or debit.

Don’t forget about all the homemade soups and TV-style dinners available anytime. Just give us a call to place your oder and we will put it together and put in foyer or you can also come into see what’s available. 11-1

WEST COAST LEISURE SALES is looking for people to join our team for the installation of park model, mobile, and manufactured homes.

Basic carpentry skills are an asset but will train the right person. Paid travel Monday to Friday. Some overtime required. D or A restricted licence is an asset. Benefit Package available. Wage based upon experience. Please email résumé to Derek at bluwtrgc@cabletv.on.ca or drop it off at Bluewater Golf Course.

10-3p --------------------------------------------

Help wanted

Seeking Music Director St. Paul’s-Trinity Anglican Church, Wingham is seeking an organist and/or pianist to be our new Music Director. Our small and dynamic SATB choir enjoys singing a variety of styles of music including a cappella. Our church has a Yamaha upright piano and a new Rodgers-2 manual digital organ with full pedal board. Salaried Position.

Résumés and any questions may be sent in confidence to stpauls@hurontel.on.ca or 519-357-7781.

In memoriam Career Opportunity – IT Technician Full-time, Permanent Position – Wingham, Ontario Howick Mutual Insurance is an established and well respected Ontario farm mutual, providing insurance to the residents of Huron, Bruce, Grey and surrounding counties for over 145 years. We are seeking a dynamic and results oriented team player to join our Information Technology team.

Reporting to the IT Manager, this position will provide technical support for the Howick Mutual infrastructure. Skills we are looking for: •

PEGG. In loving memory of Bob Pegg who passed away March 20, 2020.

During this year of COVID-19 restrictions we have found it difficult not being able to have a funeral to celebrate Bob’s life, and we miss the comfort that getting together brings.

Because Bob loved Jesus as his personal saviour, we are blessed to know he is in Heaven. Thank you to those who have reached out to us in many ways. Bob is forever remembered, loved and missed. – Susan, Shane and Maria, Joel and Shannon, Christa and Caleb and families.

11-1

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

Let us help you turn that junk into $$ ➨ Free ad up to 25 words, person to person only (no businesses), items valued at $1,000 or less. Your ad will run three times unless it sells faster! ➨ The Citizen reserves the right to limit the number of items or ads per person.

Call 519-523-4792 or email: info@northhuron.on.ca FOR SALE – Samsung washing machine, top loading, all automatic, good condition, $250. 519-4827262.

11-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE – Bissell upright bagless vacuum, two years old, $25. 519-335-3382.

11-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE – four tires and mag rims, 5 bolt, low kms., off P.T. Cruiser, will fit other Dodge vehicles, $225 or best offer. Call 519-523-9668.

11-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE – eight-place setting of white dinnerware, square plates, no chips or stains, hardly used, $40.

519-335-3382.

11-3

Capable of working with multiple Operating Systems (System Administration) Proficient in the administration and configuration of networking technologies (Network Administration) Competent with database operation, architecture and information retrieval (Database Administration) Adept with storage and storage technologies (Storage Administration) Patience for solving desktop issues and assisting users (Helpdesk Administration) Ability to work with multiple virtualization technologies/products Programming/Development/Coding/API experience would be considered an asset Project Management skills would be considered an asset

Qualifications:

Citizen-To-Citizen

PEARCE. Lesley Pepper and Will Pearce of Elmira were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Ryleigh Lynn, born Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020 at Grand River Hospital, Kitchener, weighing 7 lbs. 10 oz. and 19.5 inches long. Proud grandparents are Murray and Sandra Pepper, Brussels and Bill and Elaine Pearce, Walkerton.

11-1p

Help wanted

FOR SALE – TMT hammerdrill like new, $75. 519-357-9694. 11-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE – two twin beds complete with head and foot boards, side rails, box springs and mattresses, $250. 519-357-5714.

11-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE – manure spreader, used for hauling wood, no beaters, $250 or best offer. Call or text 519441-0484.

10-3 -----------------------------------------WANTED – love seat in good condition; To trade: detective pocket books to trade for western pocket books. Will trade three for one. Call 519-357-9467.

10-3

• • • • • • • • • •

Post-secondary education in a Technology related field 3+ years of Information, Communication and Technology experience Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills Effective oral and written communication skills Ability to work well within a team environment Logical and organized with the ability to complement/work with abstract thinkers Detail oriented with a high degree of accuracy Ability to multi-task and adhere to strict deadlines Excellent customer service skills Demonstrated problem solving skills

We are offering a competitive salary and benefits program in a flexible, people oriented working environment.

If you are interested in this exciting career opportunity, please send your résumé to hr@howickmutual.com by 5:00pm on Friday, March 26, 2021.

We thank you for your interest; however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in the selection process.

See more “Help Wanted” on Page 15

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

www.huroncitizen.ca

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021. PAGE 15.

Classified Advertisements Help wanted

Help wanted

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY WITH THE TOWNSHIP OF NORTH HURON - Parks Summer Students The Township of North Huron is seeking four (4) temporary employee(s) to assist with various Summer programs and initiatives within the Township of North Huron. The following position to be filled is:

PARKS SUMMER STUDENT(S)

The Parks Department is seeking four (4) individuals to fill a full-time, seasonal position. Under the direction of the Lead Hand, the Parks and Properties Summer Student(s) will perform various tasks relating to the maintenance and upkeep of municipal infrastructure, green spaces, parks, gardens, flowers, trails, and facilities. The majority of work will be performed outdoors and will include grass cutting, restoration and upkeep of walking trails, flower beds and green spaces, and maintenance of municipal facilities.

Tenders

Tenders TENDERS are invited on behalf of the Belgrave Community Centre Board for the

Park Caretaker for the 2021 and 2022 Seasons Bids are invited to supply the necessary equipment and services of cutting and trimming grass, general maintenance, rolling of grounds and main ball diamond.

Bids are to be received for the above until April 5, 2021 at Belgrave Community Centre Board, PO Box 4, Belgrave, ON N0G 1E0.

Package and details may be obtained by contacting 519-357-8259.

THE LOWEST OR ANY BID NOT NECESSARILY ACCEPTED.

Qualifications for Employment • 16 years of age or older with a Valid Ontario Driver's Licence; • Experience operating tractors and mowers an asset; • Experience or education in parks/horticultural/landscaping a desire; • Available to work full-time between May and August, working forty (40) hours per week; • Scheduled shifts are Monday to Friday, with potential for some weekend work as required; • A criminal reference background check will be required for successful applicants.

ATTN: Human Resources hr@northhuron.ca Township of North Huron P.O. Box 90, 274 Josephine Street Wingham, Ontario N0G 2W0 If you are interested in this position, please forward a cover letter and résumé to the above e-mail address on or before WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24th @ 3:00 P.M. Only those being selected for an interview will be contacted.

We appreciate the interest of all applicants, however only those being selected for an interview will be contacted. The Township of North Huron is an equal opportunity employer.

Accessibility accommodations are available for all parts of the recruitment process.

Applicants need to make their needs known in advance. Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. Information is collected solely for the purpose of job selection under the provisions of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Tenders

Tenders

FARM FOR SALE BY TENDER Pt. Lot 4, Concession 10, North Perth, County of Perth 6569 Perth Line 72, Atwood, ON 59.49 Acres (Approx. 55 workable). Seeded in hay.

Possibility of Organic Certification Brick Farm House, 40' x 84' Steel Clad Barn with 8 box stalls and tack room 26' x 72' Drive Shed/Shop, 16' x 32' Barn, all with hydro and water.

Tenders will be accepted until 12:00 noon on Thursday, April 15th, 2021 For tender forms contact: Monteith Ritsma Phillips Prof. Corp.

360 Main St. E., Listowel, ON N4W 3H4 Attn.: Ryan Bagnell 519-291-3420 ext. 1113 bagnell@listowellawyers.com Viewing by appointment only. 226-622-1614 or shallowcreekstables@live.ca

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

www.huroncitizen.ca

Personals POST ABORTION HEALING. ARE you suffering from the emotional aftermath of an abortion? For support and healing please call Project Rachel at their confidential number 1-888-355-1110. e6w

Services INCOME TAX PREPARATION – farm, business, personal. Stephen Thompson, 519-482-3244. 09-8b ------------------------------------------CUSTOM CLOVER SEEDING with GPS, $2.50/acre or $3 for pasture. Seed available. Call Kurt Beuerman 519-525-0538 or 519523-9234 (home).

09-4b

PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021.

‘Muzzy’ Lowe marks 58 years as a local barber PEOPLE AROUND WALTON

By Jo-Ann McDonald Call 887-6570

It is hard to believe that last Monday morning, March 8, there was snow covering the fields, banks of snow along the roads, large piles of snow in our backyard and ice covering many ponds. Tuesday we awoke to milder temperatures and a dense fog that made driving most difficult.

Just a reminder to slow down and to have your headlights on.

Remember, there are buses slowing down to stop and children crossing the roads, and there is nothing harder on a driver’s nerves than when you can’t see what’s coming at you or behind you in the fog. Slow down!

Children’s lives are at stake.

Wednesday was a nice day, with temperatures rising and the sun shining, but the real “heat” came Wednesday night. Rising Thursday morning we could see large amounts of bare fields, water running down the fields and on my route, ditches and rivers overflowing their banks and flooding fields. It’s amazing that the snow just disappeared overnight.

It was a beautiful day on Thursday for all to enjoy. It, again, was unbelievable on Friday morning to see many of the water lakes almost gone, ditch banks not overflowing

and the cooler temperatures back.

The weather meteorologist on TV reports that March is usually the month that has the most fluctuations in temperatures and it seems so far she is right!

We send our get-well wishes to Pat Langlois as she has suffered a fall and has broken her wrist. Pat and George were just here in Brussels a week ago and we had a nice little visit. We hope she comes along nicely.

We hope that Agnes Ten Pas is feeling better and is home after spending a few days in the hospital.

Our signs of spring continue this week with the return of the tundra swans. There have been small groups of them in the fields on Thursday and then Friday, a field in Grey, had several hundred gathered in the ponding waters. When we went to see them on Saturday, they were gone and so was most of the water. We have seen several pairs of Canada geese together. It is mating season and Canada geese mate for life and they return to the same place where they were born every year.

The average lifespan of a Canada Goose ranges from 10 to 25 years. It will be an interesting few months while we watch them build their nest, lay their eggs and await the hatching of the little ones. We drive by everyday, twice a day, so we will be watching.

Another sign of spring that is revealed by the melting snow is the garbage along the sides of the road.

It seems that cans, water bottles and some beer bottles are the bulk of what I am seeing. We will wait for all the snow to go and a little warmer

weather before we head out to clean up our ditches.

Mark your calendars for a couple of special dates coming up. The Brussels Optimist Club is hosting a drive-thru smoked pork chop barbecue on April 10. Contact an Optimist member today before they sell out. The Brussels Fire Department is having a drive-thru chicken barbecue meal on June 20 instead of their usual breakfast.

Contact a firefighter for information and tickets. Support our local groups that support our community!

Congratulations to Murray Lowe who celebrated 58 years of barbering on March 14. Murray has worked through many good years, short hair, long hair, brush cuts, flat tops, long top short back, long back short top, and he works on. COVID-19 has given him some time off but he is now back to business with many COVID-19 protocols in place.

Murray is quite the fellow and has customers that come to him from all across the county for his “conversation”. Congratulations Muzzy!

It is with sadness we hear of the passing of former Brussels/Walton girl, Lin Steffler. She will be missed by her husband Joe and son John and his wife Heather and their children.

Lin was a wonderful lady who I met when I first came to Walton. She worked at the Catholic School Board

office in Dublin for many years and she always had an interest in politics. She became the Reeve of Seaforth and then the first Mayor of Huron East. When her husband Joe became the coach of the Walton men’s fastball team, it was a commitment by both. Many times their house was the home for all the team and food was usually involved.

They moved to Seaforth and she became involved in many different organizations, including the Seaforth Harmony Hi-lites and the Seaforth Legion. Lin loved to have fun and laugh and adored her grandchildren and great-granddaughter. She will be missed by one and all. Our condolences to the Steffler family.

We have been out walking and went on the Goderich-to-Guelph Rail Trail this past week. It is really nice to walk on, a great surface, with just a bit of snow left in the very sheltered places. The only downfall right now is the first 100 yards.

People with pets should know enough to clean up after them.

You have to be watchful of where you are stepping. I drive by the entrance off Brussels Line every day and quite often see people with their pets on the trail, but I guess I just assumed that they were responsible pet owners and were cleaning up after their pets.

I am not sure what the answer is, but if you have a pet, clean up

after it, especially on public trails.

Celebrating birthdays this week are: Allison Baan, Victoria Williamson, Joanne Knight Black, Jo-Anne Workman, Parker Grobbink, Christine Knight, Lisa Gingerich, Jim Humphries, Ross Mitchell, Bob Alexander, Cassandra Banks, Reg Vinnicombe, Griffin Verkley, Ray Huether Jr., Celeste Ryan, and St. Patrick’s Day babies Jim Lee, Don Chesher, MacKinley Ryan, Cora Alcock, and Aylah Leonhardt. Happy birthday to all!

NEWS FROM WALTON

NOTICE OF A PUBLIC MEETING REGARDING AMENDMENT TO THE HURON EAST OFFICIAL PLAN #11 TAKE NOTICE that the Corporation of the Municipality of Huron East will hold a Public Meeting under Sections 17 and 21 of the Planning Act to consult with the public about a Housekeeping Amendment to the Huron East Official Plan.

PUBLIC MEETING will be held:

7:00 p.m. – Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at the Seaforth & District Arena and Community Centre, 122 Duke Street, Seaforth ANY PERSON may attend the Public Meeting and/or make written or verbal representation.

PURPOSE AND EFFECT The purpose of the municipally initiated Housekeeping Amendment to the Huron East Official Plan is to update policies to provide clarification on Minimum Distance Separation policies for livestock barns, amend the servicing policies for Garden Suites, update a medium residential development policy, and amend the land use designation for 3 specific properties in Cranbrook.

A summary of the proposed policy changes for the Huron East Official Plan Amendment are: • Clarify the required distances from livestock barns to cemeteries; • Applying Minimum Distance Separation to livestock barns from Agricultural Commercial or Industrial properties; • Update Garden Suites policy in the Agriculture section to amend wording for servicing; • Permit up to six (6) units in a multiple attached dwelling for medium residential density.

The text amendment applies to all the lands within the Municipality of Huron East.

Changes to the Schedule B Land Use map for the following properties in Cranbrook: • PLAN 207 LOTS 205 TO 208 AND 214 TO 217 (KENT LINE) • PLAN 207 LOTS 149 TO 152 AND 161 TO 164 (KENT LINE) • PLAN 207 LOTS 97 TO 100 AND 109 TO 112 (KENT LINE) A copy of the draft changes may be accessed on the Huron East website at: www.huroneast.com or at the Huron East Municipal Office (72 Main Street, Seaforth), Monday to Friday, 8:30am- 4:30pm.

IF you wish to be notified of the decision of the Municipality on the proposed Amendments, you must make a written request to 72 Main Street, Seaforth ON N0K 1W0 IF a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the Municipality of Huron East before the by-laws are passed, the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision of the Council of the Municipality of Huron East to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal.

Hang tight Students at Hullett Central Public School were able to ditch their snow pants and pull on their mud boots last week thanks to the warmer weather melting the snow on the playground. Above, Reese DeBoer and Gabi Randall hang out during a lull in the action of a soccer game. (Denny Scott photo)

IF a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting or make written submissions to the Municipality of Huron East before the by-law is passed the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal unless, in the opinion of the Tribunal there are reasonable grounds to do so.

Brad Knight, CAO/Clerk Municipality of Huron East 72 Main Street, Seaforth N0K 1W0 519-527-0160

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021. PAGE 17.

From the Minister’s Study

Jesus helps the spiritually sick, calling for help

By Pastor Ernest Dow, Huron Chapel EMC, Auburn Are you quick to form opinions about people? It’s easy to jump to conclusions about others, to judge a book by its cover, to form prejudices based on very limited evidence.

A lady visiting New York for the first time was being led to her hotel room by the bellboy. As she walked through the door she became indignant and snapped at the man, “I tell you that I won’t have this room.

I'm not paying my good money for this cramped cubbyhole with a tiny folding bed not fit to sleep on. And there's no TV, no phone, and I suppose you expect me to walk down the hall to use the...” The bellboy cut her short: “Ma’am, this isn’t your room, this is the elevator.”

It’s all too easy to jump to conclusions in forming our judgments!

As Jesus’ ministry started picking up speed, His miracles earned quite a name for Him; He began to attract a large following. Yet people never would have dreamed Jesus might pick a tax collector to be one of His closest followers. But He called Levi (also referred to as Matthew) from his tax collector’s booth. (Mark 2:14) The tax collection system in Palestine under Roman occupation had become kind of a mash-up between civic duty and organized crime. Tax collectors constituted a despised profession in Palestine: such people were viewed as traitors, having bought tax franchises from the Roman overlords. Subsequently, skimming off a large surplus over what they were required to remit, many tax collectors became wealthy at the expense of their neighbours.

When Jesus called Levi, the collector could have been “set for life” in a prime location. We find out from the context he probably had a fine house, of good size that could host a banquet with numerous guests.

Christ just says two words, “Follow Me”, and it’s enough. Levi gets up and follows Him. Had his conscience been bothering him, collecting over and above what was really due? Had the sneers and abuse from Levi’s fellow Jews been eating away at the satisfaction of seeing his nest egg accumulate? For whatever reason, something deep inside Levi prompts him to respond, to get up and get moving with Jesus. As a result, we have the first book of the New Testament, the Gospel according to Matthew [aka Levi].

Levi was obviously a careful recordkeeper, good at his job – but

Evangelical Missionary Church

Watch HuronChapel.com/VIDEOS Sundays 10:30 a.m.

Sunday March 21 - Pastor Ernest Dow “The Submission of Jesus — and Our Grudging Obedience” (Heb.5:1-10)

Call 519-526-1131 to pre-register if attending (max 30% capacity; use lower parking lot)

Check out our LifeGroups online and in-person!

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

he chose to give all that away to follow this mysterious Messiah. Not depending on money, or income, or the power of the government to back the fleecing of his fellow Judeans...

Levi turned his back on all that and committed his future into Jesus’ hands.

He felt so good about this decision, he decided to throw a banquet and celebrate. When Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, we are told they were joined by “many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.)” (Mark 2:15, New Living Translation) Are we talking about those people? Did your parents fill you in on those people while you were growing up? I used to think my parents were pretty unprejudiced, but we did pick up also by osmosis some of their attitudes toward people of whom they didn’t really have a very good opinion.

There was that family up the road, who had more kids and seemed to keep on having more kids, who didn’t really seem to have a regular job, whose children dressed not as nicely as we did and used bad words, the kids who sometimes seemed to steal from us when items went missing. I’m guessing the parents drank some, and we didn’t. Those people.

There were the Indigenous people we never met but Dad had stories about; a man who when he was growing up in the 1920s had walked right into their home as if he owned the place, took what he wanted to eat, and left again. That sort of story prompts you to form an opinion

about a whole group of people.

Those people.

There were the Catholics who inhabited the north half of the township and attended the big, imposing Catholic Church in Dublin. The Protestants in the south half preferred not to have much to do with the north half. Those people.

Little did I realize I would be in close partnership years later with Frere Armand, a Catholic lay brother from France who taught Braille and other classes at the newly-formed National Institute for the Blind in Congo. I actually got to know him and appreciate him, one time going for a meal with his other lay brothers in their little community.

Do you have any of those people in your acquaintance? What measures did your parents use to induce you to put up invisible barriers that would seal you off safe from those people who might influence you, that you were better off not having too much to do with?

Who for you are those people today, that you’d rather not meet coming down the street?

As for Jesus, He seems to have been surprisingly at home with those people. Teachers of the law complained to Jesus’ disciples, “Why does He eat with such scum?”

(Mk.2:16) You can almost hear the sneer in their voices! To eat with someone in the Middle East implies acceptance, even approval, if you break bread together.

Yet, Jesus is not pressured or manipulated into leaving the feast of the so-called “sinners”. Jesus responded, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but

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

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sinners.” Christ came to call sinners, those who know they’ve fallen short, those who realize they’re not able to stand on their own feet before a holy God, those who are ready to submit their attitudes and priorities and mindset because they’re just not working to give the meaning and relationships life ought to have.

Jesus came to treat the morally sick, to inoculate them with this vaccine called “the Kingdom of God”, to help them re-think their whole approach to life oriented around what God most wants. You’ve got to be ready to have your worldview turned upside down to discover how God really looks at things. You don’t need a do-over on the surface, you need a heart transplant!

Only those who recognize they are

spiritually sick, that they are not healthy, are the ones Doctor Jesus can help. They are who He came to save: not the righteous, but sinners.

The recent military coup in Myanmar has brought many protesters to the end of their rope.

Sister Ann Rose Nu Tawng is a nun in Myanmar who knelt in front of police who had been shooting student protesters. The students ran for safety to a clinic where she was working; she knelt pleading for the police to stop the killing, and even to take her life instead of the students’.

(Thankfully, it worked – the police relented.) That is like Jesus coming to give His own life in the stead of sinners, to be a doctor healing those who are spiritually sick and calling out for help.

Brussels Mennonite Fellowship Great News!

God’s not in lockdown!

His love is always there for you.

Your friends at BMF pray that God will continue to keep you safe through these challenging times.

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

(Isaiah 41:10)

No in-person services until further notice 250 Princess St., Brussels • 519-887-6388 • Pastor Ken Gazley

BRUSSELS

United Church As the pandemic changes our world take comfort in these words “Do not be afraid. Peace. Be Strong now, be strong.” Daniel 10:19

Weekly worship services continue via YouTube “Brussels and Blyth United Churches Contact Alex at minister.brusselsandblythuc@gmail.com Website: brusselsandblythuc.ca P.O. Box 359, Brussels ~ 519-887-6259

Blyth United Church Stay safe and join us in worship via YouTube “Brussels and Blyth United Churches” "Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long."

(Psalm 25:5)

MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Facebook: Blyth and Brussels United Churches

BRUSSELS

blythunited@tcc.on.ca ~ 519-523-4224

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

Stay safe and healthy!

Brussels Soup and More 2 is cancelled until further notice.

519-357-5273

Our 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. services have resumed with a limited capacity.

Join us for:

Good Friday Service at 10:00 am Easter Sunday Service at 10:00 ~ no evening service Services are live streamed and can be watched by searching “Blyth Christian Reformed Church”

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

Contact Alex at: minister.brusselsandblythuc@gmail.com

THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH

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

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

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

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

PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021.

Processing capacity has steadily improved: McArter

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Processing capacity in Ontario has been a concern for local beef producers for months, though Kevin McArter, president of the Huron County Beef Producers, says things are getting better.

When the organization hosted its annual general meeting earlier this year, virtually via Zoom, McArter said the lack of processing capacity in the province was one of the biggest issues facing the industry. At that time, plants were being shut down due to COVID-19 outbreaks and producers’ schedules had to be shuffled with nowhere to send their animals.

The issue was exacerbated locally by the Green’s Meat Market fire in the summer, which eliminated, overnight, one of the most reliable destinations for processing of local beef, pork and other animals.

However, while processing capacity had plummeted over the

holidays and in the first few weeks of the new year, things have improved significantly, which has made life easier for the Huron County Beef Producers, McArter said.

There was the two-week closure at Cargill, McArter said, along with slowdowns in St. Helen’s Meat Packers, which were all in addition to the Green’s shutdown.

However, with those facilities now fully operational and Green’s aiming to reopen in May, there is hope on the horizon.

In addition, new life has been breathed into the former RydingRegency Meat Packers location, which had its operating licence cancelled in 2019. It has since been purchased and renamed TruHarvest Meats, McArter said. And while the plant isn’t processing as many animals as its owners would like just yet, McArter is confident it will get there, which will only further aid Ontario’s beef producers.

He said that while Ontario could

still use another plant or two, things are progressing, which is good to see.

Prices, however, are still not where beef producers want them to be, McArter said, which is making things hard.

With many other sectors seeing very high prices, that is only driving up the cost of owning a beef operation. He said unfortunately it seems that, in the world of agriculture, one sector has to suffer for others to thrive. It doesn’t have to be that way, of course, but it just seems historically to be the way it is, McArter said.

He did say that some of the best years of the beef industry in Ontario were when inputs were high, but beef prices followed, which hasn’t been happening in recent years.

As for the Huron County Beef Producers, McArter said the organization is looking ahead to an unorthodox year, but one that members hope will be profitable for

the group despite those challenges.

There had been plans to host a barbecue dinner and dance in Brussels in 2020, but those plans were dashed as a result of the

COVID-19 pandemic. He hopes the event will be able to go ahead later this year when vaccination is widespread and it’s safe to do so, but only time will tell.

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021. PAGE 19.

Ginn, McNeil and Wark to sit on energy committee

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Huron County Warden Glen McNeil, Past-Warden Jim Ginn and

Chief Administrative Officer Meighan Wark will represent Huron County on the Clean Energy Frontier Program Regional Steering Committee.

This decision came after a presentation to Huron County Council by Chad Richard, director of the Clean Energy Frontier Program, a successor to the Nuclear Economic Development and Innovation Intiative, at council’s March 3 meeting.

Several councillors made their cases to be representatives, including Bluewater Mayor Paul Klopp and North Huron Reeve Bernie Bailey. Klopp said he felt all three of the county’s representatives should be elected officials, rather than including a staff member, while Bailey cited North Huron’s proximity to the Bruce Power nuclear site as a reason he should be considered.

In the end, however, council chose

McNeil, Ginn and Wark to represent the county. *** Council approved an 11-unit development project at South Street and Krohmer Drive in Goderich, despite significant pushback from neighbours.

The 1.6-acre project will be divided into five single detached dwellings and three semi-detached dwellings.

Planner Victor Kloeze said though there had been some consultation between the developer and neighbours who were concerned that the semi-detached dwellings would not be compatible with existing housing, the developer opted to submit the application as is, which council approved.

*** Council authorized a letter of support from the county for Tuckersmith Communication’s broadband funding application to the Universal Broadband Fund. *** At council’s March 3 meeting, it approved the tender of Lavis Contracting Company Ltd. for the downtown reconstruction project in Clinton for Albert Street (County Road 4) from Beech Street to Highway 8.

The total bid price is just over $3.3 million, with Huron County paying $1,610,744.92, Central Huron paying $1,694,039.40 and Tuckersmith Communications paying $3,005.99.

New municipal website launched

By Denny Scott The Citizen

Seasonal crafts Cassidy Bosma was one of several youths that took part in craft program at Wild Goose Studio in Blyth over the weekend. Above, she works on some snake-themed decorations tied into the St. Patrick’s Day mythos. The program continues this weekend. (Denny Scott photo)

North Huron Township Council received a tour of its new website on Monday evening after the site had launched the previous week.

The new website, which replaced a site that Reeve Bernie Bailey referred to as a weight the municipality had to drag around, had a soft launch on March 9.

Staff reported the township had worked with eSolutions for the past 10 months on the new website and the result had made everyone proud.

As part of the presentation, Marketing and Promotion Assistant

Bailey questions project costs

By Denny Scott The Citizen During the annual report regarding North Huron’s water and wastewater systems, Reeve Bernie Bailey sought to prove how much money servicing other municipalities is costing North Huron.

On Monday night, at council’s regular meeting, Veolia Water’s John Graham presented the 2020 annual activities review, which included some deficiencies that had been addressed throughout the year.

While there were some questions regarding the report, Bailey asked numerous questions regarding crossborder servicing, including who pays when a North Huron system needs to be repaired outside of its

borders, who is responsible for road repairs and replacement when a water or sewer line needs to be replaced and if North Huron or its councillors could be liable for damaged or illegal system hook-ups that cause damage.

Graham, alongside Director of Finance Donna White, answered the questions in turn. To address Bailey’s concerns about crossborder infrastructure, Graham said that North Huron is responsible for Veolia’s work on the system, whether it goes ahead on North Huron’s side of the border or the other.

White, in answering Bailey’s second question, said that water and wastewater infrastructure can be covered through reserves built up by

users paying into the system, however roads, stormwater and sidewalk infrastructure would be attributed to its respective municipal department, meaning those costs come out of tax dollars.

Bailey’s final question spoke to the Standard of Care expectations, Graham said, and he acknowledged that North Huron and its councillors are responsible for making sure the system doesn’t cause damage. He said that, as a private company contracted by North Huron, Veolia does its best to monitor those situations.

Council received Graham’s report and took no action as a result of Bailey’s line of questions.

Denise Lockie said the new site’s main purpose is to connect with the community and provide transparency.

The new website, according to Lockie, addresses some deficiencies in the old site, including not meeting the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requirements and not being Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliant for online payments.

“In addition, the website will be compatible with Escribe and Laserfiche and will have the ability to interface with several third-party applications, including ‘Fusion’, the new recreation management software,” the staff report said.

The report also noted that, going forward, staff will annually review options for the website with eSolutions to consider using additional modules “to improve communications and engagement with the public and to offer more online services.”

Lockie gave the tour of the website to council, explaining that a business directory would be populated soon by the Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) in Wingham and Blyth.

Several councillors lauded the new website for its improvements over the previous offering.

The new website is viewable at northhuron.ca.

Community Drive-By Bridal Shower for

Hannah McCutcheon Please join Nicole Noble and Maggie Speer in celebrating the upcoming marriage of Hannah McCutcheon and Ben Hodgins There will be a COVID-19 style driveby shower on Sunday, March 28, 2021 from 2 to 5 pm at 23 Halliday St., Brussels (home of Frank and Mary Stretton) Due to COVID-19 restrictions we kindly ask you to practice social distancing and please stay in your vehicle to give the bride your best wishes.

If you would like to purchase a gift, Hannah and Ben are registered at MyRegistry.com https://www.myregistry.com/giftlist/hodgins2020 Nicole and Maggie hope you can join them in showering Hannah with bridal wishes.

Brighten Their Day with our Celebration Special During this time of social distancing don’t forget your loved one’s special day with our limited time special price for celebration ads (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.)

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Support The Brussels Legion Catch the Ace fundraiser left the service club with enough funds to donate to several community groups recently. Above the Goderich-to-Guelph (G2G) Rail Trail receives $500. From left: Legion member Sandra Josling, Legion President Jamie Mitchell, Legion member Deb Ross and Chris Lee of the G2G committee.

(Photo submitted)

The Citizen

Call or email today 519-523-4792 info@northhuron.on.ca

$60 + tax includes colour

PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021.

Bluewater centre purchase deferred Continued from page 1 big-ticket item is $5 million that had been set aside for the purchase of the former Bluewater Youth Centre, a deal that has yet to close. There is also the replacement of a tandem truck for over $300,000, a new filter at the sewage treatment plant for nearly $107,000, paving of Community Centre Road in Clinton for just under $90,000 and paving of the Holmesville Hall parking lot for nearly $43,000.

There are also a number of projects that have been pre-approved in the 2021 budget, totalling over $2.5 million. By far the biggest item in that budget is the Albert Street project (Clinton’s main street) for over $1.85 million. Other projects include street lighting, a digital sign for the Central Huron Fire Department, waterproofing joints on a culvert along Fish and Game Line, replacing a bridge on Fish and Game Line, the Spooner’s Lane light tunnel and two new pickup trucks.

Council was satisfied with Boyes’ budget and the proposed tax rate increase of three per cent.

Councillor Alex Westerhout said

three per cent was a bit higher than what he was hoping for, but that he was fine with the budget as presented.

There were two other items up for discussion at the meeting. The first was a potential change to the municipality’s façade grant, reducing the maximum grant amount from $5,000 to $3,000.

Councillors, however, were not in favour of that change, and voted to remain at a maximum of $5,000.

Also, Councillor Alison Lobb put forward a motion that $50,000 be inserted into the budget for the creation of economic development videos meant to attract visitors to the municipality. That motion will also return to council’s next budget meeting, with Mayor Jim Ginn recommending that the money be sourced from the municipality’s tax stabilization fund, if council sees fit to approve it.

Boyes will make the minor adjustments recommended by council and return with a second draft of the budget to council’s next budget meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, March 23.

Young-Bolen set to lead knitting lesson

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen A virtual knitting workshop with several local ties is scheduled for Thursday, March 25 and it promises to provide a window into local history through the knitting process.

Sharlene Young-Bolen of Blyth, who heads up Stitch Revival Studio, will be the featured instructor in the virtual knitting workshop, which seeks to create a pair of “Huron wristers”, a unique style of glove that runs from the base of the fingers up to well above the wrist and onto the forearm.

On her blog, Young-Bolen has detailed the history of the gloves as she knows it. Pearl Wheeler of Belgrave donated the gloves to the Huron County Museum in 1972.

They had once belonged to her husband Herbert and the museum’s records show that the gloves were thought to date back to 1870.

Young-Bolen, in an interview with The Citizen, said she found the history of the gloves fascinating, like a window into local history through knitting. She said she found the combination of patterns and colours intriguing, as they called for deeper research into when and where they might have been made, a mystery that remains unsolved for the time being.

On her blog, Young-Bolen wrote that the eight-stitch motif repeating pattern on the gloves is similar to both the Shetland Fair Isle knitting pattern called “Little Flowers”, as well as an Estonian pattern called “Cat’s Paw”.

Tickets for the workshop – set for Thursday, March 25 at 7 p.m. – are $45 plus HST, which includes your full kit for the project. The kit does not include needles and is best for an intermediate knitter. It includes one hank (100 grams) of off-white, undyed wool; two smaller hanks (20 grams each) of naturally dyed wool, plus the pattern.

Young-Bolen worked with Marg Steele of Steele Wool Farm of the Auburn area for the fibre for the project.

For a full story on the Wheelers and Young-Bolen’s work (she hopes to collaborate with Jennifer Triemstra-Johnston of Fashion Arts and Creative Textiles Studio in Blyth to create a historic replication of the gloves later this year), see next week’s issue of The Citizen.

To register for the March 25 workshop, you can visit the Huron County Museum in person during its business hours or register over the phone at 519-524-2686. All kits must be picked up at the Huron County Museum, which is located at 110 North Street in Goderich.

There and back again Rosemary Zehr and Louise Langlais recently strapped on their cross-country skis and took on the Goderich-to-Guelph Rail Trail twice, becoming the first pair to ski the trail from start to finish. They began their journey in late January and wrapped up last week. (Photo submitted)

Rural Reads

COUNTRY COOKING MADE EASY Over 1,000 recipes offer a wealth of healthy, delicious and easy-tomake dishes for every meal – this is comfort food at its best. These tried-and-true treasurered classics are gleaned from the kitchens of expert country cooks. $19.95

RAISING BUTTERFLIES IN THE GARDEN Features 40 North American butterfly and moth species, range maps and more than 500 photographs. The book also lists the host and nectar plans each species relies on. $24.95

THE VIEW FROM CASTLE ROCK This book traces the generations of Alice Munro’s family.

Evocative, gripping, and unexpected, the stories in this collection are Munro’s most personal stories. $21.00

QUACK! MOO! OINK! Bring the barnyard to life with 10 farm animal sounds! Fun facts and sounds on every page for your little farmer. $17.95

I WANT TO BE A FARMER Activity book for young ones. Includes 100 stickers and pop-outs to keep your little one entertained. $10.95

Total

Qty.

COUNTRY COOKING MADE EASY RAISING BUTTERFLIES IN THE GARDEN THE VIEW FROM CASTLE ROCK ONION SKINS AND PEACH FUZZ I WANT TO BE A FARMER QUACK! MOO! OINK! Prices subject to change with increases in wholesale prices, postage, taxes, etc. Please refer to current issue for correct figures.

Incorrect payment will delay delivery.

ONION SKINS AND PEACH FUZZ Memories of Ontario Farmerettes Authors Shirleyan English and Bonnie Sitter dedicate this book to the thousands of Farmerettes who volunteered on farms during the years 1941-52. $49.00

$19.95 $24.95 $21.00 $49.00 $10.95 $17.95 Total for Books Shipping & Handling $9.00 Add 5% GST on subtotal Order Total

The Citizen

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