The Citizen - May 12, 2023

2 • Reunion 8 • Sports 11 • Home & Garden 31 • Entertainment

The

THIS WEEK

Citizen

Huron County’s most trusted independent news source

Friday, May 12, 2023

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Volume 39 No. 19

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, ON N0M 1H0

Brussels Lions’ draw to return

Big air The Auburn Hills motocross track was the place to be on the weekend for those with gasoline running through their veins. The track hosted last weekend’s 2023 True North Fleet, Lease and Remarketing

Amateur Motocross Ontario races at its beautiful course just north of Auburn. Saturday was a great day for competition, while Sunday fell victim to rain, making for some challenging conditions. (John Stephenson photo)

Planning changes a ‘recipe for disaster’

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Some drastic changes proposed to the Provincial Policy Statement have Huron County planners and councillors concerned about the future of prime agricultural land and rural neighbourhoods if they come to pass this fall.

Director of Planning Sandra Weber and Manager of Planning Denise Van Amersfoort spoke to council on the issue at its May 3 meeting.

“The most significant change for Huron County proposed under the new [Provincial Policy Statement, 2023] is new policies for residential lot creation in prime agricultural areas. The current Provincial Policy Statement discourages residential lot creation in prime agricultural areas, with the exception of surplus farm residence severances. The changes would allow additional permanent residences and the

severance of the additional residences, and the creation of new residential lots in the agricultural area...” the pair said in their report to council.

The units would need to be in close proximity to the principal dwelling, comply with minimum distance separation, not hinder surrounding agricultural operations and have appropriate water and sewer services provided.

Furthermore, the lots in question can only be severed from the lot with the principal dwelling.

The new regulation states that agriculture would need to remain the principal use of the existing lot, the number of lots created cannot exceed three, the residential units would have to be compatible with agriculture and not hinder it, and have access to a public road.

Weber and Van Amersfoort also noted that, in regards to this specific change, official plans or zoning bylaws will not be permitted

to be more restrictive than the new policies, unless to address public safety or health. That is another change, they said, as the provincial government had, for years, allowed local governments to be more restrictive if they felt it made sense in their communities.

“Residential lot creation in prime agricultural areas has been discouraged since the Countryside Planning/Foodland Guidelines were issued by the Province of Ontario in the 1970s. The purpose of this provincial-wide planning document was to ensure the protection of prime agricultural land for food production,” the pair stated in their report. “Huron County is a prime agricultural area and agriculture is extremely important to the economy and the production of food. For over 50 years, Huron County has had strong official plan policies protecting this agricultural resource and directing non-agricultural-related

development to settlement areas.

“Staff and council recognize the need for housing in the agricultural area and, in response, have updated zoning bylaws to allow for additional residential units in the AG1 and AG4 zones and expanded permissions for on-farm housing for farm labour. This allows for additional housing related to agriculture, but does not fragment the land base. The province’s proposal to allow for scattered residential development through lot creation does not further the interests of the agricultural industry.”

The pair suggested that the change may increase conflict with modern farming practices; increase minimum distance separation restrictions on the placement of new barns; reduce the number of units being built in settlement areas where municipalities have invested substantial funds on services; lost Continued on page 29

The Brussels Lions Club’s popular Elimination Draw will return later this year after a threeyear hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Planning is well underway, with the date set for Sept. 9 at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre.

For many years, this event has been held on the first weekend in June and, while the club had hoped to continue this tradition, concerns arose that the renovations at the centre would not be sufficiently complete to undertake this major fundraiser at that time. According to Lion Ron Clarkson, Committee Chair for the event, a decision was made to postpone the event until Sept. 9.

The first Brussels Lions Elimination Draw was held in 1975 in the old Brussels Arena with the goal of raising funds for the construction of a new community centre and arena in Brussels. The family-oriented event has been a major fundraising event for the club ever since. A sizable portion of this year’s proceeds will be set aside to help fund the club’s current financial commitment to the renovation project being undertaken at the facility.

As in past years, this is a family event consisting of a delicious, barbequed roast beef and pork dinner, along with entertainment, including clowns and face painting for the young and young at heart.

More than $8,300 in cash prizes will be awarded, with the grand prize winner taking home $5,000.

Tickets will be available from Lions Club members in late May at a cost of $75 each. Only 500 tickets will be sold, and each ticket covers the cost of admission, a fabulous meal for two adults and family members to age 12, entertainment, a chance at winning one of 28 cash prizes, and a fantastic opportunity to catch up with friends and neighbours.

The event has been a staple of the club’s calendar for nearly 50 years and has, over the years, proven to be one of the community’s most successful fundraisers and a mustattend social event for residents.

A limited number of tickets will be made available for online purchase. You can reserve yours by e-mailing Lion Patti Vandermeer at lion.patti.2021@gmail.com For additional information, contact the Brussels Lions Club at brusselslionsclub.a9@gmail.com.

PAGE 2. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023.

JFAO’s Gordie meets his maker after nearly 20 years

Reunited (and it feels so good) After seeing Gordie, centre, the Junior Farmers’ Association of Ontario’s unofficial mascot in a recent issue of The Rural Voice, Jean Bennett, the woman who made the bear nearly 20 years ago, sought to set up a reunion. It went ahead with organization President Jolande Oudshoorn, right, in Seaforth on Tuesday. (Shawn Loughlin photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Gordie, the unofficial teddy bear mascot of the Junior Farmers’ Association of Ontario, was reunited with his creator on Tuesday, as Jean Bennett, from just south of Bayfield, met with the 80th President of the provincial organization in Seaforth to check in on her nearly-20-year-old stuffed creation.

In late March, Auburn’s Jolande Oudshoorn was elected president of the Junior Farmers’ Association of Ontario, becoming just the third

Huron County resident to lead the provincial organization. She was pictured in both The Citizen and The Rural Voice accepting Gordie the bear from Past-President Jamie Schultz of Renfrew County. In recent years, the bear has become a vehicle for the safekeeping of the historical president’s pin, which dates back generations.

Then, the office of North Huron Publishing received a call.

Jean Bennett, from the Bayfield area, had seen the story in The Rural Voice and told the staff at the office that she was the person who had made the bear many years ago.

She was hoping to meet Oudshoorn and have the first face-to-face she’d had with the bear in nearly 20 years.

Then, last Tuesday, Oudshoorn, Bennett, Citizen Editor Shawn Loughlin and Gordie all met at Cafe Darling in Seaforth to reminisce and do a bit of a historical deep dive.

Bennett, who says she’ll soon be turning 91 years old, couldn’t believe her eyes when she opened the pages of The Rural Voice to see the bear she created as part of a fundraiser for the Junior Farmers of Ontario all those years ago.

Bennett has made close to 50

bears over the years, for everything from church fundraisers to family reunions. However, the bear she created for the Junior Farmers in the early 2000s is one that has remained close to her heart. First off, it’s bigger than most of the other bears she has created over the years.

Second, she and her late husband Art had a long and storied history with agriculture in Ontario and the Junior Farmers. Art passed away last year and was a leader in Ontario agriculture. He was elected to the Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2013, nominated by the Junior Farmers’ Association of Ontario for his work in leadership training and development, as well as farm management training. In addition, he served as the secretary and treasurer of the Junior Farmers’ Association of Ontario and, for nearly a decade, he ran the group’s leadership camp.

So, when the provincial organization held its 60th annual general meeting, with an auction to go with it, Jean made a bear to be auctioned off that night. The winning bid was $350 in 2004 and the winning bidder was Allan Orr, the brother of the late Gordon Orr, who was the first-ever president of the Junior Farmers’ Association of Ontario. Bennett said Allan bought the bear, adorned with a smart red tie and a 2004-dated vest, out of appreciation for his brother and wrote a cheque that night for $400 for the organization.

Two years later, however, the bear made its way back to the organization. Soon enough, Gordie the bear (so named by PastPresident Kurtis Smith), was made the official keeper of the president’s pin. In speaking with The Citizen that day, Oudshoorn said the need to keep the pin was essential, as it had survived an encounter with a snowplow (making its way through the machine) and had been lost over the years in more than one move. As a result, Gordie was employed to keep the pin safe and was to be passed from provincial president to president.

Bennett’s story dates back to 1817 when her ancestors came to Canada from England. They made a life for themselves for years in the Halton region. There, she met Art

and they were married. They lived and farmed in that area for nearly 30 years before eventually retiring and seeking out a new home, which is when they found a home just south of Bayfield. They worked at renovating the home for over a decade, getting it up to snuff. Then, one day, all these years later, Bennett was reading her monthly issue of The Rural Voice when she saw a picture of the bear she had created to raise money for the Junior Farmers’ Association of Ontario nearly 20 years earlier. She saw it and knew she had to get in touch with Oudshoorn, the keeper of the bear.

Bennett said she thought Gordie’s tie looked a bit weathered, but that, otherwise, he looked like he was in pretty good shape.

Oudshoorn, for her part, said she was both surprised and intrigued when someone from North Huron Publishing reached out to her, saying the person who claimed she had made Gordie the bear had been in touch. She quickly contacted Bennett, who first began making stuffed bears to raise money at local church bazaars, and the meeting was set.

When Bennett knew she would be reunited with her stuffed creation, after reading about its importance to the organization in recent years, she thought it was “just wonderful” and was eager to learn more.

As for Oudshoorn, she wanted to meet with Bennett and learn more before sharing the story of Gordie the bear far and wide, and she said it was pretty amazing to be connected with the person who had created the bear and to hear Bennett’s story so many years later.

Leadership in energy and environmental design

Devon Henry 84772 McDonald Line • Box 616 • Brussels

devonjhenry@hotmail.com 519-505-2473

Blyt yth Annua nnual Us Used Boo ook Sale Trinity Anglican Church 166 Dinsley St., Blyth

June 2 & 3 Friday, June 2 ~ 4 pm to 8 pm (no early bird sales) Saturday, June 3 ~ 9 am to 6 pm

Book Intake May 31 & June 1 from 9 am to 5 pm Donate your clean, gently used books and help us preserve the past.

We regret that we cannot accept text books, encyclopedias, magazines or anything stained, dirty or torn. Please help us save the expense of dumping them!

Join us for our famous

Stronger together Local artist Abi Bos was brought in to capture the spirit of Wingham in a new mural, one of several unveiled across Huron County. Trevor Seip, of the Wingham Community Connectors, was among those on hand to celebrate the new art on Friday night at the North Huron Wescast Community Complex. (John Stephenson photo)

Fill a Box box sale with Books on used books Saturday, June 3 from 3 to 6 for $10 For info contact deb@northhuron.on.ca

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023. PAGE 3.

Group asks for more help from ACW Council

Opposition

As an Ontario Land Tribunal hearing approaches for a proposed gravel pit in AshfieldColborne-Wawanosh, an opposing group, seen above at its late April meeting, has been gathering its experts in hopes of putting a stop to the project. (Scott Stephenson photo)

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen A public information meeting of the community group “Save Ball’s Bridge and Little Lakes Road” was held in late April at the Benmiller Hall as part of the group’s ongoing effort to halt plans to turn a nearby tract of land into an aggregate mine.

Constructed in 1884, Ball’s Bridge is a unique, pin-connected truss bridge spanning a stretch of the Maitland River in the Little Lakes area just outside of Auburn.

The bridge was saved from demolition and fully rehabilitated in 2007 as a result of a collective community effort, receiving support from Ashfield-ColborneWawanosh (ACW) Council in the form of an investment of $250,000 to fund the project. Ball’s Bridge remains a popular spot for tourists, photographers and hikers.

The Ball’s Bridge and Little Lakes conservation group’s current concern is a proposal from Lobo Sand and Gravel to expand the existing Fisher Pit into a much larger, active pit - a project the group believes would devastate the delicate ecosystem surrounding Ball’s Bridge. Decreased air quality, water quality, dangers caused by increased truck traffic and loss of at-risk species also topped the long list of concerns voiced by at the meeting.

Early plans to stop the potential pit hinged on convincing ACW Council to deny the mining company’s application to rezone the site - without the zoning variance, the mine could not move forward.

The issue has since moved beyond ACW Council’s purview, having been taken under consideration by the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT).

The Ball’s Bridge group is currently

The Citizen

gathering a team of experts to help build their case against the pit and is lobbying ACW Council to join them in the effort.

There were a number of speakers at the meeting, led by Rebecca Garrett, one of the founders of the original “Friends of Ball’s Bridge” group. The group’s resurgence and broadening of its focus started in 2020, when nearby residents felt they had not adequately been made aware of applications by a private company to create a large open gravel pit near the bridge. Since then, group members have felt that they have been repeatedly left in the dark throughout the planning process.

Garrett presented maps of the contested area, and explained some of the more recent projects undertaken by the current group, ranging from objection letters to the Ministry of Natural Resources, to

circulating a petition that garnered over 3,000 signatures. “That’s kind of a lot for a township that has 6,000 people,” Garrett said with pride. “We’re not willing to let this go.”

Daryl Ball, descendent of the original family who farmed the land, spoke about the bridge’s historical significance. He also reminded the public that agriculture is still the leading industry in Huron County, and stressed the importance of protecting farmland for the future.

A desire for more involvement from ACW Council was a common theme amongst the speakers.

Several voices in the room expressed their perception that ACW has taken a neutral stance on this matter, which the Ball’s Bridge and Little Lakes group believes works against the interests of

citizens hoping to see stronger actions taken by the municipality.

Newly-elected ACW Councillor Curtis Blake was in attendance at the meeting. Blake said he was not acting in an official capacity but rather as a citizen supporter of the bridge. “It’s just a standalone feature of our community,” he remarked.

The meeting ended with a call to action from the “Save Ball’s Bridge and Little Lakes Road” group, asking concerned community members to make their feelings known to ACW Mayor and Huron County Warden Glen McNeil via phone and e-mail.

The OLT hearing will consider arguments from Lobo Sand and Gravel, ACW and community members. It is scheduled to take place this fall between September 25 and October 6.

Hands up, everyone who has a Bible!

(Charles Spurgeon) “His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night!” Psalm 1:2 If I were to say, “Hands up, everyone who has a Bible!” — everybody’s hands here would go up, as I suppose that nobody here is without a Bible.

But if I were to ask, “How many here, as a habit and a delight, meditate upon the Scriptures?”—I wonder how many hands would be raised? Well, I will not ask you that question, but let everybody ask it for himself and judge himself concerning it in the sight of God. Lord, give us a Bible reading, Bible loving people!

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

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PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023.

Editorials & Opinions

The Citizen

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

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Farming outside the box The endless push for land sometimes has different needs competing to use the same land, but it can just as easily spur a symbiotic relationship between two industries that don’t appear compatible at first glance. Agriculture and solar energy both need a lot of space to achieve their goals, but with governments around the world pushing for renewable energy, farmers may have an opportunity to create a lucrative second income stream from their acreage.

Agri-voltaics is a relatively new area of study in which researchers are using photovoltaic cells in a way that they are actually benefiting the crops that are under or next to them. Many crops actually get more sun than they need, so the shade provided by the solar panels could actually help maximize their yields and reduce the water required as well.

Based on simulations, researchers at the University of Western Ontario say that if just four per cent of Canadian farms adopted agrivoltaics, Canada’s carbon footprint would be brought to net zero.

We need to find ways of eliminating the use of fossil fuels, and agriculture could be at the forefront of renewable energy. Combining two of the most important things that we need to survive - food and energy would make the best use of our available land resources. – DS

More is more Premier Doug Ford is making some questionable decisions when it comes to the direction of the province. Whether it’s new proposed planning regulations that would decimate rural Ontario, the lengthy review of natural heritage policies that is not yet complete (with this government’s track record of environmental policies, you’d be right to be a bit worried) or the slippery slope to privatized health care, Ford is making calls that will echo for years. Lowering education requirements for police officers is another head-scratcher.

Recently, to address a shortage of officers, the Ford government said it would introduce a bill to boost police recruitment in part by removing the post-secondary requirement for new officers. That means soon, police officers will need only a high school diploma to be hired.

At a time when more discussions than ever are taking place around policing, from criticism of racial profiling and the use of excessive force to the idea that perhaps specially-trained social workers or community-based officers should be attending to mental health calls, it’s hard to see a world in which less education is the answer.

Being a police officer is a difficult, complicated job and one that, when a wrong decision is made, the consequences could be dire. They go far beyond issuing a correction in the next issue of the newspaper or a refund at the shop counter. In Canada, officers are among the few who carry guns, as opposed to our friends in the United “More Guns Than People” States, so we shouldn’t be seeking to lower the bar.

This is not to cast aspersions at those without a post-secondary education, many of whom have done very well for themselves. It is, however, a legitimate concern. With tensions as high as they are when it comes to policing and the job becoming more difficult by the day as public scrutiny rises, less education seems an unlikely answer. – SL

‘Death spiral’ by 1,000 cuts The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has reversed its decision to cut subway service, which had resulted in riders waiting for up to eight minutes for trains late at night. The service cuts, which came into effect on May 7 then reversed on May 8, had been part of the TTC’s plan to reduce service to 91 per cent of pre-pandemic levels to cope with lower ridership and decreased revenue. Before the reversal, the cuts had resulted in 1,238 fewer service hours per week.

The TTC is currently facing a budget shortfall of $366 million due to COVID-19 impacts, and restoring services to 100 per cent of prepandemic levels would cost $75 million per year. The recently implemented service reductions faced backlash from riders who argued that they would make them feel less safe while using the TTC, among other concerns. Additionally, transit experts had warned that cutting services due to decreased ridership would start a “death spiral”, by reducing services, thus driving away riders, necessitating more cuts.

Public transportation in a city is like the vascular system in a human body. Arteries and veins (busses and subways) transport blood (people) throughout the body (city) to deliver oxygen and nutrients (economic benefits). A healthier vascular system increases the likelihood of a healthier person. Likewise, a better funded transit system increases the overall effectiveness of the entire city. Supporting a strong public transportation system in Toronto is good for all Ontarians whether you live within the GTA or not. Toronto is the biggest economic driver in the country, with financial contributions amounting to roughly 20 per cent of Canada’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP). An eight minute wait for a subway train might not sound like a long time, but if the result is economic gangrene, the consequences will last forever. – SBS

Looking Back Through the Years May 12, 1966 The Horticultural Society’s meeting for May was set to take place at the Brussels Public Library on Monday, May 16 at 8 p.m. The guest speaker lined up for the evening was Miss Marjorie Russel from Listowel. Attendees were encouraged to bring plants or bulbs to sell during the meeting. The convenors for the event were Mrs. H. Smalldon and Mrs. A. McCall.

A 100-year-old, three-storey building in Wroxeter was destroyed by fire, which was believed to have started from sparks emanating from a burning rubbish pile nearby. The structure, formerly a feed mill, was vacant at the time of the incident.

Its owner, Gustave Brink of Wroxeter, was burning rubbish in the vicinity when the roof of the building caught fire. The brick, stone and frame construction was consumed by flames in approximately an hour, with the fire rising to 100 feet. Firefighters from Wingham utilized water from the nearby Maitland River to combat the inferno.

When sparks were carried by the strong wind, threatening a row of houses across the river, Harriston firefighters were summoned. They hosed down the roofs of the houses to prevent damage, which they successfully avoided.

May 12, 1976 A garage sale organized by the Blyth United Church Women exceeded all expectations, growing bigger than anticipated. Originally intended to be held in a garage, the event had to be relocated to the arena due to the large number of items donated. At the opening, eager shoppers queued up to gain entry, and, within minutes of the sale’s commencement, many of the

available items were sold.

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Scott celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary and their family arranged a dinner at the Benmiller Inn in their honour. Among the guests were Mr. and Mrs. Keith Scott from London, Wayne Scott from Wawa, and Eric Scott.

The celebration was attended by over 30 relatives and friends, including the groom’s aunt, Mrs. Florence Thompson, and his cousin, Mrs. Pearl Cole, both from Goderich. The white linen-covered smorgasbord table was adorned with two arrangements of daisy chrysanthemums and pink and white carnations, accompanied by silver candles in silver holders.

Many gifts and cards were received, and everyone enjoyed socializing.

May 13, 1998 The Ethel Hall hosted a euchre event on May 4, with 15 tables in play. Grace Smith and Vi Heibein hosted the event. The winners included Velma Sleightholme for the 50/50 draw, Ruby Armstrong for high lady, John Subject for high man, Donna Moore for low lady, Margaret McDonald for low man, and Marion Behrns and Jim Smith for most lone hands. The tally card winners were Jean Schneider, Velma Sleightholme, Violet Smith, Stewart Musgrove, Dorothy Martin, Harold Metcalfe, Iola Subject, Allan Edgar, Freda D’Arcey, Neil Hatt, Aileen Mann, Edna McLellan, and Leon Schneider.

F. E. Madill Secondary School’s Drama Guild put on a Broadway revue performance, leaving the audience in awe. The students’ rendition of Hair took viewers back to the rebellious era of the 1960s,

delivering a high-energy performance filled with enthusiasm.

Also drawing inspiration from the popular Broadway smash hit Stomp, Madill’s students captured the spirit of the rhythmic and unconventional production. The revue, which ran on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, also included performances from Pirates of Penzance, Titanic, South Pacific, Grease, Man of La Mancha, Guys and Dolls, Les Miserables and Godspell.

May 9, 2013 The 10th annual spring fun fair and auction of Hullett Central Public School was held at the Blyth and District Community Centre.

The decision to move the event to a larger venue proved to be a success with a significant increase in attendance. The event offered an auction for adults and a variety of exciting activities for children. In addition, a wide range of delicious food options, including popcorn, were available for everyone to enjoy.

With the leftover funds from their fundraising efforts, the 2012 graduating class of Blyth Public School decided to invest in their community by purchasing a new bench for Blyth Lions Park. This park, which was acquired by the Lions almost 68 years ago that month, has been an important gathering place for locals ever since.

Because of a shortage of players, some members of the senior rugby team from F.E. Madill Secondary School had to wear their jerseys inside out to join forces with St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary School.

Despite the unexpected team compositions, it was a great game.

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023. PAGE 5.

Other Views

The value of vaccines is forgotten

T

he World Health Organization declared the end to COVID-19 global health emergency last week, a decision that many Canadians had already made on their own.

That doesn’t mean that the danger is over.

During the week ending with May 2, 84 Canadians died of COVID-19 and 5,207 cases were reported; Ontario led the way with 1,702.

In total, Canada has recognized 4.7 million cases, with who knows how many cases not reported, and 52,037 deaths during the pandemic.

In comparison to our American neighbours, we’ve done well. As of April 26 more than 1.1 million Americans had died from COVID-19 with 104 million cases. The U.S. population is about nine times greater than Canada’s so a comparison is that more than twice as many Americans have died and nearly three times as many suffered COVID-19.

Americans were much more resistant to health and safety warnings than Canadians, of course. Leaders like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis preached against it. The more American a Canadian politician was, the more likely to oppose vaccination – such as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who backed people protesting Canadian regulations at the U.S. border.

Meanwhile, closer to home, memories are fading about the pandemic and protests against it at border crossings and the near shutdown of Parliament Hill by anti-vaccine protesters that lasted for weeks. Closer to home, a trip to Auburn has seen Canadian flags along the road, in protest against the vaccine, but some of the flags have become a little worn over time.

But according to Unicef, fewer Canadians believe in the importance of childhood vaccines than in the past, as the agency warns

Keith Roulston From the cluttered desk about the growing threat of preventable diseases because of reluctance to get vaccinations.

Most Canadians - the study says 82 per cent - still say vaccinations for children are important, but that number has dropped 8.2 per cent since COVID-19.

“It’s a disturbing trend,” says David Morley, president and CEO of Unicef Canada, as he notes 67 million children around the world missed out on vaccinations during the pandemic, which is already linked to an upswing in cases of measles and polio.

“There’s a risk that more children are going to die who don’t have to die because these levels of vaccine hesitancy are going up.”

Around the world, the spread of vaccinepreventable illness is on the rise and leading to severe outcomes, particularly in low-income countries. The Unicef report found that in 2022, cases of measles around the world doubled from the year before. And there was an eightfold increase in the number of children paralyzed from polio around the world from 2019 to 2021, compared with the previous three-year period.

During the pandemic, regular access to vaccines has been disrupted around the world as a result of closings of health care facilities or the need for staff to divert resources to COVID-19 responses. While many countries, including Canada, are now focusing efforts on

catch-up programs to make up for lagging vaccine-coverage rates, protection against some infectious diseases remains too low.

For instance, data released from Public Health Ontario in February found that, even after a catch-up program, only 23 per cent of 12-year-olds were fully vaccinated against human papillomavirus, which can cause cervical and other forms of cancer.

“Catch-up programs, they don’t always work if people don’t want to be caught up,” David Morley said.

If you’re my age, such news is discouraging.

Most people today have not seen the devastation polio, for instance, can do.

Growing up in Lucknow, when I needed my skates sharpened, I went to a man who was paralyzed from the waist down who repaired shoes and sharpened skates. We were so thrilled when a vaccine to prevent polio was developed by Jonas Salk in 1955. Mobile polio clinics quickly immunized thousands of us, ending the threat of polio, which killed hundreds in Ontario each year for decades. The pressure was on to help the rest of the world.

It’s estimated 350,000 people died of polio worldwide in 1988, but that dropped to 33 in 2018, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

So, if you’re my age, having lived through polio and measles epidemics that devastated earlier times, it’s discouraging to see that COVID-19 actually persuaded a greater number of people that they didn’t need vaccinations. The thing about death rates is that we never know how many people are alive today because they got vaccinated who would have died if they hadn’t.

Still, as the death rates because of diseases like polio show, many people will enjoy a full life they wouldn’t have if they’d never been vaccinated.

It’s time to look back through ‘The Chaff’

G

reetings loyal Chaff Gang! If you perk up your ears and listen closely, you might hear the faint barks of Chaff hounds in the distance, desperately craving the one thing they can't live without: (whispers) The Chaff... The Chaff... The Chaff. (dog translation - Woof Woooff…. Woof Woooff…

Woof Woooff.)

Welcome back to the weekly abyss that is known as The Chaff (not to be confused with The Dog Chaff: The Chaff for Dogs).

This week, we’re “Looking Back Through The Chaff” and casting our unfocused gaze backwards to the many, many (five) weeks that have passed, and delving into the annals of The Chaff’s sordid and ugly history.

Behold, the days of yore when the people did gather in great numbers to partake in the festivities of the spring Chaff-quinox.

The air was filled with mirth and merriment as the folk danced and sang in celebration of the Chaffing of the seasons. Afterwards, the villagers retire to their homes to indulge in traditional Chaff-quinox treats, such as Chaff pudding and Chaff pies. These dishes are made with the finest Chaff ingredients that the village has to offer, and are a testament to the culinary prowess of the Chaff-quinox celebrants. Of course, no Chaff-quinox celebration would be complete without the traditional Chaff-quinox dance. This dance, performed by the young and old alike, involves a series of intricate steps that mimic the movements of The Chaff as it swirls through the pages of The Citizen. It is said that those who master the Chaff-quinox dance are blessed with good luck and a bountiful harvest. Failing to master the Chaffquinox dance is a surefire way to end up in a never-ending dance-off with the devil himself.

Scott Stephenson The Chaff The inaugural installment of The Chaff seriously set The Chaff standard of super, sincere seriosity. From its humble beginnings, The Chaff would eventually go on to stake its claim as a supreme source of substantial, significant and supercilious sibilance in this specific sentence. Sip it in, Chaffies and Chafflemen, it’s a symposium of Chaff.

Yet, even amidst this jubilant atmosphere, a shadow loomed over the land. A great sickness had spread throughout the realm, causing many to fall ill and languish in their beds. The wise healers in “Medical Buildings” did labour tirelessly to provide relief to those afflicted, and the people did pray to the gods for deliverance from this scourge known as The Chafe. The stupid and quite very bad The Chafe.

In the midst of this turmoil, news did arrive from far-flung lands of great upheaval and strife. Wars and rumours of wars and wars over rumours of wars did abound, and many did fear for the safety and security of their homes and families. The Chaffdom doth heeds the warning from President Nick Lutsko: “The men in the tunnels are coming!”

But lo, even amidst these dark days, there were rays of hope and goodness to be found.

Communities did band together in acts of kindness and charity, providing aid and succor to those in need. And in the face of adversity,

the human spirit did shine forth with courage and resilience. A petition circulated through the community to officially relegate all “bad weather” days to Wednesdays. But it has become clear that the petition is not going far enough. We need to cancel Wednesdays altogether. No longer shall we be slaves to “Hump Day”. No longer shall we be forced to conform to the weird and perverted spelling of that accursed day. Moving forward, we shall embrace a very long Tuesday and a longish Thursday as well. See you in the depths, Wednesdays. The unspeakable depths.

Because as the saying goes, “The devil dances endlessly with Wednesdays in the depths.”

As we reflect upon the events of the past few weeks, we must acknowledge the gravity of the challenges we have faced. Our unwavering determination and steadfast resolve have carried us through the stormy waters of adversity, and for that, we should be proud.

And so we look back upon these past weeks with a mix of solemnity and gratitude, knowing that we have weathered these challenges with strength and fortitude. May we continue to face the trials of the future with such grace and steadfastness.

In conclusion, dear readers, we hope you have enjoyed this week's edition of The Dog Chaff: The Chaff for Dogs. Remember, when it comes to Chaffing your furry friends, only the best will do. So, whether you prefer your Chaff finely ground or in large, crunchy nuggets, always choose The Chaff, not The Chafe, that will make your dog's tail wag with delight and the dog-devil’s tail dangle with despair. And if you're feeling particularly adventurous, why not try Chaffing your cat or hamster? Who knows, maybe they'll enjoy it too! Until next time, keep Chaffing, my friends.

Shawn Loughlin Shawn’s Sense

Follow the money

I

n recent years, much has been made about the idea that Canadian media is underwritten by the federal government.

This ignorant talking point shows up often in comment sections as a strawman for those opposed to media, government and spelling.

Even the lord and saviour of those opposed to the media, government and proper spelling and grammar, Pierre Poilievre, has taken shots at the media and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, saying the move was made not to aid an ailing industry, but to curry favour in print.

In 2019, the government announced a $595 million, five-year funding commitment to aid journalism organizations through labour tax credits and the creation of new jobs.

Immediately, there was a lot of fingerpointing, even among media organizations themselves. Postmedia, for example, the company that gives column space to Jordan Peterson, Rex Murphy and Conrad Black, and routinely slams Trudeau and his “lavish handouts” for “welfare slackers”, gladly took in tens of millions in journalism tax credits and emergency wage subsidies. So, when readers slam the liberal-leaning Toronto Star, for example, for taking Trudeau’s subsidies but then fail to do the same for, say, the National Post, they’re turning a blind eye due to bias.

Furthermore, these funds disproportionately have aided larger papers, not us little guys.

So, aside from small business aids and wage subsidies during the pandemic (which were open to all businesses, not just the media), The Citizen has not benefitted at all from the funds.

On page four, readers will note the federal government logo, acknowledging the support of the Canada Periodical Fund, which is a small postal subsidy that was introduced by Stephen Harper’s government in 2009. (The fund replaced a subsidy on the delivery of Canadian periodicals which predated Confederation.) So, those who carve a notch on their bedpost with a large hunting knife every time a newspaper suggests Trudeau is not the devil surely were doing the same when those same left-leaning columnists and editorial writers were praising Harper between 2009 and 2015, lest they lose their meal ticket.

Hopefully they equally harangue our main street small businesses that accessed emergency wage or energy subsidies during the pandemic, in addition to freeloaders who went on CERB and those who didn’t burn their Climate Action Incentive cheques and pee on the ashes. Then there are the farm commodity groups, who have been taking government money for risk management and more for years. Let’s make sure they know they’ve disappointed us - in addition to any business that has accepted a government grant or tax break. Soon it’s starting to feel like we’re all on the take. Even Poilievre, the subsidy-loving bum, worked as a paperboy for the Calgary Sun (Shame!) before settling into an extensive career as a politician. (You will flip out when you find out who pays those people’s salaries.)

Taking it a step further, what about “selfmade” millionaires and billionaires like Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Galen Weston Jr. and more who dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge paying taxes like the plague? Not paying taxes that are eassessed to others like you is certainly suckling upon the government’s teat.

The point here is not to shame those mentioned above, sarcastically or otherwise, but to recognize that, when you stop and think about it, we’re all a bit more indebted to the government than you may think. So, before you cry “Liberal Puppet” at the next reporter you meet, check your own bank account first.

PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023.

At the Branch

Legion dart league wraps up its season

Giving back After another successful spring dinner and auction at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre, the Brussels Optimist Club was able to donate $25,000 to the Huron and Area Search and Rescue (HASAR) group, the chosen charity for the popular and successful annual event. HASAR proved its worth and then some over Christmas, executing several rescue missions, including transporting an ailing infant to Exeter for a hand-off that helped move the young one to London for life-saving surgery.

(John Stephenson photo)

First market day set for May 26 A NOTE FROM BETTY

By Betty Graber Watson Call 887-9231 The changing of the seasons is one of my favourite things about Canada. With the lengthening of the days and the warming of the winds, the earth seems ready to pay it forward. The many shades of green, the colours of the blooming bulbs and the smell of dirt all add to the

magic of spring. It’s really here.

A drive south last week reminded me of the several growing areas in this province. Moving along Highway 21, it was obvious that the shrubs and trees down there were a week or so ahead of ours. The many forsythia along the way were brilliant yellow. The shapes were varied and so interesting. Shapes included tiny boxes or bigger boxes or long, neatly trimmed hedges, or some trimmed to be like a tree, and, of course, the graceful natural flowing branches all in the vivid yellow that marks spring.

The bird watchers were out and about in Rondeau Provincial Park as we toured there. I didn’t realize it was the second park in Ontario

Nice form Brussels Minor Ball kicked off its season with a pair of indoor workout sessions held recently at the Belgrave Community Centre. Members of the Huron County Fastball League’s Walton Brewers, Brussels Bangers and Brussels Tigers were on hand to impart their wisdom to the young players. (Courtesy photo)

opened just after Algonquin. With Lake Erie as the backdrop, the vegetation, animals and bird population are unique to the area.

Education is a priority for visitors, interesting displays, photos and facts of Rondeau were available.

Seeing the history of fishing in the area was interesting to our farm background. Touching the bark of trees that we do not have was good.

Bird feeders, well attended, were all around the visitor centre and, to the chagrin of the staff, one tenacious raccoon scales one particular feeder daily. Balanced on one of four spokes, resting on her back, she turns a little and daintily scoops seeds from the top of the feeder.

On the ground she checked for lost seeds and finished her snack there before heading for parts unknown.

Checking on grandchildren is always fun. Sloan had decided he wanted to learn to play the accordion and, as one who truly appreciates the many kinds of music (and as a grandma), I should help find one. Going back in my memory to Callander Nursing Home days, Dawn White and her accordion came to mind. Lo and behold she still had it and wondrously let us borrow it.

Finding a time to meet is always a challenge, but Saturday was the day. Jill, Jordan and I met Curt, Ella and Sloan for lunch. Then, the park in Alliston was the site of the unknown songs by spontaneous players. Two mouth organs and the accordion were given good workouts with much fun and laughter. Who knows where this will go, but the journey is well worth it.

Amanda and McKenzie, organizers of the farmers’ market on Richmond Square, are pleased that 15 vendors have signed up for the first market on May 26. Hours are noon until 4 p.m. with a good variety of items for sale. The hospitality booth is back after the COVID-19 pandemic holiday, so put that in your plans. The market will be running every two weeks, starting May 26.

Bye now. Betty GW

By Jo-Ann McDonald It was an unsettled day for weather on Thursday, but a dedicated trio went to work anyway. The first job on the agenda was to do a cleaning of the attic above the main hall. Some leafy debris had made its way into the attic through a broken vent, so it was cleaned out and the vent was fixed.

Next, the eavestroughs were cleaned again, disposing of debris on both sides of the building. The north side of the building, sidewalk and windows were pressure-washed and cleaned up. Tables are out for the patio and that will be set up now that the cleaning spree is done.

Thanks to Comrades Jamie Mitchell and Eric and Deb Ross as they worked through the on-and-off rain.

Comrade Deb was also busy this week with the decorating of the hall for a 90th birthday party held on the weekend. Deb is very creative and talented and we are really glad we have her.

The Thursday night darts group held its final night of darts for the season. There were 15 darters out for the night. They played regular games, cricket, baseball and other skill-testing games. The first-place team was Sandra Brown playing alone and the second-place team was Lynda Davis and John Stadelmann. The high shots were

by Jim Brown hitting 117 and Sandra hitting 121.

When the night’s play was over, the prizes for the year were presented. Prizes for the most starts over 60 was Sharen Stadelmann for the ladies and Chris Brown for the men. The high shot of the year was

by Jim Brown hitting 171. The most starts prize went to Rhonda Davis for the ladies and Paul Willie for the men. Most finishes for games

was Sandra for the ladies and John Stadelmann for the men. The high finish prize went to Bruce Fischer for hitting 76. The Skunk Award went to Louise Poirier.

Darts will return in the fall and we hope all have a good summer. It was another great season for the darters, who brought fun and enthusiasm to the Branch every Thursday night.

Friday night was quiet and beef on a bun was the pub grub. This week will be chili. Looking ahead to the long weekend in May, there will be no grub.

Saturday had the catering crew cooking for the celebration of the 90th birthday of Isabelle Wheeler.

There were 60 attending consisting of family and friends from near and far. Her two sons, Wayne and Brian, hosted. The catering team of Judy Lee, Kathy Burkholder, Deb Ross and Jo-Ann McDonald provided the meal for the Branch.

Congratulations Isabelle!

NEWS FROM BRUSSELS

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405 Queen St., Blyth 519-523-4792

Advertise your business here!

One of the most read areas of the paper

SUDOKU Fun By The Numbers Like puzzles?

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

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

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023. PAGE 7.

Blyth churches will host meals this week From Marilyn’s Desk

By Marilyn Craig Call 523-9318

Investing on the ice The Brussels Foodland, through the Foodland Sponsorship Program, recently donated $2,500 to the Blyth Brussels Minor Hockey Association as a fitting capper to another successful season of local hockey. Foodland owner Andrew Kelly, left, presented Amy Kellington from the association with the cheque on Friday in Brussels.

(John Stephenson photo)

Repository book sale returns

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen The Blyth Repository of History will again be holding its used book sale this June as a fundraiser for the organization.

The sale is set for Friday, June 2 and Saturday, June 3 at the Trinity Anglican Church in Blyth. The first day will run from 4-8 p.m., followed by 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. The sale’s late-stage box sale, giving shoppers the opportunity to take home all they can carry in one box for $10, will run from 3-6 p.m. on Saturday.

This marks a return to a more traditional book sale than in past years, when it was held outdoors and subject to the weather and the elements. Deb Sholdice, Publisher of The Citizen and a volunteer with the Repository of History, says this should be good news for volunteers and shoppers alike. The sale will not have to be packed up in a hurry in the event of inclement weather, and both volunteers and shoppers will benefit from the level ground and indoor setting of the church.

Sholdice says the group is happy to be back indoors for the sale, for the first time in over three years, which has been a tradition for the village for years, first through the Blyth Festival and now through the Repository.

While the money raised at the sale, the Repository’s biggest fundraiser of the year, isn’t exactly earmarked for a specific project, Sholdice says it’s reasonable to assume that some of the funds are likely to be used for the organization’s history book project, which will update Blyth’s history when it marks its 150th anniversary in 2027.

The Repository will be accepting books on May 31 and June 1 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the church.

Sholdice asks that you donate only books you’d want yourself, to save the organization the effort and cost associated with having to dispose of books that cannot be sold. To that effect, the volunteers are asking that donors keep their textbooks, encyclopedias, magazines, and any books that are stained, torn or otherwise damaged.

For more information, to volunteer or arrange for a donation, e-mail deb@northhuron.on.ca.

followed by utilities (+400).

Manufacturing is the only goodsproducing sector that experienced loss this month (-100).

Employment in the servicesproducing sector decreased by net 1,600. Professional, scientific and technical services experienced the biggest loss once again this month (-2,000) followed by information, culture and food services (-600).

Business, building and other support services experienced the largest gain this month (+600) followed by finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (+600).

Current job postings for the Bruce, Grey, Huron, Perth region have increased over time since the pandemic and can be found at www.connect2JOBS.ca.

BUY? SELL? TRY CLASSIFIED

Special Shopping Night for Mom Friday, May 12 5-9 pm Explore our unique artisan store for that perfect gift for Mother’s Day Gift certificates will be drawn at 6 pm, 7 pm, 8 pm

NEWS FROM BLYTH

Customer has to be present to win.

398 Queen St., Blyth 519-523-4276 www.mapleandmooseblyth.com

MAITLAND ND VALLE LLEY CAME MERA RA CL CLUB

Unemployment rate rises slightly locally In April, the unemployment rate for the Stratford-Bruce Peninsula economic region increased slightly by 0.1 percentage points to six per cent, hitting the highest point since April of 2021. The provincial unemployment rate decreased by 0.2 percentage points to 5.1 per cent, both unadjusted for seasonality.

Overall net employment in the region increased by 2,000, with 400 full-time and 1,500 part-time gains respectively. The region’s labour force size increased from 163,700 people in March of 2023 to 166,000 people in April of 2023.

The number of goods-producing sector employees increased this month by net 3,600 (+6.2 per cent).

Construction experienced the greatest gain this month (+2,900),

Happy anniversary to Matt and Ashley Bromley of Belgrave, who will celebrate their anniversary on May 14.

Happy birthday to Rob Mason, who will celebrate his birthday on May 13; Bernadette Andrews of Goderich on May 15; Les Caldwell on May 16, and Tony De Corte of Zurich also on May 16. Happy birthday everyone - hope you have a very special day.

Don’t forget to support some of our local churches this coming week. Blyth United Church is having its Mother’s Day drive-thru dinner on Saturday, May 13 from 46 p.m. Order Mom a plate with ham, salads, a homemade bun and dessert from Joann MacDonald at 519-523-9274.

Blyth Trinity Anglican Church is also having its monthly take-out lunch on Tuesday, May 16.

At Monday Morning Smile this

week, you are to bring along a picture of your mother or the women in your family, along with some interesting stories about them.

Monday Morning Smile is a coffee break from 10-11:30 a.m., a gettogether of laughter and fun at Blyth Trinity Anglican Church.

On Tuesday, it was a beautiful sunny day and I think maybe spring is here. It looks like spring and even smells like it.

We can count ourselves lucky that we live in Huron County and not in Alberta where all the wildfires are.

The people out there are wishing for rain and we, in this area, are wishing for not quite so much, but Mother Nature always provides.

The temperatures are to go up into the low 20s today. Take a drive this week through the countryside and look at all the shades of green that are appearing, with the leaves coming out on the trees and the fields of wheat as they start to grow.

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

Photography by Liz Allan

PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023.

Sports Olympian Alison Bradley visits Blyth Gritty’s practice

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen It was a balmy evening in early May - on a well-groomed zen garden of an infield, baseline paint still drying, fine and crisp - that the U11 Blyth Gritty's girls softball team welcomed Canadian Olympic softball player, Alison Bradley, to their practice. The kids were in for a treat as Bradley took charge of leading them in an invigorating stretch routine that left them ready to take on any challenge, be it “popflies” or even “grounders”.

In a quick, in-the-field interview with The Citizen, Bradley shared her love for the game that she began playing when she was just seven years old. With two older brothers who played baseball, she would often join them in games, honing her skills, playing catch and fueling her passion for the sport. She played minor ball in Cargill and Chepstow before progressing to play on a Provincial Women's Softball Association team in Chepstow, or “PW team” for those who get down in the dugout.

Eventually Bradley landed on a

team in Kitchener where the competition was increasingly fierce and teams were more plentiful.

Bradley says her favourite memories of playing the game are from when she was the same age as the girls on the Blyth Gritty's team and she waxed nostalgic about playing in the fields with her friends “eons ago”. But Bradley admits nothing could match the thrill of competing in the Olympics in 2004 and 2008, a crowning achievement she considers herself to be "very fortunate" to have experienced. Bradley shared some details of the grueling training regimen required to compete at such a high level, saying that she lived, competed and trained, in the gym and on the field, with teammates from across the country.

Bradley confirmed that mental training exercises were just as rigorous, ensuring that she and her teammates were in top form. Her mantra for handling the stress of elite competition is, “pressure is a privilege.”

As the sun began to set, at the time of year when the ball diamonds' lights begin to twinkle

Practice makes perfect Players from the U11 Blyth Gritty’s softball team were visited by Canadian Olympic softball player Alison Bradley during their practice on Monday, May 8. Bradley represented Canada at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. (Scott Stephenson photos) back to life after a lengthy winter hibernation, Bradley imparted a valuable lesson for the kids to interpret for themselves saying, “How you do anything is how you do everything.” She urged the young players to practise the fundamentals of the sport like they were in a real competition, which would help them develop into the best players they could be. She also reminded the scrappy youngsters to, “have fun, learn skills and keep growing.”

Looking out onto Blyth’s own

Brussels Minor Ball is back Brussels Minor Ball kicked off its season with its annual ball clinics last week.

With the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre under construction, players, coaches and volunteers headed to the Belgrave Community Centre for some indoor training last Tuesday and Thursday night. Tuesday night’s focus was “Back to Basics”, with over 60 kids between the ages of six and 13 coming out to learn techniques and skills related to throwing, catching, hitting and base running. Many new faces were seen in the first session of Tuesday’s clinic, showing that the sport continues to grow in the community.

New this year was a pitching/catching clinic, hosted on Thursday night. The Brussels Tigers Minor Ball organization recognized that this is a skill that not all parents and coaches have, so members invited volunteers from a few of the men’s fastball teams to come and help run this evening.

The group received a wonderful response from the men’s teams, having pitchers from the Walton Brewers (Scott McDonald and Adam Cronin) and Brussels Bangers (Hayden Tenpas and Brett McCutcheon), as well as a catcher from the Brussels Tigers (Andrew Baker) come out to teach our kids the mechanics of pitching and

catching. Andrew McCutcheon and Bruce Johnston, parents who have worked hard with their own children who are now successful/strong pitchers, were also on hand to help out the kids.

The organization could not have run this evening without the volunteers (parents of Brussels Minor Ball), who also were on hand to catch for several of the pitchers. Thursday night offered a small, intimate setting in which experienced pitchers worked with two or three players each, giving the young players the opportunity to ask questions and have a more personalized approach to learning

the skills of pitching.

The organization has received great feedback from parents, and hopes to run a similar clinic next year. Over 20 pitchers and eight catchers were in attendance.

Brussels Minor Ball gets underway this week with practices on the diamonds, with the first home game of the season on Monday, May 22 at 8:30 p.m. when the U17 boys will face Wilmot on the Optimist Park Diamond.

Be sure to mark in your calendars the annual Brussels Minor Ball Days on June 3, featuring over 12 hours of baseball, raffles and food provided by the Brussels Leo Club.

Field of Dreams at this early stage of “spring training”, one can see evidence for themselves that what they say in the film A League of Their Own is true - “There’s no

crying in baseball.” Instead, there is a field full of kids, smiling and having fun, at the beginning of a season where anything could happen.

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE VACANCIES The Justice of the Peace Appointments Advisory Committee is seeking to appoint justices of the peace to the Ontario court of justice in court locations across Ontario Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. on Wed., May 31, 2023 )RU DSSOLFDWLRQV DQG LQIRUPDWLRQ RQ TXDOL¿FDWLRQV IRU appointment please visit: www.ontariocourts.ca/ocj/jpaac/advertisements/ THE ASSOCIATION OF JUSTICES OF THE PEACE OF ONTARIO

For information about the types of trials and hearings a justice of the peace presides over please visit: www.AJPO.org. This is a full-time appointment that requires travel within the province.

L’ASSOCIATION DES JUGES DE PAIX DE L’ONTARIO

There is a webinar explaining the position and the application process, including ZKDW WR H[SHFW GXULQJ WKH FODVVL¿FDWLRQ SURFHVV OLQNHG WR WKH DSSOLFDWLRQ VLWH

Crusader hockey registrations now open for the upcoming season.

Please go to Blyth Brussels Minor Hockey website, under Registration drop down and register Online Registration.

Register by June 1, 2023.

Late fees will apply after June 1 to existing members.

Programs that BBMHA offers throughout the season are: - Skills and Drills, which is extra ice to develop players’ skills monthly for U7-U15 age groups - Specialty Clinics throughout the year include: • Goalie Clinics U9-U15 • Defence position clinics U9-U15 • Body Checking/angling U13-U15 • Cycling, stick checking U11-U15 • Full ice positional play U9 - Host U6 and U7 Jamboree’s a fun tournament for these age groups!

- FREE registration for first-time registrants in the U5, U6 or U7 division.

First-time players in these divisions also receive a free hockey stick!

Bringing the heat Brussels Minor Ball hosted early season, indoor baseball clinics at the Belgrave Community Centre.

(Courtesy photo)

- U5 to U21 age divisions Coaching/Bench Staff Applications: Please apply on the BBMHA website Bench Staff Application. Deadline for applications is June 1, 2023.

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023. PAGE 9.

519-523-4311

www.ruralvoice.ca

Agriculture

BLYTH 519-523-4244

+XURQ7UDFWRU FRP

Brussels Livestock report

Fed steers, heifers sell actively at steady prices Total receipts for the week ending May 5 were 1,760 cattle and 810 lambs and goats.

On Tuesday, fed steers and heifers sold actively at fully steady prices. Choice steers and heifers sold $220 to $228.50; second-cut cattle, $200 to $219; aged and medium-fed steers and heifers, $190 to $205. Holstein steers and

heifers sold on a stronger market, $190 to $205. Cows sold steady.

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

On Friday, calves sold on a very active trade with prices $5 to $10 higher. Yearlings sold fully steady.

George Roney of Staffa, consigned seven head. Four

charolais heifers averaged 1,411 lbs. and sold for an average price of $226.

Dwayne Dickert of Ayton, consigned four head. Two black steers averaged 1,603 lbs. and sold for an average price of $228.50.

There were 225 cows on offer.

Beef sold $111 to $156 with sales to $170; good holstein cows, $110 to

Hullett studies responsibility

Licensed Lay Worship Leader Sue Barnett led the morning worship at Londesborough United Church on May 7, the Fifth Sunday of Easter in the church calendar.

The senior choir sang a lovely hymn anthem titled “Long Before the Night”.

The scripture passages that morning were Acts 7:55-60, the stoning of Steven for preaching to the crowd, Psalm 31 and John 14:114. In the passage from John, Jesus reassures His disciples that having known Him, they have known the Father and they will have a place with Him in heaven.

Mrs. Barnett based her reflection on the John passage. That through Jesus we shall come to know God and be comforted in all things. One must only believe. Jesus said: I am the way.

The Minute for Missions informed that the United Church of Canada uses donations to the Mission and Service Fund to learn “how the church can be a place of liberation and life for sexual and gender minorities” here in Canada and around the globe.

Hullett Central Public School is in the final weeks of this school year. And these last weeks always seem to be extra busy, what with the school carnival, field trips, special events, track and field competitions, etc., not to mention finishing up each grade’s curriculum.

During April, the school studied the virtue of “responsibility”. The pupils learned that having a good self image will help them in their relationships with others and will increase their productivity in all areas of life.

During discussions about responsibility, the pupils were discussing righting the wrongs done in the past to our Native populations. In this vein, several classes have been writing their own Land Acknowledgment statements and sharing them as part of the morning announcements. They recognize that Indigenous peoples once owned the very land on which their school is situated and that acknowledging that is showing gratitude. In years to come, some of

these young folk may very well be on the forefront of reconciliation measures.

I wonder how many of us watched the Coronation of King Charles III on Saturday. True Royal watchers were likely up in the wee hours that day to watch as it actually took place. Quite frankly, I watched the replay with Lisa LaFlamme on Saturday afternoon.

Thousands of columns have been written about the event and the continuation of the Monarchy and the Commonwealth. Thousands more will be written as well. That is not for my space, but, just a few personal comments.

No country does pageantry quite as well as the British. And it really was quite an event. The pomp and splendour is estimated to have cost $125 million U.S. But finances were not on the minds of the thousands of people who lined the streets. The Brits were rejoicing.

Charles, himself, is said to have a personal fortune of $3 billion.

I can’t remember if I watched the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth. I was too young at the time to understand the significance of such an event and television coverage then was not what it is today. In terms of publicity, the Royal Family got their share with the Coronation. And I was pleased that the coverage I watched only mentioned Harry’s presence as sort of an afterthought. That suited me fine as they have already taken advantage of the media to bring attention to themselves while all along espousing their dislike of it.

The expression that learning needs to be a lifelong process came to mind as the announcers offered the reasonings behind various rituals and objects that we saw.

Sometimes the commentary tends to drone on as reporters fill the airwaves, but that was not my feeling as I watched on Saturday.

Who knew that the wearing of a crown was so the various “royals” over the years could be taller than the rest of their people? Or that the scepter is a form of crook for the ruler/shepherd to herd his people?

Charles has been groomed for 70 years for this position and will reign in his own way having had all those years to plan. And he seemed quite comfortable with the proceedings. I was impressed by his manner as he entered and exited Westminster Abbey. He continually looked left and right acknowledging the people in attendance with just a look of appreciation.

It has been rumoured that Charles plans to turn the Queen’s beloved Balmoral Estate into a museum for the public to enjoy. He claims he and the other members of his family will modernize the monarchy. Let’s give them a chance and not be too quick to criticize. We are not walking in their shoes. After all they are just another family dealing with upsets and with a “job” to do, albeit in the public eye.

$158; medium holstein cows, $100 to $112; bulls, $151 to $185.

There were 190 head of veal on offer. Good holsteins sold $189 to $205; SL heavy holsteins, $180 to $205; heavy holsteins, $145 to $180; medium holsteins, $165 to $185; plain holsteins, $160 to $175.

Bennewies Livestock Inc. of Bornholm, consigned seven head.

One holstein steer weighed 735 lbs. and sold for a price of $205.

John Martin of Lucknow, consigned six head. One holstein steer weighed 725 lbs. and sold for a price of $204.

Lambs under 50 lbs. sold $300.50 to $325; 50 - 64 lbs., $282.50 to $300; 65 - 79 lbs., $286.50 to $300; 80 - 94 lbs., $295.75 to $297.50; 95 - 109 lbs., $268 to $295; 110 lbs. and over, $168 to $247.50.

Goats: billies sold $150 to $375; nannies, $100 to $200; kids: meat, $350 to $550; dairy, $350 to $565.

Andrew Huys of Florence, consigned 10 head. One lamb weighed 103 lbs. and sold for a price of $295. Hans Nussbaum, consigned six head. Two lambs averaged 90 lbs. and sold for an average price of $297.50. Cornelia Gulutzen of Listowel, consigned 14 head. Three kid goats averaged 57 lbs. and sold for an average price of $565.

Top quality stocker steers, 400 499 lbs. sold $355 to $398; 500 599 lbs., $322 to $386; 600 - 699 lbs., $324.50 to $360; 700 - 799 lbs., $279 to $316; 800 - 899 lbs., $262 to $289; 900 - 999 lbs., $275 to $288.50; 1,000 lbs. and over, $253.50 to $275.

Top quality stocker heifers, 400 499 lbs. sold $253.50 to $300; 500 599 lbs., $280 to $323; 600 - 699 lbs., $259 to $310; 700 - 799 lbs., $266.50 to $290.25; 800 - 899 lbs., $259 to $276.25; 900 lbs. and over, $236.50 to $263.

Mosie J. Miller of Norwich, consigned 20 head. Ten charolais heifers averaged 767 lbs. and sold for a price of $290.25.

Jim Shortreed of Walton, consigned 15 head. Ten gold steers averaged 814 lbs. and sold for an average price of $276.25.

Doug Kuik of Lucknow, consigned 45 head. Ten charolais steers averaged 735 lbs. and sold for an average price of $312.

Bruce Ross of St. Marys, consigned 21 head. Four simmental steers averaged 930 lbs. and sold for an average price of $286.

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PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023.

Bargain hunters flock to Lucknow for town-wide sale

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen May 6 marked the date of Lucknow’s annual town-wide yard sale - a celebration of all things secondhand. It was a sunny Saturday, and people came out in droves from all over in search of something they didn’t even know that they needed. Early birds arrived slowly, but it wasn’t long until cars, bikes and buggies lined the streets.

Dozens of homes participated in the event across town, each one selling its own assortment of surplus memories for unbeatable prices. At one home, lucky lookers could find a never-worn Japanese tshirt depicting two cats doing karaoke for three dollars, at another, stacks of Monopoly games throughout the ages told the story of late-stage capitalism, all while costing savvy investors just a fraction of their value. A few enterprising local artists were also out, selling original works of art alongside their mostly complete sets of vintage dishes.

Other hot spots saw pristine antique furniture rubbing shoulders with objectively useless junk, all selling with the equal heat of two competing stacks of tasty flapjacks.

Interested in creepy old rocking horses? Turns out this town was full of them, and every single one of these dead-eyed fillies found a new home on Saturday! Let’s hope at least some of these cursed equine beauties have relocated to other townships far, far away.

For those who don’t dig on secondhand grooves, there was also a sidewalk sale of new, discounted wares from the businesses on Campbell Street, as well as out front of Henderson Rona on Havelock Street.

Peckish perusers could buy snacks and cold drinks from intrepid youngsters set up in

Come sale away

Many people participated in Lucknow’s town-wide yard sale on Saturday, May 6. (Scott Stephenson photos)

strategic locations throughout the town. Lucknow United Church also had a rummage sale with a baked goods table, as well as offering up hot dogs from a grill that saw more than its fair share of tube steaks that day.

There is an ebb and flow to the comings and goings of any good yard sale, and writ town-wide, that tide becomes an undeniable ecosystem. First come the early buyers - well-seasoned alpha bargain hunters feasting on the lion’s share of wares. They are followed by gaggles of haggling hyenas, who gnaw at meaty bargain

bones throughout the main part of the day. Finally, the day closes with essential scavengers using any means necessary to pick clean the carcass of the sale, filling wagons, carts and bags with whatever scraps are left in the afternoon sun; a grisly, fitting finale to a great sale.

In the end, the Lucknow townwide yard sale isn’t just about haggling with your next door neighbour over his gently-used tube socks - it’s also about getting to know neighbours you never knew you needed to know, all while gently judging them as you poke through their discardables.

Alcock to lead AORS into ’24 During the 2023 Annual General Meeting of the Association of Ontario Road Supervisors (AORS), Mike Alcock was named the President of the 2023-2024 AORS Board of Directors. Alcock, the Director of Public Works with the Municipality of Morris-Turnberry, brings many years of experience to his new role.

In a press release, John Maheu, AORS' Executive Director, praised Alcock, saying, "Mike brings extensive experience to the Executive Committee of our organization that will lend a hand to the work we do to promote the public works industry into the future."

Alcock himself said, "The Association of Ontario Road Supervisors has a long outstanding reputation across the Province of providing exceptional training for public works professionals and it is an honour to serve as the AORS President. At AORS, we will be doing more advocacy for our members and expanding the scope of the work we do, and I am excited about the future of our organization."

The 2023-2024 AORS Executive Committee includes Joe Reid, General Manager of Transportation with the City of Belleville, as First Vice-President; Karla MussoGarcia, Manager of Operations with the Township of Oro-

Medonte, as Second VicePresident; and Bill Wilson, Asset Management and Engineering Specialist with Perth County, as Past-President.

Alcock has been a member of AORS since 2002. As president, he plans to focus on advocacy to generate more interest in public works jobs, saying, “We have a lot of work to do there.”

During a recent meeting with the Morris-Turnberry Council, Alcock praised AORS' accomplishments,

including the creation of the “spotlight directory” that includes contact information for hundreds of suppliers and consultants, calling it "a bible for road supervisors."

Alcock is the third AORS president from Huron County, following in the footsteps of William Taylor and Ralph Campbell. Morris-Turnberry Reeve Jamie Heffer congratulated Alcock on his new position and offered council's support to help him succeed in his role as AORS president.

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THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023. PAGE 11.

Home & Garden 2023 Building a more accessible home Horticultural Societies: Teaching them young Huron Ridge: 50 years and counting Making yard safe for pets

PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023.

Home & Garden Cooper children start young in Lucknow HS the second floor of the Lucknow and District Arena and Sports Complex, where the brother-andsister team was working together to ensure patrons needing to use the elevator were properly and promptly assisted. The two volunteers and their mother, Corrie, were kind enough to sit down at their home for an interview for this week’s “Home and Garden” section of The Citizen.

The kids got into horticulture at an early age, whereas Corrie had her start a little bit later in life, citing a time when they still lived in Holyrood. “My grandpa just decided to dig me a big vegetable garden with his tractor,” recalled Corrie. When the family relocated to Lucknow, it was a natural move for the three of them to join the local horticultural society. Monique and Liam’s father Bill maintains his support of his family’s interest, from a reasonable and respectful distance.

Despite their youth, Monique and Liam have already been in the Horticultural Society for five and three years, respectively. These two accomplished young green thumbs love all kinds of plant-based projects, from growing giant sunflowers that tower over Liam’s head, to crafting tiny floral displays to enter at flower shows.

Liam is also no stranger to a set of shears, a fact Monique is quick to point out. “He loves to trim,” she explained. “As you can see, the umbrella tree has gotten very short.”

The aforementioned giant sunflowers were grown with seeds given to them by their great-greatuncle. The Coopers have since started paying it forward, giving

An early start

Monique and Liam Cooper and their mother Corrie are all putting their talents to work for the Lucknow Horticultural Society, with the youngsters being counted as being among the youngest horticultural society members in the region. (Scott Stephenson photo)

mammoth sunflower seeds to lucky friends and neighbours.

Liam has already entered some of his Van Gogh-worthy behemoths in the adult category at the local fair, where they impressed judges and flower-fans alike.

Monique’s favourite thing about gardening is letting the plants grow, and seeing them thrive and survive, while Liam prefers the active art of planting plants. They also enjoy foraging edible plants, often bringing in the first violets of

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THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023. PAGE 13.

Home & Garden Make your yard safe for four-legged friends

Keep them safe Protect your dogs by ensuring there’s nothing to hurt them in your backyard. (MS photo) MS - Dogs, particularly puppies, can be full of boundless energy.

Channeling that energy into exercise with long walks or play sessions can help stem dogs’ propensity to get into trouble around the house as they burn off extra adrenaline. Pets who don’t have an energy outlet may chew off-limits objects or get into other mischief.

According to the American Kennel Club, the amount of exercise a dog needs depends on the animal’s age and breed. For example, border collies or Siberian huskies may require much more exercise than English bulldogs, simply because the former are working breeds. Pet owners with

Coopers offer tips Continued from page 12 spring soup and sandwich lunch.

Her reasoning? “On Saturdays, people want breakfast even more than they want lunch, probably,” she observed astutely. Her brunch hunch turned into a breakfast of success, as the meal was enjoyed by all who attended. She also donated her artistic skills to the cover of the society’s annual pamphlet, depicting 2023’s featured plant: the snapdragon.

Liam loves doing plant-themed crafts with the society, and the family gets a little extra exercise by helping to keep the flower beds around the arena free of debris.

Upcoming events include a flower show in July, followed by the Lucknow Fall Fair.

The Coopers’ top tips for aspiring gardeners are simple - put large houseplants outside during summer months, remember to water your plants, but maybe not with ice cubes, and most importantly, don’t feel bad if you’re not good with succulents, as not all of them are easy.

Why do the Cooper kids feel like plants are important? There are so many reasons. Monique stressed that plants help us to breathe and add colour to our world, and Liam added that plants are the best way to grow your own food.

The Lucknow Horticultural Society meets on the third Tuesday of every month, in the basement of the Lucknow Town Hall, at 7:30 p.m., and all are welcome. Annual memberships cost $10.

large backyards often find those outdoor spots are ideal for when their dogs get the “zoomies”, something that tends to be a daily occurrence. Letting their dogs run around yards, whether on their own

or chasing tossed tennis balls, is an ideal way to provide exercise and tire out pups. In such scenarios, it’s vital that pups have a dog-friendly yard in which to play.

• Use safe lawn care products: An expanse of grass is the perfect place to frolic or enjoy some sunbathing - for people or pets. But contact with chemically-treated lawns can cause a number of health issues for dogs, such as allergies or intestinal upset.

Switching to native grasses can reduce the need to use chemicals to get lush lawns.

When supplementation is needed, homeowners can switch to organic products or natural compost as safer alternatives than chemical-based products.

• Fence off the yard: Off-leash running and bounding through the yard will make any dog smile.

However, a fence is a must-have to

ensure a dog doesn’t become an escape artist. Be sure the fence is high enough so that the pup cannot jump over it. Burying chicken wire in the dirt beneath the lower edge of the fence also can help prevent dogs who like to dig from exiting by crawling underneath the fence.

Consider installing a lock on the fence gate so that no one can wander in and surprise the dog, which may startle the animal and prompt it to defend the property. A lock also helps prevent dog theft.

• Keep the yard tidy: Maintaining a clean yard also is key to safety. Inspect the yard regularly to make sure nothing is around that can prove harmful, whether it’s poison ivy, felled branches or broken fence panels. Also, keep shrubs and grass trimmed to reduce flea and tick populations on the property.

• Avoid poisonous plants:

Certain plants can be dangerous if they’re consumed by curious pups.

Chrysanthemums, peonies, irises, and hydrangeas are some plants that can be poisonous. For a full list of poisonous plants, visit aspca.org • Keep an eye on animals: Dogs can spend some unattended time in the yard, but check in from time to time. Should wildlife get into the yard, dogs may get hurt by tussles or bites. Birds of prey, such as owls, hawks and even vultures, may attack small dogs in a yard.

According to Pat Silvosky, director of the Milford Nature Center in Kansas, some birds can be territorial. While they might not view a dog as an easy meal, they could swoop down and attack to defend territory. The same may occur with other wild animals.

A dog-friendly yard may require a little effort to create, but it’s worth a little sweat equity to keep pups safe.

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PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023.

Home & Garden Stephenson and Gamble growing together

Flower power

A “Bela Lugosi” day lily blooms in the StephensonGamble garden in Lucknow. (Scott Stephenson photo) neighbour Erin brought over bags full of bulbs - mostly irises in a wide variety of colours and sizes culled from her own impressivelyappointed flower beds.

A complete stranger, observing the frenzied digging going on in our yard, asked if we were interested in his excess hostas. We awoke the next morning to what seemed like 100 kilos of excess hostas airdropped into our yard overnight by a cargo plane. Thus began the golden age of splitting shade plants to make more shade plants in all the shadiest spots in the yard, until all shady spots were full.

We started scouring the side of the road for orphaned plants. Even the suggestion of a standard garden

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen When my wife and I bought our unusual home in 2017, it came with a fairly usual yard. Our plans for the future of our home were many altering the surrounding space was nowhere near the top of the list.

Sure, we were inordinately proud of the potted cherry tomatoes on the dilapidated deck of our last Toronto apartment, but had given no consideration at all as to what we would do with a much larger patch of land to call our own.

When we took possession of our property, it was lined with stately trees of various types and ages, the front door was flanked by overgrown yew and hydrangea bushes. The lawn was an enticing blend of the crabbiest crabgrass, the dandiest dandelions, and exotic bald patches. We loved the trees, but we had exciting home renovations to make happen - the yard would simply have to wait.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed our situation - suddenly there was no influx of cash from our restaurant serving jobs, and even if there was, we had nobody to handle all the big things we had planned. All our projects went on hold, temporarily.

The evolution of our green space started innocently enough - early on in the pandemic our neighbour Martin brought over a Rose of Sharon bush that no longer fit into his landscaping plans. A hole, located in the sunniest part of the yard, became the home for that bush, where it has since been joined by a prolific rose bush, a rapidly expanding Eastern redbud, a wan young Japanese maple, and a few other things we don’t really remember planting.

Things escalated quickly. Our lovely across-the-way neighbour Kirsten offered us all the extra daisies, sedum and roses that she dug out of her backyard as she converted its jungle into an impressive homesteading operation. We accepted her offer, and it turned out to be a lot of plants. Next, our next door

centre pot necessitated a u-turn to check it out. We skulked around garden centre clearance racks - no tomato or pepper was ever too bedraggled for our ragtag vegetable patch. We began to push the zone beet greens planted on a whim on a warm November night were forgotten until a dozen fat red globes rose unexpectedly to the surface of the frozen ground in the dead of winter - we ate them to celebrate New Year’s Eve, and they were the best beets we’ve ever eaten.

My wife spent an entire summer growing a massive white super moon pumpkin - the great beast’s tendrils covered the whole length of the yard, and was truly a sight to behold. Alas, an ill-conceived Halloween harvest on a chilly night led to the crown jewel of that year’s garden season rotting before our eyes in real time - it turns out that pumpkins don’t like sudden, massive changes in temperature who knew?

But it wasn’t all free plants and ruined pumpkins. There were also very cheap plants. First was a flurry of $2, end-of-season, lily cut-offs.

Not knowing what each plant would look like the next year was all part of the fun. Then came wave after wave of cedar trees, purchased for a song from a motivated seller at a farmers’ market.

Fruit fever came on without

warning - we were suddenly surrounded by six raspberry bushes that flourished on either side of our garden path, offering welcoming scratches to all those who dared to enter. They may be thorny devils, but they produce tasty berries all summer long. The same can’t be said for our diminutive blueberry Continued on page 15

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Home & Garden ‘Bloom where you are planted’ is this garden’s motto Continued from page 14 bushes, and the less said about the honey berries, the better.

Somewhere along the way, an official war was declared against every inch of uninteresting lawn, and we’ve adopted a literal (sun) scorched earth policy, confident that we will eventually emerge as the victors.

Plants became our favourite gifts to give each other, including a very wiggly birthday pine tree that came with a tag declaring that trees “add equity to any yard”. This tree meant we’d finally arrived - we were gardeners.

So we went wild, and so did our yard. Did we know what we were doing? No, but there was always the

internet. Some plantings were a huge success, like the lovage, yarrow, and chervil that settled comfortably all over the yard.

Others were less successful (rest in peace, green bush with fragrant white flowers - we hardly knew ye).

Our motto: “Bloom Where You Are Planted”. And believe me, plants have been planted everywhere, including way too close to our driveway, making getting in and out of our vehicle just a little bit trickier. Rather than fix the situation, we doubled down with elderberry bushes, more bulbs, more herbs, and more everything we happen to come across. We can always move the driveway somewhere else. As for our oh-soimportant home renovations, we are certainly going to get down to them soon. They’ll just have to wait until the weather is just a little bit less nice - today is a perfect day to plant gladiolus bulbs, after all.

Spending time outside Rorschach, above, enjoys relaxing amongst the flowers. The Stephenson-Gamble garden includes Rose of Sharon, Dahlias, Lillies, Azaleas, and more.

(Scott Stephenson photos)

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PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023.

Home & Garden Huron Ridge marks 50 years of greenhousery celebrated 50 years in operation, indicating that their journey has indeed been a fruitful one.

One of the second generation of Steckles stewarding Huron Ridge Greenhouses into the future is Dave and Carol’s daughter Sandra Regier, head of sales and marketing, who took a few seconds out of her busy spring schedule to sit down in the company’s fern-filled employee break space. (To call it a break room feels inaccurate, as the space is also a giant, awesome greenhouse.) Over the occasional whirring of an unseen machine, Regier filled in a little bit of her family’s history and offered an update on all the things that have changed in the past half a century, as well as those that have remained the same.

“In 1973, the first spring was just a few bedding plants, hanging baskets, and see where this goes…” said Regier. It may have been the beginning of the Steckle clan’s greenhouse career, but the family had long been farming in the vicinity. “My dad was born in that house right over there… my nephew is the sixth generation on this farm. Our ancestors settled across the road when they first Continued on page 17

Teaching moments Sandra Regier has taken on the sales and marketing of Huron Ridge Greenhouses as its marks its 50th anniversary, connecting with and educating customers through viral social media videos. (Scott Stephenson photo)

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen Zurich’s own Huron Ridge Greenhouses is a massive operation that handles all things horticultural.

They do custom plantings for businesses. They have a seasonal planter subscription service. They craft giant planters to adorn the streets of lucky municipalities. Not just in the buying-and-selling game, Huron Ridge also offers free educational resources on handling plant projects of all shapes and sizes. Of course, they also sell directly to avid and novice gardeners alike, but their giant, four-season retail storefront/greenhouse is just the tip of the iceberg. The Citizen was invited to go behind the scenes to check out the upcoming floral fashions, hot new houseplants, and limited-edition mulches that will soon be making their way across the province to beautify all kinds of gardens.

One greenhouse was nothing but wall-to-wall wave petunias in all the latest colours, the next filled with a micro-mosaic of tiny seedstarting trays incubating itty-bitty onions, certain to win over even the most hardened allium critics.

Coleus plants streaked with bold colours of all kinds dominate the next greenhouse; in the next, exotic red-leaved banana plants hob knob with common geranium cuttings spring is certainly the months-long event of the season for plants of all shapes and sizes, as well as their legions of adoring fans.

It’s hard to believe that this multiservice floral juggernaut came from

humble beginnings, starting out in 1973 as four wooden greenhouses owned by Huron Ridge founders Dave and Carol Steckle. The used greenhouses, obtained from a neighbour on a whim, slowly became one of their farm’s most important features. The seed of a business rooted in the town quickly, and since then it has spent decades growing and evolving along with the wants and needs of the community. Huron Ridge just

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THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023. PAGE 17.

Home & Garden Millions of TikTok views propel Huron Ridge daily duties.

The 1990s signalled the start of Dave’s 25-year side hustle couriering the family’s fabulous florals all the way to the Toronto Flower Market on a weekly basis, a practice that wound down recently as Dave is gearing up for a welldeserved retirement.

One of Regier’s daily duties that would have sent her confused ancestors screaming over the hills is managing Huron Ridge’s multiple social media accounts. Regier’s daily posts are full of fun, behindthe-scenes videos of the planting process, tips and tricks for indoor and outdoor plant care, and daily recommendations on plants suitable for all seasons. “One of the main focuses of our business, and one of the big parts of my job, is just teaching people things,” Regier

said cheerily. “What’s good for the sun? What’s good for the shade?

How do you grow this?” One of their most popular TikToks to date is the saga of Dave’s experiments growing potatoes in containers, a video that currently has over 350,000 views on the popular platform. A mesmerizing video of assembly line style planting of New Guinea impatiens has a whopping 1.8 million views on TikTok, with an impressive 37,000 likes. The key to a successful viral video?

According to Regier, “It’s that education component. I really try to make my content be something of value to the recipient, not just an infomercial.”

Another important update to the operation addressed the aforementioned whirring noise - it’s the computer-controlled

greenhouse roof adjusting itself in accordance to signals it receives directly from its own weather station, which is constantly gathering environmental data, and making adjustments to provide the optimal environment to temperamental plants. The heat used in the warmer greenhouses is produced using wood waste and an old-fashioned boiler, creating an impressive carbon-neutral heating system.

So, how does the family manage to keep all these plants healthy and happy? Through a well-organized staff that are themselves happy and healthy, aided just a little bit by modern technology. Things may have changed a lot since the 1970s, but the family’s motto remains the same. “Good plants by good people.”

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Continued from page 16 came to the area.” The dairy cows and cash crops slowly disappeared, and by the late 1980s, the focus was entirely on growing plants. Around that time, Regier’s brother Kevin

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PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023.

Home & Garden Friends of the Village grew after society disbanded Garden and the Memory Garden (though Kolkman notes that the Memory Garden has a looselyassembled sub-committee that takes care of it, specifically) as well as the gardens at the Blyth Union Cemetery just south of the village.

The Friends of the Village group was established about seven years ago, Kolkman said, when the Blyth Horticultural Society disbanded after many years of serving the village.

The timing, for Kolkman, was just right or rather unfortunate, depending on how you look at it.

Kolkman had just begun attending meetings of the society, wanting to better her community and put her interest in gardening to use beyond the work at her own home.

However, after a few meetings, it became clear the society was going to disband, meaning Kolkman’s time with the society was over

Keeping memories alive The Memory Garden is one of the several gardens maintained by the Friends of the Village of Blyth, which rose from the ashes of the Blyth Horticultural Society, which disbanded a few years ago. The Memory Garden, seen above, honours those who have passed away over the years, including monuments to Blythites like Warren Moore, Dave Mounsey and others. (Shawn Loughlin photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen As spring is here again, the small, but mighty group of the Friends of the Village of Blyth is back in action, maintaining the public gardens of the village and keeping things beautiful as the summer approaches.

Lissa Kolkman, the founder of the group and last year’s Citizen of

the Year Award winner for Blyth, says the group membership currently sits around eight volunteers, but those are active, committed members of the community.

The group maintains a number of gardens in the village, including those at the north and south entrances, by the Canadian flag pole in the south end of the village, the Horticultural Park, the Butterfly

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before it really had a chance to start.

After the society disbanded, there was a void left regarding beautification and Kolkman stepped up because no one else was raising their hand. She said she wanted to aid her community and founding the Friends of the Village of Blyth, in the wake of the disbandment of the society, felt like the right thing to do at the time.

In the years since, the group has been hard at work beautifying the village, although the “membership” of the group is quite casual, Kolkman says.

Members are trusted to essentially pitch in and work on gardens or clean-up whenever they have time. Meetings are sparse and Kolkman does the work of meeting with Township of North Huron representatives when assistance is needed.

Kolkman says that, in addition to working on the beautification of the village, members also keep their eyes open for clean-up that they can’t accomplish on their own, notifying North Huron or the Goderich-to-Guelph (G2G) Rail Trail organization when trees are down or major improvements are needed within the village.

The group’s purview has expanded in recent years as well.

The Friends of the Village have been instrumental in the placement of benches throughout the village, Kolkman says, and have begun holding events with the wildly popular Easter egg hunt that was just getting started when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world.

The group held its first Easter egg hunt in 2019 to much acclaim, attracting people from all over Continued on page 19

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023. PAGE 19.

Home & Garden Bees: a garden’s best friend MS - A colourful garden in full bloom is an aesthetically appealing sight each spring and summer. The pleasant aromas emanating from such spaces only add to their appeal.

Many variables contribute to a thriving garden, and perhaps none is more important than bees. North America is home to thousands of species of bees, but many of those species are experiencing dwindling populations.

According to Scott McArt, an assistant professor of pollinator health in the Department of Entomology at Cornell University, 53 bee species have experienced population declines or range contractions over the last several decades. Individuals accustomed to seeing bees as unwanted guests may wonder why that’s a problem.

Though declining bee populations pose a number of

problems, perhaps none is more relatable than the link between bees and food production. A recent study published in the journal, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, noted that declines in both managed and wild bee populations raise significant concerns about long-term food security. Authors of the study noted that crop production would be higher if crop flowers received more pollination. That’s a significant benefit as the global population continues to increase, but it’s also a notable benefit in the present day from both a food security and economic perspective.

In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports that commercial production of more than 90 crops relies on roughly 3,600 bee species. Declining bee populations could put that production in serious jeopardy and

create a domino effect that impacts food security and individuals’ livelihoods.

But all is not lost in the fight to restore bee populations. In fact, McArt indicated in a 2019 report that bee populations are thriving in agricultural and natural areas. But bee populations also must thrive in suburban and urban areas. Planting a pollinator-friendly garden is one step McArt suggested that gardening hobbyists can take to help restore bee populations.

When planting to combat declining bee populations, homeowners should always look for native plants, as they are welladapted to local climates and unlikely to upset local ecosystems.

Local garden centres can be great resources for anyone looking to plant native species. According to HGTV, here are just a handful of Continued on page 23

This way to chocolate!

Lissa Kolkman of the Friends of the Village of Blyth, seen above at last month’s Easter egg hunt, hosted by the organization, says she was pleased to welcome about 100 young people back to the hunt for the first time since 2019. (File photo)

Friends’ Easter egg hunt returns Continued from page 18 Huron County and beyond to take part in the fun. This year, the event returned with about 100 young people and their families making their way to Blyth to take part.

The event was amazing, Kolkman said, adding that it was nice to reconnect with the community through the event after so much momentum pre-pandemic, which ground to a halt for several years.

In the early days of the group’s existence, Kolkman said there were between 10 and 15 members. When

the pandemic struck, events were cancelled and in-person activities were pared back, the membership slowly dwindled as a result of other commitments and the age of some members, bringing it down to eight.

The current members, however, are active and keen to help the village in any way they can, which is why the group has been so successful in recent years, even with such a modest membership.

To learn more about the Friends of the Village of Blyth, find the group on Facebook.

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PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023.

Home & Garden Accessibility is within reach if we try: Sawchuk on the building.

One of the best projects she’s worked on recently was to improve accessibility at Cait’s Cafe in Goderich. That project resulted in the business listing its accessibility features on its website, which Sawchuk said she’d like to see much more of in the future.

She then creates a report and has a follow-up meeting with the client and works with them towards improving accessibility at the site.

For a new project, the process is the same, but is accomplished online with project plans, instead of a pre-existing building. Sawchuk begins work with the designers and builders and makes recommendations as to where accessibility can be considered and improved.

There are wide doorways, smooth thresholds and a lack of stairs, of course, but Sawchuk says that much of her

Changing state of mind Blyth’s Julie Sawchuk has been encouraged by the number of people reaching out to her in hopes of making their new homes, buildings and arenas accessible, in addition to retrofitting older structures. On a whole, however, the world has a long way to go to reach universal accessibility. She is seen above during a Zoom meeting with a provincial government review body, a project which she is leading. (File photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen After delving into the world of home design, with a particular eye towards accessibility, Blyth’s Julie Sawchuk says she’s encouraged by some trends she’s seeing, but not as much by some others.

In a previous life, Sawchuk spent years as a high school teacher. She now puts her educational foundation to work encouraging accessible home and building design across the country. Her dramatic pivot began when she was struck while cycling and the collision rendered her paralyzed from the chest down. After recovery and rehabilitation, her attention turned to designing a new house for the family, as their century-old farm house would have been impossible to convert and make accessible in a practical way. When she started looking into creating her own accessible house, she found a lack of resource material and assistance, so she aimed to step into that void and create a resource that would help guide people like her through the things she needed to know and the decisions she needed to make.

She has since written two books on accessible home design, taken on numerous speaking engagements and founded Sawchuk Accessible Solutions, her own business in which she serves as a consultant for people looking to make an existing space accessible or build a new, accessible, inclusive space from the ground up.

Sawchuk says it has been her background in education that has led her to this path and now it’s hard for her to go anywhere without having a conversation about accessibility. She says that there’s always something that can be done

better when it comes to accessible building design, which leads to the never-ending stream of conversations.

In addition to working with architects, designers, contractors and construction professionals, Sawchuk has begun working with Specialist High Skills Major students throughout the province.

And while accessibility works its way into obvious avenues for those classes, such as construction and design, there is a lot of crosspollination, like law and more. She says it truly demonstrates how universal the work of making the world accessible to all is and how it

affects all areas of life.

An average client, she says, will seek her out online and give her a call about a project. Whether it be a new build or work to make an existing building more accessible, Sawchuk begins work with a site visit or a consultation that, for a business, begins in the parking lot.

Parking a car and getting into the building is just as important as the accessibility of the building itself.

She then begins to work with the space itself, focusing on “lowhanging fruit” that could be improved relatively easily and at a low cost point before major projects need to be undertaken, depending

work is done in the bathroom.

Bathroom-related conversations can be uncomfortable, Sawchuk says, but we all have to go, so it’s a topic that needs to be normalized.

This is why she created “Toilet Tuesday”, which has become a conversation starter on Sawchuk’s social media accounts. Every Tuesday, she’ll discuss a bathroomrelated accessibility feature, highlight a good bathroom or a bathroom that needs some work and work to make talking about everyone’s bathroom needs a normal part of everyday conversation.

A good example of this has been working on the construction of McDonald’s restaurants in both Mitchell and Grand Bend. There, she said, she helped with the placement of the emergency call button, among other things, Continued on page 24

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THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023. PAGE 21.

Home & Garden Brussels Hort. Society eyes new date for plant sale way to encourage you to volunteer to make the village a better place.

Right now, Pearce is the president of the storied Horticultural Society, while her husband Perry is the president of the Brussels Lions Club.

The organization has a steady stream of work when it comes to the community gardens, she says, including the gardens associated with the village’s entrance signs, hanging baskets along the main street and the bridge over the Maitland River, but, in recent years, the group has also turned an eye towards education with the goal of teaching its members and any community members who are willing to attend meetings about better gardening, conservation and other projects that might positively benefit the environment.

This year, for example, the organization has hosted educational

seminars on invasive species of plants, with more to come over the course of the year. Traditionally, the group would have hosted its annual plant sale earlier this week, but, due to the weather, the plants weren’t quite ready. So, the plant sale will be rescheduled, perhaps later this month. There are further seminars planned throughout the year, with the organization’s annual mystery tour scheduled for July, although Pearce says details are firmly under wraps.

The membership of the group has held steady, Pearce says, neither growing nor shrinking as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The group has had about 50 members in recent years, which is where it currently sits.

Membership fees are now $10 a year, Pearce said, which is up from $5 in recent years.

The Continued on page 24

Holding steady While some area horticultural societies have seen membership fluctuations in recent years, the Brussels Horticultural Society has held steady at about 50 members. The group maintains gardens like the Memory Garden, above, in memory of Ida Evans, in addition to hosting educational nights and mystery tours. (Shawn Loughlin photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen The Brussels Horticultural Society is looking ahead to its annual plant sale later this year, and while a date has yet to be set, President Julie Pearce is hoping it will coincide with the Brussels

village-wide yard sale, set for the end of the month.

The organization, which dates back to the early 1950s, is one of the older horticultural societies in the region, and Pearce, who is a relative newcomer to the area, says she’s proud to be involved with the organization, even if she’s learning

to love flowers as much as some of the group’s more seasoned members.

The group has been around for a while, Pearce said, though she has only been a resident of Brussels for about six years. Communities like Brussels, however, get their hooks in you, she says, and they find a

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Home & Garden Auburn Hort. Society’s plant sale set for May 29 the annual horticultural society grant from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). Hitting 50 members and receiving that grant, which is a modest $1,000, is an annual goal for the society, Redmond said.

That hadn’t been a problem for many years, however, as the society had a membership in excess of 85 before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Redmond says members are coming back and the society is building

back up, but it’s taking some time.

Those who are currently members of the society, Redmond said, are committed and active in the community. She adds that the society is “younger” than it has been in the past and that youth and enthusiasm has been a boon for the society as it works back towards its pre-pandemic glory.

The society maintains the entrance gardens at the east and Continued on page 23

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The Auburn Horticultural Society has its stamp all over the community, from maintaining five community gardens to a presence at the Auburn Community Park and Auburn Memorial Hall, above. Past-President Karen Redmond says the group is young and enthusiastic, which shows through its creative and inclusive events. (Shawn Loughlin photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen With the world gradually returning to normal, the Auburn Horticultural Society is back in business, tending to the community’s gardens and hosting events, like this month’s plant sale, the society’s only fundraiser of the year.

The plant auction is set to be held at Auburn Memorial Hall on May 29 at 7 p.m. Past-President Karen Redmond says the sale is not only one of the society’s main sources of

funding for the year, but it’s really its only fundraiser. The society is then hosting a container workshop at Birch Creek Greenhouse near Goderich on June 5, followed by a handful of events then set for the fall, including the society’s annual pumpkin party, which is set for the end of October.

Redmond, who has recently stepped aside from the presidency after over 10 years, making way for new President Marita Oudshoorn, said the society manages five community gardens throughout Auburn, including some of the

entrance signs and the flowers at the hall, in addition to the dog park.

Right now, the society boasts about 40 members, which is just under the level of membership required for the society to receive

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THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023. PAGE 23.

Home & Garden Redmond overseeing district worked extensively with the Huron Clean Water Project to improve water quality in the community and do its part to preserve the most precious resource.

Most recently, the society honoured long-time volunteer Shirley Andrews with a special award to thank her for her years of commitment to the organization.

Redmond, however, has not stopped there. While the Auburn society is her home organization, she has gone on to serve as a district director for District 8 of the Ontario Horticultural Association, overseeing 18 societies throughout Huron, Bruce and Grey Counties.

So, it’s clear that, all those years ago, Seers knocked on the right door.

The Auburn Horticultural Society’s annual plant sale fundraiser is set for May 29 at 7 p.m. at the Auburn Hall. For more information, or to join the society (annual membership is $10), call Oudshoorn at 519-955-2953.

The way in

One of the best and most effective places to beautify a village is at its entrance points, which is why so many horticultural societies and gardening groups maintain entrance sign gardens, like this one at the south edge of Auburn. (Shawn Loughlin photo)

Continued from page 22 west sides of the community, in addition to the Manchester garden (Manchester was the original name of Auburn), a garden in Central Huron along Base Line as you enter the community and then the garden at the community hall.

In addition, Redmond says she’s proud of the work the society has done over the years that goes beyond tending to community gardens, like sustainability and conservation projects, like the dog park and other tree-planting initiatives the society has undertaken over the years.

Redmond was first brought into the world of horticultural societies

by Maxine Seers, a well-known former Auburn resident who has volunteered extensively over the years.

When Redmond first moved to Auburn, she attended the society’s plant sale on the hunt for something to plant at her new home. Not long after, she said, Seers approached

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Homeowners can do their part by planting bee-friendly flowers and plants on their properties.

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her with a small project, saying that the society’s treasurer position sat empty and she wondered if Redmond would consider filling it for a bit and the rest, as they say, is history.

That was almost 30 years ago and Redmond has been involved with the society ever since.

Redmond says she’s especially proud of the projects the society has undertaken that go above and beyond the traditional horticultural society responsibilities of planting and maintaining gardens. In addition to the dog park, which has been well used since it was created many years ago, the society has also

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PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023.

Home & Garden Doorways, bathrooms, thresholds are easy wins Continued from page 20 recommending that the call button be located at a height that might be useful for someone with accessibility challenges who has fallen and can’t get up, rather than at a higher level, easily accessed by an average-sized adult who is standing up.

Sawchuk is a real advocate for, if possible, incorporating accessible design right from the beginning.

This not only puts builders ahead of the curve of changing regulations and welcoming customers to the new business, but it really does save business owners money in the long run.

Some of the basics that should always be considered are zerothreshold entries, allowing for an easy way into the building for people in wheelchairs or using other

mobility devices. While not every entrance needs to be this way, she says, having at least one goes a long way.

She advises that all doorways should be at least 36 inches wide, which is now in line with current recommendations.

In the bathroom, there should be grab bars and a zero-threshold shower, in addition to other improvements.

There are many more things to be considered, but Sawchuk says those are some of the most simple, easiest ways to improve the accessibility of a space without breaking the bank.

Those are simple decisions that can be made that don’t necessarily cost any more than other, more traditional designs.

Building something new, in this day and age, she says, comes with a

lot of opportunity. Add-ons for older buildings like ramps need not even be considered for new builds if it’s done right, with accessibility in mind, the first time.

Sawchuk’s work has been both encouraging and a bit disappointing, she said. People are reaching out to her very consistently, seeking her help to make their spaces, new builds and businesses more accessible for years to come. So, the number of people finding her and bringing her on with their projects has been promising.

However, while both the provincial and federal governments have sought to build towards a more accessible Ontario and Canada in the coming years, Sawchuk says more needs to be done.

Both governments have brought

in legislation to implore designers to be more inclusive, including the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), Sawchuk says more resources, funding and enforcement will be needed to ensure the

province gets where it needs to go in terms of accessibility.

For more information on Sawchuk and her consultancy business, visit Sawchuk Accessibility Solutions at juliesawchuk.ca.

Pearce is happy as Brussels president Continued from page 21 membership rate had been stable for several years, she said, but last year, the organization collected the $5 membership fee from each member, and paid out $8 to provincial organizations, so the time had come to raise the rate.

Pearce’s participation was solidified upon her move into the community. Six years ago, when she and Perry moved to Brussels, she was instantly recruited to be part of the horticultural society.

However, Pearce admits she doesn’t care much for flowers. She spent years managing a greenhouse in Wheatley, but admits her focus was more on the green aspect of horticulture, favouring perennials and even herbs in her gardens and landscaping. However, as she’s stepped into the local organization’s biggest role, she is learning, slowly but surely, to love and appreciate flowers, even though she admits they are a lot of work.

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THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023. PAGE 25.

HC throws support behind Gibbons St.

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

Lessons from a pro Olympic softball player Alison Bradley was in Blyth on Monday night to speak to one of the village’s teams and run through a warm-up routine with them, all the while imparting wisdom that only an Olympian could offer. (Scott Stephenson photo)

CH welcomes new fire chief Central Huron Council has accepted a tender for new fencing at the Londesborough ball diamond, selecting the offer of Fortress Fencing Inc. in the amount of $36,229.42 plus HST to complete the project.

Council passed a motion to that effect, accepting the company’s tender, at its April 24 meeting.

The Fortress Fencing tender was one of only two received by the municipality. The other, $63,477 from Verbeeks Farm and Garden Centre, was nearly twice the cost of the winning bid.

In his report to council, Facilities Manager Steve Duizer said the estimated total for the project was included in Central Huron’s preapproval budget earlier this year. *** At its April 24 meeting, council approved amendments to its Official Plan and a zoning bylaw to allow for a mineral aggregate operation at 39556 Londesboro Road, a property owned by the municipality itself that is locally known as the Josling pit.

The 94.4-acre property is home to a temporary wayside pit that is

licensed under the Aggregate Resources Act. The rezoning will allow Central Huron to operate a long-term aggregate pit there, with aggregate to be used for various municipal projects.

The special designation will allow for the importation of soils, which the property’s aggregate licence permits.

Council passed the changes with little comment. *** At its April 24 meeting, Central Huron Council approved the allocation of $10,440 from the municipality’s roads reserve for sidewalks at the intersection of London and Blyth Roads in the south end of Blyth.

“Staff recently met with Huron County Public Works, North Huron Public Works and B.M. Ross and Associates to discuss the upgrades taking place at the intersection of County Roads 4 and 25 in Blyth.

During discussions, Huron County Public Works inquired if Central Huron and North Huron would like sidewalks installed at the intersection while the work at the intersection is taking place,” said

Fit for a king As part of a full village effort, the Auburn Lions Club fired up the griddles and served up breakfast last Saturday - a break from their usual Sunday routine - to coincide with the annual village-wide yard sale.

(John Stephenson photo)

Roads Manager Brady Nolan in his report to council. “Staff at Central Huron requested that B.M. Ross prepare budgetary numbers to place sidewalks between the Tim Hortons and Cowbell, which include a combination of concrete at the intersection and asphalt sidewalk past the intersection.”

Nolan told council that the county has agreed to cover the costs for concrete at the intersection at an estimated cost of $5,550 and the costs for pedestrian signals, AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) signals, line painting and tactile surfaces, which is expected to cost $55,000.

“If Central Huron would like an asphalt pathway from the signals to Tim Hortons, the estimated cost is $4,737 and [for] an asphalt pathway from the signals to the Cowbell entrance the estimated cost is $5,703,” Nolan said in his report.

Nolan and his staff recommended moving ahead with the sidewalks, citing the county’s willingness to work with the municipality on the project. *** Central Huron Council passed a bylaw appointing Jeff Lipskie as the new fire chief and alternate community emergency management co-ordinator.

This comes after the retirement of Fire Chief Dave Renner. *** Council has authorized the purchase of a new zero-turn mower for the municipality at the cost of $15,309 before HST. The new machine was included in the preapproved budget.

The municipality received three prices from local retailers and a Cub Cadet Pro-Z-560 from CM Small Engine came in at the lowest price.

Council approved the purchase. *** In her regular report to council, Community Improvement Coordinator Angela Smith noted that the municipality was recognized with two awards at the recent Economic Developers Council of Ontario’s annual awards ceremony.

The projects honoured that day were the Shoppability project, which earned a first-place honour, and the Historic Walking Tour, which placed second in its category.

Huron County Council has reaffirmed its backing of the Gibbons Street supportive housing project by way of a recorded vote at council’s May 3 meeting.

The issue was up for discussion again after Councillors Bernie MacLellan and Marg Anderson, by way of a motion passed by council, asked for a legal opinion as to whether the county had entered into any legally-binding agreements in relation to the project, which is estimated to cost taxpayers over $20 million in the coming years.

In her report to council, Clerk and Director of Legislative Services Susan Cronin provided a legal opinion from municipal solicitor Greg Stewart saying that, in his opinion, the county did not yet have any legally-binding agreements in place on the Gibbons Street project.

“With respect to your inquiry a couple of days ago concerning the legal commitment at this time, although the county and the Town of Goderich have indicated their wish to engage in the sale of the Gibbons Street property by Goderich to the county, there is, at this time, no legally-binding agreement,” he said.

Cronin then noted that staff was in search of “clear” direction on the project and that further information would be provided to council in a closed-to-the-public session later in the meeting.

After that meeting, Warden Glen McNeil reported back into open session and asked for direction from council, suggesting a motion for discussion purposes that council reaffirm its commitment to and support of the Gibbons Street project to its completion.

Councillors Jim Ginn and Jim Dietrich made the motion.

MacLellan continued to speak against the project. While he said he is in favour of the project and would be surprised if anyone around the council table wasn’t, what he objected to was completely funding the project, which is currently estimated to cost $20.5 million with the potential for hefty administration costs on an annual basis, funded by property tax dollars.

He said other options, including grants from upper tiers of government and potential public-

tizen The Ci 2023 E PHON BOOK

N CLINTO GHAM ELS • • WIN RUSS TH •B SEAFORTH • • BLY N IE R R U • GOR • AUB ERICH • GOD

private partnerships needed to be considered.

McNeil reminded councillors that Chief Administrative Officer Meighan Wark and county staff routinely work to obtain any government funding they can and to suggest otherwise would be wrong.

MacLellan didn’t disagree, but said that the federal and provincial governments needed to come to the aid of communities like Huron County in regards to homelessness and that funding these kinds of projects on a long-term basis is unsustainable.

Anderson agreed, saying other options needed to be considered and that it was far too much money to spend.

Morris-Turnberry Mayor Jamie Heffer, on the other hand, said he supported the project moving forward, while Ginn also spoke in favour of the project. Ginn said he had yet to hear of a better alternative. The county brought in a diverse group of experts and this was the solution they proposed. To not follow the recommendation, without a better plan to consider, would leave the issue unresolved, he said.

He added that the issue goes beyond the dollars and cents and that the county has a responsibility to keep residents from “freezing to death”.

Councillors Paul Klopp and George Finch both felt other options needed to be exhausted before moving ahead with the project and indicated that they would be voting against it.

Goderich Deputy-Mayor Trevor Bazinet and Mayor Myles Murdock were the last to speak, both in favour of the project, which they said was a Huron County issue, rather than a Goderich one.

Bazinet said people need resources and the county needs a solution, not a Band-Aid, which is what is currently in place - a costly Band-Aid solution.

Council then passed the vote with nine in favour and six against.

Councillors Jim Dietrich, Jamie Heffer, Myles Murdock, John Becker, Trevor Bazinet, Doug Harding, Jim Ginn and Paul Heffer, as well as Warden Glen McNeil voted in favour of the motion, while Councillors Marg Anderson, George Finch, Bill Vanstone, Paul Klopp, Alvin McLellan and Bernie MacLellan voted against it.

Get one while they last!

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Pick up your free copy today before they are gone!

405 Queen Street, Blyth

PAGE 26. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023.

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

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

Articles for sale RUSTIC CEDAR GAZEBOS AND pergolas; also a supplier of steel roofing, siding and trims. Webwood Truss, 382 Whitechurch St., RR 5, Lucknow. ON N0G 2H0.

15-8p -------------------------------------------GERBERS FIREWOOD SERVING you for over 15 years. Your number one source of quality slabwood and bodywood. Delivery available. No Sunday calls. 519-274-1236, 519441-2085.

01-50p -------------------------------------------REPRINTS OF PHOTOS taken by Citizen photographers are available to purchase. All are in colour. 4x6 – $5.00, 5x7 – $6.00, 8x10 – $10.00. Phone to order 519-523-4792 or email: info@northhuron.on.ca tfn -------------------------------------------THE CITIZEN IS AVAILABLE TO purchase at these locations – Auburn Co-op, Auburn Esso, Belgrave Variety, Blyth Variety, Blyth Food Market, Blyth Ultramar, Brussels Foodland, Brussels Variety, Clinton Convenience, Clinton Foodland, Fogal’s YIG in Wingham, Wingham Mini Mart, Seaforth Foodland, GT Mini Mart in Seaforth, Fincher’s in Goderich, Goderich Victoria St. Shell and The Citizen Blyth.

Card of thanks Help wanted Help wanted SPRING LUNCH, TUESDAY, May 16, Trinity Anglican Church, Blyth, 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, vegetables and dessert, $12 per person. For ordering and pick-up time call 519-523-9396 or email: mcgregor@ezlink.ca Ordering deadline Monday, May 15.

-------------------------------------------25TH ANNIVERSARY BARN Dance Jamboree/Campout, May 26, 27 and 28 at the Blyth Community Centre Complex and Campground, Blyth, ON. Friday Evening Dance by the Country Versatiles, 7 p.m.; Barn Dance Show, Saturday evening 7:30 p.m. and Gospel Show, Sunday morning – 10:30 a.m. Armbands available at the door. Details on the Barn Dance website at www.thebarndance.ca or by calling 519-357-6598.

-------------------------------------------WINGHAM COLUMBUS CENTRE'S Famous Fish Fry is Friday, May 19 from noon to 6:30 p.m. We are offering Eat-In and Take-Out this month. Eat-In, $20: choice of battered or grilled white fish and a buffet of garden and caesar salad, french fries, baked potato, mashed potato, gravy, dinner rolls, also coffee and tea. Take-out $18: fish, potato, coleslaw and dinner roll. We also do chicken fingers for the “non” fish lover. Butter tarts $2 or homemade cheesecake and other desserts $5 each. Kids are half price.

Taxes are included. Call early to book your fish as we tend to sell out.

519-357-1270.

--------------------------------------------

Births

is seeking

Seasonal Concessions & Cleaning Staff More details available at www.blythfestival.com/employment

Tenders

Tenders

Sealed tenders marked as to contents, will be accepted until 12 Noon on Friday, May 26th, 2023 HE-05-2023 Asphalt Paving 4.3 km on Hensall Road, Tuckersmith Ward 4.0 km on Beechwood Line, McKillop Ward The Municipality of Huron East reserves the right to accept any Quotation, in whole or in part that it feels is most beneficial to the residents of the Municipality of Huron East.

Therefore, the lowest or any Quotation may not necessarily be accepted.

Tender Forms available upon request from the Huron East Public Works Department 72 Main Street South, Box 610, Seaforth, Ontario N0K 1W0 Phone (519) 527-1710 Fax (519) 527-2561 Toll free phone 1-888-868-7513 cgarrick@huroneast.com

Hay/straw Announce your new arrival in

The Citizen Email or send in a colour photo and writeup (75 words or less) to info@northhuron.on.ca or mail to PO Box 429, Blyth, ON N0M 1H0 519-523-4792

25

$

(tax incl.)

FIVE-FOOT ROUND BALES, no rain. Also 15 acres standing hay, you cut, etc. for most of the hay.

Auburn, 519-274-3946.

Help wanted THE BRUSSELS AGRICULTURAL Society is looking for a secretary.

Commitment is 5-10 hours per month for a two-year term.

Responsibilities include recording meeting minutes, keeping records and conducting correspondence.

Honorarium is paid annually. E-mail brusselsagsociety@gmail.com for more information.

-------------------------------------------PSW WANTED IN BRUSSELS area to drive senior to appointments, couple hours per week. Phone 519440-9926.

--------------------------------------------

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News Media Canada is a passionate advocate for the news industry. We support our member publications in their pursuit of quality journalism.

We believe that when society has facts they can trust, better decisions will be made.

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

• Free ad up to 25 words, person to person only (no businesses), items valued at $1,000 or less. Price must be included in your ad.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 - four tires: T235-65 R17 103T M&F Kumho, four for $100. 226-880-1689.

19-3 ---------------------------------------FOR SALE - Delta Beaver floor model drill press for sale, $100.

226-880-1689.

19-3 ---------------------------------------FOR SALE - hooked mats, hand made, prices negotiable. Various sizes available. 519-612-1112.

19-3 ---------------------------------------WANTED - To the perpetrators who stole my flag: return within one week or I’ll be forced to take the video to the police.

19-3 ---------------------------------------FOR SALE - folding bicycle, Dahon Yeah, six-speed, good condition, everything works, includes two keys and instructions, $140. Goderich 519612-2088.

18-3 ---------------------------------------FOR SALE - Rola roof rack Grand Cherokee removed from 2016. Excellent condition, should fit 2010 - present. Includes two keys and instructions, $180, Goderich. 519-612-2088. 18-3 ---------------------------------------FOR SALE - Singer Pioneer Beaded Tripod projection screen, 50”x50", $25. 519-523-9204.

18-3 ---------------------------------------WANTED - large cement box 2' x2' x4' for a retaining wall. 519522-0366.

18-3 ---------------------------------------FOR SALE - for wood stove, many large boxes of cut and dried kindling from various types of trees, $20 for the whole lot. Call Milly 519-482-7262.

18-3 ---------------------------------------WANTED - Doll house, preferably with some furniture and little dolls. Wingham area.

519-357-2768.

17-3 ---------------------------------------FOR SALE - Remington hair clipper with blades. $60. Coffee maker, 12 cup, like new. $20.

519-524-4648.

17-3

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

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023. PAGE 27.

May I sleep in your barn tonight, Mister?

Glimpses of the Past with Karen Webster

I

t was a very sad entry in the death register of 1889 for Hullett Township that provided the idea for this column. Name: unknown; Age: unknown; Cause of death: unknown; Religion: unknown. His profession was written down as

pauper/tramp. On the bottom of the registration was the note “Nothing is known of the above. He was interred by order of the reeve”.

Tramps, hobos, kings of the road, itinerants and vagabonds were all names assigned to the people who

travelled around the countryside looking for a place to sleep and food to eat. Some of them were quite willing to do a small amount of work, just enough to obtain a meal.

Others were not so inclined and instead freely took that which was

Patience

The Seaforth Lions Club held its annual trout derby last Saturday, welcoming 85 young people to catch one (or more) of the 150 trout released into Silver Creek for the event.

The club has been hosting this event for more than 30 years. (John Stephenson photo)

Free fishing weekends coming PEOPLE AROUND WALTON

By Jo-Ann McDonald Call 887-6570

Rain, rain go away, come back after the corn is planted. As soon as the first of May hits, the farmers out there are chomping at the bit to get to the field. In most cases, the seed is delivered, the planter is greased and ready to go and as soon as the ground is ready, they will be in the fields. Remember, farm equipment is slower-moving, so slow down, watch for turn signals, have a little patience on the road. Farmers work long hours and the machinery is so much bigger now. Let’s have a safe spring planting season.

Congratulations go to Randy and Rileah Zwep, who have welcomed their first child, a beautiful baby girl. Eliza Mary will be spoiled by grandparents George and Jane Zwep, number three, and by firsttime granddad Rob DeVor. All are doing well and are excited to enter parenthood.

A reminder for those who want to go fishing with the family. You do not need a fishing licence to go fishing three weekends this summer: May 13-14, which is Mother’s Day weekend; Father’s Day weekend is next on June 17-18, and then a whole week from July 1-

9. It’s a great idea to take kids out for some outdoor fun and no licence required. There was a fourth weekend, but it was in February!

Travelling around the countryside, there are lots of changes going on. Some you can see, some you cannot. There are fields after fields getting tile drainage done. The lines in the fields give it away, but once the land is worked, you will never know. It does make quite a difference in crop yields if a field is well drained.

The Terpstra barn on Morris Road came down last week. The construction crew has arrived on another Terpstra farm to build a shed. It is maybe an old barn or a shed that is coming down or at least getting a facelift on Monoway Farms. Work continues at the end of Morris Road on the corner property.

There is a new shed on the Haag farm, a barn renovation on another Haag farm, and new houses almost everywhere going up, town and country.

The months of April and May are a sports fan’s delight, but maybe a parent’s nightmare. Hockey tryouts are still going on for some teams for next season. Good weather will mean baseball and soccer practice will begin. Don’t forget swimming lessons for some to be ready for swimming season. Hockey and basketball playoffs are on television every night and Major League Baseball, NASCAR races and horse races are regular occurrences.

There is still curling to watch and tennis.

Congratulations to Isabelle Wheeler on celebrating her 90th birthday. She and her family hosted nearly 60 family and friends at the Brussels Legion on Saturday for dinner and a great visit. Both her sons, Wayne and Brian, were on hand to welcome, and host.

Congrats to Isabelle.

Celebrating birthdays this past week include Pat Melady, Armand Roth, Gerry Sullivan, Brian Workman, Scott McNaughton, Doug O’Neill, Adam Jarosz, Scott Baan, Brandon Blake, Kyle Stevenson, Colin Humphries, Brandon Dalton, Jim Shortreed, Maddy Bernard, Carman Bernard, Calvin Flood and Nathan Wharton.

Happy birthday to all.

not theirs, sometimes in a violent manner.

Everyone loves a circus, but in June of 1885, the Brussels Post warned that the worst crowd of “sharpers, deadbeats and pickpockets” followed the circus and that citizens needed to be aware.

One ploy used was to ask a citizen to change a large denomination bill into smaller ones. The money was counted in front of the citizen and looked to be legitimate but in the end, the slicker made off with half the money.

The Huron Expositor, in 1887, reported that a Clinton woman, at her front door, told a tramp to go on his way. A short time later, she noticed the same person sitting on her back step lacing up his shoes.

When she complained, he asked for time to finish tying his shoes. Later, her husband arrived home from work and went to pick up his new shoes that he had left on the back step. Instead he only found a very well-worn pair that the tramp had left behind.

In the days when homes were heated with woodstoves, there was always a pile of wood that required being split. Most tramps would gladly chop wood in return for a hot meal. Not so in the Clinton area in 1895. A group of seven tramps descended on the area, causing concern for the residents. When some of them called on Mr. James Stevens on the Base Line, asking for a meal, he refused them, saying that they had been seen playing cards along the railway line and that if they had used their time more wisely, they could have earned their food.

In 1902, The Blyth Standard printed a story attributed to a Mr. Peter Sands of Pennsylvania, who claimed to understand the signs that tramps and hobos affixed to structures to advise those who came after them. A diamond shape indicated “abundance” while a circle stood for “nothing” or zero meaning a person would be wasting their time begging at that residence. A cross symbolized work, as in sawing or chopping wood, the only task that most tramps could reliably do. A double cross indicated hard work.

The presence of a man on the property was noted by a straight up and down line, while a woman was denoted by a crude hourglass shape.

The combination of the signs for woman and abundance were a welcome sight to the tramp. A horizontal line with two vertical lines underneath each end meant “dog” and “beware”. One of the more encouraging signs was a rectangle with a semi-circle on top, much like the drawing of a pail, which represented “booze”. Finally, a square filled with horizontal lines indicated the likelihood of spending some time in that town’s jail.

Whether all these signs were in use in Huron County is not known, but what our forefathers understood was that the travellers that came this way did have some system to help them.

Once railways were established in the area, they provided a way of travelling around that was easier than hoofing it. In 1900, the

superintendent of the Grand Trunk Railway notified all agents, operators, road masters and section foremen to be on the lookout for tramps.

Municipalities had different ways of coping with those who tramped along the roads and byways of Huron County. In 1880, it was reported that over 81 tramps had been “accommodated with lodging in the Clinton lock-up in March of that year”. In this way, the men had a safe place to sleep overnight and had at least one meal before being sent on their way.

In April of the same year, Blyth Council voted to send all tramps to the Huron County gaol (jail) in Goderich. In 1895, Gaoler Dickson reported the following to county council. There were 15 prisoners in custody: one was a woman, from Brussels, who was described as a vagrant; three were males considered insane and were awaiting transport to the asylum; one man was sentenced to 20 days for being absent from the House of Refuge and the remaining 10 were vagrants who were sentenced to three to six months hard labour.

During the Great Depression, many work camps were set up throughout Canada to provide food, lodging, medical care and some rehabilitation. Wages were low and the labour, such as smashing rocks to build roadways, was hard.

In 1892, the Canadian Criminal Code stated that “a loose, idle or disorderly person or vagrant could be fined $50 or imprisonment not exceeding six months, with or without hard labour”. By 2019, the same criminal code dropped vagrancy as a crime.

Even though, in fiction, the tramp was often a romanticized character, the realities of life on the road were often very grim indeed.

“May I sleep in your barn tonight, Mister?

It's cold lying out on the ground And the cold north wind is awhistling And I have no place to lie down Now I have no tobacco nor matches And I'm sure I can cause you no harm I will tell you my story, kind Mister For it runs through my heart like a storm”

By Charlie Poole

Wingham Memorials Distinctive memorials of lasting satisfaction produced by us to your specifications.

Owned and operated by Mac and Donna Anderson Assisted by Mandy

519-357-1910 E-mail: andgranite@bellnet.ca After hours appointments available 89 North Street W., Wingham www.winghammemorials.com

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

NEWS FROM WALTON

The Citizen.

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

Cards of thanks can be placed in our classified section, starting at just $8.00.

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

From the Minister’s Study

Learn together; seek God’s kingdom, righteousness

By Pastor Gary van Leeuwen Blyth Christian Reformed Church One of the verses that has challenged me in the past few years is found in Matthew 6:33, and there we read Jesus’ words, “Seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.”

“These things” refer back to what Jesus has been talking about a few verses earlier, namely the necessities of life, which would identify as food, clothing and shelter. Jesus was on the side of a hill, most probably somewhere in the countryside, when he spoke these words, and had just pointed out to his listeners the birds and flowers. Birds do not sow crops or reap the harvest or store that harvest in their barns, but still they have food enough to live. Perhaps nearby there was a field covered in wildflowers, and Jesus notes for his listeners that these flowers act like clothing for the grass of the fields, and that clothing is more beautiful than what even the richest person could afford. Jesus says that God the Father has provided food for the birds and clothing for the fields, and, because that is true, he will also provide us with what we need, perhaps even more.

God will provide us with the basic necessities of life. God’s providence is a central teaching of Scripture, and we are taught to rely on him for what we need. This does contradict what we are taught so often in our time, namely that if we are going to survive, we have to take care of ourselves first. We have to look after the basic necessities, because if we don’t, who will?

Jesus is saying something quite radical: we don’t have to look after our basic necessities, because God our heavenly Father will look after them. I have tried to read this verse in another way, but it seems to be that this is its clearest meaning. God will look after us by providing for us.

But that does not mean that we can get away with doing nothing.

Jesus does not envision everyone sitting around all day waiting for God to put food on the table or clothes on our backs. Rather, he tells us that we have a calling in life, namely, to seek first the kingdom of God and the righteousness of God. So, what does that mean? The kingdom of God is found wherever God’s sovereign reign is found. His righteousness is found wherever

Evangelical Missionary Church

true justice, based on God’s ways, is found.

We see God’s reign most clearly in those places and times where people experience God’s blessings.

In other words, when God provides for people, we see evidence of his kingdom. And we see evidence of God’s justice when people treat each other fairly, call each other to live holy and loving lives, and bring about justice where there is injustice.

In other words, what Jesus is calling us to do is the work of God the Father in this world. Where someone is hungry, we are called to feed them. When they cannot find justice, we stand with them and seek justice on their behalf. When someone is friendless, we befriend them, not only by being nice to them, but by inviting them to become part of our lives. We call people to live in trust of God and obedience to his ways and will so that they can experience the blessings of living in the way that God has designed us to live.

To put it plainly, as God takes care of us, we take care of others.

This requires a great deal of trust, for we have to be sure that God will

take care of us. If we don’t trust God for that, it is quite likely that we won’t be able to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. If we feel we have to take care of our necessities because we don’t trust God to do it, then we will feel panicky when we spend time looking after others. We worry about ourselves if we don’t believe that God loves us and will provide for us.

This is why I find this verse so challenging. I tend to want to look after myself first, and that tendency is often rooted in the fact that I am not entirely trusting that God will look after me. In my worry (sometimes felt to be panic), I find myself not fulfilling God’s call in my life to care for others so that they can experience God’s providence, blessing and justice. I sometimes find that my lack of trust in the Lord leads to my inability or unwillingness to help others.

We all need to be reminded that God does love us, and he does care for us and about us. We know that he is deeply concerned about us because he sent his Son to this world to give his life for us. God’s concern for our eternal state reflects

217 Minnie Street, Wingham Sunday Morning Worship at 9:30 am Sunday School at 10:30 am

Wheelchair accessible 519-357-2961 and parking

winghamunited@hurontel.on.ca winghamuc.webs.com

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

The­Regional­Ministry­of­ Hope www.regionalministryofhope.com 519-357-7781 email: revjoann@hurontel.on.ca

Trinity

BLYTH 9:00 AM

Come Worship With Us Sundays at 10:00 am

DISCOVERING THE OLD TESTAMENT

All Are Welcome

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

Sunday, May 14 at 10 a.m.

BMG Community Centre (upstairs room) 800 Sports Drive, Brussels **Please note our new location** Childcare provided for children aged 0 to 4 during the sermon

Worship and Prayer Time Loving Fellowship Expository Preaching

For additional details please visit: brusselscommunitybiblechapel.com

St. Paul’s Trinity

WINGHAM 10:30 AM

Come Worship with Us! Co

BRUSSELS

United Church Sunday, May 14 at 11:00 am Mother’s Day Service and Baptism No Service on May 21, come to Camp Menesetung to support the Breakfast Fundraiser and Open House.

If you need a rid or can provide a ride see the sign-up sheet at Church.

Contact Alex at minister.brusselsandblythuc@gmail.com Website: brusselsandblythuc.ca P.O. Box 359, Brussels ~ 519-887-6259

Happy Mother’s Day

Sunday, May 14 at 9:30 a.m.

119 John’s Ave., Auburn 519-526-1131

THE FUN OF UNPACKING...

Rev. Colin S. Snyder rev.colinsnyder@gmail.com

Blyth United Church

Have you registered yet for VACATION BIBLE CAMP July 10-14? huronchapel.com/vacation-bible-camp

Current Sermon Series...

Service live-streamed at 9:30 am and recorded on YouTube

Pastor Mike Stanley “The Coming of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:1-21)

On-site and online live.huronchapel.com

others more, to the point that I can dedicate my life completely for the sake of others even as I trust that God will take care of us. And I hope that one day I will be able to do that without worrying about myself but allow my life to rest fully in the love of God. It’s a learning process, but let’s learn together to seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness and trust that God will take care of all the rest.

Brussels Mennonite Fellowship

Wingham United Church

MOTHER’S DAY Sunday, May 14, 10:30 am

Nursery & Sunday School during worship

his concern for us in our everyday lives. I need to be reminded of this, and, I suspect, we all need to be reminded that God will care for us.

Knowing that will give us the ability to fulfill his calling to seek the welfare of others both in caring for their physical needs and seeking God’s justice for them.

This verse is challenging, but I hope, by God’s grace, to live by it a little more each day. It is my prayer that, as I trust God more, I can help

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

Contact Alex at: minister.brusselsandblythuc@gmail.com

Join us for our Services Sunday, May 14 ~Mother’s Day Pastor Gary van Leeuwen will be leading us in the 10:00 am service. There is no evening service

Thursday, May 18 ~ 7:00 pm Ascension Day Service Ser ervices vices ar are liv ive-str strea eamed and an can be foun ound by sear searching ing “Blyt yth Ch Christ stian Reforme rmed Ch Church” h”

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

MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS

Sunday, May 14 9:30-10:30 a.m.

We extend a loving welcome to all to join us as Mary Jane Bisset leads us in worship, praise and prayer to God. A time of fellowship to follow.

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

All are welcome!

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

For pastoral care concerns please call 519-524-7512

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023. PAGE 29.

Proposals concerning for Huron County

A proud day Local artist Abi Bos was the person of the hour on Friday night as her artwork was unveiled on an outer wall of the North Huron Wescast Community Complex in Wingham.

Bos’ work is one of several murals that have been created in conjunction with Huron County and it was well received by citizens and dignitaries alike who were in attendance for the celebration of local art and artists. (John Stephenson photo)

HE to debate grants on May 16

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen At its May 16 meeting, Huron East Council will be considering its annual community grants for the year.

The issue was up for discussion at council’s May 2 meeting, but due to the length of the meeting, which included the finalization of the 2023 budget, council opted to defer the discussion to its next meeting.

This year, the Seaforth Lions Club has requested a grant of $15,000 for the pool, which represents an increase of $4,500 over the previous year’s grant. This comes as a result of the discontinuation of a regular donation from another donor.

Additionally, the Seaforth Horticultural Society has requested $750 this year, which is a $200 increase from 2022.

In her report to council, Director of Finance Stacy Grenier noted that the municipality also routinely

receives grant requests without a specified amount. As a result, Grenier has assumed that the amount will be equal to what was granted in 2022. These are: The Brussels Horticultural Society, $550; the Maitland Bank Cemetery, $400; the Huron Plowmen’s Association, $250, and the Van Egmond Foundation, $1,000.

The total amount budgeted for grants this year is $20,000, which is what it has been for many years.

Last year, the grants approved exceeded that budget for a total of $23,410. This year, if council approves all the grants, it will total $24,485.

This year’s grant requests (though some groups have yet to make an official grant request) are: Brussels Agricultural Society, $1,000; Brussels Horticultural Society, $550; Brussels Santa Claus parade, $1,000; Ethel Minor Ball, $500; Huron Plowmen’s Association, $250; Seaforth Lions Club (Santa Claus parade), $1,000;

Seaforth Lions Club (pool), $15,000; Maitland Bank Cemetery, $400; Royal Canadian Legion Branch 468, $55; Royal Canadian Legion (Remembrance Day), $105; St. Columban Soccer, $500; Seaforth Agricultural Society and Fall Fair, $1,000; Seaforth Food Bank (hall rental), $375; Seaforth Horticultural Society, $750; the Van Egmond Foundation, $1,000; Walton Area Sports Club, $500, and the Winthrop Ball Park and Community Centre, $500.

Grenier noted at the end of her report that the 2024 budget process is anticipated to begin much earlier in the year than it did this year, so she told council that she will be reminding community groups to submit their requests by Oct. 31, 2023 for consideration in the 2024 budget and similarly in the years ahead.

Council will consider the grants list at its May 16 meeting, which will be held in Seaforth beginning at 6 p.m.

Continued from page 1 opportunities for infrastructure efficiency in settlement areas; increase the demand on municipalities to provide enhanced rural services, such as more frequent snow plowing, road maintenance, garbage collection, emergency services, etc., and ring serviced settlement areas with unserviced residential development, making it more difficult and costly for future settlement area expansions and extension of services.

“If the province’s intention is to permit three residential lots from every farm parcel, this has the potential to result in thousands of non-farm-related lots in the agricultural area across the county,” Weber and Van Amersfoort said in their report. “The province should reconsider this substantial policy direction change and the long-term effects it will have on the protection of prime agricultural lands and maintaining the ability for farmers to farm. In addition, there may be other unintended consequences, such as the effect of additional residences and the potential for future aggregate extraction.”

After an analysis of agricultural lots in Huron County that could take on new residential lots under the new Provincial Policy Statement, the Planning and Development Department found 8,304 potential lots across eight municipalities (excluding Goderich). If three new lots were to be created on every parcel, that would mean 24,912 new lots.

Van Amersfoort then presented an example rural block, using Hullett-McKillop Road in Central Huron as an example, saying it could create a fragmented, but concentrated almost residential-like area on country blocks.

The pair also detailed a number of other proposed changes to the Provincial Policy Statement, which is expected to be up for approval this fall, that the department either had no concerns with or supported. These include changes to settlement area expansions, employment areas and employment land

conversions and growth targets.

The pair said that natural heritage policies remain under investigation by the government, so the department will update council on any changes to that division of the Provincial Policy Statement when they are provided by the provincial government.

They also noted several changes as a result of Bill 97, the Helping Homeowners, Protecting Tenants Act, including new ministerial powers, a new effective date for Bill 109 concerning planning fee refunds, parking for additional units and site plan control for developments with 10 or fewer units.

The comment period for the new Provincial Policy Statement is due to close on June 5, which is why Weber and Van Amersfoort wanted to speak to council as soon as possible in order to get the county’s comments delivered to the provincial government before the deadline.

Councillor Bernie MacLellan was the first to speak, noting that Van Amersfoort had been in Seaforth the previous night to speak to a similar report at Huron East Council’s regular meeting. He said he was concerned about the potential for increased expectations of the municipality, should these residential lots be created in rural areas, adding that he saw “so many downsides” to what was being proposed.

Councillor George Finch agreed, calling the proposed changes by the provincial government a “recipe for disaster” that was sure to set up rural Ontario for failure.

Council then voted to voice its concerns along the lines of those stated by Weber and Van Amersfoort to the provincial government while sending a separate letter to Huron-Bruce MPP and Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Lisa Thompson.

With Thompson’s cabinet position as an advocate for agriculture, several councillors stated, council hoped she would advocate for the preservation of prime agricultural land and the continued vitality of the region.

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PAGE 30. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023.

‘Change Her World’ fundraiser ongoing in Wingham

In April, Rita Potter and her daughter Alicia DeJong spent 10

days in Holland. The first four days were spent visiting Rita’s two older sisters and many relatives in the Groningen area. Then they spent six days in Amsterdam. They toured Keukenhof (the tulips were in full bloom), a wooden shoe factory, antique windmills and enjoyed seeing gouda cheese being made. They toured Rijksmuseum (Van Gogh’s self portrait and Rembrandt paintings are located there). While there, they also did some shopping.

On Sunday, May 7, Murray Scanlon, United Church Licensed Lay Worship Leader was the guest speaker at Knox United Church, Belgrave. The message was entitled, “Do Not Be Troubled”.

Mackenzie Wightman played inspiring prelude and postlude music at the piano and she and Lila Procter accompanied all the hymns.

Call Pat Evers in Wingham at 519-450-8479 to donate your used books to benefit Change Her

World. You can arrange pick-up or drop-off of your books. Money raised from the sale of these books will be used to purchase new books for the recently-built library in Malawi, Africa. The library has been sponsored by Change Her World, an organization that promotes the education of girls and women in the developing world.

The Belgrave Kinsmen are hosting a breakfast on Sunday, May 14 at the Belgrave Community Centre.

Huron Quakers recently hosted visitors from the board of the national church organization, Canadian Yearly Meeting. Marilyn Manzer of Wolfeville, Nova Scotia, mentoring clerk of the national group, accompanied by Kwame Barko of Toronto, spoke to the group following a potluck meal at the home of Carol and Brent

Bowyer of Morris-Turnberry.

Concerns addressed were similar to those of many other groups: how to get more young people and volunteers involved, and how to increase financial sustainability.

Creative brainstorming also took place on ways to become more visible.

Formally known as the Religious

Society of Friends, Quakers began as a reform movement in the Church of England of the 1640s.

They emphasize direct, unmediated experience of the Sacred, rather than prescribed belief, peacemaking through non-violent action, equality, community, continuing revelation, simplicity and the transforming power of silence and

deep listening.

Huron Quakers has members from Wingham, Lucknow, Blyth, Clinton, Seaforth and Goderich. It has been meeting for over 30 years, and has recently begun to meet at 10:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Sundays of the month at the MacKay Hall for Seniors in Goderich. All are welcome.

PEOPLE AROUND BELGRAVE

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Happy anniversary to Matt and Ashley Bromley on May 14.

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THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023. PAGE 31.

Entertainment & Leisure

FauxPop Media redefining local film industry

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen The buzz surrounding Matt Johnson’s upcoming film BlackBerry seemed as good an excuse as any to score a tour of Goderich’s most intriguing production studio, FauxPop Media.

FauxPop handled all of the film’s post-production needs, but the company’s involvement with the film has been years in the making.

The Citizen sat down with two members of the FauxPop team, Curt and Randall Lobb, to learn the origin story of this unusual collective of filmmakers playing by their own set of rules in an old building on the edge of town.

Prior to their work on BlackBerry, FauxPop Media and complementary company, Definitive Films were primarily known for making documentaries that delve into recent mythologies, from late 1980s, early 1990s sewer sensations The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Jim Henson’s cult classic The Dark Crystal.

From the outside, it is unclear whether the unique old building is even occupied, a hallmark of all good secret hideouts. Stepping through the dusty doors feels like a micro-miracle of time travel, as one enters a top-secret, high-tech facility decked out with everything the team needs to do its thing - an airy studio space with a set for presenting local news, a Bat Caveesque editing suite filled with the screens and machines used to bring projects together, a sound studio for audio work.

There’s also a lounge for entertaining, a coffee bar with project-themed coffee beans, roasted by Bayfield’s own ShopBike Coffee Roasters. There’s no giant pole to slide down (at least not one visible to the public eye), but there is a wrought iron spiral staircase leading up to a turret/office, and that’s still pretty cool. This is the space in which all members of team FauxPop bring their own ingredients to their particular brand of cosmic gumbo.

The walls of the editing suite are covered with art from their earlier passion projects - the framed poster for BlackBerry leans against a wall, waiting for its turn to be hung.

Curt and Randall Lobb share a set of grandparents (Randall is the eldest grandchild, Curt is the youngest) but they hold very different positions within the company. The third member of the team, absentee Mentat Mark Hussey, had completely different grandparents and was out for the day, but called several times during

Sudoku Solution

Suite setup

Curt Lobb, left, and Randall Lobb, right, pretending they are working on editing for the purpose of the above photo. FauxPop Media did post-production work on the film BlackBerry from their studio in Goderich.

(Scott Stephenson photo)

the interview from an undisclosed location, each time declining to comment.

The Lobb name is one of the area’s oldest, and the Lobb family is as much a part of Huron County history as the Wayne family is to Gotham City, but with more musical instruments and less being orphaned at a tender young age.

Living in a place with deep-rooted family ties is something the Lobbs equate to a kind of superpower.

“Here, if you go a day without seeing someone, it’s because you choose not to go out,” Randall explained. “Go out, and you’ll see someone, and you’ll know them,

and they’ll know you, and they’ll have five things they think about you, and either it’s good and it gives you confidence or it’s bad, and you’ll bridle against it, and you’ll strive.”

Randall grew up in a very different technological world from the one in which Curt grew up.

Randall saw the internet in its early stages as a possible force multiplier for all forms of media, and an exploder of possibilities for entertainment and education. In high school, Curt was writing, directing and starring in short, humorous videos and posting them online for

his friends and family to all enjoy.

Despite being small town relatives, it was not their blood ties that first brought the two men together professionally, but rather an enterprising young man named Isaac Elliott-Fisher. The oft-cited but never fully explainable interlocutor and cinematographer, referred to throughout the interview only as “Isaac”, was the essential component that put the two Lobbs on the path to working together. “I wasn’t aware of Curt’s burgeoning interest in film until he showed up one day with Isaac,” recalled Randall.

Another important figure in the evolution of the charismatic cousins - Central Huron Secondary School teacher Stephen Oliver. “Stephen Oliver cannot be underestimated,” extolled Randall. “He had a giant way of cracking something open to a place you can get into.” Curt concurred, remembering how Oliver’s popular Digital Media Studies course became a just-aspopular, unofficial after-school activity for him and other likeminded students. “I would spend my spare period learning how to edit… I didn’t realize it then, but that gave me a huge leg up later on.”

It was through Oliver’s mentoring program that Randall encountered Isaac, who arrived with claims that he had built his own jib and crane, and used them to film his own movie. A skeptical Randall was impressed when he saw with his own eyes that Isaac’s claims were true, and he knew the young man had what it took to succeed.

Somewhere along the lines, enigmatic mystery man Mark

Hussey emerged from the literal shadows and told Randall that the two of them would someday be partners. This cryptic prophecy came true a few short years later when the two encountered each other at a bar where Hussey’s band was playing. Randall began producing Hussey’s music, which led to working as a team to edit local film projects. The partnership was a natural fit for both of them.

Randall summed up their relationship poetically, saying “if he says to me ‘that sucks’ there’s no hurt feelings, and if I say to him ‘that sucks’, there’s no hurt feelings.” Inevitably, the pair began working with Isaac, who by that point was also assisting Curt in his student films.

In 2008, Randall, Hussey and Isaac began working on what would become 2014’s Turtle Power: The Definitive History of the Teenage Continued on page 32

Happy 90th Birthday Isabelle Wheeler May 17 Love, your family

Wedding Announcement

65th Wedding Anniversary Congratulations George & Ruth Ribey May 15, 1958 - 2023 Laurie-Seline Joseph and Wilhelmina Laurie of Varna are pleased to announce the wedding of their son, Cameron Scott Laurie to Hallie Seline, daughter of Laurie Seline of Pointe du Bois, Manitoba and Renalie Gore of Lac Brôme, Québec. The beautiful dockside service took place August 19, 2022 at the Argonaut Rowing Club in Toronto. Cameron and Hallie are actors who live and work in Toronto. Following an April honeymoon in Paris and France, the couple will rehearse and perform this summer at the Blyth Festival.

PAGE 32. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023.

Connell recognized for Farmer’s Toolbox

By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot The Rural Voice For his commitment to agriculture and his involvement in creating The Farmer’s Toolbox, a mental health initiative, Dustin Connell of Palmerston has been awarded the Customer Spotlight Award by Farm Credit Canada (FCC).

Along with his wife, Megan, he was given a trip to Ottawa, where he met other agricultural leaders rewarded through FCC’s internal recognition program. Éva Larouche, FCC’s senior consultant in media relations, said Connell was chosen for his involvement in mental health in agriculture. She explained the award is an internal program, where farmers are nominated by FCC staff and that the program is currently being revamped for next year.

For Connell, the award felt like recognition for what farmers do every day. He says farmers don’t often get a pat on the back, so receiving the honour was encouraging as well as rewarding.

Mental health has been an important issue for Connell since he went through depression and, as a result, he recognizes that depression comes in waves.

Connell was just 21 when his father, Murray Connell, died and his life changed. He left his job in construction and came back to the farm earlier than expected. “It worked out because farming is what I wanted to do.” In the busyness, grief was pushed back. Years later, the grief could not be suppressed and Connell could not get out of bed for two days.

“It hit me hard,” says Connell.

“Before it happened, I always thought people would snap out of it and carry on. But it’s not that easy.”

In years since, there have been other stressors. A difficult pregnancy and birth kept Megan in the hospital for four months and Connell felt the worry of taking care of their two other children while trying to keep farming. Then, inflation and

financial worries took a toll.

Connell says his family has been so supportive. “Megan is my number-one supporter,” he says.

Connell also marvels at the strength and support of his mother, Rhea, who continued farming after her husband passed. A succession plan had been in the works but no one expected Murray to die so young.

Connell says his mom helped the family pick up the pieces, took over the chicken farm and supported Dustin in creating a custom farming operation with his friend and employee, Neil Bott. Connell also raises beef cattle and cash crops 300 acres of his own. “I would not be here without all these people,” says Connell.

Along the way, Connell has sought financial advice from Lisa Neves, a relationship manager at FCC’s Listowel office. He holds Neves in high esteem and says it was Neves who nominated him for the award.

“I was cleaning out the barn and she showed up in the middle of the barnyard and told me I won the award. I didn’t even know it was a thing,” says Connell.

Key to the nomination was Connell’s work with the Listowel Agricultural Society and its Farmer’s Toolbox, an online portal for farmers to access mental health in their community.

Connell says he wants to help farmers get through mental health challenges. “It is so important to talk about our mental health and important for us to show that we care,” says Connell. “It’s hard for farmers to do that.”

Connell has learned that, in his own life, it is important to surround himself with positive people. “I have learned I need to take time to be with people I care about and take time off. Take an afternoon off. It doesn’t have to be just on the weekends, it can be on a Monday or whatever.”

He believes in talking with counsellors and, when he can, Connell likes to take time to listen to other people share their problems.

FauxPop Media edits ‘BlackBerry’ Continued from 31 Mutant Ninja Turtles. The project gained the approval of TMNT cocreator Kevin Eastman, who invited the team to stay in his soon-to-besold L.A. mansion while they worked. Curt went along on the trip. “It was cool to have that little taste of what was possible as a young kid,” he remembered.

Randall remembers staring out at the San Bernardino Mountains and offering some sage advice to his young cousin. “Don’t think it’s going to be like this, it’s not going to work, everything’s gonna suck, don’t listen to Isaac.” Curt took that advice back to Toronto, and soon after graduating fell in with director Matthew Johnson and the down and dirty collective that is the Zapruder Films gang. This quickly spiralled into Curt taking on harder gigs for Zapruder, bottoming out as a writer and producer of Vice’s Nirvanna the Band the Show.

When the pandemic forced Curt to uproot his editing set-up in Toronto, it seemed only natural to join forces with FauxPop Media, with the ever-supportive Zapruder Films group in tow. Randall and Hussey had long been impressed with Curt’s success doing things on his own, and all three of them

believed in the flexibility of wearing multiple hats for an integrated workflow. Hussey and the Lobbs can work together as a unit, or individually.

All of this canonical backstory made FauxPop the natural choice to work on Johnson’s BlackBerry - a film about the rise and fall of Canada’s own Research in Motion (RIM). The team’s malleable structure was particularly useful during the editing of BlackBerry Hussey put together a three-hour assembly cut together while Curt was busy with another project. Curt then took that rough cut and meticulously edited it into the final version of the film.

FauxPop Media’s current priorities are the same as they have always been - to do things their way, with their people, and to find success without losing track of why they started this in the first place.

If the Berlin premiere of BlackBerry is any indication, the week-long run of the film at Goderich’s historic Park Theatre is sure to be a great success, including a special screening with the film’s director and members of the FauxPop team on May 15.

BlackBerry hits theatres across Canada on May 12.

Farmer focuses on mental health in agriculture Dustin Connell of Palmerston (centre right) won the Customer Spotlight Award from Farm Credit Canada but says he could not have done it without his “team” consisting of Mom Rhea Connell (left), wife Megan Connell (centre left) and his friend and employee, Neil Bott. (Courtesy photo)

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