The Citizen - May 17, 2024

2 • Sports Pad 4 • Editorials 8 • Sports 15 • Obituaries

The

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Citizen

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Friday, May 17, 2024

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Volume 40 No. 20

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HE rec. charges discussed

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

Up the creek On Saturday, despite the relatively cold and wet conditions, the Seaforth Optimist Club went ahead with its annual rubber duck race as yet another fundraiser for the club. The winning ducks were Number 356 in first place (the betting favourite), Number 118 in second

place (a bit of a surprise there) and Number 499 in third (a real dark horse - or dark duck - in this race). The ducks weren’t alone out there, however, as many community members and duck owners came out to cheer on the rubber competitors. (John Stephenson photo)

Spawned by a request from Councillor Jeff Newell, Huron East Council discussed its new recreation rates at great length last week and how they are affecting the municipality’s user groups and service clubs.

Newell had asked for a report on the increased rates, which council had approved, and staff returned with that report at council’s May 7 meeting. However, council has opted to not change any of the rates that were approved in January, but instead directed staff to prepare a report on how the municipality can otherwise support Huron East’s service groups while keeping its rates and fees as they are.

The initial motion to consolidate fees was made in an effort to make things consistent across the municipality after staff realized that halls and arenas in Huron East were being rented for different prices and completely inconsistent with one another. As a result, Brussels user groups were disproportionately affected due to years of being undercharged, according to Huron East, meaning that costs in Brussels had risen to meet costs in Vanastra and Seaforth, but resulted in what has been perceived as a drastic price hike.

“Following the approval of the Continued on page 10

Alice Munro, Huron’s Nobel Laureate, dies at 92

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Alice Munro, the Nobel Prizewinning author and Huron County native who made a career out of committing rural Ontario’s stories to paper, has passed away at the age of 92.

Her family shared the news of her passing on Monday night at her care home in Ontario with The Globe and Mail. Munro had been living with dementia for over a decade.

For years, Munro was a fixture of Huron County life, maintaining a home in Clinton and frequenting restaurants and coffee shops in Blyth and Goderich while also regularly patronizing the Blyth Festival theatre shows.

Munro was born Alice Ann Laidlaw in Wingham in 1931. She would go on to study at the University of Western Ontario before moving to British Columbia with James Munro, her first husband. There, they would open

Munro’s Books in Victoria, which still operates today.

Over the course of her career, which spanned over 50 years, Munro published over a dozen original short story collections, many of which were lauded by readers and critics alike and won awards. Three times she won the Governor General’s Award for Fiction and was nominated twice more. She’s won the Giller Prize twice, the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Trillium Book Award and been shortlisted for the Booker Prize for Fiction.

In 2013, Munro won the Nobel Prize in Literature and was hailed as a “master of the contemporary short story.” Two years later, Canada Post would issue a special Munro stamp to celebrate her Nobel Prize win.

Munro only wrote one play over the course of her career, entitled How I Met My Husband. It was staged as part of the 1976 Blyth Festival, its second season. It was scheduled to be part of the 2020

Festival season, but those plans were dashed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Festival has not revisited the play since.

Her 2001 collection, entitled Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage spawned a pair of creative works. Away From Her, the 2006 film, earned Academy Award nominations for star Julie Christie and director and writer Sarah Polley and was based on “The Bear Came Over the Mountain” while Marcia Johnson adapted one of the book’s stories into Courting Johanna, a play that would grace the Blyth Festival stage during the 2008 season.

Munro was an early supporter of the Blyth Festival, championing it any chance she had. She was even named an Honorary Chairperson for the capital campaign for a new addition to Memorial Hall, which now houses the current entrance to the hall, the Bainton Gallery (home of the Blyth Festival Art Gallery) and the box office.

Long heralded as a champion for her home community, Munro would often set her stories in Huron County, telling the stories of the area and its people, usually focusing on women and girls. She was lauded by her fellow writers who praised her craftsmanship and precision in writing. Munro will forever stand as one of the true masters of the devilishly difficult form of the short story.

In 1968, Munro published her first collection, Dance of the Happy Shades, which won her the Governor General’s Award, followed by the revered Lives of Girls and Women in 1971. She continued, consistently writing a book every four years or so, with Something I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You (1974), Who Do You Think You Are? (1978), The Moons of Jupiter (1982), The Progress of Love (1986), Friend of My Youth (1990), Open Secrets (1994), Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage (2001),

Runaway (2004), The View from Castle Rock (2006), Too Much Happiness (2009) and Dear Life (2012). Dance of the Happy Shades, Who Do You Think You Are? and The Progress of Love all won Governor General’s Awards.

In the wake of her Nobel Prize win, several Huron County municipalities have sought to celebrate her achievements and share in the success, commissioning benches, parks, signs, plaques and more. Furthermore, the Alice Munro Festival of the Short Story has become one of the county’s premier arts festivals, attracting authors like Emma Donoghue, Michael Ondaatje and Margaret Atwood to events over the years.

In the hours after news of Munro’s passing broke, the Township of North Huron passed along its condolences.

“On behalf of the Township of North Huron, we are deeply saddened to learn about the passing Continued on page 11

PAGE 2. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024.

Lions and Firefighters Association pursue sports pad

Sporting contribution The Blyth Firefighters Association pledged $10,000 in support of the Blyth Lions Club’s plan to install a sports pad at Blyth Lions Park. Upon completion, the $30,000 project will result in new basketball, road

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen The Blyth Lions Club has voted to pursue an ambitious plan of creating a new sports pad in partnership with the Blyth Firefighters Association at Blyth Lions Park that will facilitate the playing of basketball, road hockey and pickleball at a cost of about $30,000.

The club voted to move forward late last month, but received a huge boost last week from the Blyth Firefighters Association, which has pledged $10,000 to the new sports pad. The contribution is the largest that Association President Robb Finch can remember in his lengthy history with the association.

Members of both the association and the Lions Club gathered for dinner at the Blyth Fire Hall last week to formalize the donation and further discuss the project.

Finch, speaking with The Citizen, said the association has long made donations throughout the community for the betterment of Blyth and its people. However, when members heard about the Lions Club’s project, they wanted to make an impact that they hadn’t made before.

The vast majority of the money made by the association, which is then redistributed throughout the community, Finch said, is made in September during the annual reunion of the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association, when the association hosts breakfasts for hundreds of reuniongoers and community members at the fire hall.

Victoria Sider of the Lions Club, who was involved with a special sub-committee charged with sketching out the details of a new sports pad at the park, said she and the club were just thrilled when they were informed that the association wanted to step up and make such a generous contribution.

The importance of recreation in the village is central to the work of the club when it comes to its maintenance of the park. As official recreation opportunities dry up, grassroots opportunities like the park and the Blyth Kids Club become more and more important to young families in the village, she said.

The total cost of the project will be $30,000, she said. The club will now continue to raise funds for the betterment of the park to fund the purchase of new equipment for the sports pad. She hopes it will get going next month, though she acknowledged that, with the way the weather has been, staying cold well into May, there’s a strong possibility that it may not go ahead until the fall. It’s important to the club, she said, to avoid construction during the park’s busy summer months.

The pad itself will be located in the northwest corner of the park, at the former location of a baseball diamond that hasn’t been used in many years. It will run north to south, adjacent to Gypsy Lane. Its dimensions will be 80 feet long by 40 feet wide.

The initial $30,000 investment, Sider said, is just for the concrete pad itself. Basketball nets, fencing,

hockey and pickleball facilities. The new addition to the park will be regarded as a joint project between the two organizations, with each being recognized with a special bench to acknowledge their contributions. (Shawn Loughlin photo)

a pickleball net and any other accoutrements will be added by the club as time and resources allow.

For now, the first priority is to get the pad poured and set and the rest will follow.

DAE Concrete Creations Inc. has been awarded the work for the pad and Lavis will be hauling the concrete for the pad.

To acknowledge the collaborative nature of the project, there will be two benches installed along the sports pad, one recognizing the club itself and the other recognizing the association.

As for the Lions Club’s funds, much of the money it has to invest in the project right now is from the success of its dirt bike draw, which took place at the end of last year.

Sider also made note of the fact that the sports pad is just one step in the club’s lengthy park improvement plan. The first phase of this work began last year.

The club built a new fence along the village’s main street at the east end of the park, which included some tree removal. Dwight Chalmers designed and built the archway in the middle of the fence and Lions members Jim Johnston and Gary Courtney worked on the fence for the club and Backroad Custom Steel and Signs created the Lions logo, which is in the middle of the archway.

The club also commissioned a mural for its clubhouse with the help of a donation from the Goderich Deckhands hockey team.

Abi Bos from Erratic Art World was the artist and she worked over the course of three days to finish it in

time for the Lions Club’s annual steak barbecue last year.

Looking ahead, Sider said the club will be fundraising to continue to build up the pad with equipment and other additions and she hopes

that the pad itself will be conducive to further, more creative fundraising, like three-on-three hockey tournaments and other activities that will help bring more money into the park.

The Citizen office will be closed on

MONDAY, MAY 20 for Victoria Day The deadline for the May 24 paper will be Tuesday, May 21 by 2:00 pm Drop in, call or email ads 519-523-4792 email: info@northhuron.on.ca 405 Queen St., Blyth 519-523-4792

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024. PAGE 3.

ACW councillors debate flying Pride Flag

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen

At the Ashfield-ColborneWawanosh Council (ACW) meeting last week, Councillor Jennifer Miltenberg voiced support for Huron County Pride’s annual request that ACW fly the Pride flag in June as a symbol of solidarity.

Councillor Evan Hickey made the choice to push back against the request, voicing his personal view thusly: “In the past year since this flag has been flown, we have not celebrated any other events that people choose to take part in. In that time, no religious group, no charitable organization, or any kind of support group has had their flag or any other symbol of theirs on display on ACW property. I’ve stated before, and I will repeat now, that the township property should be kept neutral of all personal choices and beliefs. I never got elected to change people’s views or beliefs. Everyone is welcome to support what they want, believe what they want, and be friends with

who they want. Since I took this stance a year ago, I’ve not had one person tell me I did wrong in doing so, in ACW or Huron County. Not one. Every single person has agreed with my views. That includes the support of the Amish community I’ve spoken to a lot of members of the Amish community. They agree everyone is free to do what they want, but not on township-owned property. I cannot support that.”

Miltenberg responded to Hickey with a different perspective. “Well, since I took a fairly public stand, I’ve had over 30 people call me to thank me, and probably over 20 who I had no idea who they were.

So they weren’t people that I was speaking to that were like me - they were just people... I’d like to address the comment that we haven’t flown any others. We haven’t had any other requests, either. And I’m going to give you a scenario here. Let’s say that avian flu shuts down the border, or BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) shuts down the border, or America became great,

and the corn couldn’t flow over the border, and our farmers were struggling, and we knew they were struggling, and they were part of our community, and they asked ‘could you fly something to support agriculture? It might not change anything, but at least we would know we were heard and understood.’ If you would fly that flag, but not this flag, I would suggest that your problem is not with the flag, it’s with what it represents.”

Miltenberg also offered context for why she believes the Pride flag is socially and culturally important.

“When we fly the Huron Pride flag, there is a long history throughout centuries, and I’m going to really try to not get up on my soapbox, of people discriminating against people that are not like them.

Whether it’s ‘Irish need not apply,’ or they’re Black, or it’s after 9/11 or they’re people of colour, or whatever they are - their race or their religion isn’t the same. It’s a difference, and it makes people uncomfortable.”

Colourful display The ethereal spectacle of the aurora borealis, commonly known as the northern lights, graced Ontario’s skies last week. The celestial dance came courtesy of an exceptionally rare and intense solar storm. Photographers captured dramatic images of the event, including these pictures snapped in Goderich. (Photos submitted by Kelly Leddy)

She went on to point out that there are additional isolating factors to consider when addressing the issues that have long been particular to the LGBTQ2S+ community. “When we talk about the Gay Pride Movement, these are people who often are ostracized by their families of origin, and by their communities, and they don’t have a safe space. They have to form their own communities.”

Miltenberg then laid bare the crux of the ongoing flag debate as she perceives it. “Those communities, because of who they innately are, they are victims and targets. And they are Ashfield-ColborneWawanosh residents. And if we need to simply support them by hanging a flag, and saying ‘we see you, you are safe here,’ then that is worth it. If you would recognize a request from a farmer who is suffering because of something beyond his control, and say ‘yeah, if it will help you feel better, we’ll hang that flag,’ then your problem isn’t the flag.”

Deputy-Mayor Bill Vanstone

weighed in, asking “What is our protocol for putting the flags up? As you know, I’ve always said that I don’t care what happens, as long as we treat everybody the same. If we’ve got an open door policy, if the farmers come in, or some other organization comes in and asks to fly the flag, would we do that? And if we would, then I would support this.”

Chief Administrative Officer Mark Becker informed council that ACW does not currently have a set policy in place. “As I understand, we have a flag-lowering policy, we don’t have a flag-raising policy.”

The majority of council then voted to support the request that ACW fly the Pride flag in June, with only Hickey and Councillor Curtis Blake voting against the motion.

Miltenberg went on to request that a flag-raising policy be created, saying “I don’t want to have this conversation every year.” Mayor Glen McNeil concurred, and a staff report on the subject will come back to a future meeting.

When I grumble about the weather!

(J.R. Miller, "Miller's Year Book--a Year's Daily Readings") "The Lord has heard all your grumblings against Him!" Exodus 16:8 Does God really hear every discontented word which I ever speak?

Does He hear when I grumble about the weather... about the hard winter, about the late spring, about the dry summer, about the wet harvest?

Does He hear when I grumble. about the frosts, about the drought, about the high winds, about the storms?

Does He hear when I grumble. about my circumstances, about the hardness of my lot, about my losses and disappointments?

If we could get into our heart, and keep there continually, the consciousness that God hears every word we speak--would we murmur and complain so much as we now do?

We are careful never to speak words which would give pain to the hearts of those we love. Are we as careful not to say anything that will grieve our heavenly Father?

"I tell you this--that you must give an account on judgment day of every idle word you speak!" Matthew 12:36 "He who complains of the weather--complains of the God who ordains the weather!" William Law A Grace Gem Submitted by: Immanuel United Reformed Church, Listowel, ON 519-291-3887

PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024.

Editorials & Opinions

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

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Losing a champion As the news broke on Tuesday that Nobel Laureate Alice Munro had passed away at 92, Canada and the world mourned the loss of one of the great writers of our time. Here in Huron County, we also mourn the loss of a friend and beloved community member.

For decades, Ms. Munro could be seen quietly supporting the Blyth Festival at a country supper, or encouraging a playwright at a new play reading. She would inconspicuously visit the Blyth Annual Used Book Sale to drop off a donation of books, introducing herself quietly to the volunteers and staff as “a local writer”. Many Blyth Festival Board members will reminisce about the times that Alice helped with the dishes at a medieval supper to raise money for the theatre, or attended a chivaree to serenade local newlyweds. Where else could you volunteer for an event and end up rubbing elbows with a world-class author?

She was often spotted in the evening, out for a stroll on the side streets of Clinton, her chosen hometown, with husband Gerry Fremlin. Friends would ferry her about the highways and byways, always with a unique destination in mind and often with a stop at a local bakery.

She was humble and gracious to the fledgling Alice Munro Festival of the Short Story, allowing her name to be used, as the committee formed to recognize its famous denizen and promote the literary genre in which she excelled. The literary garden bearing her name in her birthplace of Wingham is a much-deserved monument created by her friends and fans.

Generations of children in Wingham will pass through the doors of the Alice Munro Public Library in Wingham to become immersed in the love of stories and storytelling. We often don’t do a good job in honouring our local artists, but through the perseverance of those who loved Alice most, her name will forever be linked with Huron County.

The accolades poured in, including a heartfelt piece in the New York Times, pointing out that “she portrayed small-town folks, often in rural southwestern Ontario, facing situations that made the fantastic seem an everyday occurrence.” For many of us, especially women facing complex situations and emotions, Ms. Munro’s writing was the first time we felt like an author knew us and had seen and felt all the same things that we had, and knew the people and places that we knew.

She was modest and occasionally dealt with confidence issues, while at the same time, was admired and celebrated by some of the greatest writers of a generation. Who knew that growing up in humble Huron County could be the fodder for stories that would eventually earn her awards and prizes, right up to the coveted Nobel Prize for Literature?

She was a keen observer of rural life and could cut to the quick of an emotional scene in paragraphs, something that would take other writers chapters. Her precision with words was unparalleled, making her the queen of the short story. Her insight into rural living, and especially rural women, will live on in these stories. – DS

Keep fit, have fun, go broke Between last week’s coverage of an astronomical increase to ball diamond rental fees in North Huron, causing at least one user group to walk away and take its money with them, and the consternation being felt by Brussels service clubs over Huron East’s facility rental price increases, it’s reasonable to fear a scenario in which cash-strapped municipalities may just see arena and ball diamond users as the solution to all their money problems.

Supplying recreation to a community comes at a cost. Everyone knows this. There would be no way to reasonably charge user groups for ice time at an arena or a ball diamond in a way that would cover a municipality’s costs and be modest enough for hockey or baseball associations to afford through user fees paid by children’s parents. And yet, municipalities, counties, towns, cities and villages across the country provide those services, knowing that they’re good for residents in many ways - health, well-being and community chief among them.

In the case of North Huron, there are greater concerns, in Blyth at least. Just over a year ago, some council members made it clear that they had an agenda that included closing the Blyth and District Community Centre. Reports then showed the importance and success of recreation in Blyth. Could heavy fee increases and user groups finding greener (and cheaper) pastures elsewhere torpedo that success and make recreation in Blyth look a lot less successful come budget time next winter? Only time will tell, but the words of letter-writer Amanda Anderson last week can’t help but ring true to many. If no one plays on the diamonds, there is no revenue. It’s pretty easy math.

As taxes rise and revenue is harder to come by for local councils as federal and provincial purse strings tighten, the hope is that user groups like small slo-pitch leagues, hockey and broomball associations and service clubs renting local arenas and halls don’t begin to look piggy bank-ish to local government officials and senior management teams looking to fund their ever-growing staffs with ever-growing salaries.

As residents struggle to pay bills and keep food on the table, recreation is one of the few amenities offered in abundance in Huron County. To see those opportunities erode would be a true tragedy. – SL

Looking Back Through the Years May 21, 1969 Firefighters in Blyth were abruptly awakened from their slumber at 3 a.m. on Monday morning, summoned on a foggy and ultimately fruitless dash to Harm Thalen’s farm in Morris Township.

The summons came through the fire phone, answered by the Fire Chief’s wife, Mrs. Irvin Bowes.

She was informed that the firefighters were urgently needed to extinguish a fire on the farm.

Responding swiftly, the emergency crew raced to the farm, only to find the house engulfed in darkness, with the residents safely nestled in their beds, bewildered by the sudden commotion outside.

It turned out that someone had found it amusing to prank the firefighters with a false alarm.

Last Thursday, a delightful evening unfolded at Blyth Memorial Hall, where around a hundred people gathered to honour Mr. and Mrs. R. D. Philip on their retirement after forty years in business in Blyth. The attendees included current and former businessmen and their wives from the Blyth community.

Carman Gwynn enjoyed a stroke of luck in Blyth during the holiday weekend, undeterred even by the wet weather.

His good fortune arrived with a phone call from Kitchener on Sunday morning, announcing him as the fortunate winner of a new boat, motor and trailer from a draw held the night before in the city.

May 18, 1977 Monday night saw a surprising turn of events as the Brussels council voted 3-2 to reappoint Bill King, the former clerk-treasurer who had been asked to resign two

weeks prior. Shortly after the vote, councillors Malcolm Jacobs and Tom Pletch resigned from their positions on the council.

William Beacom, president of the Brussels Lions Club, commended Doug Trollope, the lucky recipient of $3,000 as his ticket was the final one drawn during Saturday night’s Brussels Lions elimination draw.

Accompanied by his wife Debbie, Doug received the cheque at the presentation. The Lions event successfully raised over $5,000 for the new arena fund.

The Ethel United Church celebrated its 100th anniversary on Sunday, May 15, with an impressive turnout of over 500 attendees.

Rev. Harold Snell delivered a moving speech, complemented by special music from the choir and guest soloists Bob Hall and Peter Dekker.

Following the service, a dinner was served at Grey Central School, where the church was adorned with 21 memorial potted flowers.

May 17, 1989 Drivers along the hazardous route of Hwy. 4 between Blyth and Wingham would have to endure at least another year before reconstruction began. Blyth Village councillors learned this at their May 10 meeting.

The disappointing news came in a letter from Ed Fulton, Minister of Transportation for Ontario, who stated that the earliest construction could commence would be in 1991.

John H. Battye, president of Legion Branch 420, along with treasurer Donna Govier, presented a $2,000 cheque to the Ladies Auxiliary of Branch 420 in Blyth.

This donation was intended to support their fundraising efforts for

a dishwasher at the Blyth and District Community Centre. Kay Hesselwood and Janice Henry accepted the cheque on behalf of the Auxiliary.

The Blyth Lions Club convened their usual gathering at the Blyth Memorial Hall on Thursday, May 11. Supper was provided to 21 Lions and three guests courtesy of the Anglican Church Guild.

During the meeting, Lion President Don Scrimgeour presented a cheque for $550 to Mr. Ralph Askew on behalf of the Sunshine Foundation. This sum had been collected from a recent euchre party hosted by the club.

May 20, 2004 During the annual track and field day on May 14, students from Brussels Public School competed against each other to determine the fastest runner, highest or longest jumper and farthest thrower.

Eleanor Babcock, the owner of Grand View Restaurant and Gas Bar in Blyth, noted that gas prices rose by almost 10 cents in the past month. On March 3, the price stood at 78.9 cents per litre. By April 29, it had risen to 81.9 cents per litre, then climbed again to 83.9 cents per litre on May 5, and finally peaked at 89.9 cents per litre on May 9.

A Community Heritage Walk in Brussels took place on Sunday, May 16. Enjoyable sunny skies and seasonal temperatures created a perfect day for participants. The event, sponsored by both the Huron East Heritage Conservation Committee and the Brussels chapter of Networking for Business Leads, marked the launch of a new brochure celebrating Brussels’ heritage homes and buildings.

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024. PAGE 5.

Other Views

The cost of change over the years

T

he debate before North Huron Council over the sharply-increased rent for Blyth Ladies Baseball League shows where municipal amalgamation has taken us in a quarter of a century.

It was back in the late 1990s that Premier Mike Harris outlined plans to merge municipalities to reduce the number of governments in the province, and spin some of the responsibilities of the province off to municipalities. As the editor of The Citizen at the time, I remember the debates.

Some municipal politicians really bought into the idea, with an early vision dictating that there should be only one municipality north of Hwy. 8. Some wouldn’t agree and the vision was changed over and over as towns, villages and townships came up with different arrangements.

Municipalities negotiated partnerships and finally, in 2001, the Ontario government imposed amalgamation based, generally, on these agreements (with Howick, with its heavy Mennonite population, going it alone).

One of the problems with the rules the Harris government set for amalgamation was that municipalities must remain whole. The problem for a municipality like Blyth was that it lost all the countryside around the north and east of the village when Morris and Turnberry united. The entire area south of the village in Hullett joined Central Huron, and this included The Old Mill, Sparling’s Propane, Bainton Limited processing plant, what was then Grand View Lunch and is today the Tim Hortons and the community’s only gas station, and today’s Cowbell brewery. Only the immediate area north and west of the village in East Wawanosh remained part of the community.

At first, the changes didn’t have a big effect.

Keith Roulston

From the cluttered desk People from the old communities ran the new municipalities, like Blyth’s John Stewart in North Huron, Grey’s Brad Knight in Huron East and Nancy Michie in Morris-Turnberry.

They had to learn to serve new citizens, but they also remembered the reality that municipal boundaries didn’t make communities.

But these leaders aged and had to retire.

They were replaced by younger people who have no knowledge of communities before amalgamation. In North Huron’s case, today’s decision-makers work in Wingham and seem to have the perception that East Wawanosh and Blyth are just hinterlands for Wingham. East Wawanosh was to provide space for Wingham to spread out to as it grew.

Things aren’t all negative. I now live on a paved road in East Wawanosh, which was hard to contemplate in 2001.

But on the other hand, has there really been the savings that Mike Harris envisioned? How many staff were there in your municipality in 2001? How many are there today? Do you know? Or has the distancing of municipalities from the people they serve become so wide that you can’t find out? (Not to mention the effect of reduction of staff in most local newspapers.)

The women of Blyth Ladies Baseball League

were assured, by North Huron recreation staff, that their rental rate for Blyth ball diamonds (which were built mostly through volunteer donations) would increase 17 per cent. In actuality, they soon realized, the rent increased was really a stunning 61 per cent.

In the old days when recreation was run by a committee that reached across municipal boundaries to include all the areas served, local councillors would have been right on top of such a rate increase. Now, there are only two Blyth councillors among the six councillors and one reeve who have the final say about recreation.

I don’t know if it’s a general trend that would have happened anyway, decline of community newspapers or just the distancing of local government from the local citizen, but somehow we don’t seem as involved with local government as I remember people being before amalgamation. In the old days, a certain section of the local population was always looking over councillors’ shoulders. Hiring one extra employee was a major decision, scrutinized by the citizenry.

Did municipal taxes go down because of amalgamation? I’m not covering council meetings these days, but I doubt it. Did provincial government costs go down because the government didn’t need to oversee municipalities? Maybe, but costs went up in other ways. We’ve seen from the rental of local ball diamonds that some costs have generally gone up, and because there is no longer local governance like the old, multi-municipal recreation committee, ordinary folks no longer have as much control.

Maybe I’m just an old geezer who likes things the old way, but it seems to me we got more for less before amalgamation.

‘Chaff’ kind of razzmatazz, Chicago is

T

ally-ho! Salutations, congratulations and laudations abound to all the Chafffans and wheat-freaks fortuitous enough to be reading a very special edition of The Chaff! The original plan for this week’s Chaffings was a hard-hitting exposé on the tawdry, bawdy world of underground giraffe boxing - but, as they say, the best laid Chaffs of chaff and men can often go awry.

We were on a research trip to Montana, which, as we all know, is the giraffe boxing capital of the world - that’s why they call it “Big Neck Country”. When the bout between the Stretchy Strangler and the Skyline Slugger (two truly towering titans of the sport) went into extra rounds, we were forced to switch our plane trip home to a slightly later flight, which was then delayed, causing the entire creative team that brings this column to life each week to miss its connecting flight, stranding us for 24 hours in one of the most culturally rich neighbourhoods (or neighborhoods, if you will) in all of America - Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. With all of our meticulous research and hours of giraffe battle footage already sent ahead to the lush and sprawling tarmacs of Canada, we found ourselves without a quaffable Chaffable with which the thoughtthirsty masses of Huron County could quench their mental drought.

Luckily for us, our Head of Research Dervid Hamson can weave a glorious golden Chaff basket out of even the lowliest informational straw, and he selflessly spent our Sutherland’s minute at O’Hare compiling a list of fun facts that our readers might not know about the great city of Chicago, that bustling beacon of hope so brimming with hot Italian beef that the fish in Lake Michigan are known to be some of the spiciest in the world.

So, please enjoy this plethora of pleasing

Scott Stephenson The Chaff particulars about the City that Sleeps at Night.

1. Buildings! Once home to the world’s smallest skyscrapers, Chicago’s architectural awesomeness still never fails to delight. The Chicago skyline sings with stunning structures. There’s stately Concourse A, the brutally modern Concourse B, and what more could we say about Concourse C beyond, simply, “bellissimo”. It seems like Chicago may even have additional Concourses beyond the Big Three, but no human being has ever ventured to those unknown lands.

2. Pizza! Chicago is well-known for having some of the thinnest pizza in the world. These unique, floppy pies are sometimes rolled out so thin that it appears that the toppings are hovering in mid air above an inexplicably greasy paper plate. Real Chi-town residents typically consume Chicago-style pizza by rolling it up into a tube and smoking it, cigar style.

3. Transportation! Handling multitudinous millions of passengers every year, Chicago is a crucial conduit when it comes to taking some guy from some place and getting him to some other place. This absolutely bustling behemoth of a transportational hub is one of the only places in the world that has more planes than it has cars. Nobody knows where these majestic monsters of the sky come from, but just seeing these noble creatures taxi on a runway is

well worth the price of a trip to Chicago.

4. Parades! Every day, Chicago has an endlessly entertaining parade of tired people wearing sweatpants trudging back and forth from terminal to terminal, dragging their worldly possessions in tiny wheeled chariots.

Those with a particularly high status in society often use the city’s glorious moving sidewalk or escalating stairs to indicate their important place in society. Truly a sight to behold!

5. Cultural Melting Pot! Chicago is full of undulating lightwalls, murals of mythical zoo animals, pop art displays of grab-and-go sandwiches and undulating light ceilings. All the music fans out there will love the music scene in Chicago - it’s just one, long, instrumental piece that has neither a beginning, middle nor an end. Try it with the undulating lights!

6. Vending Machines! Chicago has a vending machine every 15 feet. Some of them have inflatable neck pillows, some of them have Airpods, some of them are empty, and occasionally, they have salad in them. As you approach one of these depositories of history, let your imagination run wild as you ask yourself “what will be in this one?” Quick bonus tip - it will never be chips!

So there you have it, Chaff fans everything there is to know about the great state of Chicago! From tiny towers to cultural treasures, the “Windless City” never fails to captivate with its kaleidoscopic kaleidoscope of earthly and heavenly delights. Whether traversing, tasting, touching or talking about it, the rich cultural tapestry of Chicago has to be seen to be believed.

It’s a ceaselessly captivating melting pot of hot dogs topped with sport peppers and jet fuel!

Shawn Loughlin Shawn’s Sense

The little things in life

T

he other day I was reminded of the sheer joy that a new discovery can yield when you’re a young person. As we get older and it takes a lot more effort (and, often, money) to impress us or make us happy, my daughter reminded me about the simple pleasure of experiencing something for the first time as we were driving to Goderich.

In my never-ending quest to keep her awake and engaged on drives (she’s always been one of those kids who will very easily fall asleep in the car - our son, not so much), I began to open and close the sunroof on Jess’s SUV. I’d stick my hand out so Tallulah could see the wind hit my hand. She then asked to put her window down (I realized that we likely hadn’t done it now in the era of air conditioning and heating) and boy did she have a blast.

She was hooting and hollering and laughing up a storm as she put her hand out the window and felt the wind whip past as we drove down one of Huron County’s many high-speed-limit highways. What a simple avenue for enjoyment and, yet, here we were.

It really took me back and I’ve tried to see a lot of the world through the eyes of Tallulah and Cooper. They are pretty easy to please at this age and aren’t barking for iPads, the newest clothes and running shoes, fancy cars and whatever else kids want these days, though I’m sure that time will come. I’m trying to learn from them while, at the same time, they’re in the process of learning from me.

The other day in the backyard, while temperatures had warmed a bit, they weren’t quite warm enough for what Tallulah wanted to do, which was play in the sprinkler. Another simple joy that she remembers from last summer and wanted to get back to doing.

Just this week, we bought her a bike - a twowheel bike (with training wheels) for the first time. The thrill that she has had from learning to pedal on bikes like that one has been another sight to behold. Once she figured out that she can propel herself forward only by pumping her legs and pushing the pedals, she was so proud of herself - and so should she be.

It’s funny because I contrast that with some of the bigger swings we’ve taken to try to impress Tallulah in her life and how some of them have fallen flat. I suppose it’s just another version of buying a child an elaborate present and them being more interested in playing with the box.

A few weekends ago, we took her to London for Stars on Ice, which included some of the country’s best figure skaters. She fell in love with figure skating during the 2022 Olympics and until recently when it was randomly deleted (thanks for nothing, TCC) she would watch a recording of the ice dance competition over and over and over again, dancing (and skating) along on her own. We thought her mind would be blown seeing some of the very skaters from the recording live and in person and yet, it didn’t impress her like we thought it might.

She enjoyed herself and she watched, but she soon grew tired and wanted to leave, so we did. Meanwhile, in the courtyard across the street from the arena was a small Cinco de Mayo celebration that featured food, games and live music. She was even happier dancing to one man playing a guitar than she was in that arena.

So, it’s in that vein that I’m going to work towards appreciating the little things in life.

The simple things. The inexpensive things.

The things that just spur a reaction from you on a very human level. It’s something we can really learn from our little ones.

PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024.

A celebratory season A NOTE FROM BETTY

By Betty Graber Watson Call 887-9231

Taking out the trash Members of the Brussels Cadet Corp 2967 gathered trash and litter from the sides of Morris Road over the weekend to help beautify the town. (Photo submitted)

At the Branch

Sign installation work begins

By Jo-Ann McDonald It was another productive week at the Branch. The contractors arrived at the first of the week to dig the hole for the supports for the new sign the Branch will be putting up.

All the utility locates were done and everything went well. On the weekend, Branch members Jim Brown and Joe Seili worked at moving some of the dirt into place to get ready for the next step.

The Thursday night blind mixed darts finished the season on Thursday night. They had 23 darters out to play. The first-place team consisted of Janet Ericson, Paul Willie and John Stadelmann.

After a three-way tie for second was broken, the winners were Lynda Davis, Bruce Fischer and Sandra Brown. The high shots were

by Sandra with 129, Evelyn Hillier with 127, and Eric Ross and Paul who each had 125. They played four regular games and three specialty games: Spring Time, Baseball and Backyard Fun. They then enjoyed snacks while the certificates for achievement were handed out. The ladies’ high shot of the year belonged to Louise Poirier hitting 146 and the men’s was John Stadelmann hitting 171.

Most skunks for the year were by Randy White and Jim Brown. The men’s most high shots in one night went to Jim Brown and for the ladies it was Rhonda Davis. Most shots over 100 in an evening went to Janet Ericson. The high start for the year was by Paul Willie hitting 130 and for the ladies, it was Louise hitting 146.

The high finish for the men was Eric with 63, Chris Brown 55 and Bruce Fischer 50. High starts for men were Chris hitting 87, Eric hitting 81 and Jim Brown hitting 74 and for the ladies it was Sandra with 95, Louise and Rhonda who each had 74 and Lynda with 71.

High finishes for ladies were

Sandra with 85, Rhonda with 41 and Louise with 34.

Darters with the most shots over 100 were Rhonda and Paul for the men. Most high starts were Louise for the women and then for the men it was tied between Chris and Paul.

Darts are now finished for the summer and will resume on Nov. 7, so mark your calendars now and don’t forget to practise during the summer.

Friday night was the Catch the Ace draw conducted by Kathy, Deb and Nanci. The lucky weekly winner was Donna Black and she won $160. Her envelope choice was number 18 and the king of clubs was revealed. The estimated jackpot for next week could be $2,200. Get your tickets at McDonald Home Hardware, Brussels Pharmacy, Brussels Variety and the Brussels Legion.

The pub grub for the evening was

fish and chips. There was a great crowd with over 50 enjoying our famous fish and fries. Thanks to cook Deb and helpers Christine and Sandra, who were kept busy!

Next week, weather permitting, the patio will be open! Come down and enjoy the fresh air and have a bite to eat. Burgers and fries are on the menu, so come on down!

On Saturday, the Brussels Cadet Corp 2967 gathered to do some service for the community. The seven Cadets and two officers headed out Morris Road to gather trash from the sides of the road. It wasn’t the nicest of days, damp and cool, but they worked hard to gather the garbage, so much so that the bags filled the back of the pickup truck. It’s amazing what a couple of hours can do in reducing the amount of trash. Let’s all do our part and not litter! Good job, Cadets!

Mother’s Day 2024 is now history. It’s always a day of memories and it’s the random ones that often bring the chuckles.

Have you noticed that our memories are often not the ones the children recall. Each thought and deed over the years is just a reminder of the years you share, with all the love tossed in. Having a four year old explain a beautiful, handmade card, even though I’m not his mother, that memory will get stored away with a smile for this year.

I hope you had good Mother’s Day connections with your family, in person, on the phone or FaceTime, it’s the connection that counts.

We’re approaching Pride month and it’s a time to celebrate the differences in people and realize that there are actually more similarities than differences in each of us. If the concept of gender identity and sexual orientation makes you uncomfortable, let us help. The United Church is having an information session on the Affirm process on May 21 at 2 p.m.

This is a social time to learn, question, discuss and, being a church, we’ll eat cake too. Please feel free to attend, we all can learn.

My nursing reunion last week was great. One hundred and seventy-three old nurses arrived at the Italian Canadian Club in Guelph to the sound of chatter and much laughter. There were so many stories and memories to share. By 1975, universities and community colleges had replaced designated

teaching hospitals in Ontario to train RNs. Each year, we celebrate the old way of teaching.

The star of the evening was a spiffy-looking lady who came to celebrate 75 years as a St. Joe’s Registered Nurse. She’s well into her 90s and her demeanor and speed walking to the front were admirable. She was simply another fine example of enjoying the geriatric stage of life.

The Brussels Horticultural Society is making plans to keep our village pretty. With some financial assistance from Huron East, the beds, the boxes and the butterfly garden will be things of beauty soon. Feel free to pull any loose weeds you see as you walk about, they too love good soil.

The boxes will be hitting Turnberry Street soon, delivered by good Huron East staff, of course.

Then the flower choices of the year can be admired. Keep up the good work flower people.

Firecracker weekend is here. It’s time to think about outside, with all the good stuff that can only happen out of doors.

Bye now. Betty GW

NEWS FROM BRUSSELS

Brussels Legion 218 Catch the Ace Weekly Winner Winning Ticket: Donna Black, $160.

Envelope #18 found the King of Clubs Next estimated jackpot is $2,200.

Planning an Event?

Don’t miss potential guests!

Run your ad at least two weeks prior to the date or deadline to make sure everyone sees it.

The Citizen

info@northhuron.on.ca www.huroncitizen.ca

PO Box 429 Blyth, ON N0M 1H0 519-523-4792

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THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024. PAGE 7.

Long weekend unofficially kicks off summer season

By Deb Hakkers As we head into our first long weekend of the summer season, the grass is lush and green and needs to be cut constantly. The farmers are in full swing, getting the crops in and the campers are all coming out ready for the long weekend.

Over the weekend, the Hakkers

family got together at the home of Ron and Evelyn Smith to celebrate Ron’s 65th birthday! On Mother’s Day, we divided our time between visiting with Fred’s mom and then at Huronlea Home for the Aged with my mom. We accompanied her to the church service at Huronlea with Pastor Alex Jebson officiating.

Our thoughts are with Martin Hesch who had a house fire over the weekend. Thank you to all those first responders who came to help.

Your neighbours are thinking of you Martin.

On a happier note, this week we wish a happy birthday to Ian Caldwell and Renny Hulzebos on

May 19, Michelle Nesbitt on May 21 and Candice Abel-Rinn on May 22. We also wish a happy anniversary to Aimee and Matt Townsend on May 23.

The results from the Legion euchre on May 13 are: first prize, Virginia Caesar (77) and Sharon Thompson (76); second prize, Pauline McMichael (76) and Mac Brooks (73); lone hands, Edna

McLellan (4) and Carol Lahey (5).

Share the Wealth went to Doug Vincent and Jane Vincent.

If there is anything special you would like mentioned in this column, e-mail mcraig1@tcc.on.ca or call 519-525-8640 (evenings only, please).

Until next week, take care of yourselves and each other and have a great Victoria Day weekend!

GoFundMe established

Show us what you’ve got The annual Blyth Festival Art Gallery Community Show opened on Saturday, May 11.

Blyth Festival Artistic Director Gil Garratt (far right) and Blyth Festival Art Gallery Exhibition Committee Chair Kelly Stevenson (second from right) praised participants for their creative contributions. (Shawn Loughlin photo)

The Reading Web with Cindy Norgate

L

earning. I was sitting here on this beautiful Saturday, with the sun shining so brightly, and pondering my years as a child as I usually do when preparing this article. I’ll admit, when I was a little girl and teenager, the word “learning” made me go into an automatic snooze fest; meaning, my brain would automatically go into sleep mode, but what is learning?

You all know, by now, that I am a big fan of children having fun while learning. I decided to dig a little deeper and study the meaning of “learning”. The Oxford Dictionary says the meaning of learning is, “the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, study, or by being taught” and “a thing learned by experience; a lesson.” What I want you to understand is that pure learning isn’t simply sitting in a classroom. It is so much more. This is why I want you to try to incorporate even simple lessons this summer which can enrich your child or grandchild’s life. It doesn’t all have to be “book learning”. Now, let’s dig in just a little.

We have many little treasures here in Blyth, and one of them is the Goderich-to-Guelph Rail Trail (G2G). If you’ve never walked a portion of the trail, I urge you to do so with children. I found some fun activities on thimbleandtwig.com.

One of the many ideas I found interesting is the “Matchbox Hike”.

If you have a matchbox or another container of that size, give it to your little one to gather treasures as you walk along the trail. It could be a feather, a piece of moss, twigs or sticks, or a piece of a robin’s egg shell.

Pick up an inexpensive magnifying glass at your local shop and give it to the young one in your life. This is a terrific opportunity for

the little naturalist in your life to get an up-close look at nature. A set of binoculars is a good idea, too!

Jupiter is my favourite planet. My father used to talk to me about the different planets, and this ignited in me a love for outer space. You can do this, too. Give your kids a job!

Wow! That will go over well, won’t it?

Seriously, while on a nature walk give fun jobs that need to be met such as: find four different kinds of leaves, spot two different types of clouds, and three types of birds. It is a simple scavenger hunt that just might start a spark of interest in children where they might not have realized they had before.

Another cool idea I found from thimbleandtwig.com is for three and four year olds. It is called a “Handin-Hand Parenting”.

“When you are walking, and your child is complaining about being tired tell them that you think you are coming up to a fast bit. Then pull your child’s hand and start running.

Build your child’s sense of anticipation and put yourself in the less powerful role by saying, ‘I hope that’s the end of the fast bits for now.

Oh no! There’s another fast bit.’”

The last activity I want to share on our G2G Trail walk is for your young scientist. Tell him or her how important observation (explain the meaning) is for scientists, and you need them to write down (or draw) what is experienced on the nature walk. Be very serious. Make it sound important.

Find an inexpensive journal at the local dollar store and decorate it if you like. Give it to them and let them know this is the nature journal. It is a very important book. Go on a nature walk and allow them to write, scribble, and/or draw what they see.

Don’t look for perfection. This isn’t

a writing class. This is for fun and to learn how to observe what is all around them.

As I leave it here for this week, I hope you will take time this upcoming summer to take advantage of what is right here at our footsteps: the G2G trail. There are so many more activity ideas you can do with children. Not only will you encourage learning, but you will make memories that last.

“Children cannot bounce off the walls if we take away the walls.” Erin Kenny

On May 11, the Huron County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received a report of a residential structure fire in Blyth.

Officers responded with members of the Fire Department of North Huron and Huron County Emergency Medical Services at approximately 11:43 p.m. The resident of the home was able to get out safely.

Emergency Services were on scene, closing Dinsley Street between Coombs Street and Morris Street in Blyth.

The home belonged to Martin Hesch. A GoFundMe has been organized by his son, Shane, with a goal of raising $50,000. In the fundraising description, Shane writes that the entire top of the house has been burned and that further smoke and water damage means that the building is likely to be condemned. He also stated that the insurance coverage on the home had been cancelled due to an inactive woodstove in the basement.

At the time of publication, $1,600 had been raised for the cause.

It can be found by searching “Martin Hesch’s House Fire

Fundraiser” on gofundme.com.

The Huron OPP is requesting anyone with information to call 1888-310-1122. Should you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or submit a secure web-tip at www.cstip.ca, where you may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.

NEWS FROM BLYTH

ESTATE FIREARMS SPECIALISTS FIREARMS WANTED FOR OUR 202ϰ AUCTION PROGRAM

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MAITLAND VALLEY CAMERA CLUB

Photography by Liz Allan

PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024.

Sports

Best of the best Late last month, the Blyth Brussels Minor Hockey Association handed out its year-end awards to players who had impressed in the 2023/2024 season. Clockwise from top left: The Bokhout-Hesselwood Dynamic Duo Award - Graham Nesbitt (U18 Rep), Hudson Marshall (U18 Rep), Brett McCutcheon (U18 LL) and Taylor Wharton (U18 LL); the

Luke Anderson Memorial Award, presented by Cody Anderson - Nixon Brown (U9 LL) and Wes McDonald (U9 MD); the Tom Schauber Memorial Award Olivia Cochrane (U11 LL) and Casey Bolinger (U11 Rep), and the Dan Beuermann Memorial Award, presented by Patricia Beuermann - Claire McCutcheon (U13 LL) and Connor Kellington (U13 Rep). (John Stephenson photos)

Chad Haggitt named Ironmen general manager

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen The Wingham Ironmen have had some activity in their top ranks, with seasoned General Manager Cory Hamilton stepping down, making way for Blyth native Chad Haggitt.

The organization made the announcement in late April, stating that Hamilton, who had spent the past eight seasons with the Ironmen, first as the head coach and then as the general manager and team president, would be stepping away from the team.

“I was doing some quick math recently and, including some time playing in the early 2000s, helping coach during the 2013-2014 season, and with the most recent stretch, I’ve spent over a quarter of my life with the Ironmen, and I wouldn’t change it for anything,” Hamilton said in a statement posted to the team’s website.

“During my time working with the team, I have so many fond memories, so many stories, and have had the pleasure to get to know so many people.

“I think about all my teammates

and coaches, all the loyal fans and families I’ve gotten a chance to interact with, the volunteers and executive members; I’ve been able to witness the work that goes on behind the scenes to make a junior hockey team run year-in and yearout. All the team staff I’ve worked alongside, knowing the amount of time and sacrifice that goes into the various jobs that make this a competitive team year after year, and of course all the players who have suited up for the team; who I’ve had the pleasure to watch grow into young men. It’s all the relationships I will cherish the most.

“Deciding to step away has been a choice I knew would someday come. With my boys getting older and life getting busier, it’s time to focus my time differently. I know I’ll miss it all, especially the conversations with [Head Coach Dawson Smith], but something tells me we will reunite down the line.

“I could talk about my incredible time with the Tinmen forever, but for now I just want to say thank you to everyone who has been a part of the journey with me. The team is

going to be in great shape moving forward with some good people coming in, and I am excited to see what the next few years have in store for the organization.”

Haggitt now takes over as the team prepares for spring evaluations ahead of the 2024/2025 season, which will be the team’s 51st after the anniversary celebrations of last season. He has spent recent seasons as a coach for the Clinton Radars and then as the head coach of the Walkerton Capitals of the Provincial Junior Hockey League (the same league that the Ironmen call home) for the past two seasons. In fact, Haggitt and his staff won “Coach of the Year” honours for the 2023/2024 season with the Capitals.

“I am very excited to return home to Wingham and to the Wingham Ironmen organization in a new role as general manager,” Haggitt said in a statement on the team’s website.

“I am looking forward to learning and gaining experience in this role, as well as working with Dawson and his coaching staff. I am thankful to the Walkerton Capitals organization for the past two seasons, where I was able to

develop relationships friendships with players staff.”

and and

The 2024/2025 Provincial Junior Hockey League season will begin this September.

BRUSSELS MINOR BALL DAY Saturday, June 1 Time

Age Group

Teams

8:00 am 9:00 am 10:00 am 11:30 am 1:00 pm 2:30 pm 4:00 pm 5:30 pm 7:30 pm

T-Ball U7 U9 U11 Girls U11 Boys U13 Girls U13 Boys U15 Girls Men’s League

Brussels Black vs. Brussels Red Brussels Black vs. Brussels Red Brussels Black vs. Brussels Red Brussels vs. Listowel Legends Brussels vs. Seaforth Brussels vs. Elma Express #2 Brussels vs. Wingham Brussels vs. Seaforth Wolverines Brussels Bangers vs. Walton Brewers

• Leo’s BBQ lunch from 10:30 - 4 pm • Clouds of Sugar Cotton Candy • Pinky the Clown from 9-11 am • Great Raffle Prizes (Grand Prize - 4 Tickets to a Jays game) • Fish Fry hosted by the Legion from 5-7 pm at the Main Diamond Pavilion (tickets ONLY available in advance) 1 piece $12, 2 pieces $18 For Fish Fry tickets or information contact: Amanda White- 519-357-7547 or Krissy Rammeloo – 519-955-1386

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024. PAGE 9.

Decisions questioned on Seaforth fire dept.

by HE resident

Throughout the village All around Brussels are small, mystical fairy doors that are part of the Brussels Fairy Door Trail, which was spearheaded by Zoellyn Onn a few years ago. The number of doors has only expanded in recent years and the trail officially opened for the season on Sunday after a long winter’s nap. (John Stephenson photo)

Fairy Door Trail open in Brussels PEOPLE AROUND WALTON

By Jo-Ann McDonald Call 887-6570 Farming is in full swing for many with corn being planted and soybean ground worked and getting ready to plant.

For the farmers, planting a crop is a leap of faith. Will it rain? Will it not? Too much? Not enough?

Pests? Heat units? Prices up or down? All these things are in the minds of the farmers as they plant with the faith that the year will provide for them. Six months from now, the time will tell. On my Monday drive, I actually saw a field with the corn coming up.

Happy Mother’s Day to all! We hope you had a nice time and were able to gather with your mothers.

Some folks went out to eat. Some folks had food brought in. We were at our daughter LeeAnn’s and enjoyed Chinese food. There were others who spent time looking at photos, remembering stories and enjoying memories of their mothers. We hope all celebrated in their way and had a nice day.

There has been a steady stream of folks in and out of the Brussels Cemetery this week. Mother’s Day reminds folks to put the flower saddles on the gravestones, to remember those who have passed.

The caretaker, Lisa, is hard at work making the cemetery look its finest and ensuring that the flowers brighten up the grounds.

The McClure family held a celebration of life for the late Neil McClure, who passed on Jan. 22, 2024, last week. He was buried in Maitlandbank Cemetery and then the family, along with some friends, gathered at the Walton Hall. They enjoyed a delicious meal provided

by Pine Ridge Catering. They had many pictures and memories of Neil to share with each other and it

was a wonderful visit with all. They were very pleased to have brother Rae from Forestburg, Alberta in attendance. The McClure family includes Bill, Laverne, Clyde, Rae, Fred, Edward and Carolyn and their families and again, our condolences.

It was Coffee Chat at Walton Hall last Saturday. There is only one more Coffee Chat day scheduled for May 25. We are going to take a break for the summer because there are so many other activities happening. There was a small crowd with only a dozen or so, but lots of laughs for all.

There were stories of unwanted animals on properties and how to get rid of them or how to store guns and how to shoot a gun, as well as the very interesting story on how to fall. Here’s a hint: be loose, very loose, don’t be stiff, just fall, like you were drunk, and chances are, you won’t get hurt.

We were pleased to see Kevin and Pam Benneweis from Walkerton arrive for a visit. So, come out and have a coffee, a goodie and a few laughs to last you until fall.

Mother’s Day is the opening day of the Fairy Door Trail around Brussels. Lots of folks and businesses have their fairy homes out again or redone, or just

freshened up with new fairies. Take the tour and see how imaginative some folks can be!

Celebrating birthdays this past week include Jordan Thompson, Carman Bernard, Calvin Flood, Nathan Wharton, Gavin Bowers, Jim Cook, Tracey Lee, Shane Ryan, Andrea Shortreed, Jim Coleman, Jeff Grobbink, Jennifer McClure Van Driel, Cathy McGavin Melady, Grace Linton, Joyce Williamson, Jason Pennington, Nora Lyn Jutzi, Leanne Armstrong and Luann Bennett. Happy birthday to all.

At a meeting last month, Chief Administrative Officer Brad McRoberts provided Huron East Council answers to a handful of questions that had been asked in March regarding the Seaforth division of the Huron East Fire Department.

At the March 19 meeting of council, Sandra Melady of Seaforth asked the questions, demanding they be answered by the April 2 meeting. While Clerk Jessica Rudy, in speaking with The Citizen, said that while a report was forthcoming, she couldn’t provide a timeline on its completion.

However, the staff met Melady’s self-created deadline.

Melady, when speaking to council, was supported by several firefighters in the gallery as she lamented the difficulty she had even registering to speak to council, insisting that it should not be so hard to speak to her local politicians.

She first asked about the selfcontained breathing apparatus (SCBA) purchase of over $250,000, suggesting that the previous replacement system had been working and then had been changed unnecessarily by Huron East Council and staff.

Her second request was for improvements to the recruitment process for the Seaforth Fire Department. She said the outfit is experiencing vacancies that are putting the health and well-being of Huron East residents at unnecessary risk.

Third, she asked the Huron East Council consider reinstating the fire boards. If the fire boards still existed, she suggested, the first two

issues would take care of themselves with more local control over the issues pertaining to the departments.

Her presentation was met by applause by the firefighters joining her in the gallery.

In response to the questions, McRoberts presented council with a seven-page report, first referring to Fire Advisor Brad Patton’s presentation earlier in the meeting for justification for the SCBA purchases.

Regarding firefighter recruitment, McRoberts told council that the process is currently under review with the fire chief and district chiefs. He added that, as a public entity, Huron East has to adhere to a formal process, maintain confidentiality and undertake its due diligence before bringing anyone aboard.

He added that staff had been crafting recruitment campaigns, including social media posts, print media advertising and open houses at all three of the municipality’s fire halls in the weeks after the meeting.

As for the reinstatement of the former Seaforth Fire Board, McRoberts said council had made that decision and is now responsible for the decision-making process as part of staff’s ongoing efforts to standardize things throughout the municipality.

In regards to the roles of different municipal personnel, McRoberts said the task was too vast for a single report, but he provided an organizational chart for council. He also said that the information had been shared with Melady.

Council made no further remarks on the report.

FREE KEG DELIVERY The Cowbell Team is on the road delivering to our neighbouring communities!

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KEG DEPOSITS & REFUNDS: 1. All kegs require a deposit of $50.

2. Return empty kegs to the Cowbell Retail Store and your deposit will be refunded.

EMPTY KEG PICK-UP: 1. If you are in possession of a Cowbell keg and order another full keg, we will pick up and refund your empty keg when we drop off your new one!

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PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024.

Mill Street tender approved by NH

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen

Art, food and farms Meeting Place Organic Farm near St. Helens held its annual Mother’s Day open house last weekend, welcoming people to get up close and personal with the farm, the greenhouse and the new farm store, which was populated with local artists.

(John Stephenson photo)

North Huron Council approved a tender for the much-anticipated Mill Street project, poised to commence construction later this year in Blyth. Council accepted the lowest tender price offered by Omega Contractors Inc., totaling $1,680,269.57, inclusive of HST. Director of Public Works and Facilities Gregg Furtney presented a report outlining the details and recommendations for this significant undertaking.

Background information provided in the report included details on the scope of the project. The reconstruction will cover approximately 250 metres of Mill Street, stretching from Westmoreland Street to Dinsley Street in Blyth. The planned improvements include a new 1,350millimetre diameter trunk storm

sewer, replacement of the existing 150-millimetre watermain, installation of a new concrete sidewalk, curb and site restoration work. Additionally, an asphalt parking lot will be constructed on the former site of the Blyth Fire Hall and Public Works facility.

The engineering work for this project, as well as the tender process, was managed by RJ Burnside. Six bidders participated in the tender, with Omega Contractors Inc. emerging as the lowest bidder after review and assessment.

Reeve Paul Heffer expressed satisfaction with the outcome. “I think this is a good news story,” said Heffer. “Getting our budget adopted early and getting the [Requests for Proposals] out early seeing the numbers that came back, there is a great good number of them and it was really good. I just want to thank the staff for getting that and, again, numbers don’t lie.”

Rates remain status quo, new report to come Continued from page 1 2024 fees and charges bylaw, all recreation facility user groups within Huron East were sent the 2024 rates and charges bylaw.

Concerns were brought forward from the service groups in Brussels.

The user groups from the community of Brussels are the most impacted [by] the new rates solely for the reason of being significantly undercharged in past years,” said Director of Community Services Lissa Berard in her report to council.

“The Director of Community Services met with each community service group to understand their concerns and how it was going to [affect] the cost of using the community spaces in Brussels. As indicated above, the past rates for usage [were] not charged appropriately, so these service groups do have an impact on what the actual rental fees should have been. Each service group can make efforts to modify their rental needs, which will assist in decreasing their rental fees.”

Berard also said that a change being made is having a Huron East staff person there at all times when a community group (or anyone) is

in a municipal building, having rented it for the day. This, said Chief Administrative Officer Brad McRoberts, is essential for the municipality’s liability. A staff member must be there to ensure things are running smoothly and that no rules are being broken.

Berard said that unifying the rates across the municipality is consistent with the direction and strategic goals of the newly-formed Huron East Recreation Advisory Committee, noting that the report at the time informed council of a number of differences in rates and fees for similar or same services provided at the municipality’s three recreational facilities.

“It was brought to council’s attention that the two auditoriums located at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Centre (BMGCC) and Seaforth and District Community Centre (SDCC) have two separate methods for calculating rental rates and that the BMGCC had multiple calculation rates based on how or who was using the space,” Berard said in her report to council. “The Jan. 9, 2024 report explained that, regardless of how the space is being utilized or by whom, staff are required to

Right this way Reg Vinnicombe, right, and Darrell Bergsma, left, were among the volunteers taking in submissions at the Huron 4-H Association’s recent e-waste collection in Londesborough. (John Stephenson photo)

prepare the space, supervise the space during the event and clean the space after the event.

“The recommendation to council was to create a unified hourly rental rate, regardless of how it is being used or by whom. In preparation of the Jan. 9, 2024 report, staff also undertook a comprehensive review of the rates for facilities throughout Huron County and confirmed that the proposed rates were well within the range of the rates set by other municipalities.

“These proposed new rates were approved by council on Jan. 9, 2024, formally approved in the fees and charges bylaw on Jan. 23, 2024, and the revenue based upon those rates were used in the 2024 budget, which was approved on April 16, 2024.”

She noted that staff then conducted a market check of the rates and fees from surrounding municipalities and the conclusion was that service groups using the BMGCC “were not being charged an appropriate rate for the time and space being used.”

Newell said that service clubs are the “backbone of the community” in Huron East and that not doing right by them would be an error by the municipality. He said it’s the service groups that have raised funds for the municipality’s centres and programs over the years, so, they deserve some recognition.

Berard said that notion comprises the second part of her recommendation, suggesting that council retain the current fees and charges structure while finding other ways to help out the service clubs. She suggested compressing their time in the centres and speeding up set-up and tear-down work to reduce time in the centre, reducing the money spent.

Deputy-Mayor Alvin McLellan, however, said that groups already try to do that and it’s part of community spirit to work together on such events, so he didn’t think that was the answer.

Councillor Bob Fisher asked if the push behind the unification had been explained to the service groups in Brussels, noting that they had been undercharged for years.

Berard said they had.

“Facility rental rates are based on covering operating costs of the space with very limited proceeds to contribute to building upkeep or reserves. When the service groups are utilizing the facilities for a fundraising event, the municipal operating cost does not change,” Berard said in her report to council.

“If the facility spaces are provided to service groups at a discounted rate, there is a loss in revenue which would not cover the operating cost, the lost revenue causes a deficit to the facility. Deficits are at the expense of the taxpayers.

“Looking at the big picture, service groups host fundraising events, asking the community (potentially taxpayers) to come and support the event and additionally all Huron East taxpayers contribute to offset the operating deficit through higher tax rates.

“It is reasonable for service groups to pay the same rate as any other user who comes to utilize our

Huron East facilities. Service groups are hosting events in order to support their community projects. As shown in the examples, rental rates are within the $1,000 range and service groups have a gross net of $5,000 to $70,000.

“As a municipality, we are most thankful for our local service groups for their initiatives to contribute to community betterment projects, however, we do need to also keep in mind that once those community betterment projects are implemented, the municipality then assumes the upkeep and future capital expenses of these projects.”

Council approved Berard’s recommendation, sticking with the current fees and charges bylaw, but asking staff to return with a report on how to better support the service clubs while keeping the rates the way they are.

Blyth Annual Used Book Sale Trinity Anglican Church 166 Dinsley St., Blyth

May 31 & June 1 Friday, June 1 ~ 9 pm to 4 pm (no early bird sales) Saturday, June 1 ~ 9 am to 4 pm

Book Intake May 30 from 8 am to 8 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

Fill a Box box sale with Books on used books Saturday, June 1 from 2 to 4 for $10 For info contact deb@northhuron.on.ca

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024. PAGE 11.

N. Huron, Festival mourn Munro Continued from page 1 of Nobel Laureate Alice Munro.

Alice was highly regarded in her hometown of Wingham and has had an immense impact on our community. Her deep roots in our township are woven into the fabric of North Huron with tributes in the community such as the Alice Munro Literary Garden and the Alice Munro Public Library,” the statement reads.

“Born in Wingham in 1931, Alice was renowned internationally as one of the world’s most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history’s most honoured short story writers. Alice won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2013. In addition to the Nobel Prize, Alice won many literary honours, including three Governor General’s Awards, two Giller Prizes and the Man Booker International Prize.

“On behalf of our community, I would like to extend sincere condolences to Alice Munro’s family, loved ones and friends.

Today in North Huron, our community is mourning together along with the rest of the world.

The Township of North Huron will fly its flags at half-mast in an act of honour and respect, expressing a collective sense of sorrow shared by all,” said Reeve Paul Heffer in the statement.

On Wednesday morning, Blyth Festival Artistic Director Gil Garratt offered his thoughts on behalf of the Festival.

“It’s with a heavy heart that [the] Blyth Festival joins the world in grieving the passing of the singular Alice Munro,” Garratt said in a statement posted to the Festival’s social media feeds. “Alice had a profound impact on the Festival from the very beginning and was a dear friend of the Festival family.

“In 1976, our second season ever, Alice adapted her own short story, ‘How I Met My Husband’, for the Blyth stage, premiering the work to local acclaim, and stitching herself into the fabric of this place. In the

years that followed, Alice was a staunch supporter, a dedicated volunteer who took tickets and ushered in our aisles, and she even appeared as an actor on stage in the 1980s.

“Blyth also had the privilege of developing and producing Alice’s Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage for the stage, adapted by playwright Marcia Johnson (Courting Johanna) in 2008.

“Her artistry, her careful but unflinching words, and her belief in the beauty and complexity of this place (our home in Huron County), have long been beacons for artists here in Blyth. So too has her example in standing against the censors in the 1970s school board book bannings that targeted her collection Lives of Girls and Women, a time that feels all too fresh today.

“Our hearts go out to her family in this time. The tide has taken a titan from our shores.”

ACW to develop new set of customer service standards

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh (ACW) is continuing work on a new bylaw that is intended to codify a set of customer service standards that will outline policies for handling unreasonable customer behaviour and formal complaints.

ACW staff and council conceptualized the bylaw in an effort to curb the purported rise in verbal and written harassment to which they are subjected.

Interruptions of meetings and personal attacks from a small number of constituents have become frequent enough that council believes such a bylaw is necessary, but a hearty debate among councillors illustrated the importance of striking the right balance between the right to feel safe in the workplace and the right of citizens to engage freely with their government.

Councillor Anita Snobelen opened the discussion by lamenting the need for such a bylaw to exist at all. “It’s a sad situation, that our society has come to a point where we have to have policies and signs and places of business indicating that bad behaviour won’t be tolerated.” Snobelen acknowledged that such efforts to protect employees are important, but felt that the proposed policy needs work. “ I hope the policy can become more concise and

readable,” she said. “I feel that perhaps brevity might give staff more latitude in upholding the policy, and, in my opinion, I would like to see less words and for it to be more concise.”

Snobelen also hoped the bylaw would include rules specific to individuals who offend frequently, suggesting that if a person repeatedly exhibited poor behaviour, then “After a number of encounters, and having it go through supervisory personnel from the first point of contact, that restrictions would come into play.

Perhaps that person will be forbidden from having communication with staff for a set number of days, or weeks, or months and would be permitted to make contact again after a review. I think it’s important to protect the staff... I’d like to see it have a little bit more bite.”

Deputy-Mayor Bill Vanstone admitted he was a bit taken aback when he first read the bylaw draft.

“In my opinion, I don’t want to see it much stricter than it is now.”

Councillor Jennifer Miltenberg took the opposite position, advocating for a firm hand with disruptive entities. “The more you accept, the more you get,” she said.

Miltenberg suggested the bylaw be passed as is, with the intention of reviewing and updating the policy as needed. “It’s new to us and we don’t know how much is pertinent and what’s going to work - I’m

satisfied that the bones are correct, I’m happy with the direction it’s going in. I don’t think we have the finished product yet, but I don’t know how we get a finished product without trying it.”

Councillor Curtis Blake took issue with some of the ethics of the policy. “I want to make it clear that I don’t think any person in any workplace should have to deal with harassment or abuse, and I understand the need for this kind of policy - it’s justifiable. But I do believe that property owners should have the right to have their concerns heard and dealt with. I do not believe that unelected members of staff should have the final say in restricting residents... to title a situation as unreasonable, frivolous or vexatious could become somewhat opinion-based, not based on facts.” He also questioned the use of the term “customer” in reference to the people of ACW. “I do not think muting, censoring or restricting communication is right at all, and I think this policy could give the township the power to do that. I don’t agree with that at all and I will not be supporting this.”

Clerk Florence Witherspoon asked to defer any further action in adopting the bylaw until she had an opportunity to review all the suggestions made at the meeting so she could make revisions, receiving support of council through a show of hands.

In they go On Saturday, the Seaforth Optimist Club held its annual rubber duck race, bringing out people from far and wide to watch the excitement hoping for a win. (John Stephenson photo)

Honoured The Blyth Brussels Minor Hockey Association handed out its year-end awards recently, honouring some of the community’s best hockey players. Above, Liam Fischer, left, and Adrian Egli were the winners of the Jeremy Austin Memorial Award, while below, Lincoln Bolinger won the Don Higgins Memorial Award, presented by executive member Josh Nurse. (John Stephenson photos)

PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024.

Nearly 1,200 people take in ‘Maple Mania’ events

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Huron County’s 2024 installment of “Maple Mania” was a success, according to Tourism and Local

Food Co-ordinator Alecia Anderson, who reported on the weekend of events in March to Huron County Council at its April 17 meeting.

Just under 1,200 people attended

at least one of nine events held at seven sugar bushes across Huron County on March 9-10, she told council. Participating bushes were Amalgamation Acres and Legacy Maple, Bayfield Maple, Blyth

Creek Maple Farm, Coastal Coffee, Freedom Syrup, Robinson’s Maple Products and Schilbe Family Maple Syrup.

She also noted four familyfriendly indoor events throughout the weekend that took place at libraries throughout the county.

Among them were “The Great Maple Mania Bake-off” and a special maple-centric market, both of which were staged at the Huron County Museum in Goderich.

Thirteen restaurants also voiced their support for the special weekend, offering maple-themed or

maple-infused dishes from March 7 to March 17, serving 730 dishes over that time. Furthermore, 10 cafés and bakeries provided maplebased treats during the event and two pancake breakfasts were held, one of which was in Auburn and hosted by the local Lions Club.

“Maple Mania continues to be a successful shoulder season event for Huron County, attracting visitors, engaging residents and building collaborative partnerships with our agricultural sector,” Anderson said in concluding her report to council.

South Bruce votes to be willing host The Municipality of South Bruce Council endorsed the hosting agreement between the municipality and the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) at its meeting on May 1.

Mayor Mark Goetz and Chief Administrative Officer Leanne Martin signed the agreement on behalf of the municipality following the vote last week.

Step on up The Wingham Firefighters Association recently held its annual fish fry fundraiser at the fire hall. Members of the local department welcomed hundreds through the lines on that Sunday night. (John Stephenson photo)

Belgrave yard sale coming PEOPLE AROUND BELGRAVE

By Linda Campbell Call 357-2188

The card results for Friday, May 10 were: high gold card, Pat Jenkins; second high gold card, Pat Gamble; most shoots gold card, Karen Webster; high white card, Jim Howard; second high white card, Mac Brooks, and most shoots white card, Elmer Gamache.

Cards will be played again on Friday, May 24 at 1 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

The guest speaker was Jim Hess on Mother’s Day Sunday, May 12 at Knox United Church, Belgrave.

Linda Hess provided prelude and postlude music on the piano and accompanied all the hymns.

Scripture lessons were read from Psalm 1:1-16 and John 2:1-12. His message was entitled “The Cana Wedding.” The closing hymn was “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing.” The choral blessing “Go Now in Peace” concluded the worship service.

On Saturday, June 1, there is a Belgrave community yard sale from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a barbeque lunch at the Community Centre from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Residents wishing to take part may get on the list and receive a lawn sign. As well, they are asked to donate a portion of the proceeds to the Belgrave Playground Equipment project (minimum $20 donation).

The guest speaker at Knox

United Church on Sunday, May 19 is Susan Barnett. Everyone is welcome.

There was a good crowd at the coffee break on Tuesday, May 14 at the Community Centre. It is a great way to catch up on the news and happenings.

The Belgrave Kinsmen hosted a breakfast buffet on Mother’s Day, May 12 at the Community Centre.

Birthday greetings are extended to our grandson, Jackson Campbell, who celebrates his sixth birthday on May 20. It is also Kevin Van Camp’s birthday on the same day. On May 22, Amelia Cottrill will be eight years old. Have a fun day.

Hopefully everyone enjoyed Mother’s Day.

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The agreement maps out what happens if South Bruce decides it is a willing host, and it is selected for the NWMO Project to manage Canada’s nuclear waste. It also sets out how South Bruce would exit the process if it is not a willing host, or if it is willing to host but not selected by the NWMO. “Throughout the process, council Continued on page 16

Citizen-To-Citizen “SWAP SHOP” ad “One person’s junk is another’s treasure” Call 519-523-4792 or email: info@northhuron.on.ca • 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.

NEWS FROM BELGRAVE

Get one while they last!

The Citizen’s 2024 Phone Book has arrived.

Pick up your free copy today before they are gone!

405 Queen Street, Blyth

FOR SALE - Two modern spinning wheels, one 36”, 4 shaft LeClarc floor loom, one 45”, 8 shaft counter-balanced floor loom with bench. Parts, accessories included. $400. each. 519-9024213. (Seaforth area).

20-3 ----------------------------------------------FOR SALE - Antique table top Singer sewing machine with case with extra bobbins and needles, $400. Call 519902-4213 (Seaforth area).

20-3 ----------------------------------------------FOR SALE - Four 670x15 used wide white wall tires, good tread, $200 for the set. Several car covers, $25 each.

519-526-3331.

20-3 ----------------------------------------------FOR SALE - Two brand new General all season tires, 205-60R16, $125 for the pair. 519-527-1956.

20-3 ----------------------------------------------FOR SALE - 6” Toolex jointer, used very little, $375; Torin Big Red parts cleaner, 12 gallon, $75; 2 wheeled Cyclone yard cart, $30; various suitcasestyle tractor weights $1/lb. (negotiable); large barrel weight for back of a tractor, $25. Call 519-441-7217.

20-3 ----------------------------------------------FOR SALE - 30” Frigidaire electric range. White with coil burners. Buttons on back panel. Good working condition. $200. or best offer. 226-222-3726.

20-3 ----------------------------------------------FREE - Assortment of magazines in good shape. Look, Zoomer, Chatelaine, various cooking magazines, etc. 519357-1691.

20-3 ----------------------------------------------FOR SALE - Four Dynamo winter tires, 225/65 R17 on steel rims. Used 20,000 km., near 50% tread left. Slight checking. Rims showing some rust.

Asking $100. including rims. 519-5234711.

19-3

FOR SALE - 26” girls blue touring bike. White walls, larger bicycle seat, kick stand and front basket included. $125. Judy 519-357-8182.

19-3 ----------------------------------------------FOR SALE - Quantity of oak hardwood 2”x3” and 1”x6” cut to 12”-14” long, stored inside, clean. Ideal for woodstove or fire pit. Price depends on quantity. Londesborough 519-5013289.

19-3 ----------------------------------------------FOR SALE - Pine corner cabinet, originally used for guns. About 6’ high, $300; gun cabinet 4’x6’ approx. guns on top, shelves below, $200. Prices negotiable; leather La-Z-Boy from Middleton’s. Good condition, blue, $200.

519-357-3117 18-3 ----------------------------------------------FOR SALE - Approximately 20 pieces of Prayer & Promises collectible figurines. $100. or best offer for the set.

519-524-8302.

18-3 ----------------------------------------------FOR SALE - Flagstone 1”-1 1/2”. Two different lots. 519-524-3944.

18-3 ----------------------------------------------WANTED - A large used freezer. 519395-4211 18-3 ----------------------------------------------FOR SALE - Limited edition 8 Field Puppies plate collection with frames and certificates. $25. ea; apartment size piano $300. 519-887-6583 18-3 -----------------------------------------------

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024. PAGE 13.

BLYTH Y 519-523-4244

+XURQ7UDFWRU FRP

519-523-4311

www.ruralvoice e.ca

Road safety paramount for drivers, farmers

By Teresa Van Raay, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture The upcoming Victoria Day holiday means a lot of Ontarians will be hitting the road for weekend activities, including cottage getaways and visits to key tourist areas.

This first long weekend of the year is always an eagerlyanticipated event, but it also comes at a tough time for farmers, as it usually falls in the middle of spring planting season.

That means that not only will there be a greater number of cars on the road this weekend, but it’s also a busy time for tractors and other large farm equipment using Ontario’s roads, as farmers move between fields and farms to get their crops planted.

This makes road safety for both farmers and motorists essential to help all of us prevent accidents.

Operating large farm equipment on the road runs a higher risk than most at any time of the year, but when roads become busier and traffic gets heavier, all of us have to keep road safety top of mind.

My family and I farm in Huron County, where we raise pigs and grow garlic and field crops like corn and soybeans, and our farm is right along one of the main

highways into Grand Bend and Huron County cottage country. This means we have first-hand experience with sharing a busy road with motorists while we have to get around with our slow-moving tractors and large farm equipment.

Farm equipment in general is much larger than it used to be, which makes us less nimble on the road than we are when driving a car.

Many rural roads also have narrow or soft shoulders, which makes it difficult, if not impossible for farmers to pull off to the side safely to let motorists pass.

We recognize the high-speed pace of today’s world, whether it’s commuting for work, travelling to and from school, or running around for errands, sports and recreational activities; people are constantly in a rush and all of us want to get where we’re going quickly.

But we also need to get there safely, and road safety is a shared responsibility between both farmers and motorists. We all need to make it a priority to take the extra few seconds or minutes to pass farm equipment safely.

Passenger vehicles incorrectly passing farm equipment can result in serious accidents or death, with statistics showing that eight out of 10 accidents occur during the day and seven out of 10

occur on dry road conditions.

The Huron County Federation of Agriculture, with support from the Ontario Federation of Agriculture’s Revive Fund, has invested in road safety signs that have been placed strategically on busy county roads to help remind everyone to “share the road”. Other local and regional federations of agriculture have also undertaken road safety projects to raise awareness with both motorists and farmers.

To prevent road accidents this spring, here are some top tips for motorists: • Pay attention to orange triangles on the back of farm equipment.

These are slow-moving vehicle signs that mean farm vehicles legally can’t go faster than 40 kilometres per hour.

• Watch for indicator lights and remember that a gap between a slow-moving vehicle and an oncoming car or truck can close very quickly.

• Plan a pass carefully, be patient and only pass when it’s safe to do so.

• Be kind; wave with your whole hand, not just a single finger. We take our equipment on the road because we have to, not because we want to ruin your day.

As farmers, we also have road safety responsibilities, such as:

• Conducting a daily 360-degree safety check of equipment before leaving the farm and ensuring hitches, brakes and tires are wellmaintained and road ready.

• Making sure lights are working properly and slow-moving vehicle signs are visible and secure.

• Taking the time to do things right, such as removing the header off the combine to take up less road

space - even for short trips on the road.

• Focusing on the road and not using a mobile device while driving. What applies in a motor vehicle also applies while operating farm equipment too - distracted driving is distracted driving.

Let’s all work together to make this long weekend a safe one for anyone on the roads.

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BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK REPORT For the week ending May 10, 2024 Brussels Livestock Market Report For the week ending May 10, 2024 Total Receipts: 1,295 cattle; 905 lambs, sheep and goats Tuesday – Fed cattle sold steady.

Cows sold steady.

Thursday – Veal, drop calves, lambs, sheep and goats sold steady.

Friday – Calves sold steady, with grass types selling $5 - $10 higher.

Yearlings sold $5 - $10 higher.

Connor Nivins of Goderich, consigned one red cow that weighed 1,355 lbs. and sold for $171.

Los Dairy Farms of Listowel, consigned six head. One holstein cow weighed 1,280 lbs. and sold for $165.

Lambs: Under 50 lbs.: $340 – $365 50-64 lbs.: $342.50 – $358 up to $365 65-79 lbs.: $331 – $351 up to $361 80-94 lbs.: $335 – $350 95-109 lbs.: $320 – $332 up to $350 110 lbs. and over: $322 – $322

Clint Murray of Lucknow, consigned one black bull that weighed 2,265 lbs. and sold for $292.

Veal: There were 110 veal & 40 bob calves on offer: Sheep: $72.50 – $220. up to $292.50

Fed Cattle: There were 115 fed cattle on offer: Choice Fed Cattle: $240 – $256 up to $275 Second Cut Fed Cattle: $225 – $239 Aged and Medium Fed Cattle: $210 – $225 Holstein Fed Cattle: $180 – $215 Bill Finlay of Durham, consigned 16 head. One fed steer weighed 1,425 lbs. and sold for $256.

Gerry McPhee of Auburn, consigned six head. Four fats averaged 1,596 lbs. and sold for $249.

Cows: There were 180 cows on offer: Beef Cows: $140 – $180 Good Holstein Cows: $145 – $156 up to $165 Medium Holstein Cows: $133 – $144 Bulls: $170 – $216

Beef Veal: Too few to establish a market Good Holsteins: $220 – $231 SL Heavy Holsteins: $218 – $226 Heavy Holsteins: $180 – $226 Medium Holsteins: $210 – $219 Plain Holsteins: $185 – $209 Holstein Drop Calves: $400 – $1,225 / HEAD Jim Maw of Forest, consigned five head. One veal weighed 970 lbs. and sold for $259.

Tim Van Sickle of Lucknow, consigned two head. One holstein veal weighed 760 lbs. and sold for $226.

Pendora Dairy Ltd. of Monkton, consigned four head. One holstein bob calf brought $1,225 per head.

Blythhill Farms Inc. of Blyth, consigned 22 head. Nine lambs averaged 76 lbs. and sold for an average price of $361.

Stuart Simpson of Conn, consigned 21 head. Eleven lambs averaged 80 lbs. and sold for an average price of $350.

Laura Mosley of Lucknow, consigned four head. Two lambs averaged 99 lbs. and sold for an average price of $350.

Goats: Meat Kids: $500 – $570 Dairy Kids: $400 – $510 Mature Bucks: $300 – $400 Mature Does: $125 – $300 Teresa Ainslie of Zurich, consigned seven head. Four kid goats averaged 60 lbs. and sold for an average price of $570.

Jason Higenell of Mitchell, consigned seven head. Four kid goats averaged 63 lbs. and sold for an average price of $555.

Ben Snyder of Beachburg, consigned 62 head. Ten charolais steers averaged 1,015 lbs. and sold for an average price of $318.50.

Stockers: There were 850 stockers on offer:

Ezra Sherk of Priceville, consigned 28 head. Six charolais cross heifers averaged 599 lbs. and sold for an average price of $404.

Top Quality Steers: Under 400 lbs.: $350 – $477.50 400 – 499 lbs.: $190 – $480 up to $495 500 – 599 lbs.: $345 – $470 up to $502.50 600 – 699 lbs.: $351 – $447 700 – 799 lbs.: $357 – $402.50 800 – 899 lbs.: $300 – $380 900 – 999 lbs.: $304.50 – $340 1,000 lbs. and over: $283 – $318.50 Top Quality Heifers: Under 400 lbs.: $325 – $510 400 – 499 lbs.: $250 – $447.50 500 – 599 lbs.: $315 – $404 600 – 699 lbs.: $355 – $410 700 – 799 lbs.: $271 – $374 800 – 899 lbs.: $295 – $329 900 lbs. and over: $267.50 – $299.50 up to $304 Brent Martin of Wallenstein, consigned 20 head. Ten black steers averaged 780 lbs. and sold for an average price of $400.

Jacob D. Miller of Lucknow, consigned nine head. Five charolais steers averaged 925 lbs. and sold for an average price of $340.

Josh Smeltzer of Fergus, consigned 11 head. Ten charolais heifers averaged 829 lbs. and sold for an average price of $327.

Tom Inglis of Belgrave, consigned 19 head. Seven black heifers averaged 938 lbs. and sold for an average price of $299.50.

BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK Division of Gamble & Rogers Ltd.

UPCOMING SALES TUESDAYS 10:00 a.m.

Fed Cattle, Bulls & Cows

THURSDAYS

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

FRIDAYS

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

Call us 519-887-6461

PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, MAY 17, 2024

Classified Advertising Coming events Personals

– RATES – 20 words or less only $9.00 + HST Additional words 25¢ ea. + HST

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

SPRING TAKE-OUT LUNCH, Tuesday, May 21, 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Trinity Anglican Church, Blyth. Shepherd's pie with coleslaw and dessert, $12 per person. Ordering deadline: Monday, May 20. To order call 519-523-9396 or email: mcgregor@ezlink.ca

Help wanted Help wanted

Articles for sale -------------------------------------------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.

-------------------------------------------SHADE TREES, SPRUCE, White Pine, Cedars, windbreaks and privacy hedges, Shrubs, Apples, Pears, Peaches, Plums, Sweet & sour Cherry Trees at (Emanuel E.M. Martin) Martin's Nursery 42661 Orangehill Rd, Wroxeter ON N0G 2X0.

-------------------------------------------THE CITIZEN IS AVAILABLE TO purchase at these locations - Auburn Esso, Belgrave Variety, Blyth Food Market, Blyth Variety, Blyth Ultramar, Brussels Foodland, Brussels Variety, Clinton Convenience, Clinton Foodland, Fogal's YIG (Wingham), Wingham Mini Mart, Seaforth Foodland, Fincher's (Goderich), Goderich Victoria St Shell, Canadian Tire Gas Bar, Goderich and The Citizen office in Blyth.

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

Coming events AUBURN HORTICULTURE Society Plant Auction will be held Monday, May 27 at 7 p.m. at the Auburn Hall. Located at 44 Hardwood Line, Auburn. Donations can be dropped off at 1 p.m. on the day of the event. For more information please contact Marita Oudshoorn at 519-955-2953.

-------------------------------------------COME AND ENJOY "AN Afternoon of Music - Springing into Action" at Brussels United Church on Sunday, May 26th at 2 pm.

Featuring Darryn de Souza and friends, Mayfair Ukulele Band, "Irish Joe" Gahan, Marissa Fuller and the Brussels Community Choir!

Your free will monetary offering will support the North Huron Community Food Share. Sponsored

by Brussels United and Melville Presbyterian Churches.

-------------------------------------------BEING A GENDER INCLUSIVE Faith Community - Join us as we explore being an inclusive and supportive Christian Community and how the Bible informs our understanding. 2 part workshop: May 22 & May 29, 7 p.m. at St. Paul’s-Trinity Anglican Church Hall, Centre Street Entrance, Wingham.

ARE YOU PREGNANT and unsure about your future? Contact Ramoth House. We can help you discover your parenting potential.

You can get more information about our services on our website www.ramoth.ca or by phone 519323-3751 or email: office@ramoth.ca

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Manager of Building and Planning/Chief Building Official Visit the Township of Huron-Kinloss website to view this employment opportunity. https://www.huronkinloss.com/town-hall/careers/

Notices

Notices

Seaforth Optimist Club Duck Race Winners W.G. Allin ..................................$500 Rick McInroy ..............................$250 Levi Hudgin ................................$100 Griffin Verkley..............................$50

Seaforth Optimist Club Monthly Cash Draw winners MAY 2024 WINNERS Barb Vandenbroek ................$1,300 Sandy/Terry Morley..................$100 Randy/Rileah Zwep ..................$100

Upcoming auction Upcoming auction --------------------------------------------

CONSIGNMENT AUCTION Friday, May 31, 2024 At 9:30 AM HORSES I FARM EQUIPMENT I WAGONS I HOUSEHOLD ITEMS LOCATION: 37430 Belgrave Rd., Lucknow, ON N0G 2H0

Join our team!

HURONWAY FARMS Looking for AZ Swine Truck Driver With 5 day work week that includes 40-50 hours.

We offer competitive wages and health care benefits. Start early morning but done by early mid-afternoon.

Experience is an asset but not required.

Contact us at 519-887-6181 or email: huronwayfarms@xplornet.ca

Wingham United Church located in Wingham, Ontario is currently seeking to fill the part-time vacancy of:

Office Administrator

HORSES: 5 yr. old Dutch/Stb. mare (broke); 2 - 1 yr. old Percheron geldings; 2 yr. old Belgian gelding (broke); 1 yr. old Belgian gelding; 3 yr. old Norwegian Fjord mare (broke).

FARM EQUIPMENT: Robert Bell threshing machine; MF 124 baler with motor; hay buggy; 3 - ICH corn binders (good); John Deere R manure spreader (good); NU-Line manure spreader; 1 horse spreader with cart; IHC 7 ft. grain binder; Case side rake; Cockshutt roll bar rake on steel; George White cutting box; potato planter; 2 potato diggers; 1 - horse garden scuffler; fertilizer spreader; 2F plow; round bale carrier, road grader; 7 ft. Flurry single disc; MH #14 1horse mower; Cockshutt 6 ft. mower; Brantford Big B mower; Cross corn sheller; wagon and rack on steel; NU-Line fore cart; lime drill; IHC cream separator; cattle chute with head gate; sheep crowding tub; bench-type drill press 5/8 chuck; hand crank drill press; pup air tank with gauge; Kane grain scale; 2.2 Honda engine; Toolex 20 in. planer (like new); Rockwell Delta table saw; large table saw with side arm (panel cutter); top buggy; 1 set harness, med. size; steel sheer; wagon load of shop tools and misc.; new hardware; new tack; cross bow; Red Dot scope.

MISCELLANEOUS: quilts, comforters; furniture; clocks; new toy barns.

Lots of small items still coming Jacob D. + Annie Miller With a lunch Cash or Cheque Only. No Buyers Premium stand by the local Not responsible for any accidents or loss of property.

Amish ladies

Auctioneer: James Stoll Leave a Message: 519-529-3443

Are you a stay-at-home mom looking to get out of the house while your “littles” are at school?

Do you want to pick up some extra part-time work?

Are you friendly and enjoy meeting people while creating a warm and welcoming environment?

Do you have bookkeeping and office administration experience?

Check out the job posting for full details at: https://indeed.com.

Please send a cover letter and résumé outlining your interest and qualifications to: winghamunited@hurontel.on.ca clearly indicating the position applied for in the subject line.

Wingham United Church is an equal opportunity employer. Wingham United Church will provide reasonable accommodation in compliance with AODA when notified by a candidate that accommodation due to a disability is required for the interview process.

Services In memoriams

PAL Class for firearms training.

Ongoing courses available. Certified instructors. Call Greg 519-291-0507

Let us help

HALEY - Tom Haley May 24, 1932May 21, 2010

Check out our classified section today

Two tired eyes are sleeping, Two willing hands are still, The one who worked so hard for us, Is resting at God's will.

Missed by Marjorie and Paul

Good Employment is hard to find!

The Citizen

The Citizen

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

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024. PAGE 15.

Obituaries

MILDRED EVA PURDON (JACKLIN) Mildred Eva Purdon (Jacklin) of Goderich, and formerly of Wingham, passed away peacefully in her 95th year at the Goderich Alexandra Marine and General Hospital on Monday, May 13, 2024.

The devoted wife of Archie Purdon for 68 years, Mildred was the loving mother of Kathy and John Scheeringa of Elmira, Lorie and Kevin Falconer of Blyth and Kendra Purdon and Bruce Cluney of Aurora. She was the cherished grandma of Megan Scheeringa, Devan and Nicole Scheeringa, Jacklin Falconer and Ken McDonald, Orie Falconer, Corine Falconer and Brendan Regier, and Lauren, Rachel and Kaitlin Cluney, and the great-grandma of Miles McDonald, Madison Scheeringa and Blaire Scheeringa. She was the sister of Maxine Jacklin.

Mildred was predeceased by her parents Webster and Eva (McCreery) Jacklin, sister Nora Kaufman, sister and brother-in-law Doreen and Gordon Rintoul, Muriel and Lloyd Moffatt and Marjorie and Tom Roth, nephews Dick Curran, Gary Rintoul, Leroy Rintoul, Brian Rintoul and parents-in-law Robert and Hazel (Anderson) Purdon.

After completing high school in Wroxeter, Mildred worked at Vance Pharmacy in Wingham. Mildred and Archie met at a dance at the Royal T in Wingham and married in 1952 at the Wroxeter Manse.

Mildred and Archie worked together, side-by-side, while running a dairy farm south of Whitechurch. In 2000, Mildred and Archie retired to Wingham and moved to their dream home that Mildred decorated with pride.

Mildred was a very communityoriented person who was always keen to stay involved and contribute locally. She was the leader of the Whitechurch 4-H Club and was involved in the Lucknow Agricultural Society for many years.

As a couple, Mildred and Archie were known to glide across many dance floors. They were leaders in the Huron Bruce Square Dance Club and round danced for more than 35 years. Mildred also volunteered at the Wingham and District Hospital and at the Wingham Day Centre.

Mildred was a quietly reflective and spiritual person with a deep personal faith. She was a member of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Wingham, and, up to this past week, listened to the service every Sunday. Mildred was a devoted member of the Whitechurch Presbyterian Church, a COC (Children of Church) leader and member of the Ladies

Missionary Society of the Presbyterian Church.

Mildred had a very curious mind and she loved to travel with Archie, both locally and abroad, to share new experiences, research family ties and further learn about local history. They regularly went to local destinations or events, many of which involved local musicians and pipe bands. They also made several trips across Canada, to the Yukon, and the U.S. and U.K. As a naturally detailed, creative and resourceful person, Mildred was a skilled seamstress, folk art painter, flower arranger, gardener, cook and an amazing baker. Her eagerness to learn continued into her later years as she embraced new digital technology.

Mildred’s primary love and focus was her family and close personal friendships. Mildred was a loving wife and mother who worked tirelessly and selflessly to ensure her family’s needs were met. It was common that she hand sewed matching outfits for her three daughters and she always took a keen interest in ensuring the family was appropriately dressed.

She was known to host large family gatherings for the Jacklin and Purdon clans. She enjoyed and valued her relationships with her sons-in-law. She never wanted to miss anything her grandchildren were involved in and loved to hear about their latest accomplishments.

Look at any milestone pictures of her grandchildren and you will see Mildred smiling with pride in each picture.

Her great-grandchildren enjoyed her sharp clear mind always asking them about their personal interests.

As we shared our final Mother’s Day with Mildred this past week, her family was by her side, proud of her strong, resilient character, high morals and clear guidance.

Mildred will be lovingly remembered by many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends for the deep personal connections and love that she shared with them over many years.

Visitation was held at McBurney Funeral Home on Wednesday, May 15. A private funeral service was held at McBurney Funeral Home on Thursday, May 16 with Carel Grundlingh officiating. Final resting place: Wingham Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to Heart and Stroke Foundation, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Wingham, or Huron Hospice would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy.

JOHN WALTER “JACK” ADAIR John Walter “Jack” Adair, formerly of Molesworth and most recently Stratford, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 11, 2024, in his 97th year.

The husband of the late Audrey (Bradburn) Adair, Jack was the father of Lynne and Bob Burford, Keith and Debbie Adair, Anne and Doug Young, and Gerald Adair, all of Stratford.

He was the grandfather of Pamela and Dean Peckham, Darryl Burford, Jason Adair and Melissa Verstoep, all of Stratford, Brooke and Ben Groothuis of Kitchener, Sarah Young and Dave Leung of Bowmanville, Laura Young and Mark Hayman of Ajax, and greatgrandfather of Jack and Matthew Peckham, Hailey Leung and Madeline Hayman. He was the brother-in-law of Shirley Keys and Murray and Joan Bradburn, all of London.

Jack was predeceased by his parents Victor and Catherine (Sutherland) Adair, sisters Mary Aitken, Doris McCallum, Helen McIntosh, Joan Boulianne and brother Victor in infancy.

Jack was the owner and operator of J.W. Adair egg grading station in Molesworth, and then an employee of Moore’s Produce and Ideal Supply Listowel. He enjoyed time with family and friends, camping, oil painting, and many musical gatherings with various groups, including the Gypsy Campers.

Visitation was held at the Eaton Funeral Home, Listowel on May 15. The funeral service was also held there on Thursday, May 18 with interment in Molesworth Cemetery.

Memorial donations to St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Molesworth, Rotary Hospice, Stratford Perth, or Listowel Memorial Hospital would be appreciated.

Online condolences may be left at www.eatonfuneralhome.ca

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

The Citizen.

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

Cards of thanks can be placed in our classified section, starting at just $ .00.

MARY CHRISTENA ELIZABETH “BETH” (CAMPBELL) PRYCE Mary Christena Elizabeth “Beth” (Campbell) Pryce, passed away on May 10, 2024, at Huronview Home for the Aged, Clinton. Born in McKillop Township on February 17, 1927, she was 97 years old.

Beth will be lovingly remembered by her family: William and Grace Campbell, Seaforth; Joan Stewart, Seaforth; Gordon and Irma Pryce, Walton; Robert Pryce and Karen Hunt, Woodstock; and David Tremeer, Seaforth.

She was the dear grandma of Dave (Deb) Campbell, Kitchener; Deb (Pat) Moylan, Egmondville; Liz Gras, Dublin; Bill (Melissa) Stewart, Belwood; Mary Lou (Greg) Ricard, Seaforth; Susan (Mark) Campbell, Dublin; Nancy (Mike) Stewart, Seaforth; Kathy (Jim) Butson, Seaforth; Ron (Shelly) Pryce, Egmondville; Jim (Carolee) Pryce, Guelph; Bev (Christine) Pryce, Windsor; Bill (Caroline) Tremeer, Egmondville; Jeffery (Anne) Tremeer, Seaforth, and Vicky (Murray) Smith, Dublin.

She was the dear great-grandma

of 33 and great-great-grandma of 11.

Beth is also survived by one brother, Ken (Joan) Campbell, Seaforth, and one sister, Catherine (Doug) Keys, Ancaster. She will be fondly remembered by many nieces and nephews.

Beth was predeceased by her husband, Leslie Pryce (1964); one daughter, Christine Tremeer (2024); one son-in-law, Malcolm Stewart (1992); dear friend, Jack O’Reilly (1993); her parents, Robert and Lily (nee Gordon) Campbell; brothersin-law - Alvin Pryce, Robert Parsons and Aaron Doerr; sistersin-law - Eva Pryce, Beatrice Pryce, Helen Parsons, and Jean Doerr.

Visitation was held at Haskett Funeral Home, Seaforth, on Tuesday, May 14, followed by the funeral service with the Rev. Ken Whiting officiating. Interment was in Maitlandbank Cemetery, Seaforth Donations to the charity of your choice would be appreciated by the family. Condolences may be forwarded online through www.haskettfh.com.

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

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

The Citizen

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!

PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024.

Mother Nature rains on Londesborough yard sales Donations to offset the cost of the performance will be accepted at the door.

Licensed Lay Worship Leader Sue Barnett conducted the worship at Londesborough United Church on Sunday, May 12, Mother’s Day. Sue generously presented all the women with a carnation in honour of the day.

Bringing back a tradition from before the pandemic, the service featured a men’s choir, led by choir director Barb Bosman. The men sang two numbers, “Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good” and “The Life of a Farmer”, a composition of Warren and Eleanor Robinson of Goderich.

Sue chose Psalm 139 and John 14: 15-31 as supporting scripture passages for her reflection. The verses from John are a record of the promise by Jesus to His disciples to send the Holy Ghost to guide them in their work.

In her message, Sue drew a parallel between the commandments of God and the rules mothers have for their children. All those “rules” are made out of limitless love for their children.

Obedience

leads to a life of happiness.

As part of the service that morning, Sue showed two versions of the Robert Munsch book Love You Forever, during the children’s time. There was hardly a dry eye in the sanctuary following the reading of them.

NEWS FROM LONDESBORO

Hunting for deals Londesborough held its annual village-wide yard sale on Saturday, despite the rainy conditions. Correspondent Brenda Radford says nearly 20 homes opened their garages for people to look inside in the hopes of finding something new (to them) to take home.

(Photo submitted)

Mother Nature didn’t co-operate with the village yard sales on Saturday. It began drizzling early in the morning and just never let up all day. However, there were 18 homes welcoming prospective buyers to their garages or covered areas. And there were buyers out early in spite of the weather.

There was quite a range of items needing new homes, from the usual bric-a-brac and puzzles, which indicated people had done some cupboard cleaning, along with old magazines and even butter tarts and

rhubarb. We commented later how many really fine furniture items were being offered for sale occasional tables, chairs, beds and a small rolltop desk. It is to be hoped that some items not picked up that day got a second look by other family members for their use or can find their way on to a social media sales site. It can be discouraging to have to store items for another time.

The Londesborough Lions Club will only be selling 600 “ducks” for their upcoming 16th annual duck race. You might want to contact a club member if you haven’t yet purchased a duck. They sell for $5 each. There are four monetary prizes awarded. The ducks hit the water at 1:30 p.m. on the afternoon of May 26.

Catch the swim at the east end of Trueman Street at the Bosman property. Hot dogs, drinks and more will also be for sale for onlookers cheering on the ducks. With all the rain we have been experiencing it

Agreement signed Continued from page 12 has focused on ensuring the project would meet our community’s shared principles,” said Mayor Goetz. “This agreement represents our best efforts to do that. It will help people better understand what the project could mean for South Bruce and help them make an informed decision in the referendum.”

“The Municipality of South Bruce and NWMO have co-created an agreement that is communityfocused, building on South Bruce’s strong foundations and envisioning future possibilities,” said Lise Morton, vice-president of site selection at the NWMO. “In preparation for the referendum, we encourage everyone to read the agreement and consider the benefits and impacts including foundational investments and the

creation of good jobs now and in the future.”

The signed hosting agreement between the municipality and the NWMO is an important milestone before the community decides if it is willing. It provides voters with a clear map of how the community’s 36 guiding principles, which reflect its priorities, will be addressed.

These cover health and environmental protection, community benefits and an ongoing voice in the project.

The Municipality of South Bruce also understands and respects that Saugeen First Nation and the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation have their own discussions with the NWMO regarding the project and will express their willingness decision in their own way.

should make for a fine race/swim.

Two events meant to draw attention to Children’s Mental Health Week took place at Londesborough’s Hullett Central Public School this past week.

On Tuesday morning, May 7, the school council cooked breakfast for the whole school. They served up pancakes and bacon that morning to ensure everyone was prepared for a day of learning with full tummies.

Another day, the school’s student mental health liaison and her mother, along with Amanda Anderson and her son, helped Tim Hortons in Blyth make “Smile” cookies. Some of the smile cookie proceeds will benefit Hullett’s snack program.

Next week, the school’s drama club will present the musical, Seussical, Kids. This spring concert will have a school dress rehearsal on May 22 and be presented to the public on May 23 at 7 p.m.

Hot pursuit The Regional Equine and Agricultural Centre of Huron (REACH) in Clinton recently hosted the province’s annual high school rodeo finals. Everyone there had success in their sights. (Scott Stephenson photo)

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024. PAGE 17.

From the Minister’s Study

Diving deeper into the ‘Good Shepherd Discourse’

By Rev. JoAnn Todd, Trinity Anglican Church, Blyth Every year at our church in the Easter season (the seven weeks after Easter), we have a Sunday called “Good Shepherd Sunday” and we read the 23rd Psalm and a section from what’s come to be known as the Good Shepherd Discourse from the 10th chapter of John.

What does it mean to be a “good” shepherd? Before I answer that, it is helpful to understand the ancient and long relationship the Jewish people have with the concept of being shepherded as a people.

Many psalms describe God as Shepherd, and one of the most loved, of course, is the 23rd Psalm.

Not only is God the people’s shepherd, but the kings and others in leadership were also seen as shepherds of the people, doing God’s work among the people, responsible for the care of the people, especially the vulnerable people of society.

In the Old Testament, God is the good shepherd, but also the lead shepherd, you could say. God has also granted responsibility for shepherding of God’s people to the people’s leaders, which some leaders have performed “less than ideally”, shall we say, and we still see bad and selfish leadership today. In the New Testament, Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd.

So, going back to my original question, what makes for a good shepherd? Being on a sheep farm and having lived with a shepherd for almost 50 years, and raising two children who are both shepherds, I think I have a reasonable perspective as to how to answer that question, and connecting this to the biblical idea of shepherding.

But maybe I should start with the analogy of people to sheep. In his gospel, Matthew notes that when Jesus saw the crowds that gathered around him to listen to his teachings and come for healing, they were like a flock without a shepherd. He had compassion for them, as they were harassed and helpless. (Matt 9.35 - 36) Sheep, like people, are generally gregarious; they are social beings and like to be together. A single ewe that may inadvertently get separated from the flock will panic and run back and forth, around and around until it’s reunited with the flock. Sheep need to be with other sheep, sometimes to their own detriment.

Years ago, we had a group of dogs that came to the farm and started to chase the sheep - just for

fun. A number of ewes were badly damaged by the biting and tearing of the dogs and had to be put down.

However, more died because they were smothered. The sheep being chased instinctively ran to the safety of the barnyard, and wound up cornered by the dogs alongside the gangway, which is essentially a hill that leads up to the big barn doors to the haymow. Their flocking instinct is so strong they stick together even in the face of danger, rather than separate themselves from it.

Sheep need a leader, they want to be led. Contrary to any sheepdog trials you may have seen, sheep naturally prefer to be led, rather than be driven from behind. They can be trained to be driven with sheepdogs or even by people, but it’s not their natural instinct. You can easily lead sheep with a pail of grain - if, of course, they’re used to being fed this way. Each flock has a lead ewe, and every sheep in the flock will follow the lead ewe.

A number of years ago, we bought a flock of sheep and the lead ewe in the flock we nick-named Jumper, because she’d jump any fence, and, because she was the lead ewe, the others would follow.

She would literally lead the flock astray to places where they weren’t supposed to be, where it might not even be safe for them to be, and the flock simply followed.

Well, we had to ship Jumper, for obvious reasons, and after Jumper left, and after some jostling for the new pecking order, another ewe took the lead.

Without fences, sheep will simply

wander from place to place and are always at risk of predation. They really are quite defenceless, when left to their own devices. Sheep really do need a leader or they simply go astray or get themselves in trouble. Jesus knew about sheep, and people! And sheep need good fences to contain them - they simply walk through the smallest gap. And good fences help keep away the predators too.

So you can see that sheep as a metaphor for people is pretty apt.

And so Jesus as metaphor for the good shepherd is equally appropriate! The following verses from John’s Chapter 10 describe how.

The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. It’s that complete dedication and commitment, I think, which was the very first thing I learned, as a city girl, new to farm life. The sheep came first; their needs came first, especially in lambing season. Sheep are labourintensive and behave in different ways than other livestock. And you have to love sheep to want to work with them. Because the sheep define who the shepherd is. Without sheep to care for, you are not a shepherd. And if the primary shepherd can’t be there, for whatever the reason, the shepherd has to make sure that a suitable substitute was on hand. To leave the flock with someone who doesn’t really understand sheep is to risk the flock.

The hired hand runs away when the wolf comes, because a hired hand does not care about the sheep like the shepherd does. We’ve had

Brussels Mennonite Fellowship You are invited to worship with us at Brussels Mennonite Fellowship 10:00 am Worship Service 11:00 am Co ee Time 11:15 am Sunday School for all ages Interim Pastor Elwin Garland 250 Princess St., Brussels • 519 887 6388

Sunday, May 19 at 10 a.m.

BMG Community Centre (upstairs room) 800 Sports Drive, Brussels Childcare and Sunday School provided for children 0 to 8 during the sermon

Evangelical Missionary Church

PENTECOST SUNDAY May 19, 10:30 a.m.

Pastor Mike Stanley preaching on Nehemiah 2:9ff, "Share the Vision, Work in Unity"

Communion Nursery & Sunday School during worship

On-site and online - live.huronchapel.com Register for Vacation Bible Camp July 8-12! tinyurl.com/hcvbc2024

119 John’s Ave., Auburn 519-526-1131

Worship and Prayer Time Loving Fellowship Expository Preaching

some hired hands over the years, and, as with all employees, some are better than others. But when it comes down to it, hired help generally don’t put their lifestyles, nevermind their lives, at risk for your flock, because, well, the sheep aren’t theirs. They’ve got no skin in the game, so to speak, so they’re not going to put themselves on the line.

No one can care for the sheep like the shepherd who owns them; the one who has seen countless generations of carefully selected breeding stock come and go, who has literally helped to birth the successive generations of them.

And Jesus did lay down his life for his flock. You could say he had skin in the game. And you can’t show more love than that; it is the ultimate sign of total devotion and care.

I know my own and my own know me. In my experience, it is a good shepherd who recognizes specific animals in the flock - even without ear tags or tattoos and pedigrees. The good shepherd can tell you specific sheep’s dams and

sires, their grand-dams and grandsires, their sisters and brothers and, at our place, can often identify from a distance who has won which prizes at which fairs.

The good shepherd calls to their sheep, and they respond, they really will come to the shepherd when called, because they have learned to trust that voice; they have learned that voice is trustworthy.

The hired hand just feeds them, a good hired hand may even care about them, but the shepherd actually cares for them, it is the shepherd who nurtures them. Like God cares for us and about us, nurtures us and loves us as only the God who knows us really can. It is the love of dedication.

It is Jesus’ dedication to caring for those in need that actually prompted these Good Shepherd verses in Chapter 10 of John’s gospel. This shepherd discourse comes right after John tells the story of Jesus healing the man who was born blind. Remember that story? He is expelled from his community for emphatically telling Continued on page 18

The Regional Ministry of Hope Come Worship with Us! Trinity Anglican BLYTH 9:00 AM

St. Paul’s-Trinity Anglican WINGHAM 11:00 AM

519-357-7781 • email: revjoann@hurontel.on.ca www.regionalministryofhope.com Weekly service live-streamed at 11:00 a.m. on our Facebook page or on youtube @St. Paul’s-Trinity Anglican Church Wingham.

BRUSSELS S

U United Chu ur urch Sunday, Sunday y,, M May 19 No Worship Worship Service Ser vice at at Brussels Brussels United Worship Service resuumes May 26th May 21 at 2:00 p.m. co ome hear about the Affirm Proces ss.

Your questions answe Yo ered, discussion and refreshmentts.

Contact Alex at ministter.brusselsandblythuc@gmail.co y @g om brusselsandblythuc ca Website: brusselsandblythuc.ca b P.O. Box 359, Brussels ~ 519-887-6259 P.

Services are live-streamed and can be found by searching n “Blyth Christian Reformed Church”

Coming Soon! Vacation Bible School, July 8 - 12th, Ages 5-12 For additional details please visit: brusselscommunitybiblechapel.ca

Blyth United Churrch

MEL LV VILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

There will be no church service on May 19

BRUSSELS

Enjoy the holiday weekend and feel welcome to visit another church “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherrdd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11

Sunday, May 19, 2024

The outreach project for May is Northern Huron Connection n Centre Contact Alex at: minister.brusselsandblythuc@gmail.com Facebook: Blyth and Brussels United Churche es blythunited@tcc.on.ca ~ 519-523-4224

11:00 am - 12 noon We extend a loving welcome to all to join us as Doug Sargent leads us in worship, prayer, and praise to Godd.

Coffee, snacks, and a time for visiting will follow the servicee.

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. c All are welcome!

For pastoral care concerns please call 519-524-7512 2

PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024.

Christians should call all to flock

Open for business Mother’s Day in Brussels wasn’t just about the mothers of the community, it also marked the official opening of the Brussels Fairy Door Trail for another warm weather season.

Find more information on the trail and a map of the different fairy doors on the trail’s Facebook page. (John Stephenson photo)

Continued from page 17 the religious authorities that he has come to truly believe that Jesus has come from God. Unless Jesus had come from God, there really isn’t any other explanation for his healing. After all, never in the history of the world had someone born blind been given back sight!

Banning him was equivalent to banning him from his entire community, from his family and his support system, from his entire way of life. Jesus hears that the man’s been banned from the community and seeks him out.

Jesus accuses the religious leaders of sin, as they are being wilfully blind to the truth of the healing, blind to the truth of who he is and prioritizing themselves over people under their care; no skin in their game, they’re in it for themselves! Jesus reveals to the once-blind man that he is the Son of God, and the man worships him and becomes a follower, a member of Jesus’ flock. Jesus will not leave the man abandoned, without a community.

Jesus tells them: “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold, I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.” The Jews were the people who “belonged”. Jesus wanted to reach out beyond the Jewish fold, and bring others who had no flock,

bring them in to hear his message of care and love for everyone.

This is an incredibly powerful statement for Christians, a call to radical inclusivity and acceptance of all people. We are all of God’s creation, all of God’s flock and Jesus welcomes all into his fold, whether they start off there or not.

It’s a call to reach out, to seek out and to bring and accept those who aren’t part of our “group”, however we wish to define that. It means inclusiveness and acceptance regardless of race, creed, gender and sexuality, or financial status, which, for some, like the religious ones who banned the once-blindman from their community, may challenge us and our assumptions and may well take us initially out of our comfort zones.

This radical inclusiveness may mean a change of mindset, and the language we use, requiring us to check our long-held prejudices and attitudes towards those who don’t look like us, behave like us or hold to different perceptions and lifestyles. It’s a challenge that all Christians are called to; reach out and welcome everyone to our flock.

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THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024. PAGE 19.

Entertainment & Leisure

Heidi and Joe Carter facilitate Wingham Homecoming

Welcome home Heidi and Joe Carter took on the responsibility of organizing Wingham’s Homecoming 2024 at the last minute. The husband and wife team have garnered support from community groups, businesses and (Scott organizations to celebrate all things Wingham.

Stephenson photo)

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen

When Joe Carter and his wife, Heidi, decided to take on the job of spearheading Wingham’s 2024 Homecoming, they only had one goal - to celebrate all that is wonderful about Joe’s hometown, its history and the people who live there.

The Carters were kind enough to take the time to sit down with The Citizen at Heidi’s chic salon on Josephine Street for a quick conversation about what Wingham means to them, and why they believe that a well-organized community effort is the key to revitalizing a beloved local tradition.

Joe inherited his love of his hometown from his father, Don, who was also born and raised in Wingham. “If you look through the alley across the street, where MacIntyre’s Bakery used to be, and look up the little hill, you’ll see where Mama and Papa Carter lived - just right over there. My dad was a local garbage man for 30-someodd years, and the mayor from 1996 to 2003. He was a Kinsman, a member of the Snowmobile Club you name it.”

There’s a lot to love about this little town, but Joe’s favourite thing about Wingham has always been the same - the smell of fresh bread.

“When I was growing up, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, when you walked out the door, all you would smell [was] donuts and bread.”

Sudoku Solution

MacIntyre’s may have closed years ago, but he can still pick up the scent when he’s downtown.

“Walking down towards Foodland or The Independent, you can still smell fresh bread, because they still bake bread there. That’s my favourite thing about Wingham.”

Joe may wear his hometown love on his sleeve, but he credits Heidi with the idea to take on Homecoming. “When the original committee disbanded, she said ‘hey, we should organize Homecoming!’” Being a transplant from Listowel, Heidi brings a bit of an outside perspective to the table.

“I just thought it would be a great opportunity to meet people from town, and to kind of bring about community - that’s what I’m all about! The way we’re going about it isn’t traditional - I’ve never organized a Homecoming, or even been to one. I don’t know what it’s ‘supposed’ to be.”

Previous Homecoming committees have done all the planning themselves, but the Carters felt that bringing in the most townspeople possible would create an event with a little something for everyone. Business owners and members of the community were all invited to play to their strengths, take on their own little slice of the planning pie, and make it happen. The Carters hope that Homecoming will give a boost

to local businesses, and really showcase what makes Wingham unique. “Because we are on a oneyear time crunch, we decided against restarting a new committee where you have to meet and vote and approve everything”, Joe explained, “it’s just kind of easier to say ‘who wants to do what?’

Growing up here, I knew that Homecoming generally had a big old beer tent, and all the bands and all the activities were under the big beer tent, and it would bring everybody to that one area.” While beer will certainly be a part of the 2024 Homecoming, the Carters also saw a chance for the whole community to give itself a boost by spreading the festivities all over town, from the Wescast Community Complex to the Legion to Cruickshank Park and beyond.

Inviting others to each plan their own part of the party has led to a great variety of things to do for people of all ages. There will be bands playing at multiple locations throughout the weekend, including Huron County crowd-pleasers The Lucky Charms and Kincardine’s Boiler Beach. The organizers of Wingham’s beloved Musical Muskrat Festival have decided that this year, instead of holding their own stand-alone event, that they would incorporate their familyfriendly activities into Homecoming by holding a miniMuskrat celebration in Cruickshank Park. Restaurant owners are also getting in on the fun. The Riverview Local Eatery will be hosting the opening ceremonies, and Castings Public House owner Danielle Sutton has decided to put on a lip-sync contest. Local experts will be giving educational talks about topics near and dear to the town, from the history of rural train travel to Nobel Prize winner Alice Munro, who just passed away earlier this week. The Wingham Golf and Curling Club has chosen to host a golf tournament for all of the Wescast employees, former and current. There will also be a Pokemon-themed parade put on by the Lions Club, an inflatable obstacle course, and on Saturday, the Belgrave Kinsmen are hosting a dance. The list goes on - inclusivity is the name of the game when it comes to this community-wide project. “Participation makes a great event,” Joe explained. “It’s all really falling into place,” Heidi added.

Also featured at this year’s Homecoming will be Wingham’s

longtime unofficial mascot - the flying pig, or winged ham, if you will. Wingham’s winged ham has become something of an endangered species in recent times, but the Carters hope to make 2024 the “Year of the Pig” by selling merch featuring the mythical beast.

“For me, it’s all about Little Joey Carter going into the Town Hall when dad was a councillor, and seeing on the wall - a flying pig.

Forever, it was Wing-ham: Home of the Flying Pig. I don’t know who knows what it’s really all about, but it was our thing.” When Heidi took over her storefront a few years ago, she even found a tole painted totem of one of the noble beasts in the basement.

The Carters may have an unorthodox approach to party planning, but they have faith in their process, because they believe in the power of the people of Wingham. “It’s a small town where people want to do activities,” Joe explained. You start with one phone call to one person that you’ve known forever, and then all of a sudden, you’ve got your opening ceremonies at the local restaurant, and they’re taking care of the music. You talk to your neighbour, who’s part of the golf course, and

they set you up with the other golf course. And then you’ve got 18 other activities. Everybody knows everybody - in a good way! We’re not the planners, we’re just the facilitators.

Everybody else involved deserves the big thank you!”

Wingham Homecoming will be taking place all over town from June 27 to July 1. Come on out, join the party, and remember what home really means.

Celebration of Life for

Madeline “Maddy” Laffin

Saturday, June 15, 2024

1 pm - 4 pm Belgrave Community Centre 12 Queen St., Belgrave

Happy 90th Bir thday G eat Grandpa Gr Ryan May 20, 20 2024 Love from: Brielle and Br yce, Colton and Rosie Bar ret and Camr yn and Jack.

Thank You

Happy 50th Anniversary Mom & Dad Murray and Marlene Fischer May 18 Love your kids and grandkids

We would like to thank our children Ron, Russell & Kerry, Brenda & Marc and grandchildren for making our 60th anniversary family barbeque one to remember.

Special thanks to the Lucky Charms for providing the live entertainment, and the special guests who attended. Thank you also for the cards, phone calls and flowers.

Carl & Lena Nesbitt

PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2024.

NH amends its ice in/ice out policy

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen

North Huron Council approved proposed amendments to its ice in/ice out policy at a regular meeting held on Monday, May 6.

Director of Recreation and Children’s Services Kelly Steiss presented a report with recommendations aimed at extending the upcoming hockey season at the North Huron Wescast Community Complex.

Steiss’s proposal stemmed from an exemption granted by council last year, which allowed the ice to be ready for use by Sept. 5 instead of Oct. 1. The recreation director sought approval from council to extend this practice for the 2024-2025 season and beyond.

In the report, Steiss highlighted collaborative efforts from local hockey associations, including Wingham Minor Hockey, the Blyth Brussels Minor Hockey Association, Huron Bruce Minor Hockey and the Wingham Ironmen, in securing pre-season ice time.

According to the report, these efforts not only met the minimum requirements but also resulted in an increase in revenue, helping offset operational costs.

Key considerations in the Steiss report included the organizations’ upfront payment for ice time, concerns about strain on the facility’s air conditioning system during warm weather and the feasibility of slightly reducing minimum pre-booked ice time in future seasons without impacting the budget.

Steiss’s recommended amendments included offering preseason ice after Labour Day, determining minimum hours annually through a budget evaluation process and adopting a flexible payment structure for organizations interested in early ice access.

Financially, these changes were deemed feasible by Steiss, with upfront fee collection ensuring no additional burden on ratepayers.

A motion to approve the amendments was met favourably by council.

A-8?

Hullett Central Public School came together recently to hold a special math night outside of regular school hours, complete with complimentary pizza. In this class, Battleship was the method of education and Andrew and Lauren Wharton sat down to give the game a spin. (Shawn Loughlin photo)

Remembering a Literary Icon ~ Alice Munro

DANCE OF THE HAPPY SHADES This is the book that earned Alice Munro a devoted readership, revealing the countryside y of Southwestern Ontario and its many small sufffferings and unanticipated emotions. $20.00

LIVES OF GIRLS AND WOMEN The intensely readable, touching, and very funny story of Del Jordan, a young woman who journeys from the carelessness of childhood through an uneasy adolescence in search of love. $19.95

WHO DO D YOU THINK YOU ARE? A small-town girl who dreams of greater things, trying to get away from a place that wants to hold her back. A series of stories explorinng the pursuit of ambition, and thhe fear and shame of potentiaal failure. $19.95

HA ATTESHIP, P, FRIENDSHIP P,, COURTS SHIP, P, LOVESHIP P,, MARRIAG GE A stunninng collection of nine short storries that deal with the substanccee of substa o adult adu t lifee by Nobel prize winner Alice Munro. $21.00

SOMETHING I’VE BEEN MEANING TO TELL YOU Nobel prize winner Alice Munro shares the mysteries, dangers, joys and bewilderment in the lives of ordinary girls and women in this collection of thirteen rich stories. $20.00

ALLICE MUNRO WRITING HE ER LIVES Author Robert Thacker takkes us on a fascinating jouurney of Munro’s life inccluding growing up poor in Wingham W and following thrrough all her life stages including the slow but steady rise in her writing career. $24.95

DEAR LLIFE The fourrteen stories in this brilliant collectioon show Alice Munro coming home to southwestern Ontario, with TTooronto looming on the horizzon. Exalted by her clarity of visionn and her unparalleled gift for storyytelling, Dear Life shows how ow strange, perilous, and extraordinary ordinary life can be. $22.00

THE VIEW FROM CASTLE ROCK This book traces the generations of Alice Munro’s family. Evocative, gripping, and unexpected, the stories in this collection are Munro’s most personal stories. $21.00

Next up The Regional Equine and Agricultural Centre of Huron (REACH) in Clinton recently played host to the annual Ontario High School Rodeo, bringing some of the top riders from across the province to the community to see who would triumph this year. (Scott Stephenson photo)

The Citizen

405 Queen St., Blyth 519-523-4792