The Citizen - May 26, 2023

3 • Charity 4 • Editorials 13 • Agriculture 20 • History

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THIS WEEK

Citizen

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Friday, May 26, 2023

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Volume 39 No. 21

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

Proposed planning changes concern Caldwell

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

And... done!

Sunday was a day for celebrations all around. Of course, in Canada, we marked the unofficial start of the summer with the beautiful weather of the Victoria Day long weekend, but in Clinton there was another reason to be excited. The Clinton Raceway officially marked

the beginning of another season with a full slate of harness racing on Sunday. The season opener doubled as a fundraiser for Central Huron Secondary School and, as a result, students were on hand for all manner of fun activities, including face painting. (John Stephenson photo)

Munro Festival set for Blyth, Wingham The Alice Munro Festival of the Short Story is inspired by Alice Munro, one of the greatest storytellers of our time.

Born and raised in Wingham, Munro spent most of her life as a Huron County resident. She is the only Canadian to be awarded the Nobel Prize for literature, which she won in 2013.

The Alice Munro Festival of the Short Story strives to nurture emerging local writers, showcase Canadian authors, and celebrate the joy of reading, writing, and telling our stories. This annual festival takes place in locations throughout Huron County and features workshops, author readings, presentations, performances, and a short story contest.

The Alice Munro Festival of the Short Story is now in its 21st year.

In 2023, it will host a three-day

literary festival from June 2-4, offering workshops and onstage presentations as well as the annual short story competition, delivered by the Huron County Library, for emerging writers in both adult and youth categories. Programming for kids will be provided in partnership with the Foundation for Education and the Avon Maitland District School Board.

This year’s lineup includes a selection of author readings, panels and masterclasses by the following authors: • Alissa York: Internationallyacclaimed author, shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize presents her new work, Far Cry. • Anuja Varghese: A Pushcartnominated QWOC writer presenting her collection of short stories, Chrysalis.

• Bianca Marais: She will

present her bestselling novel, The Witches of Moonshyne Manor.

• Carley Fortune: New York Times and Globe and Mail bestselling author and awardwinning journalist presents her newest novel, Meet Me at the Lake.

• Corinna Chong: The CBC Short Story Prize winner presents her newest collection of short stories, The Whole Animal.

• Emily Urquhart: A journalist with a doctorate in folklore with award-winning work presents her collection of essays, Ordinary Wonder Tales.

• Farah Heron: Critically acclaimed writer of romantic comedies presents her latest, Jana Goes Wild.

• January Rogers: a Mohawk/Tuscarora poet, artist and current writer-in-residence at the University of Western Ontario

presents readings from her latest poetry collection, Ego of a Nation on opening night.

• Jennifer Robson: an internationally-bestselling author of seven bestselling novels presents Coronation Year.

• Samra Habib (they/them): is a writer, photographer, and activist.

They will present an author talk and reading opening night based on their bestselling memoir, We Have Always Been Here. Samra works with LGBTQ organizations internationally, raising awareness of issues that impact queer Muslims around the world.

• S.K. Ali: is an award-winning and New York Times bestselling author who will present their newest novel, Love from Mecca to Medina.

The Alice Munro Festival for Continued on page 7

Dr. Wayne Caldwell, arguably the province’s foremost expert in rural planning policy, is concerned that Premier Doug Ford’s proposed changes to the Provincial Policy Statement could negatively impact communities like Huron County for generations, if not forever.

Alarm bells have been sounding for weeks now. Here, first, it was the Huron County Planning and Development Department, which, after consulting with Caldwell, spoke to Huron County Council and its lower-tier municipal councils about the proposal. While there are many changes being proposed in a new Provincial Policy Statement that could be released as early as this fall, one in particular has caught the eye of those in communities with a large inventory of farms. The change would allow for up to three residential lots to be created on every farm parcel, allowing, at its worst-case scenario, rural blocks to become de facto urban settlements, taking thousands of acres of farmland out of production and restricting agriculture drastically.

Earlier this week, every farm and commodity group in the province co-signed a joint statement asking the provincial government to reconsider the proposed change, citing many of the same concerns, desperate to preserve the ability of those in Ontario to farm.

Immediately upon hearing about the proposed changes, Caldwell, who has dedicated his life to meaningful and thoughtful rural planning in the province, sprang into action, doing what he could to spread the word and mobilize those who might be affected before it was too late.

The commenting period for the changes ends on June 5, so municipal councils, farm groups and rural planners have been working diligently to ensure their voices are heard and to implore the provincial government to reverse course on changes that could affect Ontario for generations to come.

In a presentation he has given to numerous county councils, Caldwell worked to put the change into perspective, demonstrating exactly what it Continued on page 3

PAGE 2. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2023.

Benches to honour homicide victims

A way to remember

Victim Services Huron held a special event last week at the Brussels Library to unveil three benches that will be placed in Vanastra, Brussels and Bluevale to honour Laura Wigelsworth, Beverly Stevenson and Darwin Ducharme, and Doug and Marian Fischer, respectively, who were all victims of homicide in the county in recent years. Above, a woman looks at the Brussels bench, while below, Jason Younan of the Ontario Provincial Police and Deb Logue of Victim Services both spoke as part of the ceremony.

(John Stephenson photos)

On Wednesday, May 17, Victim Services Huron hosted a public unveiling of three commemorative benches at the Brussels Library.

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Huron County Detachment Commander Inspector Jason Younan addressed the crowd of about 60 people, and Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson sent greetings.

Victim Service Huron Executive Director, Deborah Logue, gave a moving presentation, as she assured the survivors and families present that they are not alone.

“The remarkable attendance today demonstrates the strength and unity of our community, and it reminds us that we are not alone in our journey of healing and remembrance. Our doors remain open to you, offering a safe haven, a listening ear and unwavering support. Together, we will continue to advocate for justice, healing, and a brighter future,” she said.

With the support of the Canada Justice Department and National Victims and Survivors of Crime Week grant, Victim Services Huron secured three benches that have been placed across Huron County to commemorate three homicide incidents in the past five years, which resulted in the loss of five lives, including Doug and Marian Fischer, Laura Wigelsworth, Beverly Stevenson and Darwin Ducharme.

“Let these memorial benches serve as a reminder of the resilience and compassion that define our community. May it be a source of comfort for all who seek solace and a testament to our unwavering commitment to stand with survivors,” said Logue.

Victim Services Huron is a registered charity that works closely with police, emergency medical services, and social service advocates to ensure members of our community are supported during and immediately after a crisis or traumatic event.

Announcement confuses ACW residents

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen If you’re a natural gas customer and you’ve recently experienced anxiety about potential changes in charges on your gas bill, you’re not alone. At last week’s AshfieldColborne-Wawanosh (ACW) Council meeting, members discussed a letter from Enbridge Gas that hoped to quell recent concerned calls and e-mails they had received from customers asking if the utility company was planning to introduce a new locate charge of $200 for new customers, a service that was previously done at no charge. These queries were a reaction to a recent announcement, released by Enbridge, that seemed to make that very claim. The statement read, in part: “On April 14, 2022, the Getting Ontario Connected Act was passed into law, and resulted in major changes to the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act which governs how underground facilities are located in Ontario. The legislative changes aim to remove barriers to timely locate delivery, improve and streamline compliance, and enhance Ontario One Call’s powers…. As a result of these legislative changes, Enbridge Gas has made significant

investments in associated operational improvements…

Enbridge Gas will be implementing a new locate delivery charge. This charge will be applied directly to third-party contractors and other utilities who make these locate requests.”

When reading the original statement, it’s easy to see why disoriented customers thought they were facing additional charges. It stated that, “We, along with all underground infrastructure owners, are required to comply with recently released regulations regarding locate delivery (Bill 93).

In order to recover our compliance costs, and protect the interests of our customers, we introduced a locate charge for third-party and for profit locate requesters. We want to reassure you that locates for private property owners and new customers remain at no charge… the thirdparty locate charge is currently on pause as we continue to explore pathways and consult with our stakeholders and industry partners.”

Enbridge’s second missive to council may have been an attempt to set the record straight, but the follow-up letter only added to the confusion for some, including Councillor Jennifer Miltenburg, who felt that this attempt also failed to clearly communicate its

message. “I must say, I was confused by what they were clarifying… did we all hear this somewhere?”

Clerk Florence Witherspoon was able to shed light on the matter, explaining that, “council would have received this correspondence on April 6. There were concerns

from the [Association of Ontario Road Supervisors] that Enbridge was going to charge property owners to locate on their properties.

There was a motion passed to support it, and Enbridge has in response to that feedback, that immense feedback, Enbridge has released this clarification.”

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THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2023. PAGE 3.

Weerman to cycle cross-country for hospitals

Easterly Jurjen Weerman of the Lucknow area is embarking on a months-long, cross-country cycling journey from British Columbia to Newfoundland to raise money for two local hospital foundations. He begins on the west coast this weekend. (Courtesy photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen By the time you read this, Jurjen Weerman from the Lucknow area

will be on his way to the west coast of Canada, days away from beginning his cross-country cycling trek to raise money for two area hospitals.

Weerman, who is a technical advisor with the Euro-Parts team locally, decided to take on the challenge a few months ago. As someone who was born in the

Netherlands, he says he was born on a bike and wearing football (soccer) boots and cycling was always one of his passions, which he kept up when he moved to Canada in 2001.

A few years later, there was a cross-country cycling fundraiser, but he didn’t have the money to take part and make it happen. It was something that stayed with him, however, and he had always hoped to consider something like it again when the time was right.

Weerman said that when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, he was motivated to dust off his bike once again as the world was taken over by lockdowns and a lack of travel. It was then that he started to think about perhaps riding across the country again.

He’ll be part of a team of three people who will be making the trip from British Columbia to Newfoundland, with a few dips into the United States along the way, in an effort to avoid busy highways as much as possible.

He says they will be staying with friends along the way, or in hotels or bed and breakfasts, even rough camping on the side of the road or in fields at times. He said the schedule is a bit loose to allow time to visit friends along the way, see some sights and build in a buffer to account for the unforeseen.

As for the cause, Weerman said that, after suffering a pair of heart attacks in 2012 - and with the deaths of both his mother and sister at young ages - he wanted to reach out to hospitals and see if his desire

to ride across the country could benefit them in some way. So, he was in contact with the Wingham and District Hospital Foundation, as well as the Children’s Health Foundation based in London.

The journey is about 8,700 kilometres long and Weerman says that, if he can raise a dollar per kilometre, he would be a happy man, though anything over and above that would be fantastic.

Weerman’s journey will begin in Jordan River, British Columbia this weekend and end in St. John’s Newfoundland sometime this August. Again, the team members are giving themselves some time to be flexible while out on the road.

While the day’s mileage will vary greatly along the way, depending on how hilly the route is, among other things, the goal is to travel between 100 and 125 kilometres per day, six days a week, Weerman said in an interview with The Citizen.

In Wingham, any funds donated to Weerman will be used to upgrade the chemical analyzer for the hospital’s lab.

Donation pages have been set up for him on both hospital foundations’ websites and he will be tracking his progress on YouTube by searching “jurjencyclingadventures” or on Strava, which will track his cycling progress. He plans to update these channels frequently to take supporters along for the ride as he makes his way from one coast of the country to another.

To get in touch with Weerman, email him at jurjen.c.a@gmail.com.

Caldwell says farmland is tip of the iceberg Continued from page 1 could mean for the province.

He estimated that, with over 48,000 farms in Ontario (according to Statistics Canada in 2022) and approximately 3.5 parcels per farm, 510,000 acres of farmland could be taken out of production based on an average lot size of one acre, which he admits is likely a low estimate.

“The overall impact is much, much larger, with virtually all prime agricultural land exposed to many residents and related [minimum distance separation (MDS)] impacts,” he said in his presentation. “Not only will this policy lead to the loss of farmland, it will impact farms in many ways (ranging from impacts on land values, to trespass, to road safety, to concerns over manure application, etc.).”

This, he said, is in addition to the 319 acres of Ontario farmland being lost every day, according to the Ontario Farmland Trust.

In an interview with The Citizen, Caldwell said he was shocked when he first heard what was being proposed by the provincial government. “Oh my goodness,” he said in response to his first thoughts upon hearing the proposal.

As someone who has dedicated his life to rural planning, he said it felt like “a kick in the stomach” to what has been “so much work by so many people over so many years” to preserve farmland and the right to farm in rural portions of the province. He said he hoped he’s wrong, but, at the moment, it feels like an “attack on farming” by the provincial government.

Furthermore, he said, the protection of farmland has been a non-partisan issue for generations.

Governments of all stripes have

upheld work done in the 1970s to protect farmland, which is all based on a pilot study from Huron County that led to much of today’s rural planning policies and the foundation of protecting farmland.

And, while there have been ill-fated proposals or minor erosions of rules here or there, he said he’s never seen something this final proposed in his time working in the field.

According to his estimations, Caldwell thinks Huron County could be the biggest loser if this proposal is passed. In tracking 12 of the most agricultural regions in the province, Huron ranked first in his projection of potential new

residential lots created on agricultural lands with 24,900.

Middlesex County was second with 21,000, followed by Essex County at 18,700, Oxford County at 17,000 and down the list it goes.

And while farmland preservation is the headline, Caldwell says there are a number of secondary implications that it’s unlikely anyone has considered, like how the changes would affect aggregate extraction, water availability and safety, natural heritage, small towns and villages that will miss out on development, school boards, servicing and more. He said, for example, on a rural road with a

He loves us too well to promise that!

(J.C. Ryle) “Man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.” Job 5:7 “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.” John 16:33 If we are true Christians, we must not expect everything smooth in our journey to Heaven. We must count it no strange thing, if we have to endure sicknesses, losses, bereavements, and disappointments, just like other men. Free pardon and full forgiveness, grace along the way, and glory at the end—all this our Saviour has promised to give. But He has never promised that we shall have no affliction. He loves us too well to promise that!

By affliction He teaches us many precious lessons which without it we would never learn.

By affliction He... shows us our emptiness and weakness, draws us to the throne of grace, purifies our affections, weans us from the world, and makes us long for Heaven.

In the resurrection morning, we shall all say, “It is good for me that I was afflicted.” We shall than God for every storm.

“You do not understand now what I am doing—but you will understand later on!” John 13:7 A Grace Gem Submitted by: Immanuel United Reformed Church, Listowel, ON 519-492-1359

rapidly-increasing base of homes, there could be a push to lower speed limits in rural areas.

In addition to the effect the changes would have on minimum distance separation, it could also lead to an increase in conflict between those in residential-style homes and their farming neighbours.

There are many assumptions being made about how bad the changes could be for the area, but, in reality, Caldwell says it’s hard to

know just how bad it can get.

Furthermore, he said there are ways to increase housing stock in places like Huron County without digging into farmland.

Years ago, Caldwell said he drove through Ohio near Columbus, where similar changes had been made and he saw, firsthand, the fragmenting of the rural landscape, and it hadn’t served that area well and now he doesn’t want to see the same thing happen to his home of Huron County.

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

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

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

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

Join us for our famous

Fill a Box box sale with Books on used books Saturday, June 2 from 3 to 6 for $10 For info contact deb@northhuron.on.ca

PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2023.

Editorials & Opinions

The Citizen

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

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Member of the Ontario Press Council We are not responsible for unsolicited newsscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright

As you were A little more than two decades after the Conservative government of Mike Harris reduced the number of municipalities in Ontario from 815 to 447 in just a few short years, Premier Doug Ford’s government is looking at reversing the process, beginning with Peel Region.

The upcoming split of Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon will likely be the test case for many municipalities whose forced marriages back in the 1990s have been fraught with tension and battles for resources without any of the promised savings. The act passed last week, dubbed the “Hazel McCallion Act”, proposes that the three municipalities will be standing on their own by Jan. 1, 2025. That seems to be a fairly tight window to accomplish a process that seems to be more heavily favoured

by Mississauga than Brampton, setting up a potential messy divorce. Not only that, but it could leave Caledon out in the cold, as it relies heavily on its two larger partners for many services. Ontario is then planning on appointing regional facilitators to analyze six more upper-tier municipalities (Durham, Halton, Niagara, Simcoe, Waterloo and York).

Once again, Ford is throwing out some plans with little forethought that seem to backtrack on previous policy. Perhaps the drama is all to keep our attention away from proposed Highway 413 that is slated to run through Peel, eating up farmland and Greenbelt land. – DS

The road less travelled “If you build it, he will come,” goes the oft-quoted line from Field of Dreams, which is often misquoted ending with “they will come”.

This is used as a business motivator. Move ahead with your dream - is the implication - and, if you do good work, the world will find you.

Living that dream in recent weeks have been those behind FauxPop Media - the firm tapped to edit BlackBerry, directed by Matthew Johnson. The story should serve as an inspiration to many, especially those in a creative field. To scratch their creative, artistic itch, a handful of people created FauxPop and, after some relative success and film credits under their belt, they’ve found success on a project that has entered the Canadian consciousness and is making international waves.

For decades, smaller communities like Huron County have been told of the perils of the so-called “Brain Drain” in which the best and brightest young members of society leave to go elsewhere to get an education only to find both comfort and opportunity in larger urban centres, never to return. In the case of FauxPop and BlackBerry, a few enterprising professionals have turned that notion on its head.

We may not be destined for a Hollywood-like sign in Goderich and the streets of Clinton may not (yet) be awash with sightings of Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie, but what has happened in the past few weeks has to be encouraging to students weeks away from graduating. There is a roadmap to success that many can follow with hard work, intelligence and a bit of luck. But there will always be the road less travelled and sometimes, just sometimes, it can pay off in a way that can inspire people to do the same. – SL

A new approach Several municipal councils in northern Ontario are advocating for revisions to the oath of office that mayors and councillors take before assuming their positions. These councils have recently passed motions urging the provincial government to modify the oath in order to explicitly include references to Indigenous and treaty rights. This lobbying effort is taking place at a time when some municipalities in Ontario are contemplating whether to entirely eliminate the loyalty pledge to the Crown from their oaths of office. Mayor Melanie Pilon of Wawa, who herself identifies as Anishinaabe, expressed her satisfaction with her council’s vote in favour of the new oath, viewing it as a small but important step in sustaining the ongoing conversation and progress.

However, Pilon personally disclosed her intention not to read the revised oath if the province implements the change. When she assumed the role of mayor last fall, she opted to recite an alternative oath that did not include a loyalty pledge to the Crown. This alternative oath was established in 2018 after Gaetan Baillargeon, a town councillor from Hearst, refused to take the regular oath, initially facing exclusion from the council table. Following this incident, the Ontario government eventually permitted Baillargeon to be sworn in using an oath that affirmed his identity as an Indigenous person and explained his view that pledging allegiance to the monarchy would contradict his perspective on the Crown’s relationship with Indigenous peoples.

Baillargeon continued to use the alternative oath when he was recently sworn in for another term, but would like to see the complete removal of any references to the monarchy from the municipal oath.

Some believe this is but a gesture that doesn’t go far enough. But symbols, much like words, are important and this inclusive approach, while imperfect, is a lot better than the previous model of systematically ignoring a painful and difficult aspect of the nation’s history. – SBS

Looking Back Through the Years May 26, 1966 Don C. Hemingway, a proud alumnus of S.S. No. 1 Grey and Seaforth High School, obtained the esteemed title of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the prestigious University of Guelph.

Hailing from Brussels, Dr. Hemingway was the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Carl Hemingway. He was set to commence his veterinary practice in Charing Cross, Ontario.

Tom McRae from Willowdale experienced pure exhilaration when he successfully reeled in a magnificent Northern Pike from the Maitland River. The prized catch measured an impressive 23 inches in length and weighed over two pounds. Tom, who was enjoying a weekend getaway with his parents and sister Bonnie, couldn’t contain his excitement. With a touch of mischief, Tom decided to keep the exact location of his successful fishing spot a secret, hoping to replicate his triumph and land more catches like this one in the future.

The members of the first and second Brownie Packs had an exciting adventure, as they embarked on a guided tour of the renowned Brussels Creamery, led

by Mr. Cousins. The young Brownies were in for a treat as they witnessed the fascinating process of butter production, with Mr. Cousins demonstrating the art of wrapping freshly churned butter into pounds right before their eyes. Not stopping at butter, the Brownies were also given a behind-thescenes look at the ice creammaking process. They observed the meticulous washing of bottles, the careful pouring of milk into the containers, and got to explore the various rooms in which both ice cream and milk were stored. To top

off their visit in a truly delightful manner, Mr. Cousins generously treated the Brownies and their leaders with a scrumptious serving of ice cream, leaving everyone with smiles on their faces and memories to cherish.

May 26, 1976 Progress on the construction of an apartment building for seniors came to a halt in Blyth, leaving uncertainty regarding when work would resume. J.P. Ducharme Homes Ltd., the company responsible for building the 13-unit complex, made the decision to pause construction due to unforeseen water issues at the site on Queen Street, where the old flax mill once stood. The drainage problems on the lot were significant, raising concerns about the feasibility of utilizing the location. To address the challenges encountered, officials from the Ontario Housing Corporation had been engaging in regular meetings with Blyth Village Council members over the previous week.

The Queen Street site was specifically chosen by the land acquisition officer from the Ontario Housing Corporation after evaluating multiple locations within the village.

Despite the allure of the holiday weekend, the Sunday service at Blyth United Church saw a remarkable attendance. The warm and friendly greetings at the entrance were extended by Fred Howson and Cal Falconer. Hubert Hoba, Ralph Hoba, Michael Hoba, and Graham Jackson dutifully served as ushers, guiding congregants to their seats with care.

Taking charge of the Junior Congregation was Faye Bolger, leading the young members in their

worship. Rev. Cecil Wittich delivered an inspiring sermon titled “Running to Church”, encouraging attendees to approach church attendance with eagerness and dedication.

May 27, 1998 A residential break-in occurred on May 20. The incident took place at a residence on Thomas Street in Brussels.

Law enforcement officials reported that the perpetrator gained entry to the house by tampering with the front door, resulting in damage to the door’s jam and lock. During the break-in, a variety of women’s clothing items were stolen. After the theft, the individual made their exit through a rear window of the building. Police determined that the incident took place between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The Hullett Squirts baseball team took the field against formidable opponents from Stanley Township.

The game started with Stanley quickly establishing a significant lead, scoring 14 times in three-anda-half innings, while Hullett struggled to get on the scoreboard.

In the fourth inning, Hullett managed to score two runs, followed by an impressive five runs in the fifth inning. However, despite their efforts, they were unable to further close the gap in the score.

May 23, 2013 The Brussels Farmers’ Market kicked off its season. The market was open every Friday until October, providing ample time for visitors to explore the diverse offerings. Whether discovering the flavours of freshly harvested fruits and vegetables or simply enjoying the lively ambiance, the Brussels Farmers’ Market had it all.

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2023. PAGE 5.

Other Views

Memories of the Barn Dance

I

t was stunning so see by the special edition about the Barn Dance Jamboree/Campout in last week’s Citizen that the event is the 25th anniversary of the event. How time flies!

It was also surprising to read that the Jamboree/Campout was prompted by the Blyth Festival’s 1996 production of Barndance Live! which recalled the glory days of the CKNX Barn Dance which ran through the 1940s and into the 1960s. Eric Coates, an actor in the cast of Barndance Live! in 1996 and again in 1997, (and later the Festival’s artistic director) was the master of ceremonies for the first Jamboree/Campout.

Barndance Live! had been brought to the Festival by director Paul Thompson, who spent part of his youth in Atwood and attended some Barn Dance events in Listowel where he “wandered in” near the end intending to go to the dance that followed, where the performers who entertained at the live radio broadcast also played.

Younger than Paul, I was the opposite when the Barn Dance played at the Lucknow Legion and I was there for the concert, not the dance.

The Barn Dance was a product of the unique sensibilities of “Doc” Cruickshank, a giant of the broadcasting industry almost forgotten now. He created the station to fight boredom during a snowstorm at his radio shop on Wingham’s main street in 1926. Using parts he had on hand and instructions in a magazine, he built a transmitter, only learning when someone called him later, that his experiment worked.

After years operating an amateur station, he finally got a commercial licence and worked to make the station popular, broadcasting, for instance, from different Wingham church services each week.

Keith Roulston From the cluttered desk In 1937, the first Barn Dance was held at the main street studio using recorded music.

Three months later, the format changed to live music by local country and western performers.

In 1942, Doc hired Johnny Brent and put him in charge of the Barn Dance and he took the show on the road, building the popularity of the station throughout Western Ontario by performing in a different town every week.

But Doc was ambitious. He also wanted a television station and after much manoeuvering and persuading, he got it. On Nov. 15, 1955, he made his first broadcast from the new station built within the walls of the old high school on Carling Terrace in Wingham.

We got our first TV in the later 1950s, a gift from my sister who had a nursing job in Toronto. That’s where I really became familiar with the musicians, many of whom played at the Barn Dance, but also had jobs at the radio or television station. The Circle 8 Ranch gang included Rossie Mann, Ernie King and Don Robinson and the Ranch Boys. In a later time slot came the Golden Prairie Cowboys, with Earl and Martha Heywood, and the remarkable fiddler Al Cherny, who later became even more famous when he joined CBC. The fame of the CKNX shows was such that inspiring performers sought them out, including Tommy Hunter, who has since

played at the Jamboree/Campout, and even a very young Shania Twain who journeyed down from Timmins for an early performance before she went on to becoming one of the biggest names in country music.

Doc’s early station was destroyed in a fire in 1962 and many predicted the end of his magical efforts, but there was more magic to come. Other stations rushed spare equipment to Wingham and by nighttime, CKNX-TV was back on air from nearby F.E. Madill Secondary School. Doc rebuilt the station in the current building but the magic was running out.

National advertisers didn’t want his limited audience. He was also an old man. He had died by 1971, when the television station was sold to CFPL, whose owner pledged to keep programming the same. But that owner, too, died and his family sold the two stations. Today there is no local television programming from Wingham.

But through the Barn Dance Jamboree and Campout, one of the successes of Doc Cruickshank has lived on, 50 years past his own lifetime and also past the death of Johnny Brent, who is so linked with the event.

But there’s also something sad about the last Barn Dance Jamboree and Campout. One of the achievements of Doc Cruickshank was that he gave a distinction to western Ontario.

His little station, first created in winter boredom, helped create a feeling of community, that we all shared something. The Barn Dance was part of that, and like many of the shops we bought our groceries and clothing in, it’s all gone now.

There are only a few things, like the Blyth Festival, that celebrate what a special place this is. Much of that pride was created by the little radio and television station Doc Cruickshank inspired.

Monkey meat in the sausage? We’ll see...

A

s the great British spy guy, celebrated philanderer and definitely real person James Bond would say if he was the author of this column, “My name is Chaff…

The Chaff. I will have a Chaff-ka Chaff-tini.

Chaff-ken not Chaff-ed.”

Welcome back loyal Chaff-colytes (and disloyal Chafe-holes) for another slippery slap to the supple, sweet cheeks of the zeitgeist’s big brother Brad Bond - “My name is Bond.

Brad Bond. I’m the zeitgeist’s big brother.

Slap away!” Here at The Chaff our only aim is to wiggle around wildly to wobble up a hot waft of whatever it is that smells so weird right now. This week we’re sniffing behind the curtain and explicitly showing our sycophantic fanbase how The Chaff-sausage gets made week after week after week after week. Fortunately, despite many calls for an investigation into what credible witnesses have described as “rapidly declining sanitary conditions,” local health inspectors haven’t yet been able to stop The Chaff’s sausage production line from churning out quizzical, questionable and querulous content that can only be described as a deranged and incoherent collection of words and fake words awkwardly arranged to confuse, bemuse and perfuse, if you so choose.

But for now, Betty Bond (Brad and the zeitgeist’s beloved auntie), it might be best to buckle up and buckle down because things are about to get… buckle-y.

The Chaff is written by a team of 16 people with the help of three feral animals (two weasels and a cat). The group - a coterie of crooked and crusty old creeps, a couple of celebrity child-convicts and the crassest collection of clowns you could ever imagine - routinely convenes at The Chaff’s headquarters (abandoned office space

Scott Stephenson The Chaff attached to the ReStore in Goderich) four times a day, every third day, most months, during uneven years, in alternating decades, set to continue for the next couple of centuries, or possibly until the end of the Willennium.

The Chaff meetings are usually cantankerous and often disgusting; clothing is optional, blindfolds are provided but discouraged in an overtly threatening manner. Tiny riots break out often and the fire department says it won’t help squelch any more toilet fires or flaming sink clogs.

Ideas for Chaff topics are chosen through a variety of methods: telepathy, wrestling, riddles, digging, playing the game “Tic-TacToe Two: Look Who’s ‘Toc’ing Now” - the sequel to “Tic-Tac-Toe'' where they introduce the concepts of “Tic-twists”, “Tac-takeovers”, and “Toe-tugging” and debut controversial newcomer to the franchise and incorrigible “bad boy with a heart made out of moy” - “Toc” (played by disgraced frisbee-golfer Wally Burgdurnsurn). “Toc” is the bastard child of Tac and Toe, an unwanted but not unexpected result of a night in Toronto after the 23rd annual “TicTac-Toe Tournament and Bic-Bac-Buffet” held at the Brampton location of the Mandarin restaurant in 2019. Talks are currently underway to have the “X’s and O’s gang” crossover with playground classic

“Tag” for an upcoming installment of the series.

Once an idea gets its wings, each writer contributes between 56 and 59 random words in any language that are then fed into an industrial literary blender that was illegally imported. The words are usually just a selection of swears, some obsolete and very upsetting circus jargon and a few obvious, but ultimately unaddressed, cries for help.

Next, trained engineers toggle the blender’s settings to “Maximum Chaff”, then the words begin to curdle, congeal and quickly form into a greasy gob of oozing goo that is mildly toxic and not suitable for human consumption, yet heavily sought after by many different kinds of monkeys who fiendishly crave “Monkey Chaff: The Chaff for Monkeys” because they are addicted to its overwhelming oaky scent and undeniable nutty flavour.

(Quick note to all the haters spreading lies out there: Chaff scientists have pretty much proven that The Chaff is not harmful to monkeys. In fact, The Chaff’s leading monkey doctors and social media influencers say that most monkeys should, maybe, include a moderate, monkey-sized serving of two to three half-Chaffs (approximately 15 grams) per “monkey minute” (one “monkey minute” is, applying the Hydruian conversion theorem, equivalent to approximately 24 hours in human time).

In a quick interview with The Chaff, a very wise and respected member of the monkey community offered this poignant piece of monkey advice: “Take life one ‘monkey minute’ at a time because it’s important to live monkey-life in the monkey-present. Now go get me a copy of The Monkey Chaff or I’m going to go monkey-nuts and wreck this place!”

Shawn Loughlin Shawn’s Sense

By this much

L

ast week, as Scott and I frantically laid out the Barn Dance Campout and Jamboree special section (alright, not frantically, but not exactly calmly either), I was reminded of the idea of best laid plans.

Best Laid Plans isn’t just a poorly-reviewed Reese Witherspoon movie (the great Roger Ebert gave it one star - ouch) that I remember from my DVD jockey days at Rogers Video (while I don’t remember seeing it, I feel like I see the movie poster in my mind’s eye every time someone uses the term) it’s a saying. If I were to use it in a sentence, as if I’d been asked to do so by one of those annoying spelling bee kids, it would have something to do with mapping out something very important, only for things to get too complicated and spin out of their orbit.

As Scott and I completed page after page, we had a plan and things began to change and they continued to change and, right up until the very edge of deadline, they changed again and I began to think about those best laid plans.

(Again, that’s not a reference to the movie that holds a rating of 43 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, which is seven percentage points worse than Sudden Death with Jean-Claude Van Damme, in which he has to save a stadium full of people from a terrorist explosion and stop a few shots as a goaltender for the Pittsburgh Penguins in game seven of the Stanley Cup finals. But it is 10 points higher than Double Impact, also starring Van Damme as identical twin brothers that involves someone being crushed by a forklift. And let’s not even get into Double Team at 11 per cent, which brings together Van Damme and basketball rebounding god Dennis Rodman, though it’s very close to a time-travelling Van Damme’s Timecop at 42 per cent.)

Basically, it’s an idea we’re all familiar with.

Things don’t always work out the way you think they’re going to. I’ve become very used to this idea now with two kids under three at home. Even trying to schedule a phone call with a friend or slip over to a neighbour’s for a drink requires extensive planning, just about all of which is usually moot shortly thereafter.

One that came to mind recently was the day of Ryan O’Reilly’s Stanley Cup parade in Seaforth after he won the final game of the season with the St. Louis Blues and brought Ernie Phillips’ pride and joy back home.

Denny was still here at the time and we both went to provide extensive coverage and ensure we could be in two places at once. We had been granted access to the pre-parade meet-up at the Seaforth fire hall, then there was the parade and the gathering at the arena with O’Reilly and people were able to get their picture taken with the Stanley Cup (the very prize the Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks jockeyed for in 1995’s Sudden Death - though that game doesn’t actually end despite going to, you guessed it, sudden death overtime).

Denny was at the fire hall and I had staked out a high perch at the municipal office for the parade, while Denny would follow the parade to the arena. Once at the arena, firefighters gave O’Reilly a ride in the bucket truck and we were there to chronicle all of it.

Then, in the arena, we took a breather, not just to sit down, but to take a spin through the pictures we’d taken in the stands near the entrance to the ice surface. Our heads were down when O’Reilly carried the cup right past us. It almost hit my shoe. There are no pictures from that close, because we didn’t get them.

Plan all you want, you’ll still luck into (or out of) some of your best opportunities. No more Sudden Death references - I promise.

PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2023.

HE Council approves grants, defers one

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Huron East Council has approved its slate of grants for the year, with one exception, barring some further research.

Council has held off on a request from the Seaforth Lions Club for a grant of $15,000 to operate the town’s pool, as it has for years. The request represents an increase of $4,500 over the 2022 grant and, if approved, 75 per cent of the municipality’s annual $20,000 grant budget.

Before discussing the individual grant requests, Mayor Bernie MacLellan suggested perhaps

changing the structure of the requests and maybe moving some of them that council will continue to support in the community on an annual basis, such as work being done by the horticultural societies and Santa Claus parades organized by local service clubs. No official direction was taken as a result of the recommendation, but Chief Administrative Officer Brad McRoberts said staff could investigate it further.

He also expressed concern about the Seaforth Lions Club request, saying that it had just recently been increased from $7,000 to $10,000, which consists of half of the annual grant budget, and now a further

request increase to $15,000.

However, with the municipality paying to run a pool in Brussels, perhaps the municipality was still getting a deal with the Seaforth Lions Club’s operation of the pool, which is why he asked for a staff report on the situation.

He was also concerned about the reasoning behind the request, which was that the club had lost another source of funding for the pool and was now asking the municipality to pick up that slack.

Councillor John Steffler shared MacLellan’s concerns, but suggested perhaps paying the elevated amount for this year, but returning to $10,500 next year,

essentially giving the club a year to find a replacement source for the lost funding.

MacLellan reiterated that the Lions have always done a good job for the municipality, but he was just concerned about how much of the grants budget would be used for one source, in one ward, if approved by council.

Council then approved the grants with the exception of the Lions Club’s request, which will be reconsidered pending the report.

The approved grants are as follows: Brussels Agricultural Society, $1,000; Brussels Horticultural Society, $550; Brussels Santa Claus parade,

$1,000; Ethel Minor Ball, $500; Huron Plowmen’s Association, $250; Seaforth Lions Club (Santa Claus parade), $1,000; Maitland Bank Cemetery, $400; Royal Canadian Legion Branch 468, $55; Royal Canadian Legion Remembrance Day, $105; St. Columban Soccer, $500; Seaforth Agricultural Society, $1,000; Seaforth Food Bank hall rental, $375; Seaforth Horticultural Society, $750; Van Egmond Foundation, $1,000; Walton Area Sports Club, $500; Winthrop Ball Park and community centre, $500.

New subdivision proposed for Seaforth

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Huron East Council has adopted an amendment to its official plan that will allow for a new subdivision to be constructed next to the Seaforth Golf Course property, but deferred a zoning bylaw amendment associated with the application.

Council discussed the issue at its

May 16 meeting, agreeing with the recommendation of Huron County Planner Shae Stoll and Manager of Planning Denise Van Amersfoort.

The pair recommended the approval of an official plan amendment that will change the designation of the land in question to urban settlement area from recreation.

However, they recommended deferring a zoning bylaw amendment that would limit the

permitted structures to rowhouses, permit a rear-yard setback of 6.5 metres for the properties and a handful of other provisions. The deferral will allow for further investigation to confirm if additional special provisions are needed to address some questions raised in a traffic impact study done for the proposed project.

The property in question is comprised of manicured lawn,

NEWS FROM BRUSSELS That night, council approved road closures associated with Seaforth Summerfest, also scheduled for July 22, and Brussels Ball Day on June 3, while declaring the Brussels Tigers Tournament on July 21-23 and the Walton Brewers’ co-ed slopitch tournament, set for June 9-10, to both be municipally-significant events. *** As part of Clerk Jessica Rudy’s ongoing work to update, develop and enhance Huron East policies, she presented council with a new Disposition of Land Policy at its May 16 meeting.

Council passed the new policy with little discussion. A bylaw to confirm the decision will be brought to council for a future meeting.

Planning an Event?

High and tight The Brussels Tigers U17 Boys team recently faced off against the Wilmot team in an exhilarating match held in Brussels. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation as both teams showcased their skills and determination on the field for the first home game of the year for the league. (John Stephenson photo)

At the Branch

Summer sports begin June 3

By Jo-Ann McDonald We hope everyone had a great holiday weekend to start the summer of 2023. It started cool, but ended very nice.

The Catch the Ace draw begins on Friday, May 26 at 7:15 p.m.

Group one of Lisa, Joan and Sandra will start the round of draws. We hope everyone will support the Legion and the draw and get their tickets and get the pot growing. It could reach a maximum of $30,000.

We have been lucky and reached this total once before, maybe this time it will again!

The pub grub for Friday evening will be barbecue burgers on the

vegetation and a practice green for the golf course and sits south of the existing course.

The proposal will include 64 town house units and the planners noted that no members of the public or Huron East staff voiced any objections to the proposal.

There was some opposition at the meeting, however, from some neighbouring property owners who were concerned about traffic and the potential effects of the subdivision on nearby farms and the very concept of urban expansion in rural areas, with one man telling council that “rural people are getting tired of this” in regards to the development being proposed. *** Council declared its support for a number of events in the municipality at the meeting.

Council declared the Brussels Farmers’ Market, which will be held at Richmond Square, which is the municipality’s property, between May 26 and Sept. 8, to be a municipally-sanctioned event.

Huron East Council also expressed its support for a patio festival at The Hub in Seaforth for July 22, allowing an extension of the municipality’s noise bylaw for the day, meaning that live music will be able to run until 11 p.m. that night.

patio (weather-permitting). It is also karaoke night with Stubby D. Weather again will determine whether it’s held inside or out. Join us from 7:30-11 p.m. for some musical fun. Sing along with the radio and warm up those vocal cords.

Summer sports begin on June 3 with golf for super seniors (70 and over) and ladies and seniors (55 to 70). The event will be held at Woodlands Golf Course Clinton. It will cost $130 for a team of two and that includes a cart. Call the Branch or Jamie at 519-440-9457 by May 27 for information or to register.

The second event is washer toss

on July 8 in Ripley. It is $5 a person for singles and/or doubles. Call Jamie again for information or to register to attend by July 1.

The Brussels Legion Fish Fry season is about to begin and we are always looking for volunteers to help at the meals. We try to do most of them on the weekend, so weekday workers can help.

Most events need about eight helpers, so we hope you can help us out. Call Deb Ross at 519-531-1125 to get your name on the helper list and when you can help. There are more dinners to come in July, August and September, but we hope you can help sometime in June.

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

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2023. PAGE 7.

Sands, Robertson among headliners for children’s fest.

Generous Mothers Against Drunk Drivers of Huron-Perth recently received a donation of $1,000 from Corrie’s Foodland in Clinton after the store held a fundraising barbecue for the cause, even donating the food and drinks for the barbecue. From left: Brenda Orr, Russell Nesbitt and Laura White of Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Corrie’s Foodland owners Jeff and David Corrie. (Courtesy photo)

Sidewalk project over budget

By Scott Stephenson The Citizen Last week, North Huron Council received a report from Director of Public Works Gregg Furtney recommending that $52,133 be transferred from the Federal Gas Tax Reserve to cover a budgetary shortfall.

The proposed transfer was to cover a deficit in the budget for the Wingham sidewalk extension project, which is intended to address pedestrian traffic issues near the intersection of Josephine Street and Highway 86 with a number of projects, such as improving existing sidewalks and adding turning lanes. The project was approved by council in 2022, hiring R.J. Burnside and Associates Limited to work with the county on the upgrades. The original amount requested from council in 2022 was $50,000 - it has now reached $107,133.10. The recommendation cited a higher bid from the selected contractor as the reason for the steep increase.

The recommendation was questioned by Councillor Mitch Wright. “Do we know where the original estimate came from? I’m a bit taken aback that we’re off by 120 per cent on the estimate for a project,” he asked. “I just want to know - do we know what process was used behind that first number; did it come from the county or was it internal?”

Furtney explained the discrepancy as the result of staff changes. “I inherited this number, unfortunately. It was a placeholder for this project.” The previous Director of Public Works, Jamie McCarthy, resigned unexpectedly in December of 2022, and was officially replaced by Furtney in February of 2023, relieving interim director Chip Wilson. “$107,133.10 is reflective of the tender that the county staff want to present to the county in a couple of days, so this is where our current number stands and unfortunately I can’t give you an explanation for that placeholder number.”

Wright retorted, “I think it shows there’s a gap in the capital projects planning process that North Huron

uses, right? Bad data leads to bad decisions; I’m not coming down on the current Director of Public Works.”

Reeve Paul Heffer filled in some of the missing information. The interim director had measured the space and estimated that it would cost about $50,000. He also pointed out that the cost of materials had increased.

Wright went on to recommend some possible improvements for the future. “Processes are there to make sure individuals don’t fail, so I think it’s something we need to challenge in the future. When we’re presented with a number, there has to be some basis for it…. We should know the confidence level of the number that we’re talking about, when we’re looking at budgets or approving projects.”

Wright concluded by stating that he is not in favour of the motion.

“We already, as a group, decided

how much we were going to take out of reserves this year. That number was settled already. I think it’s time to manage a budget as a budget. We should be looking at figuring out what else needs to be cancelled or postponed in order to come up with this money. The reserves are not an infinite pot of money - they’ll get drained.”

Furtney countered by explaining that it was a county initiative, and that the Federal Gas Tax Reserve (officially renamed the Canada Community Building Fund in 2021) is a reserve available for municipalities to use for a variety of projects. “This is a county project. It is conditional. Failure to inform on this motion could result in it being cancelled entirely.”

Deputy-Reeve Kevin Falconer put forward the motion that the recommendation be accepted without changes, and the motion passed unanimously.

Continued from page 1 2023 children’s authors are: • David A. Robertson: is a recipient of a Governor General’s Literary Award. He is a member of Norway House Cree Nation and will be presenting The Song That Called Them Home, a children’s book that takes place deep in the heart of a grandfather’s ancestral land.

• Kevin Sands: is the author of the bestselling The Blackthorn Key and Thieves of Shadow series Kevin will present a youth program on Children of the Fox. • Sarah Raughley: A young adult writer and a PhD in English, Sarah’s research concerns representations of race and gender in popular media culture, youth culture and post-colonialism. Sarah will teach a workshop on powerful immersive writing and her new young adult novel, The Song of Wrath.

• Charlene Chua: Illustrator of the Amy Wu series, Charlene will present a reading and drawing activity on the playfully-illustrated picture book, Amy Wu and the Warm Welcome (Written by Kat Zhang).

Individuals can purchase day pass tickets for Friday’s opening night at Blyth Memorial Hall ($25); Saturday at Maitland River

Community Church in Wingham, which includes a catered lunch and access to the Short Story contest awards ($75) or Sunday at Bayfield Town Hall ($50).

Masterclasses are available on Saturday and Sunday, and can be purchased separately ($30).

Ticket sales close May 28.

For more information, and to purchase tickets visit the website at alicemunrofestival.ca/ 2023festival

NEWS FROM BLYTH

The Citizen

405 Queen St., Blyth 519-523-4792

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Rutabaga Festival, Barn Dance coming SUDOKU From Marilyn’s Desk

By Marilyn Craig Call 523-9318 Happy birthday to Niel Edgar of Wingham, who will celebrate his birthday on May 29, and to Matt Townsend, who will celebrate his birthday on June 2. Happy birthday to you both and enjoy your special day.

Happy anniversary to Jeff and Michelle Nesbitt, who will celebrate their anniversary on May 30, and to Ken and Dianne Siertsema, who will celebrate their anniversary on May 31.

Monday Morning Smile Coffee is set for Monday, May 29 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Trinity Anglican Church on Dinsley Street West.

Come out and join in the fun and laughter and great discussions.

The Barn Dance weekend returns to Blyth this weekend with lots of music and entertainment. Camping is also available.

Rutabaga Festival is returning on the June 3 weekend with lots of entertainment.

If you enjoy baseball, there is a ball tournament going on as part of the festival. The Blyth Lions Club is also hosting its annual Seed Sowers steak dinner that night and the beer garden at the Blyth Lions Park. There will be lots of events to entertain us in the coming weeks.

This week is lining up to give us much better weather than last week.

The sun has reappeared, and temperatures have returned to the low 20s with little rain in the forecast. Mother Nature gave us the rain when we needed it last week.

The sun shining puts us in much better humour and we can get outside in the gardens and flower beds.

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 8. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2023.

Kootstra speaks on achieving balanced farming

By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot The Rural Voice

A new way of thinking Rick Kootstra, right, seen here with another attendee of the Rural Landowner Workshop held in Mitchell earlier this year, has been preaching about the balance between food production and environmental wellness in the farming world, which is commonly referred to as stewardship of the land. (Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot photo)

4-H members visit EthoGuard

BY HOLLY GROSS May 2 marked the first meeting of the Belgrave 4-H Vet Club. The meeting was held at EthoGuard in Blyth.

We started the meeting with the 4-H pledge and the roll call (name, age, if you lived on a farm - and if so, what kind - and if you didn’t live on a farm, then what your favorite animal was). We then went on to do elections: Lily S. as president, Beth D. as vicepresident, Claire V. as secretary and Holly G. as press reporter.

Mark from EthoGuard then went on to show us a slide show about biosecurity. He also talked about avian influenza and the process that you go through when dealing with avian influenza. Mark then got a member from the club to put on all of the clothes step-by-step and explained how to get ready before you enter a barn with avian influenza.

At the end, everyone got a chance to put on disposable coveralls, a hairnet and boot covers.

We ended the meeting with the 4H motto, “Learn to do by Doing”, and we received a pack of seeds from EthoGuard and a snack from the 4-H leaders.

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The Citizen Safety first Members of the Belgrave 4-H Vet Club recently visited EthoGuard in Blyth to learn about biosecurity and safety on the farm, getting the chance to deck themselves out in head-to-toe protective gear, like Lukas Greidanus, above. (John Stephenson photo)

Call or email to book your ad today!

The Citizen 519-523-4792 info@northhuron.on.ca

Landowners are facing increasing pressure to both grow food and be environmentally conscious about the land they farm.

It’s called stewardship and Rick Kootstra shared how he embraces that term on his Vanastra-area farm at the Rural Landowner Workshop held in Mitchell in late March.

“Farmers, in my opinion, need to have a lead or constabulary when it comes to conservation and the provincial conservation authorities are well-equipped to do that,” said Kootstra. “What I have done over the last four to five years is make good working relationships with these folks to plant trees, berms, wetlands and work with the Huronview Demonstration Farm.”

Kootstra’s land abuts the Huronview farm.

Kootstra said people often blame farmers for food prices and environmental issues and, rather than fighting that, it’s better to do something about it. “We are stewards of the land; we have Conservation Authorities (CAs) and if we pair together, it will go a long way to making Ontario a better place.”

One of the top strategies Kootstra employs on his farm is strip tillage.

He uses between 5,000 and 6,000 tonnes of manure in his operation from the farm’s layer and broiler barns, admitting “some of the things I do smell nice and some things do not smell so nice.” All fields receive manure at least once every three years.

Strip tillage and cover cropping were ramped up in 2012. While he is a fan of no-tillage, Kootstra said in a colder climate, a little tillage “gets the ground warmed up, yet keeps all the benefits of a solid no-till system.” He says it’s one of his best stories to tell, but he finds it hard to convince other farmers. “I wish I had started the process 10 years sooner than I did,” though he acknowledges equipment needed for the process wasn’t readily available back then. He uses a Soil Warrior now.

Soil health is the basis of Kootstra’s crop strategies, which he says is in everyone’s best interest.

With the price of land reaching $40,000 an acre, it costs a fortune to buy a neighbour’s farm and doesn’t make economic sense when soil floats down the river, blows off the field or when organic matter measures less than two per cent.

“I don’t think anyone wants to be labelled a guru for their soil health advocacy… it’s really a financial thing,” Kootstra says.

Heavy rain events are becoming increasingly worrisome for the erosion they create, but Kootstra says in a strip-tilled field, “it can rain all it wants.” The soil is protected and able to absorb the volume of water. “The next day you can walk in those fields.”

Cover crops aid in that as well.

They are vital for erosion protection, nutrient retention and biological weed control, said Kootstra. “A good example is fleabane. One plant has over 250,000 seeds and it turns out cereal rye and fleabane don’t like each other. I don’t know the science, but if you plant cereal rye, fleabane won’t grow. That’s pretty cool stuff.”

Kootstra also likes to direct seed soybeans into a corn stover/cereal rye cover crop. He said you get lots of rye and no weeds in that field. The rye is then killed with RoundUp, which provides a good kill of rye and weeds, as the weeds do not have time to advance in the cover crop.

Don’t worry about the corn trash, he advises.

“The worms and microorganisms will eat it. They are hungry too.”

Testing for organic matter (OM) helps Kootstra understand his soil and where cover crops are especially vital. He tested soil in an area where he is creating a wetland (original dirt) and it tests 8.5 per cent for OM. Other fields (cropped) tested at 3.8, 4.4 and 6.3. “If you can farm between four and six per cent OM, you have less problems with disease and less problems with weed control.”

Kootstra shared a quote from Bieber Faerber that goes something like this: “Just as our skin does not like to be poked, scratched, cut, ground, squashed, burned, left cold and naked, beat up (even with raindrops) then left to sunburn… neither do our soils.” He was very much concerned about personal philosophy as well as offering practical advice, adding that “my job as a farmer is to be a steward of that land to do the best we can.” He believes the soil will reward him at the end of his career. Even if it doesn’t cover all his investments with cash, Kootstra said he will “rest easy” knowing he did not let it float down the river or destroy it.

“I want to celebrate my career and be happy to farm. In fact, we are very lucky to be farmers in this whole, wide world,” he concluded.

BRUSSELS MINOR BALL DAY Saturday, June 3 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 7:00 pm 9:00 pm

T-Ball U7 U9 U11 Girls U11 Boys U13 Girls U13 Boys U15 Boys U17 Boys Men’s League

Brussels Black vs. Brussels Red Brussels Black vs. Brussels Red Brussels vs. Lucknow Gold Brussels vs. Zurich Brussels vs. Londesboro Brussels vs. Elma Express Brussels vs. Seaforth Brussels vs. Fullarton Brussels vs. Elmira Brussels Bangers vs. Wroxeter

Come on out and enjoy a full day of baseball, BBQ with the Leo’s, cotton candy and a nice cold treat from the Lolly Trolley!

Lots of great raffle prizes to be won!

For more information contact: Amanda White- 519-357-7547 or Krissy Rammeloo – 519-955-1386

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2023. PAGE 9.

Women in Agriculture Club returns to U. of Guelph

A day to remember Social worker and agricultural mental health advocate Lauren Van Ewyk, above, was one of two speakers at the University of Guelph’s Women in Agriculture Club’s networking night, which returned to in-person events earlier this year. The Rural Voice Editor Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot was the night’s second speaker. (Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot photo)

By Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot The Rural Voice I wish there had been a Women in Agriculture Club when I went to school.

These women are networking and hearing from

women leaders to prepare for their launch into the world of agriculture.

The Women in Agriculture at the University of Guelph was created in 2018 and revived for in-person meetings in 2023. They recently hosted a networking night, featuring

How about a tiger?

The Clinton Raceway opened its season on Sunday as part of the Victoria Day long weekend in Huron County.

The event also served as a fundraiser for Clinton’s Central Huron Secondary School, which meant that students were on hand for everything from a barbecue and bake sale to a 50/50 draw to face painting for some lucky young race fans. (John Stephenson photo)

two keynote speakers and a panel discussion on what it’s like to be a woman in agriculture.

The night started off with a question of identity by Lauren Van Ewyk, a social worker and agricultural mental health advocate.

We all have our “factual” identities, she said. Most of the attendees were students and “students” would be their factual identities. However, part of our identity is also our state of being, explained Van Ewyk.

“Our identity is not related to someone else; it is our own,” said Van Ewyk, who is also a sheep farmer in southwestern Ontario, as well as the founding member and CEO of the National Farmers Mental Health Alliance. Women often identify as their husband’s partner or their children’s mother, but Van Ewyk said it is important to remember that each person has a special plan and purpose for their life, that they are precious and they

can contribute.

She believes it is an important message, because research indicates 41 per cent of rural women are depressed and anxious, which is over double that of their urban counterparts in America. Rural women struggle with mental health stress and fatigue, and score higher than men on the perceived stress scale.

Part of that is not being recognized and appreciated for the work they do; something Van Ewyk accidentally did herself. She had been talking with an Amish woman and visited her farm, noting there were 50 cows that needed to be milked by hand. She recalls stating that was quite a lot of work for the woman’s husband and sons. “Well, I came as close to getting slapped as anyone ever did,” said Van Ewyk.

Turns out it was the wife and daughters who milked the cows.

It’s an assumption that is played out over and over again on farms and, when women aren’t recognized for their work, much less appreciated for it, it can lead to mental stress.

Moreover, women tend to be the primary, and often sole support for the men who farm. They depend on their wives and Van Ewyk notes that in her work, it is often the woman who calls on behalf of her husband when he needs help.

To combat all the above and protect their mental health, women in agriculture need to build resiliency. Resiliency is described as the capacity to recover from difficulties or the ability to spring back into shape/bounce back. “It’s like you’re dribbling a flat basketball. It’s hard. Resilience is learning to pump it up.”

There are a number of ways to do this, suggested Van Ewyk: • Practise self-compassion by admitting it’s okay not to be perfect.

Also, forgoing self-criticism and saying “I’m a learner and I’m still learning.” Consider how you talk to yourself in comparison how you talk to others… often you would never criticize a friend like you criticize yourself.

• Creating healthy boundaries.

“Women are typically not good at setting boundaries. We will give and give until there is nothing left to give.”

• Mindfulness or “paying attention on purpose” to calm the mind and spirit and reduce anxiety.

I was the other speaker. As a farm journalist, I have the privilege of

interviewing many successful farm women each year. As I shared their stories, I noted the thread of courage and adaptation that runs through their experiences and leads to entrepreneurial success in agriculture and rural communities.

In terms of mental health, I shared how exercise has been fundamental in my life to manage stress, create energy and keep the human trifecta of mind, body and spirit in harmony.

Mental health providers have long touted exercise as a mental health tool and I heft it regularly, finding that more benefits are gleaned when exercise is combined with nature.

Walking by a river reminds us that life flows on. One can intentionally voice worries and stress beside a moving stream and visualize how they can be carried away, to be replaced by a fresh perspective from water coming to take its place.

Resting by trees and native plants, or getting one’s hands into soil connects the spirit to the fundamentals of life, which is tremendously grounding while also simplifying what really matters.

Gardening is an exercise that is calming, creative, joyful and purposeful.

Moreover, I shared that journaling is my primary mental health tool.

Each morning, I wake up, pull on a fluffy pink housecoat, make a cup of coffee and sit with a journal, my favourite pen and a sticker book.

Call it an elementary-schooldopamine hit, but adding a nature sticker to my journal is a jolt of joy to kickstart the journaling process.

Part unloading and part planning, journaling is a release/receiving mode of action that involves releasing and receiving. It clarifies the mind and aligns emotions with goals for the day.

As a writer, it makes sense that journaling would be an enjoyable and effective mental health tool for me. I told the students it didn’t have to be theirs, but I strongly encouraged them to find the tool that does allow one to release negative emotion and energy - to “see” what the mind is actually thinking and processing. So often we don’t even recognize or identify what thoughts are spinning through our heads.

Recognizing them allows us to discard the negativity and reframe our thoughts into a positive.

These positive affirmations (write them down) unleash more creative thoughts and move you toward your life-affirming purpose.

PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2023.

Sunset Foundation donates to Newcomer Fund At its annual general meeting on May 17, the Sunset Community Foundation announced a $10,000 contribution to the Huron Area Newcomer Fund, which supports Ukrainian families dealing with the challenges of life in a new country.

The funds come from the Ukraine Emergency Relief Fund, created by the Sunset Community Foundation shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022.

“We wanted to give people in our communities an opportunity to help in a direct, local way to support the struggles of the Ukrainian people,” says Foundation Chair Charlene Masschelein. “As always, our communities responded with exceptional generosity. Now we’ve found a way to put those funds to

use right here at home.”

Sunset Community Foundation representatives said the foundation was proud to match all donations to this fund.

The Goderich Lions Club created the Huron Area Newcomer Fund in August of 2022, in collaboration with the Huron County Immigration Partnership, the Goderich Ministerial Association, the Wingham Community Connectors, and other groups.

“Our goal was to provide a financial solution for temporary service and support gaps that are experienced by newcomers in their first 18 months,” says Michael Daley, Director of Communications for the Goderich Lions Club. “It’s a way for us to welcome and support

people who are trying to rebuild their lives in our communities.”

Since April of 2022, more than 70 people from Ukraine have arrived in Huron County. The Newcomer Fund provides up to $1,500 to each newcomer family. The fund committee expects that as much as $30,000 will be needed to meet the needs of newcomer families in 2023.

“This contribution from Sunset Community Foundation really helps,” says Mark Nonkes of the Huron County Immigration Partnership. “The fund committee will ensure that the funds are focused on urgent needs and have as much impact as possible in the lives of Ukraine newcomers.”

Already, several newcomer

families have received assistance from the Huron Area Newcomer Fund, which helped families pay for unforeseen expenses that include emergency dental work and other unplanned financial needs.

The Goderich Lions Club has a 100-year history of helping to build community through recreation projects and by supporting the needs of seniors, children and youth.

The Sunset Community Foundation, one of nearly 200 Community Foundations across Canada, has made grants to community organizations throughout the region totalling nearly $2 million. Founded in 2000, it currently holds an endowment of more than $3 million.

“This is a marriage made in heaven,” says Lisa Reaume, Executive Director of the Sunset Community Foundation. “Thanks to the Huron Area Newcomer Fund, we are confident that the funds so generously donated by our communities will find their way to the right people.”

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On the main floor is the living room, which features a sloping ceiling. The see-through fireplace does double duty – in the living room, it will be a comfort during the cooler months, while during the summer, the fireplace can also be seen from the partly covered sundeck, a pleasure on cool evenings.

The living room is set off from the other areas on this floor by its ceiling height.

The open-plan dining area features French doors on to the deck, making it ideal for al fresco meals.

Dividing the dining area from the kitchen is a large prep island. The L-shaped counter configuration spells efficiency for the cook, who will also enjoy the natural light from the window over the double sink.

Next to the door to the back patio is a spacious pantry. Adjacent is a two-piece lavatory, with the laundry room next door. A study occupies the space between the laundry room and the staircase.

On the upper floor, the master bedroom features a covered deck that overlooks the front garden. The spacious en-suite includes double basins, an oval soaker tub and a shower stall. The walk-in closet will be roomy enough for a couple’s clothing and accessories.

The second and third bedrooms share a three-piece bathroom, with a linen closet right outside the doorway.

The stairway landing is partly open to the living room below and is railed for safety. The double garage has a large area for a shop.

Exterior walls are stucco, with brick accents and painted trim.

This home measures 40 feet wide and 42 feet, six inches deep, for a total of 3,099 square feet.

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THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2023. PAGE 11.

Plant a seed, watch it grow at the

Clinton Spring Fair Friday, June 2, 3 & 4, 2023 Central Huron Community Complex & Clinton Community Park

* Baby Show * Demolition Derby * Midway * Homecraft Exhibits (including two new competitions for Maple Syrup and Honey) * Garden Tractor Pull Scavenger Car Tour * REACH Huron (youth activities) Check our website May 26th for details * Poultry Show * Livestock Displays Chicken Dinner and Ambassador Competition

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June 3rd David Wilcox on the arena floor

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

G2G traffic is on the rise in Walton PEOPLE AROUND WALTON

By Jo-Ann McDonald Call 887-6570

We have celebrated the Victoria Day long weekend, which is the unofficial start to summer. As we near the last Saturday in May, let’s not forget the community-wide yard sales in the village. Get out and pick up a bargain!

Today is also the first farmers’ market of the year from 12-5 p.m. It is at Richmond Square and they have many vendors I hear. Drop in today.

Another good week of weather for the farmers has passed and many have their corn planted. Some have moved onto soybeans and many more will follow as the forecast for the week was good weather. Remember to watch for farm machinery on the road, especially at dusk or after dark.

Machinery is big these days and takes up a lot of the road. Slow down and be careful.

The arrival of great weather means lots of folks are out on the Goderich-to-Guelph (G2G) Rail Trail. They will see some changes from the work that has been done.

There was work done on the access points, with the addition of some stone dust, the trail has been graded and trees trimmed and cleared.

Warmth, song birds singing, the smell of apple blossoms and the many happy friendly folks out walking or biking the trail are the signs of the coming summer. Good work everyone.

The Walton Women’s Institute held a meeting at the Walton Hall last week. They invited members of other Huron-Perth institutes to attend. The afternoon was an information meeting on the changes to the Huron County Christmas Bureau. The program will now be administered by the Rural Response for Healthy Children. In the past, many people would buy extra Christmas gifts to donate to the bureau. The changes will be an appeal in the fall for monetary donations. These donations will then be used to buy gift cards from various stores and then given to those in need to get appropriate age gifts for their children. There were

about 20 ladies attending to hear the presentation. A light lunch was served and it was a lovely gathering for the ladies.

The Walton Hall was busy again on Friday evening with the gathering of family and friends for a bridal shower for Madison, the bride-to-be of Jordan Shortreed.

There were many members of the Shortreed and Williamson-Laverty connections attending. They played some bridal games. A lovely evening for all. The wedding will be held in June.

It is the beginning of ball season and the parks around the area will be getting busy with practices and games. The Walton Park will have the Walton Brewers playing on Tuesday evenings and the Ladies Walton Wonders playing on Thursday evenings. Check out your local parks and go out and see kids playing or adults later at night.

The Walton Brewers began their season on Tuesday night with a game against the Wroxeter Rippers, which the Brewers lost 8-5.

Celebrating birthdays this past week includes Gerry Ryan, Valerie Shortreed, Jonah Glanville, Hailey Bachert, Alexandra Humphries, Abby McGavin Gordon, Jessica Pennington, Megan Bowles, Emma Dalton, Darrell Dalton, Mary Pennington, Owen Jarosz, Teegan McGavin, Kaleb Wilts, Rosemary Baarda, Sharon Dalton, Scott McDonald, David Perrie, Beau Bowers, Rachel Grosvenor, Miles Linton, Anne Bosman, Rene Richmond and Emmalee Riley.

Happy birthday to all!

Going deep The Brussels Boys’ U17 Tigers team was in action for the first time in 2023 on Monday night, taking on a team from Wilmot in Brussels, officially opening the baseball season for the village. (John Stephenson photo)

HE to fly Pride flag in June

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen With little discussion or controversy, Huron East Council voted to fly the Pride flag at its municipal office and declare June as Pride Month.

At its May 16 meeting, council received a request from Huron County Pride to fly the flag and make the declaration, two moves that have stirred emotions and found varying levels of support from councillors in AshfieldColborne-Wawanosh and North Huron and were turned down in Central Huron.

Mayor Bernie MacLellan voiced

a concern about setting a precedent, wondering if, by agreeing to fly the Pride flag, that the municipality would then be bombarded with requests to fly other flags.

Deputy-Mayor Alvin McLellan echoed the mayor, though both noted they were very supportive of inclusion.

Councillor Larry McGrath said councillors should apply their own judgment when requests such as the one from Huron County Pride come in and make decisions on a case-bycase basis. He said he was supportive of flying the flag and, if council were to get another flag request that was less than agreeable - using a request to fly a Nazi flag

as an example of a clear situation in which council would say no council could have that discussion at the time. As for the Pride flag, however, he didn’t see a reason not to fly it.

He also added that he didn’t see the floodgates opening up for flag requests as a result of this decision.

The mayor, however, wondered aloud if the situation might have been different had the Toronto Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup, which elicited chuckles from around the council table.

Council voted to fly the Pride flag at the municipal office in Seaforth and declare June as being Pride Month in the municipality.

38th Annual Citizen of the Year Award Nominations Open Pictured from left, Zoey Onn being presented her 2021 Citizen of the Year award by North Huron Publishing member Ralph Watson.

There are so many people out there who do so much to improve their community.

This is your opportunity to show your appreciation for all they do.

Each year a committee chooses an outstanding citizen from each of the Blyth and area and Brussels and area communities and wider Huron County area to receive an award for contribution to the community. If you know someone you think should be honoured, please fill in the form and send it in. You may attach a longer explanation of why you think your nominee should win, if you like. If you have nominated someone before and they didn't win, we encourage you to submit again. Emailed submissions can be sent to Shawn Loughlin at editor@northhuron.on.ca I nominate ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ as Citizen of the year for

q

Blyth & area

q

Brussels & area

q

Huron County

I feel she/he deserves this award because ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

NEWS FROM WALTON

Nomination Deadline September 29, 2023.

Name and phone number of nominator Fax: 519-523-9140 Box 429, Blyth, ON N0M 1H0

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2023. PAGE 13.

519-523-4311

www.ruralvoice.ca

Agriculture

BLYTH 519-523-4244

+XURQ7UDFWRU FRP

Brussels Livestock report

Fed steers, heifers sell on strong, active trade Total receipts for the week ending May 19 were 1,375 cattle and 726 lambs and goats.

On Tuesday, fed steers and heifers sold on a strong active trade at steady prices. Choice steers and heifers sold $220 to $225; secondcut cattle sold $200 to $219; aged and medium-fed steers and heifers, $145 to $199; holstein steers and heifers, $125 to $170. Cows sold strong and steady. Fed cows sold $3 to $5 higher.

On Thursday, veal sold on an easier market with quality considered. Lambs, sheep and goats all sold higher.

On Friday, calves and yearlings sold on a strong active trade with prices $5 to $10 higher.

Steve Lobsinger of Palmerston, consigned two head. One black heifer weighed 1,470 lbs. and sold for a price of $224.

Glen Bieman of Ayton, consigned four head. One black steer weighed 1,400 lbs. and sold for a price of $225.50.

There were 180 cows on offer.

Beef sold $125 to $160 with sales to $184.50; good holstein cows, $130 to $166; medium holstein cows, $120 to $129. Bulls sold $125 to $174.

There were 160 head of veal on offer. Beef veal sold $212 to $257; good holsteins, $180 to $192 with sales to $204; SL heavy holsteins, $180 to $187; heavy holsteins, $150 to $182; medium holsteins, $170 to $179; plain holsteins, $155 to $169.

Jim Maw of Forest, consigned three head. One grey heifer

weighed 905 lbs. and sold for a price of $257.

Lambs under 50 lbs. sold $303 to $325; 50 - 64 lbs., $320 to $340; 65 - 79 lbs, $327.50 to $355; 80 - 94 lbs., $332.50 to $350; 95 - 109 lbs., $321.50 to $328; 110 lbs. and over, $190.75 to $285.

Goats: billies sold $150 to $350; nannies, $70 to $200; kids: meat, $400 to $695; dairy, $350 to $650.

Ungerer Farms Ltd. of Thedford, consigned 19 head. Eight lambs averaged 90 lbs. and sold for an average price of $350.

Lars Steunebrink of Kirkton, consigned 39 head. Seven lambs averaged 56 lbs. and sold for an average price of $695.

Cornelia Gulutzen of Listowel, consigned 23 head. Two kid goats averaged 57 lbs. and sold for an average price of $695.

Top quality stocker steers, 400 499 lbs. sold $351.50 to $397; 500 599 lbs., $356.75 to $372.50; 600 699 lbs., $315.50 to $339; 700 - 799 lbs., $315 to $338; 800 - 899 lbs., $293.50 to $300; 900 - 999 lbs., $275.50 to $290.50; 1,000 lbs. and over, $253 to $271.

Top quality stocker heifers, 400 499 lbs. sold $294.25 to $315; 500 599 lbs., $294 to $340; 600 - 699 lbs., $253 to $308; 700 - 799 lbs., $276 to $294; 800 - 899 lbs., $242.75 to $266; 900 lbs.and over, $239.50 to $263.

Jonas Miller of Lucknow, consigned 12 head. Six black heifers averaged 812 lbs. and sold for an average price of $266.

Ben Snyder of Beachberg,

consigned 62 head. Two black heifers averaged 783 lbs. and sold for an average price of $268.

Oscar Bauman of Wallenstein,

farmland protection. We request that the limited circumstances permitting residential lot creation in prime agricultural areas under the Provincial Policy Statement, 2020, be retained in the new Proposed Provincial Planning Statement.

Residential lot creation in agricultural areas has long been controversial and the detrimental impacts for agriculture are well demonstrated, including fragmentation of the agricultural land base, increased conflicts between neighbouring land uses, risk of inflating farmland prices and increasing costs to municipalities.

In addition, we have significant concerns regarding the speculative investment that this proposal will drive, resulting in farmland values that make farming even more unattainable for the next generation. Any policies that might open land for speculative purchase and investment need to be discouraged.

As farm leaders and organizations, we have worked diligently to manage and mitigate conflict between farming and nonfarming neighbours in all types of agriculture. The proposed changes Continued on page 15

Gary Zehr of Newton, consigned 18 head. Eight charolais steers averaged 919 lbs. and sold for an average price of $290.50.

Take it away!

The Huron 4-H Association recently held an e-waste collection day in Londesborough, welcoming members of the community to dispose of their unwanted electronics and help the association raise some funds for its activities. (John Stephenson photo)

Lions Duck Race coming

Farm groups unite to oppose Bill 97 The leadership of Ontario’s agricultural organizations (Peggy Brekveld, President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture; Max Hansgen, President, National Farmers Union-Ontario; Ed Scharringa, President, Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario; William Bearss, Chair, Ontario Broiler Hatching Egg and Chick Commission; Jack Chaffe, President, Beef Farmers of Ontario; John DeBruyn, Chair, Ontario Pork; Scott Helps, Chair, Egg Farmers of Ontario; Phil Kroesbergen, Veal Farmers of Ontario; Murray Opsteen, Chair, Chicken Farmers of Ontario; Bernard Pope, Chair and Martin Straathof, Executive Director, Ontario Farmland Trust; Brian Ricker, Chair, Turkey Farmers of Ontario, and Murray Sherk, Chair, Dairy Farmers of Ontario) are united in asking the Ontario government to take pause on its recently released Proposed Provincial Planning Statement and newly-proposed Bill 97.

We stand in strong opposition to the three lot severances per farm parcel proposed in prime agricultural areas, as well as other measures that weaken local

consigned 136 head. Nineteen gold steers averaged 758 lbs. and sold for an average price of $314.50.

Rev. Jan Aylward led the morning worship at Londesborough United Church on Sunday, May 21, also recognized as Ascension Sunday.

Her reflection was titled “Everything Fulfilled’ and her supporting scripture passage was Luke 24:44-53.

Following His resurrection on Easter Sunday, Jesus spent the next 40 days travelling and preaching with His disciples, preparing them for His ascension and fulfilling the promises of the Old Testament.

Now the disciples are realizing that Jesus is God and they now have a role to play in His ministry. That ascension into heaven was the beginning of the ministry of the disciples and, therefore, the beginning of our ministry.

Jan pointed out that each of us needs to be more open to the world around us and put God into our actions. As she remarked God is asking “Can I get a witness?”

Post time for the annual duck race sponsored by the Londesborough Lions Club is 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 28. The ducks go in the water in the area of Al and Barb Bosman’s home at the end of Trueman Street. Hopefully there

will be enough water for them to paddle successfully along the way to the drain crossing on the Londesborough Road, in the area of the former Millar farm. The Lions will be grilling hot dogs and offering soft drinks and water to spectators/cheerleaders.

I expect that the joy and emotions around the wedding in the tent at the north end of the village last Saturday overcame the all-day rain the area got that day. Naturally a lovely sunny day had been hoped for. Hopefully the young couple don’t take the rain as a bad omen!

Mother Nature had other plans, knowing the area was in need of moisture. We had to take a short road trip on the holiday Monday and I noticed the Saturday rain and a couple days of warm weather has

given the newly-planted fields a slight green haze, indicating the crop is up. That large field of canola that is in full bloom right now just south of Vanastra was a glorious sight!

May 31 and June 1 are the dates for getting that box of books out of the closet and delivered to the Trinity Anglican Church in Blyth.

The Blyth Annual Book Sale that benefits the Blyth Repository of History takes place there on June 23. Drop off the books you’ve read one day and the next day find new ones to enjoy.

The sign at Sparling’s currently caught my eye as a truism: “It’s not the mountain we conquer. It’s ourselves.” It brought to mind another old saying, “Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.”

Courage in the face of those “mountains” we face is the key.

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

NEWS FROM LONDESBORO

Visit our webpage at: www.brusselslivestock.ca email us at: info@brusselslivestock.ca

Call us 519-887-6461

PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2023.

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

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

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

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

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

Coming events PLANT AUCTION, MONDAY, May 29, 2023 at 7 p.m. at the Auburn Hall, 44 Hardwood Line, Auburn. Donations can be dropped off at 1 p.m. For more information contact Marita Oudshoorn at 519-955-2953.

Hosted by the Auburn Horticulture Society.

-------------------------------------------150TH ANNIVERSARY LUCKNOW Presbyterian Church, Sunday, May 28, 11 a.m. Guest minister, Rev. Theresa McDonald-Lee, executive director at Camp Kintail. Special music by the Kingsbridge Quartet.

Lunch and fellowship to follow. All welcome.

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

Bridal Shower for

Colleen Caesar fiancée of Patrick Rushton on

Sunday, May 28 at 2 pm at the Brussels Legion 620 Turnberry St., Brussels

Citizen-To-Citizen

“SWAP SHOP” ad

“One person’s junk is another’s treasure”

• Free ad up to 25 words, person to person only (no businesses), items valued at $1,000 or less.

Price must be included in your ad.Your ad will run three times unless it sells faster!

• The Citizen reserves the right to limit the number of items or ads per person.

Call 519-523-4792 or email: info@northhuron.on.ca FOR SALE - firewood – dried hardwood, $60 per cord, five or six available. Pick up only! Call or text 226-880-1689.

21-3 ------------------------------------------FOR SALE - white metal dryer lift 24"x27" $20; RH golf clubs, $20; Shish Kabob for barbecue, $20; drip pattern willow 9" plates, 5/$40; four all-season tires 245/70R17, $100. Call 519-357-0856.

20-3 ------------------------------------------FOR SALE - 10 grey plastic lawn chairs, $4 each. 226-880-1689.

20-3 ------------------------------------------FOR SALE - one fold-up bicycle, 20" tires great for RV or SUV or boat, $60, Seaforth. 519-527-0734.

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Wawanosh 4-H Club gets digging

Births

The Citizen

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A spin around

Phil Beard recently took members of the Wawanosh 4-H Club for a tour of the Wingham Community Garden and Orchard, which supplies hundreds of pounds of food for the North Huron Community Food Share, based in Wingham. (Courtesy photo)

By Kayla Drennan The fifth meeting of the Wawanosh 4-H Club’s “Let’s Get Growing” club was held on Tuesday, May 16 at 7 p.m. at the Wingham Community Garden and Orchard. President Hailey Hanna opened the meeting with the 4-H pledge and Henry Drennan did attendance.

Hailey then started roll call,

which was a game of charades and the topics were things to do in a garden or what you get from one.

Phil Beard, who organizes the Wingham Community Garden and Orchard, gave the members a tour of the garden and orchard. In 2022, the garden provided 1,475 pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables to the North Huron Food Share.

Following the tour, the members

worked on the garden by picking weeds in the raised beds.

Afterwards, they all gathered back at the picnic table and leader Mary Ellen Foran asked members if they had any ideas for achievement and assigned homework to be done by the next meeting.

Hailey closed the meeting with the 4-H motto, “Learn to Do by Doing”.

By Elise Otten The fourth meeting of the Wawanosh 4-H Club’s Let’s Get Growing Club was held on Tuesday, May 9 at the Manchester Park in Auburn at 7 p.m.

President Hailey Hanna opened the meeting with the 4-H pledge, then led roll call, which asked members how their Tomatosphere seeds were doing and when they had sprouted. Most members had at least two tomato plants that had sprouted, some had all four. Next, Clara DeBoer read the minutes from the third meeting.

The club then walked to Lisa Boonstoppel-Pot’s home to check out her gardens. Lisa is a master gardener, so she had lots of gardening tips and ideas for the members.

When the group was back at the park, they talked about what they had learned from Lisa. Then they played a game of fact or fiction about gardening, food security and food waste.

The members then filled out a sheet that had the four different seasons. They had to write down what Ontario grown fruit and vegetable would be available/grown in each season.

Members also came up with recipe ideas for each season.

The club then enjoyed some delicious cookies made from leftover granola from a previous meeting. Leaders then handed out planters that were supplied by 4-H Canada.

Hailey closed the meeting with the 4-H motto.

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

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2023. PAGE 15.

Agricultural groups voice concerns over proposals

Fishy Friday

The Wingham Knights of Columbus held one of their regular fish fry meals on Friday, creating the perfect lead-in for the long weekend many consider to be the unofficial start of the summer in Canada. It ran from lunch through to dinner. (John Stephenson photo)

Wilbee to speak at Knox United PEOPLE AROUND BELGRAVE

By Linda Campbell Call 357-2188

On Sunday, May 21, Licensed Lay Worship Leader Susan Barnett was the worship leader at Knox United Church, Belgrave.

After Susan welcomed the congregation, the call to worship was read responsively and the Christ candle was it.

The first hymn that was sung was, “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name”.

The scripture lessons were read from Acts 1: 6-14, Psalm 68 and John 17: 1-11. The final hymn, “We Are One” and the singing of “Gow Now in Peace” concluded the morning worship service.

Gloria Wilbee will be the guest speaker on Sunday, May 28.

Everyone is welcome.

Things to ponder: “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. Your mind is the garden. Your thoughts are the seed. You can grow flowers or you can grow weeds. Life is not the way

it’s supposed to be, it is the way it is. The way we cope with it makes the difference.”

Birthday greetings are extended to Donna Shaw on May 29.

Enjoy your day. Also on the same day it is my birthday. Our daughterin-law Stacy’s birthday is on May 28.

The Community Coffee Break was held on Tuesday, May 23 at the Community Centre. It’s a good time to get together for coffee, fellowship and snacks.

Continued from page 13 will exacerbate conflict between farming and non-farming neighbours for all aspects of farming including application of crop nutrition and crop protection products, wildlife control and more.

We support Minimum Distance Separation (MDS) and see it as a valuable tool to minimize conflicts between farm operations and residential areas with respect to livestock operations. Additional lot severances proposed will make it difficult or impossible for farmers to operate, expand and grow their farms.

We do not support policies that will increase residential lot creation in prime agricultural areas or in rural areas that are actively farmed.

Ontario boasts some of Canada’s richest and most fertile farmland and these policy changes put the sustainability of that land and the food system it provides at great risk.

Ontario’s agri-food sector is an economic powerhouse, fuelling rural communities, generating nearly 750,000 jobs and contributing more than $47 billion to Ontario’s annual GDP. The province’s agri-food strategy, Grow Ontario, aims to strengthen the agri-food sector, support economic growth and ensure an efficient, reliable and responsible food supply. Ontario’s farmers are positioned to seize opportunities and rise to the challenge of an ambitious growth strategy, allowing the agri-food sector to drive the economy forward. To farm, we need farmland.

Ontario’s productive farmland is a scarce resource, making up less than five per cent of all the land in the province. It is our unwavering position that agricultural production is the most valued and best use of this land. We believe in

the importance of a healthy, viable and sustainable supply of food products grown, harvested and processed right here at home. We are confident that long-term food system security for the people of Ontario, Canada and the world is a shared priority with the general public and our governments.

Collectively, we seek your commitment to preserving Ontario’s farmland and specialty croplands across the province. The implications of Bill 97 and the Proposed Provincial Planning Statement for Ontario agriculture are significant and concerning for the agriculture and agri-food sector.

These decisions will have longterm, intergenerational implications for Ontario farmers, food security, water resources and the agri-food economy.

Directing growth to settlement areas, urban and rural is better for both agriculture and municipalities.

Housing needs can be met in serviced settlement areas on a much smaller land base.

This reduces farmland loss and potential land use conflicts while encouraging ongoing investment in farm and farmrelated businesses.

It also ensures efficient use of municipal infrastructure investments and reduces costs to provide

services. Responsible land-use planning is critical to balancing the needs of our growing communities and to ensure that our agriculture and agri-food sector survives and thrives.

We ask for the opportunity to work together with the government to develop a way forward to support and create the framework for needed housing and development while ensuring the long-term success and viability of the agriculture sector in this province.

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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 $8.00.

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NEWS FROM BELGRAVE

When you buy an ad from us, you are supporting local. Our entire staff - editor, publisher, reporter, sales rep. production coordinator, designer, photographer, columnists, correspondents, freelancers, proofreaders and mail crew all live and spend right here in Huron County.

Mark Zuckerberg and Google probably won’t send a photographer to your event or a reporter to interview the chair of your service club or attend five municipal councils on your behalf.

We have 2000 newspapers that go out every week that are each read by an average of four people. These readers shop locally, so this is a win-win-win scenario.

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PO Box 429 Blyth, ON N0M 1H0

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519-523-4792 huroncitizen.ca

PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2023.

From the Minister’s Study

Jesus offers us the glory, hope of vulnerability

By Rev. Alex Jebson, Blyth and Brussels United Churches I hope I don’t get a ticking off from the fine folks of The Citizen for saying this, because I do consider this publication a wonderful one. But I have to say, sometimes I just don’t like the news, whether it is in written word or on the screen. I don’t think I’m alone in this, as I know plenty of folks who have taken steps to limit the amount of information they take in day by day.

Part of it is just how heartbreaking and frustrating some of the news can be. The world isn’t just fluff pieces, unfortunately. We hear of the continuing devastation of war in Sudan, Ukraine and other places. We bear witness to the senseless shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl for ringing the wrong doorbell, a criminalization of Blackness. We see with concern the raging fires in Alberta and the several other environmental crises.

And in the past couple of weeks, we’ve all got to read the debates around Pride flags and education.

Some are refusing to see the flags and media representation as a needed symbol of support for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community (of which I am a part) and human rights in general, instead trying to claim that it’s better to avoid conflict. I hate to break it to you, but if your response to increased attacks against a marginalized community at home and abroad isn’t visible support but instead trying to make us invisible, you’re basically saying the quiet part out loud that you’d rather people like me didn’t exist.

But that’s a sermon for another time, and if you want to chat with me directly about it, consider this an open invitation.

Another part of the news that can be hard to take in is the eye-witness accounts. A part of me has always been irked by the way in which some reporters push into very intense and emotional situations.

On the other hand, the testimony of witnesses on the ground can provide some clarity for a situation that can easily become fuddled, and provide some empowerment for people who feel helpless in a situation.

Though it is hard to witness, we are called to look upon the world that God loves, and to be in it. But in the face of such losses and injustices, we can be at a loss of where to look. We might become so fixated on one point so as to miss the forest for the trees. Our senses

might become numbed, not taking in anything around us.

As we come to the end of the Easter season, we are given one final headline-grabbing narrative in the Ascension of Jesus. It’s the opening of the Book of Acts (Acts 1:1-11), the top story, where Jesus departs from the disciples in the days leading up to their receiving the Holy Spirit. In many ways, we are like the disciples on Mount Olivet, looking in disbelief and confusion at the scene in front of them.

For those who have trouble with the way that the Ascension of Jesus is described in the text, we need to cut the disciples a bit of slack. Most of us would be at a loss of words with a microphone and camera trained right on us. What they experienced was something that put them at a loss for words, so they turned to the ancient phrases and promises that they had in their faith dictionary to help make sense of what was happening.

This scene that they were witnessing was as dramatic and amazing as so many other moments in their journey with Jesus. These were people that would have borne witness to the amazing view of

thousands of people on a hillside, and the amazement of calmed storms and Jesus walking on water.

They would have seen the joyous crowds waving palms, the turn of hearts and cries of the most vulnerable, and the death of their leader in the most humiliating way.

Then they had seen with joy and amazement the Risen Christ in several different encounters. Pretty hard to put into a soundbite.

And now, they were witnessing the glory of God in Christ, the next act of God, and the preparation for the birth of the Church. The glory of Christ can only be described by them as being “lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.” It reminds me of one of my favourite news blooper clips, where a surfer being interviewed about the local surfing conditions can only come up with: “You just drop in and, you just, smack it, Wha-Pow, drop down. Baaaa! And then you get pitted.”

Sometimes we just don’t have the words. Sometimes we just don’t want to see.

Sure, the shining Jesus ascending into the clouds would make for a great opener for the nightly news.

But in the wake of all the tragedies

Wingham United Church 217 Minnie Street, Wingham Sunday Morning Worship at 9:30 am Sunday School at 10:30 am Service live-streamed at 9:30 am and recorded on YouTube Rev. Colin S. Snyder rev.colinsnyder@gmail.com Wheelchair accessible 519-357-2961 and parking

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this scene is seeing the kind of glory that was being celebrated, the kind of throne to which Christ ascended. The glory and hope that Jesus lived out and offered to us all is a glory of vulnerability. A glory that didn’t lord over people, but offered peace and wholeness to people; a glory that was truly for the last and least.

We are seeing the glory of God in Christ anew, not just in the ascended Jesus, but in the continuing fulfillment and care of the lowly and marginalized, the mucky glory on which Jesus’ ministry thrived. We see both the brilliance of Christ, and the presence of God in the brokenhearted and those in need of hope, faith and justice.

So, this is the ascended Jesus we honour. The one who offers true care and hope for those on the Continued on page 19

BRUSSELS

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

The Regional Re Ministry off Hope ope

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and uncertainties that we continue to witness, maybe this isn’t the image we want to see. We don’t want to see all the brilliant, shiny times when so many others are in the throes of sorrow.

But in this scene, we can find more solidarity with those witnesses to challenges. The disciples were celebrating the culmination of Christ’s ministry, but that culmination left them with a sense of déjà vu, a sense of being alone and aimless, forced to face the powers and pains of the world alone. They were still confused just how justice and hope would truly function in their lives. And, in the face of that confusion, there was an enduring promise offered by God, a promise and delivering of a presence of shalom, comforting those who mourn, and taking on our questions, protests and visions.

And one final thing to look at in

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

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

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2023. PAGE 17.

ers t t e L TO THE

OR T I ED Planning proposals concern architect To Lisa Thompson, MPP for Huron-Bruce and Shawn Loughlin, Editor, The Citizen RE: Proposed New Residential Lots, New residential lots should not be created within any existing Green Belt areas in Ontario. The recent creation of residential lots in the Green Belt north of Toronto needs to be stopped and/or reversed to not permit residential development.

The provincial proposal to create new residential lots within our existing agricultural areas throughout Ontario, and especially in Huron County and other equallysignificant agricultural areas, needs to be seriously reviewed, extensively revised, and completely changed to protect our prime agricultural lands as they have been protected for the past 50 years.

The requirements of the provincial “three-lot” proposal, to include one lot for an existing residence and two adjacent lots for additional residences that are all to be compatible with agriculture and

not hinder agriculture production, are requirements that can not be met in reality.

Single residential lots could be appropriately created by using the areas where farmhouses have been torn down and not converted to agricultural uses.

There are “pockets” of non-arable land and “pockets” of land that, for one reason or another, are not used for agricultural purposes. These “pockets” are hit-and-miss throughout our prime agricultural lands. Initially these “pockets” may appear to be unsuitable for development. Through appropriate use of the endless venues of technologies, these “pockets” can and would become viable residential properties. They would not create the volume of residential lots created by the “three-lot” proposal, but they will appropriately create additional residential lots within prime agricultural lands.

Residential development that does not affect our existing Green Belt areas and that does not affect our existing prime and productive agricultural areas has to be appropriately done, not unrealistically superimposed onto us.

Favorable consideration about these concerns will be appreciated.

Yours truly, John Rutledge, architect.

Jewitt disappointed in Pride decision When I first made the decision to run for Central Huron Council a

number of years ago, I did so with the belief that the decisions I made should be in the best interest of my community. It wasn’t an avenue to promote my personal beliefs, but rather that the decisions should be a reflection of who we are as a community. I also understood that there would be times that my decisions may not line up with where I was personally, but the interests of the municipality should always take precedence.

As a member of council, I made a conscious decision to not bring forward a suggestion to fly the Pride flag, as I felt that requests in this vein would be more broadly supported if brought forward by community members. When I was a member of Huron County Council, a request was brought forward and only then did I speak in favour of the request. The request was to fly the Pride flag and also proclaim Pride Month.

I spoke in favour of flying the Pride flag and as there was a policy that conflicted with the proclamation, I supported not moving forward with the proclamation at that time. I believe that there are times when incremental change is a path forward. Huron County Council voted to move forward with flying the Pride flag and I supported this decision. Even after Huron County moved forward I still felt that for Central Huron, the request should come from a community member. I was saddened to read that when this request was brought forward that Central Huron council made the decision to not fly the Pride flag.

When I originally ran for Central

Huron Council I made sure that I wasn’t critical of the previous council. I’ve always prided myself on being fair and respectful of decisions that are different from my own. As a member of council, I believe that I could cogently put forward my position and regardless of whether my position was in the majority, I supported the direction of council as I had, and continue to have, a great deal of respect for council members. It is in this spirit that I offer council my thoughts on this issue.

I support municipalities flying the Pride flag for a number of reasons.

The 2SLGBTQ community has had to fight for rights that many Canadians have always had. Their lived experience is very different than the majority; whether it be that at one time they may have potentially been imprisoned for their lifestyle, to having to fight for the right to simply marry the person they love, they have had to fight for acceptance. One of the reports I received as a member of county council indicated that 2SLGBTQ youth attempt to die by suicide at four times the rate of their peers.

We know that 2SLGBTQ youth have poorer mental health and are overrepresented in our homeless population. The statistic that stands out to me, is that 2SLGBTQ youth are four times more likely to attempt to die by suicide because of who they are.

By any measure, as a member of council, that number is unacceptable and action should be taken to mitigate this fact. I believe that if municipalities were to fly the Pride flag and demonstrate that they

are an ally of the 2SLGBTQ community that there would be greater acceptance and the path for youth to adulthood may be less fraught. If we normalize acceptance of the 2SLGBTQ community it lessens stigma and perhaps one less youth who identifies as 2SLGBTQ wouldn’t be bullied or wouldn’t attempt to die by suicide. My support is in part predicated on that rationale.

It is an interesting read to see why municipal councils refuse to fly the Pride flag.

The idea that if we approve one we will have a number of other requests to approve is disingenuous.

Councils approve and deny requests all the time. Acceptance of an issue in front of council doesn’t guarantee acceptance for other issues. Each issue is dealt with on its merit and either approved or denied.

The fact that municipalities may have bylaws that prevent flags other than federal, provincial or municipal from flying and the reasoning is that those flags represent everyone equally. Women didn’t have the right to vote until 1918 in Canada. Today, women make on average approximately 25 per cent less than their male counterparts. Indigenous Canadians were placed in residential schools to strip away their identity and assimilate them into white culture.

The Separate Schools Act, which permitted racial segregation in Ontario schools, was only brought forward to be repealed in 1964.

Members of the 2SLGBTQ community were criminalized for Continued on page 19

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PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2023.

The distinctive cement blocks of the Blyth Inn were made by hand by Andy McNally.

Several other Blyth buildings feature the same blocks.

Read more in the Blyth Repository of History.

405 Queen St., Blyth 519-523-4792 blythrepositoryofhistory.ca

The Citizen, May 20, 1998

Fridays

Leadership in energy and environmental design

Devon Henry 84772 McDonald Line • Box 616 • Brussels

devonjhenry@hotmail.com 519-505-2473

The Citizen, May 9, 2013

The Citizen, May 16, 2013

The Citizen, May 9, 2013

The Citizen, May 23, 2013

The Citizen, May 6, 1998

THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2023. PAGE 19.

Celebrate the Risen Lord’s ministry for the marginalized

The boys of summer

The Brussels Tigers minor fastball season officially got underway on Monday night with the U17 Boys taking on a team from Wilmot, beginning late into the evening of Victoria Day. (John Stephenson photo)

he Letters To T

Editor

Flag should create equality and equity Continued from page 17 engaging in same sex relations up until 1969. Same sex marriage only became legally available in 2005.

The Statistics Canada report for 2021 shows a 107 per cent increase in hate crimes based on sexual orientation in Ontario.

I love my country and I love and respect the federal, provincial and municipal flags, but there are nuances in how people feel that those flags represent them based on their lived experiences. Without a doubt, those flags adequately represent many, but they may not be enough to fully represent the broad spectrum of peoples who haven’t always been fully recognized in our society. I believe there is also space to display flags for those people that have been marginalized.

Courageous politicians who recognized these inequities made choices that benefitted those who had been mistreated in our communities. If your policy is not to fly any other flags, then your policy is an incomplete and outdated representation of who we are and it should be changed. As a note, I believe that the current Central Huron flag policy (Bylaw 69-2015) allows for consideration that different flags be flown with council’s approval.

There was a suggestion that everyone is equal, so no need to give special consideration.

Undoubtedly yes, we are equal, but how many other groups have had their lifestyle criminalized in our history? How many other groups

were denied the right to marry?

How many other groups are overrepresented in mental health, hate crime and suicide statistics? As a member of council, I always understood that equality doesn’t equate to equity. Sadly, there are a number of elected officials who don’t take into consideration this important point of distinction when making decisions. How many members of council are comfortable with women being paid on average approximately 25 per cent less than their male counterparts?

Men and women are equal, so when municipalities set wage rates, one of the considerations is that it conforms to pay equity in Ontario.

We do this not because we are elevating anyone above another, we do this because equality and equity are two different concepts. We do this because it’s the right thing to do to continue to correct the imbalance between rates of pay for men and women.

For me, the choice to fly the Pride flag isn’t about elevating a group above any other. It’s simply an acknowledgment that the history of the 2SLGBTQ community has been markedly different than most and that homophobia and this history have led to greater negative outcomes. If the community acknowledges the Pride flag, we can demonstrate that we are an accepting and inclusive community and perhaps make someone’s life path a little easier.

I started by indicating that I made decisions in the best interest of the community. It was important to me that not only did my decisions reflect who we are in the present, but also what and who we wanted to be in the future. Statistics Canada indicates that of those Canadians that identify as 2SLGBTQ, 30 per cent are under the age of 24 and only seven per cent are over the age of 65. Decisions need to be reflective of what and who our future looks like and elected

Continued from page 16 margins and those suffering, because he, in glory, embodied and took on for us the same marginalization and suffering. In him, from early beginnings through this glorious epilogue, we are shown a different way. A wisdom and love that once and for all can break the systems and powers and attitudes that hurt us, if we work alongside the promised Spirit. This is what we witness.

It’s an amazing sight, and a lot to take in. But we can’t just keep looking up. The pastor Richard Landers puts it this way: “Ascensions and moments of divine encounter can dazzle us so that we forget the surrounding world. We glory in the moment, only to find that God has moved on, and so must we… In community we live together through intense moments of divine revelation, and we stand together when God is hidden from our gaze.”

We stand together and bear the struggles of the world with the wisdom and love that Christ taught, and look with the “eyes of our hearts enlightened”, as Paul puts it in Ephesians 1:18. Looking with our hearts allows us to approach these situations in our communities and world with empathy and faith.

Heading down the mountain, we officials should not be contributing to the disengagement and marginalization of those who are not currently part of our government structure.

I also believe that one of the roles of a councillor is to advocate for the disadvantaged and disenfranchised members of my community and for those whose voices are sometimes not heard. I believed that if my vote could make a difference in someone’s life that should be the choice I would make. The decision

by Central Huron Council is, I believe, a missed opportunity to listen to those voices and make our community a safer place.

The flying of the Pride flag for me isn’t about giving special consideration or primacy to anyone.

It isn’t about stripping away anyone’s identity or telling people how they must view an issue. It’s about making the community a safer place for everyone. It’s about trying to mitigate the four-times factor in youth 2SLGBTQ suicide and the 107 per cent increase in hate crimes. It’s about allowing everyone the right to live their authentic lives. It’s about creating equality and equity. It’s about making a meaningful impact in a person’s life. It’s about the potential to save a life. That’s all it’s about for me.

Dave Jewitt Central Huron.

can trust in God’s presence. The microphone shoved into our faces, we can faithfully speak of the promise and the current living out of justice and righteousness, calling out the violence, power, and selfishness that tries to deny God’s presence in the Spirit.

With the eyes of our hearts, filled with hope and assurance of God’s continuing presence, we are called to look up and around, seeing the wondrous way that God sustains us in Creation, and the enthroned Christ that treasures and lives out our laments, questions, protests, praise and thanks. We are called to look at those around us. Take hope and help with those whom the Spirit is inspiring to serve and comfort, who live out the glory that is solidarity, supporting, grieving, and going up against all that is unjust.

Our discipleship in the ascended Christ doesn’t stop at “good enough for some” or “consider yourself lucky to live here and not elsewhere.” The promise of the Spirit prompts us to promise ourselves to more active and vocal discipleship. Just as we are not abandoned by God, we cannot abandon our marginalized, racialized and 2SLGBTQIA+ siblings, and we cannot stop challenging those who confuse checking their privilege with oppression (ourselves included).

With the eyes of our hearts, we look within, affirming our own role as witnesses; we don’t allow ourselves to be stuck looking up.

Instead, we trust in the Spirit’s

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wisdom and vitality to guide us to the places we need to go (and sometimes don’t want to). We vulnerably, yet faithfully, look beyond, at the promise of hope and life where justice and love can truly be known, with ourselves and our witness contributing towards it.

Looking through the lens of a Christ whose glory is made known for those who need it most, we find hope and purpose. We aren’t caught on camera like a deer in headlights, but instead point through and beyond ourselves towards others, and towards a God whose love is reigning over us. May our words, our times at a loss for words, and our words to come celebrate our Risen Lord’s ministry for the marginalized, our relationship with our Maker, and seek out the Spirit’s justice-seeking presence with us.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

You are invited to a

90th

Birthday Celebra琀on honouring

Audrey Fenton Sunday, June 4th

1­4 pm Auburn Memorial Hall 44 Hardwood Line, Auburn Join us for cake and refreshments Best Wishes Only

Sudoku Solution Written by Warren L. Robinson & Mary Murdoch Directed by Warren L. Robinson • Music by Eleanor Robinson Stage Manager Shelley Morley

June 2, 3, 9 & 10, 2023 at 8 p.m.

June 4 & 11, 2023 at 2 p.m.

Doors open one hour prior / tickets available at the door Adults $20 / Students $10 / Under 12 $5 Kingsbridge Centre 84675A Bluewater Highway, RR #3, Goderich, ON

PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2023.

Working with iron Glimpses of the Past with Karen Webster

O

f all the enterprises that were necessary for the success of early, and later, settlers, chief would be the blacksmith.

What then is a blacksmith?

According to definition, it is a person who makes and repairs things in iron by hand. Blacksmiths who specialized in the forging of shoes for horses were called farriers. The term blacksmith derives from iron, formerly called “black metal,” and that of farrier from the Latin ferrum, the word for iron. Blacksmithing had its roots in the Iron Age, over 3,000 years ago. The tools of the trade would be a source of heat to raise the temperature of the metal to make it malleable (forge), a strong hard surface to shape the molten metal against (anvil) and various striking tools (hammers) to force the metal into the desired shape. There would also be fuel such as charcoal or coal and an air system to cause the fire to burn as hot as possible (bellows).

Almost all Huron County settlements had at least one blacksmith to make and repair horseshoes, fashion and repair the

iron rings that girded the wooden wagon wheels as well as fabricate and repair parts of any and all tools needed to carry on the businesses of farming and industry. They worked on just about everything made of metal, such as nails, plows, pots, knives, hinges and latches for doors and windows, and kitchen utensils.

The work of a blacksmith, or smithy, was not for the faint of heart, because it involved working in heat and dust and required a strong back and muscular arms.

Among the many early blacksmiths in this area were: George May, one of the first settlers of Nile; Charles Rouse, who first worked at Lanesville in Ashfield Township and then moved to a shop north of Blyth; Jack Ryan in Dungannon; Frank Scott in Bluevale; Archibald Matheson in Clinton; John Bray of Glenannon and William James Sims of Blyth.

One person who began his career as a traditional blacksmith and then transitioned with the times was David Ewan, who had a shop on the main street of Londesborough.

David was born in Perthshire, Scotland in 1882, and it was there that he learned the trade of blacksmithing, starting at the age of 17. He apprenticed for the meager sum of two pounds a year.

In 1911, he married Margaret Hamilton, and in May of 1913, David and Margaret sailed on the Letitia arriving in Quebec. They settled in Brussels, where David worked with his uncle, Dan Ewan, in his carriage and repair works.

When William Armstrong’s blacksmith shop in Londesborough became available, David purchased it in 1919.

The work of a smithy required stamina. David once related that in a period of one 11-hour day, and with the assistance of his helper, Dougal McDougall, he set eight wagon tires and put on 106 horseshoes. Another apprentice that David had was his nephew, Peter Brown, also from Scotland, who worked with him for 15 years.

Though Peter later moved to

Windsor, to work as a maintenance man at the Ford plant there, he never forgot his uncle and was a frequent visitor in Londesborough. Since David and Margaret never had any children, perhaps Peter filled that role in their lives.

David’s shop had a close call in 1936, when several Londesborough buildings caught fire. The store next to the smithy burned and one wall of David’s business was damaged.

David suffered burns to his hands and face when the wall of McCool’s store collapsed.

In addition to his blacksmith work, David was the local agent for the International Harvester Company for 22 years, and, as such, sold the first tractor in Londesborough.

David must have been quite inventive, because he fashioned mechanical iron hands for two different gentlemen, William Kechnie and Adam Nicholson, as well as a leg brace for a three-yearold boy to help straighten the lad’s leg.

Various newspaper reports tell us that David was a sociable fellow who spent much time visiting friends and relatives, as well as entertaining them.

Time takes its toll on everyone, and, by 1963, when David was 81 years old, having decades’

experience as a metal worker, he was ready to hang up his welding helmet.

A clearing auction sale was held at the premises on the main street in Londesborough. On offer were a drill press, an acetylene welder, a Champion forge blower with pipes and grates, a complete set of handmade blacksmith’s tongs, as well as a large assortment of tools and supplies.

After a few years of hospital stays and suffering from bronchial trouble, David Ewan died in April of 1970. He was laid to rest in Londesborough Cemetery beside his wife, Margaret, who had predeceased him in 1955.

With the advent of acetylene torches and electric welders, the need for the open flame of the smithy almost became a thing of the past. Change is inevitable and the work of the blacksmith became that of welders, metal fabricators and farriers.

Some craftspeople still pursue a career in blacksmithing. For a trip to the past, one should venture to the Huron Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association show that is held on the second weekend of September in Blyth. There, Jim Wallace, of Sharp’s Creek Forge, demonstrates blacksmithing using authentic equipment and techniques.

Spring Reads DANCING WITH THE SHADOWS Abby was eight when her grandmother, Gwynth’s spirit first appeared. Although Abby had never met her, she felt her grandmother wanted to tell her something. Every second chapter takes us back to Gwynth’s story in Huron County. This novel highlights the importance of pursuing the truth to reach closure. $25.00

Back on track

EVEN COWS GO TO HEAVEN Linda Knox tells the often funny story of her father Melville Knox who was born near Stratford, trained at Ontario Veterinary College, and practiced veterinary medicine in Grey County for many years. $14.95

250 GLUTEN-FREE FAVORITES Discover tasty and innovative ideas for everything from baked goods, pasta dishes, appetizers and family meals to mouth-watering desserts. As a bonus, many of the recipes are dairy-free, egg-free and white sugar-free. $27.95

NEVER SAY DIE The fourth in the best-selling series of books on the hilarious adventures of Dr. Dave Perrin, the British Columbia vet. Read about him dealing with pigs that beep, heifers from hell, goats that definitely have his number and his faithful dog Lug. $23.95

175 BEST JAMS, JELLIES, MARMALADES AND OTHER SOFT SPREADS Jam recipes from Apricot to Caramel Apple, jellies from Apple Cider to Pomegranate, marmalades from Bing Cherry to Tangelo plus much more. $24.95

I WANT TO BE A FIREFIGHTER A child’s introduction into what it’s like to be a reallife firefighter. $3.99

The Clinton Raceway opened its season on Sunday, with the first harness races at the grandstand since late last summer. The first races benefitted Central Huron Secondary School, which meant a visit from the school’s mascot, who greeted race-goers throughout the day. (John Stephenson photo)

THE NATURALLY CLEAN HOME Common, non-toxic kitchen ingredients such as baking soda, borax and vinegar are effective household cleaners. Pair them with essential oils to disinfect and freshen each room. 150 recipes for all-natural cleaning. $16.95

BUILD YOUR SPACE Are you looking for ways to create wheelchair accessible accommodations? Author, Julie Sawchuk guides you through the process of planning an accessible space, from a single bathroom to a whole home. $20.00

THE HANDMADE MARKETPLACE: How to Sell Your Crafts Locally, Globally and Online (Second Edition) Kari Chapin has worked in marketing and publicity and managed a retail store selling artisan goods. Now she helps crafters sell their goods with this manual. $25.95

The Citizen 405 Queen St., Blyth 519-523-4792

NEVER SELL YOUR HEN ON A RAINY DAY Some of those old weather sayings really do make sense. This book explains why. $8.95