The Citizen - Nov. 19, 2020

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Thursday, November 19, 2020

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Volume 36 No. 47

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C. Huron to retain its wards

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

Remembering in 2020 Branches of the Royal Canadian Legion marked Remembrance Day last week, but it will be a year many members will never forget due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the guidance of Huron Perth Public Health, Legions

were advised to hold closed-to-the-public ceremonies and stream them online. Above, Brussels Legion President Jamie Mitchell laid one of the few wreaths at the ceremony, with most being set up before the ceremony began. (Shawn Loughlin photo)

Despite directing staff to investigate dissolution of the ward system at its last meeting, Central Huron Council has called off that project, opting to retain the ward system through the 2022 municipal election.

Council discussed the issue on Monday night, debating Clerk Kerri Ann O’Rourke’s report on the matter. Several councillors said they had spoken to ratepayers on the issue since the last meeting and they felt the ward system should remain intact.

Councillor Marg Anderson said, using an issue discussed earlier in the evening regarding a dispute near the lakeshore as an example, it was essential to have representatives from throughout the municipality to know the issues. Furthermore, she said, in municipal elections people vote for the people they know and if everyone comes from one community, that could be lost.

Deputy-Mayor Dave Jewitt shared similar concerns, saying that if a special interest group wanted to take over council and have a handful of members run, regardless of where they live, that could be problematic as well.

Councillors didn’t engage in too much conversation on the issue before directing staff to end its research and leave things the way they are. Council passed a motion to that effect.

Over 70 active COVID-19 cases in Huron-Perth

By Denny Scott The Citizen Huron and Perth Counties have 45 more cases of COVID-19 than last Monday, and while many of them are related to an outbreak at Stratford’s Cedarcroft Place retirement home, there are a number of community cases as well.

As of Monday, Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) reported there have been 248 confirmed cases of

COVID-19 in the two counties since the pandemic began in March, with 72 cases considered active. With eight deaths now reported at Cedarcroft Place, there have been a total of 13 deaths in Huron and Perth Counties.

HPPH reports that, currently, there are two outbreaks at local care facilities: Cedarcroft Place retirement home and Knollcrest Lodge in Perth East where one staff member tested positive for the virus.

While there have been no outbreaks at local schools, Shakespeare Public School and Milverton Public School have both had confirmed cases, according to Huron Perth Medical Officer of Health Dr. Miriam Klassen.

On Monday, Klassen said that of the 72 active cases in Huron and Perth, many are tied to the Cedarcroft Place retirement home, but there are also currently 17 active cases in Perth East, she said. There

have also been several hospitalizations.

Klassen also reported that Huron and Perth Counties are now in the Yellow level of the province’s COVID-19 Response Framework, which includes strengthened powers for the HPPH and other bodies.

Klassen also issued recommendations for long-term care homes and retirement homes to cease all indoor visits at the facility, limiting to “essential” visitors, and

to cease permitting residents to leave facilities except for healthcare reasons.

As far as local numbers are concerned, confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Huron County haven’t changed significantly.

Bluewater has now had the most confirmed cases in the area with 15 since the pandemic began. Central Huron has remained at 14 confirmed cases, South Huron has increased to Continued on page 10

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PAGE 2. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020.

Annie Sparling wins Citizen of the Year

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Honoured Annie Sparling of Blyth, seen here at a launch event for the Rutabaga Festival, has been named the Citizen of the Year for Blyth thanks to her work with the Blyth Community Betterment Group, the Rutabaga Festival, the Hometown Holiday Weekend and more. She says her success is the result of a sustained team effort. (File photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen This year’s Citizen of the Year Award winner for Blyth and its surrounding communities is Annie Sparling.

Sparling received multiple nominations for this year’s award, with nominators citing her dedication to the village and work with the Blyth Community Betterment Group.

“Annie’s heart and soul is for the Village of Blyth, as evidenced by the many projects she has initiated over the past years,” one nomination read. “She goes in the direction of her dreams for the village and works diligently to turn her visions into realities by spearheading activities and events to celebrate our village.

She formed the Blyth Community Betterment Group and chairs this small committee.”

In addition to Sparling’s work with the Blyth BIA, followed by the Blyth Community Betterment Group, she was also the driving force behind the Blyth Hometown Holiday Weekend, which returned a Santa Claus parade to Blyth along with several other holiday-themed events over the course of the weekend.

“The parade had not occurred for many years and the community was excited that the parade had been revived,” one nomination read. “The day brought people from far and wide and all were thrilled to watch the numerous floats, bands and other entries.”

Sparling was also instrumental in organizing a truck draw, which was the main fundraiser behind the revival of the Rutabaga Festival, another successful event in the village carried out by Sparling and the Blyth Community Betterment Group and the group’s band of volunteers.

“Annie reinstituted the Rutabaga Festival to celebrate the village and acknowledge Blyth as the rutabaga capital of the world. As part of the

launch, she organized general meetings in February of 2019 to receive community input. After [not having the event for] 25 years, plans came together for a massive celebration, the Rutabaga Festival of 2019, held in October,” one nomination read.

Sparling was also the driving force behind the Blyth Community Betterment Group taking over the Blyth Outdoor Market this year from the Blyth Business Improvement Area (BIA).

The nomination read that Sparling is also a member of a committee that works to groom and maintain the Goderich-to-Guelph Rail Trail (G2G) through Blyth, ensuring it is accessible and safe for visiting and local cyclists.

“Annie volunteers in many other aspects of the community, sharing her singing talent at different community events,” one nomination read. “Students at the Huron Christian School benefitted from her musical talents when she acted as the assistant director/director for their school musical. In the past, she has been part of church worship teams, a Sunday school teacher and instructor at Vacation Bible School.

A keen supporter of youth in the community, she has co-ordinated the Huron FC soccer club and was the Battle Book coach at the Huron Christian School.”

One nomination read that Sparling is a big supporter of community groups working together, which is why she supported the Friends of the Village group for its food drive in April, helping to cover shortages at local food banks due to the COVID19 pandemic.

“Annie is a ray of sunshine and is always ready and willing to lend a hand. She derives great pleasure from serving others and her dedication to our village benefits all residents,” one nomination read. “As she pursues various projects, she has the amazing ability to bring the community closer together and Continued on page 3

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020. PAGE 3.

Kellington wins Citizen of the Year posthumously

Worthy recognition Bob Kellington, left, who passed away earlier this year, has been posthumously named Citizen of the Year for the Brussels area. His long-time dedication to the Brussels Lions and Leo Clubs, the Brussels Legion, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank and his church made him a perfect addition to the distinguished list of winners of the award, which has been handed out for 35 years. Kellington is seen above earlier this year, acting as the president of the Brussels Lions Club, donating for a new digital sign in Brussels to Huron East Councillor John Lowe.

Foodgrains Bank’s Fields of Faith project.

Kellington passed away as the result of a heart attack on May 22 in Kitchener. He was in his 70th year.

When The Citizen contacted Thomas to notify her of Kellington’s posthumous win, she said he would be very honoured.

Kellington had done so much for so long, Thomas said, so it was thrilling for him to receive recognition when he won Thompson’s award in 2016. This award, she said, would mean a lot to him.

“Winning that award just made him keep on giving more. He was one of the world’s givers,” Thomas said.

Thomas said just recently Kellington’s former church in Stratford made a donation to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank in his name. Kellington’s family, she said, is still pondering an appropriate way to honour his legacy. Thomas, however, did say that even posthumously, Kellington is a person who just keeps giving.

The Citizen of the Year Award winners are nominated by members of the community over the course of the year, with one award handed out in Blyth and one in Brussels every

year. After the nomination period comes to an end, those names are then considered by the past five winners of the award, who then choose the winner. North Huron Publishing has proudly presented the award every year since it was founded in 1985, 35 years ago.

Past winners of the award in the Brussels area are: Cal Krauter, 1985; Wayne Lowe, 1986; Jack Bryans, 1987; Ida Evans, 1989; Bessie Johnston, 1990; Betty Graber, 1991; George Langlois, 1992; Howard Bernard, 1993; Joanne King, 1994; Frank Thompson, 1995; Audrey Cardiff, 1996; Leona Armstrong, 1997; Neil McGavin, 1998; Beth Earl, 1999; Lyle and Alice Brothers, 2000; Nelva and Spence Scott, 2001; Jo-Ann McDonald, 2002; Kathy Bridge, 2003; Jeff and Cathy Cardiff, 2004; Clara Blake, 2005; Phyllis Mitchell, 2006; Doug McArter, 2007; Nora Stephenson and Fran Bremner, 2008; Rene Richmond, 2009; Jim Prior, 2010; Cathrine Campbell, 2011; Jim and Lois Lee, 2012; Yvonne Knight, 2013; Dave Stephenson, 2014; Sandra Cable, 2015; Jean Davidson, 2016; Elaine Armstrong, 2017, Doug Sholdice, 2018 and Mary Douma in 2019.

CERTIFIED INSPECTION 2020-2021

(File photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen The late Bob Kellington has been posthumously named this year’s Citizen of the Year Award winner for Brussels and the surrounding community.

Kellington had been a dedicated and active member of the Brussels community since returning in 2012 until his untimely death in May in his 70th year.

“Bob was always communityminded and ready to help. Through his leadership with the Lions Club, we conquered many projects and supported many worthwhile causes,” read a nomination submitted on behalf of the Brussels Lions Club by President Zoellyn Onn. “Bob was well known in town as a guy who would do whatever you needed. He was incredibly active with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, raising tens of thousands of dollars to support their programs and people in need.”

Kellington had also been a member of the Lions Club for several years and was an active member of his church community and the church’s choir, even organizing the annual Nativity event with great success.

Much of the work Kellington completed in the community was done with the help of his wife Marguerite Thomas, including their well-attended annual Canadian Foodgrains Bank lunches.

“The multitude of ways that Bob was present and dedicated in our town are well known. The familiar sound of his lawn tractor, his heartwarming wave and smile and his ability to find the good in any situation will be missed,” the nomination read. “As one Lions Club member said, ‘I didn’t know him well, but he was the kind of guy that made me want to know him.’”

After Kellington moved from Brussels to Stratford, he was very active in the community. He also took on missionary work in Haiti

with his late first wife Nadine.

“When he moved back to Brussels to care for his elderly parents in 2012, his generosity continued, doing many kindnesses for others, including sharing his special toaster tongs and jar openers,” Kellington’s obituary read. “Bob had a beautiful singing voice, serenading Marguerite on their wedding day and singing for funerals and special occasions. He was an active member of the United Church and [its] choir, the Royal Canadian Legion, president of the Brussels Lions Club, caretaker of the Brussels Medical Centre and Brussels United Church, huge supporter of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, involved in the Brussels Leo Club fundraising, and more.”

Kellington was one of the Huron and Bruce County residents honoured in 2016 by Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson during her annual Remarkable Citizens of Huron-Bruce celebrations.

Thompson would speak at Kellington’s funeral earlier this year.

In his later years, Kellington, along with Thomas, enjoyed gardening in their backyard, sharing their fruits, vegetables and herbs with neighbours and friends.

In fact, when Kellington and Thomas were married in 2016, they encouraged their wedding guests not to give gifts, but to donate to one of a handful of local charities. As a result, over $2,000 was donated to the Brussels United Church, the Brussels Legion and the Canadian

Sparling credits team for success Continued from page 2 invites all to reap the benefits.”

When contacted by The Citizen, Sparling said she was “very, very honoured” to be named this year’s award winner. However, Sparling said she really does view herself as a member of a team and she credits her fantastic team for the successes of the Community Betterment Group, the Hometown Holiday Weekend and the Rutabaga Festival.

The Citizen of the Year Award winners are nominated by members of the community over the course of the year. After the nomination period comes to an end, those names are then considered by the past five winners of the award, who then choose the winner. North Huron Publishing has proudly presented the award every year since it was founded in 1985, 35 years ago.

Past winners of the award in the Blyth area are: Evalena Webster,

1985; Frank and Cenetta Bainton, 1986; Winona McDougall, 1987; Margaret Whyte, 1989; Simon Hallahan, 1990; Dr. Richard Street, 1991; Bill and Maxine Seers, 1992; Margaret Caldwell, 1993; Helen Gowing, 1994; Don Scrimgeour, 1995; John Stewart, 1996; Janet Amos, 1997; Betty Battye, 1998; Robb Finch, Dave Cook, Brent Scrimgeour and Doug Walker, 1999; Murray Siertsema, 2000; Charlie Shaw, 2001; Lavern Clark, 2002; Bev Blair and Thelma Johnston, 2003; Steven Sparling, 2004; Don “Barney” Stewart, 2005; Lois van Vliet, 2006; Janice Henry, 2007; Joe Hallahan, 2008; Brock and Janis Vodden, 2009; Jean Nethery, 2010; Kay Hesselwood, 2011; Steve Howson, 2012; Barbara Bosman, 2013; Marian Hallahan, 2014; Nellie Mason, 2015; Ernie Phillips, 2016; Ric McBurney, 2017, Carl Nesbitt, 2018 and Jane Smyth in 2019.

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Are You Born Again?

by J.C. Ryle Are you born again? This is one of life’s most important questions. Jesus Christ said, “Except a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

It is not enough to reply, “I belong to the church; I suppose I’m a Christian.” Thousands of nominal Christians show none of the signs of being born again which the Scriptures have given us — many listed in the First Epistle of John. (continued from last week) 6. Keeping Oneself Pure “He who is begotten of God keeps himself” (1 John 5:18) A man who is born again is careful of his own soul. He tries not only to avoid sin — but also to avoid everything which may lead to it. He is careful about the company he keeps. He knows that “bad company corrupts good morals” and that evil is more contagious than good, just as disease is more infectious than health. He is careful about the use of his time; his chief desire is to spend it profitable.

He desires to live like a soldier in an enemy country — to wear his armour continually and to be prepared for temptation. He is diligent to be a watchful, humble, prayerful man. What would the apostle say about you? Are you born again?

These are the six great marks of a born again Christian.

There is a vast difference in the depth and distinctness of these marks in different people. In some they are faint and hardly noticeable. In others they are bold, plain and unmistakable, so anyone may read them. Some of these marks are more visible than others in each individual. Seldom are all equally evident in any one person.

But still, after every allowance, here we find boldly painted — six marks of being born of God. How should we react to these things? We can logically come to only one conclusion — only those who are born again have these six characteristics, and those who do not have these marks are not born again. This seems to be the conclusion to which the apostle intended us to come. Do you have these characteristics? Are you born again?

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

PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020.

Editorials & Opinions

President: Keith Roulston • Publisher: Deb Sholdice Editor: Shawn Loughlin • Reporter: Denny Scott Advertising Sales: Brenda Nyveld • Heather Fraser

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Canada loses a legend Last week, the world mourned the loss of Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek.

The tributes have continued to pour in, from the producers of the popular game show playing a poignant message during their first broadcast after his passing to Tweets by NASA recalling the role he played in recruiting a generation of astronauts. The carillon on Parliament Hill in Ottawa rang out the Jeopardy! theme song in his honour.

Trebek was a proud Canadian and although he eventually held dual citizenship, he remained an ambassador for his native Canada, even acting as an official Canada 150 Ambassador during our 150th anniversary celebrations in 2017. Since 2014, he has held a Guinness World Record for most episodes of a game show hosted by the same presenter (more than 8,200 at his passing). His legacy includes stars on both the Hollywood and Canadian Walk of Fame, six Emmys, an honorary doctorate and being named an Officer of the Order of Canada.

But perhaps his greatest achievement was his life-long commitment to making knowledge and intelligence celebrated, and doing it all with unflappable dignity and respect. Thank you, Alex Trebek. May we all strive for broad, general knowledge. – DS

Moving on Like an evil and delusional hermit crab of opportunity, moving from shell to shell looking for a new home and jettisoning anything or anyone that isn’t on-message, one-term President Donald Trump and his rabid supporters are turning their backs on two major platforms that, were it not for them, you could argue he wouldn’t be the president today.

Once Fox News, which has spent the last four years peddling Trump’s lies, began reporting the inevitability of Joe Biden’s presidential win (a hearty congratulations to Fox News, by the way, for presenting facts as facts), Trump and his supporters had no further use for the channel. They began Tweeting about leaving Fox News for two things called Newsmax and One America News (OAN), even as Trump sycophants Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham continue to pump his tires on the network. Trump then posted these Tweets, to shame Fox and turn his supporters on to a new source more “friendly” to their cause.

Speaking of Tweeting, it’s hard to think of a more crucial platform for Trump than Twitter. It was this social media network that allowed (and continues to allow) Trump to spread lies and attack his enemies, going directly to his millions of followers with baseless and easily discredited information. But now, under pressure from politicians and the public, social media platforms are taking more responsibility for what they help to spread (though they have a long, long way to go) and Twitter has been flagging Trump’s Tweets alleging widespread fraud and corruption as inaccurate. His supporters see this as a direct affront to them and Trump and they are moving en masse to something called Parler, a social network said to be popular with right-wing extremists for peddling conspiracy theories and antisemitism unfettered by fact-checking.

Trump’s two largest platforms for spreading lies and whipping his supporters up into rage-filled frenzies have now outlived their usefulness to him, so he’s turning his back and finding another way to get his lies out to those eager to believe them. Call it biting the hand that feeds you or failing to dance with the one that brought you, but Trump is moving on and he’s taking his millions of trusting supporters with him. – SL

All that’s fit to print Between the COVID-19 pandemic that has recently surged in our area and across the country and the presidential election aftermath that is unfolding south of the border, it’s easy to forget there’s other news unfolding every day.

You’re proving right now, readers, that there’s always something worth checking out in The Citizen beyond the front page.

The same can be said of news that we get through other sources, though readers, viewers or surfers don’t always look past the big headlines. The Citizen’s editorial staff is often told that readers go directly to pages four and five, the editorial and opinion pages, when they receive their paper because they like to read those pages first, then get to the rest of the paper. It’s a good message because it means that people aren’t just looking at the biggest stories of the week, but also the columns, editorial pieces, stories and photos that maybe weren’t frontpage news.

Everyone needs to continue to do that when news is watched on television or found online. Every story is important, otherwise it wouldn’t be covered, however, not every story can come first.

So make sure that when you watch the news, you watch it the whole way through. When you visit your news websites, check more than just the breaking news and, just like you’re doing now, keep reading everything you can in your local newspapers. Odds are everything in there is fit to print. – JDS

Looking Back Through the Years November 21, 1963 The barn of Ruby Bone on the Third Concession of Morris was destroyed by fire in the early morning hours of Nov. 18. Not only did Bone lose her barn, but the fire also destroyed the whole season’s crop of grain and hay, as well as a tractor, a seed drill and other farm implements.

Wayside Adam 14S, owned by Wilbur Turnbull and Son of Brussels, was judged to be the Grand Champion Boar at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto.

That wasn’t the only honour claimed by the Turnbulls. They also won in the Boar (nine months and over) and Boar (under seven months) categories and placed second in the Sow (15 months and over) and Sow (nine months and under) categories.

November 24, 1999 OPP officers executed a very successful drug bust in West Wawanosh, seizing over $1 million worth of drugs, which included over 12 pounds of marijuana and four pounds of hashish oil and plenty of drug paraphernalia.

As part of the most recent round of cutbacks, the Avon Maitland District School Board announced that several Seaforth and area schools would be studied for potential closure, including Seaforth District High School, Seaforth Public School and Walton Public School. According to The Citizen, the board was considering closing one or two of the three schools in the “Seaforth cluster”.

Each school had its issues.

Seaforth District High School was the smallest high school in the district, with its enrollment dropping over 17 per cent in the previous few years. There were just over 280

students in a school meant to accommodate over 400.

Seaforth Public School had a robust enrollment rate of 92 per cent, but needed nearly $600,000 in upgrades for masonry, heating and roofing. Walton Public School had just under 70 students in a school intended to accommodate 100. It also lacked amenities available in other schools, such as a gymnasium.

Wingham Police Board officials said that because Huron County was forcing the disbandment of the Wingham Police Service, the county should be paying the costs associated with winding the service down.

The Citizen put forward a pair of nominations for the Ontario Community Newspapers Association’s annual Junior Citizen Awards, recognizing the efforts of Crystal Edgar and Randy Milinkovic.

The two young people were the first people on the scene of a singlevehicle accident in Grey Township, aiding Joseph McClelland after he had been lying in a field all night.

They gave them their coats to help warm him up and kept him calm as the trio waited for help to arrive.

The judging would take place on Dec. 2, with the winners to be announced the following day.

November 18, 2010 Due to declining enrollment, skill matching and a lack of available ice time, Blyth and Brussels Minor Hockey Association officials had begun contemplating amalgamation.

With public meetings set to discuss the possibility further set for Nov. 23 and Nov. 25, Blyth Minor Hockey Vice-President Steve Howson said the two associations had similar concerns that made merging them a sensible solution.

Appeals of the proposed site for

the new “super school” in Wingham to the Ontario Municipal Board would no longer be handled by the Avon Maitland District School Board or North Huron Township.

In a press conference held at F.E. Madill Secondary School in Wingham, Board Director of Education Ted Doherty said the board was “done with negotiations” and that moving forward, the board would let the Ontario Municipal Board handle things.

Doherty said that, despite the appeals, the board was still planning for students to be entering the new school in the fall of 2012. North Huron Reeve Neil Vincent said the township was supportive of the board and backing the new school.

The board also celebrated the opening of its first new school since the board was formed in 1999. Little Falls Elementary School in St. Marys marked the milestone with the help of Principal Helen Brockman, who said she was a very lucky person to be in charge of the school.

The Wingham Silver Stick tournament, which annually held games in Blyth as well, would be marking its 25th anniversary.

With its Seaforth build now in the books, Habitat for Humanity Huron County set its sights on Clinton and Brussels for its next construction projects.

The Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance approved steps to be taken to reopen the Seaforth Hospital’s emergency room for 24 hours per day. The hospital’s emergency room had seen its hours reduced to 12 hours per day in July of 2009.

The date for the return of a 24-hours-a-day emergency room in Seaforth was tentatively set for Jan. 17, 2011.

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020. PAGE 5.

Other Views Knowledge should drive representation

C

entral Huron is once again contemplating abolishing the ward system in time for the next municipal election in 2022. For me, it once again brings thoughts of the delicate balance of people versus geography.

It sounds like an easy choice. People should be more important than territory. But the real value of regional representation is the knowledge a politician brings of the region she or he represents.

On the scale of Central Huron, geography probably isn’t a big factor, although even then, there can be a lot of on-the-ground differences between living on the edge of Auburn in the farming-oriented north compared to the edge of Bayfield where tourism is the economic driver.

Originally Central Huron had three wards, one for each of the original municipalities that amalgamated: Hullett, Clinton and Goderich Township. Today there are just two: Hullett and Clinton making up the east ward and Goderich Township, the west. Candidates in past municipal elections helped undermine the ward system when they discovered they didn’t actually have to live in the ward to run for council in that ward. As a result, people cherrypicked the ward they thought gave them the best chance of winning.

But what goes missing if a Clinton resident, who never so much as picked up a hoe, is supposed to represent the needs of farmers on Hullett-McKillop Road?

Several Central Huron councillors said ward lines didn’t really matter because when they make a decision at council, they do it for the entire municipality, not just the ward they represent. That’s why it may not matter which way they choose to go in a municipality the size of Central Huron.

Keith Roulston From the cluttered desk It’s when political jurisdictions get larger that the importance of the regional knowledge increases. Urban media and intellectuals have complained for years about the fact it takes more votes to elect an MP or MPP from a city riding compared to far-flung rural ridings. It’s led to calls for modification of the system with some members directly elected by the voters but the rest are chosen by the per cent of the total vote their party received. It would probably be a boon for the NDP and Green Party, which seldom collect enough votes to win a riding but would get 25 per cent or 10 per cent of the pool of seats to be divvied out by proportional representation.

An additional argument used to support this proposal is that there would be greater diversity represented in Parliament: more ethnic minorities and LGBTQ2S members.

For “progressives”, such a move would also have the benefit of bringing more bright minds to the legislature, the sort of people they regularly associate with in the communities surrounding universities. After all, parliament should bring the best and brightest minds together.

But this approach would take us farther down the roads that have been undermining our governments’ efforts to solve many issues that weaken Canada. Because of the concentration of urban media on the blood sport of Parliamentary politics, because they

and political leadership concentrate a lot on several big, sexy issues, we keep getting surprised by vicious regional disputes. The bitterness and violence between Indigenous fishermen of the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet and Passamaquoddy bands and the commercial fishers of the region over the right to fish for lobster, the stand-off by Six Nations at Caledonia preventing construction of a housing development, the internal dispute with First Nations in northern B.C. that led to nation-wide blockades to stop the Northern Gateway gas pipeline – all these disruptions took us by surprise as media and politicians concentrated on “important” issues.

Some of the biggest threats to Canadian unity have come because of ignorance of regional issues by centralized authorities.

While there were strong feelings for Quebec to separate from Canada back in the 1970s, some of the drive came from day-to-day grievances, such as the fact you had to know English to communicate with your own federal government or that there was no Frenchlanguage information on food packages.

More recent grievances have come from western Canada over the lack of understanding involving the problems in the oil industry.

Many urban thinkers have little sympathy for the plight of oil workers when they think carbons are destroying the earth.

That sort of disrespect for fellow Canadians is dangerous. Donald Trump found a ready audience in rural areas, willing to grasp his simplistic solutions, because these people had felt ignored for years.

So when it comes to political representation, what matters is not the geography or the people, but the knowledge politicians can bring about the problem of the forgotten areas of the country.

I’m dreaming of a quiet Christmas

A

s I write this column on Monday, I can’t help but look back over the last four days and realize that it’s been a rough stretch for people in Perth and Huron Counties. That is, if they’re taking the pandemic seriously.

Between a nominal increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases outside of the outbreak at Cedarcroft Place and the 60 cases confirmed there over the past 20 days, the relative safety of Huron and Perth Counties during the pandemic has been shaken.

At the same time, there are locales across Canada where COVID-19 cases are spreading faster than they are in the United States where little to no action has taken place to stem the spread of the virus.

It’s a scary time and, when asked, there are many professionals who have not wanted to make any guarantee that by Christmas, a mere month and eight days away, people will be able to safely visit family and friends.

As of Monday morning, Ontario Premier Doug Ford was warning everyone in the red zones that it was irresponsible to be taking unnecessary trips outside of the home. What’s considered unnecessary? Well anything not related to work, groceries, school or medical appointments, according to Ford, and he’s right.

He’s urging everyone in the red zones to work remotely, not visit friends or receive visitors at home and avoid social gatherings.

While we’re not in the red zone yet, if things continue to escalate in Huron and Perth Counties, we might head for the orange and red zones sooner than you think.

The announcements come shortly after intimidating forecasts that predict 6,000-6,500 people across Ontario will contract the potentially deadly COVID-19 virus daily. To put things in perspective for The Citizen’s readers, that’s just a few hundred people north

Denny Scott Denny’s Den of the entire population of Ashfield-ColborneWawanosh or about 1,000 people south of Goderich’s population, every single day.

We’re approaching the traditional cold and flu season and with what has been announced and what we’re being told, it begs the question, will we be able to celebrate Christmas?

Well never let it be said I’m an optimist, because my best guess is no.

We all know people who are breaking the rules and visiting friends or families, or going away for the weekend with people they don't live with or who, plain and simple, didn’t stop living their life throughout this pandemic. It’s because some people act like the disease isn’t something to be worried about that we’re going to see thousands upon thousands of cases and dozens, if not hundreds, of deaths in the near future.

And when it comes time to celebrate Christmas (or Hanukkah or Kwanza or Festivus) and New Year’s, we’re going to be told, at best, we shouldn’t or at worst, we’re not allowed to.

Why am I talking about this well over a month out? Because now is the time to make a change if we’re ever going to get back to some semblance of normalcy before the dumpster fire that is 2020 turns into the landfill fire of 2021 and trust me, I’ve been to landfill fires.

They are not nice.

We need to start acting more responsibly and we need to start telling people they should smarten up. We need to stop allowing people

to break the rules and put us in danger of this disease.

No one wins when we allow people to ignore the rules or act in a way that harms society.

I especially feel for those who work in the medical field, or those who work to support that field and it’s because I kind of know how some of them must feel watching people shirk their responsibilities and then expect doctors, nurses and support staff to treat them.

There are few things that frustrate me more than sitting in a meeting and hearing someone address an issue from a place of ignorance when I’ve taken hours, days or even weeks covering the same issue to provide people with an idea of what’s going on. The information is there in the newspaper or online, but they just chose not to research it.

I can only imagine that it’s a similar feeling, though of a much smaller magnitude, to watching people protest masks one day, then, the next day, seeing a spike in the number of people who need medical care.

We have all the tools we need to stop the spread of this virus and get back to a normal life, even without a vaccine, but as long as people continue to shirk their responsibilities, ignore the rules and think they’re above it all, we’re all going to suffer. And that suffering might include a Christmas where the closest you’ll get to celebrating with family is through a video screen.

Final Thought Have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tires, a touch that never hurts.

– Charles Dickens

Shawn Loughlin Shawn’s Sense

It takes a village

I

t takes a village to raise a child, so the saying goes, but really, it takes a village to do just about anything. No one can change the world alone, nor can one tear it down.

In Spotlight, the Academy Award-winning film depicting The Boston Globe’s reporting into systematic sexual abuse in the Catholic Church I likely reference far too much, lawyer Mitchell Garabedian, played by Stanley Tucci, puts it like this, “... if it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to abuse one.”

His point being that if one bad actor was shut down by an organization, a community, law enforcement, etc., that behaviour wouldn’t continue. Using the example of the Catholic Church, if one priest abusing a child wasn’t protected by the archdiocese, bailed out legally and shifted to another parish where he was free to start all over again, this wouldn’t have become the epidemic it’s become.

The easiest way to define this is enabling.

The world is filled with enablers, ranging from innocent enough up to downright dangerous.

If people in power said “enough is enough” and set things right, instead of looking after their friends and their own interests, it’s amazing to think where we could go.

What is happening south of the border is the disgusting enabling of someone who is far past his best-before date. Donald Trump has lost the presidency and he is working to undermine what was once a shining example of democracy. He’s calling legal voting practices into question, dismissing votes cast by Americans and dragging the credibility of anybody and everybody through the mud just so he can prop himself up for a second term (or perhaps a potential family dictatorship).

Like Garabedian said, if Trump, even as the President of the United States, tried to do this and win the presidency in the courts instead of an election, he could be shut down right now.

That’s why the country’s democracy is constructed the way it is. There are many checks and balances to ensure the country won’t descend into a dictatorship. But what the world is seeing from Trump supporters, the Republican Party and Trump’s partners around the world is a willingness to subvert its established system for choosing its leader.

They are choosing baseless and, in many cases, debunked conspiracy theories in place of the will of the people and stage a coup. This should terrify not only Americans, but the rest of the world as well.

We can all dismiss Trump as infantile and averse to reality and truth (honestly, anyone who didn’t see this election descending into a court case full of untruths and underhanded tactics should have their head examined), but those enabling him should shoulder just as much of the blame as him, if not more.

Elected officials like Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell and others, all the way down to General Services Administrator Emily Murphy, who is refusing to sign over power to Joe Biden, not acknowledging his win as legitimate, are allowing this circus to continue and history will not treat them kindly.

It just shows the power those with similar values and bargain-basement ethics wield in society. We were told we couldn’t paint the entire Republican Party with the same brush during Trump’s chaotic time as president, but what’s happening now is showing us that we can and probably should have been all along.

And as far as Trump goes, (hopefully) he has finally hit a wall his lawyers, his influence or his money (or lack thereof) cannot scale. Like The Wire’s great Marlo Stanfield said, “You want it to be one way, but it’s the other way.”

PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020.

Four Winds market supports Christmas Bureau

A distanced Christmas Thanks to special efforts between the Four Winds Barn and Huron Perth Public Health, Santa Claus was able to visit the Brussels area for photos with family. Physically-distanced photos took place at the banquet site, as did a Christmas market. The event raised nearly $1,100 for the Huron County Christmas Bureau. (John Stephenson photo)

At the Branch

Remembrance Day service held

Piped in The Brussels Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion held a closed-to-the-public Remembrance Day service last week, streaming it online. Don Martin of the Legion Pipe Band was on hand to provide some music. (Shawn Louglin photo)

By Jo-Ann McDonald “At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.”

Remembrance Day 2020 is over

and it was very different for many.

The public was not invited to attend the services and many of the Royal Canadian Legions across the country moved to electronics. The Brussels

Legion Branch had Lake Affect Media stream the service, which well over 200 people viewed live.

The service can still be viewed on YouTube anytime.

The Comrades of Branch 218 felt it was our duty to provide a service.

It is the mandate of the Royal Canadian Legion to perpetuate the service of remembrance; to never forget the lives lost of those who served; those who returned with shattered bodies and souls; those who serve our country today.

We must remember today, tomorrow and everyday. We will remember them.

The Brussels Legion kept within COVID-19 guidelines for attendance with a 25-person limit on the property. Masks were worn and physical distancing was maintained.

Comrade President Jamie Mitchell led the service with Padre Sandra Cable, each with their own microphone and standing apart. A lone piper, Don Martin, played from behind the cenotaph, a safe distance away from all. Two Legion members, Comrades Josh Struthers and Patty Coulter, carried the colours for the Branch.

The nearly 40 wreaths in memory of Comrades, families, businesses, and clubs were placed before the service began. The act of remembrance, two minutes of silence and the rouse were observed at the 11th hour, in honour, in Continued on page 9

COVID-19 numbers depressing A NOTE FROM BETTY

By Betty Graber Watson Call 887-9231

Well, stink! Whatever word you wish to use, the numbers of people infected with COVID-19 is quite depressing. We’re all entitled to a full day of pandemic fatigue to feel sorry for ourselves, think of all things we’re missing and all the things we’ll not be able to do for months.

There now, the pity party is over.

Take a big breath, keep calm and go

about your life safely. The increasing numbers of infections are a good reminder of how community works and how our lives are affected by people we may not even know. Ah yes, the importance of the “bubble”.

As we look after ourselves and keep track of who we visit, we realize that many feel immune and do not take precautions. Oh Continued on page 9

The Brussels Four Winds Barn’s management wanted to continue with some activities of the holiday season and hosted a Christmas market and photos with Santa over the weekend, benefitting the Huron County Christmas Bureau.

Kaitlyn Pipe, manager of the barn, said the event, which was held on Saturday and Sunday, raised $1,085 for the Christmas Bureau. It also offered some unique Christmas opportunities close to home for Brussels residents, she said.

“I wanted to see it continue,” she said. “It went really well last year, as we had 86 people out, so we knew people would be interested.”

This year, Pipe said it was even more important because traditional Santa photo opportunities might not be available, and even if they were, people wouldn’t want to travel out of the area to have them taken.

This year’s event raised more than last year’s event, topping it by over $400.

While more families took part, Pipe said there were a number of cancellations due to health concerns and numerous cancellations on Sunday due to the weather. Despite the cancellations, Pipe was happy with the fundraising effort and said the Christmas Bureau’s board was happy to hear about the funds.

Pipe went on to say the donation was made possible thanks to a deep discount from the photographer, Amy Reid, and the time donated by two different Santa volunteers: Tim Prior and John Kerkhof.

The photos with Santa Claus were held a little differently than previous years, she said, with two different

backdrops. Each one required a sixfoot distance from the jolly old elf, Pipe said.

The market, which parents were encouraged to visit after their family photos, went well too, Pipe said.

There were eight vendors selling goods, which guaranteed plenty of space for the vendors to show wares and keep a safe distance from shoppers, according to Pipe.

“It was very local and very spread out,” she said. “It didn’t feel congested at all.”

The market was also helped by the time taken between each Santa photo to make sure everyone stayed healthy, Pipe said.

“The spacing helped out, as we didn’t have a crazy amount of people coming into the market all at once,” she said.

NEWS FROM BRUSSELS

Brussels Legion 218 Catch the Ace Weekly Winner Winning Ticket: Paul & Julie Clark $281 Envelope #6 found the King of Hearts Estimated jackpot for November 20 is $9,500

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020. PAGE 7.

Grand opening for local business set for Nov. 28

By Denny Scott The Citizen

New storefront While Sharina Snieder’s Farmhouse Treasures has been established for a number of years, the business recently relocated to Blyth’s main street. A grand opening for the new space is set for later this month. (Denny Scott photo)

Sharina Snieder has moved her store, Farmhouse Treasures, to Blyth’s main street and opened up shop earlier this month.

The business has moved several times, Snieder said, and was based in Carlow several years ago until she made it a home-run business.

Changes in her work life, however, and wanting to separate her family from her customers led to her being interested in opening on Blyth’s main street. She recently opened the store at 409 Queen Street.

“I saw the storefront was empty and thought it would be a good opportunity,” she said.

Through the business Snieder sells antiques, home decor and rare finds, while also offering other vendors an opportunity to sell their goods. She is also preparing to run classes at the site to teach chalk couture, an art style that uses chalk to create unique designs and lettering.

She wanted to move the business into a full-time location after she lost her part-time job in March due to COVID-19, a development that was

preceded by her losing her full-time job in December. “It made sense to focus on this full-time,” she said.

She said she likes the small-town vibe of Blyth and hopes to help bring more customers into the village.

Aside from her own lessons and goods, she also sells handmade items from vendors as well as specialty lines like Avon products from a local representative.

As for opening a store in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, she said she’s always been adventurous and felt it was time to sink or swim. She also said that her daughter is especially vulnerable to illnesses, so getting the business away from home made sense.

Snieder said she’s currently working on getting more stock from her home to the store, saying that she had only scratched the surface of what she has available, so customers should visit often to make sure they can see what’s new.

She is looking to host a grand opening on Nov. 28 that will include coffee and cookies for visitors on their way out of the store, as well as no tax on cash purchases.

Friends of the Village remounts wreath competition

By Denny Scott The Citizen

For the third year in a row, the Blyth Friends of the Village group is hosting a decorating contest focused on wreaths for the community.

The group’s liaison, Lissa Kolkman, said the Friends of the Village felt that it was especially important to go ahead with the program this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During all of this, we need to retain some sense of normalcy,” she said. “The wreaths are safe, as they are visible from the street, and it’s an encouragement to people and businesses to get out and celebrate the season safely.”

The only change this year is how it’s going to be judged, Kolkman said, which is yet to be determined

by members of the group.

The program has been wellreceived since its inception two years ago, Kolkman said, and this year appears to be no different.

“Within that day [that we sent out the flyer], we already had three people who said they were on board,” Kolkman said.

The competition invites businesses to participate in the contest by creating a wreath in one of five categories: Business-themed, which involves the wreath being made with items from the store; oldfashioned Victorian, which calls for a traditional twist; natural or rustic, which should draw inspiration from the green spaces of the community; quirky, which calls for people to express their creative sides and, lastly, glitz and glam, which calls for “all the bling”.

Christmas Bureau asking for help due to COVID-19 From Marilyn’s Desk

By Marilyn Craig Call 523-9318

A comeback?

For the third year in a row, the Friends of the Village of Blyth are hosting a wreath competition to recognize creative and festive contributions to Blyth’s streetscape. Two years ago, North Huron Publishing, The Citizen’s parent company, claimed a top prize and will be aiming to do it again this year. (File photo)

Happy birthday to Ollie Craig who celebrates Nov. 19; Kathy Abell-Rinn, Nov. 20; Kayla Dale, Nov. 21 and David Marshall, Nov. 23. Happy Birthday everyone and hope you have a good day.

What a difference a week brings.

Last week we had beautiful sunny weather and this week it is dark and gloomy. Many people are cleaning up downed trees and collecting their items that blew away on Sunday.

Many churches and organizations have supported the Huron County Christmas Bureau with clothes and toys for children. Due to COVID19, this year is a little different so the bureau is asking for financial donations only so that they can help

families in need to buy toys and clothing for their children. So let us give as we are able and help those who are in need this Christmas.

Don’t forget to call someone this week just to let them know that they are being thought of during this time of physical distancing and isolation.

Stay safe and have a good week.

The wreaths need to be on display

by Dec. 1 to be eligible, Kolkman said, and she hopes there are as many entries as possible to make it an enjoyable event for everyone.

For more information, e-mail friendsofblyth@gmail.com or visit the Friends of the Village on Facebook.

NEWS FROM BLYTH Broken Dryer?

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

CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF NORTH HURON TAXES DUE The 2020 final tax installment for the Township of North Huron is due on Wednesday, November 27, 2020. Interest at 1 1/4% per month will be charged on unpaid accounts as of November 28, 2020 and the first day of each month thereafter.

NOTE: Persons who have acquired properties and have not received a tax bill should contact the Municipal Office. Failure to receive a tax bill does not relieve a taxpayer from responsibility for payment of taxes, nor from penalty for late payment. Please contact the Treasury Department in regards to the various payment options available. Preauthorized payment sign-up forms are available at www.northhuron.ca or at the Town Hall.

Donna White Director of Finance Township of North Huron

PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020.

Sparling wins Chamber’s Community Impact Award

Honoured Annie Sparling of Blyth was recently honoured with the Goderich Signal-Star Community Impact Award by the Huron Chamber of Commerce of Goderich, Central and North Huron.

The award, presented virtually at the Spirit of Success Awards event, recognized her efforts to enrich her community including the revival of the Blyth Rutabaga Fest. (File photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Annie Sparling of Blyth won the Goderich Signal-Star Community Impact Award last week, handed out

virtually this year by the Huron Chamber of Commerce of Goderich, Central and North Huron through its annual Spirit of Success Awards.

Sparling has been heavily involved in the Blyth community in

recent years, first working with the Blyth Business Improvement Area (BIA) and then through the creation of the Blyth Community Betterment Group, which has taken on management of the Blyth Outdoor

Market, the revival of the Rutabaga Festival and the Hometown Holiday Weekend. She has also spearheaded food drives and other initiatives throughout the community.

In an interview with The Citizen, Sparling said being told she’d won the award really “warmed her heart” adding that she feels most of the work she does in Blyth is done with groups of people lending a hand, so she didn’t feel she should win an individual award for the hard work of those groups. However, she said it was truly an honour to be named the winner of the award, especially with so many other worthy people receiving nominations.

“She brings to the table creative ideas, a keen business sense and an amazing ability to connect teams with the community,” one nomination said of Sparling. “She reaches outside her resources and seeks out the perspective and ideas of other key players from other communities and develops strong partnerships with municipal and county representatives that can benefit Blyth as a whole.”

Sparling worked to revive the Blyth Rutabaga Festival, which had been defunct in the village for a number of years, bringing it back last year to great acclaim. She and other Blyth Community Betterment Group members have also worked to promote the festival through smaller events and giveaways, such as leaving a rutabaga on every front step in Blyth for Mother’s Day and creating the Great Rutabaga Giveaway in partnership with the Blyth Food Market and Hubbard’s Rutabagas.

The nomination said that Sparling’s actions to promote the festival worked to connect people at a time when they were forced into isolation due to COVID-19, including a colouring contest, recipe share and a creative challenge.

Sparling and the Blyth Community Betterment Group also ran the Blyth Outdoor Market this year, taking over for the Blyth Business Improvement Area (BIA) as a last-minute replacement. The market is now run by its own board.

She also spearheaded the market’s efforts to create an online marketplace, which will continue into the winter.

Sparling was also a key figure in the creation of Blyth’s entry into the Pure Country Stompin’ Ground Throwdown video contest, which the village would eventually win, earning a cameo in a reworked Tim Hicks song.

Sparling’s win was one of a handful of awards handed out by the chamber as part of its Spirit of Success Awards. FauxPop Media was named Business of the Year, while Huron Optometric Centres won the Downtown Goderich BIA Award, Huron BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitzu) won the MicroAge Basics Service Award, Windmill Lake Wake and Eco Park won the Tourism Goderich Hospitality Business Award and the Port Albert General Store and Pub won the Zehrs Goderich Retail Business Award.

Final winners were selected by a panel of three judges who determined the award winners from over 100 nominations, a record for the ceremony.

Residents from Cedarcroft moved to local hospitals

By Denny Scott The Citizen Over the weekend, healthcare officials started moving numerous residents from Cedarcroft Place, a retirement home in Stratford in the middle of a significant COVID-19 outbreak, to hospitals in Huron and Perth Counties.

The sites that have or will be receiving patients include Alexandra Marine and General Hospital in Goderich and Wingham Hospital, said Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance President and CEO Andrew Williams during a special online press conference on Sunday.

Other sites are in Stratford, Ingersoll and Woodstock, Williams said.

Initially, 10 residents, five have tested positive for COVID-19 while five have negative results according to Dr. Paul Gill, Huron Perth Pandemic Leadership Primary Care Lead, were moved. Huron Perth Medical Officer of Health Dr. Miriam Klassen said on Monday that more had been moved, but provided no additional details.

During the press conference, those speaking detailed the history of the outbreak, with Lily Goodman, Chief Operating Officer of All Seniors Care/Cedarcroft, saying that the first positive test result was received on Oct. 27, at which point the outbreak was declared.

Including that first result, there have been 44 positive results for residents, representing half the resident population of the site, and 18 positive results for staff, approximately one-third of the home’s complement. There are 34 active cases in residents and 13 active staff cases. Eight residents

have perished as a result of COVID-19.

Goodman said more information for families of residents is available through a 24-hour centralized hotline at 519-273-0030.

Klassen said five of the 44 resident cases were confirmed on Sunday, while one of the 18 staff members to test positive, a resident of neither Huron nor Perth County, was confirmed as of Friday, bringing the total of staff and residents to 62. She said more testing will continue at the home, including staff prevalence testing.

Gill explained that moving the patients will meet acute medical needs of the residents, while Williams said more moves may be necessary.

Klassen explained, when asked why COVID-19 positive cases weren’t being isolated from people who aren’t sick, that residents' needs may not be met due to staffing capacity, resulting in the “decanting” that was taking place.

Neither Klassen nor Williams stated where the five COVID-19 positive cases were being moved to,

but did say that all the hospitals have been preparing for patients positive for COVID-19.

“There is no risk to the greater community,” Klassen said, with Williams adding that COVID-19positive patients are being cared for in a safe way.

When asked the difference between the outbreak at Cedarcroft and outbreaks at other facilities, which had been more effectively controlled, those taking part in the online press conferenceidentified the fact that Cedarcroft is a retirement home and not a long-term-care facility.

“The key difference between [the Cedarcroft Place outbreak] and the outbreak at Greenwood Court is that Greenwood is attached to a longterm care setting,” Jeff Renauld, an administrator for several local care facilities and the Huron Perth Pandemic Community Lead, said.

“There are distinct differences between long-term care homes and retirement homes. Long-term care homes have significantly more resources to respond to outbreaks.”

Klassen added that COVID-19’s

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14-day incubation period is also an issue.

“The longer time period makes it challenging,” she said. “Another risk factor is that this is a high-risk population in a closed community, and with this particular home, many residents stay past the point of being transferred into a long-term care home, so their needs can be higher.”

She added that facilities are also running into staffing problems during the second wave of the pandemic.

As for how the virus first entered the facility, representatives still didn't have an answer.

“We’re not sure how the virus came into the building – it could have been a family member or

visitor, but we do active screening and are strict about it,” Goodman said. “The proper PPE [personal protection equipment] plays a huge role in stopping the spread.”

Residents won’t be returning to Cedarcroft Place until staff can be “stabilized” Williams said, and the “right complement of staff for residents who are there and that would be returning” is in place. He said moving patients away from the site is a temporary measure, but there are numerous issues that must be dealt with before the residents can return to their homes at Cedarcroft.

For more information on COVID19 in Huron and Perth Counties, visit hpph.ca.

Thank You The Belgrave Community Centre Board would like to thank all those who made a donation to the Community Centre. The Board truly appreciates the generosity of all those who chose to support us. The cancellation of our annual Fowl Supper, which is our main fundraiser, could have put us in a very difficult position but thanks to the many individuals who made a financial contribution we have been able to manage our expenses. We would also like to express our gratitude to the table convenors that facilitated many of the donations. Hopefully we can look forward to a better year in 2021.

The Board would also like to express our appreciation to all those that helped with and supported our first ever drive-thru barbecue takeout dinner. Thank you to Robert Foreman Sr. for doing a great job with the cooking, Robert Foreman for donating the potatoes, all the helpers that did the work preparing for the dinner, everyone who helped assemble and put out the meals, and also to everyone who supported our dinner by buying tickets.

This has been a difficult year in many ways but the generous support of the community has been heartwarming indeed.

Community spirit is alive and well in the Belgrave area. What a great community to be a part of.

– The Belgrave Community Centre Board

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020. PAGE 9.

Many opportunities to shop local for Christmas PEOPLE AROUND WALTON

By Jo-Ann McDonald Call 887-6570

What a change in temperature. It is easy to get used to warm weather

and even easier to complain about the cold. We know it is coming but we all hope to put it off as long as we can. Sunday was so windy, wet and ever-changing. The sun would shine, then rain, then sun and lots of wind.

I did see a tree down in town and while driving on Monday morning saw that lots of branches had come down and had been removed by the road crews prior to my run. Good job!

I spent Sunday inside and going through boxes of things. I was

looking for some pictures that have magically disappeared from where I thought they were to somewhere else. Most people know what I am talking about. The last time I did see the pictures was probably a few years ago, so maybe my memory is failing me. I found some other unexpected treasures, but still not what I was looking for. Oh well, another bad weather day will come and there are lots more boxes to look in.

We said goodbye to Sheila

Wreaths laid at private service

Leading the service While COVID-19 pandemic restrictions limited the annual Remembrance Day service at the Brussels Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, there were still plenty of wreaths to recognize those who made the ultimate sacrifice for Canada and the world. (Shawn Loughlin photo) Continued from page 6 respect, in gratitude for those who serve so we may be free. The wreaths for the government of Canada, the province of Ontario, the Municipality of Huron East, Municipality of Morris Turnberry, the Brussels Legion Branch 218 and the Brussels Army Cadet Corp 2967 were laid by Comrades of the Branch, including Comrade Eric Ross, Comrade Zoellyn Onn, Comrade John Lowe, Comrade Kathy Burkholder, Comrade President Jamie Mitchell and Comrade Jo-Ann McDonald.

You are invited to lay your poppy at the cenotaph at your convenience.

We hope everyone had a chance to see the remembrance banners that hung from the light standards around town. They have been purchased by the families in remembrance of their veteran loved ones. We encourage anyone who would like to get a banner for a veteran to contact the Branch for the information and to begin the process, so they will be ready for next year.

The Catch the Ace draw was held on Friday evening with Team Brown, Burkholder and Smith in

charge. Winners this week were Paul and Julie Clarke and they won $281.

They chose the number six envelope and the king of hearts was revealed.

The ace remains hidden and the estimated jackpot for Nov. 20 is $9,500. Get your tickets today.

The drive-thru turkey dinner on Dec. 13 is now ready to accept your orders. You must pre-order your meals by e-mail to legion218@ezlink.ca or by calling Deb at 519-531-1125 by Dec. 10.

Meals include turkey, dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes, turnip, coleslaw and dessert.

Christmas event to move ahead Continued from page 6 yes, know your bubble.

The recent anti-mask demonstrations to our south have shown crowds without masks and spouting lots of verbiage. On closer check, many present do not live in that area and the legislation they cite is untrue. So if you start thinking in ways not your usual, call a friend and vent the thoughts, so that even you can hear the rubbish. Some folks just have too much time on their hands.

Keep positive, it’s the best thing you can do for yourself. Keep contact with children in whatever way works. Their very being makes you smile in hope. On YouTube, our United Church celebrated Children’s Sunday and with the computer talents of our Minister Alex Jebson, we watched with joy the sweet faces of the kids we miss. Their eyes smiled, they sang to us and did a skit

with the abandon, sincerity and fun that only kids can offer. Oh yes, keep contact with our hope, our children.

New plans for old business are in the works for most organizations.

For the United Church, Advent will be celebrated with lights, outside on Nov. 27, setting up the season in a new way. If you haven’t had a chance to support the Christmas Bureau yet, cheques can be offered that night to be forwarded so gift cards can be gifted to the guardians, since the usual items we offer are not safe this year. As well, organizers are working at details for a community event for the evening of Dec. 5. As time and details are firm, you’ll get the details.

For me, I had a one-day pity party this week that was interrupted and brought to a full stop when FaceTime brought Hark and Weston here. Hope was front and centre as they went about their lives as only

Prescott last week. She has moved to a retirement home in the town of Amherstburg, where her son lives.

She has her own apartment to quarantine in for two weeks, and then knowing Sheila, she will be out making new friends. She will be missed by her many friends and members of the Presbyterian Church. The former Sheila Black taught as a career and is the mother of four boys, now spread across our great country. She always has a smile for all. She is a supporter of service clubs, a helper when called upon and just a lovely lady. We wish her well in her new surroundings and hope she comes back to Brussels sometime for a visit. Goodbye Sheila!

It is just a mere five weeks until Christmas. Canada Post is being overrun with parcels from online shopping and I had a report that the malls are busy, but not overly crazy.

Shopping locally is our best defence against COVID-19. Not only will you be around folks you know and who are wearing a mask, but you will be helping your local business owners. These same business people are the ones who support our local sports teams, service clubs, churches or groups with donations of cash or prizes.

We have heard that “shopping local” slogan for many years, but it is really important this year, and every year, to go out to your local businesses and support them. Our small towns cannot afford to lose any more businesses to the pandemic, so shop local!

Maybe we all need to think about what our stores have to offer for our Christmas shopping this year. You can find toys for kids, tools for men, books for the readers, personal care gift certificates from about nine different folks, farm toys, men’s work clothes, good country clothes, sensitive skin products, Christmas decorations, unique gifts, jewellery, phone accessories, gift certificates for pets, food, kitchen supplies, specialty coins or stamps, alcohol, lottery gift packs and much, much more. Plus there are always homemade gifts. Use your talents. It is not the size or cost of the gift, but the thought behind it. Start thinking, use your imagination and make this Christmas special. Of course, all this depends on how the people behave

during the next few weeks, so we can hopefully gather for small family gatherings.

The Seaforth business community is cheering as the main street in Seaforth is now open. Yeah! No more detours. I am sure they are more than ready for the Christmas season and to see many of their customers again. Like Brussels, business was difficult when the main street was under construction, but then to have COVID-19 as well, it made it a difficult journey for the Seaforth business people. Good luck to them as they welcome everyone back.

Huron Perth Public Health has made the move into the Yellow protective zone as of Monday. Cases of the virus have been on the rise and we all need to work together to bring down the numbers. Wear a mask. It protects others and you. Stay home if you feel unwell. Whatever you are supposed to be doing will be there when you feel better. Wash your hands and sanitize often. If we don’t take precautions seriously, we may be in total lockdown again before Christmas. Everyone work together!

Celebrating birthdays this past week were Danielle Ducharme Jutzi, Murray Henderson, Katie Roth, Tristan Rijkhoff, Pat Gillis, Michael Grobbink, Blaine Marks, Lynne Godkin, Anne Storey, Kristi Dawn Godkin, Mark Sullivan, Deb Coultes, Brian Warwick and Derek Hoegy. Happy birthday to all.

NEWS FROM WALTON

Your Local Paper The Original Social Media!

News / Information / Events / Shopping Community / & More

children do. After a few songs, a wee dance and stories to share, including about tobogganing, my mood improved. Thank God for children.

So look after yourself, know it’s alright to have COVID-19 fatigue, but then move past those thoughts.

Be, think and speak positively. Your bubble will thank you.

Bye now. Be kind and keep safe.

Betty G.W. In print, online or on the go, we are your local newspaper. We keep you connected to what’s happening in our communities and surrounding areas.

Follow ‘The Citizen’ on Facebook for updates, news stories and special features like our Throwback Thursday albums

The Citizen Facebook Twitter

www.huroncitizen.ca www.Facebook.com/NorthHuronCitizen @TheNHCitizen info@northhuron.on.ca

The Citizen

PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020.

Brussels parade nixed for distanced events

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen

Christmas shopping After a quick photo with Santa, visitors to the Four Winds Barn Christmas event on the weekend had a chance to take in some holiday shopping. From left: Mackenzie Kerr, Amber Ritchie, Brittany Flachs and Lexi Ritchie. (John Stephenson photo)

In place of the community’s traditional Santa Claus parade, organizers have turned to the Brussels Christmas Experience, which includes a number of safe holiday events next month.

In an interview with The Citizen, Huron East Councillor Zoellyn Onn says the event will move ahead on Saturday, Dec. 5 from 6-8 p.m., including a stop-by visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus at Richmond Square (across from the Brussels Post Office) and a living Nativity scene at The Mill, sponsored by Brussels United Church. The experience also includes a home and business decorating contest and a children’s colouring competition.

Those wishing to participate in the

decorating competition are asked to take a picture of their home or business and then post it to the Brussels Christmas Experience Facebook page. That way, people can visit the page and create their own route if they want to check out the village’s holiday decorations.

Onn said participants will all be entered into a raffle for a shop-local gift basket.

As for the children’s colouring contest, children are asked to print off the colouring sheet from the event’s Facebook page, colour it and then post a picture of their coloured sheet by Dec. 11 to be entered into the contest.

For more information, to get involved or to enter into either of the contests, visit the Brussels Christmas Experience Facebook page.

Huron, Perth Counties moved into Yellow framework

By Denny Scott The Citizen On Friday, Huron Perth Public Health announced that the Government of Ontario was moving Huron and Perth Counties into the Yellow (Protect) Response Framework.

The change came into effect on Monday at 12:01 a.m. and includes new restrictions. According to the provincial government’s website, the framework includes “enhanced targeted enforcement, fines and enhanced education to limit further transmission”. It also states that public health measures should be adjusted to address high-risk settings.

Under the restrictions, events and social gatherings are limited to 10 people indoors or 25 people outdoors, while organized public events and gatherings are restricted to 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.

Religious services, weddings and funerals are limited to 30 per cent of maximum capacity indoors and 100 people outdoors.

Workplaces must have screening in place and face coverings are required in indoor workplaces and

indoor public spaces, with some exceptions. Workers who will be within two metres of patrons must wear additional protection, such as eye protection and workplaces must develop and implement a communication/public education plan.

Under the Yellow framework, physical distancing is mandatory and non-essential travel from areas of high-transmision to areas of lowtransmission should be avoided.

In restaurants, bars and similar establishments, there must be two metres between tables and patrons must be seated. While dancing, singing and karaoke are permitted, there are restrictions and patron contact information must be collected. No buffet-style services are allowed and night clubs can only operate as a restaurant or bar. Lineups outside venues must be managed by the venue with two-metre distancing and face coverings are required. Face coverings are required in all restaurants or bars except when eating or drinking, and eye protection must be worn where patrons without face coverings are within two metres of workers.

Establishments also must close by

midnight. Liquor can only be served between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m., and can’t be consumed between midnight and 9 a.m. There is also a limit of six people sitting together and music can be no louder than normal conversation.

In sports or recreational facilities, indoor classes can only have 10 people, outdoor facilities can have 25 and areas with weights or exercise equipment are limited to 50, provided there are three metres between areas where weights or weight machines are in use, or exercise and fitness classes are happening. Spectators are allowed to a maximum of 50 indoors and 100 outdoors. Leagues can only have 50 people and sports must be modified to avoid physical contact, with exemptions for “high-performance athletes and parasports”.

Face coverings are required and contact information must be gathered by leagues.

For meeting and event spaces, limits of 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors are in effect with exceptions made for court and government services, weddings and funerals. Other restrictions follow those of restaurants and bars.

Retail spaces must limit fitting rooms to non-adjacent stalls, and line-ups must be managed by the retail operation, which will make sure that customers in line follow physical distancing requirements and wear masks.

Music must be limited to conversation volume.

Personal care services such as oxygen bars, steam rooms, saunas and whirlpools are to be closed, while casinos and bingo halls can’t exceed a capacity of 50 people.

Table games are prohibited.

Performing art facilities are

limited to 50 spectators indoors provided a two-metre distance can be maintained while outdoor events are limited to 100 spectators. Singers or wind or brass instrument performers must be separated from spectators by an impermeable barrier.

Other health units and organizations in the yellow band include Haldimand-Norfolk, Middlesex-London, SimcoeMuskoka, Sudbury and WindsorEssex.

For more information, visit ontario.ca.

Stratford, Perth East COVID numbers climb Continued from page 1 12 confirmed cases. The remaining municipalities in Huron had no change over last week including Goderich (four cases), Huron East (four cases), Ashfield-ColborneWawanosh (three cases), North Huron (one case), Morris-Turnberry (one case), and Howick (zero cases).

In Perth County, Stratford’s case count has increased from 91 last Monday to 113, while Perth East has increased from 21 to 37 cases. North Perth has increased to 21 cases, while Perth South and St. Marys each have eight cases and West Perth has seven cases.

For more information, visit hpph.ca

MAITLAND CONSERVATION’s 2021

Tree Planting Programs

It’s time to plan your spring planting project.

2021 Tree and Shrub Orders - A variety of tree and shrub species are now available to purchase for spring 2021. Large stock and seedlings may be ordered.For information and an order form visit our website at mvca.on.ca or email Greg Urquhart, ForestryTechnician,at trees@mvca.on.ca.

Order Deadline: January15,2021 Planting Services - Interested in undertaking a windbreak, stream buffer or block planting but not sure where to start? Maitland Conservation staff are available to assist you with your planting project. Staff will work with you to determine the best planting options for your property and identify potential funding opportunities.

Awarded After receiving awards for their involvement, members of the 4-H Hensall Hikers Walk on the Wild Side group posed for an award-winners photo. Back row, from left: Leader Mary Lynn MacDonald, Halle Barton, Alex Trick, Leader Denise Iszczuk, Mercedes Prout, Daniel Waring, Emily Bieman, Dugald McIntosh, Lauren Bos and Leaders Sarah Shapton, Leader and Jolande Oudshoorn. Front row: Grace Theophilopolous, Frank Schaefer and Lily Shapton (Photo submitted)

GRANTS AVAILABLE for some planting projects! Call for details.

Greg Urquhart, Forestry Technician [e] trees@mvca.on.ca [w] mvca.on.ca [t] 519-335-3557 ext. 235 [f] 519-335-3516

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020. PAGE 11.

of a Local Christmas!

I’m

Your Dollar Goes Far When You Shop Near Shop Like Santa KEEP CALM AND

SHOP SMALL BUSINESSES

Seaforth S Jewellers Ltd.

Shop Local Be Global At Boho Tide A Women’s Boutique

Carrying accessories, jewelry & clothing from around the world Places such as India, Nepal, Thailand, Bali 286 Josephine St., Wingham, ON Find us on Instagram: shop_boho Like us on Facebook: Boho Tide

47 Main St., Seaforth 519-527-0270

You can’t buy happiness, But you can buy local And that’s kind of the same thing.

SILLS

HOME HARDWARE

Toys for boys and girls, young and old

While supplies last

We want to thank our customers for supporting and shopping local

Phone: 519-527-1620 Open 6 days, follow us Facebook, order on-line, pick up in store homehardware.ca 69 Main St. S., Seaforth

North Huron (Belgrave, Blyth and Wingham) @twpofnorthhuron

PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020.

of a Local Christmas!

I’m Your Dollar Goes Far When You Shop Near

On-Farm Store is Open

Where Black is Beautiful Quality Animals Yarns, socks, hand knit & felted products

DEE & ADRIA GRAHAM

Customized Yetis make a great gift!

Personalize with names, quotes, business logos and more!

Stop in and see our great selection of books ~ perfect for gift-giving this holiday season

542 BRUCE RD. 86, (Amberley Rd.) RR 1 LUCKNOW DLFARMSALPACA.COM dlfarms@hurontel.on.ca

Farm open by appointment or by chance 519-528-2406 Cell: 519-450-8144

Edgar’s Christmas Trees Christmas Trees • Wreaths • Garland • Urn Arrangements • and More!

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

Ask us about our unique “locavore” gift baskets!

222 Bruce Road 86, Wingham (just west of Whitechurch)

519-357-2122

541 Turnberry St., Brussels 519-887-9114

McDonald

Home Hardware Building Centre Brussels

519-887-6277

www.mcdonaldhomehardware.com

Accepting donations to the North Huron Food Bank For more information follow Edgar’s Feed & Seed on Facebook

Need a pedicure?

Offer valid until November 30th

Give the perfect gift... Spa Essentials Gift Card

406 Mill Street, Blyth 519-523-4793

Check out our website for a complete list of services and packages

www.spaessentialsblyth.com

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020. PAGE 13.

I’m

Farm To Cup! Shop online or stop in to see us 86252 Kintail Line, Goderich 519-671-4118 Store hours: Saturday 9 am to 1 pm

We hand roast in small batches, strictly fresh for order.

Our goal is to discover incredible coffees, build trusted relationships with coffee producers and bring you an unparalleled Coastal Coffee experience.

of a Local Christmas!

Check out www.coastalcoffee.ca for list of retailers and restaurants.

Your Dollar Goes Far When You Shop Near Solace on Turnberry Gift Shop will be having our Christmas Open House Two Ways this year: Online - shop our online store and enjoy a 20% off of all items purchased. Offer can be used one time per person. Offer is valid from now until Dec 24, 2020. **When you check out, use the promo code: Holiday2020 and the discount will be applied automatically https://www.solaceonturnberry.com/shop

RADAR AUTO PARTS "You will find it at CARQUEST" For all your automotive and sleigh needs, see the friendly folks at Radar for your Christmas gift ideas.

W WEE HAVE HAVE MORE MORE THAN THAN JUST JUST HONEY HONEY... ...

• Hand Tools • Power Tools and more!

Three locations to serve you better

235 Turnberry St., BRUSSELS 519-887-9661 3878 Wellington St., MITCHELL 519-348-8485 In person - Thursdays 12pm - 8pm we will be open and offering 20% off almost everything in the store. Only 3 customers may be in the store at a time wearing masks please. If you would like to book an appointment with a group of 5 or less from your bubble, we will block a 30 minute time slot just for you, and offer everyone in the group 20% off.

• Liquid • Creamed • Comb

20 King St., CLINTON 519-482-3445 Have a safe and happy holiday

• Honey Butter • Skin Creams • Honey Spreads • BBQ Sauce & Mustard • Bee Pollen • Bees for your own hive!

OPEN Thurs., Fri., Sat. 9-5 39006 Zurich-Hensall Rd., East of Zurich 519-236-4979

or

SOLACE ON TURNBERRY SPA SHOPPE SUITES Solace Gift Shop Holiday Hours from now until Dec. 23 Tuesdays: 10 am-2 pm Thursdays: 12 noon - 8 pm for Open House 20% off Fridays: 12-5 pm Saturdays: 10 am-2 pm

439 Turnberry St., Brussels 519-887-9682 solaceonturnberry@gmail.com www.solaceonturnberry.com

THE CULINARY BOUTIQUE in the Heart of Downtown Goderich Courthouse Square Goderich

PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020.

The Old Farmer’s 2021 Almanac This 229th edition aims once again to fulfill your expectations with its fun facts and forecasts. Also includes news, novelties and a little nonsense to carry you through another year. $7.99

OUT OF THE BLUE: Further Discoveries in Huron County History The second book written by David Yates is an eclectic collection of stories about Huron County’s people, places and events between 1884 and 1939. This volume covers an era just before the social welfare state that emerged in the aftermath of the Second World War. $25.00

THE COIN KEEPERS - Thread of Identity A letter is sent. A memory awakened. An ancient lullaby is sung, and a genetic thread that tethers all characters together resounds through time and space. This is the first novel by author Lynn Wilkelis. $25.00

OUT OF THE WOODS: CHRONICLES AND CHARACTERS OF HURON COUNTY David's collection of stories appeals to the casual reader and history buff alike. Each short entry is filled with human interest and details that open a window to the county's past and its characters. Arranged in chronological order - from the time of the region's Indigenous people through to early settlement and finally to Canada's coming of age during the Great War - it is a book you can enjoy one story at a time or cover to cover. $25.00

THE COIN KEEPERS - Rufina Book two by author Lynn Wilkelis continues to seamlessly weave the past into the present, as the coin attempts to anchor itself back into its African Roots. $25.00

LETTERS HOME from Willis Machan Flight Sergeant Willis Machan of Brussels served with the RCAF prior to his death in the Azores in 1943. In his letters to his parents, brother and sisters he reveals the thoughts of a young man at war. $18.00

THE COIN KEEPERS - Shift In Time Author Lynn Wilkelis leads us into the world of time-travel and fantasy in her third novel. As the heirloom coin and the young woman step into the events of 1842, the reader wonders if the shift in time will sever the genetic thread of the coin keepers. $25.00

THE COIN KEEPERS - Mahezu (The End) Book four by author Lynn Wilkelis, is on its last journey, once again weaving the past into the present. An insightful look at the rich Canadian history through the lives of these descendants: they, receiving their privilege of the heirloom coin from their once famous Warrior Queen Nzinga. $25.00

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

WALKING HOME The former CP Rail line from Guelph to Goderich is about to become the 127 km. Guelph to Goderich Rail Trail. In 2014 Lynda L. Wilson and her husband Doug walked the future trail and this book tells of the adventure and the people they met. $19.95

541 Turnberry St., Brussels 519-887-9114

ONE WOMAN FARM Jenna Woginrich left a desk job to take up farming in upstate New York. Here she traces a year on her farm where she raises Scottish Blackface sheep and keeps chickens, pigs, goats and bees. She also writes for several publications. $20.95

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

Stop in and see our great selection of books

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020. PAGE 15.

North Huron to investigate childcare need in Blyth

By Denny Scott The Citizen

North Huron Township Council has approved a resident survey to determine whether the municipality should extend its childcare services to Blyth.

In her last presentation to council before retirement, Manager of Children’s Services Valerie Watson said, at council’s Monday night meeting, that the resident survey was the most important step in the process before considering anything else.

She said that, with childcare options in Walton, Wingham, Clinton, Goderich and Seaforth, there might be a need for such a service in Blyth, though there are

only four users of the childcare service in Wingham from Blyth.

Watson said there would need to be at least 16 users to break even under existing rules, but did say there were opportunities for smaller groups through modified provincial guidelines called “family grouping”.

Before deciding a model, however, council needs to know if there is a need for the service, she said.

As part of her report, she did propose a site for childcare at the Blyth and District Community Centre, suggesting the under-utilized second-floor auditorium could house the service. She estimated it would cost a minimum of $150,000 to prepare the space, as well as a connected outdoor playground, for a childcare service. That would

include installing exterior windows, dividing the space into rooms and creating an outdoor play area for the children that, by law, has to be connected to the building, eliminating the possibility of using nearby Blyth Lions Park. She said the space was ideal as it already has washrooms, a kitchen and ample space, however the fact that it was on a second floor wasn’t desirable.

When asked how many children the space could accommodate, she said between 32 and 45 children could be cared for in the space, giving significant room for expansion over the base 16 users.

She added there was $368,921 in the childcare service reserve, though some of that may be needed to cover costs this year due to COVID-19. In

addition, Watson said council didn’t need to move ahead with the project immediately because the need for childcare had waned due to COVID19.

Normally, she said, there are two full programs in Wingham at the North Huron Daycare Centre and Sacred Heart School and a waiting list of over 80. Right now, the daycare centre was the only site in operation due to reduced demand as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deputy-Reeve Trevor Seip countered saying that, if the economy is to recover, childcare will be one of the first necessary services.

The waiting list still exists, Watson said, as many parents on it have infants who can only be cared for in

limited numbers. She said some people are getting on the list when their baby is born to get a jump on the process.

Watson said council could proceed with the project, given sufficient demand, or wait, as it is an “excellent shovel-ready project” if funding were to be made available.

Councillor Kevin Falconer said he believed the need was there, given the feedback he had heard from ratepayers, and said he felt it was an excellent idea for an under-utilized space in the building.

Council gave direction to staff to proceed with a resident survey to assess childcare interest and need, which Clerk Carson Lamb explained would involve contacting residents through the mail.

Friends of the Village releases fundraiser calendar

By Denny Scott The Citizen

The Blyth Friends of the Village garden group has produced a fundraising calendar for 2021 to help further projects the group has undertaken.

Member Sharlene Young-Bolen is behind the project and group liaison Lissa Kolkman said that YoungBolen has done a fantastic job.

“It’s been a couple years in the making,” Kolkman said. “I’m not sure who came up with it, but the idea is to display the green spaces of Blyth.”

She said the project was originally slated to take off last year with calendars for 2020, but, as a volunteer-run group, the Friends of the Village didn’t get to it until this year.

“Sharlene did a great job with the pictures and getting it together for this year,” she said.

The calendars cost $20 each and are available at local businesses like The Wonky Frog, The Village Barber, The Maple and Moose, the Blyth Ultramar, Wild Goose Studio and Stitches with a Twist.

The funds from the calendars will go towards the projects the group has ongoing, as well as one new proposed plan: a sunflower selfiestation on the Blyth Greenway Trail.

The Greenway Trail is part of the Goderich-to-Guelph Rail Trail (G2G), which has seen a significant increase in use with the completion of the larger trail network and the pandemic, Kolkman said.

The idea for the centre would be to have a large swatch of sunflowers

for people to take photos in front of, Kolkman said. She added that the area would be close enough to the road for people to see it and want to take advantage of it.

“We want to capitalize on the G2G being so popular,” she said.

“This will be something for people to stop and have a look at and take a picture with.”

The Greenway Trail is municipally-operated, so Kolkman said there are still some issues that need to be dealt with before the group can consider going ahead with the project.

“I have met with [North Huron Director of Public Works and Facilities] Jamie McCarthy and brought it up briefly when we met a couple months ago,” Kolkman said.

“We’re working on the details, and we have to wait for North Huron to approve it.”

She said she hopes for it to go ahead because there has been significantly more use of the Greenway Trail and G2G this year than in previous years.

“I’ve been down to the Greenway and there have been 15 cars there,” she said. “It’s crazy. We hadn’t seen anything even remotely like that before the trail was finished.”

For more information, visit the Friends of the Village on Facebook.

Remember Last Winter?

No Need To Go Out In That!

Celebrating A Special Occasion?

Advertise it in

The Citizen Call or email to book your ad today! **Buck & Doe **Anniversary **Wedding **New Baby **Graduation **Birthday

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

The Citizen now accepts Visa & MasterCard at our Blyth location

Order from the comfort of your own home • advertise • subscribe • buy books Call our Blyth office 405 Queen St., Blyth 519-523-4792

PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020.

Classified Advertisements – RATES – 20 words or less only $7.00 + HST. Additional words 20¢ each + HST. 50¢ will be deducted if ad is paid in advance

DEADLINE 2 p.m. Monday in Brussels 4 p.m. Monday in Blyth Phone 519-523-4792 or 519-887-9114 e-mail: info@northhuron.on.ca

Articles for sale GERBERS FIREWOOD SERVING you for over 10 years. Your number one source of quality slabwood and bodywood. Delivery available. No Sunday calls. 519-656-2057, 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 519523-4792 or 519-887-9114. tfn -------------------------------------------THE CITIZEN IS AVAILABLE TO purchase at these locations – Auburn Co-op, Belgrave Variety, Blyth Variety, Blyth Food Market, Blyth Ultramar, Brussels Foodland, Brussels Variety, Clinton Convenience, Clinton Foodland, Dean’s Valu-Mart in Wingham, Wingham Mini Mart, Seaforth Foodland, GT Mini Mart in Seaforth, Fincher’s in Goderich and The Citizen Blyth.

Card of thanks ARMSTRONG. A sincere thank you to each and everyone for your many expressions of sympathy shown at the sudden passing of Mom (Joan).

To family and friends for your love and support, hugs, cards, flowers, phone calls and food brought to our homes. A big thank you to the doctors, nurses and PSWs at Braemar who gave Mom extra care and compassion in her last week.

Also to Dayna at McBurney Funeral Home for her guidance and compassion during this difficult time. To Rev. Colin Snyder for the beautiful graveside service. Colin had many fond memories of mom from earlier years in the churches.

Thanks to the Legion ladies for your delicious lunch. All was greatly appreciated and will not be forgotten. – Tom, Marion, Marlene, Noreen, Terry and Jeff and their families.

47-1p

Coming events BLYTH UCW HAS CHRISTMAS pies for sale, $10 each. Enjoy yourself or give as gifts. Frozen unbaked apple, cherry, raisin, raspberry or mincemeat. To order call Sharon 519-525-9421 by Nov. 30. Pick up at church Saturday, Dec. 5 or Saturday, Dec. 19. 47-2b

Help wanted

Notice

BACHERT MEATS INC. – Farm worker, hogs, no experience needed, fast-paced environment, physically demanding, $14 per hour. Email résumé to bachertmeatshiring@ gmail.com.

45-4 --------------------------------------------

NATIVITY SCENES – DID YOU have one stored with Bob Kellington that is yours? Call 226-889-6995.

47-1p

Full-time Farm Employee Wanted

Services

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

SNOW REMOVAL SERVICE

Take control of your arthritis 1 in 6 Canadians have arthritis

for the 2020 and 2021 Seasons

DUTIES: Cash Crop Corn, Soys & Wheat eg. planting, spraying & harvest Broilers look after from day one to market

Help wanted

519.335.3581

Bids are invited to supply the necessary equipment and services of snow removal.

Bids are to be received for the above until

November 30, 2020

Minimum 40 hours per week

at Belgrave Community Centre Board PO Box 4 Belgrave, ON. N0G 1E0

Please send résumé to: randmbuffinga@gmail.com

Citizen-To-Citizen

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

THE LOWEST OR ANY BID NOT NECESSARILY ACCEPTED.

That’s nearly 4.5 million people living with the pain and disability of arthritis

Call the Arthritis Information Line at 1.800.321.1433 or visit our website at www.arthritis.ca to get the support and information you need.

You can join the FREE Arthritis Registry to get updates on Society programs and events.

Commit to a world without arthritis

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

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

Call 519-523-4792 or email: info@northhuron.on.ca FOR SALE – moulded plastic wagon with seating for two toddlers plus small moulded plastic wagon with no seat, make an offer.

Proceeds to Wingham Hospital Auxiliary. 519-357-2768.

47-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE – crib mattress cover, fitted sheets, flat sheets, blankets, $2 per item or make a package deal.

519-357-2768.

47-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE – new vest, never worn, size medium, $25 or best offer; pipe wrench, $8. 519-3579467.

47-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE – Sony cybershot camera, digital still camera-810, new, $40 or best offer. 519-3574600.

47-3 -----------------------------------------WANTED – 25 lb. free weights.

519-357-9249.

47-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE – woodstove Osburn 1600 model, asking $600. Call 519482-7362.

47-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE – like new, 2 lPike Hankook snow tires on rims size 195/65R15, off a 2003 VW, $75 o.b.o. 519-530-8005.

46-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE – three barn roof vents.

Call 519-357-1995 for price. 46-3 ------------------------------------------

FOR SALE – Evenflo car seat and stroller set, green and grey in colour.

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46-3 -----------------------------------------FOR SALE – 16" Yardworks electric snow shovel. Like new, $95.

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OFA’s Six by Sixteen launches challenge The Ontario Federation of Agriculture’s (OFA) Six by Sixteen food literacy initiative has cooked up something special to be launched during The Royal Agricultural Virtual Experience.

With the help of Growing Chefs Ontario, Six by Sixteen is proud to announce the launch of a new virtual challenge. The OFA’s dietitiandeveloped recipe guide has officially been converted to a digital format with cooking tutorial videos for youth and families to watch from the safety and convenience of their own home.

This exciting, home cooking challenge features eight dietitiandeveloped recipe videos, an introduction to knife safety and food handling. Youth can follow along as a certified chef demonstrates how to source and prepare eight recipes using locally grown and produced food products.

“We want to ensure we’re doing our part to raise the profile of buying fresh, safe and affordable local food that supports our farm families and the local economy,” said OFA President Keith Currie. “With youth spending more time at home and having limited access to recreational activities, now is a great opportunity to promote the importance of food literacy and getting kids in the kitchen.”

Keeping true to the Six by Sixteen slogan, youth only need to prepare six recipes to complete the challenge. Everyone who completes this task will receive an official Six

by Sixteen certificate honouring their achievement.

Families and youth will have the

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

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chance to engage with the OFA and Six by Sixteen to learn more about the food literacy challenge during the Royal Agricultural Virtual Experience.

The traditional Royal Agricultural Winter Fair has pivoted its plans this year to interact with the agricultural community and consumers through a virtual lens.

This year’s platform focuses on agricultural education for youth and consumers. The OFA is proud to be a sponsor of the event’s Agriculture Zone alongside Ontario’s commodity organizations, 4-H, AgScape, Farm & Food Care Ontario and John Deere.

The OFA’s virtual booth is full of youth-friendly activities that promote food literacy knowledge and awareness, and the province’s dynamic agri-food sector. Activities include the interactive quiz game Kahoot, crosswords, word searches, fun facts and cooking demonstrations.

The OFA and Six by Sixteen encourage all families to get their youth involved in the kitchen by taking our recipe challenge. It’s a fun and family-oriented way to teach the next generation lifelong skills and promote Ontario’s agri-food sector in the process.

Youth can submit their six recipes by sending photos of completed meals to sixbysixteen@ofa.on.ca or sharing their cooking adventures and dishes to social media by tagging @SixbySixteen with #virtualchallenge6x16. You can access these videos directly from our virtual booth or visit youtube.com/ontariofarms.

THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020. PAGE 17.

Work to combat ‘virus fatigue’ PEOPLE AROUND LONDESBORO

By BRENDA RADFORD Call 523-4296

On the break The U15 Huron Heat Ditner team was in action on Sunday at the Central Huron Community Complex in Clinton. The locals took on the South Huron Sabres in the Sunday afternoon action. A score was not available by press time.

(John Stephenson photo)

Such vagaries of weather we have been experiencing in the last couple of weeks: heat, snow, more summerlike heat, and whatever that was that came our way on Sunday.

We went from shorts to parka in just a few hours.

I find people seem to have learned throughout COVID-19 to take advantage of the good days and get outside for some sunshine and a change of activity. I expect we are all thinking ahead to the long dark days of winter. Pharmacies may have a run on those SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) lights this year as more people become depressed as a result of both COVID-19 isolation and the seasonal blues.

The new phrase is “virus fatigue� and it’s true we are all tired of the restrictions the various levels of government are advising. Yet, it appears to be true that the precautions ordinary people take to protect themselves are a bigger factor in beating this thing than restrictions on businesses.

Boy, am I tired of hearing about the marches and rallies for personal choice when it comes to wearing masks and physical distancing. If those people want to risk their own health, fine, but their rallies are

putting so many others at risk. How is that looking out for the good of your fellow man? When one wedding in the Vaughan area can cause dozens of cases and cost hours of contact tracing, personal rights need to take a backseat to consideration of others.

The actions of a few look to be forcing everyone back into lockdown.

The message brought to Londesborough United Church by Minister Susan McIlveen on Sunday, Nov. 15 was titled “The Waiting�.

Susan’s supporting scripture was 1 Thes. 15: 1-11, part of a letter of encouragement from Paul to the small church in Thessalonia. The small number of Christians of the church in Thessalonia had been waiting for many years for relief from the hardships of their lives, for a return visit by Paul and the coming of Christ. The people of this church were “out of sync� with the other citizens of this country and the many other beliefs. Paul was offering encouragement to them to stand fast in their faith.

By the same token, Paul’s words offer encouragement to Christians of today who are trying to stand steadfast in the face of this pandemic. After months we are still waiting and wondering what to do with the waiting. Christianity today, as in the days of the early churches, is “a team thing�. We are encouraged to reach toward something new and to offer encouragement to others. As God’s people we must hold fast to hope and faith.

Just as a side note, Londesborough

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PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020.

Blyth holiday celebration to move ahead virtually

A different scene Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Hometown Holiday Weekend in Blyth can’t go ahead with many of the events that normally happen, like the Santa Claus parade, shown above. Instead, the Blyth Community Betterment Group is going ahead with distanced or online celebrations. (File photo)

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen The Blyth Community Betterment Group is moving ahead with a Hometown Holiday Weekend-like

celebration, but without the Santa Claus parade residents have enjoyed in recent years.

The group will receive support from the Blyth Festival, local service clubs and the Blyth Business

Annie Sparling of the Blyth Community Betterment Group said the group has undertaken the guidance of Huron Perth Public Health to carry out the event while following safety protocols to limit potential for the spread of the deadly virus.

The launch of the event will take place on Friday, Dec. 4 with the lighting of the lights, which will be broadcast on the Blyth Community Betterment Group’s Facebook page.

It is set to begin at 7 p.m.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, the group will also place a community Christmas tree, inviting members of the public to hang ornaments to honour their family in front of Memorial Hall.

Whether you have made or shared the ornament, it will have to be picked up by Jan. 4 or it will not be returned.

Sparling said that, in keeping with tradition, the village will also receive a visit from Santa, though a date and time for that visit has yet to be determined. This year’s visit will run its course through the village, visiting residents from their front porches, ensuring that everyone stays safe, but is full of holiday cheer.

The final element of the project will be the Blyth Christmas

Spectacular, which will be a virtual holiday talent show emceed by Blyth Festival Artistic Director Gil Garratt.

Blyth Community Betterment is asking people to record themselves singing a song, performing a skit or a dance or reading a story and submitting it to the group for inclusion in the show.

Those interested can e-mail blythcommunitybetterment@gmail. com for instructions on how to participate.

Entries need to be in by Dec. 12 and the video will be available by Dec. 19.

“This year is different, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make it special. We also encourage you to drive around the village and surrounding countryside and enjoy the beautiful lights, send cards, check in on your elderly neighbours or those who live alone and support a local food bank or a charity,” Sparling wrote in a press release from the Blyth Community Betterment Group. “We have so much to be thankful for, let that be our focus this Christmas season.”

Visit The Citizen online at huroncitizen.ca

Improvement Area (BIA) to roll out a number of virtual events aimed at keeping the Christmas spirit high in the village, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an interview with The Citizen,

Fall? No, we are fearless! Or not!

By Marguerite Oberle Thomas Barry and Sherry were a happy retired couple just enjoying their everyday life. Without warning, Sherry fell in the kitchen, breaking her wrist. Shortly afterward, Barry slipped off the second rung of a ladder. While not injured, he was shocked with his near miss and started being less active. Then one day on Facebook, they saw “Be Ready, Be Steady” as the theme for the 2020 Fall Prevention Month.

They agreed that they could be more ready to be more steady, whether fearful or not.

Fear of falling refers to a persistent concern about having a fall that leads an individual to avoid daily activities. Is it a rational fear?

Yes, the fear is based on reality.

According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), 81 per cent of hospitalized injuries were due to falls in 2017-2018 with the majority for older adults aged 65 and over. The balance to that fear needs to be informed motivation, not paralysis.

Fear of falling may start earlier than we might expect. Middle-aged and older adults who report a fear of falling share some factors. They are likely less physically active.

Other factors can include limitations in daily activities, higher levels of anxiety and depression, chronic conditions and the use of walking aids. Did fear of falling come first to limit mobility or did decreased mobility lead to fear of falling?

Fear of falling can be tough on

both physical health and the quality of life. We can be ready to be steady by using multiple approaches: • Create a safe indoor and outdoor environment: Check out the Fall Prevention Month website section for adults and their caregivers for home safety checklists, along with ideas as how to make improvements to reduce fall risks.

• Be physically active: It encourages muscle strength, balance and flexibility. Many programs are available online.

During this time of COVID-19, creating a safe space for exercising in your home, with online programs is also found on the Fall Prevention Month website.

• Check out cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT): The McMaster Optimal Aging Portal article on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy describes a useful technique to address fears. It has been used with some success.

• Consider a medical alert button: This provides a measure of confidence that, should a fall occur, communication to needed help is readily available. This should be worn or kept always within reach.

• Learn how to get up from a fall: This skill increases confidence that, should a fall occur, there won’t be the “long lie” of being stranded while possibly being injured as well.

• Avoid letting fear cause social isolation: The company of others is

essential for good emotional health.

While our own home safety can be more within our control, outdoor conditions conducive to tripping and falling may present bigger challenges. Outside our homes, it might be time to: • Correct cracked sidewalks, uneven levels • Ensure there is good lighting indoors and outdoors • Install handrails and grip bars on stairs and by slippery surfaces in public spaces, and in homes • Wear safe footwear indoors and outdoors to reduce slips • Advocate for safer public spaces.

Barry and Sherry recognized that COVID-19 isolation had increased their need for physical activity to keep their flexibility, strength and balance. They checked out the Fall Prevention Month website and found resources for in home exercise programs, home safety checklists and other fall prevention materials.

So, should we fear falling?

Perhaps, this Fall Prevention Month, we should just choose to have a healthy respect that it can happen and “Be Ready, Be Steady”.

Marguerite Oberle Thomas, RN., BScN., Consultant Liaison, and Alison Stirling, MHSc., MISt., Knowledge Broker, both seniors, work with Loop Fall Prevention Community of Practice of the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation.

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020. PAGE 19.

519-523-4311

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Agriculture

BLYTH 519-523-4244

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Brussels Livestock report

Fed steers, heifers sell steadily at sale Total receipts for Brussels Livestock for the week ending Nov. 12 were 2,442 cattle and 531 lambs and goats.

On Tuesday fed steers and heifers sold steady. Choice steers and heifers sold $132 to $141.50 with sales to $145. Second-cut steers and heifers sold $125 to $132. Aged and

medium steers and heifers sold $100 to $125. Cows sold on an active trade with higher prices.

On Thursday veal sold actively at fully steady prices. Lambs and sheep sold higher. Goats sold steady. On Friday calves and yearlings sold actively at steady prices.

Owen F. Bauman of Wellesley,

consigned 18 head. One grey heifer weighed 1,420 lbs. and sold for a price of $138.50.

There were 350 cows on offer.

Beef sold $74 to $80 with sales to $83; good holstein cows, $66 to $78; medium holstein cows, $62 to $66.

Shirley Baker of Brussels, consigned one limousin cow that

Busy place After serving approximately 200 hungry diners, the Wingham Columbus Centre’s fish fry lunch and dinner was deemed another success, selling out all of its tickets once again. The crew was busy from the morning hours until well into the evening, as pick-up was available from noon until 7 p.m. (John Stephenson photo)

Public Trust Report shows all-time high for agriculture

By Crispin Colvin, Director, Ontario Federation of Agriculture There is no denying that COVID19 has made 2020 a challenging year for the agri-food sector. This pandemic has put growers, producers and everyone along the supply chain through countless hardships and challenges.

Nevertheless, our sector has persevered. Collectively, we rolled up our sleeves to fulfill our responsibility of keeping consumer plates full of fresh, healthy and affordable food.

The job of feeding the world felt heavier this year. But, producers efforts in these trying times have reaped many benefits. Recently, the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity (CCFI) released its 2020 Public Trust report and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) is very pleased to see that public trust in Canada’s agri-food sector is at an all-time high.

More specifically, the food system’s response to the COVID-19 crisis is highly praised by Canadians; nearly nine in 10 (87 per cent) trust that the food system will continue to supply all Canadians

with fresh and affordable food no matter the circumstance. Farmers have continued to take the necessary steps to ensure a healthy food supply chain for all consumers, despite the stress and pressures of our current environment.

Farmers make up a mere two per cent of the population and it can feel as though some consumers are not aware of our sector's struggles to provide them with safe, healthy and affordable food. However, CCFI’s report found that consumers and producers share similar concerns and interests regarding food production and the environment.

For farmers, food safety is always a top priority, and today many consumers have become more mindful of the foods they are purchasing. Many people are looking to create more sustainable choices, influencing their attitudes and behaviours towards various industries. Almost half (45 per cent) believe sustainable food positively impacts the environment and 31 per cent identify sustainable food as food grown locally. Furthermore, 22 per cent believe that sustainable food provides a healthy standard of living for farmers.

We have seen the pandemic create momentum for direct farm gate sales, farmers’ markets and buylocal campaigns. When I talk to consumers, they are interested in knowing more about agriculture and our farming practices. People are showing a greater interest and desire in knowing where their food is grown, how it is grown and by whom. We have an opportunity to engage and educate our urban neighbours about the business of agriculture.

According to the CCFI’s Public Trust Report, farmers are both the leading industry and the most trusted entity in our food system when discussing public trust among Canadian consumers.

As many as 56 per cent of consumers trust farmers with the food they’re producing and that it's being done safely. This is a tremendous step in growing public awareness of our farmers’ efforts to produce healthy, sustainable food.

A significant impact of public trust comes from where people are going for information. While the number one source for consumers to get their agricultural information is from Continued on page 23

weighed 1,580 lbs. and sold for an average price of $83.

There were nine bulls selling $85 to $105 with sales to $111. Bill Pearson of Ethel, consigned two head. One red bull weighed 2,025 lbs. and sold for a price of $111.

There were 145 head of veal on offer. Beef veal sold $135 to $165 with sales to $175; good holsteins, $128 to $139 with sales to $141; SL heavy holsteins, $115 to $125; medium holsteins, $120 to $130; plain holsteins, $80 to $100.

Steven McNichol of Blyth, consigned one holstein steer that weighed 780 lbs. and sold for a price of $139.

Lambs under 50 lbs. sold $288 to $297; 50 - 64 lbs., $337 to $340; 65 - 79 lbs., $312 to $355; 80 - 94 lbs., $274.50 to $290; 95 - 109 lbs., $263 to $270; 110 lbs. and over, $254 to $290.

Sheep sold $200 to $290; goats: billies sold $150 to $350; nannies, $100 to $215; kids: meat, $360 to $390; dairy, $250 to $360.

Todd Sheep Company of Lucknow, consigned 28 head. Four lambs averaged 71 lbs. and sold for an average price of $332. Erinfield Farms of Dublin, consigned seven kid goats that averaged 54 lbs. and sold for an average price of $390.

Shane McClure of Seaforth, consigned 13 head. Six lambs averaged 116 lbs. and sold for an average price of $265.

Top quality stocker steers under 400 lbs. sold $249 to $277; 400 - 499 lbs., $234.50 to $254; 500 - 599 lbs., $217 to $236; 600 - 699 lbs., $201.50 to $234; 700 - 799 lbs., $184 to $200; 800 - 899 lbs., $183 to $196; 900 - 999 lbs., $173 to

$185.50; 1,000 lbs. and over, $168.75 to $184.

Top quality stocker heifers, 400 499 lbs. sold $191 to $211.50; 500 599 lbs., $176.50 to $212; 600 - 699 lbs. $165 to $176; 700 - 799 lbs., $155 to $169.50; 800 - 899 lbs., $166 to $178; 900 lbs. and over, $149 to $169.

Alvin Hill of Markdale, consigned 56 head. Six charolais heifers averaged 561 lbs. and sold for an average price of $205.50. Fifteen charolais steers averaged 631 lbs. and sold for an average price of $234.

Ephraim Weber of Holyrood consigned 16 head. Ten charolais heifers averaged 874 lbs. and sold for an average price of $177. Simeon T.M. Bowman of Proton Station, consigned 25 head. Ten charolais steers averaged 797 lbs. and sold for an average price of $200.

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PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020.

Cowbell wins tourism award

Some sprucing up The Brussels Leo Club did its part over the weekend to ready the village for Christmas, decorating the bridge in the north end of town. Members were busy on the weekend, taking advantage of the nice weather, decorating the bridge and also taking part in the Christmas market at the Four Winds Barn. (Photo submitted)

Cowbell Brewing Company is pleased to announce that the business is the 2020 recipient of the Accessible Tourism Award from the Tourism Industry Awards of Excellence gala for the second consecutive year. The event was held virtually on Wednesday, Oct. 28.

The Tourism Industry Awards of Excellence are an annual celebration of Ontario’s tourism industry presented by the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO). The awards are presented to individuals, organizations and businesses that represent the quality of outstanding offerings that make Ontario a destination of choice.

“It is an incredible honour to be recognized by TIAO for our accessibility efforts at Cowbell,” said Grant Sparling, Chief

Development Officer. “Cowbell strives to continue to be a welcoming gathering place for everyone regardless of their ability.

Accessibility has been carefully considered and discreetly integrated, with attention to detail in every aspect of our facility.”

Cowbell has worked with local accessibility advocators like Micayla Ansley, Lorie Falconer, Cheryl Peach and Julie Sawchuk to assist in the business’ accessibility efforts.

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020. PAGE 21.

From the Minister’s Study

Realize the extent of God’s deep love for us

By Rev. JoAnn Todd Trinity, St. John’s Anglican Church Do you remember the first time you fell in love?

My first crush was in Grade 5.

Charlie was his name and he was the older brother of a school friend. We would sit together on the bus, and he would bring chocolate bars. I’m sure it was my love of chocolate that was the backbone of that relationship.

But, seriously for a moment, remember what it was like to first be in love. Thoughts of that person dominated your mind; you planned activities together, spent as much time together as you could and when you weren’t together you longed to be with him or her. There were the endless phone calls and planning the next time you’d be together again.

You were head over heels in love, heart and soul it felt like.

I’ve heard people say it’s the time of their lives when they felt most alive! Some crushes fizzle out over time – usually when reality hits – or when the chocolate runs out! But others burn even brighter, become real love, and you can’t imagine ever being without that person in your life.

You might even get married. Or it may remain a life-long friendship.

After the initial honeymoon phase, emotions subside somewhat, you truly get comfortable with each other, and the relationship changes.

You don’t need to be in constant contact to know the one you love loves you back. And time rolls on and the one you love is still there and life is busy and challenging at times.

Sometimes we take our loved one’s presence, maybe even their love, for granted and then we don’t work so hard on our relationship, There are so many competing priorities, and the relationship can falter. If we’re not careful, it may even end. Sometimes a life crisis—a serious illness, a death in the family, re-focuses us on the ones we love around us. We reach out to each other, and grow together again.

When both members of the relationship are committed to it, the relationship grows stronger, emotionally deeper, we discover new strengths and new ways of knowing each other. It’s a nurturing and strengthening love; a truly loving relationship strengthens even through the adversities of life.

As I was pondering love this week, it occurred to me how our relationships with God or Jesus can often follow the same pattern as the one with our chosen loved ones.

When we first realize the extent of

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God’s deep love for us, that incredible exhilaration of knowing that God loves you – no matter what we do, is like the rush of first love.

When we have the experience of truly confessing and knowing God’s forgiven us, being uplifted by the Holy Spirit is like having wings.

Experiencing the comfort of Jesus’ love when we’re grieving, ill or feeling lost in life, the electric feeling of empowerment when the Holy Spirit envelopes us in Her energy are incredible feelings. And we know that God, our loving Creator, Jesus’ forgiving love, the Holy Spirit’s empowering love, are always available to us. We’ve been taught this since we were kids. But life is busy and finding time for everyone – even time to spend with God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit – can be difficult.

Yes, we know God is always there, so we can take God’s presence for granted. And there are so many demands on our time. Surely God understands. Jesus will forgive, that’s what he does, forgives and understands, right?

So our relationship with God is hit or miss, maybe even mostly a miss some weeks. And our relationship with God falters, that closeness we once felt with Jesus has diminished. It’s like we’ve lost touch with the Holy Spirit and we can’t seem to feel God’s love. Where is Jesus when we really need him? I thought God was always supposed to be there? Where is the Holy Spirit’s empowering grace when I really need it anyway?

And we blame God, maybe even start to wonder, even deny God’s presence, some folks may stop

coming to church. We feel bereft, let down, alone and maybe even abandoned.

Sometimes it takes a crisis in our lives for us to really be appreciative of our relationships with those we love: our spouses, dearest friends and yes, even God. It’s when we’re in crisis that we’re often vulnerable enough; our defences are down and we let God’s presence in. Often that’s when we’re open enough to feel God’s grace, God’s love for us.

Because deep down we know that God loves us, all of us, body and soul, and there is nothing we can do to stop God from loving us. God will always love us, and God wants nothing more than our love in return.

We don’t have to wait for a crisis to open our hearts to the Lord. Like any other relationship; it requires time and energy to keep it alive and strong.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Judaism’s most fundamental, ancient, and most widely recited biblical passage, the Shema which is a “text that always begins worship in the synagogue”.

This was the answer Jesus gave when the lawyers, who were the specialists in the interpretation of the laws of Moses, asked Him which commandment was primary. Once again they were challenging Him, trying to get Him to publicly discredit Himself. Jesus knew what they were trying and wouldn’t fall into their trap. And then He quoted from Leviticus, “The second commandment is this: Love your neighbour as yourself. There is no

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• Do things together, special things for them and often put their needs before your own when that’s necessary • Let them know you care for them by doing special things for them that you wouldn’t do for others • You probably even tell them that you love them.

So how much different is it to love God, to show God our love?

• Do we prioritize God over everything else in our lives?

Prioritizing God means doing our utmost to live in God’s ways. That can be challenging when the cultural influences of our society go against what we know is Christ’s way.

• Plan some one-on-one time with Continued on page 22

The Regional Ministry of Hope Join us this Sunday for worship in person or via our Facebook page 10:30 a.m.

Rev. JoAnn Todd, Rector 519-357-7781 email: revjoann@hurontel.on.ca The­Regional­Ministry­of­ Hope

Trinity

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10:30 am

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United Church Find assurance of God’s love in our worship services as they continue on YouTube “Brussels and Blyth United Churches (no in person worship at this time)

Coming November 27 - “Advent Outside”

Brussels Mennonite Fellowship

Minister.brusselsandblythuc@gmail.com Have faith, increased patience and safe contact with others!

Praise God — Our Worship Service has resumed (Covid safety protocols are in place) BMF Mission = our church exists to GROW in the teachings of Jesus to LIVE by His example, and to CONNECT people to Him

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Blyth United Church May you feel loved and safe as our worship services continue via YouTube “Brussels and Blyth United Churches”

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commandment greater than these.”

(Matt 22: 37-40) That neatly wraps the two together in a complete package of what it means to love. Of all the over 600 laws in the Jewish Torah, the book of Laws, to first love God and then one’s neighbour are the top two.

What does that really mean? What does it mean to love God? Well, think for a minute what it means when you deeply love someone, you: • Prioritize your loved ones over other people in your life • Make time to be in relationship with them, which deepens the relationship • Plan times to be together, just you and them

Worship indoors at 9:30 am Please wear a mask and use the sanitizer at the door Virtual worship still available each week at "St. Andrew's and Melville Sermon" on Youtube.

Brussels Soup and More 2 is cancelled until further notice.

519-357-5273

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

Services are live streamed and can be watched by searching “Blyth Christian Reformed Church”

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

THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH

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

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

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

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

PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020.

Museum committee frustrated by KPMG report museum. That suggestion irked some members of the museum committee, according to North Huron staff. The committee wants council’s assurance that it is interested in having a museum

Big game The Huron Heat U15 Bernard team took on St. Marys in Clinton on Sunday, taking cover in the arena while the wild weather swirled outdoors. (John Stephenson photo)

Donation pool established With the help of four stalwart supporters of the Blyth Festival, the theatre company could raise as much as $200,000 to support its new play development program.

Festival supporters Dave Southen and Susan Carlyle have together put up $50,000 to create an in-kind donation pool, an act that was matched by anonymous donors to create a $100,000 pool of potential matched donations that can be utilized until Dec. 31.

Blyth Festival Artistic Director Gil Garratt explained that, since the pandemic hit, the Festival has been trying to focus on new play creation, especially in preparing for the 2021 season which will feature outdoor and digital shows due to COVID-19.

“New plays are going to be a challenge as we move to those new stages,” Garratt said in a recent interview with The Citizen, adding that plays currently under production, if they are to go ahead before productions can move indoors, will have to be changed or modified.

Garratt said that Southen and Carlyle are long-time supporters who are very passionate about the Festival.

“They came to us and said they would match donations up to $50,000,” he said. “A second couple joined, meaning we have up to $100,000 in matched donations for new play development.”

The Festival is reaching out to donors to participate in the program, Garratt said, in hopes that the Festival can start next year with $200,000 for new play development.

“It’s an exciting opportunity,” he said.

Garratt said the support the Festival has seen this year has been staggering, especially with theatres closed, so this announcement has really “put wind in [the Festival’s] sails”.

Currently the new play development program has 20 writers working towards 13 final projects.

Garratt said some of the shows may allow for adaptation for outdoor or digital works.

The influx of funding will allow the Festival to explore alternatives to its normal practices, Garratt said, especially with workshops.

“It will allow us to find ways for playwrights, actors and directors to work together, possibly,” he said.

“We’re looking at ways to bring

them together and breathe some life into the pieces.”

He said, with the kind of investment that has been put forward, there can be a real team of artists put together to work on projects.

“Blyth’s lifeblood is new plays,” Garratt said in a press release about the announcement. “It’s vital we continue to commission new work, and to support the writers, actors and other artists involved in the work commissioned before COVID hit.

Otherwise we may come out of this situation with nothing to put on the stage.”

In that same press release, Southen said the Festival is very important to him, Carlyle and “theatre-lovers” across Canada.

“Right now, it needs our help, and we hope this gift will inspire others to dig a little deeper to help Blyth weather the rest of this pandemic,” he said.

Garratt agreed, saying that being able to continue to pay the artists is a great Christmas gift.

For more information on the Festival and its programs, or to donate, visit blythfestival.com.

Plan to commune with God Continued from page 21 God. Setting aside some daily prayer time is a good way to do that, using a daily prayer book is a good way to start. And then use your own words and thoughts, let God know how much you do love God, and are thankful for God’s many blessings.

Then, sit for a bit, calm your thoughts, sit in the silence and listen, give time to hear God’s word to you.

• Our relationships with those we love deepen with time spent with them, and grow as we learn and understand more about them. Get to know God better, learn more about Jesus. Yes, coming to church is part of that, for sure. We can read the Bible, read other books about God, attend a book study, or bible studies, or another type of faith based gathering to deepen our faith and knowledge.

• We show our love of God by living the ways Jesus taught. From Matthew’s 25th chapter: give food to the hungry, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the prisons, take loving care of the sick. Then there’s that ‘Great Commission’ pronouncement Jesus gave his disciples: Go and make more disciples, teach the ways and commands of Jesus, then baptize them in the name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is how we show God’s love to others, sharing God’s love, doing Jesus’ work for God’s people. This is the ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ bit!

Relationship building, especially with those we care about, is a constant work in progress. To keep a relationship really alive requires a commitment to work on it; any selfhelp book can tell you that. We’ve

talked previously about how love is a verb, it’s an action word.

Keeping a healthy, loving relationship going requires action from both parties and God’s always on the job!

I’ve heard it said that God is like the perfect lover, always ready and waiting when we’re ready to be in a relationship with God. Love the Lord your God. God is our God, God is ours, God is for us and with us! We are of God. God wants nothing more than to be in a loving relationship with us – it was why we were created! And truly loving relationships change us. When love fills us, we respond to others with love, with compassion and care. And when it is God’s Spirit of love that is filling us, guiding us and leading us, we see the world with different eyes; with the eyes of Jesus.

before committee members put any more time into the proposal.

While council members weren’t against the museum, there were definitive comments made during council’s Monday night meeting by both council and senior management members that staff weren’t necessarily available to run the museum.

Council members wanted the committee to develop two proposals, one where the relocated museum would be run with North Huron resources and another where there were no municipal resources tied to it. The argument of municipallyowned versus municipally-operated, however was problematic according to staff.

Director of Recreation and Community Services Vicky Luttenberger reminded council that part of the arrangement with landowner Doug Kuyvenhoven to sell the former Wingham Rail Station as a building for the museum for $1 was that it be staffed for regular business hours throughout the week all year and staffed with students or volunteers on the weekend throughout the tourism season over 20 years. Because of that, the committee may not be able to provide a proposal where no municipal resources are used.

When asked to break down the price to the municipality of running the facility, Luttenberger said a rough estimate would be between $33,000 to $41,000 annually for staffing and operational costs. That represents a total investment, over the 20-year period, of $660,000 to $824,000, she said.

Reeve Bernie Bailey asked what it would cost to return the artifacts to their rightful owners and was told $97,000, though that cost will need to be paid whether the museum moves or shuts down, Deputy-Reeve Trevor Seip said. Bailey then asked if the existing building could be kept closed to the public until council could find a solution to the issue, however Luttenberger said there are concerns the deterioration of the building, which led to the original desire to move the museum, could have an adverse effect on the artifacts.

Luttenberger said the KPMG report was a problem for the committee. Its statement that the municipality shouldn’t be involved in a museum was a stumbling block.

“Before they go to all this work, they want some kind of declaration or commitment from council,” she said, adding that the most costeffective solution in the immediate future was to move to the building being offered by Kuyvenhoven.

She did say, however, there are other costs that aren’t being considered, like municipal services to the building. She pointed out, as an example, that the existing museum doesn’t have a parking lot, but the proposed site does, meaning that’s more surface to be cleaned by North Huron staff in the winter months.

Councillor Kevin Falconer said that the proposed site for the museum won’t be able to hold more than 30 per cent of what the current one does, so council may still need to get the artifacts back to their owners, which will be a cost, however Councillor Paul Heffer said the committee was finding ways to address that issue. Bailey countered Heffer’s statement saying that there still wasn’t a price tag for the proposed solutions.

Council members were also concerned about the fact that, in order to access certain funding opportunities, the museum would need a full-time curator, which could cost the municipality upwards of $100,000.

Bailey said that, due to the unknown costs, he wanted to see a strong business plan before he would vote in favour of moving the museum.

Council passed a motion to ask Kuyvenhoven if the requirement to have the building municipallystaffed could be dropped. If he was agreeable to that, the committee would then provide two different proposals: one utilizing municipal resources and another that doesn’t. If Kuyvenhoven won’t drop the requirement, however, the motion directs the committee to present a proposal based on utilizing municipal resources.

Citizen

The

In a comprehensive report on North Huron’s services provided by KPMG Consulting, the firm suggested that North Huron Council divest itself of services that aren’t typically mandated, including the

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The committee tasked with making a proposal for the future of the North Huron museum in Wingham wants assurances from council before they continue their mandate.

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THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020. PAGE 23.

NH Council to consider non-resident program fees

By Denny Scott The Citizen North Huron Township Council has given staff the go-ahead to develop a new fees and charges bylaw for 2021, which may include some non-resident fees for soft services. The document, presented on Nov. 16, will be brought back to council early next month for final adoption.

After significant discussion, council members stated that the nonresident fees were being considered in the document, given the breakdown in negotiations with Morris-Turnberry regarding crossborder servicing. Councillors said that an existing agreement in which Morris-Turnberry provided funding

for soft services had expired and likely wouldn’t be addressed as long as the two councils were at an impasse with cross-border water and sewer service negotiations.

Aside from the addition of a 25 per cent non-resident fee to numerous existing charges, changes were proposed to increase fees by the consumer price index (CPI). There is also a 2.3 per cent increase in recreation fees to recoup recreation software costs and a 1.5 per cent increase in recreation fees to match market prices.

If approved, water and wastewater costs will increase by 7.1 per cent for North Huron residents as part of a five-year rate adjustment to help build surpluses for infrastructure

replacement projects for the system.

Children’s program fees were increased by 75 cents a day for fullday services and 50 cents for beforeand after-school care programs.

There were also provisions for nonresident childcare fees, though outgoing Manager of Child Care Services Valerie Watson, later in the meeting, advised against that. She said that, while there is normally an extensive waitlist for childcare spots in Wingham, her programs aren’t running at full capacity due to COVID-19. Adding another barrier to that could result in non-resident parents finding permanent, alternative solutions.

If approved, the new rates will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2021.

Scholarships Due to the annual Huron Manufacturing Association’s awards event being cancelled by COVID-19, a special presentation was held for scholarship winners at Maelstrom Winery on Friday, Nov. 13. From left: sponsor representatives Glen Manjin, Libro Credit Union; Breanne Stafford, Community Futures Huron; Brad Robinson and Kassidy Martin of Britespan Building Systems; scholarship winners Ki Westelaken, Jonathan Govier, Justine Clark, Ethan Hewitt, Keegan Gray, Kyle Dunn and Turner Consitt and Larry Livingston, chair of the association.

Absent was Luke Janmaat of sponsor Progressive Turf Equipment. (Photo submitted)

Councillor Kevin Falconer asked if a study had ever been done to benchmark the amount of money spent as a result of non-residents utilizing North Huron services and was told that it would be difficult to assess that.

Director of Recreation and Community Services Vicky Luttenberger said that, while scheduled programs people register for require an address, many programs don’t require that kind of information. Because of that, it’s difficult to tell where users are coming from for some programs.

“Take, for example, our open swims,” she said, adding that they haven’t been happening lately due to COVID-19. “It’s a cash [program].

We’re not collecting personal information.”

She said programs like the free swim see people pay at the pool deck and names and phone numbers aren’t collected.

Deputy-Reeve Trevor Seip said council needs to decide how “granular” the municipality wants to get with non-resident fees, saying that staff should tell council how easy or difficult it would be to monitor nonresident usage for different programs.

Reeve Bernie Bailey asked why there were different development fees among the three North Huron wards and Director of Finance Donna White said it was tied to local projects.

East Wawanosh is significantly lower than Wingham, she said, because East Wawanosh’s development fees aren’t covering any “extra” projects. Development fees are tied to specific projects, she said, like the newest well in Blyth or major water infrastructure projects in Wingham, resulting in the differences.

Bailey asked if, by getting rid of the ward system, the fees could be normalized across the municipality,

saying that Central Huron was getting rid of their ward system.

(Central Huron Council, however, on Monday night, voted to retain the ward system with little discussion.)

Seip said the charges are more like an “area rating” than a ward cost, likening them to the now-disbanded Wingham Police Service which wasn’t paid for by East Wawanosh or Blyth residents.

Luttenberger also addressed nonresident fees, saying that, in her experience, other local communities have stopped the practice because of the amount of staff time needed to implement them.

Bailey, however, felt North Huron wasn’t being fairly treated, saying that it was funding services and facilities for neighbouring municipalities and he wanted to make sure that North Huron tax dollars paid for services used by North Huron.

Falconer agreed, saying it was a way to equalize the costs of facilities and services, going on to say that North Huron residents pay program fees on top of their taxes, while neighbouring municipalities’ residents would only pay the program fee.

Council made no decision on nonresident fees and no changes to the document, but directed staff to bring it back for approval to council’s Dec. 7 meeting.

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Farmers more credible than websites: OFA Continued from page 19 websites and Google, the highest credibility ranking goes to farmers at 71 per cent. Sites like Google and other internet websites often contain inaccurate facts and misinformation.

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O) champions this cause to equip farmers for these conversations, providing consumers accurate information and realistic insight into modern-day agriculture through their publication The Real Dirt on Farming and virtual farm tours. As

an OFA director, I also sit on the Farm and Food Care board as vicechair, where we offer many resources such as the “Speak Up for Agriculture” sessions. As well, we provide farmers with the resources they need to learn to be effective communicators for the agri-food community.

Farmers work hard to ensure a safe and sustainable food system for Ontario. The OFA will continue to

advocate for our Ontario farmers to ensure they are receiving recognition for their efforts across the food chain.

As each of your farm businesses continues to navigate and overcome the hurdles of COVID-19, I hope you do so with newfound motivation. Your commitment and dedication to putting food on consumers’ plates is appreciated.

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PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020.

Research approved despite criticism

By Denny Scott The Citizen

A time to remember The Blyth Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion held a small, simple Remembrance Day ceremony last week. On advice from provincial and national health officials, as well as the local Huron Perth Public Health, the ceremony was closed to the public, but Legion officials were able to still move ahead with a small celebration of remembrance, honouring the fallen on such a special day. Above, members of the Branch presented the colours in front of Memorial Hall, the village’s living cenotaph. (Denny Scott photo)

Cowbell wins top Elsie Award

By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Blyth Cowbell Brewing Company has won the 2020 Elsie Award as the LCBO’s Magnum Supplier of the Year.

The Elsie Awards, which are handed out annually by the LCBO by way of a large gala celebration, are deemed rather prestigious in the beer and spirit world. For a new retailer like Cowbell to win the award, said Director of Sales Tyeler Walker, is quite an accomplishment.

Walker said the LCBO considers many factors when handing out its awards, which were distributed virtually this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the organization looks at the quality of the product, as well as marketing and community impact, among other factors. The community impact element of the award, Walker said, is likely what impressed the LCBO. In addition to the company’s Greener Pastures Fund, which

recently surpassed $500,000 contributed to the province’s four children’s hospitals, Walker said the company’s commitment to environmentalism and making the craft beer-making process greener likely had a role to play in the win.

The LCBO gives out many awards every year, he said, and being named supplier of the year is the most coveted award.

There are three tiers of the Supplier of the Year Award. Cowbell was named the Magnum winner as the smallest, joined by Georgian Bay Spirit Company as the Double Magnum winner and Labatt Breweries of Canada as the Imperial winner.

Walker said he was proud when he heard of the win and there was plenty of celebration at Cowbell.

Really, he said, it has been a team effort by everyone who works on the team, from those in the high-level positions to those working out on the road, distributing Cowbell beer throughout the province.

“Though we are not able to celebrate together this year, it remains important that we recognize our remarkable partners,” said George Soleas, LCBO President and CEO in a letter to those nominated.

“An Elsie Award is a testament to your hard work and success, and more than ever, an opportunity to express a heartfelt thank you and appreciation for your partnership.

We are very fortunate to work side by side with such passionate teams.”

In a press release issued by Cowbell, the company’s Chief Commercial Officer Dave Clarke said the win is an important one for Cowbell.

“It is the ultimate accolade to win supplier of the year – it reflects positively on all aspects of our relationship with LCBO,” he said in the release. “This includes our professionalism, service levels, sales support, innovation, marketing, impact on the community and so much more. This is absolutely a 100 per cent team win.”

www.blythnow.ca

After receiving a single proposal for determining the condition and potential future of the Howson Dam, North Huron Township council approved the project despite several concerns.

On Monday night, staff told council that, after issuing two requests for proposals (RFP) to determine what could be done with the dam, a single engineering firm, Chant Limited from Aurora, had submitted a proposal.

The proposal has Chant Limited drilling new bore holes into the spillway of the structure at a cost of $46,860 and, depending on the outcome, proceeding with a second phase of study that will cost $47,835. Councillor Chris Palmer pointed out how interesting it was that the total cost, exclusive of taxes, was slightly higher than the total amount in the Howson Bridge Reserve of $93,759.

Several councillors were wary of approving more tests at the site as there have been numerous studies of the dam undertaken over the past 40 years. Reeve Bernie Bailey highlighted one that stated that the only thing holding the lower dam structure in place was the weight of the existing bridge structure.

That bridge structure would need to be removed under Chant Limited’s plan, which concerned Bailey.

Deputy-Reeve Trevor Seip fought for Chant Limited, however, saying if it was him bidding on this project, he wouldn’t want to trust previous documents and do his own testing.

He said, with the scope of the project and possible liability, he wouldn’t want to leave it to someone else.

Councillor Kevin Falconer was more worried about the fact that no local engineering firms had bid on the project.

“All the other companies that were listed were companies we’ve worked with before,” he said. “We have good working relationships with them and they have given us information prior to this on the condition of the dam.”

Falconer, who was chair of the committee that proposed restoring the dam if possible and removing it if not, said all of that information was provided to the committee when it made its decision.

“That one company providing us a quote speaks volumes to all the other companies not even bothering,” he said. “That tells us everything we need to know.”

He went on to say that, even if the spillway testing provided new information, it wouldn’t be anything that hadn’t been provided by other tests performed at the site and said this was “throwing good money after bad.”

Director of Public Works and

Facilities Jamie McCarthy said that the core sampling on the spillways was testing a different part of the structure and that no tests had ever been undertaken there. She said those initial tests would dictate whether the project should go ahead.

Several councillors referenced documents that, as far back as 1984, said that there was little or no stability in the concrete of the structure, saying this report wasn’t necessary because of that.

Palmer said that, while there was no problem with the idea of the company pursuing its own tests, he said there wouldn’t be any new discoveries as a result.

“The tests back in 1984 said there was too much dirt in the cement,” he said. “You’re not even allowed to make it that way now. It was pea gravel out of the river. Now you have to use crushed gravel.”

Palmer then echoed Falconer’s concerns that no other engineering firms had weighed in on the RFP, saying they “don’t want to touch the thing.”

He then said Chant Limited will get at least $46,860 out of the project before they will likely say the same thing.

Palmer went on to say that he felt the committee hadn’t fulfilled its mandate of giving equal representation on the project. Bailey tried to stop him from commenting on people who weren’t “there to defend themselves,” however Palmer said Bailey was censoring him.

“All I want to say is I don’t feel this committee represented [the whole issue],” he said. “That’s why I have no problem voting the way I will vote.”

Councillor Anita van Hittersum questioned spending $46,860 on the spillway when the rest of the dam is “no good.”

“The question we asked might be wrong,” she said, referring to the RFP process.

In the end, a recorded vote saw council go ahead with the project, approving that Chant Limited be paid $46,860 plus taxes to review the condition of the structure before going forward. Councillors Heffer and Palmer voted no with the rest of council voting yes.

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