Providence Bay
Alexia Hannigan
Alexia here with your friendly ice storm fly!
April snow thunder and ice storms bring much needed relief and clean-up crews. Whether we like it or not, spring is messy and here in the North Country the rule of it isn’t over till it’s over always rules! Gentle reminder it really doesn’t warm up too much until after the May long-weekend! A few more chilly, miserable weeks to go! The birds are back however and we delight in filling the feeders and watching them visit! As hockey and curling take a final break and bow for the season, coaches, parents and businesses are fighting and working hard for funding to fix the Mindemoya arena. Meanwhile, everyone is closely watching the Island-wide sports rosters and registration dates for the 2025 baseball, soccer, cross-country, camping and boating season! Add the Federal election on April 28 and Easter long weekend into the mix and you have yourself a bonafide recipe for chocolate covered eggsxiety! That’s okay, we have been here before, remember? This is not your first rodeo! So, hop to it, remember to vote and remember to enjoy the little things; enjoy life; have a chocolate; feed the birds; say hello to your friends and neighbours; don’t sweat the small stuff; and most of all have fun!
Here’s what’s happening: Providence Bay arena and fairgrounds: Hockey is done for the season and that means the Agricultural Society is busy with bookings and fair weekend planning! There is also a butterfly display building contest to honour four late board members and dearly missed community members. If you wish to participate in the contest and are looking for a pre-fab wooden butterfly to decorate and display, please reach out to Penny. Contact details are on the Providence Bay Fair Agricultural Society Facebook page.
Rec night and soccer schedules TBA soon!
Providence Bay Curling Club: That’s a wrap! The adult and junior curlers had a good run this year and everyone had tons of fun! Congrats to Lisa Carter who won the beer for a year draw, woot woot! The year end AGM fish fry and potluck trophy presentation and league awards dinner are scheduled for April 12 at 4 pm.
Providence Bay Community of Christ Church, 10:30 am joys and concerns; 11 am service.
Providence Bay Hall: Exercise classes continue Friday mornings; Tai Chi continues Mondays and Thursdays.
On Saturday, April 26, join us at the Providence Bay Centennial Hall from 8 am to 12 pm for a pancake breakfast fundraiser benefiting Manitoulin Metal Robotics FRC 6865 Providence Bay/Spring Bay Lions Club.
Gentle Yoga continues with Chair Yoga and Gentle Yoga on Tuesdays from 1 to 1:45 pm and 2 to 3 pm at the Providence Bay Hall/Mindemoya Hall, check with instructors. Gentle Yoga continues Wednesdays at 6:15 pm at Spring Bay Hall.
The Heavens: April 13, full moon. The moon will be located on the opposite side of the earth as the sun and its face will be fully illuminated. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Pink Moon because it marked the appearance of the moss pink or wild ground phlox, which is one of the first spring flowers. This moon has also been known as the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Growing Moon and the Egg Moon. Many coastal tribes called it the Fish Moon because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn.
April 21, Mercury at the greatest western elongation. The planet Mercury reaches greatest western elongation of 27.4 degrees from the sun. This is the best time to view Mercury since it will be at its highest point above the horizon in the morning sky. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky just before sunrise.
April 22 and 23 the Lyrids meteor shower. The Lyrids is an average shower, usually producing about 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by dust particles left behind by comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which was discovered in 1861. The shower runs annually from April 16 to 25. It peaks this year on the night of April 22 and the morning of April 23. These meteors can sometimes produce bright dust trails that last for several seconds. The thin crescent moon will not pose much of a problem so this should be a good show. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight.
Wishing you clear skies and bright sights! Happy sky-gazing.
The Friends: Happy Birthday to all of you early April babies! Blessings and happiness to all as we welcome spring and all of her beautiful surprises, come what may!
“April hailstorms, blizzards and showers bring May flowers.”
Kagawong
Team Fergmeijer
Forget April showers bringing May flowers… this month so far has been April ice-showers bringing no-powers. Shockingly, we thought it would be a bright idea to amp up this week’s column with some electricity puns. Watts that? These puns are so bad they Hertz? There’s no use in complaining – when it comes to electricity puns, resistance is futile.
Don’t forget! The Billings landfill has shifted to spring and summer hours. Stop by to say hi to Denis (and drop off your sorted garbage and recycling) Tuesdays and Thursdays 2 to 6 pm and weekends, 10 am 4 pm.
We would like to wish a happy 29th birthday to one of the original Fergmeijer fans, Maya H. Remember, age isn’t important (unless you’re cheese). We hope you have a fantastic birthday!
There’s no time like the present to get involved! The Township of Billings is looking for citizens interested in joining the Lake Kagawong Resource Committee, the Climate Action Committee, the Parks, Recreation and Wellness Committee, and the Ad Hoc Water Advisory Committee. Applications will be accepted until Friday, April 11 at 12 noon. Check out the township website (www.billingstwp.ca) for more information and the application forms.
The township is planning for some new, seasonal banners to go up around town and your pictures could be featured on them. The deadline to submit your high quality photos is this Monday, April 14. Contact the town office for full details.
Someone has been buying up all the local eggs. And there’s been a run on chocolate. Do you know who bun-it? The plot chickens! While you’re figuring it out, don’t forget that the annual Easter egg hunt is back! Starting at 11am on April 19 at the Park Centre, bring your basket, meet THE bunny, and put all your eggs in one basket, courtesy of the Parks, Recreation and Wellness committee.
It may not always be easy being green, but the Billings Climate Action Committee is making it a little easier! Join in the township’s Neighbourhood Cleanup Day on Saturday, April 26 by coming out to the Park Centre for a “junk in the trunk” community yard sale. If you’d like to book a table for the event, reach out to Vince at vgrogan@billingstwp.ca. Cleaning up around your neighbourhood? You can bring any collected waste in clear bags to the Park Centre parking lot that day where it will be sorted, weighed, and then brought to the landfill. Easy peasy!
While you are at it, why not take part in Manitoulin Streams’ Great Manitoulin Island Clean Up?! With awards for the school, community, business, individual, seniors and groups of four who clean up the most bags of garbage, it’s a win for you AND for the Island environment! Check out Manitoulin Streams on Facebook for full details of how to take part.
It’s APPealing, it’s APPlaudable, and it’s APPlicable to your everyday life! There’s a brand new app that you can use to stay up to date with all the goings-on in Billings. Check out TOWNApp – an easy-to-use, FREE app that provides updates about safety, events, road closures, taxes, and allows you to report road issues, accidents, floods and other concerns directly. Just download the app and enter “Billings.”
Team Fergmeijer loves board games. Especially the one where you arrange cheese and meat and crackers and grapes and then eat it. We’re so good at that one. Have a great week!
Meldrum Bay
Elaine Bradley
Friday, March 28. The weather was holding quite nicely. We hoped that the predicted storm would not hit and set up the hall for cards. Friends of mine travelled to Gore Bay for the coffee time at Almaz’s, which has become an important social event. We were getting ready for the evening when suddenly the storm hit with a vengeance. Quickly we phoned and cancelled cards. We did not leave the house until the next day to tidy up at the hall. What an amazing weekend it was. We all managed quite well. We were thankful for our propane generator. We kept checking on our friends. We were thankful that any trees that fell did no damage. Everyone survived with a good story to tell.
Have a great week everyone.
Silver Water
Karen Noble
Friday Mar 28 euchre was cancelled in Meldrum Bay when the first of the storms started.
Saturday I took Amanda Gaul for a visit with Anne Boyd.
Sunday, St Andrew’s cancelled the church services and the hall board cancelled their lunch and euchre tournament due to the snow, ice pellets, freezing rain and rain that happened all day. The trees and bushes looked beautiful when it was all done. A lot of trees fell in our backyard and all over the roadsides.
There was one tree that fell on some power lines in our township but the resulting fire did not damage any buildings. The fire team responded in case of the fire spreading. The Hydro One trucks arrived and had the problem fixed about 4:00 am.
Monday morning, GFL Environmental cancelled our garbage pickup run due to the weather. They rescheduled it for Monday Apr 7.
Monday evening there was euchre at the Burpee and Mills Complex with six tables of players. They are having a euchre tournament on Sunday, April 13. $12 per person for food and to play. Their regular euchre on Monday, April 14 is cancelled.
Tuesday I went to Gore Bay to work. When I left there at 3 pm, the grocery store was closed due to electricity issues.
Thursday I went to Gore Bay again. The power went off before 9 am. The east side of Meredith Streer was all out so no grocery shopping again.
Thursday afternoon there were twelve ladies at the UCW meeting at the United Church.
Thursday evening there were nineteen euchre players out in Silver Water. Congratulations to Paul Sorbara who won the money jar.
I had an email from an old family friend who my Dad worked for in the early 1960s. It was very nice to hear from her, until I figured out it was a scam when she asked me to help her purchase a gift card from Amazon. I had my sister phone the lady and I was the fourth person to tell her the same story. Luckily I knew she would never ask me that and I do not shop at Amazon.
April 14 the recycle bins will be open from 1 to 2 pm.
April 26 there is a ham and scalloped potato supper at the Silver Water hall at 5 pm.
May 3 is the Snowduster fish dinner in Silver Water starting at 5 pm.
Happy 55th birthday to Stacey Colwell on April 17.
Condolences to the family of Patsy Gilchrist.
Condolences to the family of Eldene Longhurst.
Happy Easter to everyone!
