Providence Bay
Alexia Hannigan
Alexia here with your Friendly Fire Fly!
Where in the name of Lord Stanley did June Go? What a whirlwind. I did stop and smile with delight at the marvelous bevy of Monarch and Swallowtail butterflies on the dogbane blossoms while weeding the other day. I just stood there in awe of the dance. Nature reminds us every day of the beautiful and the good. Good things and the good people we are blessed to share it all with. Salt of the earth people are the bedrock of all good recipes, stories and songs. Those that are the roux are fleeting and few, we must enjoy the gift of these beautiful souls when they grace our world. They are the Monarchs, the matriarchs, the mothers, the teachers, the friends, the mentors, the keepers, the guardians, the guides, the healers, the counsellors, the Elders. The people who keep our communities and culture well rooted and strong. We must always honour and protect this legacy and teach our children the same. Did you know that Monarch butterflies that migrate north in spring breed and pass away far before their descendants are ready to migrate south again? None of the monarchs on the fall migration path have ever been to their destination before, and yet they know exactly where to go. Scientists believe they use cues like magnetism and sunlight to navigate directionally, but the rest remains a mystery. That being said, a lot of life is exactly that, a mystery. Fear not my friends! We have a lot of what we need to navigate already and so we must let it be, trust our instincts and follow our hearts home.
If your journey has led you here to beautiful Providence Bay, on Manitoulin Island, we welcome you friends and neighbours, old and new.
Here’s What’s happening at the Providence Bay Arena and Fairgrounds: The Summer Fun daytime program for youth will be utilizing the Providence Bay Arena from 8 am to 4 pm Monday to Friday throughout the summer months of July and August. Summer Fun starts Friday, July 5.
Friday Family Rec Nite continues from 7 to 9 pm. Drop in and play pickleball, badminton, basketball, cornhole, ping-pong and air hockey with friends, family and neighbours. All ages welcome.
Lions Club Bottle Drive: Drop off your empties next to the arena for a good cause. This helps keep our township clean and helps us give back to the community.
Providence Bay Hall: The Providence Bay and Spring Bay Lions Club Canada Day yard sale was a smashing success! Shout out to all of the people who donated and to all of our hard-working Lions who are always working tirelessly to raise money for the local Community. Well done.
Shout out to MJ and volunteers who worked hard to get the Providence Bay Town Square tidied and the perennials planted! You are all amazing. Green thumbs up and well done!
Mindemoya: Manitoulin Zumba continues Tuesday evenings behind the Lions Pavilion from 7 to 9 pm.
Taekwon-do continues July through August on Tuesday and Thursday evenings beginning Tuesday, July 9 from 6 to 8 pm at the Mindemoya Community Hall. Drop-in classes available for vacationers and summer residents.
Providence Bay Boardwalk and Discovery Centre: The Discovery Centre is officially open! Sunset Music Series continues this weekend. On Friday, July 5 catch Missy’s Groovy Little Band from 6:30 to 9 pm. Saturday, July 6 groove to Trout Lily from 6:30 to 9 pm. Check the Huron Island Time Facebook page or Sunset Music Series online for the full musical lineup.
The Discovery centre is filled with all the wonders and teachings of Elders and locally trained experts. Drop by to learn about the incredible biodiversity of our Island ecosystem. Huron Island time is busier than ever! Be sure to ask Lance and crew about their awesome new ice cream flavours! Stroll along the beach and boardwalk, take a dip or a wade in the warm waters of Lake Huron or the Mindemoya River. Make memories, snap selfies and enjoy the beautiful scenery, music and views! Please keep our beaches clean and safe by using the blue bins all along the boardwalk. If you see any glass or sticks on the beach please safely place out of harm’s way if you can.
Clean Beaches Week observance is July 1 to 7 so keep ‘em clean folks!
Providence Bay Community of Christ Church: Sunday meeting at 10:30 am; Sunday Mass at 11 am.
The Horses: Juno is officially out of the nursery. How exciting! Roping Champion Harry Hodges is coming to Manitoulin on July 7 for a one-day roping clinic at the Little Current Horse Club Arena. Please reach out to Katie SG on Facebook or Manitoulinhorseclub71@gmail.com if you are interested in attending!
The Heavens: The July 5 new moon will be located on the same side of the earth as the sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This is the best time to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere. The next full moon is on July 21. This moon is also known as the Buck Moon, Thunder Moon and Hay Moon. Happy Stargazing and Camping!
Toulin Turtles: Turtles are nesting all over the roadways and waterways now so please watch closely for them and watch your speed. If you see a turtle you can try to safely relocate it to the curb in the direction it was headed. Note: There are a lot of bunnies, foxes and other critters out there, including the Kamikaze birds that will jump out in front of your car so be very alert with eyes on the road at all times! If you see an injured turtle contact Turtle Pond at 705-691-0433.
Mentions: Congratulations kids on all the successes of the Ball Tourneys and CMPS track events, way to go! Happy summertime and graduation to all!
Regards, respect and prayers to the Lentir and Patterson families for the loss of their Matriarchs. Thoughts to Cheryl Sheppard and family who said goodbye to their dear dog Bear.
Happy belated birthday Catherine Carrière, you are an inspiration!
I had the pleasure of meeting Lance’s Mom who was visiting from Ottawa. God Bless you Norma!
Happy dog days of summer everyone, be safe, stay gold and enjoy getting “lost” on our wondrous Island.
“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be King”
J.R.R.Tolkien
Fellowship of the Ring
Kagawong
Team Fergmeijer
We had a lovely visit with a couple of Team Fergmeijer fans this week who were passing through on a cross-Manitoulin road trip in their new car. Turns out one had his own car ignition installing business. He’s a real self-starter. We promised them that we would incorporate their love of driving into this week’s column. As usual, we’ve been pretty subtle about it, so watch carefully and see if you can catch our sneaky car and driving references. Hopefully the jokes don’t backfire and have you Saab-ing by the end of things.
Nothing revs our engines quite like seeing all the amazing and creative goods available at the largest weekly market on Manitoulin. Stop in for some great finds and support local artisans and bakers. There is always lots to explore between vendors in the covered rink, colourful cabanas and pop-up stores in the parking lot, as well as the many local shops in the village.
It must really be summer now, because the Manitoulin Tennis Club is meeting twice a week! Come on out Sunday mornings at 10 am and/or Wednesday evenings at 6:30 pm, both at the Manitoulin Secondary School courts. Players of all abilities are welcome, with lessons available in the near future.
Don’t forget to email us (fergmeijer@gmail.com) with any significant events like birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, really great sandcastles, terrific naps, or any other accomplishments you would like to see recognized here in the column.
Jabbawong Storytelling Festival is nearly here! This festival is part of the ARtinfusion weekend (July 5-7) which includes a vendor market, a barbecue lunch on the Saturday, an exhibition of the Manitoulin Island Artists Guild, art workshops on the Sunday and an evening with author Waubgeshig Rice on the Friday night. Team Fergmeijer has it on good authority that Steve Paikin will also be part of the festivities. Commence the fangirling! Check out the Jabbawong Storytelling Festival on Facebook for more information.
Need more fun to fuel your summer? Come out to the Kagawong Show and Shine car show next Saturday (July 13). The cars will be at Dig and Doug’s Cedar Furniture on Main Street from 10 am to 3 pm. There will be lots of great vehicles on display for all to admire. Then, it’s time to hit the beach that evening for the library’s annual open air movie night! Check out the library facebook page (fb.com/Kagawonglibrary) for more details.
Take some time to catch your breath, stretch and hydrate so you don’t blow a gasket and are too exhausted for when things really take off the weekend of July 20! The Billings Library is hosting their annual book sale and a local author showcase on Saturday (11 am to 3 pm) local authors interested in participating can reach out to the library (billingsreads@gmail.com) to be included. Also, that weekend the Manitoulin Art Tour will spotlight a number of Billings artists in the region over the course of the entire weekend.
And don’t forget about the Island-wide Household Hazardous Waste Day, also on July 20! Not as summer-y, we know. But an important part of helping the environment by keeping hazardous things out of our community landfill. Save up your batteries, old electronics, paints, and chemicals – residents of Billings can drop off items at the Mindemoya Roads Building that Saturday from 1 to 4 pm.
With the Show and Shine car show coming up, perhaps we should have started this column with a spoiler alert. Have a great week!
Meldrum Bay
Elaine Bradley
Friday night at cards, June 21, there were four and three-quarter tables. It was a special day for Brenda Carter. She won the money jar with 83 points and four lone hands. We were very happy for her and hope that she enjoys spending her winnings. Brenda comes every week and brings wonderful goodies that we all enjoy munching on. Ladies’ high for the evening was Myra Duncanson with 69 points; men’s high was Rick Bradley with 67 points; ladies’ lone hands went to Brenda Carter with four lone hands; men’s lone hands went to Harold Rogers with three; most euchres were won by Steve Gugelyk with 11; Karen brought home the juice; Natasha won the 50/50 prize; Guy Bigras won the special prize. It was a really nice evening and everyone had a good time.
We’ve had campers at the campground and boats at the docks. The store is selling some munchies prepared by Randi’s if you drive out and want a bite to eat as well as their regular groceries, coffee and ice cream cones. This week on a sunny day a family was at a picnic table, on the waterfront enjoying a lunch
Thursday was a nice day for me. My brother and sister-in-law Jamie and Norma Nelder put together a 70th birthday party for me. They had a come and go at their house between 1 and 3 pm. It was so nice to celebrate my birthday with my good friends. Thanks to everyone who came out, and thanks to Jamie and Norma for hosting the party.
We’re starting to see the new fawns more frequently.
Everybody have a nice week.
Barrie Island
Lillian Greenman
Paul Calback, his wife Sylvia and son Andrew spent the long weekend from Friday to Sunday with his parents Ashton and Nina Calback. Then on Sunday their daughter Tania and husband Bruce Atwood arrived from Whitby for a stay with her parents. Their daughter Kristin Atwood arrived with her sister Dr. Natalie Daley, Natalie’s husband Jared and son Miles, also for a short holiday. Kristin had flown in from her home in Edinburgh, Scotland. They enjoyed their time spent at the log cabin having fun in the lake and playing with a very active Miles. Miles is Ashton and Nina’s delightful first great-grandchild.
Don and Betty Greenman from Innisfil visited Lance and Lillian Greenman a few days last week. Don and Betty visited with David McAllister and Patricia Norton in Spring Bay on Monday. Betty and Lillian visited Jacqueline Bryant in Manitowaning on Tuesday.
