Providence Bay
by Alexia Hannigan
Alexia here with your friendly fly! Just like that, the fair has come and gone and as we pack away our rosettas and rodeo gear, eat our pickled beets and dust the dried mud off of our cowboy boots and cleats, we wonder how did summer go so fast? The horses, hens and chickens gave us their best in show, the fair ambassadors and organizers are already getting down to what will surely be an epic fair to follow this year’s! With September and the silly season around the corner, it’s time now to take an inventory on ourselves and our accomplishments, our epic fails and our victories and make way for the celebrations of harvest time and hunkering down for another dare I say it so soon, winter? Yikes! I’m not ready yet. While we enjoy the last lazy hazy days of summer’s bounty and beauty, let’s remember that every last one of us has a season under the sun, moon and stars. So instead of counting the days, make’em count!
Here’s what’s happening: Providence Bay Arena and Fairgrounds: Summer fun continues through August from 8 am to 4 pm, remember max of 15 kids and you need to register at 4 pm sharp the day prior via the Central Manitoulin site at www.centralmanitoulin.ca.
Youth Rec Nite continues Friday, August 23, five more evenings to go from 7 to 9 pm.
Drop-in and join the fun! Drop-in to play pickleball, badminton, basketball, cornhole, ping pong and air hockey with friends, family and neighbours.
Providence Bay Curling Club Youth Curling Club TBD.
Spring Bay/Providence Bay Lions Club events: Thanks for another successful pancake breakfast and fair! We are looking forward to our golf tournament and fundraiser on September 21, if you are interested in registering your golf team and sponsoring this event please contact Chris Bryan by August 31, chris_bryan84@outlook.com.
Lions 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: Central Manitoulin Beachside Market featuring local bakers, foodies and fun continues Thursdays through August from 11 am to 3 pm. Contact Central Manitoulin for vendor information and details.
Tai Chi Open House: Saturday, August 24 from 10 am to 12 noon at the Providence Bay Hall: An invitation from the Canadian Tai Chi Academy to an open house. A short break will be taken one hour into the session, during which time light refreshments will be served. Tai Chi practice will continue for a further half hour. No entry fee. This event is an opportunity to observe and participate in Tai Chi moves. The event is also an opportunity to interact and socialize with the established group. Open to Academy members and non-members. The session will be co-hosted by two instructors, Nicoletta Rogers representing Parry Sound location and Jean Pearce representing the Manitoulin Island location.
Spring Bay: Yoga continues at the Spring Bay Hall on Tuesdays from 2 to 3 pm and Wednesdays from 6:15 to 7:15 pm.
Providence Bay Boardwalk and Discovery Centre: Always great activities and fun for the little and big kids. Sunset Music Series continues this weekend.
Check the Huron Island time Facebook page or Sunset Music Series online for the full musical lineup. Teilhard Frost play Friday, August 23 from 6:30 to 9 pm and Robbie Shawana plays Saturday, August 24 from 6:30 to 9 pm. Be sure to bring a chair or blanket and enjoy the shows!
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. Today the Discovery Centre is hosting Fun Beach Games from 10 am to 12 noon. Huron Island Time is busier than ever! Be sure to ask Lance and crew about their awesome ice cream flavours and sweet and savory food! 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! Be sure to visit our local eateries and cafés for some good eats, great inspiration and good company.
Dear beachcombers, visitors, friends and neighbours, please keep our beaches and waterways clean and safe for our kids and pets!
Providence Bay Community of Christ Church: Sunday meeting is at 10:30 am; Sunday Service is at 11 am.
Youth Group McNevin Street meet-up, pop by the Providence Bay Community of Christ Church weekly on Wednesdays at 6 pm for cool activities, community outreach, mentoring and more!
The Horses: The fair horse show was a success, thanks to all the trainers and volunteers! Reach out to Katie SG on Facebook or manitoulinhorseclub71@gmail.com for more information and upcoming events.
The Heavens: Perseids and Auroras gave us quite a light show last week. The meteor shower is active till September 1 and reached its peak last week. We observed a big blue supermoon on Monday, August 19, this is also known as the sturgeon moon. North American fishing tribes called August’s full moon the sturgeon moon since the species appeared in number during this month. It’s also been called the green corn moon, the grain moon and the red moon for the reddish hue it often takes on in the summer haze. Next one is the corn or harvest moon of September 17.
Summertime is a cacophony of colours and songs that stir and conjure emotions and memories with all our senses heightened, triggered and tantalized. Rainbow and sunset swirls, a myriad of water colours, with top notes of perfumed lilies, fireweeds and lapping lakes.
From fireworks to ice cream flavours, yard sale memorabilia of bygone eras, faint sounds of children at play and dogs barking, calming coos of mourning doves and erie echoing tremolos of loons feeding in the morning mist. These are the turns and tide pools of our core, our lessons, our friendships, our tight grip and hopeful cast for one more season under the sun.
I’m here to have a good time
I ain’t got no time to waste
I know that it could all be over any day
So I do it anyway
‘Do it anyway’- Jade Eagleson
Thank you for coming to Providence Bay.
Happy Birthday Sophia and Judy.
Kagawong
by Team Fergmeijer
We were at the bookstore the other day and people were throwing around Stephen King books. We couldn’t figure out what was going on, and then IT hit us. Which reminds us, did you know that Stephen King has a son named Joe? We’re not Joe-King, but he is.
If you are strolling the river trail or stop in at the falls this week, you will notice some new signage has been installed. It is meant as a gentle reminder to locals and visitors that things like stacking rocks, building rock walls or dams in the river or falls pool, as well as disturbing the spawning fish, are all harmful to the overall health of the natural systems and should be avoided. The best policy is to leave no trace.
As of the writing of this column, Billings township is still under a partial fire ban. Campfires and fireworks are still permitted as long as you use extreme caution. Other forms of open fire are not allowed. For up-to-date information visit the town’s website or Facebook page.
Quick animal fact: octopus twins are itenticle.
The Manitoulin Tennis Club is hosting an end-of-the-summer tennis tournament on Saturday, August 24 at the Manitoulin Secondary courts. Players can compete in singles or doubles. Everyone is welcome. Contact Chris at ctheijsmeijer@gmail.com for more information or to register.
Days are getting shorter; nights are getting cooler and that’s right – back to school sales are starting up again! The annual Grade 9 barbecue at Manitoulin Secondary is just around the corner: on Wednesday, August 28, Grade 9 students are welcome to spend the day at MSS to get their schedule, learn about high school, find their classrooms, and even meet some of their teachers. The day starts at 10 am with a barbecue lunch and includes bussing back to home communities at the end of the day. Parents are also welcome to attend! For more information, contact the office at Manitoulin Secondary School.
Happy 29th birthday wishes go out to the Kagawongians Meg M and Andrew T. Also turning 29 is Kagawong-adjacent Mike Z and extended Kagawongian family members Tijs T and Emma T. We hope they all have a fantastic birthday, but a word to the wise for their friends and family, keep an eye on this crew on their big days. Everyone knows if you let them shenan once, they will only shenanigan.
Quick animal fact: most bobcats are not named Bob.
For students (and teachers), August can seem like the Sunday-of-the-summer, but look on the bright side, there are still plenty of Wednesday markets left! Come down into the village and make your way to the rink area Wednesday from 10 am until 3 pm to check out the over 70 regular vendors at the Kagawong Market.
And if Wednesday afternoon markets aren’t doable for you, check out the special evening market this weekend! Saturday, August 24, stop by the covered rink at the Park Centre in Kagawong from 4 to 9 pm and enjoy some after-hours shopping.
Struck by inspiration? The township is still accepting name suggestions for the Kagawong covered rink. Proposed names are being accepted at the town office until the end of this month. Check the township’s website or Facebook page for more information.
A local restaurant has invented a brand new style of creamy dessert, but they haven’t come up with a name for it yet. One might say it is anonymousse. Likewise, the township has a surprising number of things that need naming (the covered rink, the new tractor, the market/picnic pavilion, the new bridge across the river, this naming contest). In an effort to celebrate all new structures in Kagawong, we are still taking suggestions for our completely informal, not-affiliated-with-the-township, and unlikely to get approval, naming competition. Email fergmeijer@gmail.com and let us know your ideas for any of the nameless entities!
If you have a condition that leaves you with the urge to steal library books, you should really get that checked out. Have a great week!
Meldrum Bay
by Elaine Bradley
On Friday night, August 9 at cards there were four full tables plus a three-handed table. High lady was Mildred Kelly with 71; high man was Lois Wismer with 71; Lynda Rumley won for ladies’ lone hands with 6; Doug Carter won for men’s lone hands with four; most euchres was won by Yvonne with nine; Rose Van Every brought home the juice; the money jar is intact; the door prize went to Myra Duncanson.
We had our cat Monday to the vet’s in Mindemoya for a shot for arthritis in his hip. It works amazingly. Although expensive, it allows him to be so much more mobile. We think it’s worth it. We wish they had something that worked that well for people.
Pat had a large number of family members out to church on Sunday and it was nice visiting with everyone.
Monday night we had a community gathering and two of the campers joined us. He had roots in Silver Water and we had a great time visiting with him and his wife.
On Thursday night we had a great time at a good friend’s place playing scrabble.
My niece, her husband and their six month old were up visiting Jamie and Norma. Jessica made us a lovely dinner and we sat around till quite late telling stories and having a great time visiting.
We hope you have a great week.
Barrie Island
by Lillian Greenman
Dave and Theresa Carlisle had their daughter Stephanie home last week for a visit.
Paul Calback flew from Toronto to Sudbury and then travelled by car to Barrie Island on Saturday to visit his parents Ashton and Nina for a few days. Then he flew home on Tuesday morning.
Silver Water
by Karen Noble
On Friday, we went to Gore Bay to the market and café. There are a lot of vendors with items for sale. The market will continue for another few weeks. The last café is Friday, August 23.
While we were in town, SLM recycling dropped a large bin for metal recycling at our house. Thank you to everyone who added their scrap metal to the bin. The proceeds will go to the food bank in Mindemoya.
On Friday night there was euchre in Meldrum Bay with a good number of players.
On Saturday, we held the vendor market in our yard. The rain fell on and off during the morning. We had six vendors inside the garage and under the tents outside. Thank you to the customers who came out to shop. The next market will be Saturday, August 31. We will continue the markets weekly in September.
On Sunday there was a luncheon at the community hall with a euchre tournament in the afternoon.
Sunday evening there was a spaghetti dinner at the legion in Gore Bay with lots of silent auction items for bid. I heard the fundraising raised over $11,000 for the Graham family.
Shawn Noble took Larissa Chevrette to Little Current on Monday for her to take her G2 driver’s test. Congratulations to her on passing.
On Monday we dealt with a lot of garden produce. The beans and cucumbers keep us busy.
On Monday afternoon the recycle bins were open for the residents. We had a lot of pop cans and liquor containers donated towards the food bank fundraising.
On Monday evening there was euchre at G.G’s diner in Evansville.
On Tuesday our car got an oil change at McQuarrie’s. The noise we have been hearing is ware on the tires so four new ones got ordered.
We went to Little Current with a load of beer cans and liquor bottles after that. We had lunch at the Watersedge and had my niece Larissa Chevrette as our waitress. It was very busy.
On Tuesday evening there was an auction at Stella Campbell’s house with many bidders.
Murray and Gladys Duncanson went to Sudbury on Wednesday.
On Thursday we spent the day with garden produce again. It is a good thing we love the smell of pickles.
On Thursday night there was a large group of euchre players at the Silver Water Community Hall. Congratulations to Brenda Swank who won the money jar.
We had a doe and twin fawns in the backyard last week.
There will be a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Silver Water Community Hall on Saturday, August 31 starting at 3 pm with a lasagna dinner following.
The UCW is hosting a fashion show on Saturday, September 21 in the afternoon.
