Providence Bay
Alexia Hannigan
Alexia here with your friendly freezing and sneezing fly!
Here we are on the precipice of Thanksgiving, Halloween and hunting season. Prepping our homes and hunt camps. The winterizing throwdown is getting real as temperatures drop and frost warnings rise, the time is here to take stock and count the flock. We’re making lists and checking them twice, restocking inventory, pantries jars, batteries, supply sheds, barns, etc. and switching over to all-seasons. While we revel in the beauty and calm of fall, we begin begrudgingly preparing for the onslaught of October gobble birthday sween. This brings with it a frenzied panic of prepping, decorating, OCD cleaning, sports schedules and social calendars going full silly-season tilt before the full-frozen stop of sleigh bells in the snow. There, I said the S-word, it’s out there, nobody panic.
For now, let’s reel it in, fallback and make a point of enjoying all the gifts and guild of fall. Friends, festivities, fright nights, warm fires, harvest, pumpkin patches, Halloween fun and happy memories of summer. Blaze orange sunsets, cotton candy skies all set against the myriad and maritage of autumn leaves. We are so darn lucky to live where we do. Life is beautiful in Rainbow Country.
Here’s What’s happening: Providence Bay arena and fairgrounds, Fall Market. Central Manitoulin Markets invites you to the Fall Market at the Providence Bay Arena on Saturday, October 19 from 10 am to 3 pm. Over 60 vendors all under one roof! It will be tons of fun and a great opportunity for getting some gifts for the holidays.
Providence Bay Curling Club: Interested in learning about ice maintenance? Visit curlinginontario.ca and sign up for the ice tech assistant course on Saturday, October 26 from 8 am to 4 pm at the Espanola Curling Club.
Providence Bay Hall: Exercise class Fridays for adults age 55+ from 10:30 to 11:30 am. It’s a 12-week program.
For information contact Alison, 705-377-5726 or asloss@centralmanitoulin.ca.
Tai Chi Class is from 10 am to 12:30 pm on Mondays and Thursdays. For information contact Jean Pearce, 705-885-8444 at the Canadian Tai Chi Academy.
The 7th annual Mindemoya Haunted Trail! Phantoms of the Forest is Saturday, October 26 from 6 to 10 pm.
The Central Manitoulin Lions Club presents its 7th annual Haunted Trail in Mindemoya. The Pioneer Museum Trails are transformed into a dark wooded phantom nightmare. Daylight hours from 6 to 7 pm are less scary and better for young kids. Full scare mode is in effect from 7 to 10 pm. Proceeds to benefit the Central Manitoulin Historical Society. Donations are also accepted! Reserve your ticket online at
mindemoyahauntedtrail.as.me and pay $5 per person at the gate. Thirty tickets sold per half hour block.
Pioneer Museum Grounds, 2207 Hwy 551, Mindemoya.
Spring Bay/Providence Bay 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.
Halloween fun fundraiser coming soon, stay tuned!
Providence Bay Community of Christ Church: Sunday Service is at 10:30 am; Youth Group Meet-ups are Wednesdays at 6 pm.
The Heavens: October 8 and 9 is the Draconid Meteor Shower; October 17 is the Hunter’s Moon which will reach peak illumination at 7:26 am EST on Thursday, October 17. It will be below the horizon so wait until sunset to watch it rise and take place in the sky. The Hunter’s Moon rises around the same time for several nights, bringing early light to aid harvesting and hunting.
Reminders: Looking for cool costumes for Halloween and Harvest Glory Days scarecrows? Check out Treasures in Mindy, local yard sales, Facebook Marketplace or the Providence Bay transfer station at 4077 Government Road. Hours: Thursdays and Saturdays from 1 to 5 pm (until May long weekend).
“Autumn is a second Spring when every leaf is a flower, and every pumpkin a lantern.”
– Albert Camus
Kagawong
Team Fergmeijer
Bet your autumn dollar, fall is one of our favourite seasons! It’s definitely in our top four. Fall is a great time to spruce things up around the house. We started by putting some mums out on our steps, then branched out to corn stalks. Next thing we know our houses are fully decked out with 8-foot-tall inflatable pumpkins. Some might think they are silly seasonal decorations, but we say, gourd big or go home.
Old Mill Road residents can finally take the direct route to the post office again. That’s right, the bridge work is complete and the bridge is open to traffic again! Although, for those walking, the slight detour through the river trail and across the pedestrian bridge is still a good option.
Stock up for winter, the library is holding a fall puzzle swap on Saturday, October 19. Come by the Billings Library from 10 am to 1 pm and trade in your used jigsaws for new-to-you puzzles.
Happy birthday to Claire T who is celebrating her big day later this week. Always remember that the key to staying young is make-up. Make-up an age and stick with it!
Voting sure is a poll lot of fun! Don’t miss your chance to vote on the name of the covered rink in Kagawong. Visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/HSDCSV9 to have your say. Voting will close Tuesday, October 22 at 12 noon.
You’ve heard of elf on the shelf, but have you heard of the spender in the Park Centre? Christmas in Kagawong is coming up on November 15 and 16! Mark the date in your calendar and get ready to explore all the Kagawong Christmas Market has to offer on those two days.
Body Stories Dance is back at the Kagawong Park Centre this fall, with programming for dance enthusiasts of all ages and abilities. Check out their website at www.bodystoriesdance.com/schedule for class times and fees.
Mark your calendars and get your bidding hand ready: the Billings Library will be holding their annual online silent auction from Thursday, November 21 to Sunday, November 24. Last year’s auction had over 70 items up for bid and this year is shaping up to be just as impressive (can anyone say Ripley’s Aquarium tickets?!). All bidding is done via facebook.com/groups/libraryauction and with nearly 400 participants, it is always a lively event. If you would like to donate an item or service to the auction, or would just like more information, drop a line to billingsreads@gmail.com.
Do you have a friend or family member you would like to honour (or embarrass) with a mention in the column? Birthday coming up? Anniversary? Birth announcement? Matched every single sock to its correct partner on laundry day? Reach out to fergmeijer@gmail.com and we will make sure they feel extra special.
Did you know? You can catch up on all past Team Fergmeijer columns at teamfergmeijer.blogspot.com. That’s right – all the punfoolery in one spot.
Not to get sappy on you or anything (Team Fergmeijer isn’t normally acorny bunch), but we appreciate how poplar our readers make us feel. Have a great week!
Silver Water
Karen Noble
We had the meeting of the Local Services Board on Sunday and the board has been elected for the upcoming year. Thanks to everyone who works so hard for the community.
Kits and Quilts had their meeting this week and nine people were there. They are now done putting together their kits for the year with almost 1,600 kits done. Good work! There are still a few quilts left to finish which should take another couple of weeks to wrap up. We should have a little label on them “With love from the Manitoulin.” I hope that whoever gets those feels the love as well as the warmth that they provide.
Jan had a visitor named Iris come up a couple of times this year and we all enjoyed visiting with her, she has gone home again this week. Iris had helped me in the garden. She gifted me with a basket of goodies. I have planted the special oregano that she left me to enjoy over the winter.
I have planted about 40 feet of garlic but how much is enough? I try to get out there each day, do the weeding and plant a few more.
My sympathies go to a Spring Bay family who are friends of mine. Ken Bulmer died on the day that I am writing this and the funeral will be this Tuesday. He will be greatly missed. He was a very nice man and very talented. My sympathies go to his wife Sharon Bulmer.
I do not have the euchre scores for last Friday, but they meet every Friday night in the hall at 7:30 pm. Come out, join us and have fun.
Meldrum Bay
Elaine Bradley
On Friday, September 27 we went to Gore Bay for errands. We went to Codmother’s for breakfast.
Friday evening, we went to euchre at the Meldrum Bay Hall. Congratulations to Natasha who reached 82 points and won the money jar.
On Saturday morning there was a vendor market in our yard. In the afternoon the recycle bins were open.
On Sunday there was a lunch at the Silver Water Hall and a euchre tournament in the afternoon. Congratulations to all the people who came out to help raise some funds and to all the winners.
On Monday evening there was euchre at the Burpee Mills Complex. It will be cancelled on Thanksgiving Monday, October 14.
On Tuesday there was chair yoga at 1 pm in the Silver Water Hall.
Fire practice was held on Tuesday evening.
On Wednesday evening, there was a Silver Water Recreation Centre Board meeting with a new board being installed. Thank you to the previous board members and congratulations to the new ones.
On Thursday afternoon the UCW held a meeting at St Andrew’s United Church. A number of upcoming events were discussed.
Thursday evening there was euchre at the Silver Water Hall with four tables of players.
On October 26 starting at 9 am there will be a Christmas Market in my yard and at the community hall. There is still room for more vendors, so please contact me if you are interested.
There is no tournament in Tehkummah in October. The next one is November 3.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
