by Sharon Jackson
KAGAWONG—How many of you would don a bunny suit each year at Easter just to see the smiles on the faces of so many youngsters? Jill Ferguson would.
“I don’t mind being ridiculous for a good cause and I love interacting with the children,” shared Ms. Ferguson. “Kids are so fun to be with when you get onto their level. They are silly and curious and every little thing is new and exciting. I’ll take any opportunity to be able to be part of that.”
As a volunteer member of the Billings Recreation Committee, Ms. Ferguson keeps busy throughout the year helping organize and host a number of events held in the community she calls home. “I love that we have such a solid group so that I can move my focus to the play (held at Manitoulin Secondary School where she teaches English) in February, and not feel I’m letting the committee down.”
“I look after the financials for the annual musical theatre production at the high school. The director affectionately calls me ‘the money’.” Ms. Ferguson heads up the costume department, as well as having a hand in advertising and promotion. “It’s a long term effort as we start auditions in the fall and go full tilt until the curtain rises in February.”
Ms. Ferguson also has a lengthy season as assistant coach to colleague and fellow Kagawongian Heather Theijsmeijer. “I’ve been with the team for eight years and we’ve had girls qualify for OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association) every year,” she stated. “Gymnastics has a long season (from November until early May), but I really enjoy working with the team and seeing the girls go from ‘I can’t do that’ to ‘check me out, I’m doing it!’ It’s really satisfying knowing that I’ve helped them find that confidence and pushed them to keep going beyond what they thought they could.”
When Ms. Ferguson is not teaching class, supervising the prom committee, coaching the MSS Reach for the Top team, organizing Winter Fest, co-hosting the annual Community Christmas Concert, coaching gymnastics or designing costumes, she holds the position of librarian at the Billings Public Library. “Our library isn’t the stuffy, silent sort; it’s a social hub that lets me stay in touch with the community.”
“A lot of my time is spent teaching and in extra-curriculars at the high school. It would be easy to become isolated and closed off from everything outside of school,” she said. “The library lets me be social and stay connected with the people who make Billings so special.”
As a child growing up in Kagawong, her parents were involved in activities at the old Orange Hall and were “always willing to take us to the events and activities that were going on in the community. Both of them believe in the value of a good visit with friends. It isn’t a perfunctory thing that they feel they have to do under the rules of friendship; they really enjoy hearing about what their friends and neighbours are up to and care about the ups and downs of their lives,” she shared. “They love to discuss and debate and laugh their way through any and all topics that come up and it’s something I definitely inherited. This is the connectedness I aim to maintain in my own life.”
“I always feel a deep connection to the Island,” stated Ms. Ferguson. “Growing up in Kagawong was a privilege. Everyone in the community had a hand in raising us, it seems like now. People looked out for us, scolded us and protected us. If someone in the community told us to do something it was as if my parents had told us and we were expected to respect them in the same way we did our parents. If we didn’t,” she shared, “our folks found out about it in short order. I want to make sure that the sense of community and connectedness that makes Kagawong and Manitoulin so special is maintained so my niece and her friends can have the same kind of safety and security, fun and freedom I had.”
Ms. Ferguson is one of countless members of the township of Billings and village of Kagawong who volunteer their time and talent in so many fun and unique ways. Thank you, Jill!
