GORE BAY—Expositor Poetry Contest winner Ashley Whyte enjoys writing and says that her poetry, while largely stream of consciousness, tends to come out naturally in rhyme. When asked which restaurant Ms. White would like to have her romantic dinner for two paid at, she responded that she would prefer to decline the prize and have The Expositor donate a comparable amount to Manitowaning’s Fixing Our Felines program.
“My partner Dylan and I have been blessed with wonderful animal companions,” she said. “We originally were going to have the prize money donated to Manitoulin Pet Rescue, Kathy Jewell does so much for the community, but when we realized that they had just had such a successful gala fundraiser, we were happy to support Fixing Our Felines instead.”
“I write poetry to express feelings I find difficult to express otherwise,” said Ms. Whyte. “Just about everything I do is in rhyme, I might have written a haiku, but most of it is stream of consciousness writing. I don’t start out with a preconceived idea.”
Although she has submitted her work to contests previously, Ms. Whyte said this was the first time she has won.
The Whytes do not currently have a pet cat. Ms. Whyte’s cat allergy has increased in recent years, but she relayed a story that illustrates her connection with creatures feline.
“About a year and a half ago, we encountered a calico,” she said. “We assumed it must belong to someone, it was in too good a shape, its fur was sleek and clean.”
After a cautious introduction and some hand sniffing took place, the couple proceeded home, followed by the stray calico. “We saw it again that night, but then didn’t see it again for about six weeks,” she recalled. Then it reappeared. After some investigation, the couple discovered that the cat had originally been a feral born in a woodpile in Mindemoya before being captured by Manitoulin Pet Rescue and then adopted by an elderly man in Gore Bay.
That man had recently passed away, leaving the cat orphaned and wandering the streets.
“She is a very bright, bright little thing,” said Ms. Whyte. “I would talk to her, and she would talk back. We made arrangements to bring her to Mindemoya. We were not sure how it would go since it had been a long time since she was in a carrier. But on the 40-minute ride to Mindemoya she was just super.”
The by now around five-year-old calico was soon officially adopted out once more.
Ms. Whyte said she and her husband are more than happy to donate to an organization dedicated to assisting animals. “We felt the best way to celebrate Valentine’s Day would be to spread a little love towards animals in need than to sit down to a fancy meal in a restaurant,” she said.
The Expositor topped up the amount donated to Fixing Our Felines to an even $200.
