LITTLE CURRENT—“If you move to an area and you want to get involved, the way you do that is to engage. You join a church and get involved with the bake sales, or all the different things that come with fundraising. You put your kids in hockey and help with all the fundraising for that organization; it’s just something that you do as part of the community,” Barbara Baker said.
In 2013, Ms. Baker came back to Manitoulin Island, moving from Ottawa with her husband, Dale. She had had several strokes and was told, concerning health care, and in relation to Ottawa, she was moving to an underserviced area. She is quick to point out health care on the Island was better than she received in Ottawa. This they discovered when, soon after arriving, her husband needed and received medical attention. Wanting to get involved and give back, she joined the hospital auxiliary, then the library board. When an opening came up on the hospital board, she applied. Ms. Baker sat on the hospital board until just a week ago, a 10-year period in total.
“I’ve been on the 4elements Living Arts board. They do land-based arts across Manitoulin,” Ms. Baker explained. “A lot of people don’t even know what they do.” The possibility that they would be shutting down if they didn’t have enough board members, and because Ms. Baker couldn’t bear to see them shut down, she sat on their board for a while. “I stepped off that board, just shy of a two-year period, because there are only so many hours available in the day, and so many other things I wanted to do.”
Ms. Baker created the Women’s Network, the Women of Manitoulin Entrepreneur Network. It supports all women in business on Manitoulin; there are over 300 women entrepreneurs on the Island. Over COVID, the events for this organization went dormant, but she will be hosting a wine, women and networking event in May (with non-alcoholic wines). This, along with another big event that will take place in October, are keeping her busy, but what’s taking up most of her time these days is the Home, Cottage and Culinary Show that will take place in August in Little Current. This event will replace the Manitoulin Trade Fair on the weekend that would have featured Manitoulin Country Fest. This event is hoping to fill in the gap for that summer weekend spot. “The town came up with this idea, Lisa Hallaert runs all the events for NEMI, but I’m running the culinary part of the event.” Ms. Baker said. “We’re potentially expecting 7,000-10,000 people,” she added.
“I’ve always been involved, no matter where I’ve lived. Whether you’re baking cookies for the cookie walk or decorating smiley faces on Tim Horton cookies, or making casseroles, you just do stuff. But it’s not just me, it’s always a team. You don’t do any of this stuff without all the other people who make it work.”
Speaking of volunteering, Ms. Baker stressed there will be a need for many volunteers for the Home, Cottage and Culinary show happening in August and promises to put out a call in the not-too-distant future. “You can support your community in a variety of ways,” she said. “If all these people who give their time didn’t come together, funding opportunities that allow many organizations to exist wouldn’t be there. You wouldn’t have a hockey club or figure skating, baseball or soccer.” Her message is clear: get involved.
