Providence Bay
Alexia Hannigan
Alexia here with your friendly busy beach and yard sale fly! Providence Bay is bustling right now at the height of her busy yard sale, outdoor market, beach, boardwalk and splashing around season. Cars and people are everywhere much to the delight of the seagulls and scavengers. Not so great for any critters, turtles or deer trying to cross the road, heads up out there road warriors. This is the time where your reflexes and reaction time need to be sharp. The weather has been favourable over all but when those cold and hot systems dance, watch out! Keep your Ontario Storm Watch apps handy and keep your eye on the sky! Be sure to check marine, weather and road reports locally before you venture out! Providence Bay is very beautiful this time of year and I count my lucky stars that I not only get to enjoy the summer season here but that I am blessed to call it my four-season home. We are so lucky! We welcome you, our visiting friends and neighbours to Manitoulin Island, this Island is such a marvel and natural wonder, remember no matter how busy we all are, there is always time to take a minute; find your centre, find some peace and take the time to recharge and reflect.
Here’s what’s happening: Providence Bay arena and fairgrounds: No big events this weekend but you may catch some of the horses and trainers preparing for the August Providence Bay Fair horse show. The bleachers are always a beautiful spot to see eagles, hawks and catch a great sunset. Stay tuned for the upcoming Friday Family Rec Nites that happen every Friday night from 7 to 9 pm at the arena. Family fun and games like basketball, air hockey, ping pong, cornhole, pickleball, badminton and more! Check the Providence Bay Spring/Bay Recreation Committee Facebook page for updates! Ages 12 and under must be supervised.
Providence Bay Curling Club: Check the Providence Bay Curling Club and the Providence Bay Lions Club Facebook page for information and 50/50 draw dates and winners and for yard sale updates.
The Providence Bay/Spring Bay Lions Club is reaching out to the community and local businesses for sponsors or silent auction donations for the third annual 2025 Lions Golf Tournament. This fundraising event supports the Providence Bay Curling Club youth and junior curling programs and the 1st Western Manitoulin Girl Guides SEGPR. The tournament is scheduled for Saturday, July 12 at Manitoulin Golf. To submit your team’s registration, contact Lion Chris Bryan at 705-348-0493 or email chrisbryan84@outlook.com to confirm your attendance, donations and sponsorship.
Providence Bay Beach Boardwalk and Discovery Centre. Officially open for the season, seven days a week from now until the end of August. Wednesdays are event days, stay tuned for updates or call 705-377-5025 for information.
Sunset Music Series: The series officially marshalled in the new music season during the Canada Day opening weekend and last weekend and the hits keep on coming! The music series features great musicians and artists who take to the stage outside of Huron Island Time right beside the Boardwalk and Discovery center Every weekend though July and August from 6:30 to 9 pm. This weekend be sure to check out Tristen Hall then Ricardo Chavez on Friday, July 11 and Saturday, July 12. Our friend Christian Lauder takes to the stage followed by Providence Bay’s very own Chris Walker. Check out the posters around town or Sunset Music Series Facebook page for the full list of upcoming shows.
The Lions Club Bottle drive continues next to the arena; this program is open to the public and we encourage everyone to drop off their used bottles and cans – your empties help fund great local initiatives.
The Heavens: July 10, Full Buck Moon (tomorrow night). Manitoulin Island is a dark sky reserve so find a dark sky spot, bring your telescope and enjoy the wonders of the cosmos.
The Friends: Happy Birthday to all of you early July babies! We welcome you all to Manitoulin Island! We wish you a wonderful, happy and safe summer holiday. Be sure to take lots of pictures and please keep our beaches, hiking trails and waterways clean and litter free for the health and sustainability of our ecosystems and wildlife. Check out your favourite local businesses, art galleries and restaurants social pages for special events, keep your eye on this paper as lots of events are listed weekly. You can also visit the Central Manitoulin Events page for updates on what’s happening near you! For a more detailed list of galleries, events, hiking trails, accommodations and pow wow schedules, visit ExploreManitoulin.com or pick up a copy of Manitoulin’s Magazine from almost everywhere on the Island.
Kagawong
Team Fergmeijer
It’s summer! Which means between the beach, the falls, the local eats, the marina, the markets, and all the goings-on, Kagawong is the place to be! This week’s column is chock-a-block full of upcoming events, so much so that we have to be a little light on puns.
Tonight (Wednesday, July 9) is Students’ Night with the Manitoulin Tennis Club. High schoolers can get some summer competition play, and younger students are welcome to come and try out the sport. The club meets regularly Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 pm and Sundays from 10 am to 12 noon at the Manitoulin Secondary tennis courts. Beginners and players of all ages and abilities are welcome!
The Billings Library is hosting Summer Fun Days! Kids aged 5+ are welcome to the library every Tuesday through the summer from 10 to 11 am for games, crafts and stories. Can’t make it during those times? The summer hours for the library are Tuesday – Saturday, 9 am to 12 noon and 1 to 5 pm. Stop in and check out the fabulous selection of children’s and young adult books, puzzles, games, and, of course, lots of books for the adults too! Visit the library Facebook page for more information (Fb.com/Kagawonglibrary).
Also Tuesdays through July, the township of Billings invites everyone aged 55+ to Painting with Sheila from 1 to 4 pm at the Kagawong Park Centre. These classes are $35 each and include all materials. Beginner painters welcome, refreshments and lots of laughter to be expected! Contact Mary at seniors@billingstwp.ca for more information or to RSVP.
Beginning this Saturday, July 12th, seniors (55+) are invited to drop-in Yoga classes at the Kagawong Park Centre at 9:30 am. Beginners and experienced yogis are welcome. Classes are $5 each and run Saturdays until August 16.
Island-wise household hazardous waste collection is back! Residents of Billings Township looking to declutter (and keep harmful substances out of our landfill) can drop off batteries, electronics, paint, cleaners, pharmaceuticals, propane cylinders, pesticides and more at the Mindemoya Roads Building (7 Lakeshore Road off highway 542/551) on Saturday, July 19 from 1 to 4 pm. Check out the poster on the Billings Township Facebook page for more details on what you can and cannot bring.
The library board would like to remind everyone that the annual book sale fundraiser is Saturday, July 19. Friends of Manitoulin Turtles and Manitoulin Streams will be there with amazing displays, a children’s book reading and fun activities. Rumour has it Science North might even be putting in an appearance! Stop in at the picnic pavilion in downtown Kagawong between 11 am and 3 pm to check it out.
The Township of Billings Climate Action Committee is hosting a township yard sale on Saturday, July 25 at the Park Centre parking lot and Kagawong River Complex. Bring along any items you’d like to sell and take some time to browse for some new treasures, all while helping to keep items out of our landfill.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the iconic Old Mill in the village. In honour of its significance to our town and the wider region of Manitoulin and beyond, the museum has published a book that explores its venerable history. These can be purchased at the Billings Heritage Centre (conveniently located in the Old Mill) and at the weekly Wednesday markets.
And back by popular demand, August 14 is the annual History Day in Kagawong. This year, Kagawongian extraordinaire Steve Paikin will be speaking with local historians Candy Tracey, Dianne Fraser and Lois Linley. There will be historical photos and home movies dating back 100 years, and the Manitoulin Swing Band will be performing. Save the date!
We mentioned that we’d have to be light on puns this week. Truth was we weren’t bright enough to think of any. Have a great week!
Meldrum Bay
Elaine Bradley
John and Patty Bonwick are ecstatic to announce that they have a new grandson, Eddie James Bonwick. He was born June 27. We’ve all seen the pictures and he is a beautiful baby boy.
Kits and Quilts was cancelled this week due to its scheduled day being on Canada Day.
We didn’t have any formal celebrations here, but a lot of people took in the events in other communities. Jamie and Norma Nelder went to Little Current and enjoyed the day. A group of us took in the parade in Silver Water. It was really well done. We had a great time.
I had a birthday this week. Rick and I went to Gore Bay and had a really nice dinner. Wednesday we were in Gore Bay as well. We kept meeting people from Meldrum Bay. I bought a ticket to support the hospital and the lady selling them said she had seen lots of Meldrum people.
A beautiful catamaran as well as other sail boats have been at the docks. Rick spotted several nice bass right at the marina.
Haying is underway. The corn is growing. It is fun to watch it stretching up. I want a nice big ruler like they use for flood waters so that I can measure the progress from the road.
Friday night at cards, the high lady was Janice Cada with 73 points. High man was Bob Benedict with 83 points and he won the money jar. Rose VanEvery won ladies’ lone hands with four and Doug Carter on men’s lone hands with three. Most euchres went to Karen Noble with eight. Lois Wismer brought home the door prize. Brenda Carter won the 50/50 draw.
Have a nice week everyone!
Barrie Island
Enid Runnalis
As predicted, last week’s rain has helped the hay crop to progress and the farmers will be going full tilt this coming week.
Also progressing is Rob Lane’s building project; he had a whole group of friends and family out to help him raise the walls. The group included Jim Miller, Richard Runnalls, Mark and Terri Thrasher and an off-island friend by the name of Terry.
Marilyn Galbraith enjoyed Canada Day weekend here with her daughter and son-in-law.
Gordon/Barrie Island Recreation hosted a jam making workshop last Saturday at the hall. A group of 10 from all over the Island were guided through best practices of the fruit preparations and process of canning fruit by local gardener, Linda Willson. Each participant took home a jar of strawberry jam or haskap jam to enjoy! More workshops can be expected this fall so keep your eye on the municipality website.
Margaret and Jim Blanchard and Maggie the dachshund found their way back to their ‘home and native land’ from Tucson, Arizona carrying their new electric bikes along too. Jim is just figuring out how to get his going, so please be patient if you see him on the roads. Jim will soon be looking for his good neighbours to help get his dock in.
Speaking of neighbours, Carolyn Lane-Rock has been out around Barrie Island for dinner with Wayne Jeffkins and family and also over to the head of Barrie Island where she popped in on old friends Ardiss and Don Luce of Sydney, Ohio. They’ve had family in and out already this summer. Daughter Yuri is here now and Austine and Nevoya will have just come up.
Linda Moffat has been spotted here and there in the community. She’s had some company too and is planning on attending the upcoming Rotary Summer Dinner Theatre on July 12.
Another fun activity ahead: the Manitoulin Fine Art Tour, July 18,19,20. Enid’s Studio on Barrie Island at 388 Eastline Road is open for the event. Enid’s work focuses on the beauty of Barrie Island landscape, life and farm heritage.
At the causeway, Barb and Bob Norrish have been entertaining family this month. Notably, their daughter Teresa ventured from somewhere in the world to have a quick visit before she carries on to New Zealand where she plans to work for two years!
Bill Fogal has clipped the roadsides. Drivers of the local roads are very appreciative!
Our condolences go out to the family of John Featherstone, who passed away on June 28 in Manitoba. John and family lived and farmed on the North Line of Barrie Island and a Celebration of his Life is planned for July 17 at 6 pm at the Barrie Island Hall.
Silver Water
Karen Noble
On Friday morning, June 27, a group of UCW ladies met in the Noble family farm barn to decorate the parade float. We were happy to have Theresa McDonald and Patti Vollick there to help.
Friday night we went to Meldrum Bay to play euchre.
Saturday morning, we set up our “in the garden” yard display with a deer and a rabbit amongst some flowers. We took the pies and silent auction donation to the hall once it was opened. We spent most of the day at the community hall. There was pie, ice cream, coffee, hot dogs and sausages all for sale. The fishpond and games were very popular with the children. The parade was very well done with several great ideas for garden themes. The silent auction was a success again this year. There was baseball in the afternoon with all ages playing. Thank you to everyone who helped with the organizing and all the participation in the day.
There were lots of families attending with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, locals and summer residents. It was great to see everyone gather to make the day.
Monday evening, we went to euchre at the Burpee/Mills Complex. There were 43 players. Congratulations to Bill Baker, Ken Richards and Murray Duncanson who split the $275 money jar.
Tuesday was Canada Day. Kits and Quilts was cancelled in Meldrum Bay and fire practice was moved to Wednesday. We went into Gore Bay to have the pancake breakfast at the Legion.
Wednesday morning Albert Meijer, Anne Boyd and I went to Espanola for appointments with the optometrists. Anne and Albert were told they have perfect sight and I ordered new glasses. We had a short visit with Marie Allen who is in Silver Water for the summer now with one grandson. We met Tom and Linda Rumley on their way back to Sudbury. We saw Joyce Benoit and Elaine McDonald on their way to Massey to Emiry’s strawberry patch. We did not envy their picking in the afternoon heat.
Wednesday evening there was fire practice with members of the Burpee/Mills fire department joining the Robinson Township fire department. They spent time at Cook’s Dock with the trucks. The highlight was the angel food and strawberries birthday cake.
Thursday morning I went to work in Gore Bay. The construction continues with progress being made. There are new curbs in place now. The blue lamp posts are a nice change.
Euchre was held at the Silver Water Community Hall on Thursday night with 21 people.
There will not be a market in our yard on July 12 or July 19.
Condolences to the family of Madeleine Ellison who passed away June 5.