Providence Bay
Alexia Hannigan
Alexia here awith your friendly August fly on the fly!
If your entry halls and cars aren’t filled with sand, sandals, water shoes, surf and turf sporting equipment, toys, bug spray, sunglasses, towels and hats, you’re doing it wrong.
Summer is fast, furious, fun and most of all messy. Nothing good comes neatly packaged and perfect and that’s what makes it perfect!
The unpredictable days of spontaneity and splendor, of overextended and overlapping schedules, of visits from family, friends, neighbours, unexpected wildlife and weather are what make the magic and memories that lift and carry us over the winter drifts, warm our hearts and spirit through the off season. Keep doing your best, keep smiling and let it all in! Pay attention to every sunrise and sunset. Enjoy the little things, sounds, smells, palpable beauty that is blossoming and bursting all around you. Manitoulin Island is sporting her best right now, rolling hills, spans of yellows, purples, oranges and reds that bleed and brushstroke their way into your soul and stay for all of the seasons of your life.
Here’s what’s happening: Providence Bay Arena and Fairgrounds: No big events this weekend. If you would like some more information about the August Providence Bay Fair that takes place August 15 to 17, check out the Providence Bay Fair Facebook page.
Providence Bay Community of Christ Church: August is the busiest month for our little church and for the Providence Bay Agricultural Society who are busy gearing up for this year’s fair!
The Church will be hosting their annual quilting demo on August 16 from 11 am to 3 pm, come on by and say hello! Check the Providence Bay Community of Christ Facebook page for announcements and updates!
Providence Bay Curling Club: The bake sale and yard sale were awesome, thanks to everyone who volunteered and came out in support!
Check the Providence Bay Curling Club Facebook page for details.
The Providence Bay and Spring Bay Lions are launching their new progressive lottery “Catch the Ace” to benefit the Mindemoya Hospital Auxiliary Inc. Tickets are $5 and are available at Mindemoya Grill & Chill, D.A. Williamson and Sons, Huron Island Time, Buie’s Grocery and via Lions Club members. The first draw takes place Tuesday, August 12 at 7 pm and will be broadcast live on the Providence Bay and Spring Bay Lions Facebook page. From each ticket sale, 20 percent funds the weekly jackpot, 30 percent contributes to the progressive jackpot, and 50 percent goes directly to the Mindemoya Hospital Auxiliary Inc.
Providence Bay Beach: is an amazing 2 km sand beach on Lake Huron coast that is open to the public. Play safe and enjoy the beautiful beaches, boardwalk and epic sunrises, moonrises and sunsets.
Sunset Music Series: The series officially Marshalled in the new music season and this weekend is Pride Weekend!! Friday, August 8 catch the Grumps, Kelly Brewer and Nettish (solo); Saturday, August 9 catch J3M & Wild Black. This is not a ticketed event, but you can support your local musicians by donation side of the stage show. Note if the show gets rained out, it is always pushed to the next show day! Location: Providence Bay beside Huron Island Time. Parking and washrooms at the site. The music series features great musicians and artists who take to the stage right beside the Boardwalk and Discovery Centre every weekend though July and August from 6:30 to 9 pm. Bring your blankets and chairs!
Reuse/Recycle: The Providence Bay Reuse Shed is at the Providence Bay Transfer Station. For more information contact 705-377-5726. Visit the transfer station at 4077 Government Road. Summer hours are Thursday, Saturday or Sunday from 2 to 6 pm until the September long weekend.
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: Manitoulin Island is a dark sky reserve so find a dark sky spot, bring your telescope and enjoy the wonders of the cosmos. Next full moon is Saturday, August 9 – Sturgeon Moon.
The Friends: Happy Birthday to all of you early August babies! Thoughts and regards to friends and family of Norm Morrell. Norm was a dedicated part of the Providence Bay Fair for many years lighting up the stage as Master of Ceremonies. He will be well remembered and well missed. Thoughts and regards to the Featherstone family and Debassige family as you remember and honour your beloved Patriarchs. They will be dearly missed and well-remembered. Welcome visiting friends and neighbours to Manitoulin Island, we wish you a wonderful, happy and safe summer holiday!
Check out your favourite local businesses, art galleries and restaurants social pages for special events, the Summer Pages and Manitoulin Eats in this paper, visit the Central Manitoulin Township webpage or visit exploremanitoulin.com for updates on all the events happening near you.
Happy Pride Weekend Manitoulin! For information on this weekend’s events visit: https://pridemanitoulin.ca.
“There’s nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worth doing as messing about in boats.”
– Kenneth Grahame, ‘Wind in the Willows’
Kagawong
Team Fergmeijer
The nice weather has folks out to use the covered rink at the Kagawong River Complex (or as we still fondly refer to it as the Pickle Dome). It has been a great addition to the community and while we at Team Fergmeijer appreciate the current minimalist feel of the dome, it has been suggested that it might be time to zhuzh it up a bit. Which, predictably, has led us to launch a completely informal, not-affiliated-with-the-township and unlikely to get approval, mural design competition. We were thinking perhaps pickles playing tennis but have your say and send us your suggestions for imagery to be added to the giant blank canvas that is the roof of the rink (fergmeijer@gmail.com).
Love without limits, pride without borders. Pride Manitoulin is back! Beginning tomorrow and lasting all weekend (August 7-10) there are activities for all ages happening all over the Island, including concerts, creativity workshops, drag shows, worship services, trivia nights, bingo and more. And yes, there’s a parade! Check out pridemanitoulin.ca for more information, times and locations.
Things are heating up at the library – they hold Summer Fun Days for youth 5-10 years old each Tuesday throughout the summer. Stop in from 10 to 11 am for games, crafts and stories.
You remind me of the babe. What babe? The babe with the power. What power? The power of voodoo. Who do? You do. Do what? Remind me of the babe! Calling all 80s babies – this Saturday the library is hosting their annual summer beach movie, showing Labyrinth starring David Bowie! Show starts at 9 pm; admission is by donation. Bring your own beach chair or floatie!
Happy birthday to Lisa H as she celebrates her 29th birthday. We cannot express how wonderful we think it is that you were once so very young.
Today is a very special day for Kagawong power couple Mel and Jim Clark as they celebrate their 48th wedding anniversary! It really does give us proof of the power of love (and maybe noise-cancelling headphones).
If you missed the opportunity to provide feedback regarding the township’s draft waste management by-law, here’s an opportunity you can’t, ahem, refuse. A second public consultation period is now being held to gather additional feedback on the revised version of the by-law and the supporting policy. No trash talking though – serious comments only as Billings Township looks to modernize waste management. The consultation runs until August 22 and can be found at https://www.billingstwp.ca/live-here/waste-and-recycling/.
We never thought yoga would fix our posture, but we stand corrected! On Saturdays, 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 16th.
The museum is hosting its annual History Day in Kagawong on Thursday, August 14, featuring Kagawong’s favourite celebrity, Steve Paikin! He will be speaking with local historians Candy Tracy, 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. Come out for the matinee at 3:30 pm or the evening show at 7:30 pm. Admission is free, though donations to the museum are appreciated.
Billings residents, property owners, business owners and other stakeholders are invited to review the proposed draft by-law on shipping container use and to let council know your thoughts and suggestions. The proposed by-law and the consultation form can be found on the township website (billingstwp.ca/townhall/by-laws-and-policies).
We have another pun to share about the roof of the outdoor rink, but it might go over your head. Have a great week!
Silver Water
Karen Noble
On Friday, July 25 we went to euchre in Meldrum Bay in the evening.
On Saturday there was a market in our yard in the morning with several vendors and lots of shoppers. It was nice to have Jean Steeves and her daughter, Sherry, come from Sudbury to join us. The next one will be on Saturday, August 9 and we hope to have one each Saturday the rest of August. We will continue to raise funds for the Angel Bus.
On Saturday afternoon the recycle bins were open. Lots of people were out.
On Saturday afternoon a lot of people attended the funeral for Ardeth Burmaster at the Burpee/Mills Complex.
On Saturday evening there was a 60th anniversary party for Lyle and Anne Addison at the Silver Water Community Hall. The family did a great job of organizing and there was a good crowd out to offer their congratulations. King Charles sent a certificate of congratulations.
On Monday night we went to euchre at the Burpee/Mills Complex. We had a good time.
There was fire practice on Tuesday night. The team went to Stop 540 for practice to check out any issues there might be with a fire call.
On Wednesday I went to Gore Bay. The Meredith Street construction is well under way on the opposite side of the road now.
On Thursday evening there was euchre at the Silver Water Hall.
Gladys Duncanson and I have been swimming almost every day. The water in Silver Lake is at a perfect temperature right now. We had a visit with Matt Blue and his family one day at the lake. The children sure enjoyed the water.
Shirley Anne Smyth LeSage and her husband Robin were at their cottage for a few days and have gone home to Cowansville now.
We had the first yellow beans out of the garden for supper Thursday night. They were very good. We had a cucumber out of Murray’s garden too. Our plants are just now flowering.
Shawn Noble and his daughter, Tamara, found blueberries growing on his property on Burnt Island Road. They have picked from the patch a few times already and will have more soon.
Condolences to the family of Kevin Bailey.
Condolences to the family of Vera Bailey.