Providence Bay
Alexia Hannigan
Alexia here with your frozen Island fly!
Last night I dialed into the property council meeting last night and saw many familiar Providence Bay friends and neighbours’ faces. I saw many generations of people standing together in solidarity toward saving the history, identity and culture around their small community and speaking against the proposed budget cuts of putting hockey and skating at the Providence Bay Arena on ice. Darren Dewar read a persuasive and prolific letter on behalf of our community and the Providence Bay Committee and Center Board. I was not only inspired, but I was also reminded of why we decided to move to Manitoulin Island in the first place.
Manitoulin Island has an incredible collective of very dedicated and talented people and prides itself on many generations of getting things done and standing up to support and sustain its communities. When things get tough (anyone who has lived here for enough years will know) Islanders don’t raise their hands up in exhausted defeat. Islanders are humble and hardworking and tougher than barnyard cats and rez dogs. When things get tough and seemingly impossible. Islanders dig in their heels and flex. We are resourceful, ready to do the work. We are emphatically always ready to help our friends and neighbours, whether they are stuck in a ditch, rallying together for a fundraiser, pooling resources and time to help better the environment or coming together to celebrate successes and the short and busy Seasons under the Sun. In essence, Islanders are ‘built different’ and so are its people, places and things. Whatever happens short or long- term I know this community will always stand firm on its own two feet and last legs and turn it around to a positive. On its own ‘toulin time, in its own ‘toulin way- pucks flying, guitars strumming and engines humming. Whatever happens, one thing is certain-we will work together, and we will keep our community and its history alive and aligned with what will see it grow and thrive. Let’s sharpen our blades and work together to keep the Providence Bay Arena open year-round and our crucial hockey heritage and history alive.
Here’s what’s Happening:
Puck Drops: M’Chigeeng, Wiikwemkoong, Assiginack, Gore Bay, Mindemoya, Little Current and Prov Bay Arenas are open for the season for public skates – be sure to check the Mindemoya Thunder and Manitoulin Men’s Hockey League and the Manitoulin Women’s Recreational Hockey League Facebook pages games and tourneys! Visit your local team hockey websites for calendars, games, stats and events. Thunderbird Winter Games is February 6-8, 2026 in M’Chigeeng First Nation. Check the FB page for updates.
Providence Bay War Memorial Community Arena (5143 Hwy 551, Providence Bay). Public skating: Wednesdays and Fridays, 4:30 to 6 pm and Sundays 1 to 3 pm. Learn to skate: Sundays from 12 to 1 pm. Sponge puck: Sundays from 3-5 pm.
The space is available and used for summer markets, weddings and festivals. The winter operating season at the Providence Bay Arena is from mid-December until the end of March and is the host site for the annual Pearson Brother Memorial and the Bradly McAllister sportsman 4 on 4 hockey tournaments.
Save the date: There will be a public hearing at the Providence Bay Hall on Wednesday, February 11 at 7 pm where residents and the community can communicate their concerns and come up with viable solutions toward keeping the Providence Bay Arena open year round to include skating and hockey.
Providence Bay Hall: Thanks to Friends of the Mindemoya Old School, a no-cost winter exercise classes continue at the Prov Bay Hall on Fridays from 9 to 10 am. For information on class schedules for the Providence Bay Hall, Mindemoya Hall and Spring Bay Hall visit centralmanitoulin.ca or contact Alison Sloss at asloss@centralmanitoulin.ca 705 377-5726.
Yoga classes continue every Tuesday and Wednesday at the Mindemoya and Spring Bay Halls. Tuesdays classes start with chair yoga at 1 – 1:45 pm and are followed by gentle yoga from 2 – 3 pm at the Mindemoya Hall. Class from 6:15 to 7:15 pm follows at the Spring Bay Hall. This gentle yoga class is $10 per class. Classes are inclusive for all experience levels. For more information or to register please contact Alison at 705-377-5726 or by email at asloss@centralmanitoulin.ca.
Providence Bay Community of Christ Church: Joys and community updates Sundays 10:30 am. Service Sundays are 11 am. Check the Providence Bay Community of Christ FB page for announcements and updates!
Providence Bay Curling Club: Winter Olympics in Providence Bay. The Ladies’ Bonspiel is February 13-15. $220 per team, minimum of three games. Tons of fun, food and Saturday evening entertainment and prizes! Everyone is welcome at the Providence Bay Curling Club! Junior Curling is back Saturdays starting November 8 until the end of March. Ages SK to Grade 8-Equipment provided $25 per curler. For more info visit provcurling.ca/junior
Winter Leagues are: Monday, two-person curling; Tuesday, mixed open league; Wednesday afternoon, four-person traditional curling; Wednesday evening, mixed open league; and Thursday evening, ladies’ league.
Prov Bay Curling club is selling $10 tickets for the Providence Bay Curling Club Youth Program for the win booze/beer for a year draw in March. For more information on upcoming bonspiels, tickets and events Contact David at providencebaycurling@gmail.com or 705-377-4668 to register your team!
Clean-up/Reuse/Recycle: The Providence Bay Transfer station is located at 1077 Government Road in Providence Bay and is open for Fall, Winter and Spring Thursday and Saturday 1-5 pm (September long weekend to May long weekend). Effective January 1, please see the updated list of recyclable materials for Central Manitoulin. Note that glass and foam will now be recycled and alcoholic beverage containers will not be accepted.
The Lions Club: The Lions 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.
Happy Birthday to all of you mid-January babies!
Kagawong
Team Fergmeijer
Anyone else excited for the winter Olympics to start? Just a couple of weeks, and Team Fergmeijer is psyched! It always looks like everyone is having so much fun at the games – it’s clear a lot of the runners have a good time. Now, we don’t want to medal in anyone’s business, and it’s something we decided we can discus later, but we realized that you can just start calling yourself an Olympic hopeful. You don’t have to fill out a form or anything. Though at the rate we hurt ourselves these days, we may be more qualified for the ow-lympics.
Did you know? There are new recycling initiatives in place across the province, including here in Billings! There are lots of items now accepted at the Billings landfill for recycling that previously were not. Glass? Bring it on! Toothpaste tubes? No problem! Cookie dough packages? We won’t judge! Check out https:www.circularmaterials.ca/resident-communities/billings/ to see a full list of what can be recycled.
The SAL committee aims to help make the township a vibrant place for seniors. They have recently launched efforts to revitalize the Old Church on the hill as a senior’s activity centre (as well as a community event centre). The journey to accomplish this has been dubbed Kagawong Commons. SAL has recently launched Kagawong Commons on Instagram and on Facebook. Get online and check them out!
Billings have kicked off the new year in style with a busy calendar of activities for seniors active living. Monday head to the Park Centre for yoga 9 am, Tuesdays there is indoor walking 10 am and Thursdays there are fitness classes 9 am. Wednesday, January 28 at 6:30 pm there is drop-in euchre with refreshments. Join any class any time, and all are free or by voluntary donation.
Winter is really letting itself be known. Don’t forget that Billings council meetings are all available by remote Zoom link if you are not able to attend in-person. You can find more information on the township Facebook page or contact the town office directly.
With the variable weather lately, it’s been a bumpy road… er, ice surface for the outdoor rink at the Kagawong river complex. At time of writing, the rink is open again, but this can change on a daily basis. Keep up to date with the status of the rink at the Kagawong Outdoor Recreational Facility page on Facebook. And thank you to the volunteers who maintain the rink all winter long!
Want to set yourself up for a good workout? Then bump this onto your calendar: Join the Manitoulin Volleyball League – an intermediate/competitive league for adults (18+) Wednesdays at 6 pm at Manitoulin Secondary School. Cost is $25 for the season to cover insurance and gym rental. Message Lisa Vezina-Guilbault on Facebook messenger for more information or to register.
Happy birthday wishes going out to two uniquely fantastic women: Susie D and Jenna C. We want to relay to you our hope that you both track down some cake and dive into a day of fun on your birthdays.
Self-appointed Kagawong pun laureates, Team Fergmeijer, invite you to catch up on all our past punny columns in our archive at https://teamfergmeijer.blogspot.com/
The winter Olympics – where winners are also lugers. Have a great week!
Meldrum Bay
Elaine Bradley
Friday night, January 9 at cards there were two tables. High lady was Anne Steele Gifford with 79. High man was Murray Duncanson with 64. Most lone hands for ladies went to Brenda Carter with five and Brenda also won the 50/50 draw. Most lone hands for men went to Brenda’s husband, Doug Carter, with three. Most euchres went to Lisa Townsend with five. The money jar is safe for another week. Donna Kay McDonald won the door prize. Thanks to everyone who came and thanks to those who brought treats; it was a great evening.
Monday we took our Tesla to Little Current in the slush, snow and rain. It was an awful drive. We arrived home with 50 km left in the battery which is the lowest it’s ever been. Driving through the slush combined with wind drained the battery a bit more than usual. But it was nice to see what the car could do. Tuesday we were off again, but this time to Gore Bay on glare ice. It was a bit nerve racking. On the way home, just past Evansville, we were stopped by a tow truck pulling a car out of a rather deep ditch. We stopped for a break in Silver Water and that same car passed us. It was our neighbour. I checked with her, and she said that she is fine, and friends are going to get the car back into shape for her. Wednesday we were off again. This time we were going to the vets in Mindemoya with our cat. It was very cold and sunny but still icy. All went well, for which we were thankful. If we have nothing else to talk about, we can always talk about the weather and the roads.
My good friend is planning a cross-country skiing trip with friends to the south shore. So, let’s hope for a bit of nice weather. We used to go on those trips but have started to prefer sitting at home around a roaring fire, dreaming of spring. My niece has a condo in Mexico which she rents out quite successfully. She offered us a week down there. She said that she’d go with us and show us around. It was very nice of her. But we still prefer sitting around our fire, right here at home.
Silver Water
Karen Noble
Have a great week everyone.
I woke up on December 17 with the start of a cold and it has not completely let go yet.
Ken and Doreen Duncanson travelled to their daughter Melody’s for Christmas in Sudbury. Their whole family gathered with Iris and Keith Clarke’s family for a meal.
Murray and Gladys Duncanson stayed at son Blake’s in Espanola for Christmas day. They returned home and hosted their family on the 27. Their son Clarke, his wife Heather and sons Ethan and Aiden stayed until December 30 to return to St. Catharines.
My niece Tamara and her friend Xander went to Toronto to visit family before Christmas and returned home on January 7. My niece Larissa Chevrette went by bus to Toronto on December 30 to spend Tamara’s birthday with her. She returned on January 4.
There was a New Year’s Eve potluck supper at the Silver Water Community Hall followed by music and dancing.
Myra Duncanson and I went to the Tehkummah euchre tournament on January 4. We finally were in tune for a change and won first place with 94 points. Congratulations to Linda Bowerman and Betty Jean Bailey who won second prize. Lisa Townsend won the 50/50 draw.
Myra Duncanson, Ken Duncanson and I went to euchre at the Burpee Mills Complex on Jan 5.
I found out that my cousin Daniel McCulloch (Audrey’s grandson) and his wife Katie had triplet girls on November 6.
Happy Birthday to Tamara Noble on December 31.
Happy Birthday to Albert Meijer on January 3. Thanks to all his family and friends who sent birthday greetings.
Condolences to the family of Joanne Smith.
Condolences to the family of Betty Noble.
Condolences to the family of Roger Kent.
Condolences to the family of Dennis McCurdy SR.
Welcome to a new year and all the best to everyone.
