Providence Bay
Alexia Hannigan
Alexia here with your friendly May fly.
It’s official, the Chi-Cheemaun has her first sail and you know what that means! The who’s who and your cousin Sue have traversed Lake Huron in the “Big Canoe” and her and all of your friends and neighbours from down south are or will be expecting cold drinks and warm hospitality! So, if you haven’t fluffed and folded your linens and tufted the carpets, cat and couch then you had better get to it! And stock up on fireside supplies while they are plentiful because we will soon be reduced to rationing, hot dog buns, fireside marshmallows and seasoned “good” firewood soon enough.
In other news, did everyone register their vote, taxes and kids for the soccer and baseball tourneys? April should be sponsored by Red Bull! You made it through the melee and mayhem-well done everyone. Now begins May’s delightful dance of best-in-show ribbons, nets, flowers and bows, Mother’s Day Markets and beautiful memories.
We welcome you all!
Here’s what’s happening: Providence Bay Arena and Fairgrounds:
Providence Bay Youth Soccer.
Soccer started Saturday, May 3 and will run every Saturday weather permitting (Sundays if Saturday rain). Weekly practices will be held in Providence Bay until the Island Wide Soccer Tournament in Little Current on Saturday, May 31. There will be no soccer on Saturday, June 7. Our final year-end practice and beach party will be in Providence Bay on Saturday, June 14.
Practices will run as follows TFN: U6 (2019-20) 10:30 to 11am; U8 (2017-18) 11 am to 12 noon; U10 (2015-16) 11 am to 12 noon; and U13 (2012-14) 10:30 to 11:30 am.
Providence Bay Community of Christ Church, joys and community updates at 10:30 am, service at 11 am.
Providence Bay Curling Club: Keep an eye on their Facebook page for updates and upcoming yard sale events!
Providence Bay Spring Bay Lions Bottle Drive continues next to the arena- return your empty bottles and cans and help give back to your local community!
Providence Bay Hall: Exercise classes continue Friday mornings. Tai Chi continues Monday and Thursday.
The Heavens: Next full moon aka the “flower moon” will rise on May 12.
Wishing you clear skies and happy sky-gazing!
The Friends: Happy Birthday to all of you early May babies. Sincere thoughts and regards to the Farqhuar friends and family.
Kagawong
Team Fergmeijer
Spring is in the air, and Team Fergmeijer is getting out and having adventures. The single half of the team had a date last night. She said it was really good, so she’s going to try a fig tomorrow. The other half of the team is married and as a gift, her husband took her out to an orchard where they stood there looking at the trees for half an hour. It was not quite the Apple Watch she was expecting.
Happy Mother’s Day to our Manitoulin Mom and our Mainland Mom! If moms were flowers, we’d pick you, because we love being y’orchids.
We wish a very happy 29th birthday to Kagawongian Sherri C and Kagawongian wannabe (cause everyone who isn’t a Kagawongian wishes they were) Shan K. Here’s to another year of pretending to be an adult!
The Manitoulin Tennis Club is getting ready to serve up its first tournament of the year! Mark Saturday, May 17 on the calendar for the annual Black Fly Doubles Tournament. Everyone is welcome to come out and shake off the winter rust. All ages and ability levels can participate – no partner, no problem! Registration is free. Contact ctheijsmeijer@gmail.com or check out Manitoulin Tennis Club on Facebook for more information or to register.
Whether you’re a night owl, an early bird, or a permanently exhausted pigeon, there’s a new exhibit at the Old Mill Heritage Centre this season just for you! The museum opens again for the season in May – stay tuned for more information!
The Island Singers are presenting Songs for the Earth, a spring concert on Sunday, May 25 at 3 pm at Manitoulin Secondary School. The concert will feature a variety of pieces from various genres and will include a special performance by a member of the Sudbury Symphony Orchestra. Tickets are $15 each and are available at the door. Children 12 and under are free.
Manitoulin Metal Robotics is once again hosting their annual e-waste drive. Stop by Manitoulin Secondary May 26-30 from 3 to 5 pm or Saturday, May 31 from 10 am to 2 pm to drop off any dead electronics, including appliances, batteries of any kind and devices. Look for the robotics team members outside by the basketball court on those days.
We know June is still a little ways off, but a little birdie told us the first Kagawong market of the year will be Wednesday, June 25. Save the date! We can’t wait to welcome all our summer vendors back to the Kagawong River Complex.
Mark your calendars – June 28th is Team Aelick’s annual stroll for liver in support of Liver Canada. This 5k walk through the village starts at the Park Centre at 11 am. You can join the stroll, support from the sidelines, and donate through their team page (bit.ly/teamaelick). Donations over $20 qualify for a tax receipt.
We would like to wish a very happy anniversary to Dig and Doug Furniture who are celebrating their 25th year of business in Kagawong. Cheers to this iconic local business!
Team Fergmeijer just finished writing a book on penguins. It probably would have been easier to write it on paper. Have a great week!
Meldrum Bay
Elaine Bradley
Friday night at cards we had 17 people. High ladies was Lois Wismer with 78 points; high mens was Rick Bradley with 72 points; ladies’ lone hands went to Janice Cada with five; men’s lone hands went to Gene Cada with four; most euchres went to Lisa Townsend with nine; the door prize was taken home by Rose VanEvery; and Elaine Bradley won the juice.
On Saturday there was a ham and scalloped potato dinner in Silver Water and quite a few from Meldrum attended. The food was really good. This Saturday will be a fish dinner in Silver Water.
Rose phoned me up to go for a walk, so we walked to the mailbox and back. At the mailbox, Mildred was there and we got into her car and had a long visit. Then near Joe’s house there were some old-fashioned chairs outside and they were very comfortable. We sat down and had a long visit with Joe. We stopped in at Mildred and Bob’s, had coffee and visited. A friend stopped by with an apple pie for Rick. Our walk took much longer than we anticipated and we had a great time.
Good news for Rose! She is a new great-grandmother, a new baby boy is in the family, Devon Hildreth was born April 30, 2025. His grandparents are very good to us here. We often get to enjoy fruits and vegetables from their farm in southern Ontario.
My brother and sister-in-law, Jamie and Norma Nelder, who live in Dale and Joan VanEvery’s house, have extra big smiles. Their daughter and son-in-law Jessica and Fred have just announced that next Christmas there will be twins in the family.
Today, as I write is May Day. Rick asked me, what do you do on May Day. I said that I think that we’re supposed to dance around a pole. We didn’t do any dancing. May is a great month though. On the long weekend is our Quad Run with a dinner following. Joe is planning his Poker Paddle which will be on June 21. Rose won the first prize last year. We’re looking forward to it this year.
Have a great week everybody!
Barrie Island
Enid Runnalls
It’s been a big week of federal voting here. Once again the voting office for Barrie Island was staffed by three members of the Hore family – Bonnie, Melody and daughter Mary, as well as Sharon MacDonald which was at the Gordon/Barrie Island Hall. Locally it was decided that we are sending Jim Belanger (Conservative) to Ottawa to work with PM Mark Carney’s Liberal government.
The grass is growing under the current weather of sunny, wet, cold, windy, warm conditions. The calves are coming quickly all over the township. We hope for some warmer weather, not just for ourselves but for the little ones born in the fields.
The ditches and creeks are full and flowing rapidly, so you need to be careful. One day Enid’s little kitty got too close to the edge and fell in. Luckily, she was able to haul herself out and came home soaking wet and cold.
A beautiful and rare yellow-headed blackbird was spotted in the area. Veteran birder Terry Land ventured out to confirm its existence, but it has not been seen since. It probably got itself back on track to the west, as its normal breeding and migration range is between the interior of B.C. and Manitoba and south to Mexico!
Frances Hore was canvassing door to door to gather signatures from Gordon/Barrie Island citizens to protest our amalgamation with the municipality of Gore Bay.
Garth Baker was out to clean up bird boxes, making them ready for a new generation this spring.
Sylvia and John Fletcher of Gordon as well as Jeff and Wendy Hietkamp of Gore Bay paid a visit to Enid and Scott Runnalls, last week.
After another trip to the hospital, Lance Greenman is recovering at home on Barrie Island. Natalie has been here to help with things and Lil has really enjoyed her company. Lance has been cheered by visits with his friends, Dave Carlisle and Steve Prior.
Barbara Runnalls is feeling better after a cold and would like to welcome visitors at her place at the Manitoulin Lodge.
Enid is busy painting 60 little gift bags for the local Horticultural Society’s District 13 Annual General Meeting at the end of May. The district’s flower is the wood lily and so that is the flower to be painted. Also, she is working on a painting for the “Little Black Canvas” event for the Manitoulin Arts Guild which will open on May 17 at 11 am at Studio 6 in the Gore Bay Harbour Centre.
The families of Rod Greenman and Grant Baker welcome you to services of remembrance on May 10 at the Barrie Island Hall. Rod’s service will be in the morning and Grant’s in the afternoon.
Barrie Island sends condolences to the friends and families of Gordon Township businessman and community volunteer Ron Campbell.
Silver Water
Karen Noble
On Friday morning there were 10 people who went to the hall to help get the food ready for Saturday’s dinner. Thank you to all the volunteers who continue to show up to help set tables, peel potatoes, make pies and more. Fundraising could not happen without you and it is needed. The new upstairs bathroom in the community hall is proof we need fundraising.
Friday night we went to euchre in Meldrum Bay.
Gladys and Murray Duncanson had company on the weekend including her great-niece, Jessica Eisenbraun and a friend.
Craig Duncanson was also here.
Saturday afternoon, we had the recycle bins open and had lots of people out.
On Saturday night, there were about 100 people out to enjoy the ham, scalloped potatoes, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, vegetables and pies. The hall board earned over $1,300 which will be put towards a new ceiling in the basement of the hall.
Carol Hughes presented Doug Wismer with a King Charles III Coronation Medal for his lifelong volunteer work in Silver Water and beyond. It was Carol’s last official duty before she retires.
Albert Meijer and I went to Evansville to attend a surprise birthday party for our current fire chief, Rick Graham on Saturday afternoon. We met some new people and visited with others we have known for years. It was a nice crowd and Rick was indeed surprised.
Brenda Carter, Albert and I have been picking up liquor containers and pop cans on our walks. Some of the proceeds will go to the Angel Bus and the food banks in Gore Bay and Mindemoya. We are open to other suggestions of charitable organizations if anyone asks.
On Sunday night, the four elections Canada workers went to the hall to set up the room. On Monday, the four of us were at the hall from 8:30 am until 10:30 pm. It was a long day but worth it to help as many people vote as we could. I sure am glad the election is over, we can get back to our normal get along community, hopefully for a full four-year term, but who knows.
Thursday morning, I went to work in Gore Bay. Thursday afternoon, there was the monthly UCW meeting at St Andrew’s United Church in Silver Water. Thursday evening there was euchre at the Silver Water Community Hall with 16 players.
I have been admiring the beautiful daffodils at Eric and Linda Thiessen’s home. We will have some in the next week or two.
On May 10 there is a Celebration of Life for Chris Vollick at the United Church at 11 am.
On May 17 there is the ATV run in Meldrum Bay with lunch for the participants and anyone else.
On May 24 there is the fashion show at the hall starting at 2 pm.
On May 25 there is a barbecue lunch and euchre tournament at the hall starting at 12 noon.
Get well to Iain MacDonald.
