Providence Bay
Alexia Hannigan
I was listening to the radio the other day and heard that we are now at the halfway point between Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. The early sunrise and longer days conjure Images of Springs slow trickle into nature’s most beautiful dance and song. For most of us, however, this time of year feels something more like the divine comedy of being stuck knee deep in snow while waiting for another avalanche. We are all sick, tired, have horrible dry skin, have terrible cabin fever and have major angst about the state of our economy. The trade war tariffs, and political strife will all come tumbling down at some point or another so we had better hold onto our Timmys, toques and maple taps and stock up now on any well-priced items while the getting is good. Turn your focus not on the doom and gloom but rather on the positive changes to come given the climate. We are all back to giving back and rallying behind our Canadian friends and neighbours. I have always said support local and now more than ever, we must stand strong and true and in solidary. We Love you Canada and we will nurture and protect you through and through.
Here’s what’s happening: Providence Bay Arena, learn to skate on Sundays from 12 noon to 1 pm; public skate is on Sundays from 1 to 3 pm; family sponge puck is on Sundays from 3 to 5 pm. Sponsored by the Spring Bay/Providence Bay Recreation Committee. Helmets required.
McAllister Tourney coming soon! Stay tuned.
Providence Bay Curling Club is hosting their annual ladies’ bonspiel from February 14-16. This year’s theme is Diamonds and Denim! Email providencebaycurling@gmail.com or call 705-377-4668 to register.
Providence Bay Community of Christ Church Sunday Service: 10:30 am meet-up, 11 am service.
Providence Bay Hall: Save the date! Join us on Friday, February 14, 2025 from 2 to 4 pm for a mid-winter mingle at the Providence Bay Hall! This event is geared to adults 55+ and supported by the Friends of the Mindemoya Old School. For more information, please contact Alison at 705-377-5726 or by email at asloss@centralmanitoulin.ca.
Winter Workouts continue Friday mornings from 10:30 to 11:30 am till March 14 at the Providence Bay Hall.
Tai Chi Classes continue Mondays and Thursdays from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. Contact Jean Pearce at 705-885-8444 for more information.
Gentle Yoga continues with chair yoga and gentle yoga on
Tuesdays from 1 to 1:45 pm and 2 to 3 pm at the Providence Bay Hall. Gentle Yoga continues Wednesdays at 6:15 pm at Spring Bay Hall.
The Heavens: February 12 today is the second full moon of 2025 and it is known as the Snow Moon, it will occur at 8:53 am EST. in the constellation Leo.
The Fundraisers: Providence Bay/Spring Bay Lions Club bottle drive continues, drop off your empties next to the arena for a good cause! Check the Lions Facebook page for upcoming events.
As we continue through the seemingly endless winter of our discontent and political discourse, we must remember that to every person, place or thing there is a season and a reason. We may not always know the reason or rhyme, but we must keep moving in time. Always remember to look up and not down; look out and not in; look forward and not back and lend a hand. Keep looking up, eat some Valentine’s chocolates, open the good wine and enjoy all the beautiful secrets, miracles and mysteries of this crazy-beautiful life.
Happy Valentine’s weekend and happy Family Day Weekend!
Happy Birthday Danny, Michael and an Ode to Papa Reg, you are missed and remembered with love.
“Love don’t make things nice, it ruins everything, it breaks your heart, it makes things a mess. We’re not here to make things perfect. Snowflakes are perfect. The stars are perfect. Not us. We are here to ruin ourselves and break our hearts and love the wrong people and die.”
– John Patrick Shanley Moonstruck
Kagawong
Team Fergmeijer
Team Fergmeijer is all about life-long learning. This week we learned that we should not write Valentine’s Day cards on an empty stomach. We ended up with some, shall we say, unique sentiments: I donut want to glaze over the fact that I love you; I love you s’more and s’more with each passing day; if you were a vegetable, you’d be a cutecumber; I love you a brunch; we were mint to be together; Our love is a hot dog – I relish it; I hope you like breakfast, because I love you a waffle lot. We know we tend to be hopeless ramen-tics and want our friends and family to know that we love them—like, pho real, but these were a bit over the top, even for us.
Kagawong Winterfest is back! Grab your skates and toboggans and come on by the Kagawong River Complex on Family Day, February 17 from 11 am to 3 pm. Outside there will be ice skating, a sliding hill, free pizza and hot dogs, maple taffy, snowmobile display and a fire to help warm up those toes! Inside at the Park Centre there will be some educational and fun activities hosted by Manitoulin Streams and the Manitoulin Secondary School robotics team, a craft and hot chocolate and chili hosted by the Parks, Recreation and Wellness Committee and a free Mindful Movement class and dance party hosted by Body Stories Dance Education and Performance. Wintry fun for everyone!
There is no time more suited to poetry than Valentine’s Day and so this week’s Short Poems for a Short Month challenge leans into the season of love with a selection of adoring verse.
Forget red and blue,
Pizza’s the colour of love,
And chocolate too.
I had plans today,
But then you smiled at me and…
What was I saying?
Big news! Billings Township will be offering senior active living programming for 2025. All seniors are invited to drop by the Park Centre at 1 pm on Wednesday, February 19 to kick off the new program and help develop the schedule of activities for the year.
This year is the 100th anniversary of the Old Mill in Kagawong and the museum board is planning a variety of ceremonial events and is looking for additional historical information. If you know of anyone who could help or who worked at the mill/hydro plant, the museum board would be grateful for any information (oldmillheritage@billingstwp.ca).
Break out your dancing shoes for Manitoulin Secondary School’s performance of Mamma Mia! You can dance, you can jive and have the time of your life! The Broadway hit will have you dancing, jiving, and having the time of your life, singing along to the songs of ABBA. Shows run over two weekends: Friday, February 14 (7 pm); Saturday, February 15 (2 pm matinée) and Friday, February 21 (7 pm); Saturday, February 22 (2 pm matinée). Tickets are $20 at the door or in advance at select pharmacies across Manitoulin, or online at bit.ly/MammaMiaMSS.
Deepen your connection with your body with the free Inclusive Mindful Movement classes at the Park Centre onMondays, now through March 3 (8 to 9 pm). Come out for a gentle, joyful movement practice focused on helping you find more ease in your movement and alignment. No dance experience necessary. Space is limited. Pre-registration is encouraged. www.bodystoriesdance.com (647-213-1497).
All you need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt. Have a great week!
Barrie Island
Enid Runnalis
The longest month of the year has finally come to a close! It’s snowy and mild today at -5C but the temperature promises to return to colder temps during the first week of February.
Our Barrie Island community has been kept busy by the ice and snow, with the farmers shoveling out barnyards to feed and water their cattle and our local ice fishers out at various secret locations on the bay pulling in fish when they’re biting. The rest of us are enjoying the coziness of winter, keeping warm by the fire.
Lance Greenman has temporarily moved to St. Joseph Continuing Care Centre for a bit of physiotherapy. Lil reports that it is a very nice facility with a lot of help available. Daughter, Natalie Hayden is checking in with him daily, but if you’re in Sudbury, Lance sure would enjoy a visit, so please stop in to see him.
Last Thursday Oliver Runnalls and Jordan Miller pulled a couple of guys from the ditch. They were employees of a Quebec engineering firm, out assessing hydro poles for fiber optic internet. They could have been stuck there for a week if there wasn’t a big tractor handy, they were in that deep!
Bill Runnalls celebrated his 80th birthday on January 22 in Winnipeg. He enjoyed his big day out playing cribbage with friends and then with a fine glass of Jura!
Carolyn Lane-Rock reports that her Christmas amaryllis has multiple blooms! Also, never one to stand still, she is heading to Toronto to visit family and then off to Portugal. Details coming soon!
Local adventurer and kestrel expert, Garth Baker, has been skydiving in Elsinore, California. His most recent jump was made with a group of nine. The pictures are spectacular. As of this morning he is camping out in Red Rock, Arizona.
For those cat-lovers who have been concerned about the little grey stray that was hanging around the cottages of Julia Bay, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Rob Lane has adopted the cuddly guy. That’s all I know right now but will provide updates in the next Barrie Island report.
Wayne Jeffkins of the North Line has been attending lots of loppets these days! His three grandchildren Effie, Chesley and Roslyn have inherited their mom’s athletic genes and are proving to be quite competitive. Looking forward to hearing more about this family of cross-country skiers!
Mary Anderson and Don Roberts (who lived previously in Aunt Carol’s house on 10th Side Road, Barrie Island) have sent their greetings to their friends here. They report that they are thriving in their new community of Elliot Lake and Mary has taken up needle felting as a new creative hobby.
Condolences go out to the families of Mona Lewis (nee Runnalls). Mona had many cousins and friends on Barrie Island and was a wonderful member of the western Manitoulin community. She will be missed.
Mark and Sharon Robbins of Lindsay, Ontario stayed a few days with Scott and Enid Runnalls this past week. They were here to visit their mother, Edna Wright at the Manitoulin Lodge. They brought in a lovely meal from the Water’s Edge Restaurant and dined privately in the lodge common room. While here they also enjoyed visiting brother Kevin and Lisa Robbins of Gore Bay.
Silver Water
Karen Noble
On Friday evening we went to Meldrum Bay to play euchre.
On Monday euchre in Burpee/Mills was cancelled due to the weather.
On Tuesday afternoon there was an exercise class at the Silver Water Community Hall.
Tuesday night’s fire practice was cancelled due to the weather.
On Wednesday morning, Albert and I went to Little Current and Gore Bay. The proceeds from the liquor containers we returned will go to the Angel Bus. We went to Stop 540 for lunch when we got home, the dining room appears much bigger and brighter.
On Wednesday afternoon there was line dancing at the community hall.
On Thursday there were 15 people out to play euchre at the Silver Water Hall.
On Thursday, February 6 there will be a UCW meeting at St. Andrew’s United Church in Silver Water.
On Sunday, February 9 there is a potluck lunch in Meldrum Bay with the church service following.
On Sunday, February 16 there is a stew and chili luncheon in Meldrum Bay with a euchre tournament in the afternoon.
Condolences to the family of Fred Middaugh.
Condolences to the family of Ted Fogal.
Condolences to the family of Jack Pope.
Condolences to the family of Mona Lewis.
Condolences to the family of Kim Lentir.
Friday, January 31 I took DonnaKay McDonald and Myra Duncanson to euchre in Meldrum Bay.
On Sunday there were 14 people from the west end who went to Tehkummah to play euchre in the afternoon. All the teams had higher scores than the last several months. Congratulations to Betty Jean Bailey and Dean Sagle who won first prize. Myra and I won second prize.
On Monday I went to Gore Bay in the morning. In the evening, I took Myra and DonnaKay to euchre in Burpee/Mills. The proceeds are going to the MSS Robotics team some weeks and the Burpee/Mills Fire Department the rest of the time.
On Tuesday there was an exercise class at the Silver Water Community Hall. Everyone is welcome. The cost is $5 per person.
On Wednesday there was line dancing at the hall starting at 1:30 pm.
On Thursday there were 12 euchre players at the hall. Congratulations to Harold Rogers who won the money jar with 91 points.
The construction work has begun at the community hall to create a bathroom upstairs on the east side of the stage. A photograph was found in the wall. So far, the lady has not been identified but hopefully someone will recognize her if we keep asking around.
The weather has been the big topic of conversation this week with piles of snow falling, wind blowing hard, snowplows making many trips past our place to clear the highway and the township roads. There have been some snowmobiles moving around but not much yet.
The deer are still around and crossing the roads a lot.
Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone.
Happy 17th Birthday to Jackson Chevrette on February 7.
Condolences to the family of Jack Addison.
