Admiral Bayfield (Submitted photo)

ADMIRAL BAYFIELD SQUARE TO BE DEDICATED SATURDAY

Admiral Henry Wolsey Bayfield was a surveyor for the British Admiralty who prepared nautical charts of the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence River and waterways east of the river in the early 19th century. His charts made travelling on these waters safer and contributed to the development of early Canada. His name was given to the Village by Baron van Tuyll who had set aside 388 acres of his land holdings for settlement around the mouth of the river.

The Bayfield Historical Society (BHS) is having a dedication ceremony for Admiral Henry Wolsey Bayfield at the Admiral Bayfield Square on Saturday July 9 starting at 1 p.m.

The Admiral Bayfield Square includes a paving stone area surrounding a compass rose, bollards, a small garden, a bronze plaque and four information panels. As well there is a sculpture of Admiral Bayfield that will be unveiled that was created by Frank Moore, a sculptor who lives in Bayfield. Representatives from all levels of government will join us in this celebration. A video about Admiral Bayfield including greetings from several relatives was made for this event and will be shown in the Bayfield Archives and Heritage Centre.

Financial support for the Admiral Bayfield Square was provided by the Federal Department of Heritage Canada, Municipality of Bluewater, Bayfield Area Chamber of Commerce, Bayfield Lions Club and BHS. In addition, the volunteer contributions of many members of the community have made this special project possible.

The BHS invites everyone to please join them on July 9 to celebrate a truly remarkable individual, Admiral Henry Wolsey Bayfield.

RUMMAGE SALE MAY BE BIGGEST EVER

Ready, set, rummage!

It is very nearly here – the 73rd Rummage Sale for the Pioneer Park Association is this  Friday, July 8.

“This year we have a ‘bumper crop’ from our generous donors, who have held on to these treasures over the COVID hiatus,” said Catherine Tillmann, one of the convenors. “This year’s Silent Auction is bigger and better than ever and our bake sale table will be brimming with homemade goodies. There will be music and hot dogs, excitement and deals galore. So come early and enjoy it all.”

The gates to the outdoor portion of the sale will be opened at 6 p.m. The Zamboni door to the Arena will be lifted at 6:30 p.m.

With so many goods for sale organizers will be expanding use of both the inside and outside grounds.

“We are optimizing space for ease of circulation, access to the tables, and ease of movement,” said Tillmann.

Tillmann suggests that shoppers pack a hat to shade themselves from the sun, a strong shopping bag to transport their purchases, a refillable container to use at the water station and a healthy stack of loonies and toonies.

 “This is the return of our annual opportunity to get great deals, join in on the community fun, and, most of all, support Pioneer Park. Do not miss it!” concluded Tillmann.

The sale will be held at the Bayfield Community Centre,  4 Jane Street.

All sales proceeds go directly to Pioneer Park, a privately owned public space that all can enjoy. People will soon be able to drop by to see progress at the new addition to the park, a generous donation of neighboring land by the Thompson family.

SUMMER SHUT-DOWN FOR MAIN STREET CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY

As planned, the summer shut-down for Bayfield’s Main Street Revitalization project started on June 24.

During the summer shut-down, the metal fencing which was around the active construction area has been removed but will be reinstalled in the fall. There will be a few holes and areas around hydro-poles that will remain fenced off with orange mesh fencing. The orange mesh fencing will also remain around the trees during the summer in an effort to protect the trees. Signage has been posted on the orange mesh fencing to communicate construction info to visitors. The Municipality of Bluewater will take care of maintenance such as dust control and grading.

The “triangle” intersection at Main Street and The Square will be reconstructed and the traffic flow will be much the same as it was prior to construction. For the summer shut-down, markers and barrels will remain in this intersection to help with traffic flow.

Hydro One is anticipating to pull the wires through the underground conduit starting early July in hopes to get ahead of schedule. This work is expected to be non-invasive.

The new sidewalks in part of the finished project will be exposed aggregate concrete sidewalks. Part of the design consultation process was ensuring they met sidewalk accessibility requirements and the Huron County Accessibility Committee reviewed and provided input on the design.

The new sidewalks in part of the finished project will be exposed aggregate concrete sidewalks. (Photo courtesy Ron Koudys Landscape Architects)

LIBRARY FRIENDS CELEBRATE CANADA DAY

The Canada-themed Take & Make children’s event took place on Saturday, June 25, outside of the Bayfield Public Library. It was a day filled with brilliant blue skies!

Friends of Bayfield Library (FOBL) members were greeted by many smiling faces as they handed out the Take & Make craft kits to eager children and their appreciative parents as well as grandparents, who were just delighted to have something for their visiting grandkids to do.

Event Coordinator Carmen Davies said, “If you missed out on this event, there are still a few extra craft kits at the Bayfield Library. We wish to offer our heartfelt thanks to The Village Bookshop for donating two $25 gift cards for our Scavenger Hunt draw. Many thanks to all the FOBL helpers who contributed to the success of this event.”

To give the children a little extra time to get their Scavenger Hunt sheets into the draw, the deadline has been extended to Thursday, July 7. The draw will take place on July 7 at 6 p.m.

Parents (and grandparents too!) are invited to send photos of the completed crafts to contact@fobl.ca – no photos of children please. The photos will be posted on the FOBL Facebook page over the next week.

PEOPLE SOUGHT FOR INPUT ON BAYFIELD MURAL PROJECT

Huron County Economic Development is working with six communities to provide grant funding to create murals to be completed by the end of 2022 and Bayfield is one of them!

Bayfield’s contribution to the Huron County Mural Project will be located on the south wall of the Bayfield arena, facing Jane Street.  Bluewater Council has granted permission for the mural to be located on a portion of this wall with the Facilities Manager, Maggie Off, in support.

A  Selection Committee made up of local community members will be convened to help steer the concept and make final selection, ensuring that it fairly represents the Bayfield community.  The artist’s concept of the work will be shared along with virtual voting on the final design via social media. Council will also have final approval as it will be painted on Municipal property.

The Bayfield Centre For The Arts (BCA) will be the managing partner in this public art project.

Anyone with interest in being on this Public Mural Committee, who may represent any of the following sectors of the community are encouraged to contact the BCA immediately: any Bayfield residents, Chamber businesses, non-profit organizations, service providers, Heritage Committee members,  Art Gallery owners, artists, youths, or under-represented communities.

Please send a short paragraph explaining the group you would represent and reasons for your interest. Six successful people will be contacted. Please email Hello@bayfielarts.ca.

The other Huron County communities that have been awarded a public mural are Goderich, Wingham, Exeter, Seaforth and Clinton.

Each of these murals will be included in a digital mural trail.

“Public art has many benefits, not the least of which is enhancing the human experience, celebrating community identity and culture, promoting economic development and tourism, creating jobs in creative industries — for artists, and enhancing the human experience in the public realm,” said Huron County Economic Development Officer, Rick Sickinger.

TOWN HALL BOARD IN NEED OF MEMBERS

The Bayfield Town Hall Heritage Society (BTHHS) is currently looking for additional members to join their Board of Directors including a Secretary, a “House” director and a “Rental” director.

According to existing members of the Executive, the workload for a Director is not daunting…and it’s fun!  Participation includes: attendance at monthly Board meetings;

bringing ideas and participation in an annual Town Hall Planning session for the following year; volunteer time to help at Town Hall Events (there are six this year); and participate in the annual Town Hall spring yard clean up.

The “House” Director position will be available soon. This position involves the maintenance and upkeep of the building working closely with the part time custodian. The person in the “Rental” Director position will work closely with the rental coordinator for weddings and events. The person who fulfils the “Secretary” position will participate in Board decisions, take minutes and help the President set the agenda.

The Bayfield Town Hall was built in 1882, then moved to its present location on Clan Gregor Square in 1920.  The Town Hall was the seat of Village government from that date until 1927 and again from 1965 to 1984 at which point, the aging building was closed and in disrepair

In 1989, a committee was formed to restore and re-energize the Town Hall.  The committee was known as the “Friends of the Town Hall” and after years of fundraising, private donations and grants, monies were raised to restore and maintain the historic building.

Today, the BTHHS, a non-profit corporation with a volunteer Board of Directors, is responsible for its maintenance and upkeep with a mandate to provide cultural events and activities for the Village. All of this is possible through the many fundraising events run by the Board as well as generous donations from Bayfield residents.

The following is an overview of what these fundraising efforts pay for:

• Repairs and upgrades to the building
• Heat, hydro and operation of the building
• Maintenance and cleaning including a part-time staff custodian
• Renting the hall for weddings and community use including a part-time staff rental coordinator
• Hosting events and performances at the Town Hall

To learn more or to apply for a position please email bayfieldtownhall@gmail.com or call 519 565-5788.

PUBLIC INVITED TO TAKE SURVEY ON SHORT TERM RENTALS

The Municipality of Bluewater staff and Council would like to create a short term rental policy that balances the economic benefits of short term rentals with the needs of the neighborhoods. A key part of this process is to work with the community toward this goal. The Municipality would like public feedback to draft a by-law to regulate short term rentals.

As part of the process, the Municipality of Bluewater invites the public across the municipality to provide feedback on short term rentals and the draft by-law. This includes feedback from short term rental operators, neighbors of short term rentals, other residents in the municipality, and visitors who use short term rentals. A variety of perspectives will help to develop a by-law that balances the needs of residents and short term rental operators.

The purpose of the proposed by-law is to ensure safety of all parties in and around all properties. It will include considerations for protection of renters and neighbours. Some items to be included in the by-law are:

• A parking management plan to ensure that people do not park on streets outside of permitted areas and to prohibit parking on private lots where damage to septic systems could happen.
• A maximum occupancy limit that reflects a maximum number of people per bedroom and/or per dwelling.
• A requirement that the owner must be able to attend the property within thirty minutes.
• A demerit point system is proposed to give negative points to rentals that do not comply with the licensing by-law or other municipal by-laws. If a maximum number of demerit points is reached, the license may be revoked. This will ensure that all municipal by-laws and requirements will be followed within the most vulnerable residential areas.

The Municipality welcomes individuals to complete the short term rental consultation survey by Aug. 31. It can be found by clicking here: Survey. This survey has different questions geared towards people’s role as either a neighbor, short term rental operator, visitor, etc. Any information collected may be included in a report to Council, but personal information will not be shared.

BURT AND ERNIE LOOKING FOR SUNNY DAYS

Bayfield’s Forgotten Felines (BFF) has helped hundreds and hundreds of feral and abandoned cats find their forever homes but many are still waiting.

Burt and Ernie are the Adopt-A-BFF cats of the week.

Everything about these two boys is extra-large! They are a pair of 10 year-old bonded brothers who lost their doting human and are now left looking for a new home.  They are both calm, loving and curious while Ernie (who is an all orange Tabby) is a bit more adventurous.

When he arrived at the Rescue Ernie needed to have some fur knots shaved from his back. Due to his extra-large size, grooming is a bit difficult. He misses his beloved human who used to brush him regularly.

“We have these boys on food to help get them down to a healthier weight,” said Deb Penhale, representing BFF. “They are well behaved but still can be playful. They were very much loved and continue to enjoy being pet and cuddled.   They have  adjusted surprisingly well and quickly to the shelter environment considering the current upheaval in their lives but they deserve a home of their own and the opportunity to connect with a special human(s).”

Anyone who would like to meet Burt and Ernie are asked to please email bayfieldsforgottenfelines@gmail.com for more information.

The adoption fee is now $200. Adopted cats are vetted, shots are up-to-date and they are also spayed or neutered. Donations are also always appreciated. E-transfers can be sent to the Rescue’s email or email to arrange for a drop off or pick up of donations. Cheques can be mailed to Bayfield’s Forgotten Felines, P.O. Box 33, Bayfield, ON, N0M 1G0.

NEW OWNERS

LIVING THE DREAM AT THE DRIVE-IN

Bayfield residents, Meredith Needles and Evan Bullen, are the new owners of the Woodland Drive-in currently serving up a variety of delicious ice cream options to customers from Wednesday to Sunday this summer!

PHOTO AND STORY BY MELODY FALCONER-POUNDER

Evan Bullen is no stranger to Bayfeld, in fact he literally grew up on Main Street in the 1990s with his Dad owning Admiral Bayfield (today’s Black Dog) and his Mom the proprietor of The Wardrobe (today’s Fab). As a youth he himself was an entrepreneur running The Fry Shack, next to his Dad’s restaurant, so when the opportunity presented itself to return to the village and become the co-owner of an already well established business he took the leap.

Bullen, and his partner Meredith Needles, became the new owners of the Woodland Drive-In in the middle of March of this year. This staple of fun food has been serving the community for over four decades with the previous owner Jennifer Fuller owning it for nearly 20 years.

Needles also has local routes growing up in nearby Central Huron. Both went off in the world to work, study and explore.  The pair first met in the village when they were both home for the summer. They spent a few years residing together in Little Portugal in Toronto before they decided they wanted to move to Bayfield and establish some roots in the community. They purchased a house in the village that was also owned by Fuller. When they did so they penned her a letter letting her know that when she was ready to sell the Drive-in they would be interested in purchasing it as well. For Fuller that time arrived this Spring.

Bullen and Needles opened the Woodland for the season in early April and Fuller was there showing them the ropes and helping them learn the operation. Needles works in recruiting Bachelor of Arts students in policing and public safety for Wilfrid Laurier University. As her job is 100 percent remote when time allows she doesn’t hesitate to jump off the computer and help out at the Drive-in.

People in the community were wondering what changes the couple might make to the establishment with Bullen having a background working for the Beer Store in Draft Services  but Needles noted, “don’t mess with something that’s not broken.”

“The plan is to keep it basically the same – just a little different – leading into the season we were having fun playing with the menu but such things as The Woodland Burger will remain a staple,” said Bullen. “We will continue to use Metzgers for our meats as they offer a quality product that has been working really well.”

He added, “It is exciting to be a part of the restaurant community – we have friends in the business here and they have been so supportive, offering helpful advice.”

“Local interest has also been wonderful,” said Needles.”People want to see this business thrive and everyone has been really caring and great and our family has been very supportive as well.”

One of the challenges the couple are facing is that this is a staff turn-over year. Many youth have worked at the Woodland Drive-in over the years and a lot of them stay with the business right through their secondary school days so about every four or five years there can be a big shift. Bullen pointed out that there are some perks to working at the Woodland, the pay is good, most days the team is out by 8:30 p.m. and all staff get free ice cream!

The couple invite their customers to get creative and make suggestions for future features. They also have a “Needs and Wants” Board for their employees to participate as well. Banana milkshake? Mint-Oreo Blizzard? Make you own chilli cheese fries? The possibilities are indeed endless.

“We more-so want to give the customers a blank canvas with our menu items to spark their creativity. We have a section on our Instagram page that shows previous creations, however, we love to see the new and wild ideas being ordered. By giving them this outlet, it allows the customer the opportunity to customize what they like and limits any and all food waste,” said Bullen.

As a youth Bullen imagined owning a place in the village and now that the dream has become a reality he said that even at this early stage, it is, “One hundred percent living up to my hopes, no more or no less, it is what I expected it to be.”

The Woodland Drive-In is currently open Wednesday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and every holiday Monday! It is located at 17 Mill Road in the village. Their menu can be found on their Facebook Page: Woodland Drive In.

SIGNAL POLE RAISED FOR CANADA DAY

On June 27, prior to hoisting the large Canada flag 40 feet in the air a photo was taken for posterity of Lions Club members and Municipality of Bluewater officials. From l-r Rolly Scott, Bayfield Ward Councilor Bill Whetstone, Karen Scott, EJ Bauer, Don Vance, Brent Gotts, Bill Rowat, Dave Nearingburg, Andrew Widdis, Doug Vanderhaar, and Bluewater’s Facilities Manager Dave Kester.

PHOTOS BY JACK PAL

As part of their 75th Anniversary celebrations, the Bayfield Lions Club decided to commemorate the Signal Pole which once stood at the foot of Bayfield Terrace. For many years this pole warned local fishermen and passing sailors of impending weather changes. It was a lifesaver for many.

On a sunny Thursday afternoon, June 23, members of the Lions Club formed their own “pole walkers” club to move the 40 foot flagpole from its storage place at the arena to a new traffic island being constructed as part of the Main Street Revitalization project near the northwest entrance of Clan Gregor Square. With the help of a crew from Lavis Construction, the pole was lifted and mounted on its base. On Monday, June 27th members of the Lions Club and officials from the Municipality of Bluewater gathered to raise the Canadian flag for the first time. The result – the flag was flying proudly in time for Canada Day!

SPACES LEFT FOR FRIDAY GROUNDS TOUR

Huron Hospice is fortunate to be located on a beautiful 12-acre property, and we are excited for a new opportunity to offer a guided grounds tour to the community. The volunteer grounds care team has been busy this year, and they can’t wait to show off their hard work and the variety of flora and fauna on the property.

During the tour, participants will walk the Tranquility Trail and explore the Memorial Forest and Pet Memorial Wall. They will learn more about the native species of trees that have been planted recently, and discuss the variety of native plants on the grounds, as well as the impact of invasive species.

Participants will learn about  the planned expansion of the Bender House, and future plans for the property, as they tour the many flower beds. They will have a chance to relax by the waterfall gardens and reflection pond. If they’re lucky, they will even get a chance to see one of the turtles on their new basking log.

Refreshments will follow the tour, with a chance to win one of the exciting door prizes!

Small group tours are still being offered on Friday, July 22 at 9:30 a.m. Please note that the Thursday, July 21 at 7 p.m. tour is now fully booked. Rain date will be the following week at the same time. There is no admission fee, but donations will be appreciated.

To register, please contact Helen Varekamp, the volunteer grounds care team lead, at: hvarekamp@tcc.on.ca or 519 565-5442. Limited space available; register today to avoid disappointment!

Huron Hospice Bender House is located at  37857 Huron Road, Clinton ON. To learn more visit: www.huronhospice.ca.