PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY AT BAYFIELD BRIDGE OPEN FOR STROLLING

One of the first people to use the walkway and stop along the way to enjoy the gorgeous views of the harbor in all its autumnal splendor was Bayfield Ward Councilor for the Municipality of Bluewater BIll Whetstone.

Monday, Oct. 17 the pedestrian walkway across the newly built Bayfield Bridge was opened for foot traffic. One of the first people to use the walkway and stop along the way to enjoy the gorgeous views of the harbor in all its autumnal splendor was Bayfield Ward Councilor for the Municipality of Bluewater BIll Whetstone.

He had this to say about the experience, “I have to tell you. The walkway is beautifully done. Wow! It is simply the icing on the cake to a great, stunning architectural piece. Well worth the wait. I can see many, many people taking photos on the walkway. Honestly, I am so impressed.”

Editor’s Note: Many people will no doubt be heading to the bridge in the next little while to experience the walkway for themselves but for those who can’t readily get there Whetstone obliged the Bayfield Breeze by sharing some of the first pictures. These images of him crossing the walkway were taken Monday morning between rain showers.

ENTERTAINERS AND FACE PAINTERS SOUGHT

The Christmas in Bayfield committee has so much going on as they get ready for the magical Christmas in Bayfield Weekend Nov. 18-20. They would like to thank the Municipality of Bluewater Council for reviewing and approving their bylaw exemption requests on Monday, Oct. 17  allowing them to proceed with their plans.

“We have had several interesting artisan/craft vendors request more information and apply for space, so that is moving along,” said Secretary-Treasurer of the BACC Terri Louch. “There is still time to let us know you would like to attend by completing the application.”

The application can be accessed here: Application Form. Cost for the weekend is $100 and applications will be accepted until Nov. 11.

“Do you or your group sing, dance, juggle, play an instrument or perform magic?  Do you have an interesting skill that would entertain watchers? Would you like to be part of our amazing Christmas in Bayfield weekend?” asked Louch. “We are still actively searching for individuals or groups who want to be seen by potentially hundreds of people. There will be an open sided tent available for cover and together we  will be able to schedule your time to perform. We are excited to offer some very interesting talents!”

There will be 30 minute and one hour time slots available Saturday, Nov. 19 from noon to 5 p.m. or Sunday, Nov. 20 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Interested people are asked to send an email villageofbayfield@gmail.com with their details and their preferred time slot and organizers will work to include them in the line-up.

Buskers or street performers are also being sought. There will be an opportunity to be placed around the town one or both days of the weekend.

Organizers are also seeking a face painter or a team of face painters. They will have a designated area to work with children and adults alike who will love the opportunity to participate in this activity.

“We could not host Christmas in Bayfield without support from our businesses. Thanks so much to the members who have generously supported Christmas in Bayfield with a donation so everyone can enjoy a fun-filled weekend:  It takes a Village to put this event together, and we are very grateful to have amazing supporters. Where possible, stop in and visit their businesses today!” said Louch.

To view the list of businesses that have donated to date please visit: Christmas in Bayfield Donors. 

Be sure to watch for further updates here in the Bayfield Breeze, or on the Christmas in Bayfield Facebook and Instagram pages where organizers will continue to highlight those who will be participating in the maker’s market, performing in the Library Square as well as those who are making a difference through financial contributions.

WOODLAND TRAIL NOW OPEN

The Bayfield River Valley Trail Association (BRVTA)  is happy to announce that the Woodland Trail is now open and will remain so until Monday, Nov. 7.

The trail will be closed again for hunting for two separate weeks: Nov. 7-13 and Dec. 5-11.  Please follow the posted signs.

“As always, we thank the private landowners who support use of the Woodland Trail on their properties,” said Ralph Blasting, representing the BRVTA.

There will be two guided fall hikes in the coming weeks: Climate Change on the Great Lakes and National Take a Hike Day.

On Saturday, Oct. 22 at 11 a.m., environmental educator Michele Martin will lead a walk through the village and down to the waterfront, pointing out how climate change is affecting the area and what people can do to help.  Those interested are asked to meet at the Clan Gregor Square Gazebo for a walk lasting about 90 minutes.

The final guided hike of 2022 will be on Mavis’ Trail  and the Taylor Trail on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. National Take a Hike Day celebrates the nearly 300,000 km of trails in Canada, 80,000 of which are in Ontario.

This little hike of 3.5 km will start at the Varna Complex parking lot and take participants  through evergreen and deciduous forests, over small streams, and down to the Bayfield River.  A map can be found at Mavis-Taylor Trail.

For questions or more information contact Ralph Blasting via email at rjblastingjr@gmail.com or call 519 525-3205.

PET VALU LOCATION OF ADOPTION EVENT

Clementine and Skittles (Submitted photo)

Bayfield’s Forgotten Felines (BFF) has so many wonderful cats and kittens looking for their forever families right now that they have temporarily closed their doors to  intakes.

“We currently have over 60 kittens and have many waiting to come in,” explained Penhale. “We will be doing an adoption event at Pet Valu in Goderich in October.”

The adoption event at the Pet Valu in Goderich will be held on Oct. 22-23 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Clementine and Skittles are the Adopt a BFF kittens of the week.

“These two come from a litter of five that were brought in; they are the smallest of the two with Skittles, the black and white, being the smallest.” said Penhale. Skittles has a prolapsed anus and will be receiving some veterinary care as a result.

According to Penhale, she is the runt of the litter and weighs only 450 grams while her siblings are all reaching the 800 plus grams range. She is requiring a little bit of special care and extra feedings to try and help her catch up.

“Despite all her problems she is a snuggler,” said Penhale. “She fits in the palm of your hand but tries to climb your arm to nuzzle into your neck.” Volunteers are hoping to get her on the right path and get her weight up as she needs to be 1,100 grams, or 2.2 lbs, before she can be considered for surgery.

Clementine is the second smallest of the litter. She is very playful and curious.

“She will climb you like a tree and sit on your shoulder like a parrot and purr in your ear,” said Penhale. “She is very protective of her much smaller little sister.”

These are just two of the many kittens BFF currently has in their care and  although they are not currently available for adoption BFF can offer, in some instances, a foster to adopt program to try and get more of these kittens out of the shelter and into homes where they can flourish.

“We have a very, very long list of kittens and cats waiting to come in, and again as we always state, intakes are related directly to how many of the kittens we have currently that we can get into foster homes or adopted before we can bring in new kittens that are still out on the street, out in the elements,” concluded Penhale.

Anyone who might be interested in adopting any of this week’s featured cats and kittens is 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.

IN MEMORIAM

TIMMINS LEFT THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE

Arlene Timmins (Submitted photo)

The community will be saddened to learn that a well-respected member of the village died unexpectedly on Oct. 14.

Arlene Timmins, was born in Windsor, ON, on Oct. 30, 1940, the first born child of Fred and Marjorie Hayward. Next came her beloved siblings, Elaine and Fred, and the family eventually made their way to London. Arlene excelled at school and by the age of 16 was enrolled in Teacher’s College. Her career path changed course when she met and eventually married Tom Timmins in 1959. Four children followed in rapid succession.

In the mid-1970s, Arlene set out on a new path which included attending King’s College and earning her Bachelor of Social Work. After graduating, she held various leadership roles in groundbreaking organizations including Womanpower, Women Immigrants of London and Phoenix Housing Co-operative (Second Stage Housing).

In the early 1990s Arlene met her partner, Roberta Stemp, and moved to Bayfield where they built an incredible life filled with friendship, advocacy, and community. Arlene volunteered her time to several organizations in her community including the Bayfield Public Library; Home4Good, Bayfield; and Huron Hospice. Despite being long retired, Arlene continued to provide counselling services to a number of clients.

Arlene was happiest in her kitchen, always eager to try new recipes. She loved all things kitchenware and flatware. It is fitting that her last evening earthside was spent preparing food and enjoying the company of some of her dearest friends. She loved birding trips with her friends, books, a good G & T, an evening with tea and Jeopardy and family gatherings with her kids and grandkids.

An incredible conversationalist, a loyal and dedicated friend to many, and a giver of love and her time. She left the world a better place.

Left to honor her incredible life are her partner, Roberta Stemp, her children Brian Timmins (Ana Maria Piddo), Mike Timmins (Michelle Lundy), Peter Timmins (Kathryn Turner), and Elaine Swan (Rick Swan). She was the adored Grandma to nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, Nov.24 from 1-4 p.m. at the Bayfield Town Hall, 11 The Square, in Bayfield, ON.

For those wishing to do so, donations made in Arlene’s memory to Huron Hospice or Bayfield’s Forgotten Felines (bayfieldsforgottenfelines@gmail.com) would be greatly appreciated by the family.

RIDERSHIP ON THE RISE WITH HURON SHORES AREA TRANSIT

Service provision is contracted to Voyago, a leading passenger mobility service provider serving 30,000 people daily. (Submitted photos)

Serving a combined rural population of just more than 36,000 in Lambton Shores, South Huron, Bluewater, North Middlesex, and Kettle & Stony Point First Nation, Huron Shores Area Transit’s (HSAT) first two operational years (2020 and 2021) were shaped by government imposed shut-downs and stay-at-home advisories, not an ideal time to launch a new transit system!

In 2021, HSAT had 1,600 passengers. By the end of August 2022, ridership exceeded 5,000 passengers in eight months. Compared to the same month of the previous year, that’s a 594 per cent  difference! If the ridership trend continues, by the end of 2022, ridership could top 7,500 passengers.

Not surprisingly, the area’s summer months witnessed a bump in ridership. Buses traveling from London to Grand Bend were filled to capacity, necessitating two additional bus runs every Saturday and Sunday from mid-July to Labour Day.

“It’s been a busy summer,” said Susan Mills, the new Transit coordinator who took over the role at the end of June this year. “Beginning about mid-July, we had regular passengers telling us they could not get on the bus because it was already full when it arrived at their stop. We also took immediate action and doubled the number of bus runs from London to Grand Bend.”

The highest-performing stop in the transit system is located opposite Masonville Mall; a shared London Transit stop, which accounted for 2,004 passengers. Similarly, Lambton Mall in Sarnia accounted for 409 passengers. Other top-performing bus stops include University Hospital in London, 221 passengers; Kettle Point Plaza, 215 passengers and Sanders Street stop in Exeter, 204 passengers. Thirty riders used the wheelchair/scooter passenger spots.

In February of this year, Route 3, which services towns and villages of Bluewater, was extended to Goderich. HSAT’s Route 3 passes through St. Joseph, Zurich, Hensall, and Bayfield on its way to Goderich. In Bayfield there are two stops – one in front of the Bayfield Town Hall and one on Cameron Street at Hwy. 21.

“Although usage of that stop is still low, with the recent partnership agreement between South Huron Hospital and Alexandra Marine and General Hospital, the need to access hospital appointments in Goderich is expected to rise along with ridership,” said Mills.

“It was interesting to discover which bus stops were the most used and who’s using the bus system,” said Mills. “We get many inquiries through the Facebook page, mostly from young adults and twenty-somethings who use the bus to get to work, go shopping, and socialize and now use it to get to university and college. We have one stop right on the Lambton College campus. We’ve even had parents send us testimonials about how convenient it is that their kids can get around without relying on a drive from Mom or Dad.”

Although the majority of passengers, 82 per cent, pay cash, about 15 per cent of passengers use Smart Cards to pay for bus rides. Launched in February 2021, 991 active tap-and-go Smart Cards are now in use. Smart Cards enable passengers to set up a transit account and add dollar value to their card by credit card or debit visa, monitor their balance, transfer the balance of a lost card to a replacement card and obtain receipts for tax purposes. Specially marked Smart Card Packages are available from local libraries, health centres, grocery stores, and other handy local retail locations.

When weather, construction, vehicle breakdown, or other unforeseen event delays or interrupts service, passengers can rely on several methods of notification, including social media announcements, email, and mobile apps like Google Maps and the “Transit” app (transitapp.com). Coming soon will be an easy-to-use texting service with notifications going directly to a passenger’s mobile. Every bus stop will have a QR code and bus stop number. By scanning the QR code, passengers can get bus schedule information and sign up for service notifications from their cell phones.

“This was one of the things I was really happy to get into place,” said Mills. “I have spent time standing at bus stops and wondering when the next bus would arrive. I wish we had today’s technology then. If we have a delay or service interruption, I can quickly get the word out to our passengers.”

Mills is also working to improve the overall transit experience by re-evaluating bus stop performance, the distance between bus stops, bus schedules, transit shelters, and access to bus and schedule information at every bus stop.

Mills noted, “There’s a lady who walks almost an hour to the Kettle Point Plaza bus stop, and although she loves the access to public transit, we want to reduce that distance. We hope to add a bus stop between Port Franks and Kettle & Stony Point First Nation to break up that distance and make it easier for passengers to get on the bus.”

With pandemic closures in the rear view, the promotion of the bus system has increased to bring greater awareness among residents and build ridership. Over the next six to eight months, look for advertising on outdoor billboards, electronic boards, social media campaigns, print and radio ads, vehicle wraps, and admail campaigns.

Visit www.huronshoresareatransit.ca for information about routes, schedules, fares, Smart Cards, and more. Or to speak with a live operator about times and schedules, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, call 1-888-465-0783.

HSAT is funded by the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Community Transportation Grant Program (CTGP) to support local and intercommunity bus service and to make transit within and between communities a reality. HSAT is also supported by its municipal partners and its passengers through fares. Municipal partners include Lambton Shores, Kettle & Stony Point First Nation, the Municipality of South Huron, the Municipality of Bluewater, and the Municipality of North Middlesex.

HSAT is a member of Southwest Community Transit (SCT), an association of member municipalities and non-profit organizations in Southwest Ontario working to increase travel connections between under-served areas, rural communities, and urban cities. Service provision is contracted to Voyago, a leading passenger mobility service provider serving 30,000 people daily.

CKNX RADIOTHON BENEFITS AREA HOSPITALS

Nicole Jutzi (left), Executive director of the Wingham & District Hospital Foundation, accepts a donation from Sarah Bender, Marketing and Communications coordinator for West Wawanosh Mutual Insurance as part of the 20th annual CKNX Radiothon. (Submitted photo)

The CKNX Radiothon event has a strong tradition of generating fundraising dollars in support of local hospitals, and this year was no exception.  The 21st Annual CKNX Health Care Heroes Radiothon took to the airwaves on Oct. 15 and raised an incredible $364,559.60 in support of the eight participating hospitals in Mid-Western Ontario.

Continuing with a virtual format this year, donations were accepted during the all-day broadcast on AM920, which featured heartwarming stories from patients, as well as interviews with health care professionals and volunteers outlining the urgent medical equipment needs at each hospital. A number of philanthropic businesses and organizations, including: Bruce Power, Germania Mutual Insurance, West Wawanosh Mutual Insurance, AXIOM Mutual Insurance Co, Howick Mutual Insurance, Howick Optimists and Brussels Legion Branch 218 directed special gifts towards several hospital foundations.

Among the projects funded by this year’s Radiothon are: a laparoscopic tower, colonoscopes, a gastroscope, an ultrasound machine, cardiac monitor upgrades, an anesthetic machine, a steam autoclave and operating room lighting.

When the Radiothon went off air at 4 p.m., the grand total of funds raised was $364,559.60. This total is expected to grow as the participating hospital foundations continue to accept donations towards their projects until the end of the year.

This year’s CKNX Radiothon benefitted the following eight hospital foundations: Clinton Hospital Foundation, Hanover & District Hospital Foundation, Listowel Memorial Hospital Foundation, Mount Forest Louise Marshall Hospital Foundation, Palmerston and District Hospital Foundation, Seaforth Community Hospital Foundation, Walkerton and District Hospital Foundation and Wingham & District Hospital Foundation

Since its inception in 2002, the CKNX Health Care Heroes Radiothon has raised more than $13,589,000 in support of quality health care for rural area hospitals. To find out how to contribute to your hospital’s Radiothon goal, visit: Radiothon.

HURON AREA NEWCOMER FUND LAUNCHED

From left: Christine Marshall of the Wingham Community Connectors, along with John Maaskant and Michael Daley of the Goderich Lions Club, are among the committee members of the Huron Newcomer Fund. (Submitted photo)

A local initiative kicked off recently to support Huron County newcomers from Ukraine and other parts of the world.

The Goderich Lions Club, in collaboration with various community organizations, has launched the Huron Area Newcomer Fund.

“The Fund was formed to support immigrants and refugees settling in the Huron area within their first 18 months of living in Canada,” said John Maaskant, chair of the Huron Area Newcomer Fund Committee. “The intent is to meet demonstrated needs caused by unforeseen or extraordinary costs which are beyond the capacity of supportive agencies or individuals to provide.”

Since April 2022, more than 40 people from Ukraine have arrived in Huron County, most of them billeting with host families. Refugees from other parts of the world have also settled in Huron County recently.

“Up to $1,500 towards one family is available if a newcomer applies for funding,” Maaskant said.

The fund is currently seeking donations to support those who arrive in Huron County.

People interested can direct their donation to the Goderich Lions Club, with a note indicating that the money is to be directed to the Newcomer Fund.

Representatives from the Wingham Community Connectors, Goderich Ministerial Association and the Huron County Immigration Partnership are collaborating on this project with the Goderich Lions Club.

Please visit the Goderich Lions Club webpage for more information: Newcomer Fund