PANTY DRIVE SUCCESS

Kara Sloetjes, Leonie Domage, Amy Saunders and Natalie Tarnawski, of the Bayfield Beauty Bar, held a “Panty Drive” recently and encouraged their guests to donate menstrual products or cash donations to be given to the Huron Women’s Shelter in Goderich. The foursome were delighted with the generosity of their patrons and wanted to pass on their thanks to all who contributed. The Bayfield Beauty Bar is located at 6 Bayfield Main Street North. (Submitted photo)

CHRISTMAS TREES

The Municipality of Bluewater would like to let everyone know that they have drop off locations again this year for Christmas trees. The service will be provided until Jan. 7. People  can find full details here: Christmas Tree Disposal. 

BIRD COUNT

The Christmas Bird Count set for Tuesday, Dec. 27 has been rescheduled to Sunday, Jan. 1 as a result of the recent Blizzard conditions.

Bayfield, Clinton and the Hullett Marsh area are being included in the Christmas Bird Count and backyard birders as well as more adventurous birding enthusiasts are being invited to take part.

This local event is being organized by Dana Latour of Seaforth.

“I’m excited to announce a new Christmas Bird Count circle in Huron County! It will be placed over the Bayfield/Clinton/Hullett Marsh area. We are looking for volunteers of all skill levels to come out and help us with the count on Jan. 1st!” said Latour.

People who participate must conduct their count on Jan. 1st and include only birds that they see and record on that day and these birds need to have been seen in the circle area. A map is included with this article for reference.

People who reside in the circled area are invited to take part in the first official Christmas Bird Count for these communities. Anyone who would like a larger area to cover than their own backyard, or who lives outside the area and would still like to participate, should contact Dana Latour by emailing: latourdana@gmail.com. (Submitted photo)

Anyone not living in the circle, or who would like to volunteer to participate over a larger area, like a country block, should contact Latour to register.

“People can choose to have a route assigned to them by registering or if you live within the circle, you can count birds at your feeder and contribute to citizen science from home!” Latour added.

This is the first Christmas Bird Count in this area. Goderich also held one recently.

People can view the Bayfield/Clinton/Hullett Marsh Circle (ONBY) online at: Nature Counts.

For more information, or to register, please contact Dana Latour at latourdana@gmail.com.

BRVTA

The Bayfield River Valley Trail Association (BRVTA) welcomes all to attend the first hike of the 2023 season at the Varna Nature Trails on Saturday, Jan. 14.

Hiking will begin at 11 a.m. and will be followed by a free lunch in the Stanley Community Complex at noon. The event is free, open to the public, and no reservations are required. Voluntary donations to offset the cost of the lunch will be happily accepted.

Hikers may choose the 1 km Taylor Trail or the 2.5 km Mavis’ Trail, both guided by Hike Ontario-certified leaders. All are welcome, including dogs on leash. Ice cleats and a walking pole are recommended as the trails may be hard-packed with snow and ice.

Check-in will be indoors at the Stanley Complex located at 38572 Mill Road in Varna, 5 km east of Bayfield. A map can be found here: Mavis’-Taylor Trails. A light lunch will be offered at noon inside the Complex, where the full 2023 season will be announced.

Hikers may also choose to become members of the BRVTA or renew their memberships: the annual cost is unchanged at $20 for individuals or $30 for family.

For more information, contact BRVTA Hike Coordinator Ralph Blasting at rjblastingjr@gmail.com or 519 525-3205.  See you on the trails!

HISTORICAL SOCIETY

It is that time of year! Time to consider obtaining or renewing a 2023 Bayfield Historical Society (BHS) membership.

This yearly membership allows BHS to continue to keep the doors open and helps them maintain a safe storage space to preserve the many wonderful Bayfield artifacts and archival records.  In addition, the fee helps support the current digitization project, which ultimately will be populated with all of the precious treasures and stories of Bayfield.

The membership fee is $20 for an Individual and $30 for Family.  Please either send a cheque or e-transfer using the information provided below.

As a thank you for the support, all members will receive a 10 per cent discount on BHS books.  Please also note that only paid members are allowed to vote on BHS business.

Cheques for memberships may be sent to the Bayfield Historical Society and Archives at 20 Main St. N., PO Box 161, Bayfield, ON,  N0M 1G0.  Alternatively, E-transfers for memberships may be emailed to bhsmembers@gmail.com attention Deborah Curran, memberships.

Donations are also gratefully accepted and can also be sent by cheque or E-transfer. BHS is a registered non-profit and receipts for Income Tax purposes on donations over $20 will be provided.

BAYFIELD TREE PROJECT

Members of the Bayfield Tree Project (BTP) would like to remind village homeowners that now is the time to think about Spring planting.

“This is the time of year when the Municipality of Bluewater starts to order trees for the upcoming planting season,” said Sondra Buchner, on behalf of the BTP.

Anyone who does not have a tree planted on their property’s municipal frontage (boulevard) and is interested in having one planted should contact the Municipality as soon as possible.

The easiest way to request a tree planting and to learn more about this process if by visiting: Bluewater Tree Planting.

COFFEE & CHAT

The Friends of Bayfield Library (FOBL) extend a warm welcome to all to attend their  “Coffee & Chat” program in the Bayfield Public Library Meeting Room. The “Coffee & Chat” group meets every Tuesday until the end of March.

Participants can enjoy a hot cup of coffee while engaging in conversation with other community members. The conversation is neutral and inclusive with an endless list of interesting topics for discussion.

The session runs from 2-3:30 p.m..

This is a great way for newcomers to meet new people, learn about the village, and share ideas. Seasoned villagers are also very welcome. There is no need to register for this program. Just show up and be prepared for some lively discussion!

WEDNESDAY BRIDGE

The Bayfield Bridge Club is inviting new people to come out for a few friendly games of Bridge on Wednesday afternoons at the Bayfield Lions’ Community Building.

The cards are shuffled at 1 p.m. Players do not need a partner to participate in these “drop-in” sessions. The cost to join in the fun is $4.

All levels of players are welcome to take part in the games that are played year-round at the building located at 6 Municipal Road in the village.

RECOVERY FUND

Now more than ever, charities and nonprofits are playing a key role in addressing persistent and complex social problems faced by all Canadians. The Community Services Recovery Fund is a $400 million investment from the Government of Canada to support charities and nonprofits as they build resilience by making investments in their people, organizations and program innovation.

Potential applicants are encouraged to visit communityservicesrecoveryfund.ca and learn more about eligibility requirements, how to apply, explore resources and sign up for webinars in advance of the application period which runs January 6 to February 21, 2023.

United Way Perth-Huron (UWPH) is proud to be taking part in the Community Services Recovery Fund.

HOCKEY HEROES

Pro Hockey Heroes in support of Huron Hospice will present a benefit hockey game where Former NHL All-Stars face off against the Goderich Firefighters at Maitland Recreation Centre on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.

This exciting game starts at 2 p.m. and will feature members of the Goderich Fire Fighters facing off against a full line-up of former NHL hockey heroes.

This game is in support of the Goderich Firefighters’ charity of choice: Huron Hospice.

Tickets for the game start at $30 (plus HST) with additional discounts available by calling 1-888-777-9793.

The Huron County Museum is home to thousands of artifacts that illustrate the history of both the rural and urban populations of the area. Space dictates what wonderful curiosities the public regularly gets to see when they visit the museum located at 110 North Street in Goderich. But where there is wifi, there is an opportunity to time-travel with over 6,700 pieces of the museum’s collection now available to view online at huroncountymuseum.pastperfectonline.com.

“Remember This” highlights items from the collection of the Huron County Museum and Historic Gaol. Items that have shaped the fabric of the county and the people who have lived here since before the county became the county in 1835 up until more recent times.

Now that Christmas 2022 is in the past and all of the surprises under the tree have been revealed, we take a look back at a special toy in the Museum’s collection that one young girl may have found under her family Christmas tree many, many years ago…

HORSE PULL TOY

This is a pull toy in the form of a horse, with a hand-carved softwood frame. It is covered with black coarse burlap fabric that originally had a black fur-like wool finish, which has been worn away except on the chest, legs, and belly. This black fabric is neatly hand stitched over a light- colored burlap underlayer that is visible through tears. The body and neck are filled with a padding of wood shavings visible through worn spots. The horse has two brown leather ears and its forelock is a leather patch with real hair. The tail is made of coarse hair tied with thread. The muzzle is painted black with pink nostrils. Its wooden hooves are painted black. Fragile jute twine is tied loosely around the top of the neck as a pull. There are two repair patches: one is black velvet (8 x 6 cm) sewn onto the left side of the neck; one is ragged black lace (23 x 8 cm) sewn across the back. Rusty flat head nails are visible through the fabric.

The horse form stands on a medallion shaped base made from a single softwood board painted grey or white on top with pink or red around the edge. The base is unpainted underneath. The carved wooden hooves include round pegs (1.5 cm diameter) that fit through round holes in the base and are held in place with rusty flat head nails. Four metal wheels (5 cm diameter) are fixed onto wooden crossbars with screws and a nail.

American Horatio Hale, son of Sarah Josepha Hale, regularly visited Canada and consequently moved to Clinton after marrying Margaret Pugh whose father William was formerly the Justice of the Peace in Goderich Township. This toy is from the Hale home and belonged to Horatio’s daughter Florence.

PHOTOS AND STORY BY MELODY FALCONER-POUNDER

In February of this year, Bayfield Guiding was invited to take part in an exciting opportunity by the Huron County Museum – “The Young Canuckstorians Project”. The Guides, Pathfinders and Rangers were asked to select from a list of historically significant Huron County women to research and write a script about with guidance from Sinead Cox at the Museum.

After a few weeks of dedicated work they made a visit to Faux Pop Station in Goderich where under the enthusiastic direction of on-air personality Roz Elliott and audio expert Andrew Bouck they became voice actors! Their voices were then lended to animated characters created to share the stories they wrote.

Canuckstorians is the brainchild of animator Mickey Maple who brought Bayfield Guiding’s characters to life while highlighting some exceptional people, both living and dead, that once called Huron County home. The projects were sponsored by Bruce Power, Goderich IODE and Local LiUNA 1059.

This fall the members of the Bayfield Guiding Canuckstorians were invited to become Guest Curators at the Museum to create an exhibit dedicated to the women they chose as their subjects: Goderich Gaol Matron Margaret Dickson (and her husband, Gaoler William); Cela Sloman (and her husband Fred); Maud Stirling, Dr. Jennie Smillie, Y-Dang Troeung, Alice Munro and Janet Cardiff. The youth researched artifacts in the museum’s collection that could best symbolize their subject – in some cases they borrowed items for better representation, such as two books from a fan of author Alice Munro. The items chosen ranged from a medical examination table circa 1899 to a Union Jack Flag. They then wrote brief descriptions of their artifacts that were professionally mounted on plaques to complete the display. A highlight of the experience was setting up the exhibit under the guidance of Cox. The Curator of Engagement & Dialogue took the youth behind the scenes and showed them how to find and catalogue a special  item for their display – the Nursing Sisters uniform worn by Maud Stirling during the first World War.

Their exhibit was ready just in time for the Gala Premiere of the videos in The Young Canuckstorians Project which was held at the Museum on Nov. 26. In attendance were dignitaries, the project animator and members of the public. They were joined by the Bayfield Guiding Canuckstorians, their leaders and family members. Also present were the students and teacher from SOAR at the Avon Maitland District School Board who were also involved in the project, as well as their families.  The SOAR students participated in the creation of  three video projects: “The Tornado in 2011”, “The White Hurricane 1913”, and “The Harriet Brooks Story”. All attendees were treated to snacks, a fun Kahoot! Quiz highlighting their videos and plenty of praise from those involved in the project.

Cox who welcomed all to the event introduced Beth Rumble, County librarian and director of Cultural Services to those present. Rumble brought greetings on behalf of the Cultural Services Department and the County.

Rumble thanked Cox for coordinating the whole project and supporting the research process.

“I didn’t expect any less but I just want to congratulate you on once again doing a great job of pulling everything together,” Rumble said.

She shared that, “Four years ago, when we were developing our current strategic plan, one of the pieces of information we heard over and over when we were consulting with the public was concerns about engaging youth and increasing their awareness of the history of the area. When Sinead brought this project forward, it was an easy decision for many reasons but especially the opportunity to turn the reins over to the future of the County and tell our stories. What better way to teach youth about the history of Huron County than turning the tables and having them teach us! This experience has been fantastic at telling Huron County stories in a really unique way.”

Rumble went on to share why she loved the Canuckstorians project.

“First of all, it is such a treat to see these stories through the lens of local youth. You all did amazing, by the way. The stories that were selected and the research that was done was fantastic,” she said. “I will be the first to admit that almost each and every video taught me something that I didn’t know or had forgotten. Lastly, it is wonderful to see how everyone approached the storytelling in their own unique way. Great job!”

Rumble was given the honor of introducing Mickey Maple to the audience.

Mickey Maple is the pen name of Mike Collier – the writer and illustrator of a series of historical fiction graphic novels and the creative behind the website: www.canadianhistoryforkids.com.

“I developed a website that celebrated Canadians, on a webpage and a fictitious newspaper called the ‘Northern Nugget’. I looked at the famous and the infamous. The rule makers and breakers, the arts, entertainment and our sports heroes. The disasters and those amazing moments that helped shape our land and our amazing story!”

His graphic novels feature such topics as the Underground Railway, John McRae, The Bluenose, and Laura Secord.

According to Maple, The Young Caunckstorian Project was started to help budding young authors, researchers and artists tell the stories of their hometowns.

“The project originally started to help kids write and illustrate graphic novels but because of COVID it has morphed into this animated series and I couldn’t be more happy. Now these stories can be shared with other kids across Canada!”

Maple noted that as much as he revelled in writing the stories and illustrating them and how proud he was to do readings in schools across the province or hold a book signing at Chapters he is even more proud to be able to help youth become writers and illustrators.

He extended congratulations on the results of the video projects to Bayfield Guiding members Mekka, Ariya, Riley, Clara, Valerie, Joceyln, Kayla, Crystal, Leora and Ella as well as SOAR students, Leah, Corryn, Ben, Rowan and Cooper.

He concluded, “Congratulations! You are young Canuckstorians who have shared these amazing stories to all kids and grown ups across the country and I am so proud of you. It is a win-win for this small town guy. I get to see the joy of new published authors and you have taught me about the amazing history of Huron County. Thank you.”

Guide Ariya volunteered to speak on behalf of her fellow Bayfield Guiding members who participated in the Young Canuckstorians Project.

“I would like to thank all those who made this experience possible and especially Sinead from the Huron County Museum for inviting us to take part,” Ariya said. “From researching our historic women, composing and learning our scripts, becoming voiceover actors with help from Roz and Andrew at Faux Pop Studios, to seeing how Mickey Maple transformed us into animated characters has truly been a very memorable and rewarding exercise and is sure to be a highlight of our Guiding careers.”

Three of the Bayfield Guiding member’s subjects were living at the time of the project completion and two of them – Janet Cardiff and Y-Dang Troeung viewed the finished projects and sent back positive feedback to the creators who were very excited by their response. Sadly, Y-Dang Troeung died on Nov. 27 but she leaves behind a vast legacy of helping newcomers to Canada. And it is hoped that these videos about Huron Hometown Heroes will bring even more awareness on how these amazing women have contributed to the community and beyond.

To view the ten videos created as part of the Huron Hometown Heroes – Young Canuckstorians Project visit: Huron County Museum YouTube Channel. 

For a closer look at these images click on any one to open a pop up gallery.