TRIO OF FELINES EXPERIENCE WORLD FROM THE SECURITY OF A CATIO

STORY AND PHOTOS BY MELODY FALCONER-POUNDER

Gwen and John Patterson, of Bayfield, designed and constructed a catio for their trio of felines after collecting ideas from watching YouTube video tutorials.

There are probably not a lot of people in the village that don’t have at least one cat adopted from Bayfield’s Forgotten Felines – for Gwen and John Patterson their magic number of adoptees is three.

Callie, Misty and Heidi took up residence in the Patterson home just over two years ago. That is when the couple learned they needed a bit more space to accommodate a family of five.

“We would come out to the porch and the cats would have claimed the good comfy chairs and we’d have to sit on the hard ones,” she said, goodnaturedly. And since the cats seemed to really enjoy the sense of being outdoors that this three season room allowed, the couple decided to come up with a way to give the trio more safe “outdoor” space.

They decided to construct a “catio”. They watched a few YouTube videos where there are a myriad of ideas on the subject, from simple to grandiose. The design that the Pattersons came up with was customized to suit their location and needs and then personalized to suit their felines’ interests and enrichment.

“It was a labor of love,” said John.

Once work was finished on the catio they discovered they had one problem.

“Because of their feral history, our cats don’t like to be picked up,” said Gwen.”They will jump up and sit by you but they prefer not to be carried. So we couldn’t get them out into the enclosure easily.”

The answer was to add something to the enclosure to allow the cats to get in and out on their own as they pleased. To accommodate this idea they constructed a thru-way from the closed in porch to the catio via a raised tunnel. And then they mounted a cat tree with various perches down from the tunnel entrance to the floor of the porch.

Gwen noted that Callie was the very first to explore the catio followed by Misty but Heidi has yet to venture out.

“Heidi didn’t have the easiest life before she came here as she had a number of litters. When she arrived she hid for days; under the bed, under chairs, but we left her alone for a while and eventually she came around. She is still quite timid but you never know one day she might give the catio a try,” she said.

The Pattersons feel that there are many advantages to having a catio including it being “a good neighborly thing to do”, as not everyone likes cats roaming freely through their yards. The safety of the cats is also paramount as they aren’t outside roaming where they could be struck by a vehicle or attacked by a larger animal; and reciprocally birds and small animals are safer as they aren’t being hunted by roaming felines.

And now on a fair weather day Callie and Misty can be found in the catio lounging on their respective cat beds enjoying the fresh air while the Pattersons can settle back in the good, comfy chairs from which to watch them.

THREE CONSECUTIVE EVENTS BRING HIKING SEASON TO A CLOSE

The Bayfield River Valley Trail Association (BRVTA) has three final guided hikes of the season scheduled on three consecutive Saturdays in October with opportunities to enjoy the fall colors, learn more about Bayfield’s history and support the local food bank.

On Oct. 14, people are invited to join in a Fall Colors Hike at the Lobb Trail starting at 10 a.m. This is a beautiful well-groomed trail with several riverside locations, gentle hills, scenic rest stops and some heritage interpretation plaques. The Lobb trail is located at 81077 Maitland Line, Clinton. From Hwy. 8, turn north onto Sharpes Creek Line and then right onto Maitland Line. The entrance to the trail is at the intersection of Maitland Line and School House Road. Canine companions on leash are welcome.

On Oct. 21, a BRVTA members only event will be held. The membership is invited to a Historic Cemetery Tour with Dave Gillians, author of “For the Love of Bayfield”. Much of Bayfield’s history is reflected through the headstones in this sacred place. During this walk, stories about some of Bayfield’s most fascinating people will be respectfully told. This 1.5 hour hike is limited to 20 people. No dogs, please! Participants are asked to meet at 10 a.m. at the cemetery on the north side of Mill Road, 1 km east of Hwy. 21. Pre-register by contacting Ralph Blasting at rjblastingjr@gmail.com or call 519 525-3205.

Not a member yet? Go to www.bayfieldtrails.com and click “Memberships”. Dues are $20 per year for individuals and $30 for a family. By becoming a member, you’ll be supporting an organization that actively promotes environmental awareness, outdoor recreation, as well as fitness and community engagement.

The final guided hike of the season is the Harvest Hike in support of the Bayfield Area Food Bank (BAFB). Join the BRVTA on Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. at the Varna Nature Trails, just west of Varna on Mill Road. As they hike the 2.5 km Mavis’ Trail, participants will recognize the important work of the BAFB. Please bring a non-perishable food item or a donation (cash or cheque made out to Bayfield Area Food Bank). Dogs are welcome as long as they are on a leash.

These hikes are free and open to the public except where noted. The schedule is subject to change, so always check for updates in the Bayfield Breeze, the BRVTA Facebook page or the Municipality of Bluewater events calendar. Or people can contact the hike coordinator, Ralph Blasting, via the contact information listed above.

VALDY RETURNS TO THE TOWN HALL

Valdy (Submitted photo)

Members of the Bayfield Town Hall Heritage Society are excited to announce that Valdy will be performing at the Bayfield Town Hall on Friday, Oct.  20.

Valdy has been part of the fabric of Canadian pop and folk music for almost 40 years and has performed at the Bayfield Town Hall many times.

A man with a thousand friends, from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island to Texas to New Zealand, he’s a singer, guitarist and one of Canada’s most influential songwriters, capturing the small but telling moments that make up life. Remembered for “Play Me a Rock and Roll Song”, his bitter-sweet memory of finding himself, a relaxed and amiable story-teller, Valdy has sold almost half a million copies of his 13 albums, has two Juno Awards (Folk Singer of the Year and Folk Entertainer of the Year), a total of seven Juno nominations and four Gold albums to his credit.

The doors to the hall will open at  6:30 p.m. The concert will start at 7 p.m. There will be a cash bar.

Tickets are $35 per person and can be purchased online at www.bayfieldtownhall.com.

VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR CHRISTMAS IN BAYFIELD WEEKEND

The Christmas in Bayfield kick-off weekend is set for Nov. 17-19 and the committee behind the magic is working hard to make it happen. They are currently inviting people to support the event in a variety of ways be it with ideas, donating funds or volunteering. (Photo by Melody Falconer-Pounder)

Christmas in Bayfield (CIB) is fast approaching.

“We look forward to hosting guests the weekend of Nov. 17-19. The committee has already been working hard to be prepared. Look for posters and bag stuffers at supporting businesses, if you are shopping in the village,” said Secretary-Treasurer of Bayfield and Area Chamber of Commerce, Terri Louch. “The posters are also distributed across Southwestern Ontario in order to spread the word.”

Louch would like to thank the businesses that have already pledged funding to support this event and encourage people to follow and support the CIB participating businesses. The list is constantly evolving and a current list can be viewed by visiting: link here. These businesses will be eligible places to spend the gift certificates which will be given away. Watch for the upcoming social media contest to enter!

“As we look to build an even bigger attendance than usual, the Chamber is getting the word out as early as possible. While CIB is a great weekend, we want to ensure that people know we are here year round as well,” said Louch. “We utilize CIB weekend to kick off the holiday shopping season with most businesses remaining open for business until the end of the year. Look for print ads, the posters as discussed and this year we have introduced double sided bag stuffers with one side advertising CIB and the other offering information about shopping and activities year round in the area.”

Each year one of the many highlights of CIB is the parade. CIB has a new coordinator for the parade this year!

“Thanks to Paul Hill for taking on this role. If you or someone you know would like to be part of the parade this year for CIB please have them send an email to: committeecibparade@gmail.com. We would love to have you join us,” said Louch.

She went on to say that they are looking for street performers and buskers to once again entertain guests.

“This was quite successful last year and we would like to be able to expand this type of offering. If you or someone you know would like to be considered, please send an email to villageofbayfield@gmail.com,” Louch said.

The CIB Committee will not be organizing an outdoor artisan market this year. Given the unpredictability of the weather they cannot ensure success for those vendors. Last year the weather and placement of the vendors did not lend itself to success. The CIB Committee learned from the vendors feedback and until they can support this type of opportunity in a better way they will refrain.

“As you might imagine, this weekend requires a great deal of work both prior to the weekend and during the weekend to ensure everything runs smoothly. Have some time and would like to volunteer to help out?  We would love to have you,” said Louch.

Interested individuals are asked to please drop an email to villageofbayfield@gmail.com.

“We will find something that interests you and utilizes your considerable skills. No time but have ideas that we could incorporate into the weekend? Once again email us as we would love to discuss your ideas,” she said.

Finally, the costs to create the magic for the holiday season continue to increase. The CIB Committee looks to their businesses, grant funding and community for financial support in order to continue offering this great opportunity for guests and locals alike! Anyone who would like to support with a financial contribution is asked to please reach out to the BACC at villageofbayfield@gmail.com with an E-transfer or to find other ways to contribute.

Louch went on to say that BACC would like to acknowledge and thank the Municipality of Bluewater for their support.

“We were awarded funding to help support this event through the Vibrancy Funding grant stream allowing us to do more but not ask more of our businesses!” explained Louch.

The BACC and the CIB Committee would like to thank everyone very much for their continued support.  Businesses are encouraged to reach out to discuss ROI for their investment.

Currently in the works for CIB 2023 with more to come are:

• The Lighting of the Lights in Clan Gregor Square Friday evening where Santa will stop by for a visit.
• The annual CIB Parade starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday at the north end of Main Street.
• Santa will see children in front of the Bayfield Branch Library after the parade on Saturday
• Free Horse and Carriage Rides Saturday and Sunday
• Buskers
• Face painting both Saturday and Sunday in the lobby of the Post Office Box Building (Library)
• Social Media event and gift certificate giveaway – All CIB participating merchants will be eligible to redeem gift certificates. A running list will be available in all social media channels acknowledging those businesses and ensuring guests know where they will be able to spend their winning gift certificates.

SIBLINGS SURE TO MELT HEARTS

Sweet Sunny has a heart shaped pattern on her back. (Submitted photos)

Every week the volunteers at Bayfield’s Forgotten Felines (BFF) encounter seemingly unimaginable challenges in protecting the cats and kittens that come into their care – a pair of adorable siblings are featured in this issue.

Sunny and Kirby are the Adopt a BFF cats of the week.

Who could say no to a cat with a heart shaped pattern on her back? Sunny is the younger sister of her look-alike but larger brother Kirby. She is quiet and shy around people unlike her brother. Sunny gets along with others and can be seen playing with cat toys. She knows her name when called for treats which she will gently take from a volunteer’s hand. Sunny is getting more comfortable with being touched. A patient person will bring her out.

Kirby is the handsome big brother of Sunny. He is outgoing and loves to play with toys and other cats. He is affectionate and goes out of his way to get people’s attention.

Sunny and Kirby love hanging out together and so it would be nice if they could be adopted together. If someone has a place in their hearts for this pair they are asked to reach out to BFF through Facebook or email bayfieldsforgottenfelines@gmail.com. BFF now has a new Facebook group dedicated to adoptions known as “Bayfield’s Forgotten Felines ADOPTION Group” so people can view even more of the fur babies ready for homes.

Sunny’s big brother Kirby.

In addition to accepting monetary donations, BFF now has an Amazon wish list. This list contains items they need for the day-to-day care of their cats and kittens as well as some truly “wish” items. Items are marked as to their priority, number needed, and many explain what their use will be. There is a wide variety of prices and BFF appreciates whatever you can supply. Items need not be purchased through Amazon, the list is merely a guideline.

To view the items on the list please visit:  BFF Wish List.

Financial donations may also be sent via E-transfer to the email listed above or mailed to P.O. Box 33, Bayfield, ON, N0M 1G0. The adoption fee is $250. Adopted cats are vetted, shots are up-to-date and they are also spayed or neutered. Adoption inquiries may also be made to the BFF’s email address above.

LOCAL TERRY FOX RUN STARTED IN 2009

The Bayfield River Valley Trail Association organized a 3 km walk, led by Ralph Blasting and Roger and Pat Lewington, as part of Bayfield’s Terry Fox Run held on Sept. 17. (Submitted photos)

The 43rd Terry Fox Run was held on Sept. 17. The village event, organized by the Bayfield River Valley Trail Association (BRVTA) was started in 2009 and to date has raised approximately $61,500 for cancer research.

Organizers would like to pass on a big thank you to all those who donated, participated and volunteered at the local Terry Fox Run. Together they raised over $6,500 this year with funds still being received.

Participants had a choice of walking on their own, or joining the organized 3 km walk in the village that was led by Ralph Blasting and Roger and Pat Lewington. Helping on the registration desk this year were Heather Hamilton, Donna Martin and Helen Varekamp.

At 18 years-old Terry Fox was diagnosed with cancer and lost his leg. Two years later Terry started training to run across Canada. In 1980 he started his Marathon of Hope, raising funds and hoping for a cure for all cancers. Terry ran over 5,000 km – covering six provinces – to raise funds and share his message. Unfortunately, Terry’s health deteriorated, forcing him to abandon the Marathon. People all across Canada have since run every year in memory of Terry; over 850 million dollars have been raised for cancer research.

WIND PHONE AT BENDER HOUSE PROVIDES OUTLET FOR GRIEF

The wind phone at Huron Hospice is beside the Tranquility Trail in the Memorial Forest. (Submitted photo)

As part of Huron Hospice’s effort to make moments matter, they have constructed a wind phone at Bender House. The phone will help grieving people get in touch with their feelings of loss. The wind phone was first developed ten years ago in Japan by a man who needed to talk with his  cousin who had died from cancer. Since then, phones have popped up worldwide and are now catching on here in Canada.

“We will all experience loss, and when it happens, we grieve. When we grieve, we do so in different ways. Some people accept the loss and grieve privately. For others, it is not so simple. They may sweep it ‘under the carpet’. When loss gets swept under the carpet, it can lead to long-term complications. For some of us, part of the grieving process is saying the things we wished we had said when that person was alive,” said Sally Brodie, the Huron Hospice coordinator of Loss and Grief.

She went on to say that  “unchecked grief can be like a heavy backpack of rocks that weigh us down. It is essential to begin unpacking the rocks and taking a load off our shoulders. Talking into the wind phone can be an important first step in unpacking the grief. When we can talk about grief, it’s like lifting the weight, and there is space for healing to begin.”

The antique dial phone allows visitors to make moments matter by enabling people to express their feelings. Talking to loved ones in this way may help people who feel disconnected to feel more connected with their loved ones. The wind phone was set up by volunteers, hoping that families would find one more outlet for their grief.

Loss and grief recovery is one of the essential end-of-life services offered for families by staff and volunteers at Huron Hospice. Last year, 150 youth and adults took part in the grief program. Over 100 families took part in the home visits and respite, and 40 people and their families received hospice palliative care at Huron Hospice Bender House.

The wind phone at Huron Hospice is beside the Tranquility Trail in the Memorial Forest. The five-acre forest is managed by a professional arborist and volunteers and is filled with trees and flowers indigenous to Huron County. Garden practices at Bender House are sustainable. They make every effort to be pollinator-friendly, providing a home for bees and butterflies. The Bender House grounds are a certified Monarch Butterfly waystation.

Families are encouraged to stop by and stroll along the Tranquility Trail, remembering loved ones. They have been found laughing or with a tear in their eye as they think about things. The important thing is to use the time on the trail and at Bender House to clear one’s head and unpack the backpack. Every year, new trees are planted in memory of loved ones. The memorial forest is a place for people to feel connections.

“Having the phone located on the Tranquility Trail is all part of making moments matter at Huron Hospice,” said Brodie.

WORLD WATER MONITORING DAY MARKED THROUGH  EDUCATION

World Water Monitoring Day is held on Sept. 18 each year. In this photo a staff member from Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority, takes water samples in Lake Huron to sample and test water quality as part of their long-term monitoring of watershed resources such as water quality. This water sampling program is possible thanks to community partnerships. (Submitted photo)

Conservation education and environmental monitoring staff from Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (ABCA) taught  local students about monitoring water on World Water Monitoring Day held on Sept. 18.

Staff at ABCA said it’s important for local youths to learn about water resources in their local watershed community and about the importance of monitoring water quality and protecting it. The lesson they are providing to students meets Ontario Curriculum educational expectations for science and geography. The students also learn about careers in conservation.

The staff said that “monitoring matters.” Quoting from the 2023 Ausable Bayfield Watershed Report Card, monitoring is important because “…it provides baseline data for current conditions that allows us to detect changes in environmental conditions.”

These changes may be gradual or ‘chronic’ and take place over many years from many sources. They can also be sudden or ‘acute’ – such as a spill or contamination.

“Monitoring indicator species, such as benthic invertebrates and mussels, can tell a longer-term story of ecosystem health,” according to the Watershed Report Card.

Monitoring can also identify new threats such as invasive species or other concerns, such as poor drinking water.

“Without monitoring, these threats could go undetected and have implications for human and ecosystem health,” according to the Report Card.

“Monitoring helps to evaluate progress towards our goals,” the report says. “This helps us to determine the effectiveness of our actions, and how best to proceed in the future.”

To learn more about local work to sample water and monitor presence or absence of aquatic species in local watercourses, and to monitor water quality for the long term, visit the web page” ABCA Environmental Monitoring.  To find out about groundwater and surface water quality visit”  in the Watershed Report Cards Watershed Report Cards.

People are also invited to contact Healthy Watersheds staff at ABCA by email or phone. Contact information can be found by visiting the: Staff Contact Page of the abca.ca website.

World Water Monitoring Day is traditionally celebrated each year on Sept. 18. This is part of the World Water Monitoring Challenge (EarthEcho Water Challenge) which is observed each year to highlight work that takes place around the world to monitor water quality. This world-wide initiative takes place between March 22 (World Water Day) and December of each year. Find out more at EarthEcho Monitoring Challenge.

GATEWAY PROGRAM TO BENEFIT VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS GARNERS FUNDING

On Sept. 14, Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (Gateway), research assistant, Sage Milne presented at “100 People Who Care”, a giving circle that brings together community members to collectively donate to one charity of choice. This ten-minute presentation competed against various local charities for community support. Gateway was successful with their pitch and received donations for a new local endeavor to support firefighters in the Huron County community.

This new project, “BRAVE F” (Benefiting Rural Area Volunteer Emergency Firefighters), is a firefighter project aimed at providing volunteer firefighters in Huron County with free confidential medical screening and education for cardiovascular health.

As of 2022, 71 per cent of the total number of firefighters in Canada are volunteers. In Huron County, there are 18 fire halls and a large volunteer workforce that serves the residents of Huron County. This project was initiated out of a desire to support local volunteer firefighters.

This project aims to support volunteer firefighters by providing access to free, confidential medical screening where there may be a shortage of opportunities from primary care providers in rural areas to both provide screening and educate on their personal risk for cardiovascular disease. Research shows that of the many volunteer firefighters, only a small proportion of these individuals had relevant physical screening tests performed within the past year.

Gateway cares about local volunteer firefighters, and the BRAVE F project will help to maintain their health.

Anyone wishing to sign up for 100 People Who Care is invited to contact Deb Shelley at deb@debshelley.ca.

PARK THEATRE HOSTS LIVERY FILM FEST

This fall, the Livery will be showing Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) movies at the Park Theatre on The Square in Goderich.

On Thursday, Oct. 19 the next film in the Livery Film Fest line-up will be shown.  “You Hurt My Feelings” stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld, Veep) with Tobias Menzies (The Crown). Also featured are Amber Tamblyn and David Cross.

In the film, a novelist’s long-standing marriage suddenly turns upside down when she overhears her husband give his honest reaction to her latest book.  Reviewers call it “Smart, funny and entertaining.” It has a 94 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes!

Then on Nov. 9, “Past Lives” will be presented. This romance follows the relationship of childhood friends over 24 years as they grow apart and live different lives. It has a 97 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and has been universally praised.

For both films the Box Office will open at 6:30 p.m., with the movie starting at 7 p.m.  Tickets are $12, or $8 for Livery members.

For more information please email rob@rmcauley.ca.

WATER WISE EVENTS PROMOTE TESTING OF RESIDENTIAL PRIVATE WELLS

Only about three per cent of residential private wells in this area have had water tested recently. Do you know if your well water is safe?

When water sampling of private wells is made easier, more people will do it. That’s the idea behind the “Water Wise” events happening in some villages, hamlets and shoreline communities in the Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Source Protection Region. Shoreline residents and service clubs are distributing water sample bottles directly to residents’ doors, giving bottles to neighbors, providing local pickup locations or having the sampling bottles available at their meetings.

When residents drop off their water samples at the Water Wise events, their water samples are kept chilled overnight and delivered to Huron Perth Public Health the next morning for delivery to the lab in London. It’s very convenient, according to event organizers. People attending the events also learn how to protect their private wells and maintain their septic systems.

“Working with a local group to champion the ‘Water Wise’ water sampling events is key,” said Matt Pearson, chair of the Ausable Bayfield Maitland Valley Source Protection Committee. “I would like to thank all of the people and groups who are helping to make these events possible and encouraging people to sample their well water as one of the first actions in protecting private sources of water.”

The first event was held along the Lake Huron shoreline in August. It was hosted by Beth Ross and John Thompson. Ross is the Mid-Huron Beach representative on the Ashfield-Colborne Lakefront Association. The commitment to the event, by these local event hosts, included delivering more than 90 water sampling bottles, several days before the event, directly to residents’ doors. They delivered the water sampling bottles to cottages in three lakeside communities: Cedar Grove, Maple Grove, and Mid-Huron Beach. There were 30 water samples brought to the first event. This represents about one third of the people who received bottles. Some of those tests were for communal wells shared by multiple people. The event organizers delivered the water samples to local public health for testing.

The Township of Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh also took part in the first Water Wise event and provided information about maintenance of septic systems to protect well water.

At the Goderich Lions Club meeting in September members who were well owners were encouraged to take home sample bottles for themselves and their neighbors to be returned the following meeting. The Dublin Lions Club will hold a Water Wise sampling event on Oct. 17 and the Monkton Lions will host one on Oct. 25.

Other community groups who might be interested in partnering or hosting a Water Wise water sampling event can contact Mary Lynn MacDonald, Source Water Protection Program co-supervisor, by emailing mmacdonald@abca.ca or by calling 519 235-2610, or toll-free 1-888-286-2610, Ext. 247.

To view the initial August event visit: Water Wise. To learn more, visit the local drinking water source protection web page: Best Practices. The region is sharing about the events on social media with #BestPractices and #WellWise and #WaterWise hashtags.