DINNER OF GRATITUDE RECOGNIZED VILLAGE FIRST RESPONDERS AND SPOUSES

On Saturday evening, Oct. 28, the Bayfield Wedding Inn and Spa (Bayfield Boutique Bed and Breakfast) hosted a “Dinner of Gratitude” for the members and their spouses of the Bayfield station of Bluewater Fire Services as well as Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel who serve the village and area.

“We could never thank our first responders enough especially when most of them are volunteers,” said Innkeeper Mary Hughes, who organized the evening.

Hughes said the event was inspired by an episode of news program “W5” that she viewed in the spring which offered an exposé on volunteer fire services in Canada. The episode left her feeling concerned about the future of volunteer fire services in the country.

“I wanted to do something to show appreciation because sometimes it’s not always about the money. It’s about appreciation; letting everyone know how important they are to us,” she said.

The volunteer firefighters, EMS and their spouses were treated to a culinary dinner prepared by Hughes’ chef and culinary team.Volunteers in the community served both dinner and drinks to the guests of honor.

“Thank you to my team for cooking a beautiful culinary dinner, our bartenders for serving great drinks and of course our (Bluewater) Mayor Paul Klopp who offered a few words and Ben Lobb our MP (Huron-Bruce) who came to greet everyone,” said Hughes.

Hughes explained that merchants and friends in the village and surrounding area donated generous gifts  so that each spouse of a service person is shown some appreciation as well as they too give endless support.

Hughes is hopeful that other local communities will learn about this event and be inspired to do the same for their volunteer services.

BAYFIELD COMMUNITY CENTRE TO OFFER BEFORE AND AFTER PROGRAM IN NEW YEAR

It has become apparent that the Municipality of Bluewater is in desperate need of daycare as well as before and after school programs. It has recently been discussed at Bluewater Council the severity of the lack of accommodation.

The Bayfield Community Center, which is operated by a not for profit organization, has heard the call and has stepped up to help.

The Bayfield Community Centre is very excited to announce that, beginning in January 2024, they will be offering a Before and After School Program at the Community Centre, Monday to Friday from 6:30-8:30 a.m. and 3:30-6 p.m. Bussing will be provided to these students enrolled and a form will be available to those parents once Registration is confirmed. This program will have 20 spaces in each program ( a.m. and p.m.) and parents can register on the Google form link on the Bayfield Arena Website located at the top of the page.

Both before and after school programs will incorporate the four foundations of learning: Expression, Well Being, Engagement and Belonging. Students will also be given a simple snack at both sessions.

The Bayfield Community Centre is excited to be offering this program to the residents of  the Village of Bayfield and surrounding areas. With limited space they are asking parents to register quickly.

Registration in a monthly link will be sent out to parents. This Google form will be filled out each month to reserve a space in the program. Bussing for students has also been arranged for this program.

Anyone who would like more information on this program is asked to please contact Emma Campbell at Bayfieldbasp@gmail.com.

To learn more or to register for the session from Jan. 8 to Feb. 2nd please go to: Bayfield’s BASP January Registration Form

Organizers are excited to meet all of the students and families in this new program.

THOMPSON RECEIVES DISTRICT HONOR FOR WORK WITH AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY

District 8 Youth Award Recipient, Cate Thompson, with a feathered friend. (Photo courtesy Ontario Farmer Magazine)

Exciting news for the Bayfield Agricultural Society (BAS) as one of their youth volunteers won a special award at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Ontario Association of Agricultural Societies (OAAS) District 8 on Oct. 24.

This year the AGM was held in Milverton, ON and Cate Thompson of Bayfield was chosen from all the nominations to receive the District 8 Youth Award. District 8 consists of the 12 Societies in Huron and Perth.

The District 8 Youth Award is given to acknowledge youth taking charge and demonstrating an interest in the betterment of their Agricultural Society. The award recognizes the impact that youth members have and celebrates the importance of youth within all agricultural societies.

Cate began volunteering with the BAS when she was in elementary school by helping with the Friday night dinner and the Jamboree on Sunday. Over the years, she has become much more involved with the Bayfield Community Fair and now has a vast knowledge of how the Fair works, where things go, where the help is needed, and the people organizing it. Cate can be found just about anywhere during the Fair doing a variety of tasks that need immediate attention, without having to be asked.

Currently in her second year at the University of Guelph, Cate is majoring in Biological Science with a minor in Agriculture but still finds time to join the Ag Society meetings by ZOOM. Cate is the daughter of Kimberley Thompson, who is also a Fair volunteer, and granddaughter of Catherine Thompson who ran Camborne House B&B in Bayfield.

Each local fair has some competitions in which the winner has the honor of competing at the district level. If they win at the district level, they move forward to compete at the provincial level (a major honor). These competitions were held and judged at the District 8 AGM. Of the five eligible entries from Bayfield, three came home with ribbons. In the category of Hand-stitched Quilt, 2nd prize went to Teresa Hendriks. In the category of Junior (K-Gr. 4) Poster, 2nd prize went to Isa Wigchers-van Boheemen. Last but certainly not least, in the category of Youth Chocolate Chip Cookies, 1st prize went to Jackson Hivert.

The BAS offers sincere congratulations to Cate on her well-deserved recognition and to the winners of the individual competitions. However, Jackson’s baking days are not over! With 1st prize at both the Bayfield Fair and at the district level, he now has the privilege of competing at the provincial level against the winners in that category of 14 other districts throughout Ontario. Winners of the provincial level competition will be announced at the OAAS annual convention in February 2024.

In addition to all the competitions and awards, there was also a general meeting that was fairly quickly dealt with. District 8 Provincial Director Jentje Steenbeek brought greetings from the OAAS. A wonderful evening of friendship and fellowship was had by all.

THE PLOT THICKENS AT THE LIBRARY

Avery Greaves will be celebrating the launch of her debut children’s chapter book series at the Bayfield Branch Library on Nov. 18.

The Bayfield Branch Library is offering two author events and a movie matinee during the month of November.

The first “Author Talk” will be held at the library on Thursday, Nov. 2 in celebration of “I Read Canadian Day”. Local author Rick Hundey will be the special guest. He will be discussing the sixth and most recent book in his Jack Beer mystery series, “One Last Fix”.

This one hour presentation will begin at 5:45 p.m. and a limited number of Hundey’s books will be available for purchase.

In honor of Remembrance Day the library will be showing “The Trench” in the library starting at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 9.

It is June 1916, the British Army is planning a big offensive in the Somme region in France. This PG-13 film follows a platoon of British soldiers as they sit in a forward trench, anxiously awaiting the order to go over the top. The movie stars Daniel Craig, Cillian Murphy, Ben Wishaw and Paul Nicholls

People who wish to view the film are asked to register by emailing bayfieldlibrary@huroncounty.ca or phoning 519 565-2886.

The second scheduled “Author Talk” is set for Saturday, Nov. 18 and will feature another local author and coincidentally a local librarian! On this day, Avery Greaves will be celebrating the launch of her debut children’s chapter book series, “The Creature Collection” (featuring The Creature Collection and “The Curious Case of the Canadian Cryptids”).

For one hour starting at 10 a.m. visitors to the library can have their burning questions about sasquatches, garden gnomes, swamp monsters, and more answered, plus they can pick up their free activity book, and have their book signed! In addition, a limited number of copies of books will also be available for purchase.

Those who wish to attend Greave’s presentation are asked to register by email or by phone at the contact information listed above.

The Bayfield Branch Library is located at 18 Main St. North.

TEEN TABBIES OFTEN OVERLOOKED BY POTENTIAL ADOPTERS

Pluto (sitting up far left) and his teenager buddies are all at Bayfield’s Forgotten Felines wishing for forever homes. (Submitted photo)

Bayfield’s Forgotten Felines (BFF) remain busy after a very successful Adoptathon held over the weekend of Oct. 21-22 at the Goderich Pet Valu.

“People are still looking for that perfect kitten or older cat to make their family complete. As they meet and greet our felines though it is often the ‘teenagers’ that are overlooked. These teens are the cats born in early spring or even last season. They don’t have the same ‘cute’ factor of the little ones but may still be too rambunctious for people seeking an older sedate cat,” said Mary Pounder, representing BFF.

In fact, according to Pounder, this is the perfect age to adopt.

“They are still kittens – full of play, curiosity and fun, but they have settled into their personalities so you know exactly what you are getting. A lap is still welcome for a pet and cuddle and they can be the best snugglers. In addition, most of our teenagers are tabbies, the more uniquely marked cats already being adopted. If you take the time to really get to know our crazy teens, you will find amazing cats that are ready to give you their lifelong love, with some beautiful tabby markings.”

People are invited to come visit, sit awhile and get to know these fantastic teen tabbies – all of which are our Adopt a BFFs of the week! A furry family member may be among them. To make an appointment to visit, 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.

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.

LOCALS EMBRACE SPOOKY SEASON

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

On Saturday, Oct. 28, members of the community, 14 residents in all, got into the Halloween spirit and they had so much fun out and about that they want to encourage more people to join them next year.

“We dressed in our Halloween costumes and headed to the Main Street of our fabulous town of Bayfield,” said Mike Dietrich, an event participant.  “We visited five of the restaurant/bar establishments to share in some drinks, appetizers, dancing and great times together.”

“We hope our numbers will get larger every year. We met other community members and shared stories and admired each other’s costumes,” said Jayne Dietrich, who also took part.

The couple noted that at The Albion Hotel all of the servers were dressed up and looked fantastic.

“Thanks for the fun evening Bayfield. This town is amazing,” concluded Jayne Dietrich.

GOOD NEIGHBOURS OF BLUEWATER HOSTING SESSIONS ON WILLS, HEALTH AND TRANSPORT

Back in the Spring, Good Neighbours of Bluewater Board members joined local residents on a trip from Zurich to Goderich with Huron Shores Area Transit. They had lunch at Tim Hortons and enjoyed shopping at the stores in the vicinity of the Walmart Plaza. They will be making this trip again on Nov. 24 and invite more people to join them! (Photo courtesy Good Neighbours of Bluewater)

Good Neighbours of Bluewater (GNOB) are hosting a number of informative sessions during the month of November that might be of interest to area residents. Will making, health and local transportation are among the featured topics.

The program line-up begins on Tuesday, Nov. 7 when Evelyn Vincent will give a presentation on “Wills and Power of Attorney” from 7-8:30 p.m. Vincent will be available to answer questions and will also share her knowledge about who needs a will or power or attorney and also how to write both.

Dr. Louise Moist

On Friday, Nov. 10, Dr. Louise Moist will be presenting on “Kidney Health” an area in which she specializes. Dr. Moist began her career as a pharmacist prior to completing her medical education at McMaster University. She is a Research Scientist and Professor of Medicine at the London Health Sciences Centre. One and half hours have been allotted for her presentation that will begin at 2:30 p.m. A light lunch will be provided.

Susan Mills, coordinator of Huron Shores Area Transit (HSAT), will be the guest speaker at GNOB on Tuesday, Nov. 21 starting at 2 p.m. Mills will provide information about the HSAT system in a lead up to a very special event on Friday, Nov. 24. On that date, area residents are invited to ride the HSAT for free on a ride from Zurich to Goderich and back with the GNOB Board Members. The Board is hopeful that Bayfield residents will join in both the information session and ride to learn more about the benefits of HSAT. Those who wish to participate are asked to meet at the GNOB at noon, HSAT will depart from Zurich at 12:17 p.m. and arrive at the Walmart Plaza in Goderich at 1:09 p.m. where participants will enjoy free time until the bus departs from Goderich at 4 p.m arriving back in Zurich 4:52 p.m. Participants who would like to go on the transit ride are asked to register by calling 519 236-7081 or emailing gnob@hay.net or drop into the GNOB located at 28 Goshen Street North.

For more information on any of the above information sessions please contact the phone number or email listed above.

MUDMEN PERFORMING FOR NORTHERN HURON CONNECTION CENTRE

Mudmen (Photo courtesy Mudmen website)

The Mudmen have been entertaining audiences around the world with their brand of Celtic rock for 25 years. As part of their silver anniversary tour, they are making a stop in Wingham at the Town Hall Theatre with a concert benefiting United Way Perth-Huron (UWPH)’s Northern Huron Connection Centre.

“We are excited to welcome the Mudmen to Wingham,” said Lisa Harper, UWPH’s manager of community development in northern Huron. “We appreciate their support of UWPH’s work. I know the show will be amazing and we invite everyone to wear plaid and come together in support of the Northern Huron Connection Centre.”

“We are from a small town, and we love the small town, help-each-other community mindset,” said Robbie Campbell of the Mudmen. “United Way is a great organization to support and the community is lucky to have such a great team organizing this event.”

Happening Friday, Nov. 3 at 8 p.m., the Mudmen’s stop in Wingham promises an unforgettable night of music and stories. Tickets for the all ages show are $40 each and are available locally at Annette’s Treasures in Wingham, at Ticketscene or at the venue on the night of the event. The doors will open at 7 p.m.

Dubbed “Canada’s Celtic Rock Warriors,” the Mudmen have performed over 3,000 shows in eight different countries, including 40 cross-Canada tours. They have opened or guested with music luminaries from  “ZZ Top”, to “Spirit of the West”. They have performed at seven Grey Cups, three Memorial Cups, 12 Canada’s Walk of Fame ceremonies and eight Molson Canadian Snow Jams. Their music has been featured in shows including HBO’s “Shameless”, NBC’s “The Black Donnellys”, WWE Wrestling and on MuchMusic.

Serving Howick, Morris-Turnberry and North Huron, the Northern Huron Connection Centre at St. Paul’s-Trinity Anglican Church in Wingham is a housing-based program with access to Housing Stability and Peer Outreach Workers and supported by trained volunteers. It is a welcoming, safe space for the community’s most vulnerable citizens to rest, access basic needs, healthcare services, identification assistance and more.