FAMILY DAY LUNCH TO REPLACE CANCELLED BREAKFAST WITH SANTA

The Optimist Club of Bayfield and The Albion Hotel are teaming up to host a Family Day Lunch at the Bayfield Community Centre and Arena on Feb. 17. In addition to the lunch, there will be appearances by Snippety the Clown and the Bayfield Ukulele Club as well as other youth focused activities and free skating. This image was taken at a Family Day event hosted by the Optimist Club in 2014. (Photo by Melody Falconer-Pounder)

The Optimist Club of Bayfield members are looking forward to hosting a fun-filled get-together at the Bayfield Community Centre and Arena for Family Day, Feb. 17 in place of their Breakfast with Santa event that was cancelled for 2024.

“It was very unfortunate for The Albion Hotel owners and their staff when the building’s roof collapsed on Dec. 8, 2024. It was also unfortunate that the Optimist Club had to cancel their annual Breakfast with Santa that was to be hosted at the Albion that same morning,” said Jeff Kish, president of the Bayfield Optimist Club.

What is fortunate is the fact that the Optimist Club and The Albion Hotel owners and staff are working together to host what should be a super exciting Family Day Lunch. There will also be games, entertainment and free skating.

The day will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Community Centre with welcoming entertainment provided by the Bayfield Ukulele Club. Beginning at 11 a.m., a lunch consisting of hotdogs; super-gooey macaroni and cheese and “smiley” face fries will be served. Please note that gluten free options will not be available. Coffee and drinks will be graciously supplied by Shop Bike Coffee Roasters. For one hour starting at noon, Snippity the Clown will be on hand and other youth focused activities will be offered. From 1-4:30 p.m. free family skating will be held in the Bayfield Arena sponsored by several local anonymous families. People should note that they do not need to attend the lunch to take in the free skating.

“This is truly a total, community sponsored event, so we are able to keep the cost down. Lunch for adults (12 years and up) is $10 and kids are $5,” said Kish.

Seating for the lunch is limited to 150. Reservations are not required but the Optimists are asking that those who wish to attend fill out a brief, two question survey so that they can keep track of numbers ahead of the event. To take the survey go to:  Family Day Lunch Attendance.

For further information or to contribute to this Family Day event please call Optimist President Jeff Kish at 416 435-8700 or email   jeff.kish.home@gmail.com.

The Optimist Club is also seeking new members and volunteers.

The Optimists are dedicated to providing programming and events to youth in the community.

Some of the events they host include the monthly Kids Corner, Rubber Duck Race, Easter Egg Hunt, Breakfast with Santa, and the Youth Fishing Derby. They also sponsor other youth oriented organizations and groups like the Bayfield Lego Club, Bayfield Guiding and Seeds Rooted in Youth.

Anyone interested in getting more involved in their community and supporting youth activities is invited to attend a one-hour,  informational Meet and Greet on Feb. 12, starting 6 p.m. at the Bayfield Community Centre and Arena.

“We’re welcoming anyone who might want to become a member, provide input, or occasionally volunteer to help out events. Please stop by!” concluded Kish.

PEMBERTON TO DEFEND PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER

Spring is coming and so is Bayfield Reads 2025. As the CBC provides all of Canada with an opportunity to focus on the five books people all should read, The Village Bookshop is making it local.

Catherine Tillmann, Faith Wyant, and Madison Thornton are all previous participants in Bayfield Reads but on Sunday, March 16 the tables will turn and they will be the judges.

Being added to this esteemed list of local defenders are the 2025 participants: Ben Woodward, Gemma James-Smith, Anne Marie Madziak, Tony Pemberton and Shannon Lough.

Bayfield Reads will be held at the Bayfield Town Hall starting at 2 p.m.  Tickets are $5 at the door, everyone is welcome and will be encouraged to participate in selecting the People’s Choice Award winner.

The 2025 Bayfield Reads Books are: “Watch Out for Her”, by Samantha Bailey; “A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder”, by Ma-Nee Chacaby; “Jennie’s Boy: A Newfoundland Childhood”, by Wayne Johnston; “Dandelion”, by Jamie Chai Yun Liew; and “Etta and Otto and Russell and James”, by Emma Hooper.

Watch Out for Her (Simon & Schuster) will be defended by Tony Pemberton.

According to USA Today, Watch Out for Her is “a tense psychological thriller about a mother who must keep watch at all times if she wants to keep her family safe”.

Written by number one national bestselling author Samantha M. Bailey, this is “a spine-tingling, page-turning novel” and is psychological suspense at its very best – a chilling look at trust, voyeurism, and obsession in the modern age, and how far we will go to watch out for those we love.

Defender Pemberton’s family has been spending summers in Bayfield since the 1920s. His grandmother retired to the village starting a family tradition that brought him here permanently three years ago. He enjoys Bayfield’s sense of community and is a very active participant in it.

This year’s Bayfield Reads book selection, and so many more, are available at The Village Bookshop located at 24 Bayfield Main Street North in Bayfield. The shop is open Thursday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. People can also shop online by visiting: village bookshop.ca.

BAYFIELD YOUTH ASKING FOR RECIPES FOR COOKBOOK FOR FOOD BANK CLIENTS

In 2024, Bayfield resident Sam Robinson won a Youth in Action grant sponsored by the Perth Huron United Way to create a microscope lending program through the Huron County Library.

This year, Sam has been approved for a Supporting Local Youth Program grant offered by the Huron County Economic Department for a new project.

“I was volunteering at the local food bank and had an idea to make a cookbook for their clients with tips and tricks on how to use unusual items they find at the food bank, how to save money at the supermarket, create healthy meals, stretch their food budget, and reduce food waste,” said Sam.

The SLYP grant will allow the youth the opportunity to make this cookbook a reality! Sam’s plan is to make this cookbook available for the public to purchase as well as making it available to clients at the local food banks for free. For every cookbook purchased ($20-$25) an additional cookbook will be donated to clients at food banks across Huron County. It is Sam’s goal to provide 200 cookbooks to the area food banks.

The youth is hoping that the cookbook will provide people with the knowledge to create healthy and delicious meals using cheap ingredients but he needs the support of the community to make it happen. He is currently inviting area residents to share their best recipes that fit the project criteria to be included in the cookbook.

Sam hopes to have a cookbook launch in March and at the event he would like to hold a cooking contest for students and young adults. He will be looking for teams of two to four to put their cooking skills to the test for a chance to win prizes. He is also in need of chefs to act as judges on the day of the launch.

To submit a recipe please visit: The Clever Cook Recipe Submission Form.

To purchase a cookbook in advance or to make a donation, to register for the cooking contest or volunteer to be a judge please email huroncomunitycookbook@gmail.com.

To learn more about the project overall visit: The Clever Cooks Guide.

MOONLIGHT THE PERFECT COMPANION OF THE MATURE LAP CAT VARIETY

Moonlight (Submitted photo)

It has often been said that cats have nine lives. This week’s featured feline  recently cashed in a couple of hers but thanks to a kind rescuer and the Bayfield’s Forgotten Felines (BFF) volunteers she can hopefully bank the rest for a long time to come.

Moonlight is the Adopt a BFF cat of the week.

Cars, sadly, are responsible for many cat injuries and deaths. Drivers often can’t stop in time or they just don’t see cats crossing a road.

“Well one kitty got very lucky and has a full moon to thank for her life, as well as a very caring driver,” explained Mary Pounder, representing BFF.  “She was spotted on the road at the last minute illuminated by the moonlight. Her good fortune is reflected in her name. Though she was not hit by that car, it was suspected that she may have been hit by another due to her difficulty walking.”

BFF volunteers took Moonlight to the vet but this visit didn’t shed a lot of light on the situation since her pelvis was not visible in the x-rays due to a great deal of stool in her intestine and a large mass.

“Of course, it was feared she had a tumor, but the x-ray just wasn’t clear enough. Moonlight was scheduled for an ultrasound. It was with great trepidation that BFF awaited the results,” said Pounder.

Moonlight is such a sweet girl. All she wants is a warm lap and love. In fact, according to Pounder, she never stops purring. BFF was worried this would be the end of this lovely cat’s life.

“As you can imagine, as we are sharing her story this week, we learned that she did not have a tumor but rather a condition called ‘Pyometra’, an enlarged and seriously infected uterus. If Moonlight had not been found that fateful night, the condition would have killed her. After a spay operation to remove the uterus, Moonlight is recovering wonderfully. If possible, she is even more cuddly and affectionate.”

Now all she needs is her forever home. She is estimated to be about five and a half years old and is truly the perfect companion of the mature lap cat variety.

Please reach out to bayfieldsforgottenfelines@gmail.com to learn more about Moonlight and others. The adoption fee is $250. Adopted cats are vetted, shots are up-to-date and they are also spayed or neutered. Can’t adopt or foster at this time?  Consider donating for medical care and food to the email address listed above via E-transfer or mail financial donations to P.O. Box 33, Bayfield, ON, N0M 1G0.

Want to see and learn more about the felines at the shelter? This can be done easily by visiting their website! Included on this website is lots of helpful information on how people can help feral kittens. The site, www.bayfieldsforgottenfelines.ca, features a searchable index of all the cats and kittens available for adoption. This includes pictures and descriptions of their personalities. Plus there is  a new option for making donations by credit card. The website also includes online forms that automate the adoption and volunteer application processes as well as testimonials from previous adopters who found their purrfect matches at BFF.

Rumor has it that Bayfield’s Oldtimers hockey team, the Bayfield Relics, are having a sensational season and they would like to invite community members to come out and watch their games and cheer them on. Home games are played on Wednesday evenings at 8:30 p.m. at the Bayfield Community Centre and Arena. (Submitted photo)

NAVIGATING THE WORLD OF INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES ONE MONTH AT A TIME

Editor’s Note: February has arrived and displays of seed selections are popping up in area shops and despite the snow currently blanketing the ground people’s thoughts are turning to gardening. Two local residents, Helen Varekamp and Renee Sandelowsky, who are both volunteers with the Canadian Coalition for Invasive Plant Regulation (CCIPR), are hoping to inspire our readers to help the planet through gardening with this monthly column.

For support in navigating some of the terminology used in this article please visit: Bayfield Breeze Vol. 16 Issue 809 Week 2 published Jan. 8, 2025.

BY HELEN VAREKAMP AND RENEE SANDELOWSKY

We hear the term “biodiversity” being tossed around a lot, but what does it actually mean? In simple terms, biodiversity is the variety and abundance of all life forms within a particular area, from microbes to humans. It encompasses the interconnected web of life that sustains us. When scientists warn that biodiversity is declining, that’s bad news. Biodiversity provides essential services that support life, including food, clean air and water, medicine and fuel. For example, we have oxygen because plants photosynthesize and convert carbon dioxide into breathable air. We enjoy fruits and vegetables because insects and other animals pollinate flowering plants. When parts of this interconnected system are lost, the ecosystem services we rely on can become disrupted. If many connections are lost, life itself is at risk.

HPHA RECOGNIZED FOR OUTSTANDING SUPPORT IN ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION

The Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance (HPHA) is proud to celebrate its recognition by Ontario Health’s Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN) for outstanding support in organ and tissue donation. A celebration of this achievement took place on Jan. 31st, featuring guest speakers and recognition of the team members whose efforts made this milestone possible.(Submitted photos)

The Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance (HPHA) is proud to celebrate its recognition by Ontario Health’s Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN) for outstanding support in organ and tissue donation. This honor emphasizes the HPHAs commitment to saving and enhancing lives through the gift of donation, a vital aspect of healthcare in Ontario.

In the 2023-2024 period, the HPHA supported three organ donors, resulting in the donation of 10 organs for transplant, saving seven lives. Additionally, 15 tissue donors from HPHA have helped to enhance the lives of numerous individuals. These efforts have been instrumental in advancing TGLNs mission to save and improve more lives across the province.

In recognition of these achievements, HPHA has been awarded the Provincial Conversion Rate Award for the fourth time. This prestigious award is given to hospitals that achieve or exceed the conversion rate target of 63 per cent, a measure of how effectively potential organ donors are converted into actual donors. The HPHA achieved an impressive 100 per cent conversion rate, highlighting the exceptional collaboration between HPHA and TGLN.

“As healthcare providers, we recognize the profound impact of the Trillium Gift of Life Network on patients and their families. HPHA is proud to support organ and tissue donation, a profound act of compassion and hope,” said Lynanne Mason, vice-president Partnerships, Transformation & Chief Nursing Executive at HPHA. “Each donation reflects the strength of our shared dedication to healing and positively impacting the communities we serve. Our team’s compassion and support for patients and families during donor care is truly inspiring. We are deeply honored to be recognized by TGLN and to be a part of such a life-changing mission.”

A celebration of this achievement took place on Jan. 31st, featuring guest speakers and recognition of the team members whose efforts made this milestone possible. Along with the awards presentation, the event featured Sidney Whitehead, Kidney Donor; Drew Wagler, Kidney Recipient; and Mike Sullivan, Heart Recipient; who shared their inspiring stories of hope, resilience, and the transformative power of donation. Additionally, HPHAs “Hidden Heroes” were recognized for their unwavering dedication and vital contributions to the success of organ donation.

“I am proud that our staff at HPHA are being recognized for their hard work and dedication to supporting organ donation in our region. We remain committed to working with TGLN to provide this vital resource to our community,” said Internal Medicine and Physician Chair of the HPHA Organ and Tissue Donation Committee Dr. Catherine Barry.

The HPHA remains committed to advancing organ and tissue donation, ensuring that more lives are saved and enhanced through this extraordinary gift.

People are encouraged to talk to their family about their donation decision and visit www.BeADonor.ca to register or learn more.

ONE MONTH REMAINING TO ORDER TREES FOR SPRING  PLANTING

Local landowners plant tens of thousands of trees each year, totaling more than one million trees in the past two decades. (Submitted photo)

Spring is not far away, and ABCA provides the opportunity for bulk-ordering trees through the Spring Tree Order Form now through the end of February. It is posted at the conservation authority website at abca.ca on the Order Trees web page Tree Order Form. The final order deadline is Feb. 28. Ordering sooner is encouraged as availability is on a first-come, first-served basis.

ABCA offers a wide range of trees through its spring tree planting program. The Forestry and Land Stewardship Specialist encourages interested landowners to visit abca.ca for the spring tree order form or to give him a call at 519 235-2610 or toll-free 1-888-286-2610 to discuss planting projects.

“We’re happy to help with project design and help to apply for funding for eligible projects,” he said. Funding is available in many areas to support planting trees for windbreaks, for reforestation and for naturalization.

Local landowners plant tens of thousands of trees each year, totaling more than one million trees in the past two decades.

“These efforts have helped tree cover to double in the last 60 years,” said Jean.

However, forest cover in local watersheds remains quite low at only 14 per cent according to the Ausable Bayfield Watershed Report Card (2023).

People plant trees for many different reasons, said Jean. “Everything from field windbreaks, wildlife habitat, bordering walking trails, to retiring unproductive acres or corners of fields to create private natural areas,” he said.

These tree planting projects help protect and improve our soil and water quality that are so important to agriculture, tourism, and quality of life.

Spending time in trees and natural areas has been shown to have physical and mental health benefits, according to Jean. Planting trees is one way a local landowner can achieve recreational and physical and mental well-being benefits on their own property. An article published on Jan. 2nd by “Farmtario” documents how 15 minutes spent around trees and nature can make a big difference in someone’s personal well-being: “Spending time outside, particularly in nature, is important because it can help regulate stress, boost mental health, and improve immune function … But the good news is you don’t need to spend hours outdoors each day to see benefits. Even just 15 minutes a day in nature is enough to boost your mood, concentration and physical health.”

To read the full article visit: Farmtario.

ABCA thanks grant program funding partners including member municipalities; Huron County Clean Water Project; Forests Canada; the Government of Canada’s Canada Nature Fund; the Government of Ontario’s Great Lakes Local Action Fund; Sunset Community Foundation; and Ausable Bayfield Conservation Foundation; along with other community donors and other valued funding partners.

Anyone who has property on which trees can be planted should consider purchasing a tree through the tree order program. Anyone who doesn’t have room on their property for trees, can still help to improve forest conditions by donating to tree planting through the program Footprints to Forests.