July 9, 2025

It’s summer! Which means between the beach, the falls, the local eats, the marina, the markets, and ALL the goings-on, Kagawong is THE place to be! This week’s column is chock-a-block full of upcoming events, so much so that we have to be a little light on puns. 

Tonight (Wednesday, July 9) is Students’ Night with the Manitoulin Tennis Club. High schoolers can get some summer competition play, and younger students are welcome to come and try out the sport. The club meets regularly Wednesdays from 6:30pm until 8:30pm and Sundays from 10am to 12noon at the Manitoulin Secondary tennis courts. Beginners and players of all ages and abilities are welcome!

The Billings Library is hosting Summer Fun Days! Kids aged 5+ are welcome to the library every Tuesday through the summer from 10-11am for games, crafts and stories. Can’t make it during those times? The summer hours for the library are Tuesday - Saturday, 9am -12 and 1pm - 5pm. Stop in and check out the fabulous selection of childrens’ and young adult books, puzzles, games, and of course lots of books for the adults too! Visit the library Facebook page for more information (Fb.com/Kagawonglibrary). 

Also Tuesdays through July, the township of Billings invites everyone aged 55+ to Painting with Sheila from 1-4pm at the Kagawong Park Centre. These classes are $35 each and include all materials. Beginner painters welcome, refreshments and lots of laughter to be expected! Contact Mary at seniors@billingstwp.ca for more information or to RSVP. 

Beginning this Saturday (July 12th), seniors (55+) are invited to drop-in Yoga classes at the Kagawong Park Centre at 9:30am. Beginners and experienced yogis are welcome. Classes are $5 each and run Saturdays until August 16th.

The Manitoulin Art Tour coming up on July 18th, 19th and 20th! An annual, self-guided, island-wide celebration of art and artists on Manitoulin, the Art Tour is organized by the Manitoulin Fine Arts Association. In Kagawong alone, you can explore 9 artists in 4 locations. You can download a copy of the map of all the artists across Manitoulin taking part at www.manitoulinart.com.

Island-wise household hazardous waste collection is back! Residents of Billings Township looking to declutter (and keep harmful substances out of our landfill) can drop off batteries, electronics, paint, cleaners, pharmaceuticals, propane cylinders, pesticides, and more at the Mindemoya Roads Building (7 Lakeshore Road off highway 542/551) on Saturday, July 19 from 1-4pm. Check out the poster on the Billings Township Facebook page for more details on what you can and cannot bring.

The library board would like to remind everyone that the annual book sale fundraiser is Saturday, July 19th. Friends of Manitoulin Turtles and Manitoulin Streams will be there with amazing displays, a children's book reading, and fun activities. Rumour has it Science North might even be putting in an appearance! Stop in at the picnic pavilion in downtown Kagawong between 11am and 3pm to check it out.

The Township of Billings Climate Action Committee is hosting a township yard sale on Saturday, July 25 at the Park Centre parking lot and Kagawong River Complex. Bring along any items you’d like to sell, and take some time to browse for some new treasures, all while helping to keep items out of our landfill. 

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the iconic Old Mill in the village. In honour of its significance to our town and the wider region of Manitoulin and beyond, the museum has published a book that explores its venerable history. These can be purchased at the Billings Heritage Centre (conveniently located in the Old Mill) and at the weekly Wednesday markets. 

And back by popular demand, August 14th is the annual History Day in Kagawong. This year, Kagawongian extraordinaire Steve Paikin will be speaking with local historians Candy Tracey, Dianne Fraser, and Lois Linley. There will be historical photos and home movies dating back 100 years, and the Manitoulin Swing Band will be performing. Save the date!

We mentioned that we’d have to be light on puns this week. Truth was we weren’t bright enough to think of any. Have a great week!

July 2, 2025

We are often mistaken for an adult because of our age. That said, you know you are maturing when you realize that your mom was right, but she could have worked on her tone. 

The Manitoulin Tennis Club will be hosting some special tennis nights for any and all folks interested! Tonight (July 2) is Ladies’ Night, with free treats for everyone, and Wednesday, July 9 is Students’ Night - high schoolers can get some summer competition play, and younger students are welcome to try out the sport. The club meets Wednesdays from 6:30pm until 8:30pm and Sundays from 10am to 12noon at the Manitoulin Secondary tennis courts. Beginners and players of all ages and abilities are welcome!

Even if a bear is wearing shoes and socks, he will still have bear feet. 

You know summer has started when the Anglican Church holds their annual summer yard sale and BBQ! This Saturday, July 5, stop by the Kagawong River Complex from 10-2 to pick up some great deals and some tasty treats. All proceeds to support St. John’s Church. 

The Manitoulin Art Tour is back, July 18th, 19th and 20th! An annual, self-guided, island-wide celebration of art and artists on Manitoulin, the Art Tour is organized by the Manitoulin Fine Arts Association. In Kagawong alone, you can explore 9 artists in 4 locations. You can download a copy of the map of all the artists across Manitoulin taking part at www.manitoulinart.com.

Of all the martial arts, karaoke inflicts the most pain. 

Did the timing of the library’s puzzle swap leave you puzzled? Not to worry! The library has now switched to their summer hours and you can go in and pick up a new-to-you puzzle at any time! The summer hours are Tuesday - Saturday, 9am -12; 1pm - 5pm. Stop in and meet Dana, our summer librarian! You can also bring the kids to the library every Tuesday morning this summer for a fun hour of stories, crafts and games. Check out the library Facebook page for more information (Fb.com/Kagawonglibrary). 

The library board would also like to remind everyone that the annual book sale fundraiser is Saturday July 19th. Friends of Manitoulin Turtles and Manitoulin Streams will be joining us with amazing displays, a children's book reading, and fun activities. Rumour has it Science North might even be putting in an appearance!

Did you know? If you turn a canoe over you can wear it like a hat. Because it’s cap sized. 

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the iconic Old Mill in the village. In honour of its significance to our town and the wider region of Manitoulin and beyond, the museum has published a book that explores its venerable history. These can be purchased at the Billings Heritage Centre (conveniently located in the Old Mill) and at the weekly Wednesday markets. 

One half of Team Fergmeijer keeps dreaming that she is slowly turning into a tree, and her fingers are acorns. It’s a re-oakcurring nightmare. 

Save the date! The Township of Billings Climate Action Committee is hosting a township yard sale on Saturday, July 25 at the Park Centre parking lot and Kagawong River Complex. Bring along any items you’d like to sell, and take some time to browse for some new treasures, all while helping to keep items out of our landfill. 

Team Fergmeijer are pleased to announce we are working on a new book on how to fall down the stairs. It’s a step by step guide. Have a great week!

June 25, 2025

This is a landmark edition of the Team Fergmeijer column - our 500th! We pondered how best to celebrate this significant moment. One possibility was an all pun edition, but really, how would anyone be able to tell the difference? We also pundered doing a single sentence column, but our pun-chent for pun-chlines wouldn’t let us stop at just one. So, here we are, doing what we do best - entertaining ourselves and hoping a few others out there also think we are the pun-nicle of humour. After all, a truly good pun is its own reword.

Hydro One has a brief planned outage for our area on Friday June 27 in the wee hours of the morning. With luck we won’t even know it’s happening.  

Have your say! The township is revamping how we use the landfill, drafting a new waste management bylaw. Council is keen to hear your thoughts and are accepting constructive criticism of the draft bylaw over the month of June. You can access the bylaw and the public at the township office or on the township’s website (www.billingstwp.ca/news). All comments must be submitted in writing via the comment form or via email to bylaw@billingstwp.ca. All comments must have your name and contact information included. 

Next on the agenda… Steve Paikin will no longer be on the Agenda! That’s right, our local history and political hero (only partly because we aren’t old enough to remember Lester B. Pearson) is retiring. We are looking forward to seeing more of Mr. Paikin right here in Billings with all his extra free time. Because really, where else would anyone rather be?

Team Aelick’s annual stroll for liver in support of Liver Canada is back! This Saturday, the 5k walk through the village starts at the Park Centre at 11am. You can join the stroll, support from the sidelines, and donate through their team page (bit.ly/teamaelick). Donations over $20 qualify for a tax receipt. 

Also on Saturday is the library’s spring puzzle swap! From 10am - 1pm, bring your used jigsaw puzzles to trade for new-to-you challenges. No puzzles? No problem! The library has a large surplus of puzzles and the librarian prefers it when you take more puzzles than you bring. 

The Kagawong market season kicked off in fine fashion today (as per usual!). Thanks to Ethel and her merry band of volunteers who keep things running so smoothly. Stop by the Kagawong River Complex every Wednesday to experience the largest summer market on the Island!

When we were very young, we couldn’t decide between being hairdressers or columnists. We ended up flipping a coin to see if it would be heads or tales. Have a great week!

June 18, 2025

Have you curd? With all the food trucks now open for the season, Team Fergmeijer is going all in on their daily extra fries routine. It’s a spudtacular time of the year when we can truly indulge in this beloved Québecois dish. Don’t agree? We’re just poutine it out there, but nobody puts gravy in the corner.

Mno-Nishnaabe Giizhgad! This weekend, we celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day! Here in Billings, be sure to check out the Billings Connections Trail. The Anishinaabeg (Odaawaa, Ojibwa and Pottawatomi) occupied what is now Billings Township long before European settlers arrived. Archeological and oral evidence has established at least 10,000 years of Indigenous occupation on Mnidoo Mnising (Manitoulin Island). To learn more about the history of Billings’ original and settler inhabitants, visit the full series of historical plaques around the township, link to the QR codes on each plaque, and drop in to the Old Mill Heritage Centre in Kagawong, as well as the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation in M’Chigeeng First Nation.

Have your say! The township is revamping how we use the landfill, drafting a new waste management bylaw. Council is keen to hear your thoughts and are accepting constructive criticism of the draft bylaw over the month of June. You can access the bylaw and the public at the township office or on the township’s website (www.billingstwp.ca/news). All comments must be submitted in writing via the comment form or via email to bylaw@billingstwp.ca. All comments must have your name and contact information included. 

Hazy sunrises and sunsets remind us to be grateful to be spared from the forest fires burning out west. Here in Billings, don’t forget that burn permits are required if you want to burn any brush. Stop by the township office to get your free permit, which is valid for one week. 

We are daffodil-ighted to send Happy birthday wishes to Mary N and Stephanie M this week. We hope you have blooming good birthday celebrations that leave you feeling a little rose-y.

June 28th is Team Aelick’s annual stroll for liver in support of Liver Canada. This 5k walk through the village starts at the Park Centre at 11am. You can join the stroll, support from the sidelines, and donate through their team page (bit.ly/teamaelick). Donations over $20 qualify for a tax receipt. 

Also on the 28th is the library’s spring puzzle swap! From 10am - 1pm, bring your used jigsaw puzzles to trade for new-to-you challenges. No puzzles? No problem! The library has a large surplus of puzzles and the librarian prefers it when you take more puzzles than you bring. 

The Old Mill Heritage Centre is now open seven days a week, from 10am to 5pm. Stop by and check out the amazing “ship model” exhibit of all the ferries that serviced Manitoulin for over 100 years! The museum is also gearing up for its big celebration of the 100th anniversary of the mill on July 19th. 

Save the date! The annual island-wide Household Hazardous Waste Day is coming up next month. Typically the third Saturday in July, this is an important way of keeping hazardous things out of our community landfill. Save up your batteries, old electronics, paints, and chemicals - final date to be confirmed soon!

Ohboyohboyohboy… it’s t-minus 1 Wednesday until the Kagawong market kicks off for another season! We can’t wait for June 25th!

The popular Blind Date With a Book fundraiser for the library is happening again this year! Choose from 30+ new books wrapped in plain brown paper with just the genre and general clues to the story visible. As any good date should, each Blind Date book comes with a box of chocolates from Manitoulin Chocolate Works. This fundraiser starts July 3rd and is only available at the Wednesday market in Kagawong.

If we keep eating our fill of fries, curds, and gravy, we might just have to change our name to Pouteam Fergmeijer. Have a great week!

June 11, 2025

We came across an interesting summer job opportunity, and Team Fergmeijer decided to go for it! We applied for jobs sorting bugs at an insect farm. We were called in for an interview and everything seemed to go pretty well - the person interviewing us said we boxed all the right ticks. 

Have your say! The township is revamping how we use the landfill, drafting a new waste management bylaw. Council is keen to hear your thoughts and are accepting constructive criticism of the draft bylaw over the month of June. You can access the bylaw and the public at the township office or on the township’s website (www.billingstwp.ca/news). All comments must be submitted in writing via the comment form or via email to bylaw@billingstwp.ca. All comments must have your name and contact information included. 

Thinking of burning brush as you tidy up your yard? Don’t forget that burn permits are required in Billings! Stop by the township office to get your free permit, which is valid for one week. Burn permits are not required for a small bonfire.

Happiest of happy birthday wishes go out to the one and only Karlene S. May your presents be filled with joy and your cake be calorie free.

June 28th is Team Aelick’s annual stroll for liver in support of Liver Canada. This 5k walk through the village starts at the Park Centre at 11am. You can join the stroll, support from the sidelines, and donate through their team page (bit.ly/teamaelick). Donations over $20 qualify for a tax receipt. 

The Old Mill Heritage Centre is now open five days a week, from Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm. Stop by and check out the amazing “ship model” exhibit of all the ferries that serviced Manitoulin for over 100 years! The museum is also gearing up for its big celebration of the 100th anniversary of the mill on July 19th. 

If you are looking for a fun and easy way to get more involved in the community, the library is looking to fill a spot on its board. Contact billingsreads@gmail.com or stop in at the library to chat with the librarian for more information. 

Billings library’s annual used book sale is only a month away! On Saturday July 19th, rain or shine, there will be thousands of books up for grabs, and you will be turtley surprised by some of the developments in the works!. Did you know that the members of the library board and volunteers get first dibs on books? If you would like to volunteer at the sale, reach out to the library. Volunteer hours are available for any high school students who would like to help out. 

The library will also be holding their annual beach movie on August 9th. They will be showing the a-maze-ing 80s classic, Labyrinth!

As if that wasn’t enough library info for one column, the popular Blind Date With a Book fundraiser for the library is happening again this year! Choose from 30+ new books wrapped in plain brown paper with just the genre and general clues to the story visible. A true choose your own adventure! As any good date should, each Blind Date book comes with a box of chocolates from Manitoulin Chocolate Works. This fundraiser starts July 3rd and is only available at the library’s table at the Wednesday market in Kagawong.

Now, last, but not least - don’t forget that it’s t-minus 2 Wednesdays until the Kagawong market kicks off for another season!

One half of Team Fergmeijer couldn’t figure out why Siri kept calling her Shirley this morning. It was getting pretty annoying, but then she realized she’d left her phone on Airplane mode. Have a great week!

June 4, 2025

Team Fergmeijer has a new book on the way in the next few months! We have made the natural pivot from community reporters to financial gurus, and our book breaks down money milestones you should hit each decade of your life. We’ve managed to get permission from the publisher to include an exclusive sneak peek in this week’s column from chapter 6 - The Dirty Thirties: “By the time you are 30 you should own, not rent, OWN a bouncy castle. This is a time when you should be building equity. The only way to beat inflation is with inflatables.”  

The township has lifted half load restrictions. Good news for anyone looking to haul big heavy things!

 

The Billings Climate Action Committee is looking for another member to round out the group. Any interested persons are asked to contact the township office.

Thinking of burning brush as you tidy up your yard? Don’t forget that burn permits are required in Billings! Stop by the township office to get your free permit, which is valid for one week. Burn permits are not required for a small bonfire.

Happy birthday wishes go out to Alison O, and Trish T. Also celebrating this week is one terrific twosome. Honestly, June 4th is National Hug Your Cat Day, National Cheese Day, AND National Cognac Day. And it falls within National Frozen Yogurt Week. We don’t know what else any of you could possibly wish for when you blow out your candles! 

June 28th is Team Aelick’s annual stroll for liver in support of Liver Canada. This 5k walk through the village starts at the Park Centre at 11am. You can join the stroll, support from the sidelines, and donate through their team page (bit.ly/teamaelick). Donations over $20 qualify for a tax receipt. 

The Old Mill Heritage Centre is gearing up for its big celebration of the 100th anniversary of the mill this summer. Keep your ears to the ground as more details will be available soon. 

If you start your upper body/arm workouts now, you will be in good shape just in time to be able to carry your haul from the library’s annual used book sale on July 19th. Rain or shine, there will be thousands of books up for grabs, and you may be turtley surprised by some of the developments in the works!. 

The library will also be holding their annual beach movie on August 9th. They will be showing the a-maze-ing 80s classic, Labyrinth!

Now, last, but not least - don’t forget that it’s t-minus 3 Wednesdays until the Kagawong market kicks off for another season!

What do you call a bee hive with no exit? Unbelievable! Have a great week!

May 28, 2025

With the slowly improving weather, we’ve seen a lot of people out and about for walks and jogs this week. It was really inspiring! We never thought we would be the type of people who woke up early just to get a workout in. We were correct. Turns out rolling out of bed early is easy. Getting up off the floor is the hard part. 

The Billings Climate Action Committee is looking for another member to round out the group. Any interested persons are asked to contact the township office.

Manitoulin Metal Robotics is once again hosting their annual e-waste drive. Stop by Manitoulin Secondary May 26-30 from 3-5pm, or Saturday, May 31 from 10am - 2pm to drop off any dead electronics, including appliances, batteries of any kind, and devices. Look for the robotics team members outside by the basketball court on those days.

For users on the Billings town water system, the Ontario Clean Water Agency will be flushing the lines June 2-3. If there is any discoloration in your water, leave it running until it is clear.

We just had the thought that If you combine wine with dinner the new word is winner, and that’s the kind of positive thinking we need this year. 

Thinking of burning brush as you tidy up your yard? Don’t forget that burn permits are required in Billings! Stop by the township office to get your free permit, which is valid for one week. Burn permits are not required for a small bonfire.

This week, we would like to wish Erin F, Casey B, and David H a very happy birthday with all our butts. We would say ‘with all our hearts’ but our butts are definitely bigger. 

June 28th is Team Aelick’s annual stroll for liver in support of Liver Canada. This 5k walk through the village starts at the Park Centre at 11am. You can join the stroll, support from the sidelines, and donate through their team page (bit.ly/teamaelick). Donations over $20 qualify for a tax receipt. 

Billings Library’s annual used book sale is set for Saturday, July 19th. Rain or shine, there will be thousands of books up for grabs, as well as a few surprises to be revealed in the coming weeks. 

The library will also be holding their annual beach movie on August 9th. They will be showing the 80s classic, Labyrinth!

Quick reminder: April is procrastination awareness month. Have a great week!