Welcome to the archive of Team Fergmeijer's Kagawong news column in The Manitoulin West Recorder and The Manitoulin Expositor.

Monday, December 25, 2017

Holiday Special 2017

‘Twas the night before Christmas
as you read by the fire,
the latest news and gossip
from Team Fergmeijer.

Brad and Deb were asleep
tucked up in their bed,
with visions of retirement
dancing in their heads.

Mike in his kerchief
and Aus in his cap,
had just settled down
for a long winter’s nap.

As is usual, this year,
Billings was a happenin’ spot.
So much was going on,
we filled the new parking lot!

This year saw more concerts
with music aplenty.
Entertaining for all those
turning nine-and-twenty!

The Gobble Brigade managed
to double its flock,
causing locals and tourists
to both stop and gawk.

The folks at 4elements
installed lots of new art.
Enhancing our community?
They’ve done their part.

When the moon crossed the sun,
we released our inner nerd.
Hopefully you didn’t look directly up,
or eye damage may have occurred.

We learned more about Pearson
and if we aren’t quite mistaken,
had more sightings than usual
of the one and only Steve Paikin.

In between fangirling
over the aforementioned person,
this year we reported
the most euchre results, for certain!

We celebrated all year
with Winter- and Summerfest,
proving once again
that Kagawong is the best

There were dances and parties
where everyone shakes legs,
spooky Hallowe’en costumes
and hunts for Easter eggs.

Kagawongians got active
in numbers truly outrageous.
with Zumba, Tai Chi, and Karate,
Keeping us slightly less spacious.

So once again we reflect
on a mighty good year!
May your holidays and 2018

be filled with good cheer!

Friday, December 15, 2017

December 15, 2017

Christmas is so close we can taste it! Of course, Team Fergmeijer would like to remind our faithful readers that this time of year is not all about presents and toys. It’s also about stuffing your face with meat and sweets!

The Billings Community Christmas Concert last weekend was a resounding success! Over $300 was raised and dozens of non-perishable items for Manitoulin Family Resources were donated, all in the name of good laughs and song. If you missed the show, stop by www.Facebook.com/Kagawong1 to view photos and videos of the concert.

Are you so happy about the holidays that you can’t help but sing? Join community carollers tomorrow (December 16) at the Main Street Café from 1pm to 2pm for a community carol sing-a-long!

Even though at this rate we’re likely to have snow for the holidays, it’s still possible to have a green Christmas! Just pop on over to the Billings Go Green Kagawong blog (http://gogreenkagawong.wordpress.com) to see some eco-friendly ideas to make your Christmas a little greener.

December 19 marks the end of an era - Debbie and Brad’s last day at the Esso. After more years than Debbie will let us count, they are retiring. Team Fergmeijer will miss them, but we look forward to getting to know the new owners. Happy retirement Deb and Brad!

Happy birthday wishes go to the youngest star of the Community Christmas Concert, Hailey F who is turning not quite 29 this year! Hope you have an awesome day.

Got some last-minute stockings that need filling? Go no further than Kagawong! There are lots of great options for shopping local for the holidays - be sure to check them out!

Are you less than thrilled with the blustery weather we’ve been having lately? Several Kagawongian snowbirds feel your pain. We have been told the weather is so cool in Florida, that they have actually had to turn off their air conditioning. Poor things.

Rain, snow or shine, the Kagawong Canine Society continues to gather every Sunday at 1pm with more and more dogs and their humans joining in the fun.


Next Thursday marks the Winter Solstice. In our efforts to not make the day even shorter than it already is, Team Fergmeijer will refrain from regaling you in the long and detailed history of celebrations of the solstice. Suffice it to say, we’re all looking forward to the days getting longer again. Have a great week!

Friday, December 8, 2017

December 8, 2017

Now that we’re a full week into December, it’s time to break out the Christmas jokes! Why are Dasher and Dancer always taking coffee breaks? Because they are Santa’s star bucks.

Tomorrow night! Don’t miss out on one of the cornerstone holiday events for the township - the Billings Community Christmas Concert starts at 7pm at the Park Centre. Bring along a cash donation or non-perishable food items to the food bank for admission to this famously fun and foolish frolick.

The Island Singers & Friends will be performing “We Shall Light a Thousand Candles” on December 10th in Little Current at 3pm at the United Church, and in Mindemoya on December 11th at 7pm at the Missionary Church. Don’t miss it!

It’s official decorating time! If you haven’t had to stand back and determine whether your tree is perfectly decorated or has crossed the line to be a contender for a Lady Gaga outfit, you aren’t Christmasing hard enough.

A very happy birthday goes out to Laurie from the west end who is turning 29! Although she’s a HUGE fan of ours, she asked if we would let her remain anonymous, so we won’t publish her last name since it’s a pretty well known one in Evansville. You can always count on Team Fergmeijer to keep our sources confidential and to put our readers’ privacy first!

A reminder that the Kagawong Mall has switched to winter hours. Saturday and Sunday stay the same (10am-6pm and 1pm-6pm respectively), but the opening hours for Tuesdays and Thursdays have switched and are now 2:30pm - 6:30pm in order to take advantage of as much daylight as possible.

This week, we are sad to report on the passing of Roger Lloyd recently. He was a fixture in many of the volunteer groups in the community and he was a large part of making so many of these events so fun and successful. We offer our sincerest condolences to his family and friends.

Last night students from across the Island came together for the annual Manitoulin Schools Christmas Concert. School bands and musical groups played to a packed house at the high school. Thanks to the organizers, leaders and students for making it such a special night of music.

Looking out the window lately, Team Fergmeijer has been hoping for a white Christmas. But if the white runs out, we’ll drink the red. Have a great week!

Friday, December 1, 2017

December 1, 2017

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… well, not around Billings so much, but we’re sure snow is just around the corner. Team Fergmeijer has been working hard to get into the Christmas spirit this week, but it took forever to get the darn bottle open.

Mark the calendar - the Island Schools Christmas Concert is Thursday, December 7 at 7pm at Manitoulin Secondary School. Come and hear students from the high school, as well as from six island elementary schools, perform music for the season. Entry is by donation at the door.

One of the cornerstone holiday events for the township is the Billings Community Christmas Concert. This year it is on Saturday, December 9, starting at 7pm. We need more performers to round out the night. Want to tell some jokes (you can’t be as bad as Mike), or maybe recite a poem or monologue? Whatever gets you in the mood, let us know at Kagawong@live.ca or reach out to us at www.Facebook.com/Kagawong1.  

And if that’s not enough to get the Christmas earworms going, the Island Singers & Friends will be performing “We Shall Light a Thousand Candles” on December 10th in Little Current and in Mindemoya on December 11th. Island Singers are always an excellent way to get into the (non-alcoholic) Christmas spirit.

The folks at the Esso thought the Kagawong Community Christmas concert could use a little shaking up this year. They were thinking a tropical theme would be awesome, and have started to dig out the hole for the hot tub.  It’s still scheduled for the Park Centre at the moment, but we will let you know if Deb gets the grotto finished in time for the show to change venues. Former Esso employee and hot tub enthusiast Jamie Ward was overheard to say, “Everyone into the pool, yo!”

A very happy birthday goes out to Chantelle W. who turns 29 on Sunday. Technically, she doesn’t live in Billings, but it’s close enough. Plus, we hear she’s good with sharp implements and we didn’t want to tick her off.

It turns out it’s not just Team Fergmeijer that are huge fans of local summer celebrity Steve Paikin. Seems there is a whole underground fan club, at least there is according to anonymous commentator Willa Wilson.

A reminder that the Kagawong Mall has switched to winter hours. Saturday and Sunday stay the same (10am-6pm and 1pm-6pm respectively), but the opening hours for Tuesdays and Thursdays have switched and are now 2:30pm - 6:30pm in order to take advantage of as much daylight as possible.

Want to check out some of Team Fergmeijer’s greatest hits? Want to see just how often we reuse the same jokes? Curious about just how often we bring up Steve Paikin? Then check out our online archive! http://teamfergmeijer.blogspot.ca/

Have a great week!

Friday, November 24, 2017

November 24, 2017

We’ve had some distinctly winter-y weather this week with the first major snowfall of the year! Although, we aren’t sure it can be considered the ‘first’ snowfall of the year since it snowed in January.

Nora U. is celebrating her 29th birthday next week! Also celebrating is honorary Kagawongian Dwyne C. It must be nice to have a birthday in these cold days. You stay comfy and warm with all your friends toasting you all day long.

It is hunting season and we hope all you hunters have had a safe and productive week. Team Fergmeijer actually thought we would try hunting for the first time this year. We thought we would start small with turkeys, and we shot one one our first try! But man, did we ever freak out everyone else in the grocery store!

Christmas in Kagawong was a huge success again this year. Many thanks go out to the organizers, the volunteers, the vendors, and those who came out to support local business and artisans!

Coming up this weekend you can continue with the Christmas spirit by joining the Manitoulin Community Choir for their annual Song and Cider concert! This is always a phenomenal concert of good cheer and great music. On November 25th, be sure to get to the Park Centre early for a good seat!  Show starts at 7:30pm.

A fan favourite holiday event is the Billings Community Christmas Concert. This year it is on Saturday, December 9, starting at 7pm. We need more performers to round out the night. Want to tell some jokes (you can’t be as bad as Mike)? Or maybe recite a poem or monologue. Whatever gets you in the mood, let us know at Kagawong@live.ca or reach out to us at www.Facebook.com/Kagawong1.  

Ladies, has it occurred to anyone else that your wedding dress would make excellent snow camo for hunting season? Okay, okay, equal opportunity - guys, you could use this hunting hack, too.

There was a Euchre tournament in town last Wednesday. Fred Pickard and Jim Langtree took top prize with 74 points. Kal Merrylees and Wilma Wright came in just behind with 70 points. Third place was Donna and Eva; Loners were Ken and Theresa; low score award goes to Graham and Sheila Fogal, and the door prize went to Wilma.

The Heritage Centre is closed for the season and they would like to thank all of their generous supporters and the volunteers who made this year’s one-of-a-kind Lester Pearson display possible. Here’s looking forward to another amazing year in 2018!

The end of rifle season marks the time of year when many seasonal residents close up camps and cottages for the winter. For Team Fergmeijer, this time of year also brings a solemn realization - 6 more months until Steve Paikin comes back to Kagawong.

Friday, November 17, 2017

November 17, 2017

Mother nature seems to be trying to make everyone happy - if you like winter, the snow was an exciting sign of things to come. If you prefer Spring, the warm temperature is a sentimental throw-back to the seasons we’ve left behind.

Happy Birthday to Kagawong’s favourite midwife! Mary B is turning 29, and fun fact, that's nowhere near how many babies she helped into the world!

Christmas in Kagawong starts this weekend! Stop by the Park Centre this weekend for the Kagawong Christmas Craft Fair (November 17-19). With vendors upstairs at the Park Centre, Friends of the Library silent auction downstairs, and baking, crafts, cake and carols at St. John’s church, you could spend all weekend here!

Next weekend, continue in the Christmas spirit by joining the Manitoulin Community Choir for their annual Song and Cider concert! This is always a phenomenal concert of good cheer and great music. On November 25th, be sure to get to the Park Centre early for a good seat!  Show starts at 7:30pm.

And finally, don’t forget the annual Kagawong community Christmas Concert on Saturday, December 9. You won’t want to miss all the amazing singers, comedien(ne)s, and musicians who come out to perform. If you are interested in being part of the show, just drop us a line at Kagawong@live.ca or reach out to us at www.Facebook.com/Kagawong1.  We are  also accepting terrible jokes to add to the collection for the MCs to pull from!

How do you tell an alligator and a crocodile apart? One will see you later and the other will see you in a little while.

Last week's Euchre results are in! Ladies High Score was Elva Lloyd, Mens High Score was Graham Fogel. Never Packard took Ladies Loners with Mike Arbour going home with Mens Loners and the door prize. Low Score was Sally Langtree.

Team Fergmeijer has been watching a lot of tv and movies lately and we have some questions. If you got a job in security with Samsung, would that make you a Guardian of the Galaxies?  Why is Dora called an ‘explorer’ if she only ever travels through mapped territories? And possibly the most heartbreaking question of all: in every Star Wars movie ever, why don’t the Jedis just turn off their opponent’s lightsaber using a Force push to the power button? On that note, have a great week!

Friday, November 10, 2017

November 10, 2017

We hope that everyone remembered to set their clocks back last weekend, to return to Standard Time. Team Fergmeijer is still celebrating the fact that after six months, our car clocks are finally correct again.

The Old Mill Heritage Centre will be open for one day only this fall. Tomorrow the museum will be open following the 11am Remembrance Day service at the Park Centre. Visit the new military exhibit from noon until 4pm.

Happy Birthday wishes go out to Jody M who is tackling her 29th year like a champ!

Starting to get into the Christmas spirit? Kagawong Christmas Craft Fair will be November 17-19 at the Kagawong Park Centre. With vendors upstairs at the Park Centre, Friends of the Library silent auction downstairs, and baking, crafts, cake and carols at St. John’s church, you could spend all day there!

It’s time again for Manitoulin Community Choir’s annual Song and Cider concert! This is always a phenomenal concert of good cheer and great music. On November 25th, be sure to get to the Park Centre early for a good seat!  Show starts at 7:30pm.

And don’t forget the annual Kagawong community Christmas Concert on Saturday, December 9. You won’t want to miss all the amazing singers, comedien(ne)s, and musicians who come out to perform. If you are interested in being part of the show, just drop us a line at Kagawong@live.ca or reach out to us at www.Facebook.com/Kagawong1

The library is planning some new computer classes in the coming months, and need your help to fine tune their offerings. There is an online survey (go to https://goo.gl/9cPrmV) as well as paper versions available at the library and post office.

Strange lights were reported on the bluffs over Maple Ridge on the weekend. Some speculate aliens, while others put it down to super-secret military drills. We think Mike just got a bit carried away with the lighter fluid while he was remembering remembering the fifth of Novembering.

Last week's Euchre results are in! Sheila Fogal took home the ladies’ high score, while men’s high was snapped up by Lil Boyd. Bev Pickard had ladies’ loner, and men’s went to Cam Ross. Doris Tustian took the low score prize, and Therese Ross went home with the door prize. If you are up for the competition, new players are always welcome!

On the heels of Hallowe’en, here’s some food for thought: when we go back to standard time and gain an hour of sleep, do vampires lose an hour of awake? Have a great week!

Friday, November 3, 2017

November 3, 2017

Talk about a week of celebrations!
November 1: National Eat Your Kids’ Hallowe’en Candy After They go to Bed Day
November 2: National Regret Eating Your Kids’ Hallowe’en Candy After They go to Bed Day
November 3: National Stock Up On Miniature Candy While It’s on Sale Day

Everyone in Kagawong was in the spirit of things during this spooky season. The Halloween dance put on by the Recreation committee was a monster mash of a success! Families of ghosts and ghouls swarmed the Park Centre to carve pumpkins, eat devilishly clever snacks, and cut a rug. Thank you to all the hard-working volunteers who made it all possible.

The Old Mill Heritage Centre has a new military exhibit at the museum for Remembrance Day. Be sure to check it out on November 11.

Congratulations to all the Kagawong Eco-Warriors! Check out the Billings Go Green Committee’s blog (https://goo.gl/SzH7BB) to see the names of everyone who rose to the reducing waste challenge last week. Thanks to everyone for making Billings a little more green!

Hallowe’en fun fact: Eating Smarties makes you smarter.

Happy Birthday wishes go out to Gail L, who is turning 29 right now!

Starting to get into the Christmas spirit? Kagawong Christmas Craft Fair will be November 17-19 at the Kagawong Park Centre. Stay tuned for more details on activities and hours! And don’t forget the annual Kagawong community Christmas Concert on Saturday, December 9. You won’t want to miss all the amazing singers, comedien(ne)s, and musicians who come out to perform. Rumour has it Superman will be back (with a bionic hip), as will Santa… but only if we’re good! If you are interested in being part of the show, just drop us a line at Kagawong@live.ca or reach out to us at www.Facebook.com/Kagawong1

The library is planning some new computer classes in the coming months, and need your help to fine tune their offerings. There is an online survey (go to https://goo.gl/9cPrmV) as well as paper versions available at the library and post office.

Why was the horse wearing a suit of armour for Hallowe’en? She wanted to go as a knight mare.

Last week's Euchre results are in! Elva Lloyd was the ladies high score winner, Fred Pickard took men’s high score. Ladies loner was Sheila Fogel, while men’s loner winner was Susan Arbour. Low scorer was Lily Third, and Lil Boyd took home the door prize.

Hallowe’en fun fact: Carving just one pumpkin burns as many calories as are in 10 mini candy bars. At least, that’s why we decided to carve 8 pumpkins in one night. Have a great week!

Friday, October 27, 2017

October 27, 2017

Team Fergmeijer received a lot of feedback on our tree puns last week. We thought they were pretty oak-ay, but some people thought we needed to spruce up the column, branch out with our humour, and have fewer acorny jokes in order to stay poplar. Coming up with puns can be overw-elm-ing, especially since we don’t want the column to be too sappy, and for a while we were feeling completely stumped.


Luckily for those of you pining for a good pun, yew are in fir a treat! Those of you who aren’t excited by puns, beleaf us when we say, it might be time for you to put down the paper and leaf right now. Let us axe you a question: Can you be arrested for too many bad puns? Would you be charged for tree-son? That would be a real face-palm moment, for sure! We’re going to go out on a limb here, and say we have done a tree-mendous job with the puns this week.


Put on your squeaky clown shoes or your sasquatch slippers and head on down to the Family Hallowe’en Dance put on by the Billing Recreational Committee! There will be pumpkin carving, cookie decorating stations, as well as treats and prizes - you won’t want to miss it! Saturday, October 28, from 7pm - 10pm at the Park Centre. Be sure to bring a canned good donation for the food bank to get yourself in the door.


Congratulations to all the Kagawong Eco-Warriors! Check out the Billings Go Green Committee’s blog (https://goo.gl/SzH7BB) to see the names of everyone who rose to the reducing waste challenge last week. Thanks to everyone for making Billings a little more green!


Happy Birthday to Rachel B who turned 29 on Wednesday. A very happy birthday also goes out to Meranda N who is NOT turning 29 on Monday.


Starting to get into the Christmas spirit? Kagawong Christmas Craft Fair will be November 17-19 at the Kagawong Park Centre. Stay tuned for more details on activities and hours! And don’t forget the annual Kagawong community Christmas Concert on Saturday, December 9. You won’t want to miss all the amazing singers, comedien(ne)s, musicians who come out to perform. Rumour has it Superman will be back, as will Santa… but only if we’re good!


Note that there is no Tai Chi this coming week (Oct. 31). Practitioners are asked instead to mindfully walk the streets in the costume of your choice.


Last week's Euchre results are in! First place went to Ted Debassige and Dorothy Allard; Mike and Susan Arbour took second place; third was Sheila and Graham Fogel; fourth was Brad Parkinson and Bill Traynor (who generously donated back their winnings). Low score was taken by Candy Tracy and Phyllis Cacciotti. Most loners went to Ted and Dorothy and the door prize went to Charlene Van Horn.

Most weeks we end with a joke or pun, but you may be re-leafed to hear that we’re just going to direct you back to the first two paragraphs. Have a great week!

Friday, October 20, 2017

October 20, 2017

Team Fergmeijer has had to bid farewell to a dear friend. Copper dog was a warm hug on a cold day every time we would visit Burt Farm. We’re going to miss him.

With all the talk of fancy words last week (we hope you got over your sesquipedalophobia), Team Fergmeijer has been working at crafting our own unique words. We finally invented a brand-new word: Plagiarism.

Put on your squeaky clown shoes or your sasquatch slippers and head on down to the Family Hallowe’en Dance put on by the Billing Recreational Committee! There will be pumpkin carving, cookie decorating stations, as well as treats and prizes - you won’t want to miss it! Saturday, October 28, from 7pm - 10pm at the Park Centre.

What did the Tin Man say when he got run over by a steamroller? “Curses! Foil again!”
Now’s your last chance! Do YOU have what it takes to be an eco-warrior? The Go Green Committee of Billings invites everyone to participate in Waste Reduction Week Oct. 16-22 (http://wrwcanada.com) and is celebrating local green heroes! Check out posters around town, on the Kagawong Facebook page, or on the Go Green Committee’s blog (http://gogreenkagawong.wordpress.com/) for more information.

Speaking of going green, congratulations to new local celebrity Barb E on her recent interview on CBC’s Up North with Jason Turnbull! Up North is broadcast from Kenora all the way to Mattawa, and Barb did Kagawong proud. On a completely unrelated note, a local youth asked Team Fergmeijer to explain to him what an acorn is. We told him that, in a nutshell, it’s an oak tree.

The Old Mill Heritage Centre is updating its list of Billings Township War Veterans. If you know of anyone who should be added to its records, please call:  705 282 1442 or e-mail: oldmillheritage@billingstwp.ca

Happy Birthday to SPOO member Joanne P who celebrated her 29th birthday this past Wednesday. May you always have materials for roads, and may you never catch the boot. Another happy birthday goes out to Ken F who has made it all the way to his 29th year. Mostly due to the efforts of Linda F to keep him in line.

Kagawong is getting active this fall! There’s Tai Chi on Tuesdays from 6:30pm - 7:30pm, Karate on Wednesdays from 6:00pm - 7:00pm (for youth) and 7:00pm - 8:30pm (for adults), and Zumba on Thursdays from 7:00pm - 8:00pm. And with the Kagawong Fitness Club (KFC) on top of all that, there’s no excuse for not getting out there!

Last week's Euchre results are in!  Sally Langtree had Ladies High Score’ Mike Arbour took Mens High Score. Ladies’ Loner was won by Muriel Hunt with Lil Boyd taking Men’s Loner. Doris Tustian had the low score, and Lynda Mullis took the door prize.

How do you get down from an elephant? You don’t. You get down from a goose.

So, how do you get down from a goose? You wait for it to kneel, swing your leg over it’s head, then slide down to the ground.

Friday, October 13, 2017

October 13, 2017

Happy Friday the 13th! Did you know that a fear of the number 13 is known as Triskaidekaphobia? And while we’re improving our vocabulary, turophobia is the fear of cheese, and omphalophobia is a fear of belly buttons. Those with meleagrisphobia are just relieved to get through another Thanksgiving dinner.

Now that Thanksgiving has passed, Team Fergmeijer has noticed an unusual number of pairs of costume glasses and fake moustaches in the ditch along Lebar Hill by Maple Ridge. In other news, the strange bearded and bespectacled (and vaguely turkey-shaped) tourists seen about the town in the last few weeks have all seemed to have gone home now.

Do you separate your recyclables from garbage? Do your turn off lights when leaving a room? Do you always use a refillable water bottle? If so, then you’re well on your way to becoming one of Billings Township’s new Green Heroes! The Go Green Committee of Billings invites everyone to participate in Waste Reduction Week Oct. 16-22 (http://wrwcanada.com) and is celebrating local eco-warriors. Check out posters around town, on the Kagawong Facebook page, or on the Go Green Committee’s blog (http://gogreenkagawong.wordpress.com/) for more information.

The Old Mill Heritage Centre is updating its list of Billings Township War Veterans. If you know of anyone who should be added to its records, please call:  705 282 1442 or e-mail: oldmillheritage@billingstwp.ca

Thanksgiving is all about taking time to get together with family and friends. This past weekend saw Zadie visit Kagawong for the first time to get together with Nicky, but then also happened to run into Isaac and Charlie. Literally. Did we mention there was a mud puddle involved?

Happy Birthday to Claire T and the oh so Italian Gofredo T who will both be turning 29 next week. And congratulations to local bard Jamie Ward on the release of his new album, yo!

Kagawong is getting active this fall! There’s Tai Chi on Tuesdays from 6:30pm - 7:30pm, Karate on Wednesdays from 6:00pm - 7:00pm (for youth) and 7:00pm - 8:30pm (for adults), and Zumba on Thursdays from 7:00pm - 8:00pm. And with the Kagawong Fitness Club (KFC) on top of all that, there’s no excuse for not getting out there!

Last week's Euchre results are in! Ladies high went to Karen Noble, who also won the door prize. Men's high went to Muriel Hunt. Ladies loner was won by Myra Duncanson, while the men's was won by Elva Lloyd.

In our quest to learn about phobias for Friday the 13th, we came across this gem: Sesquipedalophobia, which is the fear of long words. It's our favourite, for obvious reasons. Have a great week!

Friday, October 6, 2017

October 6, 2017

It is officially October, and the fall decorations are springing up all over town. Team Fergmeijer isn’t sure which group dressed up the sign at the main intersection, but they did a great job!


We know that for some, Autumn is a hassle as the leaves fall and cover lawns, but just think of it this way: raking leaves is Mother Nature’s way of easing us into shape for all the snow shovelling we’ll be doing in another month or two.


Last weekend’s 4elements Elemental Festival was a fabulous success, jam-packed with music, art, food and family fun! Kudos to all the volunteers and organizers for all their hard work.


Do you separate your recyclables from garbage? Do your turn off lights when leaving a room? Do you always use a refillable water bottle? If so, then you’re well on your way to becoming one of Billings Township’s new Green Heroes! The Go Green Committee of Billings invites everyone to participate in Waste Reduction Week Oct. 16-22 (http://wrwcanada.com) and is celebrating local eco-warriors. Check out posters around town, on the Kagawong Facebook page, or on the Go Green Committee’s blog (http://gogreenkagawong.wordpress.com/) for more information.


The Old Mill Heritage Centre is updating its list of Billings Township War Veterans. If you know of anyone who should be added to its records, please call:  705 282 1442 or e-mail: oldmillheritage@billingstwp.ca.


Happy Birthdays go out to one long-term resident, John B. and to one new Kagawongian Jon B. They not only share the same names and approximate birth dates, but they also both turned 29. What are the odds?! In addition, Jamie F is also turning 29 tomorrow. Best wishes to all of you!


Have you heard about the new trend for Thanksgiving feasts? Instead of turkey, more and more people are eating ham. We’re pretty sure the KGB are behind this paradigm shift (that is, the Kagawong Gobble Brigade).


Kagawong is getting active this fall! There’s Tai Chi on Tuesdays from 6:30pm - 7:30pm, Karate on Wednesdays from 6:00pm - 7:00pm (for youth) and 7:00pm - 8:30pm (for adults), and Zumba on Thursdays from 7:00pm - 8:00pm. And with the Kagawong Fitness Club (KFC) on top of all that, there’s no excuse for not getting out there!


Thank you to everyone in the community who supported Mary & Heather at the CIBC Run for the Cure in Sudbury last weekend: they were two of the top ten individual fundraisers for the Sudbury run! Between them, they raised just under $2500 for breast cancer research, outreach, and support.

And finally, daylight savings time isn’t for another few weeks, but with all the Thanksgiving goodies to be had this weekend, don’t forget to set your scale back 10 pounds on Sunday night. Happy Thanksgiving, and have a great week!

Friday, September 29, 2017

September 29, 2017

4elements Elemental Festival kicks off today! Multidisciplinary Métis artist Moe Clark will kick off the festivities with a musical performance at the Park Centre starting at 8pm. Saturday, be sure to come out to see the second musical guest, Melody McKiver. That show starts at 5:30pm. Sunday is the official unveiling of the new Connections Trail Sculptures. Join 4elements and the Billings Connections Trail sculpture artists for an artist “walk and talk” along the trail, starting from the Park Centre at 1pm. Contact 4e for more information at (705) 282-0444 or info@4elementslivingarts.org.

The Old Mill Heritage Centre is updating its list of Billings Township War Veterans. If you know of anyone who should be added to its records, please call:  705 282 1442 or e-mail: oldmillheritage@billingstwp.ca.

Happy birthday goes out to honourary Kagawongian Kathryn B, who turns 29 on Monday. And congratulations to Jef & Trish on their nuptials this weekend! May the joys be many and the facebugs be few.

The Park Centre is THE place to be this fall! Join us for Tai Chi on Tuesdays from 6:30pm - 7:30pm, Karate on Wednesdays from 6:00pm - 7:00pm (for youth) and 7:00pm - 8:30pm (for adults), and Zumba on Thursdays from 7:00pm - 8:00pm. There’s no better time to get active!

Last Saturday, the Manitoulin Community Choir and The Island Singers performed together in front of a very appreciative audience. Even this week’s heat wave couldn’t put a damper on the enjoyment of the audience as the choirs combined their efforts in a celebration of Canadian music. All said, the performance raised $700 for local charities!

The euchre results from the last tournament are in! In first place were Charlene & Donna; in second place were Bill & Ann; in third were Pat & Rosemary tied with Bev & Sally. Most Loners went to Brad & Bill; the low score prize went to Karen & Alex, and Mike and Susan walked away with the door prize.

Mary Buie & Heather Theijsmeijer are once again participating in the CIBC Run for the Cure in Sudbury this weekend, raising funds for breast cancer research, outreach, and support. Between the two of them, they have raised almost $1700 at time of writing, but are always looking to raise more! To donate, go to http://www.supportcbcf.com, click the donate button, and search for either of their names.

Like all of our loyal readers, Team Fergmeijer has been suffering a bit in this heatwave. It’s so hot, it’s not even funny. Sadly, neither is our column this week. Check back with us next week when the mercury drops to a reasonable temperature for comedy. Then we can start complaining about the cold. Have a great week!