August 31, 2018

Ah yes, it’s back to school time! As you can imagine, Team Fergmeijer often has to field questions from students looking to do well in their classes. We were recently asked how to get straight A’s. Our best suggestion is with a ruler.

Fergusons and their extended families are nothing if not practical, and in that spirit multiple birthdays were all celebrated at once last week. Linda and Susan both turned 29, although Caitlyn and Chase have a while to go before hitting that milestone. In true Ferguson style, everyone had their own cake and everyone ate at least one slice of all four. Amanda C also turns 29 today, and Susan S celebrates her 29th on Sunday. Happy birthday to all!

If you love your canine pal, mark Bark in the Park on your calendar. Next Saturday the dog park in Kagawong will be overrun with dogos of all description as they play, run, sniff and mingle. This year the Rec committee is pleased to welcome Education Conservation Officer (MNRF) Mike Buckner and his new partner “Echo”. The fun starts at noon; parking is in the Old Church parking lot to keep people and puppers safe around the park.

This weekend marks the end of summer for hundreds of students across Manitoulin. Not only is it time to start remembering what day of the week it is, but it’s time to remember the rules of safe driving around buses and school zones.

The next Euchre tournament is on September 19, 2018. All players are welcome - play starts at 7:30pm at the Park Centre. Regular Wednesday Euchre starts September 26 and will continue to November 14 providing attendance is reasonable.

Just because summer is coming to a close, doesn’t mean the music stops! Mark your calendars: Harpist and Singer-Songwriter Martha Gallagher is playing a concert Thursday, Sept. 20 at 7:30pm at the Kagawong Park Center. Tickets are $20 and are available from Central Pharmacy in Gore Bay, or by contacting Jane at jane@bestsongs.ca. Also, Kagawong Folk Roots will be playing at the Old Church on the Hill on September 29. More details coming soon.

Pun-lovers, brace yourself. You are in for a bit of ride with this next one. A bike in town keeps running us over. It’s a vicious cycle. Hopefully it will get too tired to keep it up. Maybe if we spoke with the owner it would stop. We have to gear up for the confrontation and get a handle on the situation. Don’t worry, that’s the end of this chain of puns. In our defence, when you live in a small town, you learn to pedal humour.  Have a great week!

August 24, 2018

In these lazy days of summer, we tend to sit back and consider some of the big questions. Things like, if a bearded man creates vases, does that make him a hairy potter? Or, if the cast of The Wizard of Oz all ate ice cream really fast, would the scarecrow be the only one who didn’t get brain-freeze? We also consider some of the smaller questions, like which is our favourite colour? We decided we like green best. We like it more than yellow and blue combined.

A very happy birthday goes out to the youngest Master Theijsmeijer who celebrates his birthday on Sunday. Have a great day!

Even if it seems a bit cooler these days, the fire ban still continues for Billings township. Contact the town office for the most up-to-date information.

The impressive turnout for the all-candidates meeting proves that democracy is alive and well in Billings township. The various candidates spoke well and addressed many questions from the audience. Jack Clark kept everyone on track and made sure the tone remained respectful. Be on the lookout for ballots arriving by mail later in September.

We don’t mean to be party poopers, but there is only ONE summer market left this year! Be sure to come by the market pavillion Wednesday from 10am - 3pm for baked goods, produce, crafts of all sorts, jewellery, books, art, toys, massages, tea, live music, and more!

Sticking with the party-pooper theme, we are in the countdown days to the start of the new school year. High school students can pick up their schedules August 28th, 29th, and 30th, from 9am - 3pm. For those entering MSS for the first time, come out to the grade 9 BBQ on the 29th. You can meet some of the staff, get familiar with the school in general, and find where your classes are. Registration is at 10am with a variety of activities to follow.

The summer euchre tournament series is wrapping up. The results from last week’s games are:

1st Place - Nicole Smith & Barb Bright; 2nd Place - Jim & Sally Lanktree; 3rd Place - Laura & Pat; 4th Place - Marie & Ted; Most Loners - Nicole Smith & Barb Bright; Low Score - John & Elsie Christian; Door Prize - Mike & Susan Arbour.  The next Tournament is on September 19, 2018. All players are welcome - play starts at 7:30pm at the Park Centre. Regular Wednesday Euchre starts September 26 and will continue to November 14 providing attendance is reasonable.

Just because summer is coming to a close, doesn’t mean the music stops! Mark your calendars: Harpist and Singer-Songwriter Martha Gallagher is playing a concert Thursday, Sept. 20 at 7:30pm at the Kagawong Park Center. Tickets are $20 and are available from Central Pharmacy in Gore Bay, or by contacting Jane at jane@bestsongs.ca. Also, Kagawong Folk Roots will be playing at the Old Church on the Hill on September 29. More details coming soon.

Looking to get into shape? Don’t forget, Kagawong Fitness Centre (KFC) memberships are always available. Team Fergmeijer’s favourite exercise is a cross between a lunge and a crunch. It’s called lunch. Have a great week!

August 17, 2018

Can you believe, three years ago this week, Team Fergmeijer wrote our first column? It was pretty terrible. Not a single pun. We’ve certainly worked to improve our pun-to-news ratio since then. Thanks to all our readers for sticking with us.

An early birthday wish goes out to Bonnie F who turns 29 this weekend. Have a wonderful day!

The fire ban still continues for Billings township. Contact the town office for the most up-to-date information.

If you’re feeling a little wiser this week, that’s likely because you attended another very successful History Day in Kagawong last Thursday. Thank you to everyone who came out, as well, to the Angel Bus fundraiser Blueberry Social in between History Day sessions.

Team Fergmeijer had family visiting last week and when a favourite aunt called us into the living room to take care of a spider, she told us to take it out instead of killing it. So we did. We went and had some drinks, conversation. Cool guy; wants to be a web designer.

Nearly 200 people came out to watch Jaws on the beach in town today. 40ish of those watched from a variety of floaties, rafts, kayaks, and dinghies. Perfect weather, warm water, good friends, and a classic movie made for a fabulous night. We can’t wait to see what movies are on the schedule for next summer!

The organizers of the Deep Roots fundraiser for Ruta Tribinevicius outdid themselves last weekend! Thanks to everyone who came out to take part in the food, music and general good time while supporting this incredible woman. If you weren’t able to attend but still want to donate, a savings account has been set up at BMO for direct deposit (2373 8103-091).

One half of Team Fergmeijer recently got some disturbing news this past week… they just found out they're colorblind. The diagnosis came completely out of the purple.

Have you been to the summer market yet this year? If not, you’re missing out! Every Wednesday, swing on by the pavillion from 10am - 3pm for baked goods, produce, crafts of all sorts, jewellery, books, art, toys, massages, tea, live music, and more!

The next summer euchre tournament will be Wednesday, August 15 at 7:30pm at the Park Centre. All are welcome!

Come out and meet the candidates for mayor and for town council at the All-Candidates Meeting on Saturday, August 18th. You’ll have a chance to put faces to names and to ask questions. Jack Clark will be moderating. Doors of the Park Centre open at 1:30pm with the meeting running from 2pm to 4pm.

Also on August 18, Canadian folk music great Ian Tamblyn will be performing at the Old Church on the Hill  at 7pm. The event is sponsored by the Manitoulin Brewing Company and Main Street Cafe. Tickets are $20, and available at MBC and Main Street Cafe.

Mark your calendars: Kagawong Folk Roots will be playing at the Old Church on the Hill on September 29. More details coming soon.

Before we close out this column, we want to impart some advice for the last few weeks of summer: with great reflexes comes great response ability. Have a great week!

August 10, 2018

The lazy days of summer have hit, and Team Fergmeijer is soaking it all in. With all this time to lounge around, we’ve barely even left Kagawong (because really, who needs to?!). Because of this though, we find we’re becoming unaccustomed to busy city life: we have developed a fear of speed bumps, but we’re slowly getting over it. We also seem to have a fear of elevators, but we’re taking steps to avoid it.

Happy birthday to Ma Tambourine - this busy lady is turning 29 on Tuesday!

What do you call a bunch of Buies gathered in one place? A very good time! John and Mary welcomed all three children and their families for the annual Buie bash, totalling 14 immediate family members (including six under the age of 10, and several others that act under the age of 10). That does not include all the extended family and honourary family that also descended on their home over the course of last week. Much fun, laughs, and many, many water balloons were had by all.

MBB is celebrating his boating win from last week’s North Channel Race Week. Despite a last minute switch of crafts and skippers, he (along with the rest of the crew) took first place in the jam fleet division. Another solid performance, MBB. We know you aren’t a nauti buoy, but it is nice to seas the day after an achievement like this and really sailabrate your accomplishment. We were wondering how you got involved in sailing in the first place. Was it because of pier pressure? We’ve heard that moor often than knot, true sailors just know they will have their own boat schooner or later.

Despite the recent rain, at time of writing, the fire ban continues in Billings township. Contact the town office for the most up-to-date information.

What do you get when you cross a joke with a rhetorical question?

Summer’s not over yet! There are lots of upcoming events… be sure to mark your calendars!

The first showing of Jaws at the main beach got rained out, but the library is giving it another shot… TONIGHT! Watch this classic under the stars, and either from the safety of land, or for the more daring, from the comfort of a boat or floaty on the water! Show starts at 9pm; admission is free, though donations to the library are gratefully accepted.

“Deep Roots” is a fundraising concert for Ruta Tribinevicius being held on the 11th at the Old Church on the Hill in Kagawong. The cost is $10 per person. There will also be a silent auction of local art, items and services. Cash, credit and Apple Pay are all accepted at the door for admission and sales. Everyone is encouraged to wear your best combination of leopard print, camo, leather and sequins - make Ruta smile while imitating her amazing fashion sense! Join others as they come together for an evening of music, entertainment and food to support this amazing person on her road to recovery.

The next summer euchre tournament will be Wednesday, August 15 at 7:30pm at the Park Centre. All are welcome!

Come out and meet the candidates for mayor and for town council at the All-Candidates Meeting on Saturday, August 18th. You’ll have a chance to put faces to names and to ask questions. Jack Clark will be moderating. Doors of the Park Centre open at 1:30 with the meeting running from 2pm to 4pm.

Also on August 18, Canadian folk music great Ian Tamblyn will be performing at St. Paul's on the Hill at 7pm. The event will be sponsored by the Manitoulin Brewing Company and Main Street Cafe. Tickets are $20, and available at MBC and Main Street Cafe.

We suppose we should end this column and get on with our day. We’re planning on going for a walk because we want to stay healthy. Taking along a box of M&M's because let's be honest here. Have a great week!

August 3, 2018

As always, Team Fergmeijer is keeping an eye out for the newest health fad. The most recent is the low carb diet, so we’ve been eating a lot of eggs (they’re high in protein and low in carbs). Our favourite way to prepare them is in a cake.   

Congratulations and best of luck to all those running for mayor and councillors of Billing Township! Running for mayor are Ian Anderson, Barb Erskine, and Marg Tuomi. Running for the four positions of councillor are Sharon Alkenbrack, Bryan Barker, Paul Darlaston, Michael Hunt, Sandi Hurcomb, Sharon Jackson, and Eric Parsons.

Not familiar with some of the candidates? Come out and meet them at the All-Candidates Meeting on Saturday, August 18th. You’ll have a chance to put faces to names and to ask questions. Jack Clark will be moderating. Doors of the Park Centre open at 1:30 with the meeting running from 2pm to 4pm.

Happy birthday to Lisa H who is turning the big 2-9 on Sunday. Have a wonderful day!

The fire ban continues in Billings township, as well as restrictions on use of town water for lawns and gardens. Contact the town office for the most up-to-date information.

Tonight - we are pleased to announce the return of Mimi O’Bonsawin! Mimi will be Rocking the Dock at 8pm. This is a free event, though donations are gratefully accepted. Don’t forget to bring your own seat! Following that, Ian Tamblyn will be playing at St. Paul’s on the Hill on August 18. More details coming soon!

History Day is back! Take in the stories and meet the characters that shaped our township on Thursday (August 9) at the Park Centre. Afternoon session (3:30pm - 5pm) - museum board talks: The Henry Brothers and the birth of Kagawong. From 5pm - 7:30pm help raise money for the Angel Bus by joining the Blueberry Social, with live music by Paul Best, at the market pavilion. The Evening session (7:30pm - 9pm) looks at the death of Danny Dodge on the 80th anniversary of the tragedy.

You’re gonna need a bigger boat - again! The first showing of Jaws at the main beach got rained out, but the library is giving it another shot next Friday, August 10th. Watch this classic under the stars, and either from the safety of land, or for the more daring, from the comfort of a boat or floaty on the water! Show starts at 9; admission is free though donations to the library are gratefully accepted.

“Deep Roots” is a fundraising concert for Ruta Tribinevicius being held on the 11th at the Old Church on the Hill in Kagawong. The cost is $10 per person. There will also be a silent auction of local art, items and services. Cash, credit and Apple Pay are all accepted at the door for admission and sales. Everyone is encouraged to wear your best combination of leopard print, camo, leather and sequins - make Ruta smile while imitating her amazing fashion sense! Join others as they come together for an evening of music, entertainment and food to support this amazing person on her road to recovery.

The next summer euchre tournament will be Wednesday, August 15 at 7:30pm at the Park Centre. All are welcome!

Have a great week!