March 15, 2019

It’s St. Patrick’s Day this weekend! Remember, if you are lucky enough to be Irish, you are lucky enough. For those of us who aren’t Irish, we can pretend. (It’s okay, we pretend we’re good on Christmas, don’t we?)

We are formally announcing the official opening of the 2019 Great Billings Sandhill O’Crane Spotting Competition! If you see or hear these iconic critters in the fields or flying overhead, let us know. The first to notify us wins bragging rights for the next year! There’s even talk of a trophy...

As self-appointed, unofficial, unauthorized, uninvited, unwarranted, unapproved, unlicensed, unsanctioned members of the new Rebranding Committee, Team O’Fergmeijer has launched a new contest to help rebrand the township: a limerick to represent the fabulousness that is Billings Township! We have been fielding submissions all week, and are still accepting submissions to kagawong@live.ca. Here is one of the standout entries, submitted by Willa O’W:

Team Fergmeijer’s contest is sticky

I’ll think whilst I drink a lime rickey

Kagawong is superlative

The Falls? No alternative

Have you noticed? We’re getting quite lim’ricky.

The MSS Music Program, led by Chris O’Theijsmeijer, is having a Roast Beef Dinner & Dance fundraiser at the Burpee-Mills complex Saturday, March 23 at 6pm. Music students will be performing after the meal, and you’ll be able to dance the night away to the toe-tapping tunes of Missy and the Speed Wobbles. Tickets are $20 per person, and are available by calling 705 968-0404, or at the door.

If you cross a four leaf clover with poison ivy, do you get a rash of good luck?

Do you have photographs from any decade for St. Paul's on the O’Hill? The search is on in order to create a photo collage with a written history of St. Paul's for display at the church. Photos can be of any event wedding, christening, youth group, UCW. Your original photos will be returned. Drop us a line if you have any you would like to share, or contact Deb O’Flaxman directly.

The Township of O’Billings is currently seeking members for the new Lake O’Kagawong Resource Committee. The committee is looking for seven (7) members of the public representing permanent and seasonal residents as well as the local business community. The committee terms of reference are available on the public documents page of the township website. If you are interested in this volunteer position and are an eligible elector in the township, please submit a letter outlining your qualifications to Kathy O’McDonald at kmcdonald@billingstwp.ca. The deadline for applications is March 26, 2019.

Mayor Ian O’Anderson would like to remind you that council passed an updated by-law to regulate the parking of motor vehicles on, and the obstruction of, municipal roads. No overnight parking (10:00 p.m. – 8:00 a.m.) on any township road or right-of-way from October 1-April 30; No daytime parking on any township road or right-of-way when the road has not yet been plowed; No obstructing township roads at any time with any object or material (e.g., snow pushed into or across the road from a driveway) Failure to follow these regulations may lead to your vehicle being towed, cost-recovery for township expenses and a $200.00 fine.

Your favourite journalistic duo is taking it easy on St. Patrick’s Day this year. Last year we had a few too many and ended up taking a bus home. Sure, sure, it doesn’t sound like a big deal, but neither one of us had ever driven a bus before.