March 8, 2019

That collective sigh you heard this afternoon was the mingling sighs of students excited for a solid week of holidays and those of parents bracing themselves for a solid week of trying to entertain the little ones at home over March break. 

If daylight savings time messes up our sense of time of day, all this snow really messes with our sense of time of year. We went back into the archives and realized that this time last year we had launched the Sandhill Crane competition! We almost missed the start of this annual spring competition. You know, because of the 5 feet of snow on the ground and more falling from the sky. Not that we’re bitter or anything. But we digress. 

We are formally announcing the official opening of the 2019 Great Billings Sandhill 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! Competition is fierce among the locals with long-standing rivalries cropping up even during good natured Christmas concerts. 

As self-appointed, unofficial, unauthorized members of the new Rebranding Committee, Team Fergmeijer has launched a new contest to help rebrand the township: a limerick to represent the fabulousness that is Billings Township! We have been virtually flooded with submissions already, but are still accepting submissions to kagawong@live.ca. Some of our favourite ditties so far:

There once was a town small and quaint,

Where hustle and bustle, there ain’t.

There’s friendly folks and good fun,

Also meatloaf on a bun,

And Turkeys are the patron saint! 

Speaking of the Billings Sandhill Crane competition...

One spring, just after the thaw - 

You’ll never guess what they saw!

The coo of the crane,

Peter and Willa could name:

CAAAWWCAAAAWWWCAAAAAAWWWWW

This last one, just signed “JW,” aptly describes Billings this past winter:

I’m getting so sick of this snow

I honestly wish it would go!

Shoveling’s the pits...

I’ve gone through eight pairs of mitts!

I want summer’s heat and sand, yo!

A reminder 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.

Don’t forget! Clocks move one hour ahead this weekend. Last year at this time, Team Fergmeijer went to a rally to protest and boycott daylight savings time. Unfortunately, we showed up an hour late…Have a great week!