May 1, 2020

These days of quarantine have made staying in shape and healthy more difficult than usual. A lot of our time has been spent stress eating.  Currently, our beach bodies are looking like they have great personalities. Seriously, if you want to impress us with your car, it better be a food truck. Snacking can be a way to deal with the stresses of these days; just remember - it’s okay, even healthy, to fall apart sometimes. Tacos fall apart all the time and we still love them. Team Fergmeijer is trying not to complain about the situation too much. After all, it’s not like we have to go out and hunt down our own food. We don’t even know where tacos live…

As a precautionary measure, a state of emergency has been declared in the Township of Billings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An emergency declaration provides an opportunity to highlight action being taken under the municipal emergency response plan if it becomes necessary.

A reminder that the falls and river trail, the playground at the main beach, and the dog park are all closed. Please be aware that the OPP will be out and enforcing the 2-meter distance and maximum gathering size requirements put in place by the province.

In an effort to prevent potential spread of COVID-19, M’Chigeeng is restricting movement through the community. The band office has advised Billings that Jerusalem Hill, and south on Monument Road to Highway 542 is the preferred detour for us to get to and from Mindemoya.

A new feature Team Fergmeijer is trying out for the column - a lonely hearts section! This week we have one submission: Single man with toilet paper seeks single woman with hand sanitizer for some good clean fun. Responses can be sent through Team Fergmeijer’s email. 

NEW! The Kagawong landfill has updated their hours. The landfill will be open for garbage and recycling deposit Thursdays from 2-6pm and Sundays from 2-4pm. Yard and construction waste will not be accepted until further notice. Be patient and have a kind word for our hard working township employees!

OCWA will be flushing the water distribution system on May 14th and 15th. This is part of their annual maintenance program. Work will be completed between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Properties connected to the water system may experience lower than normal water pressure. If you notice discoloured water, run your cold water tap until it clears. Avoid doing laundry during this period, if possible. Contact the municipal office if issues persist.

The library building may be closed, but you can still access books for free online! Contact the librarian (billingslibrary@vianet.ca) to get your patron number so you can log in to the OverDrive app and download books to your heart’s content. 

The library is also looking for new board members. Contact the library or new chairperson Willa Wilson if you are interested. Duties of a board member are very light, especially these days!

If you know of someone in the community who may need assistance, OR, if you are interested in volunteering to help, please call or email the township office (705-282-2611; mbonenfant@billingstwp.ca). 

For all you nerds and geeks out there (and Team Fergmeijer includes themselves in that group!) - May the Fourth be with you, and have a great week!