March 26, 2021

As always, the rivalry for the annual Sandhill Crane Spotting competition was fierce and cutthroat. Past winners Willa and Peter both came in with sightings within hours of one another. Sandy C. and Ted K. also had a sighting over the weekend, as did Barb E. However, none of them were able to beat the keen eyes of this year’s winner, Rachel B.! Congratulations to the new champ! You have won…. well, basically nothing except bragging rights, but still, yay you! 

The Sandhill Crane Spotting competition is wrapped up just in time for us to remind you of our annual Sandhill Crane Cooing competition happening this Thursday, April 1st! This annual event has grown beyond our wildest dreams with huge crowds and all sorts of famous people appearing in order to give their best imitation of the melodious ‘coo’ of the Sandhill. Who can forget the year it came down to Steve P and Keanu R? Or last year, when William S was really disappointed when he didn’t make the semi-finals and stormed off in a dramatic exit. Who knows what this year will bring! You can count on yours truly to faithfully report back on all the excitement in next week’s column. Remember, that competition will be on Thursday, April 1st!

Happy birthday to Brett V who is getting up there in years. Not 29 yet, but still well within range of full-fledged adulthood. Congratulations!

At time of writing, Manitoulin Island remains in the Grey, lockdown zone. This means that the Municipal Office is closed to the public. If you would like to make a tax payment in person please call the office first, (705) 282-2611 ext. 221. The township office is still accepting mailed-in cheques and will be receiving online bill payments through all major banks and some credit unions as per usual.

With the return to lockdown, the Library is back to pick up/drop off only. Contact the librarian through the library Facebook page, phone or email, to request titles, authors, or even general genres, and she will put a bundle of books together for you to pick up! As always, books are quarantined for 72 hours before being reshelved.

Especially with the variants of concern, we need to limit our close contacts to our immediate household, and to maintain responsible social distancing practices everywhere else. Please do everything you can to keep yourself healthy, and to protect the people in your bubble. Following the Public Health guidelines will keep you safe as well as everyone else!

 

We were going to tell a joke about an Easter egg, but it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Joke or no joke, the Billings Parks Recreation and Wellness Committee is hosting an Easter giveaway at the Park Centre parking lot on Saturday, April 3rd at 11am. Hop on over with the kids to pick up a treat!

If you find yourself addicted to line dancing, you might need to join a two-step program. It might be worth mixing things up with some online Manitoulin Zumba sessions! Look up Casey Boisvert on Facebook (Zumba Fitness on Manitoulin Island) for days and times, as well as to arrange for the Zoom link and payment. 

 

Are you looking for signs of spring? Itching to get your hands in the soil? You aren’t alone! The Late Bloomers are a group of local gardeners who volunteer their time and energy to beautifying the village. With each Bloomer taking one one or two flower boxes and planting their choice of flowers, the result is a beautiful collection of plantings for all to enjoy! The group is always open to new members; if you would like to take part in their efforts, email kagawong@live.ca for more information. 

Do you think the good will we spread in our column is enough to get us nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize? Man, we would kill to win one of those! Have a great week!

March 19, 2021

Team Fergmeijer were just reminiscing about being young and spending most of our days at the beach. More than once, we would see someone waving, but couldn’t tell if they were waving at us, or someone else so we would just sit there awkwardly. We really weren’t cut out to be lifeguards. It was still better than our first job at the orange juice factory. We got canned… we couldn’t concentrate. 

It’s the most wonderful time of year in Billings! We are coming up on the annual Sandhill Crane spotting competition!! Willa and Peter are fierce contenders each year, but there are lots of ambitious newcomers who would like to see them toppled off of top spot! If you see a Sandhill crane (or even hear its melodious coooo), drop us a line at live@kagawong.ca or message us (Facebook.com/kagawong1) to let us know when and where you spotted them. Winner gets bragging rights! 

Happiest of happy birthdays goes out to Mike H. He turned 29 this week. We hope he celebrated with green beer and four leaf clovers galore!

At time of writing, Manitoulin Island is now in the Grey, lockdown zone. This means that as of Friday March 12, the Municipal Office will be closed to the public. If you would like to make a tax payment in person please call the office first, (705) 282-2611 ext. 221. The township office is still accepting mailed-in cheques and will be receiving online bill payments through all major banks and some credit unions as per usual.

With the return to lockdown, the Library is back to pick up/drop off only. Contact the librarian through the library Facebook page, phone or email, to request titles, authors, or even general genres, and she will put a bundle of books together for you to pick up! As always, books are quarantined for 72 hours before being reshelved.

If you are chatting with the librarian (from a responsible social distance), ask her about the book she’s writing. It’s about hurricanes and tornadoes. She’s always keen to talk about it, even though It’s only a draft at the moment.

Especially with the variants of concern, we need to limit our close contacts to our immediate household, and to maintain responsible social distancing practices everywhere else. Please do everything you can to keep yourself healthy, and to protect the people in your bubble. Following the Public Health guidelines will keep you safe as well as everyone else!

 

Looking for a reason to dress up and wear your 14-carrot gold? Then be sure to save the date! The Billings Parks Recreation and Wellness Committee is hosting an Easter treats giveaway at the Park Centre parking lot. Hop on over Saturday, April 3rd at 11am to pick up yours!

What’s the best dance to pair with chips? Salsa! What’s the best dance to pair with lockdown? Online Manitoulin Zumba sessions! Look up Casey Boisvert on Facebook (Zumba Fitness on Manitoulin Island) for days and times, as well as to arrange for the Zoom link and payment. 

 

Are you looking for signs of spring? Itching to get your hands in the soil? You aren’t alone! The Late Bloomers are a group of local gardeners who volunteer their time and energy to beautifying the village. With each Bloomer taking one one or two flower boxes and planting their choice of flowers, the result is a beautiful collection of plantings for all to enjoy! The group is always open to new members; if you would like to take part in their efforts, email Kagawong@live.ca for more information. 

A good friend of ours has been struggling in their marriage this year. Their spouse was willing to deal with his fear of giants (Feefiphobia), but is threatening to leave him because of his obsession with movie sequels. He admits it’s been Rocky IV a while now. What really caused problems though, was when he decorated the living room while she was gone for the weekend. It was all done in pictures of small dogs. She got home and accused him of having all terrier motifs.

Seasonal positions with the township are now being advertised. That can only mean one thing… summer is well on its way! Billings Township is now accepting applications for seasonal student positions such as Marina Assistants, Public Works Assistants, a Museum Assistant, and a Library Assistant. Applications will be accepted by the Municipal Office until March 26th at 4pm, and may be submitted in person, by mail, or by email. Contact Kathy O’McDonald at kmcdonald@billingstwp.ca for more information. There is also a permanent position available for a cleaner for the township buildings. Applications are being accepted until March 26th. 

A loyal reader reached out for us hoping someone would be able to tell them the prices of the pies sold by the aunts of William Penn. If anyone has info on the pie rates of Penn’s aunts, it would be appreciated. Have a great week!

March 12, 2021

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! We here at Team O’Fergmeijer love hearing how our puns cause our readers to be Dublin over with laughter, so fear not! We have a whole column of very clover puns, just for you. Any non-readers will be green with envy. 

We have big news… B-O’C turned the big 2-9 last week! We hope she was able to celebrate in style! Doug O’Haines recently made his 29th trip around the sun, too. We know his siblings treated him right on the occasion. Miss O’Poppy is also celebrating a birthday soon, as is Sharon O’Jackson. Happy birthdays all around!

It’s the most wonderful time of year in Billings! We are coming up on the annual Sandhill O’Crane spotting competition!! Last year Peter O’Gordon nabbed top honours, having seen the first cranes of 2020, but who knows what nefarious plans Willa O’Wilson may have to snatch back the trophy. Or will a wily newcomer surprise us all in 2021? If you see (or hear) a Sandhill crane, drop us a line at live@kagawong.ca or message us (Facebook.com/kagawong1) to let us know when and where you spotted them. Winner gets bragging rights! 

At time of writing, Manitoulin O’Island is now in the O’Red, control zone. Especially with the variants of concern, we need to limit our close contacts to our immediate household, and to maintain responsible social distancing practices everywhere else. Please do everything you can to keep yourself healthy, and to protect the people in your bubble. 

Despite the change in regional status, the Billings O’Library is able to remain open to in-person browsing. As always, books are quarantined for 72 hours before being reshelved, and masks and social distancing are required when in the building. 

Just a reminder that it’s daylight savings this weekend, which means Team O’Fergmeijer will be late on Monday when we forget it’s daylight savings. Though to be honest, we think the time change would be more welcome on a Friday afternoon, say, during the last hour of work before the weekend, don’t you agree?

Are you looking for signs of spring? Itching to get your hands in the soil? You aren’t alone! The Late O’Bloomers are a group of local gardeners who volunteer their time and energy to beautifying the village. With each Bloomer taking one one or two flower boxes and planting their choice of flowers, the result is a beautiful collection of plantings for all to enjoy! The group is always open to new members; if you would like to take part in their efforts, email Kagawong@live.ca for more information. 

 

Are the kids feeling a little eggs-austed with all the social isolation? Then be sure to save the date! The Billings O’Parks O’Recreation and O’Wellness Committee is hosting an Easter treats giveaway at the Park Centre parking lot. Hop on over Saturday, April 3 at 11am to pick up yours!

Casey O’Boisvert is continuing to run online Manitoulin Zumba sessions! Look her up on Facebook (Zumba Fitness on Manitoulin Island) to arrange for the Zoom link and payment. You can join from anywhere in your house, just don’t be dancing in the sink, because that’s no longer Zumba. That’s tap dancing.

Seasonal positions with the township are now being advertised. That can only mean one thing… summer is well on its way! Billings O’Township is now accepting applications for seasonal student positions such as Marina Assistants, Public Works Assistants, a Museum Assistant, and a Library Assistant. Applications will be accepted by the Municipal Office until March 26th at 4pm, and may be submitted in person, by mail, or by email. Contact Kathy O’McDonald at kmcdonald@billingstwp.ca for more information.

Have a great week!

March 5, 2021

We at Team Fergmeijer have been trying out meal planning to simplify our grocery shopping. Last week, our list included donuts, bagels, swiss cheese, and bunt cake. We had to make a special trip to the hole foods store. 

This weekend, locals Nancy C and Shirley F are both celebrating their birthdays. We wish them all good things on their special day, and we hope they celebrate like a pickle, and relish the moment! 

The skating rink is getting a lot of use - it’s great to see the kids (and some adults) getting out and using the facilities (in a socially distanced way, of course). Thank you to the volunteers who are going above and beyond to keep the rink in tip-top shape. Any way you ice it, going for a skate is a great way to get some exercise outdoors!

A friend of ours got herself a new salamander to keep her company as she works from home. She named him Tiny. When we asked her why, she said, “Because he’s my newt.”

At time of writing, Manitoulin Island is still in the Orange, restricted zone. We still need to limit our close contacts to our immediate household  and to maintain responsible social distancing practices everywhere else, but there is increased access to businesses around town as well as services like the library (open to in-person browsing again!). Please do everything you can to keep yourself healthy, and to protect the people in your bubble. 

Are you looking for signs of spring? Itching to get your hands in the soil? You aren’t alone! The Late Bloomers are a group of local gardeners who volunteer their time and energy to beautifying the village. With each Bloomer taking one one or two flower boxes and planting their choice of flowers, the result is a beautiful collection of plantings for all to enjoy! The group is always open to new members; if you would like to take part in their efforts, email Kagawong@live.ca for more information. 

How many Zumba instructors does it take to change a lightbulb? Five, six, seven, eight! Don’t believe us, just ask Casey at the next online Manitoulin Zumba session. Look her up on Facebook (Zumba Fitness on Manitoulin Island) to arrange for the Zoom link and payment. 

Early On Child and Family Centre is offering free kid-friendly activities online, as well as tips and tricks for parents. They have family fun kits for families with children 0-6 years old. Check out www.mfresources.net or email earlyon@mfresources.net for more information. 

Our neighbour was just made a grandpa this week, and we got talking about baby names. It’s weird how they go in and out of fashion. For instance, these days Lance is not a very popular baby name, but in medieval times, people were called Lance a lot. Have a great week!