November 24, 2021

The cold weather seems to be settling in more permanently. Knowing the snow will soon be here to stay, our friend spent Saturday afternoon chopping wood for the winter. We were amazed at how much he accomplished, but when we asked how long he had been at it, he said didn’t know off the top of his head - he’d have to check his logs.  

The waterfront is looking a bit different at the moment, as the town removed several trees from the area near the play equipment. The trees were showing signs of decay and were becoming a danger, so the township office had the public works guys take the trees out. Planning for replacing the trees or putting in some form of shade replacement is in the works. I’m sure the town would be interested in constructive and creative ideas! 

 

The silent auction being hosted by The Friends of the Billings Library goes live on Thursday! They have recently revealed the specifics of that big travel bundle they’ve been hinting at. Turns out, it is a round-trip ticket for two with WestJet (to any destination WestJet flies; some restrictions and blackout dates apply) PLUS a free night at the Manitoulin Hotel and Conference Centre! This is in addition to the dozens of other amazing items up for grabs. Join the Facebook group “Friends of Billings Library Silent Auction” (www.facebook.com/groups/billingslibrarysilentauction) to be able to bid on the fantastic items. 

 

Yesterday a young man came knocking on the door asking for a small donation to the creation of a local swimming pool. We thought it was a great idea, so we gave him a glass of water. 

Nora U has a birthday this week, but since it could be considered bad luck to celebrate early (and we can’t imagine anyone who doesn’t rush to read our column), we’ll wait until next week to offer our heartfelt congratulations to her. 

 

The other day, a friend of Team Fergmeijer asked us to pass her a lipstick, but we accidentally passed her a glue stick. She still isn’t talking to us.

The annual Community Christmas Concert is just a few weeks away and can always use more contributors. Break out your cell phone and film yourself telling a joke or singing a song. Do a short skit or show off your talent on the keyboard. Share the video with the organizers at kagawong@live.ca and you can be included in the concert that streams on December 18th! 

Did you know that Type O blood was actually supposed to be Type zero blood due to the lack of glycoproteins in the red blood cells. It was mis-read and is now known as Type “O” blood. You might say it was a…. Typo!

Santa Claus is coming to town! The town has arranged a Meet & Greet with Santa on December 3, from 5-6:30pm. The location will be announced soon, and don’t forget your letter for Santa!

The library and museum are pleased to see the latest printing of the updated How It All Began book have been flying off the shelves. To get your copy, stop in at the library or contact billingslibrary@vianet.ca to make arrangements.  

 

They say Great Britain is a really damp country. No wonder, since the queen has been reigning there for decades! Have a great week!

November 17, 2021

Team Fergmeijer, along with the entire community of Kagawong and beyond, was saddened to hear of Aus (Aussie) Hunt’s passing this past week. Aus was synonymous with our township, and his influence and legacy will be forever woven into the tapestry of our lives. Our hearts go out to his family and all those who knew him.

Was that a bit of snow we saw last weekend? It may be getting colder, but there’s lots going on over the next few weeks to warm the heart!

 

The Anglican Church is holding a Christmas Fair on Saturday, November 20th from 9am-2pm. There will be baked goods, crafts, and gift baskets up for grabs. They will also have a ‘take home’ fundraising dinner with homemade meat pies, lasagna and pierogies. All funds raised go towards replacing the church roof. Please note that current provincial protocols for church bazaars/fairs require anyone entering the church to have proof of full vaccination.

 

The Friends of the Billings Library is bringing their annual silent auction back, bigger and better than ever! The big ticket items like the golf card, mulch and gravel load are back again (along with SO many other fantastic items), but this year they have an extra-special travel bundle that will be up for grabs. Join the Facebook group “Friends of Billings Library Silent Auction” (www.facebook.com/groups/billingslibrarysilentauction) to be able to bid on the fantastic items. 

 

There was once was a poet from Billings, 

Whose writing was anything but shrilling.

She found her poetry

On the long list from CBC!

Sophie’s verses are inspiration-instilling.

 

Congratulations to Sophie Edwards on being one of 31 writers from across Canada to be longlisted for the 2021 CBC Poetry Prize with her poem, plaques: that they.

 

Happy Birthday to Mary Buie who continues to make 29 look good! We hope you have a fantastic day!

 

Got jokes? Or skits, songs, recitations, or dance moves? The annual Community Christmas Concert is streaming on December 18th! Make a short video and get in touch to have it added to this year's lineup. Email Kagawong@live.ca for more information. 

In other exciting library news (is there any other kind of library news?!), copies of How It All Began are back in stock and available for sale! Pick up your copy of this iconic local history book for $30 at the Billings Library or contact billingslibrary@vianet.ca to make arrangements. 

 

Looking for extra dough? Remove some snow! The township is looking to hire an individual for casual snow removal of municipal buildings through the winter. Check out the Billings Township Facebook page for more information; deadline to express interest at the township office is Thursday, November 18th at 4pm.

We found an old thesaurus on the side of the road last weekend. It was not very useful. Not only was it terrible, it was terrible. Have a great week!

November 10, 2021

Do you remember how things were back before daylight savings time? We do. Oh, how times have changed…If you are anything like Team Fergmeijer, you luxuriated in the extra hour on Sunday, courtesy of daylight savings time. It was a lovely hour, even if it was imaginary. In reality, the time change has some significant drawbacks. We won’t go into detail here, but you can check out our post about it on social media. We post an anti-time change rant every year. Like clockwork. Okay, okay, we know we’ve maxed out our time change puns. We’ll stop now before someone gets really upset and clocks us. 

Sadly, the Old Mill Heritage Centre’s annual Remembrance Day service, traditionally held on November 11, is cancelled this year due to COVID. However, there will be an outdoor wreath-laying ceremony at the Kagawong Cenotaph on Thursday, November 11th, at 11am. Lest we forget. 

Anyone walking through the lower village will likely have noticed the new boards up around the rink at the Park Centre, thanks to the hard work of many volunteers. Advertising will be going up soon and there are still some spaces available for your business. Contact the town office for more information. 

Help break in the new improvements by joining a pick-up game of ball hockey on Sunday afternoon! 

Best wishes go out to Jodi K who turns a fabulous 29 this week. We are 99% sure you are a Disney princess. (The 1% uncertainty is only because we aren’t sure birds talk to you.) Happy birthday!

Another special lady had a birthday this week, and even though she’s not living in Billings any more, we are going to assume she is still turning 29. Mostly because she doesn’t look (or act) a day over that. Many happy returns Rachel M.  

 

The Anglican Church is holding a Christmas Fair on Saturday, November 20th from 9am-2pm. There will be baked goods, crafts, and gift baskets up for grabs. They will also have a ‘take home’ fundraising dinner with homemade meat pies, lasagna and pierogies. All funds raised go towards replacing the church roof. Please note that as of Nov. 6th, provincial protocols for church bazaars/fairs require anyone entering the church to have proof of full vaccination.

We know it’s a bit early to be decorating for Christmas, but it’s not too early to be planning your song and dance number for the annual Community Christmas Concert! With COVID concerns still uppermost in mind, organizers have decided to stick to the online format they used last year. Mark Saturday, December 18th on your calendar and start thinking about what song, joke, skit, or dance you might be willing to contribute! Email Kagawong@live.ca for more information or if you are interested in performing. 

The Friends of the Billings Library is bringing their annual silent auction back, bigger and better than ever! The big ticket items like the golf card, mulch and gravel load are back again (along with SO many other fantastic items), but this year they have an extra-special travel bundle that will be up for grabs. Join the Facebook group “Friends of Billings Library Silent Auction” (www.facebook.com/groups/billingslibrarysilentauction) to get sneak peeks at the items before bidding goes live on Nov. 25th. 

In other exciting library news (is there any other kind of library news?!), copies of How It All Began are back in stock and available for sale! Pick up your copy of this iconic local history book for $30 at the Billings Library or contact billingslibrary@vianet.ca to make arrangements. 

 

Looking for extra dough? Remove some snow! The township is looking to hire an individual for casual snow removal of municipal buildings through the winter. Check out the Billings Township Facebook page for more information; deadline to express interest at the township office is Thursday, November 18th at 4pm.

Team Fergmeijer has a friend who keeps changing the sound their alarm clock makes. We wonder what they’re getting up to now… Have a great week!

November 3, 2021

Good Gourd, it’s November! Or should we say, Novem-brrrr? It may be colder, but etymologically-speaking, November is a hot month. Not as hot as Novfire but much warmer than Novashes.

Sadly, the Old Mill Heritage Centre’s annual Remembrance Day service, traditionally held on November 11, is cancelled this year due to COVID. However, there will be an outdoor wreath-laying ceremony at the Kagawong Cenotaph on Thursday, November 11th, at 11am. Lest we forget. 

The new boards are up on the rink and they look great! Big thanks to all the local people involved in getting those improvements done. We can’t wait to head down and try it out!

Happy birthday to Gail L. Forget about the past, we can’t change it; forget about the future, we can’t predict it; forget about the present, we didn’t get you one. Many happy returns!

Best wishes to our Mainland Mom who is recovering from hip replacement surgery this week. It’s impossible to keep her down… she’ll be up and dancing in no time!

A termite walks into a pub and asks, “Is the bar tender here?”

The Anglican Church is holding a Christmas Fair on Saturday, November 20th from 9am-2pm. There will be baked goods, crafts, and gift baskets up for grabs. They will also have a ‘take home’ fundraising dinner with homemade meat pies, lasagna and pierogies. All funds raised go towards replacing the church roof. COVID-19 protocols will be in place.

Did you know? Billings Township produces monthly newsletters! Check them out for updates on township projects and grants, upcoming meetings, general announcements, and a calendar of events. You can find current and past newsletters, here: https://billingstwp.ca/administration/new-monthly-newsletters/ 

When fish are in schools some take math, and some take debate.

We know it’s a bit early to be decorating for Christmas, but it’s not too early to be planning your song and dance number for the annual Community Christmas Concert! With COVID concerns still uppermost in mind, organizers have decided to stick to the online format they used last year. Mark Saturday, December 18th on your calendar and start thinking about what song, joke, skit, or dance you might be willing to contribute! Email Kagawong@live.ca for more information or if you are interested in performing. 

The Friends of the Billings Library is bringing their annual silent auction back, bigger and better than ever! The big ticket items like the golf card, mulch and gravel load are back again (along with SO many other fantastic items), but this year they have an extra-special travel bundle that will be up for grabs. Join the Facebook group “Friends of Billings Library Silent Auction” (www.facebook.com/groups/billingslibrarysilentauction) to get sneak peeks at the items before bidding goes live on Nov. 25th. 

Don’t be worried about your smartphone and TV spying on you. Your vacuum cleaner has been gathering dirt on you for years. Have a great week!