January 26, 2022

Keeping things interesting in the quiet months of the winter isn’t always easy. 
Along comes the Short Poems for a Short Month challenge to brighten things up!
Get writing, they said;
Anyone can do it! 
What type of poetry is part of the challenge?
Only the short forms, please.
Nothing too long, but haikus, rhyming couplets, limericks, and even ACROSTICS will work.
Good, bad or otherwise, send it to Kagawong@live.ca and we’ll publish it!

Happy belated birthday to Susie D and Lisa L who both turned 29 in the last few days. And a very happy birthday to Jenna C who celebrates 29 years this very day! If you are thinking too much about how old you are now, stop! There’s nothing to stress about; vintage is in!

 

A very appreciative shout-out to the Hydro workers who headed out on Sunday to get the lights back on in the west end of the Island. Not what most of us would like to be doing on our weekend, but we’d be lost (in the dark) without you!

 

A reminder that the Municipal Office is closed to the public, and the staff are working remotely for the time being. Drop-offs of documents can be made using the after-hours slot on the employee entrance door. Call 282-2611 with any inquiries. The Kagawong Fitness Centre will be closed for the foreseeable future. The landfill remains open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 pm to 6pm and Sundays from 10 am to 4 pm. And finally, the library is open its regular hours, however there is a limit of 3 patrons at any given time.

Remember that agendas and minutes for the various township committee meetings can be found on the township website: http://billingstwp.ca 

The library is looking for help keeping their front entrance snow-free. They are now hiring an individual to clear their front entrance, ramp, and book drop area prior to opening hours so that patrons can access the building safely. Pay rate is $15/day (max 3 days per week, as needed). Contact the library (billingslibrary@vianet.ca  or  705-282-2944) for more information. 

When they couldn’t come up with a haiku, 

The KGB staged a July coup!

All summer they flapped, 

And gobbled and yapped,

But they’re not nat’ral poets. Like you!

…so don’t forget to share your poetic talent and submit a verse! Have a great week!

January 19, 2022

There once was a duo from Billings,

Who found that reporting was thrilling!

When news items were light

They made it up on sight!

Either way they found it fulfilling.

Since both members of Team Fergmeijer are somewhat vertically challenged, and since February has fewer days than any other month, we are launching a new challenge for you, dear readers. We present to you, Short Poems for a Short Month! We are now accepting short forms of poetry for inclusion in this column - limericks, haikus, rhyming couplets, sijos, or even very short odes, should the mood strike you. Send them our way via email (kagawong@live.ca) or via the Kagawong Facebook page. There are no set topics, but keep them PG. Don’t make us blush. Or get us fired.

Many happy returns go out to Lisa L who celebrates her birthday this week. They say that age is just a number… living in Billings means your number is 29!  

Students are back in class after a two-week stretch learning remotely. There are new processes in place for Rainbow District schools that parents should be aware of. Elementary schools will be emailing parents if a class is not able to be staffed, and the school bus consortium will be emailing if your bus route is not able to run. Make sure your email contact information is up-to-date with your school(s) and the consortium to be sure you are getting these important updates. And it goes without saying, be sure to check your email each morning! More specific information can be found on RDSB website (www.rainbowschools.ca/) and on the bus consortium website (businfo.ca).

 

A reminder that the Municipal Office is closed to the public, and the staff are working remotely for the time being. Drop-offs of documents can be made using the after-hours slot on the employee entrance door. Call 282-2611 with any inquiries. The Kagawong Fitness Centre will be closed for the foreseeable future. The landfill remains open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 pm to 6pm and Sundays from 10 am to 4 pm. And finally, the library is open its regular hours, however there is a limit of 3 patrons at any given time.

A friend of ours called us the other day, so excited that she had finally finished writing her book on penguins! Though she did admit that in hindsight, it would probably have been a lot easier on paper. 

The weather has been a bit uncooperative for ice development at the rink, but we are optimistic that Mother Nature will start playing nice, so we can get our skates out. Thanks, as always, to the volunteers who are working to make the rink happen!

The library is looking for help keeping their front entrance snow-free. They are now hiring an individual to clear their front entrance, ramp, and book drop area prior to opening hours so that patrons can access the building safely. Pay rate is $15/day (max 3 days per week, as needed). Contact the library (billingslibrary@vianet.ca  or   705-282-2944) for more information. 

Remember that time Steve Paikin came to town? Or the time the township celebrated that special event? Catch up on old times with the complete archive of Team Fergmeijer columns, all the way back to 2015! Check out http://teamfergmeijer.blogspot.com to get your fill of puns and haiku. 

Quick question: are tectonic plates dishwasher safe? We aren’t sure and were hoping to use them for a continental breakfast. Have a great week!

January 12, 2022

With winter settling in for the long haul now, it is a great chance to spend some quality time with your family and loved ones. For instance, we were visiting an elderly neighbour and he was telling us the best stories from his past. For instance, he told us that he saw the Titanic! From the beginning he warned all the people that the ship was going to sink, but nobody listened to him. He was so brave! He did not give up! He warned them again and again on several occasions… right up until they kicked him out of the movie theatre. 

Do you or a friend or family member have a birthday coming up? Want to memorialize the big day in a special way? Let us know and we’ll include it in our column!

With the recent provincial move back to Stage 2 of closures, there are changes to access to many of the municipal buildings. The Municipal Office will be closed to the public, and the staff will be working remotely. Call 282-2611 with any inquiries. The Kagawong Fitness Centre will be closed for the foreseeable future. The landfill remains open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 pm to 6pm and Sundays from 10 am to 4 pm. And finally, the library is open its regular hours, however there is a limit of 3 patrons at any given time.

Looking to take advantage of the cold weather and go skating at the rink? Don’t forget it’s frost come frost served! The township is still looking for volunteers to help maintain the rink. Volunteering would include maintenance checks of the rink and snow removal. For more information, please email tmills@billingstwp.ca, or call (705) 282-2611 x225.

The new year is a good time to update some of our key passwords. We changed our passwords all to Kenny. Now all we have are Kenny Loggins.

The library is looking for help keeping their front entrance snow free. They are now hiring an individual to clear their front entrance, ramp, and book drop area prior to opening hours so that patrons can access the building safely. Pay rate is $15/day (max 3 days per week, as needed). Contact the library (billingslibrary@vianet.ca  or   705-282-2944) for more information. 

Remember that time Steve Paikin came to town? Or the time the township celebrated that special event? Catch up on old times with the complete archive of Team Fergmeijer columns, all the way back to 2015! Check out http://teamfergmeijer.blogspot.com to get your fill of puns and haiku. 

Our words of wisdom for this week: If you ever get locked out of your house or car, just talk to the lock calmly. Remember, communication is the key. Have a great week!

January 5, 2022

Happy New Year! We were hoping to have a New Year’s pun to start off the column this week, but we really dropped the ball on this one. Regardless, we hope you all had a safe and enjoyable holiday season.

This year’s digital Christmas concert was a huge success! People joined the virtual concert from as far away as exotic Maple Point and distant Little Current! Not to mention St. Catharines, Burlington, Calgary (who can forget the indubitable Mike Coomes and his - sometimes questionable - witticisms) and the east coast of the country, too.Thank you to everyone who donated to Manitoulin Family Resources. If you would still like to make a donation, simply visit www.MFResources.net and make a difference as we dive into the new year.

There are many birthdays in the first weeks of the new year. We love the opportunity to party hop! Happy birthday wishes go out to Harrison N, Melanie H, John F, Chris T, Jen W, and to our Mainland Mom, who are all turning (or have turned) 29 in the last two weeks! You know, sometimes it’s easy to get wrapped up in all the adult decisions and responsibilities of day to day life and forget our childhood dreams and ambitions. Team Fergmeijer hopes that on your big days, you all remember that it is never too late to be whatever you have ever dreamed of being! (Unless that dream is to be younger…) Best wishes to you all!

Reminder that though the landfill and library are back to regular hours, the Township Office is open by appointment only. Please call 282-2611, extension 221, before stopping in.

A rink you can’t skate on is snow laughing matter! The township is looking for volunteers to help maintain the rink. Volunteering would include maintenance checks of the rink and snow removal. For more information, please email tmills@billingstwp.ca, or call (705) 282-2611 x225.

The library is looking for help keeping their front entrance snow free. They are now hiring an individual to clear their front entrance, ramp, and book drop area prior to opening hours so that patrons can access the building safely. Pay rate is $15/day (max 3 days per week, as needed). Contact the library (billingslibrary@vianet.ca  or   705-282-2944) for more information. 

The Billings history book, “How It All Began” is back in stock and available. To get a copy, stop in at the library or contact billingslibrary@vianet.ca to pick one up today!  

Remember that time that person turned 29 years old? Or the time the township celebrated that special event? Catch up on old times with the complete archive of Team Fergmeijer columns, all the way back to 2015! Check out http://teamfergmeijer.blogspot.com to get your fill of puns and haiku. 

Don’t forget, a pun has not completely matured until it is full groan. Have a great week!