May 25, 2022

Did you know that many moons ago, there was a bar right in the middle of downtown Kagawong? One half of Team Fergmeijer used to live nearby; it was just a five-minute walk from her house to the bar. However, it was a 35-minute walk from the bar to her house. The difference was staggering.

Speaking of the history of our fair township, the library and museum both have copies of the newly printed How It All Began books detailing the history of European settlement in Billings Township! Books are $30 each with the funds raised being split between the two organizations. 

 

Tennis season is off to a great start with the Manitoulin Tennis Club! Participants played in round-robin doubles at the Blackfly Tournament last Saturday and shook off the rust of a long winter. Regular weekly sessions begin this coming Sunday, May 29, at 10am at the Manitoulin Secondary School courts, and continue through the summer. Beginners and seasoned players welcome!

 

What do you get when you cross a cow with an octopus? A visit from the ethics committee and immediate withdrawal of your funding.

 

Thanks to some raining evenings last week, the burn ban was lifted over the weekend. Keep up with the burn status by following the township Facebook page (facebook.com/billingstownshipkagawong)

 

It’s spring cleaning season! If you have clothing, household goods, or other items that you’d like to see out of your house, consider joining the community garage and trunk sale on Saturday May 28th. It is a collaborative event courtesy of Sugar Bush Coffeehouse, Bare Naked Beauty, Cultural Seeds, and Manitoulin Climate Collaborative. Email kim.neale0@gmail.com for more information.

 

This section is directed to the farmers in the crowd. Because we have questions. Do cows not wear flipflops because they lactose? Is a cow that just had a baby decaffeinated? If a cow has a sense of humour does that make them a laughing stock? Did you find any of these jokes funny or had you already herd them all?

 

The Late Bloomers ‘adopt’ one or two flower boxes around the community, planting their individual choice of flowers. The result is a beautiful collection of plantings for all to enjoy! If you would like to join them and adopt a planter, email jferguson@manitoulin.net for more information.

 

Do you know a citizen of Billings that goes above and beyond and deserves special recognition? Nominate them for Billings’ Citizen of the Year! There are two categories - under 18 years old and over 18 years old. Submit your nominations to tmills@billingstwp.ca by June 1st. 

 

Happy Birthday wishes go out to Casey R, who celebrates her big day this week. We wanted to offer you a birthday toast, but turns out we don’t have any bread. 

 

With all this election excitement, don’t forget that this fall we’ll be having a municipal election. Anyone interested in being a candidate for councillor or mayor in the upcoming municipal elections can register at the township office between now and August 19th. Check out the Vote Billings blog (https://votebillings.blogspot.com/) to learn more about what is involved in being on council or some helpful information on running a campaign. 

Last night we thought we would try some alligator for dinner, but couldn’t in the end because all we had was a crockpot. Have a great week!

May 18, 2022

We were reminiscing about how we used to entertain ourselves when going out in public wasn’t a thing during Covid. One of our favourite activities was to drive around and count deer like when we were kids. One evening we got stuck behind a real slowpoke. Their licence plate was G4ND4LF  and they wouldn’t let us pass. At some point, we discovered we can play piano by ear (it is way easier if we use our hands, though). We thought maybe we would finally learn how to drive a stick shift, but could’t find the manual. We toyed with the idea of trying to tame Australian wild dogs, but the first try dingo well at all and we gave up. Team Fergmeijer also got into the baking craze. We already knew how to bake bread, so we jumped to the next logical thing. Turns out, when churning butter, there isn’t a lot of margarine for error. We are looking forward to a summer of friends, family and togetherness!

Don’t miss it! Your chance to meet and hear from the provincial election candidates is TONIGHT, at 7pm at Manitoulin Secondary School. Attend in-person, or by live stream. See today’s Expositor for more details.

 

All this sunny, summery weather has been lovely, but the lack of rain has left things pretty dry. At the time of writing, the municipality is in a burn ban, and all burn permits have been suspended until further notice. Check the township website (http://billingstwp.ca) for any new information on the ban.

 

Feeling the lure of the courts? The Manitoulin Tennis Club is happy to announce that the Blackfly Tennis Tournament is back! This ​​recreational doubles tournament is perfect for shaking off the winter rust. All ages and abilities are welcome! This Saturday, May 21 (rain day will be Sunday if needed) beginning at 10am at the Manitoulin Secondary School tennis courts, no partner required. Visit the Manitoulin Tennis Club Facebook page for more information.

 

It’s spring cleaning season! If you have clothing, household goods, or other items that you’d like to see out of your house, consider joining the community garage and trunk sale on May 28th. It is a collaborative event courtesy of Sugar Bush Coffeehouse, Bare Naked Beauty, Cultural Seeds, and Manitoulin Climate Collaborative. Email kim.neale0@gmail.com for more information.

 

The Late Bloomers is a group of local gardeners who volunteer their time and energy to beautify the village. Each Bloomer ‘adopts’ one or two flowerboxes around the community, planting their individual choice of flowers. The result is a beautiful collection of plantings for all to enjoy! If you would like to join the Late Bloomers and adopt a planter, email jferguson@manitoulin.net for more information.

 

Another sign of summer is upon us! The Old Mill Heritage Centre re-opens to the public this weekend, and The Captain looks forward to welcoming you back to see the Empress of Ireland exhibit. Don’t miss it!

 

Do you know a citizen of Billings that goes above and beyond and deserves special recognition? Nominate them for Billings’ Citizen of the Year! There are two categories - under 18 years old and over 18 years old. Submit your nominations to tmills@billingstwp.ca by June 1st. 

 

With all this election excitement, don’t forget that this fall we’ll be having a municipal election. Anyone interested in being a candidate for councillor or mayor in the upcoming municipal elections can register at the township office between now and August 19th. Check out the Vote Billings blog (https://votebillings.blogspot.com/) to learn more about what is involved in being on council or some helpful information on running a campaign. 

 

With all these nominations, don’t forget about Team Fergmeijer’s omnomnominations for most delicious sammich on Manitoulin! Candidates must be made on the Island, must meet the basic definition of a sandwich, and must be available to the public. To register your candidate, submit a picture of the sammich, a basic description of it, and where people can get said sammich to fergmeijer@gmail.com. Omnomnominations close the last week of May. Voting will begin the first week of June. The sammich with the most votes gets bragging rights as the winner of the Team Fergmeijer Great Sammich Search 2022! 

 

Happy Birthday to TCO (The Cute One) who celebrated her big day earlier this week. Although no longer living in Billings, based on her current photos, it is clear Rachel is still only turning 29 this year.

 

What is made of leather, a foot long and sounds like a sneeze? A shoe. Have a great week!

May 11, 2022

The ice is officially out of the bay and spring is settling in nicely. Team Fergmeijer has seen several people out fishing lately, though we haven’t heard what their net income from it has been. We don’t know much about fish and fishing, so we have some questions: do fish live in salt water because pepper makes them sneeze? If a fish sees the bottom of the ocean, does it blush and look away really quickly? Do fish consider caviar roemantic? Do you land more fish when you listen to catchy music? Do fish keep their friends close and their anemones closer? It was suggested that we scale back on the fish jokes, but after taking time to mullet over, we decided to just go with it. If you have any beta fish puns, drop us a line! 

Do you know a citizen of Billings that goes above and beyond and deserves special recognition? Nominate them for Billings’ Citizen of the Year! There are two categories - under 18 years old and over 18 years old. Submit your nominations to tmills@billingstwp.ca by June 1st. 

 

The next Billings town council meeting is Monday, May 16, at 7:30pm. Anyone who wishes to attend can email Tiana Mills at tmills@billingstwp.ca by 3:00 pm on the 16th for a digital invitation.

 

Did you know that, according to researchers, 9 out of 10 people who are afraid of hurdles never get over it. 

 

Have you ever considered being part of the municipal council? Now is the time to make it a reality as Billings has posted their notice of nominations! Anyone interested in being a candidate for councillor or mayor in the upcoming municipal elections can register at the township office between now and August 19th. If you would like more information on what is involved in being on council or some helpful information on running a campaign, check out the new Vote Billings blog (https://votebillings.blogspot.com/). Whether you are thinking of running for council or not, don’t forget to register to vote!

 

Meanwhile, Team Fergmeijer is accepting omnomnominations for most delicious sammich on Manitoulin! Candidates must be made on the Island, must meet the basic definition of a sandwich, and must be available to the public. To register your candidate, submit a picture of the sammich, a basic description of it, and where people can get said sammich to fergmeijer@gmail.com. Omnomnominations close the last week of May. Voting will begin the first week of June. The sammich with the most votes gets bragging rights as the winner of the Team Fergmeijer Great Sammich Search 2022! 

 

The nice weather has us wanting to get out more and get fit. We walked down to the paint store to get thinner, but it didn’t work. 

 

The Manitoulin Tennis Club is happy to announce that the Blackfly Tennis Tournament is back! This ​​recreational doubles tournament is perfect for shaking off the winter rust. All ages and abilities are welcome! Saturday, May 21 beginning at 10am at the Manitoulin Secondary School tennis courts, no partner required. Rain day will be Sunday if needed.

 

Friends of ours have started a band. They call themselves “Books.” We heard them practicing last week and we are trying really hard not to judge them by their covers. 

 

Are you a young person looking for a summer job? Billings Township has one public works student assistant position available still. Get your application and cover letter into the town office (kmcdonald@billingstwp.ca) ASAP!

Best wishes go out to Sherri C who is celebrating her 29th next week. One thing we’ve learned over the years is that no matter what your age, you should chase your dreams (you can still run at your age, right?). Happy birthday!

Our boss asked why we only seem to get sick on weekdays. We told her it must be our weekend immune system. Have a great week!

May 4, 2022

Fellow nerds! Team Fergmeijer wishes you a very happy Star Wars day today. May the fourth be with you! And enjoy tomorrow - the revenge of the 5th! As usual, we couldn’t let this geeky high holiday pass without some of our favourite jokes and puns. For example, how many Star Wars characters does it take to change a lightbulb? A lot, because many Hans make light work. What do you call a pirate droid?… Arrr2-D2! What did Yoda ride as a kid? A do-cycle. Because there is no tri. 

Congratulations to Kagawong’s own Diane Larocque on being celebrated in last week’s The Expositor for Volunteer Week! We are so appreciative of everything she does to help make our township the best place to live on Manitoulin. 

 

The Manitoulin Island Garbage Cleanup Event continues! Billings currently sits in 3rd place for Island townships, and the challenge has been extended until May 9th. See the Manitoulin Streams Facebook page for more information on the event, and find out how you can help Billings “clean-up” the competition!

 

The Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA) was flushing the water lines in Kagawong this week. Today (May 4) is the last day for the maintenance; if you notice any discoloration in the water, leave it running at the tap until it is clear.

 

Have you ever considered being part of the municipal council? Now is the time to make it a reality as Billings has posted their notice of nominations! Anyone interested in being a candidate for councillor or mayor in the upcoming municipal elections can register at the township office between now and August 19th. If you would like more information on what is involved in being on council or some helpful information on running a campaign, check out the new Vote Billings blog (https://votebillings.blogspot.com/). Whether you are thinking of running for council or not, don’t forget to register to vote!

 

In the spirit of the upcoming elections this year, Team Fergmeijer would like to give our loyal readers their notice of omnomnominations for most delicious sammich on Manitoulin. Candidates must be made on the Island, must meet the basic definition of a sandwich (as per Merriam Webster: two or more slices of bread or a split roll having a filling in between), and must be available to the public. To register your candidate, submit a picture of the sammich, a basic description of the sammich, and where people can get said sammich to fergmeijer@gmail.com. Omnomnominations close the last week of May. Voting will begin the first week of June. The sammich with the most votes gets bragging rights as the winner of the Team Fergmeijer Great Sammich Search 2022! 

 

Are you a young person looking for a summer job? Billings Township has one public works student assistant position available still. Get your application and cover letter into the town office (kmcdonald@billingstwp.ca) ASAP!

If you or someone you love has a birthday coming up, let us know (fergmeijer@gmail.com). We’ll ‘honour’ the special occasion as only Team Fergmeijer can!

Looking to get involved in the community? Friends of the Billings Library (FOBL) is looking for members! They are an autonomous organization which holds 1-2 fundraisers each year to support the local library. If you are interested in joining, contact Rachel Valade (rvalade@gmail.com) for more information.

Speaking of the library… plans are in the works to revive the annual used book sale this summer! You can follow www.facebook.com/kagawonglibrary to stay in the loop on dates and times as information becomes available. What we do know at this point is that there will be A LOT of books! 

 

Team Fergmeijer has been wondering, if two vegans get in a fight, is it still considered a ‘beef’? Have a great week!