July 26, 2023

Little known fact: team Fergmeijer once worked as programmers for an autocorrect company. We were only there a brief time before being fried for no raison. Shortly after that, our doctor diagnosed us with “Autocorrect Syndrome.” We didn’t even know we were I’ll. Thank goodness it’s treatable. It’s really annoying to constantly be using words we didn’t Nintendo. 

Last weekend’s NorthWords Festival was a fantastic success. Thank you to all the participants who took part, and to the volunteers who kept everyone on the same page when it came to the many events and activities over the course of the festival. 

Congratulations go out to Meranda and Brett Varey on their newest addition! Big sister Paisley was a bit confused by the sheer lack of fur when baby Harper arrived home, but we are assured that they are getting along just fine now. 

This is a busy week for birthday wishes! Jen C, Jen F, Mike C, Craig F, Meredith C-N, and Dawn N have all turned 29 in recent days. Mid H also celebrated, though not quite 29. Happy birthday to you all! Keep an eye on the mail for a special gift from Team Fergmeijer. We ordered something special for your big day, but we had some issues with autocorrect, so just a heads up, you might be getting a birthday pheasant. 

The next session of free American Sign Language (ASL) classes are August 1st and 3rd. Join ASL instructor Andrea Wist at 10am at the market pavilion near the Old Mill to learn some foundations of ASL. Classes are open to all ages (children must be accompanied by an adult). For more information, email the library billingsreads@gmail.com. 

The MSS robotics team, Manitoulin Metal Team 6865, is hosting free interactive coding workshops for youth across Manitoulin in August. Kagawongians in elementary school can take part at the Park Centre on August 7th. Grades 1-4 will be at 10am-noon, and grades 5-8 will be 1-3pm. The workshops will include foundational skills in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math), as well as exploring the environment with technology. Snacks will also be provided! Drop-ins are welcome, or register at bit.ly/manitoulincoding

Penny L made her annual visit to Kagawong this past week, taking in the sights in the village and out at the point. Always enthralled by the wildlife, she was sure to keep up her fitness regimen while visiting.

Hot on the heels of Speaker’s Night in Kagawong with Steve Paikin and Arthur Milnes this month, the Old Mill Heritage Centre presents the annual History Night in Kagawong on Thursday, August 10th. Explore some of the history of Manitoulin Island, as well as commemorate the 60th anniversary of the JFK assassination with rare home movies, photographs, and exclusive interviews with witnesses who were there. Admission is free to either session: 3:30pm matinee or 7:30pm, both at the Kagawong Park Centre. Donations are always welcome for the Old Mill Heritage Centre.

We’ve all seen the trail sign, and now the new pedestrian bridge across the lower Kagawong River it has been promising is finally being built! The trails remain open, however be on the lookout for minor trail detours. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of September. For more information, contact Todd Gordon at (705) 282-2611 extension 224.

The Angel Bus fundraising committee is at it again - they are selling tickets for a chance to win a fabulous, hand-made quilt all summer long. You can find them at the Kagawong market on Wednesday and on Fridays at the Gore Bay market. Tickets are $5 each or 3 for $10. Funds raised supports the ongoing operating costs of the Angel Bus. 

This was a tough column to write. We had a lot of funny jokes, but autocorrect kept ruining the lunchline. Have a great week!

July 19, 2023

Team Fergmeijer has been very careful over the years to protect our secret identities, and we appreciate the Expositor staff going above and beyond to keep the public from finding out who we really are. That said, we aren’t sure moving to Silver Water is entirely necessary just yet. 

Kagawong Concert Series continues to amaze and delight with their performances at the Old Church on the Hill. Teilhard Frost & Chris Coole were delightful last week! Follow their Facebook page to be the first to get info on the next fantastic concert. 

Team Fergmeijer can only hope we look as good in our old age as some of the cars at the Show & Shine this past weekend. Thanks to the Billings Parks, Rec & Wellness Committee for hosting!

Congratulations to the Old Mill Heritage Centre on hosting another fantastic history event in Kagawong! Last Thursday, Steve Paikin and Arthur Milnes delighted the audience at the Park Centre with tales from past encounters with historical figures, complete with a surprise musical tribute. Thank you to everyone who attended!

Many happy returns to Laura H who turned 29 last week. Randy N celebrated a watershed 29th last weekend, too. We sure hope you checked with the fire department when the birthday cake came out; the number of candles on your cake might mean it falls under the fire ban!

Due to popular demand, the next session of free American Sign Language (ASL) classes have been shifted to be in the evening! July 25th, 27th join Georgian College ASL instructor Andrea Wist from 6:30-8pm at the market pavilion near the Old Mill to learn some foundations of ASL. Classes are open to all ages (children must be accompanied by an adult). Come to one or take them all! For more information, email the library billingsreads@gmail.com. 

NorthWords Festival is this weekend! The festival kicks off Friday at 1pm with the opening ceremony featuring the M’Chigeeng Ladies Drum Group followed by author Shelley Pearen as keynote speaker. Shelley will discuss her work on the “Wiikwemkoong Diarium” as well as her other works. Friday night is the much anticipated Book & Brew at Split Rail Brewery in Gore Bay. Mix and mingle with featured festival authors, enjoy the light tapas menu, and savour some great craft beer. On Saturday, the library is holding its annual book sale from 11am - 3pm at the red-roofed pavilion (or the covered rink if the weather doesn’t cooperate). You can also take in the author showcase there, with Mnawaate Gordon-Corbiere, James Simon Mishibinijima, Don Roberts, and Stephanie Malo, among others who are excited to chat with visitors! And the festival’s partner 4elements Living Arts has brought in artist Michael Cywink to create a live plein-air painting throughout the day as well. There will be workshops running throughout the day that you can take part in, too: poetry with Sophie Edwards, writing with Claire Ross Dunn, and creative knitting with Kirk Dunn. Saturday evening wraps up the festival with a performance of Kirk’s fantastic one-man show, “The Knitting Pilgrim.” Tickets for Friday’s Book & Brew, and Saturday’s performance can still be purchased at the Billings Library or online (bit.ly/northwordsfest). You can also contact NorthWordsFest@gmail.com for more information. 

Billings Township has been having quite the population boom the last year or two. Welcome! New to the area? Be sure to stop in the town office at the Old Mill to have your questions on all-things Billings answered.  

The Kagawong market is a must-see event every Wednesday through July and August. The new venue (the covered rink) offers a fantastic shopping experience. Until the parking area along Henry Drive is completed, your best bet for parking is on Old Mill Road and near the river trail entrance across from Upper Street. 

The Angel Bus fundraising committee is at it again - they are selling tickets for a chance to win a fabulous, hand-made quilt all summer long. You can find them at the Kagawong market on Wednesday and on Fridays at the Gore Bay market. Tickets are $5 each or 3 for $10. Funds raised supports the ongoing operating costs of the Angel Bus. 

Fun fact: Koi fish always swim in schools of four to protect against predators. When attacked, koi A, koi B, and koi C will swim quickly away, leaving the predator to target the D koi. Have a great week!

July 12, 2023

After the recent heat wave, Team Fergmiejer has a burning question for you: Did anyone else feel like they were mostly made up of sweat and sunscreen last week? We like the summer as much as the next dynamic duo, but there were a couple of days that felt like we were living in an oven - but at least cookies come out of an oven.  We spent three days sweating like a marathon runner (without all that pesky exercise). 

After an amazing show by the Fitzgeralds last week, the Kagawong Concert Series organizers are at it again with Teilhard Frost & Chris Coole playing tonight at 7:30pm at the Old Church on the Hill. At the time of writing there were still tickets available!

Best birthday wishes go out to Linda R and Ardis F who both turn…let us check our notes…. 29 this week! At a certain age, you really do have to break out the glasses to read your birthday cards. The wine glasses, that is. 

The Angel Bus fundraising committee is at it again - they are selling tickets for a chance to win a fabulous, hand-made quilt all summer long. You can find them at the Kagawong market on Wednesday and on Fridays at the Gore Bay market. Tickets are $5 each or 3 for $10. Funds raised supports the ongoing operating costs of the Angel Bus. 

On the topic of fabulous quilts… the Manitoulin Quilt Show is this weekend in Assiginack (26 Clover Valley Road, Manitowaning). Proudly presented by the Island Quilters Guild and the Happy Quilters of Gore Bay, the show runs Friday July 14th (2-8pm), Saturday the 15th (10am-5pm) and Sunday the 16th (10am-1pm). 

The first of several sessions of the library’s free American Sign Language lessons (lead by Georgian College instructor Andrea Wist) were a big hit! The next set of classes are July 25th, 27th. Each class starts at 10am at the market pavilion. Classes are open to all ages (children must be accompanied by an adult). Come to one or take them all! For more information, email the library billingsreads@gmail.com. 

The library’s annual used book sale has been included in the NorthWords Festival and is being held July 22nd from 11am-3pm at the pavilion (the covered rink is the backup in case of inclement weather). They can always use volunteers to help with setup. It’s a great way for teens to get their volunteer hours in, too. Contact billingsreads@gmail.com for more information. 

In addition to the library sale, with hundreds of books for sale at deep discounts, there will also be a ‘local author showcase’ in the same area featuring several authors with links to the Island including Mnawaate Gordon-Corbiere, James Simon Mishibinijima, Don Roberts, and Stephanie Malo, among others. The authors will have displays, books for sale and are excited to chat with visitors. For more information email northwordsfest@gmail.com or visit the festival’s Facebook page (fb.com/northwordsfest).

“Speakers Night in Kagawong” is tomorrow (Thursday)! The Old Mill Heritage Centre welcomes Arthur Milnes and Steve Paikin July 13th at 7:30pm at the Park Centre for an evening of recalling historic Canadian and American leaders and events.

Don’t forget to check out the new Kagawong walk and run routes map located on the back of the MICA sign near the Cedar Maze and discover a new way to explore the area!

4elements Living Arts is looking for vendors, workshop facilitators and an artist in residence for their 2023/2024 season. Contact info@4elementslivingarts.org for more information. 

Overheard at the market last week: “I’m not sweating, I’m oozing charisma.” Have a great week!

July 5, 2023

Love is in the air! Oh, wait. That’s just the smell of barbeque. We’ll let you in on a little secret: Team Fergmeijer LOVES grilling. It’s true; we like pig butts and we cannot lie. To be frank, we believe that even the wurst day can be made better with barbeque, and we are all fired up for the grilling season. We cook on the grill pretty much any day the weather is good. That’s right: sun’s out, buns out! 

Summer kicked off in fine form on the weekend with the annual Anglican Church yard sale and BBQ on Saturday. Thanks to everyone who came out for a good meal and a good deal!

Tonight! Don’t miss fiddling and step dancing siblings The Fitzgeralds: Wednesday, July 5 at 7:30pm. Last-minute tickets might be available at the door, but don’t delay! Next up in the Kagawong Concerts series is Teilhard Frost & Chris Coole on Wednesday, July 12 at 7:30pm. Tickets for the July 12th concert can be purchased in advance at https://kagawong.ticketspice.com/teilhard-chris Both concerts will be at the Old Church on the Hill just off Carter Crescent in Kagawong. 

This weekend! Jabbawong Storytelling Festival is back as part of the ArtInfusion weekend on July 8th and 9th. Take part in a weekend of creativity and inspiration for all. Check out their page on Facebook for more information. 

The library’s summer hours (Tuesday through Saturday 9-5) have officially started! Stop in to peruse board games, movies, tv series, magazines, oh and books!

In other library news, Billings Library is partnering with Andrea Wist, ASL instructor at Georgian College, to offer free ASL lessons! Classes are July 6th, 25th, 27th, August 1st and 3rd. Each class starts at 10am at the market pavilion. Classes are open to youth and adults (children must be accompanied by an adult). Come to one or take them all! For more information, email the library billingsreads@gmail.com. 

“Speakers Night in Kagawong” is just around the corner! The Old Mill Heritage Centre welcomes Arthur Milnes and Steve Paikin July 13th at 7:30pm at the Park Centre for an evening of recalling historic Canadian and American leaders and events.

NorthWords Festival (June 21st and 22nd) has so many fun activities lined up! Saturday night, come out to experience Kirk Dunn’s amazing show, The Knitting Pilgrim. “15 years of knitting. 90 pounds of yarn. One man's artistic and spiritual journey.” Get your tickets to the show at the Billings Public Library or online at bit.ly/northwordsfest  One of the best parts of the show is that it’s #BYOK: bring your own knitting! (knitting is encouraged in the audience)

Don’t forget to head down to the market on Wednesdays throughout the summer. This year the market has moved to the outdoor rink and parking lot at the Park Centre. With 70+ vendors making regular appearances this summer, Kagawong will be hopping! 

 

Are you too young to remember when cameras used film? Just roll with it and visit

the Old Mill Heritage Centre’s vintage camera and photographic exhibit. The museum is open seven days a week, so be sure to pop on by and check out the latest displays.

Whew! With all this going on, as you’re out and about in the village you might find yourself wondering just how far you’ve walked. Wonder no more! Check out the new Kagawong walk and run routes map located on the back of the MICA sign near the Cedar Maze and discover a new way to explore the area!

We spoke with grill aficionado Jamie Ward, and his words of barbeque wisdom were, “It’s not burnt; that’s flavour, yo!” Have a great week!